Author's Note

Sorry if things might seem a bit messy I didn't want to make things explanation after explanation

Chapter 3

It has been a few days since I created my dungeon and only a little has happened. I had put all of the zombies and most of the skeletons in the mine, but I sent the last few skeletons to the gardens. I thought at first I would only get one type of plan from the game, but it seems I already have access to all of them however they grew in small quantities, which means I had access to Blood Roses, Fire Blossoms, Snow Flowers, Mourning Lily, Hell's Clarion, Ghost Shroom, Sunflowers, Cotton, Plague Brier, Sacred Grapes, Trippy Shrooms, and Bleeding Hearts all of which could be used to make varies potions and some equipment however at the moment I did not have the means to make any of it as I needed other facilities to get the materials plus I needed to upgrade the mine to even get more ores and such.

I tapped my foot in frustration as I thought of what to do. I needed three more facilities before I could even think of relaxing, and the mining has not been very fruitful. Unlike the guardian which has everything the mine which refills over time was small and limited to the starter materials such as plain old stone, and copper, and as for the mana Prisms their appearance was inconsistent, sometimes it was there other times it was not, sometimes large, and sometimes small. It made me question even using it to create monsters and just save for facilities, but as it stood I didn't even have the means to create a stable source of blood essence.

“I need the graveyard,” I said biting my thumbnail. “Then I could solve my blood essence problem,” I muttered.

‘Blood essence can only be extracted from living beings, why would you need the graveyard?” Asked Pixel which left me confused.

“Wait aren't you supposed to know everything about my dungeon, you're the system aren't you?” I asked.

“Correction I am a subsystem, I was created to ensure your survival after your body was destroyed, I do not possess the extensive knowledge of the main system only what was needed for you to dungeon master and to operate it effectively.” Explained Pixel.

“Wait why to ensure my survival, what do you mean I thought you were created to serve me?” I asked.

“That is true I was created to sure you with the limited knowledge I possess, but I was also created because after your body was destroyed you began rejecting the system, and thus a new system needed to be created to ensure your survival, thus after examining your memories I was created. Now please explain how the graveyard would help you create blood essence?” Asked Pixel as if she hadn't just dropped a bombshell on me.

‘Wait, this doesn't make sense.’ I thought, what would make me important enough to make a whole system just to keep me alive? What does the administrator want from me?

“I do not know but please explain?” Pixel asked and she was starting to get on my nerves with how pushy she was getting.

“Later, right now I need to check how much mana Prism I have and how much I need to purchase the graveyard, then I can just show you,” I told PIxel before I started walking until I came upon a staircase, and I could hear the faint sounds of mining below. “Looks like they are still hard at work that is good,” I said as I started to descend the stairs case.

When I eventually reached the bottom I saw zombies and skeletons striking at the coper viens with makeshift pickaxes made from wood and stone. They were poorly made but there was nothing I could do until I could get the smithy and hope I could use it to make things other than weapons. I looked at the haul for today to see they had mined a good amount of cooper that I could refine later into ingots and as for Mana prisms. I saw a small wooden crate filled with them. They looked like dark blue crystals. I got down on one knee and picked one of the large chunks up to examine it.

“Hmm, Pixel plus what we’ve stocked up how close are we to building a new facility,” I asked.

“You have about half of what is required to build a new facility,” Pixel explained which made me sigh. “It's progress,” I said, and I thought maybe I should start looking for other ways of getting Mana prisms other than this mine. ‘Hmm, maybe I can get somewhere those girls came from.’ I thought as I reminded the group of people that were at the castle, but were they humans I saw at least three or four of them with wings.’

“They could be considered a subspecies of humans, they are commonly called valkyries however two of the four you saw were demigods the women you fought were one of the two,” Pixel explained which made my train of thought come to a screeching halt when I heard that.

“So are you telling me?” I said pinching the bridge of my nose. “That I essentially bitch slapped a demi-goddess with my severed skeleton arm?” I asked for clarification.

Pixel answered with. “Yes, however, you need not worry after the Nightmare that possessed her and was in control at the time has been removed and placed in your care.” I was so thankful for my mental fortitude otherwise I think I might have started panicking.

“What do you mean it was left in my care,” I said slowly anger arising inside me.

“One of the regards for helping to defeat Nightmare Moon was the essence of Nightmare, along with a message from the Administrator would you like to hear it?” Pixel asked.

At this point, I didn't care anymore. “Fine, read it to me,” I told her.

“The message is as follows…Acquire the second Nightmare, and using the crypt you can acquire a servant unlike any other… end of message.” Pixel said.

“Second Nightmare so there is another one of those things out there, and what does the crypt have to do with any of this.” I took a deep breath to clear my head as I stood up. “Alright one problem at a time, first we got to get the blood essence situation figured out,” I told myself but it was hard to focus on one thing when so many others were coming at me all at once.

“Ok, where is the Nightmare now?” I asked.

“For the moment it has been sealed away until you build the crypt,” Pixel told me which set me at ease a little since I dont have to worry about that for a while.

