Time is against us now. There is an army of two thousand soldiers coming and I need to evolve because every day I spend is one day closer to dying for good.

First order of the day, getting Tancred started as a Dungeon Master.

"And here we will set the dungeon, Tancred."

I made some upgrades to the dungeon core already. It will do all the things that mine does, but will also have the following upgrades:

0.1% of all Exp earned from killing dungeon-spawned monsters inside the dungeon will be given to Tancred. 100% of all Exp earned from killing any creature not dungeon-spawned inside the dungeon will be given to Tancred. Tancred can teleport to the permanent anchor in Willow Hill or to the city field of Mirfield and back to the dungeon. Tancred does not age while inside the dungeon. Tancred will be automatically teleported to the core room if he gets below 21% of his Max HP inside the dungeon. The core casts {Healing} on Tancred whenever he gets below 40% of his Max HP. Tancred can change active title while inside the dungeon. The guild receptionists of Mirfield with the dungeon token can use their special cards to send bootleg guild cardholders to the first floor of the dungeon. From there the adventurer can teleport to previously visited floors. The monsters spawned on each floor are selected from a list managed by Tancred. Tancred can use MP to enchant an item in the core's storage spending energy instead of pemadras. Max rank is D for enchants. This may increase as the dungeon gets deeper.

There will be a charge of two silver coins to enter the dungeon. This will help fund the guild. During times of crisis it might be waived.

I sent everyone to the core room to power the core. In a couple hours, we pumped close to a hundred thousand MP and Stamina into the core.

Meditation level 7.

I took everyone back and left Tancred there to design his dungeon. Freestyle. Except for the first room on the first floor. It must be big enough to work as an emergency shelter for the population of Mirfield. In the end, we decided to make the entire first floor a safe zone and allow it to expand later. The staircase leading to the second floor or the first with monsters is located in the middle of the huge room. Large pillars the thickness of a gas tanker truck tree support the ultra-hardened ceiling. The entire floor is a safe zone. I think we could shelter two thousand people here. Both Mercy, Marcy and I can send people or monsters from Willow Hill here even if they don't have a guild card.

With the dungeon out of the way, it is time to complete objective number two: unlocking the wrangler job. I teleported to the Hill and talked to Shraaizar and Kochurearc.

"I will have to disband you for a while to get slots to tame other monsters. I will contract you again after I unlock the job."

"Asss you wish, Grendel. We are bound by more than a mere ssskill."

"Your call, boss. I'll be waiting."

"Please let the others know."

I need two monster species ranked C or higher. The first one is locked on. That Hydra. I teleport to Colchester invisible and fly to that lake or marsh. I couldn't tell from high above. After an hour I found the hydra.

"Monster Taming!" I channel from the air. The hydra spits poison at me, but it is useless. It hisses and snaps its jaws in the air beneath me. Eight thousand MP later, I got my fourth species.

Success! The specimen of [4] Seven-headed Venom Hydra tamed!

I'll take this one to the killing chamber. Too dangerous and it is not yet pacified.

I change into a small bat and fly outside. Presence detection has no response. I set a sentry ward down and check its range. Nothing. I meditate to recover the MP spent on the hydra. Today is all about spending MP. With a full tank, I return to the skies. Fly, fly. Two hours later, I found my fifth species. A griffin! Lucky! I didn't find any dragon. I call bullshit on these mountains being crawling with dragons. Well, I can't digress now. Time to tame a humongous hawk.

The griffin resists and attacks me. I take its attack to use the opportunity to grapple it. Channel the taming. Ten minutes and twelve thousand MP later and it is still struggling. Fifteen. Sixteen. Two thousand MP left.

Success! The specimen of [4] Griffin tamed!

"I'll name you Blitz."

The Griffin acknowledges its name but is still rather aggressive. The wild look in its eagle eyes is still suspicious of me. It will improve with time. Maybe if I give it one of the holy-cooked horses.

Blitz pecks the horse carefully. I can compare its size now, she is twice the size of the horse. It is still hot thanks to the timeless item box. But once it tastes the medium-rare horse meat it begins to devour the dead animal eagerly.

