----(3rd Person POV)----

A bright red flower. It was a small flower, four petals, shaped like an ixora. Three long anthers shot out of the center, a bright yellow tip signifying that it is ready to pollinate. Where the petals met, the center of the flower, the short stigma peeked out its heads. All it would take is for one pollen grain and the ovule of the flower would be fertislized.

The ovule. The ovum. Its name is exactly the same as the ones of other species. They serve the same purpose and are commonly called one thing. Eggs.

It behaved like eggs, it acted like eggs. It bore a stunning similarity. So, techinically speaking, the flowering plants could be considered as egg-laying. Oviparous.

Meaning, the dungeon can have an increased amount of influence on said plants. And influence he did. Plants are a curious type of creature. Well, most creatures are fairly curious to begin with. They have no levels, could rarely evolve without extreme circumstances, yet are a far more advanced version of themselves in the wild. Wolves as a dungeon creature could eventually turn into a Blood Wolf, an uncommonly found "monster" in the wilderness. Then there were Dire Wolves and so on. The curious thing is, the dungeon creatures had no levels, since it goes against the laws of the dungeon.

However, if by any chance, the creatures do fall into the boundaries of the dungeon, then, their hidden statuses will be unlocked, giving the dungeon a huge boost. It was actually what the ant dungeon had done, choosing ants for both monsters and creatures and allowing for a massive army.

The dungeon master noticed the feeble connection as well, a fault in the system, a loophole that was exploited. Due the perhaps intentional vagueness of the dungeon definitions, the plants were somehow deemed as Oviparous, despite being obviously not. Information flowed through the dungeon master's head, about the basics of Herbylogy, of the basics of Apothecary, of Alchemy. To grow the plants, to use the properties of the plants and the transmutative capabilities.

Hurridly, he ordered the largots to carfully take a snippet of the pollen and place it onto the stigma. With his attention fully focused on the flower alone, he saw the pollen grains inching down towards the ovary. But he was unsatisfied. He was no plant expert, even in his previous life, but he knew the most advanced of genetics. He could not see, hear or touch any of the pollen grains, he did not even have enough knowledge about mana to use it to sense it. But he could feel it, the primitive instincts of the dungeon that had laid dormant had bloomed just like the flower, a weak incling, a small tug, sort of like a gut feeling where you know you forgot to bring something to school but not know what it is. He had some time, the pollen was slow. Slowly, he once again gathered mana from the atmosphere, drew some life mana from his reserves (the mana orbiting his core), and fed it through the style. Then he saw it, one of the pollen grains at the back had drawn in most of the mana, now pumping with vigour. But it was too slow, it would never reach the ovules in time. And the dungeon did not want that.

Guiding the remaining mana (he was pretty good with it at this point), he made it coat the pollen grain before pushing it down the style. Aided by the mana, the pollen grain zoomed past the rest of its competitors and landed smack into the ovary. A couple moments later, the flower has been fertilized.

--(1 day later)--

No longer needing its flower, the petals fell, covered with the hidden sweet smelling nectar. Hypnotised by the scent. the largots clambered over this rare prize, every larva for itself. The ovary of the flower swelled, soon, the first fruit of the dungeon would ripen and ready to be eaten. Or so the dungeon master hopes, some fruits are inedible. The mouths of the herb munching largots watered in expectation, the Queen's consort also making preparations to fight the largots to present the fruit to its Queen.

Turns out, there was no need to. The fruit turned out to be similar to a raspberry, extremely sweet and fulfilling. Gingerly, the largots separated the tiny fruits off the receptacle and passed it on to the consort before digging in themsleves. Every larva in the dungeon had a wonderful day as they savoured the sweet and juicy fruit. The dungeon was happy too, for there was now a new source of food and a new way for the plant to reproduce. In the forseeable future, the plants will benefit from each others' strong traits and grow as a whole species.