“Any other surprises the Administrator left me?” I asked.

“Yes, a world map, which you can summon at will,” Pixel Informed me.

“Well, that is a big help,” I said before I focused and a screen with a map appeared in front of me. “Alright let's see here if those girls were human there has to be a town somewhere nearby,” I said as I started touching the map which allowed me to zoom in and move it around.

“It can't be that far,” I said before I found a small town that was not that far from the edge of the forest called ponyville… PONYville. “What the fuck kind of name is ponyville,” I said with confusion as I reread it to make sure that it was correct and it was.

“Well, this world sure is interesting I will say that,” I said before I looked at where the town was and how far away I was. It looked like when I left the castle I went in the exact opposite way of the town which was annoying. “Alright, but if I’m going there I’m going to have to learn to take on a human disguise.

“Warning, if you shapeshift you will not be able to use your other abilities to their fullest.” Pixel quickly warned me.

“Oh, that's good to know,” I said. “And by how much?” I asked.

“It depends on the form you take and if you are physically incapable of using a skill it will be sealed until you take a form that can,” Pixel explained.

“I guess that makes sense, but even so it's best I stick around till I have enough monsters to guard the dungeon, and how much would it take to upgrade my dungeon?” I asked.

“Around 20 times what you currently have,” Pixel told me.

“Fuck, I’m going to need another source of mana prisms if I'm going to make the dungeon stronger.” I groaned. “I know humans probably have them to make weapons and armor but are there any other ways?” I asked.

“You could raid other dungeons but that is not advisable as you are the weakest dungeon in the forest.” Pixel told me which didn't make me very confident.”

“And how many are there?” I asked

“There are currently 4 other dungeons in the Everfree. The Timber Kings Dungeon which stretches throughout the forest, the Dark Pixie Dungeon is located in the darkest region of the forest and guarded by a magic mist, the Serpentine Dungeon is underground, and the Gargoyle Dungeon is located on a mountain within the confines of the forest. All other dungeons that used to exist have all been wiped out by the timber king, those three have managed to survive by hiding.” I listened to Pixel's explanation intently

“This Timber king is bad news, if he finds me I won't survive,” I said now regretting building my dungeon in such a visible place. “Can I move my dungeon?” I asked.

“The only way for a dungeon to be moved is for it to be destroyed by a hostile force and the dungeon master build another elsewhere,” Pixel said quickly shooting down my idea of moving somewhere more discreet.

“Damn it,” I said hitting the wall next to me, making the entire surface crack. “I’m moving all monsters to the mine if a mana prism shows up I want it mined immediately,” I said in frustration as I opened the dungeon menu and gave the order, and so another day passed and I stayed vigilant standing on the rampart of my dungeon to see if I could spot any movement amongst the trees. But the canopy was so thick it was hard to see anything and I couldn’t even use sanguine sight to spot those wolves. But I did see a few interesting things as I did my rounds.

Using my Sanguine sight I saw something small through the canopy it didn't look like an animal or anything, but more like a large butterfly. I almost passed it off before I saw that it had arms and legs. “Is it a dark pixie?” I wondered. I could tell it was looking up at my dungeon, and it wasn't the only one.

I could see two other figures hiding amongst the trees. One had a humanoid shape at least from the head down, but it's head I couldn't quite make out, and the other was another humanoid with a bulkier frame and wings on its back. “Spies from the other dungeons no doubt,” I muttered under my breath I was already discovered. I wanted to go down them and perhaps speak to them, but I decided against that as I could be seen as hostile, not only that they seemed to be working together. The best move right now was to wait to see what the other dungeons do.

I considered it a small miracle that I hadn't been found by the Timber Wolf King yet. I went back inside and checked on the mine to see that the generation of Mana prism was much higher than normal, another small miracle. “Pixel will this be enough to get the graveyard?” I asked looking at the dark blue crystal sticking out of the stone walls.

“Yes, it just barely meets the requirement but it must first be mined and brought to the core of the dungeon,” Pixel said and I grinned as one problem was about to be solved.

“Good very good,” I said with a grin as I picked up a pickaxe and started to mine chunks of mana prism to get things going quicker. It took a whole hour to mine out everything I needed now all we had to do was move it into place. I started to have the zombies and skeletons move the crates of Mana Prisms to the dungeon core.

I led the group of monsters through the dungeon while carrying a crate of mana prisms before I kicked open a door. Inside was the core. A stone altar surrounded by blood with talon-like protrusions sticking out and reaching for a giant sphere of blood that hovered over it.

“Come on hurry up place them around the core,” I told the undead as I placed my crate at the altar's base. The undead soon followed placing their crates around the base, I then opened the dungeon menu before I purchased the graveyard. Immediately after pressing it tendrils of blood reached out from the orb and as if dragging a man to hell snatched the mana prisms and utterly tore apart the crats that held them and one zombie that stood too close had its left legs torn off. The scene was quite disturbing to see, even though I had seen stuff like that in movies, but to see something like that happen right in front of me.