Now I need to change jobs. Dismiss all tame monsters. Before dismissing Blitz, possess it. And now, dismiss.

Job [5] Monster Wrangler unlocked.

"Change job. Apprentice Acolyte to Monster Wrangler.

Extra Taming learned.

Grants one extra taming slot per level.

Quickened Monster learned.

Grants controlled creatures +2 to agility per level.

Strengthened Monsterlearned.

Grants controlled creatures +3 to prowess per level.

Ensorcelled Monster learned.

Grants controlled creatures +2 to magic per level.

Share Senses learned.

Allow wranger to borrow sensory input from a controlled creature at a range of x ^2 feet.

Transfer Link learned.

Allows user to transfer up to x 6% of all damage received to controlled creatures no further than x 50 feet from user. Damage is split equally between controlled creatures.

Toughen Monster learned.

Grants controlled creatures +0.1 HP multiplier per level.

All six of them except transfer link will receive level 10 straight away. With the rebate of 8 SP from the curmudgeon title, each skill cost 44 SP to maximize. Times six that means an expense of 264 SP.

Extra Taming level 10 bought. {Wrest Control} learned. Attempts to overtake another tamer and steal control of the tame monster. MP costs are double. Resisted by the Magic stat of the other tamer.

Oh, I thought there would not be another technique, but now the strategy of taming every monster in the hill to protect them lost some appeal. I'll do it anyway, as it would pit my overpowered magic stat versus the stat of the enemy tamer.

I'll tame Blitz again.

Success! Blitz tamed!

The good old cycle of undoing possession, resting and teleporting to the hill. Blitz's legs bump into Zahariel and push him to the ground.

"Ouch! Where did this huge bird... Hey, Grendel. You should put some warning system when you are teleporting."

"Sorry, dude. I'll set a new law forbidding people from loitering in the middle of the square."

"Tyranny!" He says in a joking tone.

"I think I need a new feather pillow." I say glaring at the seraph's wings, "And roc feathers are too thick."

"Sorry! My Lord, have mercy! But if you are here with this magnificent beast, it means you unlocked the job, right?"

"Yeah. I got it. And to my surprise, it skips a tier just like the guild ones."

"Nice."

"Now if you excuse me, I have to recontract all my former companions."

"Godspeed!" Zahariel and I are probably the only creatures in this entire world that would use such a word.

I go around the hill on my wings and recontract Shraaizar, Kochurearc, the evolved goblin squad plus Charmma and Downna that can't evolve because they are pregnant, a second squad of ten goblin artisans, the hydra that I forgot to name, Skoll, and three troops of devil monkeys that are interested in evolving to symians. That accounts for ten of my fifteen tame monster slots. The hydra will be called Lorna.

The other five slots were used to tame and release every monster in the hill that accepted to do it. FYI none of them refused the offer when I explained what I wanted to do and why. I didn't touch the harmonic bees although some of them are not under direct control of Helen or Caramel. But they follow the orders of their queens out of loyalty and pack mentality, so it is fine.

I guess I should try to get some spider. Last time I went to Beelzebub's I couldn't find an ice widow. Let's try my luck again. It is faster to go down from the fortress than climb up from the spider level. There is the problem with the terror level also.

I don't want to waste time, I'm going with the terrifying aura in full throttle. The first floor, the pillbugs fled from me. The boss was back, but I just hit it with my mace like it was a baseball. After the sixth hit, it gave up coming after me. I'm amazed the thing didn't die. Second level. Tracking for pemadras... Found three. The ice widow has respawned. And there are other two smaller spiders. After them. I should collect more silk while on the way.

An intersection. The ice widow is on the access to the geode level. The nearest one is this way. Some small and dumb spiders came to bite me. Immolation aura and the spider barbecue is done. The reaction is moving. I gotta run.

There is a problem. Not all tunnels can fit a thirty feet plus troll. Backtrack and find a suitable host. A D-rank carapace spider. Proportional to me it is the size of a tick, but it should be about ten inches long. Let it bite me and possession does its job. Great. Now I can squeeze even in the smaller tunnels.