Your plants are now capable of producing a new product! [manaberry] A berry made from energy derived through mana-synthesis. Thus, they are chuck full of mana and are also very sweet as well. The floweres of the mana berry are small and not easily fertilised on their own without help. The nectar and pollen of the flower is unusually delicous for its rarity. [Requires:{mana}{water}{soil Grade F}].[External assistance for pollination is required].[Flower lasts for only 1 day without pollination].[Production rate:{1/12Hrs}]

Absolutely delicous indeed. The rate of production also means that cross-pollination is viable as well, which made the dungeon master tremble in excitement. Over time, natural selection will take over and bring about the strongest and best of plants, producing the most manaleaves and manaberries of the highest quality, so he thought.

Prodding about here and there, he tweaked the plants a little. Perhaps making the roots thicker in certain areas, some of the plants shorter, some of the leaves bigger and other things like that. Life was tranquil and peaceful. The Queen was living her life happily, enjoying the regular meals of mana crystals and the purified mana from her consort. Just as the dungeon master preached to her, she did not abuse her consort and gave her the best treatment possible. The larvacks were expanding the dungeon, cleaning up and rearranging the former ant dungeon. Soon, there will be much more room for the dungeon, not that they have anything to do with it. The largots were... more like farmers. They tended the plants carfully, sometimes even using a broken ant exoskeleton to hold water to water the plants were they deemed neccesary. They sort of hoed the soil with their mouthparts, breaking apart the clumped up portions and mixing it well. Under the tender care of the largots, the plants grew.

As for the parasite, not much could be said. He was pretty much starving all the time, poor thing. He dared not attempt to suck his friends' blood in fear that he could kill them. The evolution had granted him a liiiitle too much power and too little control. Having power and ability was in no way a bad thing, but if one could not utilise it properly, they may hurt the ones they loved. Fearing that, the parasite suffered in silence. Of course, the dungeon master noticed him and reprimanded him. That they were all a family under the mightiest dungeon master of all time, the creator and destroyer, the one who defines the forms and the bringer of life and death. So he had the militarvae bleed themselves and pooled the blood into a, well, pool made by the larvacks. Then, the parasite would drink from there. Unless the parasite could use magic (which it could not), there was not way the other larvae would be harmed. The bleeding also served to enhace the regenerative ability of the militarvae, so it was killing two ants with one stone.

The militarvae did not slack off as well. They mantained their food limitations themselves even after the dungeon master had removed it. They would engage in mock battles every meal and fight for the food. That being said, a lot more food was left behind for the loser but the system still remained. They regularly did their patrols (not that it was needed), constantly trained themselves and practiced the battle strategies. Sometimes, they even got the larvack to practice with them, pulling of rather complicated manouvres for creatures of their intelligence. No doubt due to the dungeon master.

---(dungeon master POV)---

You see that? My power! My glory! My pride and joy! The glooooorious dungeon! Bow in respect to me, insolent ones. I may pardon you for your crimes if you beg for it. Go on, do it. You know you want it. Gyahahahahahah-*cough*cough*

---(3rd Person POV)---

(2 weeks)

A full 2 weeks have passed. The dungeon was now about slightly older than 4 months. The plants were growing splendidly and the entirety of the original cave was now covered with a lush green. Not that the dugeon inhabitants could appretiate it, for it was still in total darkness. The larvacks were continuously digging out braches, the seeded larvack in the lead in search for more mana crystals. They had tunneled far and wide (1 meter at most), discovering uninhabited pockets in the earth. Sometimes, by sheer chance, some form of soil. The dirt was carefully placed next to the dungeon core for the dungeon master to do further investigations on the dirt. They had full trust in their master. He had done so much for them, he won them the battle, helped evolve them and improved their food as well. If he told them to dig, they will dig. If he told them to stop, they will stop. If he ever told them to sacrifice their lives, they would gladly do so too, knowing fully well that their deaths wouldn't be in vain. Not that he would ever do that, just a speculation.

So they tunneled in earnest, discovering many veins of lesser impure mana crystals as well. But then again, life could never be so smooth for a dungeon.

You have encountered a Dungeon!