I held back the vomit and calmed my nerves. “I guess mental fortitude can't completely keep me calm after that,” I said. “Pixel is it done?” I asked.

“Yes, the graveyard has been constructed,” Pixel informed me.

“Good, now zombies, skeletons follow me,” I said before I started to lead them on a search for the new facility which took a while to find, and while I was at it, I dropped by the garden to grab an arm of blood roses that had been collected. It took a while but I finally found the graveyard.

As expected it looked like a pretty gloomy place filled with tombstones and before I could get started Pixel chimed in. “Now are you going to tell me how the graveyard will fix your blood essence problem?” She asked.

“Well, I believe I said I would just show you,” I said before I started to place the blood roses on the tombstones causing them to react. The stones started to glow and shift as the ground beneath them started to move as if it were alive. “You are to kill anything that rises from these graves and bring their remains to the laboratory,” I told my minions.

Suddenly the arms of skeletons burst up from the ground and started to dig themselves out. However, as ordered my undead started to utterly decimate them newly risen before they could even pull themselves out from their graves. So I decided to leave this to them as I got everything else I needed. I started to walk back to the garden before I heard something falling down the stairs. I stopped and looked and just as I was about to look up the staircase that led to the manor the zombie that lost its leg flew by me and hit the ground hard cracking its skull open. I immediately fell to my knees and vomited then and there.

After emptying the contents of my stomach, I wiped my mouth and took a few deep breaths. I eventually got back to my feet and looked at the now-dead zombie before I went on my way. I went to the garden and grabbed plant fibers that had also been harvested before I went to the laboratory. There was the vermin nest, but not just that but there was also an alchemy table used for potions and the like, and the advanced blood press was the key to it all. I was happy that I immediately had the advanced blood press, which will make things so much easier seeing how it's more than twice as fast as the previous version.

“I still fail to see how any of this will give you blood essence.” Said Pixel.

“Dont worry, you’ll soon see,” I told her as the undead arrived carrying many bones.

“Good Good, now,” I said before I walked over to the vermin nest, and as I touched it a screen appeared with the various recipes. “Oh, this is how it works uh,” I said as I brought up the plant fibers I had and touched them against the screen, and like a vacuum they were sucked in. “Alright start stuffing the bones in it,” I told them as I stepped to the side and let the undead line up as they started to feed the bones into the screen which absorbed them. After only a few bones the machine roared to life as a green glow rose from the grats in the ground and the front opening and top of the vermin nest.

“Seems to work pretty much the same as ingame,” I said pleased as after a few seconds a rat climbed out of the grat I was quick to grab it. The rat struggled in my grasp as I looked at it. “Watch me now,” I told them. “After you catch the rats, I want you to put them in here,” I told them as I approached the blood press and opened a screen that allowed me to put the rat inside.

The undead seemed to understand me perfectly, but even though they understood without my enhanced reflexes and speed they struggled. It was quite fun to watch them fumble around and trip over one another as they tried to catch the rats, it was almost like watching children. But eventually, we got enough rats for it to start working. The compressors on both sides of the press went up and down whether it was just for effect or that rats were being crushed inside I didn't want to know. But soon 4 rats were turned into 10 blood essences.

“Ahh, I see now using this method you can be completely self-sufficient when it comes to blood essence,” Pixel said with a tone I could only guess was surprise.

“Yes, but rats alone dont provide much, but with time I am sure I can get plenty plus greater blood essence and primal blood essence,” I said I looked at the screen of recipes, with a smile on my face but it soon fell. All the recipes I had seen had been the same as in-game, but this. This was just insane.

The original recipe for greater blood essence was 200 essence to make one greater, but now it was 2000, and with primal it was 8 greater to make 1 primal now it's 500.

“Well, I guess I should just focus on making more monsters for now,” I said then I decided to look at something I tapped on the screen and pulled out a single blood essence. It looked like a small round ball of blood that hovered above my hand, and as I looked at it something felt odd. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as I looked at it. My mouth felt dry, and my throat parched. Then suddenly without a thought I put it in my mouth and swallowed it. As it went down my throat my entire body felt renewed and restored it was a wonderful feeling, but I also felt hollow as if I had lost a piece of myself.

It took a moment for me to come to my senses and start trying to throw it up to no avail. “You should get used to it now, as time progresses you will need to acquire more blood and life force not just to survive but also to use skills such as blood regeneration,” Pixel told me but it didn't make it any better.

I stopped trying to force myself to throw up before I got to my feet and just tried to forget about it for now. “Just do what you can to keep these going,” I told the undead before I left the lab in order to clear my head. I went outside and as the sun shined on my face I took a deep breath and sighed.

Even though I have had time to adjust to my new body, I am surprised by how little control I actually have over it. I had consumed the blood essence but I could even put together what was happening. “I’ll just have to stay away from the lab for a while,” I told myself, but I couldn't help but think back to what Pixel told me, to survive I will need to drink blood.

“I will just have to take this one day at a time, I just hope I dont lose myself along the way,” I muttered under my breath before I went back inside hoping tomorrow might be a little easier.