The rest of the night was pretty uneventful after I killed the Boneback. Even though I was well enough away from the body, nothing came out of the woods to try and digest the body. The bear just sat there... a butchered corpse. While I'm annoyed that it produced no new predators or sights, I'm also relieved that it didn't just so I don't have to fight something else.

Spending a day in the Grey Valley had already surpassed the expectations of my abilities. However, now that I'm out here for so long I'm pretty sure I'm feeling effects similar to hunger or thirst. Just the act of getting down from the tree makes me feel mentally sluggish and some of my leaves look like they're wilting.

I think being at my dungeon sustains me. Ropert had bodies and grass to squeeze moisture from while Bomber and Ivy could eat any grass or drink water from the now-clean pond if they ever felt peckish. Yet not once in my new life have I felt the need to choke grass, drink water, or root myself for nutrients.

Now, though, I definitely feel not great.

[Notification] You have 2 new personal quest(s).

Oh, right. The personal quest thing. I had almost forgotten all about those.

Quests. Personal Quests.

[Quests] Dungeon Master Abroad Return Home Your manifested form is not being supported by the dungeon; sustaining it is vital.

Fill Nutrition value.

Reward: 5 Favor Being abroad is tough, isn't it? It will be better if you return to the dungeon's safety.

Recall or teleport back to Dungeon of Kaden.

Reward: 5 Favor [Back]

I really need to find a way to rename my dungeon so that the second quest reads a little better. I'm not terribly bent out of shape that the rewards are small, though; any Favor is better than no Favor.

... But now that it mentions it, that's right. Nutrition is a value I know exists and the way it works allows me to consume an entire corpse down to the last drop of its blood via Compost.

Ever since I'd evolved, though, using Compost had completely slipped my mind. It isn't like I forgot about it, though; it's more accurate to say that it felt unusable. To utilize Compost properly, I completely surrounded and wrapped the body up to squeeze it down. When I evolved, however, I lost my snake-like vine body and became this bush. Fully enwrapping a body like a ranbi isn't possible, much less something larger like the bear-

Wait. That's it. I don't need to Compost creatures that large, nor do I need a lot of them. This environment is ideal for mana-hungry creatures.

I am a mana-hungry creature. Or a plant. Whatever.

Thinking about it, isn't this environment actually great for a Creeper that uses magic? There's tons of mana all over the place and the grasses here are rich in the stuff. My connection to Nature doubly enforces that line of thought.

But I also have Earth affinity and this forest has large, mana-rich worms.

Worms that are large, juicy shits that are smaller than ranbi and perfectly-size for me to wrap up in my grip.

...

Collecting worms is a lot easier than dealing with them; picking at the ground lets me find them without too much issue as is, but the recently slain Boneback attracted a lot of the squirmers overnight. All I had to do was bludgeon them with the staff to kill them without destroying their body, dragging them out and setting them in the clearing so I can best figure out the proper way to do this.

First: put my staff down. I need both hands for this.

Second: take them into my grip. As far as how to hold them, I think horizontally is best; vertically may be somewhat easier of a grip pattern for my untwining hands, but horizontally lets me pull it into my bushy body more easily.

I settle the first worm corpse right up against myself, wrap my tentacles across its surface, and bend over so I can fully hide it against my trunk's flexible "waist" as best as I can.

Compost.

I didn't move but I distinctly felt my control and senses relax, fading out from my own body. It's been a long time since I experienced this sensation but I definitely remember the unnerving lack of ability to do anything. My grip over the worm intensifies and my body's branches bend, completely blocking the view inside my body.

Insert intense squelching noises.

Yes, I know. That's not descriptive and I really don't want it to be. The sound of a worm being juiced into a blue goop isn't something I like imagining. Especially since that noise drones on, only pausing for a few seconds when my body automatically adjusts and starts squeezing it anew.

Five minutes later, though, that noise finally ends and my body starts unfurling. The few leaves that had been wilting hue back closer to their natural green, whilst the sluggish drag on me lifts slightly.

Nutrition increased by 1.

Manifested Form's Nutrition is now 1/10. [Notification] Composted target has Ability Mana-Enriched; granting additional Nutrition.

Manifested Form's Nutrition is now 2/10. [Notification] Ability detected...

Tracking progress...

Fuck. I mean, this is great and my body looks healthier... but fuck.

Eating worms is actually good for me now.

Urgh. Whatever. I have enough worms right now to max out my Nutrition so I might as well do it. Farming these worms, though, is definitely not going to be cost-effective for earning experience. I earned 5 EXP just from killing the Boneback Bear yet still didn't level-up; over-consuming nutrition may be less effective as you level-up based on Bomber and Ivy's slowed leveling-curve, but at the very least you require more experience to level-up.