Name: ________ Species: [2] Lurker Jumper (34) Rank: E Prowess: 16 +50 (924 HP) Agility: 21 +40 (213 ST) Magic: 7 +40 (N/A)

What is the deal with those stats... How does it have almost a thousand HP? It must be the wrangler skills. They say 'controlled creature' and I am controlling this creature while possessing it. Talk about unexpected synergies.

Well, I'm short on time and I won't turn down such a boon. After that spider. Chasing it through tunnels I've found it. It is a marvelous white spider covered in feathers. Its shape is like a wolf spider, I guess. It should be two feet in size. I can outrun it thanks to my skills. I'll cast {Flash Freeze} to stop it. Caught. Dominate Arachnids.

Success! The specimen of [3] Angelic Wolf Spider dominated! You have 8 more slots of arachnids to dominate.

This spider is a rank C. I should've come here first. I wasted three hours of my cramped day hunting in the mountains, but I've found a griffin. Time to jump hosts. The lurker spider I was possessing just bolted away.

Your name shall be 'Swan'. Her stats have some serious buffs, but dominate arachnids gives a flat stat boost, instead of being linked to level. There is no telepathy, the spider doesn't talk but can receive commands. Swan can use restoration and light magic and also threads and poison.

Name: Swan Species: [3] Angelic Wolf Spider (41) Rank: C Prowess: 35 (280 HP) Agility: 35 (140 ST) Magic: 14 (N/A)

This was her status before being tamed and possessed, and now after.

Name: Swan (tame, possessed) Species: [3] Angelic Wolf Spider (41) Rank: C Prowess: 35 +110 (2537 HP) Agility: 35 +80 (262 ST) Magic: 14 +80 (N/A)

After the next reaction.

Found it and had to dodge an earth spike. A caster spider? Here comes a lava ball. Ice shard and I took it head-on. Water mastery baby. I am healed by ice. Elemental spider, I want you. Firebolt. Lightning Arc. Wind blades. OMG, come to papa. It is also fast! All caster type monsters are fast because they specialize in agility and stamina. Its HP should be crappy. It has used all elements already. I start chanting and chasing. chanting and chasing. It stopped to raise another stone wall to stop me and now it is my chance.

Poké-ba... no. "Different Dimension Sphere!"

Trapped. Now, my dear, there is no stone for you to manipulate and you can toss any elemental magic you want at me. Dominate arachnids. The base MP expenditure is a notch above what I used for Swan. It is a tier 4.

Success! The specimen of [4] Primal Recluse dominated! You have 6 more slots of arachnids to dominate.

"Your name shall be 'Crawly' from now on."

Crawly has about two foot if you consider its long legs but its body is only ten inches long. It is also a C-ranker. Its HP is abysmal with both prowess and multipliers low. But whatever. It can use seven schools of elemental magic. I have a healer spider to make up for it.

In the tunnel leading to the ice widow lair, I dismissed the possession and meditated. I just ordered both spiders to crawl and hide under a loose tarp I wrapped around my back. I used Heroism and defensive coating on them and set Crawly as the proxy target. Time to face the ice widow.

It hisses and cast a blizzard on me, forcing me to back off for the safety of my new recruits. I think it didn't come for the bite because of my size. {Flash Freeze}! The ice encases part of the spider's body, but it just slides through the ice. I maneuver to corner it and start the taming right there. I was unlucky and had to use seven thousand MP. A-ranks are no pushovers.

Success! The specimen of [4] Juvenile Ice Widow dominated! You have 1 more slot of arachnids to dominate.

I'll name you 'Skitter'.

I teleport to the hill with my new pets and with this I'm fully stacked of pets. There are still some taming slots, but those are reserved for special opportunities. I took the three spiders to the north-west part of the meadow and ordered them to make their lair between some tall steelwood trees. I also left a notice forbidding any inhabitant of the Hill to get near it.

