It sensed the anomaly shortly before its newest guests entered through a neglected entrance. Although its sight had been imprisoned by the congregation of divinity assisted humans, it had maintained sight for a few feet around each of its orifices that led to the surface realm and could vaguely feel sensations for several feet beyond that.

  Something pulled its attention to that entrance and, judging by how far away the sensation was standing from its prison entrance, it knew there were only a few groups between it and the answer to a question it hadn’t thought to ask. After making several quick renovations to its jail, at great cost due to the expedience of it all, it decided to focus its attention there for a moment to speed up the cycling of the entrance, if only by a little bit.

  Then it entered.

  Four humans, a normal spread of gear and classes from what it could sense, stepped foot into its domain. It had redirected them to a room that hadn’t been used in many years and peered around the humans. It dared not look directly at their auras, it had learned in the past that several humans had the ability to sense when they were being observed regardless of method.

  ‘Which one is it?’ the presence wondered to itself. Although they were now in the prison with it, it knew the humans could easily exit if they felt something amiss. It could only observe and theorize which of the humans it was. The shortest of the four, with long yellow hair and a garment of stitched up animal hides and plant fibres, smelled strongly of nature. It could easily be carrying whatever was beaconing to the presence.

  Even the large one built like an oak trunk somehow reeked of the outside forests. They differed from It’s own by merit of not being cultivated by it, but they could still carry treasures that would improve It’s growth. After so many years of being stagnant within its divine prison, it was hungry for any growth opportunity. It’d accept a donation from a lesser forest if it meant an ability to approve, or perhaps even break its chains.

  It continued making changes to the path the group would follow, hoping to shepherd them into a situation that could result in whatever It could sense being revealed. It may not know exactly what the group was carrying, but It got a sense that it was a direct improvement of It’s power. Or rather, it reeked of potential. Like a newly born fish smelling chum in the water, It may not know why but it knew that it needed whatever it was.

  The naked apes argued with each other while It made more modifications. Unfortunately, it took a much larger investment of power to modify their surroundings now that the creatures were inside of It. It regretted being so hasty in rushing their entrance but it had been full of a deep anxiety that whatever boon was calling to it would walk off if it took too long to enter. It would not have been the first time it felt a group of humans wander away from the door before entering.

  Even as it worked to collapse a branch and force them down the path it wanted, it felt Karma begin yanking away at its foundation. It was forced to spend a large portion of its accumulated power to force the growth of a treasured herb. Only then was it able to disguise the collapse and make it look older than it was, by convincing the Laws that it was creating a treasure cache for the humans to discover.

  As always, It was annoyed by the higher Laws that bound it. They were unyielding, as always, but at least they were a natural prison. Not at all like what those divine pawns had done to It’s body. The Laws dictated that after consent was given between both parties, the humans and It, modifications were no longer allowed to be made to It’s layout without great cost. The Laws did not care that It didn’t want them delving its depths, consent was given, in the Laws’ eyes, when it left It’s entrances open to the public.

  Still, by adding great rewards it could also make changes. If It added a risk, It must add a disproportionate reward. Otherwise it risked censure at best, and true death at worst.

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  With that in mind, it also routed forces towards a chamber farther down their path and started storing more energy to attempt and grow another treasure to bait the humans into battle. It would be cutting it close and was all under the assumption that the humans would keep delving. It could only bet on their greedy nature.

  Turning its attention back to the invaders, it watched as the four finally began moving out of the entrance room. Every step they took away from their exit excited it greatly. When they passed the collapsed tunnel, It glowed with happiness. The best case scenario for it was them missing the treasure it’d forced to grow. It would be able to recycle that energy and get a large portion back.

  Unfortunately, the last of the humans stopped and convinced two of the others to come back over. It was only after it explained aloud what had tipped it off that It realized its mistake. It should have finished hiding the crevice before spawning in the treasure, the flower had tipped them off. Even as it had the thought, however, it knew that the Laws would have demanded an even greater sacrifice of power. All-knowing and Universe-permuting, they’d known that the cover It created was imperfect and had taken that into account when balancing the scales.

  Annoying.

  The creatures opened the rock and It was surprised to see that what it had created had changed, somehow evolved without its noticing. From a single flower, to a twinned and linked specimen. The party now had two things that It wanted, studying the sympathetic bond between those flowers could help It improve as well.

  Luckily, even though they sealed the flowers away they did so separately so the sympathetic bond was still apparent to its senses. It’d be able to indirectly study the bond as they moved, which is just as well.

  The Laws had obviously decided to upgrade their reward and snatching it away could only anger the higher powers.

  It was also able to sense that the thing that It sensed was being carried on one of the two persons carrying the flower, hints of its flavor were being carried over the sympathetic bond.

  The humans finally entered the second chamber it had prepared for them. It worried they would turn around because even with the stored power, it wasn’t able to finishing growing the bait in the center of the room in time. It’s lesser minions hadn’t made the trip there quickly enough with the seed. Even now, It still had forces in route.

  Without much fanfare, they scouted the room before approaching the bait in the center. They seemed convinced they’d be able to finish growing the bait in the inferior environment, though It doubted very much that would be the case.

  After they separated to kill the bait guardians, It was able to vaguely sense that what It wanted was located on the nondescript looking human that smelled of nothing. The human, male it was pretty sure, didn’t pull out the goods. It found itself getting frustrated for the first time in a long time, having long since started ignoring its emotions due to futility.

  Finally, they cleared the guardians and, impressively, managed to grow the bush to a point it fruited. It heard them discussing leaving just as its guardian got to the floor so it sent it over to guard their exit in a panic and began modifying the second exit route. Power be damned, it needed to make sure it got what it wanted.

  With an abrupt start, or stop rather, It paused It’s work as the human finally removed from his pockets what it had been sensing.

  It was a dungeon spawned coin, composed purely of its power. A coin it had not created, with its power of a quality different than it had ever seen. The power sealed within the coin was not stronger than its silver or gold variants, nor more pure. Just, different. Interesting.

  It watched the coin flipping through the air, willing them to miss their catch so It could absorb it through the floor. Then, the nondescript human did something with the bait it had acquired.

  It’s full focus concentrated on the hands of the human, feeling the faintest traces of one or more Laws in his actions, something that should have been impossible for such a low leveled human.

  There was a bright flash of light, and the bait it had laid out for the humans reappeared in front of them. Changed. Improved. Merged into something greater.

  The Dungeon hungered, and It’s work started anew.