Earning small increments for the necessary time invested just isn't a worthwhile way to spend my day. But, maybe I'll get a few worms to keep with me for snacking. Considering these things are Mana-Enriched, I'd bet that's the Ability I'm going to get if I keep eating them.

Now... worm whacking and snacking must resume. Urgh.

...

And... finished.

[Notification] Composted target has Ability Mana-Enriched; granting additional Nutrition.

Manifested Form's Nutrition is now 10/10.

Five worm-produced juicings later is enough to top me off. Thanks Grey Man.

[Notification] Personal Quest completed.

You have earned 5 Favor. [Notification] Conditions met. Granting title. New Title: Daily Dabbler Completing quests is always a good feeling. Completing special quests for yourself? Priceless.

Passive Effect

+ 1 Maximum HP

+ 1 LUCK

Equipped Effect

+ 5% chance to upgrade a Personal Quest's reward.

Favor and a title. And another with an Equipped Effect. Since I'm not dealing with any ranbi out here, I might as well equip it, too. It probably won't work right away but it's good to at least potentially make it pop when I recall, right?

It's time to get moving, though. The Boneback isn't luring anything in and I have a few worm corpses in my inventory for food if I get hungry. My nutrition max went up, I think, but that's not important right now. I vaguely remember the way I was moving yesterday so I'll keep heading that way; moving through forests isn't easy but as long as I can keep moving, then it's better than dillydallying.

I have to admit, though, I'm enjoying this trip and its benefits so far.

...

Up there. I see something a hundred or so yards away. A boxy, grey-

Wait. That's a building, isn't it?

I approach slowly with staff in hand, tentatively squeezing and brushing my control over its crystals. All the MP I spent yesterday is replaced and I'm ready for anything, including running away.

The building itself is nine feet tall and a mix of carving and blocks; large stones form the foundation and supports of the structure while smaller-cut stones are interweaved and stacked for its walls. From this distance, I can see it has a single, empty doorway and its roof seems to be spaced out planks with thinner stones placed over it. My angle lets me see a few holes are open... and the edges of the stones look worn.

I can relax. This place isn't a place to stay. It's a ruin.

...

Standing closer, I can say I'm impressed.

The walls of this building are already a pretty astounding accomplishment, but inside? The inside's floor is made of similar stones and groundwork. Although it lacks furniture, there are spikes of iron driven into the wall's cracks or sometimes into the stones themselves. This kind of placement and order - such as pairing them or spacing them out at intervals - is the clear sign this place had wall decorations or storage of some variety.

Whoever lived here also cleared out the nearby trees; light passes through the few holes naturally, illuminating the room. There are raised guards along the top of the holes to help with rain, while the floor is creased and leaned to guide water that falls down out through holes bored in the walls.

It's primitive but functional. Definitely the work of someone intelligent.

But that's still nothing compared to my biggest discovery.

On the wall above the doorway on the outside, there are carvings. Symbolistic carvings, imitating something similar to the writings found in parts of my old life's world. It's an artistic but distinctly non-pictographic arrangement, fit with patterns.

It's a language.

That settles it: I'm making this place mine. I don't have enough for a Landmarker right now, but I'm positive it would work here. Finding my way back here will be difficult, though... especially unless I spend time waiting. Waiting around here isn't too bad of an idea, but it needs to be productive.

Cutter Thorn.

The magical knife hums into my free grip, moving over to a nearby tree and cleaving a nice chunk of wood out for myself. One just as long as the characters near the door.

Carefully and slowly, I etch a mimicry of the unreadable language into the wood. It is far from easy but the reward is obvious: a copy of this writing means that even if I can't find this place, I can always recall the writing here.

Send to inventory.

The wood flickers off and I move up alongside the doorway, etching a wide X on the right side of it into the stone.

Now I can at least tell this place apart from all the random ruins that might also dot the Grey Valley. With that small task done, time to head on home with all my supplies and see what I can do with all of it.

Next time I come here, I'm going to bring Bomber and give him a field trip and a place to level-up.

Recall.

Light floods my vision but even amidst the blinding, I can hear, see, and read the notification.

[Notification] Recall enabled.

Recall Cooldown is 12 hours. Returning to Dungeon of Kaden...

The notifications close after a few seconds, fading away with the light's passing. I'm standing under the archway of the Teleportation Chamber.

Welcome back, Dungeon Master. [Notification] Personal Quest completed.

You have earned 5 Favor.

It may not be the exact same walls that I had spent the majority of my new life seeing but the familiarity of the dungeon air and presence alone helps relax my nerves. It's good to be home, even if I am planning to head back out eventually.

After a bit of relaxing, I've got a lot of work to do preparing for my second voyage into the world outside our humble plains.