I watch Binjal walk down the road. He was my miracle. I hadn't tried again while raising him, not wanting to repeat my mother's mistake. No, my focus was on him, and now he was striding off to find his own adventure. I hope he visits soon.

  Malcor places a hand on my shoulder. I look up at him and smile.

  “He'll be fine, Cea. Don't worry.”

  I nod and wipe a tear. “I like to start trying for more if you are willing.”

  “You sure?” He stayed with me through all the pain before our joy.

  I nod, “He proves I can do it, but only if you're willing.”

  He answers me with a kiss.

  -----

  We regret to inform you that Binjal Tapestry has arrived at the Central Tapestry Repository. If you wish to sponsor a couple to prioritize his rebirth, please contact our agency for setting up a fund.

  My tears wet the parchment. Far too soon. Malcor wraps his arms around me. I laid my head against his shoulder.

  “Too soon.” I murmur.

  -----

  “Surely being my first and only, you will make an exception and give me his Tapestry.”

  Malcor had told me this would happen. That I shouldn't get my hopes up.

  “Ma'am, the policy is quite clear.”

  “Please…” I pleaded at the uncaring bureaucrat. They look at my file.

  “Cea, you struggle with coming to term with your pregnancies. If another couple takes Binjal he will be growing his Tapestry all the more sooner.”

  But then he wouldn't be my boy anymore. “I'm certain, I'll bring him to term.”

  Another employee walks over to us. “Go home and mourn, Cea.”

  I hadn't seen it coming. I got up and left.

  -----

  “Damn them, damn them. How dare they do that to me?”

  I rail and scream in the room. Malcor rushes to me before I can start throwing out pottery.

  “Cea, it was wrong for them to do that but you knew they wouldn't release his Tapestry to us.”

  I know. Damn it all, I know. He holds me. “I'm going to go set up that fund, Cea, a hundred large gold.”

  “You would betray me on this.” I see his pained face, “Sorry, it slipped out. I need more time.”

  He lets me go, “He was my son too.”

  I barely heard him as I went to our room. I scour our book shelves. I found it, ’A Beginner's Guide to Mental Magic’. They will never control me again.

  -----

  My eyes flutter open. I can feel more dungeon skeletons bound to me. They are scattered amongst the rooms. I see the Lich's illusion standing watch over me.

  “Good, I have found the next boss room. The door won't open till we both are there.”

  Probably just if I am there. She reaches down cups a few strands of hair smiling at me. They are her straight and shiny silver.

  “Instead of mental magic, you use life magic on me.” I growl.

  “I don't have life magic anymore, Cea. It's your own soul changing you, or should I say my soul. Life magic doesn't work on you anyways, or have you forgotten that as well.”

  I frown at her statement. I wish I could pierce her illusion to see if she is lying. Instead a different question.

  “Did you really name the princes after Binjal's father?”

  She gives me a sad look, “Rip it out of me if you are curious, I have a lot of life for you to cover and I have little desire to retread my pain.”

  Instead it's me walking through her pain. I get up.

  “Lead the way.”

  -----

  The door parts and I enter the room with my army of skeletons.

  100 ? Gem Hoard Worm

  It was a massive creature made up of various gemstones, it rears up easily lifting itself ten meters high. Its body is longer still. At least five times the height it pulled itself up to. The illusion looked annoyed. Suddenly the round tip of its ‘head’ split open forming jagged teeth. Then the head exploded.

  The Lich arm was held out. “Do not gawk, use your skeletons to crush these gems. Only one of them is the actual monster.” Even as she speaks the gems begin to pull towards the largest collection of gems.

  “Which one?” Her glare at me told me she didn't actually know. She causes another explosion scattering more gems.

  “Only Dwarves and Cromans can tell. They claim it's easy to see and that the rest of the races are as blind as Drakenoids.”

  I frown but I start charging forward with my army. I start picking up gems with my multitude of skeletal hands. Their grasp is not strong enough to break the gem, I start smacking the gems on the ground. I only scratch the floor. Damn it. Well one gem has to be harder than another. I have each skeleton pick up another gem and smash them together. That works. Another explosion sounds out. More gems go flying.

