With the Wyverns out of the way for the time being, and my nerves set on edge for the next however long, I turn back to my creatures. I was curious, these three didn’t seem that strong, but now, they seem way more powerful then I ever thought they where. The Heir I did expect to be pretty strong but my Guardian Crawler and elemental seem wildly stronger then I thought would be reasonable. It is strange all things considered since I was sort of in this holding pattern of not feeling strong enough. Now though I feel as if I have more wiggle room then expected all things considered, like I have been holding back for nothing. Well not nothing considering I was scared for my life and had to consider that at all times but still. It’s kind of liberating in a sense.

  Thinking about what to do with this information I drift over my three monsters, each of them special in their own way. My elemental being the first of my creations, the Guardian Crawler being my first boss of a sorts, and The Heir being my first spirit of the departed. Each of them had something setting them apart as powerful from my point of view but maybe that also gave them some form of power outside of that. Like they where rare or valuable because of the fact they where those things, they where special to me and thus powerful. Hmmm, I can’t get caught in that loop of thought or I will end up thinking on it all day…..or longer, time has a funky meaning when you don’t need to sleep.

  With those thoughts put aside for another day I looked at my elemental a bit closer, remembering that he had a bit more potential going on then the others. It was clear to see but it had yet to really solidify since he was still learning and growing, and I was starting to wonder if that was the key. From what I could tell I could form these cores manually but they could form naturally in a monster that lived. Examining the current growth of the one I think is forming on my elemental feels odd though, like something is missing. The system was also a bit….useless when it came to this just throwing me a headache and an error.

  Alert

  Elemental showing abnormalities

  recommended scrapping and reset

  Error, unknown aspect to elemental

  Unable to remove from dungeon

  retrying….

  Removal failed

  Retrying…..

  Failed

  Retrying…..

  Consistent failure observed

  ending further attempts.

  Ow.

  That was a lot and it kinda hurt to look at, glad that the automatic removal failed though, didn’t want the system killing my friend like that. Seems wrong to bring something into existence, make it different then destroy it for being different. Like the work of a cruel god or some kind of mad scientists who doesn’t care about should they and more about can they. Actually that gives me an idea, can I do anything with fossils like I do with skeletons. The idea isn’t too dissimilar, just what the skeleton is made out of in the end, hopefully I find some fossils to test on.

  That aside I do take a moment to think on my whole skeleton thing, I really do have a limited number of them. If I can’t find a way to ethically source more bones then these remaining skeletons are all that I will have. It’s the nature of things when you are working as I do but it reminds me of something the guild master said when visiting. There are ways to create bones for dungeons to use and animate, and while I feel he was referring to just spawning the skeletons. The idea is sound in being able to just create more skeletons, the problem isn’t the can but the how. How do I make more with what I have, and my options are slim. Trial and error feels like a good option for long term, since it doesn’t take up any of my level up slots and allows me to just have the knowledge. On the other hand getting the knowledge from the system would streamline things, but there is luck involved it seems with the levels.

  On the idea of levels I don’t really have a way to check on the progress for that or the ability to really know how to get more of them. General assumption is that I get some progress to it by fighting and killing. Considering how the reworded returnal seems to work, I might even be sapping some of it from revived delvers. So that is one way, maybe, and probably explains why so many dungeons might do some of the whole “murder hobo” thing. But I also get the feeling there is more to it, like the whole system thing is only incentivizing killing as an option. Defeat might also add to it but classifying defeat is kind of rough all things considered, it is more nebulous then death. Though there are more layers to defeat then death so there may be more a reason to encourage defeat over it. So many options so little time and so little of what I know I can do about all of this.

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  I begin moving my way to where the Heir has been left and really think on the location, there is so much I want to do but can’t. To make it a camp I need to find a way to make cloth and wooden stakes for tents and a myriad of other things. As it stands I have stone I can shape at will and digging, and while that is useful, for what I want it is kind of useless. Sighing slightly I begin turning to my other creatures and checking on the whole, thinking on how I can change things. Gazing around my creatures I can see them as they toil around, the guardian crawler back in its arena. The mining creatures working tirelessly to get the ore that will hopefully one day be used in my smithy.