Two of the three steps ready. Now I need to craft the special teleportation cards. They won't be cards, but a folding case like those for display of coins or jewelry with notches on both inner sides where you will deposit the badges of the gym leaders... guild masters whose trust you earned. The folder will have a rhodochrosite jewel embedded at the middle that will work as an MP battery. The jewel will store around 1,000 MP and only the owner will be able to charge it. The stronger the charge the brighter the jewel will become. I bet some people won't have enough MP to pay for the teleportation.

The use will be simple. You will need to be in the guild field of departure, own its badge, and focus on the destination guild badge. Pay the base MP cost with a 20% overhead that will be split between both guild fields to fuel them and you will teleport. One can take willing and conscious passengers but the base cost increases by 25% per passenger as usual. I'll restrict to willing and conscious passengers to avoid kidnappings.

I will also make badges for the dungeons, but those won't be released to the public.

I spend half an hour making the three prototypes. They will belong to Helen, Marcy, and Zahariel. For them I'll use C-rank pemadras and add extra resilience, self-repair, and an auto-teleport back to the cases should they be lost or stolen.

I gave Marcy the prototype badges and she granted them onto the folders. No problem in this step. I teleported the three party members to Mirfield and they went to meet Mercy and do the same. I'm waiting invisibly on a sky platform a hundred feet above the guild. Minutes later their markers vanish and reappear in the direction of the Hill as arrows. I teleport back.

"Success! We can now come and go as we wish!" Celebrates Helen. She has to take care of the beehive and check on Mittens very often.

"Nice. I am going to make more for the other family members.

I should max out batch crafting now for 40 SP. I'll make the production series able to be soulbound at the moment they are issued. For these, an E-rank pemadra is enough. They will have just a non-explosive self-destruction feature that will make the item crumble to dust if it is apart from the owner for more than 3 days. With the experience gained from the prototypes and the simplified enchantments, each batch of six folders took fifteen minutes and each batch of six badges took three. I've made thirty folders and the same amount of each Mirfield and Willow Hill badges.

These mass-produced folders will be given to our guildmasters so they can use as they will. Noornor doesn't have MP and can't use them.

Mercy, Alvus, Cloude, Azelinus, Bertramus, Soren, and Imayne were brought to the Hill by Zahariel and Helen so I can craft their customized folders. They will have the same features as the prototypes.

"Guys, I know it will hurt a bit, but here we have a rule that everyone must have poison resistance level 2. Helen will bring some bees, Marcy will manage the party setup and Zahariel will take care of the healing. Focus on resisting the poison to get the skillups with the least amount of stings. And don't spend SP on them before level 2. If you want to go for level 3, be my guest, it hurts less than being poisoned by something nastier. Helen, please also train Skoll and Blitz for the skill."

"That is harsh," sighs the soft-natured Soren.

"I understand that it is a rather heterodox method, but It is an efficient one. The willows are always releasing their slow-acting crawling poison haze. Most of the older inhabitants have reached level 5 or 6 on their own by naturally living here."

And though it might look like torture, both prisoners also reached level 4 with the bee treatment. They were made to forget what happened in any case. But I can't just tell them I have the demon princess and the taken-for-dead Yvonne imprisoned underneath the Hill. It is our little dark side secret.

Folders bestowed and badges awarded, they can now come and go as they please. After everyone returned to Mirfield, I'm watching the sunset with my brides and a childish angel. Petal, Sepal, and Blitz are playing tag in the skies above us.

"It is evolution time again. How do you think a troll shifter looks like?"

"Rubbery?" Jokes Zahariel. "Honestly I liked the half-elf the best. The shaman was an old geezer and this colossus is too colossal."

"I like the original Grendel but the colossus is nice. I feel like a little girl again sitting on this lap," says Helen cuddling.

I see Tancred returning from a day of work on the dungeon and an idea flashes in my mind. "Hey, Tancred, come here!" I shout at the a-little-smaller-than-me minotaur.

"What is up, bro?"

"How is it going at the dungeon?"

"It is going fine, I just finished the second maze floor. But the core is running out of energy."

"If you had access to the party chat, you could ask these fine people here for help."

"And how can I get that?"

