[Dungian]

“Well Z the best lessons are always the hardest to feel.” I say wisely. Like I know anything about it. The most boring thing someone can do whether they be goddess or mortal. Is watch someone learn when you know the answer but you can’t say anything. Z is doing alright for a new dungeon, I’ve seen several already killing grown men by this time but what can I do.

I’m lounging on a grass recliner I’ve made with my mothers essence.

Looking over Z is boring. He’s progressing, but it will be awhile before things get interesting. Maybe I can send in a few carcasses in order to give him something easy to summon. He could summon a flea with some effort.

No a flea wont help with ants. And mother probably wont like that. I wonder though, what evolutions will he come up with.

Because at his current base I can’t tell.

Evolutions are fun they are upgraded versions of animals from the wilderness. Each dungeon has there own spin on how they evolve animals. Some allow the essence to flow naturally through the creature strengthening already prominent features or they take matters into their own hands and personally specialize it. Both ways cause a exciting new species to form.

I look up towards the sky. This feeling the feeling of the unknown, of not knowing what something is going to do. This is what I love about my divinity. I love watching my dungeons explore endless possibilities into the unknown.

I close my eyes relishing in this feeling for a while.

I could have stayed this way for several day. But life happens.

I feel a kick hit my chair.

“Get up DUNG ian,” orders a short blonde. Dressed in a very modest white dress with long sleeves with almost no cleavage showing. Almost I can see a little bit of her great valley. With two mount everest that valley is pretty large.

“Lilithian,” I say putting on the fakest grin on the planet.”What has blessed me with your presence?” I ask knowing exactly why she is her.

“The council has deemed it appropriate that I come and monitor you,” she says looking at me with disgust.”We need to make sure that Filvis doesn’t happen again.”

“I thought Filvis was a great country,” I say shocked,”the woods there were spectacular and their cities always had great food.”

Lilithian holds her tongue her legendary resolve kicking in.

“Yes is was. I was referring to the destruction now across the country caused by one of YOUR dungeons,” her eyes are glowing threatenly,” which killed 2.4 million people,” she leans into my face,”which I will stop from ever happening again.”

I take a whiff of the air.

“You need a mint,” I say smiling. Her eyes glow even more threatening.

“Take me to the dungeon.” She orders her voice sounding like a man.

“Yes captain.” I get off my chair. Walking over to the ant pile.”Here is my only dungeon!” I shake my hands dramatically.”Z!”

Lilithian looks down inside the ant pile. Using her power to find Z.

“He is small.” She states obviously.

“Nah sh-,” I feel the power leave my body,”oot.” The power returns.

That gives her a grin.

“Is it intelligent?” She ask looking at my creation below her nose. My pride in my creations kicks in.

“Yes you can speak to him right now,” I say,”you’ll find him to be very intelligent.”

“Okay then,” she says smiling not nicely.”Call him.”

“Fine.” I say. Moving my consciousness to Z with Lilithian following.

…….

[Z]

Attempt seven has also been a failure. I never knew that ants were so difficult. Everytime I try to hide an egg they find it the moment I add essence. Do they have some type of essence radar that detects is the moment some happens to pass through? It’s maddening.

I sudden fear washes over my body. Two very powerful presences focus on me. One is Dungian the other one is unknown.

“Z.” Dungian calls inside my mind.

“Yes.” I respond quietly. I don’t like this. My instincts tell me to run and hide for a very long time.

“This woman here,” I think she is gesturing to the unknown,”wants to know if you are a sentient creature. Please show her your competence.”

How would I do that? I ask Dungian the same thing.

“You are doing a good job,” she says,”how about telling us what you are working on.”

I mentally prepare myself then explain my blight.

“The ants, everytime I try to subjugate one of their eggs they somehow always find where I’ve hidden it. And I can’t move my sand fast enough to stop them from taking them.”

Silence. I think I hear Dungian laugh slightly, but I’m not sure. I feel the other presence come close to me. I stay very still like that will do anything if it gets mad. Then it vanishes.

The tightness in my body vanishes. That thing was truly terrifying.

“Now Z about your predicament,” Dungian continues,”try hardening your sand by joining the essence together. Goodbye and goodluck.”

She leaves as quickly as she appears.

I stay silent for a few seconds making sure they are gone.

“That cannot happen again.” I say out loud. I had no idea that they were coming and I had no power once they entered the room. I need to be strong enough to make them respect me. Strong enough that they lesson to me. I feel something happen in the back of my mind. I don’t really give it much thought going back to my new task. Hardening my sand.

Dungian said I need to connect the essence of all the individual pieces of sand. But I thought they were already connected. My essence is in each grain should that not connect them.

I look at each sand or more specifically its essence. The essence is brown it also has a string coming into me. Each grain of sand has this.

But they don’t connect….oh that is what she meant. They all come to me and techinaly are together but each grain doesn’t share essence making them seperate.

I take two pieces of sand about three grains down as to not disturb the eggs. Then I use my essence inside of them to try to force a bond. This will probably take a lot of essence so I’ll use ten percent to start out with. I only have thirty percent left so I won’t play around much.

I flood my essence in forcing a bond.

CRUNCH!

A shock wave rips through my body. All the grains of sound unite with only one percent essence then the leftover nine percent gets shot into more sand spreading my influence then the rest about a half percent goes into the air.

Once my core stops vibrating I look at my new sand. It's all connected even the new ones added which adds up to a total of thirty grains of sand. That doesn’t make sense do to the amount of essence I used but I'll come back to that later. The now connected sand is different. It has more earth essence in it making it stronger and it's much smother now causing the walls to form into a perfect square. Some eggs where pushed aside so the ants are running around like crazy trying to find somewhere to put them. I believe the extension to myself shall suffice. My core now sticks out like a sore thumb. It’s color has changed from white to a light brown.

I try to control the essence I accidentally poured out into the air, but I am met with failure. It is like breathing out I can no longer use that essence. I wonder what it shall do to the ecosystem down here?

I look back at the ants running around. The two stationed here have their mandibles full trying to reposition the eggs. So they aren’t paying attention to those that haven’t moved. A devilish smile crosses my nonexistent face. I make a small hole underneath one egg on the opposite end of the ants. My sand responds to my commands thousands of times better than before it actually feels like a part of my body now.

As it slides down I cover the hole with sand with only a small opening for air. The egg lands on the bottom of the hole. I only have twenty percent essence left so I’ll use five percent then cultivate. If the ants don’t get it.

Here goes nothing.

I spread essence thinly over the entire surface of the egg then I add more to compress it. I quickly use up my self appointed amount of essence. Stopping I turn my concentration to the top of the hole. The ants are trying with all their might to dig into my sand, but its too hard for them. Their mandibles are bouncing off each time they try to dig.

“HAHAHAHA!” I laugh satisfied. Now that I have a chance, I will subjugate a egg.