  Actually looking at my smithy brings me some ideas, I am already planning on producing goods and maybe I could do textiles. I would need something to make thread, and the best idea I have for that, is spiders, since they do indeed make threads. But for that I would need spiders, or a more complete understanding of how that thread is made. Probably worthwhile to put it to the side for the time being and work on other things, though there isn’t much to work on until more happens. Maybe a bit more work on the castle but I feel that is roughly where it should be for the time being. Maybe a few of the other Heirs since I do want a more ghost like one to haunt one part of the forest. That sounds like a good idea for the time being.

  So with that in mind I turn my attention outwards towards the forest and look at the sectioned aspects in my mind. If I consider where the adventurers come from as north then the southern area is where the living armor Heir is going to be sticking around, should really get a name for him. Looking at what I have claimed I think I want the western side to be more focused on the possessed mirror Heir. So for a pure ghost I have either directly north, towards the adventurers, or to the east. If I had to think it out, it would be best to put the more tame of the two up to the north so that those coming to delve aren’t accosted by too strong enemies on the way. So really thinking through it, I want the ghost up to the north, since they seem much more restrained then the more physical undead I intend to make. So I listen, and I focus, and I draw myself into the whispers of the beyond.

  “you have done well with my eldest son, I can feel his seething hatred from beyond.” The old lord is the first to talk to me and it is rather surprising but I shake it off.

  “he is doing well, though I do feel a bit bad for binding him like this” I think back as I search through what I can see right now, hunting through the faces that are now among the voices.

  “do not feel pity for the traitor, this is what they all deserve for how they acted in life, a few generations of servitude will do them well.”

  Seems a little extreme in my opinion but I also don’t really have much to say on parenting or revenge for that matter. “well for whatever it is worth I am looking for another one of your Heirs” That perks the lord up as I continue my search. Mostly looking for one of the more reserved voices since I feel that one will fit for the ghosts of the north, a softer introduction to all of this nonsense I am cooking up.

  “considering what you seem to be looking into then maybe my second youngest would do, she was soft spoken and rather intellectual in her time.” There is a sigh from the lord and I can hear and almost see the age as he continues. “I will guide you to her.” I am about to thank him when my awareness is suddenly moved under his power and forced to the deepest quietest part that I can reach beyond the veil. It was rather dark, which is surprising since there really isn’t a need for light or dark or any of those things for the dead. I do have to shake the surprise off though as I am brought before a small spec of energy, a figure who is curled up in the darkness. They are rather small, and they are certainly not dressed like the daughter of a lord. The clothing this spirit seemed to have on was far more utilitarian then glamorous, though it was still of fine make. It was lovely in spite of convention not because of it and it certainly drew the eye.

  The spirit turned to me, uncurling from herself and I could see she was very intently staring at something in the dark. She seemed curious more then anything else, and I was clearly the new thing to grab that curiosity.

  “you are unlike the others” she spoke as she looked me over, examining every aspect of this astral projection of myself. “certainly stronger then other necromancers who call on me. What deep knowledge could one so strong seek?” Interesting, unlike her brother this one seemed to be called upon by necromancers and the like to share secrets over fight. Though I could tell that much like her brother that she would be far more trouble then worth for most necromancers, though her power lied far more in what she knew then what she could do. I liked that though, meant she could act as a good boss for the lower strength area without miss using her power in a way that was offensively inefficient.

  “I actually have come with a proposition over a need for knowledge, though I admit I need that too.” I see her tilt her head at that so I continue on “I have been tasked to summon you and your other siblings to act as my agents, and so I wish you to be the second I bring in. I already have strength handled so now I need knowledge to help temper it.” She seemed intrigued by that, very much so, and I got the sense that my recruiting of her was going to be far smoother then her brother. If not because to her I think I just seemed like a very interesting insect over a potential overlord. I will take what I can get though.

  “I accept” She speaks clearly and boldly after only a moment of consideration.