"I wanna make a tamer contract with you. I learned a technique that allows me to steal a tame monster from another tamer. But there are tons of perks for working to me. First, you can be sure that I'll never force you to do anything or rob you of your individuality. My tame monsters are partners. Second, you will earn sixty prowess from the tamer link. Third, you will be able to contact telepathically the other tame monsters. A lot more but I think you are already convinced."

"For sixty more points of prowess, you can leash me, bro! The other tamer granted only a third of that."

"Those demon tamers treated their creatures as expendable. And they could rebel and attack them if they broke free of the control. They wouldn't invest precious SP in skills that would just increase the risk of injury. I'm going to sleep for another tier four evolution, Tancred. I'd like to count on you to help me protect my family while I am out."

"Sign me in, bro! I'm with you to the bitter end!" Tandred thumps his chest.

"I don't know if it hurts, but please bear with it. {Wrest Control}!" I pour MP into Tancred and just like we did with Benorass I attempt to override the imprint of the other tamer on his pemadra. But this time my power is greater and the skill shows me the right way to do it. It took fifteen minutes more or less to overwrite it with my own imprint, but the System message was sweet.

Success! Tancred tamed!

The minotaur flexes his arms, moves to the side as if testing his improved body. He then opens his status window and gazes at the infinite. We can't see the window, but the behavior is well known. We all do it.

"Bro, you did not mention the forty-seven agility and the thirty-five magic points. My magic just tripled! Maybe I can learn some spells now!"

I think it is too far fetched, but I wouldn't put it behind him. "There are lots of casters here, they can give you a few lessons in magic. But try the telepathic message now."

Tancred almost blows a fuse in his bovine head, but manages to get the trick, "Hey everyone inside Grendel's head, I'm Tancred and I'll be in your care!"

Several greetings and welcomes were issued and I got a mild headache. There are almost thirty creatures talking at the same time using my mind like some sort of live chat. "Enough, please." I mentally shout.

Helen as always reads my thoughts, "Funny thing, right? Now try that with a couple hundred bees that only buzz."

I take the girls out of my lap and stand up. Dusting my giant trousers, I look at the last rays of the sun behind the icespear peaks, "Well. I've tied as many loose ends as I could. I'll teleport to the core room of the Battle Spring to evolve now."

Marcy retorts with a request, "About that, we prepared a chamber for you beneath Mirfield. We would like you to evolve there."

"Why is that?"

"If you rest there, the city core will absorb all your MP during these days. There is a chance of some skirmishes happening before you wake up. We could use that extra MP. The population is too low level, their MP can barely support the basic functions of the field."

"I think it will become easier to balance it when the dungeon opens and some people level up in there." Completes Zahariel.

"Then it is decided. How should I go to that chamber?"

Marcy taps her shoulder, "on here. Change to some small fury cuddly animal. Let's go."

"Fine. Remember that you can ask for help from the Willow Hill monsters. But there is one thing I want to do before I go."

I possess Sepal and fly away to a dark, damp place. In there two women are locked away, their memories erased every few days. The demon princess Jel'rannalath and the taken-for-dead guild receptionist Yvonne.

"Hello Yvonne. It is Beowulf here. How are you?" No response. She just twitches on the ground. It is really hard to have any spirit when your four limbs are mangled and your whole body is disfigured. "I came here to give you a blessing. {Full Restore}! Your body will regrow and become perfect during the next few days. Remember that, I saved you."

"Petal, remember to come back to the prison every few days to treat the prisoners. But don't erase Yvonne's memories of this afternoon."

"Aye aye, Sir! You can count on ME!"

Before I am ejected from Sepal for not having MP to pay the possession upkeep I fly out of the prison cave. After recovering, I go to Marcy and they take me to a previously dug chamber underneath the Lord's estate.

My evolution into a Troll Shifter began that night. I'm afraid of the army that is marching to us, but I have to trust the people around me. Petal and Sepal will remain active in Mirfield and help wherever they can. If the worst becomes a reality the people can hide in the dungeon's first floor.

I'll sleep here and return the trust they gave me. I've done a great deal of preparations and got several reinforcements.

As if an army can defeat my people.