  It's slow going. All the gems look the same to skeletal eyes. Grey, grey and more grey. The only color is out of my own. Another explosion, and the rest of the body scatters falling apart.

  “I must have scattered the real one. Start breaking around whatever new mound forms.”

  I look and see a gem that's colored in ultra violet. It's the only one. I walk over and pick it up. It feels warm. Plenty of emeralds, sapphires, rubies, quartz, amethyst, diamonds. But only this one is unique.

  Stolen story; please report.

  “Lich!”

  She looks at me, floats over.

  “What is it, Cea? I'm rather busy scattering this annoyance.”

  I hold up the gem, “Break this one.”

  She raises an eyebrow but she takes the gem and creates dirt constructs around it. Slowly it squeezes down till a crack is heard.

  Gain 300 exp from Gem Hoard Worm

  I nod, “I got exp.”

  “So you have the eyes of a Dwarf then, most curious. They look like cat pupils though. Be a shame when I force your body to conform to an Elfs.”

  I glare at her which she just answers with a predatory smile.

  “Lets continue on Cea. My book on all things dungeon tells me there is only one floor left to traverse.” The skeletons start shoveling gems into my bag. “Seriously, are you a pauper, Cea? You will have no need for wealth if you give yourself to me.”

  “Oh my systems, shut up already. I get it. You covet my young alive body, you fucking letch.”

  The glare she gives me is monstrous but she does not say anything more as my bag is filled. There is so much left, but I can not carry more. My army of skeletons will not be available once I leave.

  We walk into a forge. The heat is palatable even to my heat resistance. There are large golems milling about.

  ? ? Gadvak Forge Golem

  Bizarre that they are more powerful than the war golem. But who was I to judge? We approach one but it simply pulls back.

  “They appear to be allowing us passage.”

  “Is that normal in your book?”

  “No.”

  “I doubt they will bleed, not much reason to delay unless you think they will attempt to attack us.”

  “The dungeon has had ample opportunity for that, it would be bizarre to show their hand and then attack.”

  We continue walking forward. As we delve deeper we find multiple paths. Every time there is a golem pointing to a specific one. Guess the core has gotten impatient. I take a sip from my bloodskin and frown. I stop and pull my blood barrel from my supplies. The lich smiles. There was nothing in the barrel. Is it empty? What? How? I turn and glare at the lich.

  “I felt a bit petty and dumped your blood stores onto you as you slept. You're not thirsty are you, Cea?”

  “That's rather rude.”

  She simply laughs at me. I do my best to ignore her and my growing thirst. After so many twists and turns we arrive at the new even grander door. I look at the illusion.

  “I like to talk to him.”

  “Your prerogative."

  “Alone.”

  She raises an eyebrow to me. “O and what will you give me in return.”

  “Nothing, there are plenty of molten pools I could toss myself in.”

  “You're taking yourself hostage. We've been through so much, Cea. Surely there is nothing you need hide from me.”

  I glare at her. Then sigh. “You're right. We are going to one soul soon enough anyways.”

  I push the door open to see a Dwarf sitting on a throne. His face is the same as all the other Dwarves. The throne is studded in various gems and fashioned out of, is that mithril. So gaudy.

  “Ah girlie, ya made it. Shockin’ considerin’ your state but it seems ya were able to sneak an unexpected ally past me.” He looks at the illusion floating near me.

  “So you retain yourself, I have come to discuss your harbouring of fugitives of the Queendom.”

  “You speak of my followers. They be persecuted. I ain't surrendering them.”

  I frown. “Do you know why they are hunted?”

  “Why else, to prevent my divinity.”

  So he is not a god yet. I remember the first man I had killed. “Is that not what you try to deny others? To deny me.”

  “What you goin’ on abouts. I helped you escape your wardens from before.”

  “Your cult, using instructions—”

  “Do not call them that.” The dungeon shudders.

  “Fine, they killed my daughters in your name, fearing my own ascension.”

  “I don't see the lie in ya. But I gave explicit orders to instruct any who was creatin’ a new race on how to avoid gettin’ trapped ‘fore they're ready.”

  “They instead decided to slaughter every Pimar chimera they could. Resulting in both a war with Bronfkin and a purge of your believers.” I sneer the last word out.

  He glares at me for my words. “How have ya ascended without havin’ all the cores.”

  “You're a deity? When did this occur? I am quite certain you showed me your status sheet without hiding anything. I stopped my leveling knowing I would become a dungeon but is the path to godhood beyond that?”

  What I didn't want her to hear. Nevermind.

  “I don't particularly trust you with that information, Gadvak, nor you lich.”

  He frowns at me. She just shrugs her shoulders, “I'll know it when I claim you.”

  “What does she mean by that?” He squints at me.

  “Not like you weren't listening to all our conversations.” I deadpan.

  He scoffs, the lich answers. “Once she takes fatal damage, she'll become undead and my aura will claim her for myself.”

  “Ah interesting, and I could easily do the same. Perhaps making her a monster here will grant my ascension."

  “I been entertaining this long enough, it's time to claim his core.”

  “Fair enuff.” Instead of the Dwarf head exploding it's the lich that winks out. I can feel his aura crushing down on me. “Didn't seem very pleasant, to be honest. Now then girlie, I pierce your heart but ya don't seem to have one. I suppose the brain will do.”

  “Wait wait wait, I'll just let myself pass on instead of becoming an undead.”

  He squints at me, “You don't think ya can decide that.”

  Fuck. “I'll bleeding cut my memory from my soul. I certainly can do that.”

  He glares at me, then considers. “You want my core? How bout a wager. If you can assimilate my core you can leave. ‘Course if it makes you undead, you're mine.”

  “What about your followers?”

  “What about them?”

  “I'm here for them, not your core.”

  “Now that's just rude to lie to my face like that, again.”

  I roll my eyes, “Fine, I do want the core but I want justice for my daughters and the Pimar.”

  He considers that, “You be squarin’ me to one but how bout I expel them should ya survive.”

  “I'll willingly join your dungeon if you let me slaughter them if I fail.”

  “Got a bit of blood craze do ya? I suppose it's fair if ya tellin’ the truth ‘bout them. Which ya here for?”

  “Fire.”

  “Ah, I'll be reviving ya when this is over then.”

  He then plunges his arm into his chest. He pulls out an angry glowing red orb. He hands it to me. I stare at it as I shift my body to be bigger. I open my mouth and swallow it. For a moment nothing happens. Then my whole body burns. I fall to the ground holding myself. My spider form illusion had already dispersed. My whole body burns, but as it burns my blood mana heals. I can feel a new third tail emerge. It just gets hotter. Time slows as I deal with the damage. I have to stay alive. I scream my voice out and writhe on the floor.

  -----

  This is a daily reminder: You have 416 unallocated stat points

  How long has it been? I can't tell. It's just pain. Worse than my pain, my thirst has been growing steadily. It's passing a point I never expected. Where the thirst was greater than my pain.

  You have gained [Embrace Thirst 2] Competent 1

  Competent - Pain is just thirst now

  Gain 12 exp

  The tears in my eyes evaporated as I read the message. My eyes are crimson. I could let go. Instead my thirst just grows. Why doesn't my resist or blood magic improve for this? I should be skyrocketing. Instead my system further condemns me.

  -----

  This is a daily reminder: You have 416 unallocated stat points

  It's all just thirst now. I writhe even as I fear the next notification.

  You have gained [Embrace Thirst 2] Intermediate 1

  Intermediate - Should your thirst pass a certain point, only the living can satisfy it

  Gain 24 exp

  I start to laugh. Someone is going to die for this. For my hubris. I can't cry but I silently laugh on the ground.

  -----

  This is a daily reminder: You have 416 unallocated stat points

  I stare at the Dwarf on his throne. I stare at his neck. Do dungeon core bosses bliss end when they die. Giggle.

  [Embrace Thirst 2] becomes [Embrace Thirst 3] Basic 1

  Embrace Thirst 3 - You've gone beyond normal levels of thirst

  Basic - Should your thirst become so great, your blood mana won't regen

  Gain 5 exp

  I feel it begin to dwindle. I'm going to die. In the end I failed. The burning stops. I can barely move.

  “I was certain you were goin’ to turn girlie.”

  I look at the Dwarf. I use more of my precious blood mana to heal my throat. “Don't expel them till a week from now.”

  “Whatever you say.”

  The skeletal hands lift me up and begin carrying me out.