Valterra turned his attention to the mantis that had fought the lizard-like Fae and found him singed almost beyond recognition but nonetheless glowing with the light of Ascension. He soothed the creature's worst wounds with Aether so the bug wouldn’t die in the coming days or weeks. Then he engaged the System and watched the words unfurl before him.

  Your “Pack-Leader Mantis” is ready to Ascend!

  Please choose from among the following stages:

  Marauder Mantis (Rank D - Iron)

  Battle. Blood. Mayhem. This is what the Marauder Mantis lives for. Seeing the fear rise in the hearts of those it fights as it tears through their weak attempts at combat. Larger, faster, and stronger than its former self, this insect fights with a cold detachment even as it glories in the blood spilled. With its predisposition for strength, it will not form a pack with anything less powerful than itself.

  Aether-Bane Mantis (Rank C - Steel)

  Having fought against magical creatures, this insect has become a perfect counter. Its very nature is now an antithesis to Aether itself, beyond absorbing what it needs to survive. For this reason, it can no longer grow and will not Ascend further, but is a terror to any being that relies on Aether for life.

  Mantis Pack-Lord (Rank D - Iron)

  A direct upgrade to the Pack-Leader Mantis, this insect has Ascended to lord over its lesser kin in all respects. Often presiding over a horde of its kind, it can have multiple Pack-Leaders under its sway, providing it with a steady supply of food and the capability of taking down even larger prey.

  The options filled Valterra with both glee and consternation. He could only choose one, and that seemed a poor reward for a creature that had almost died protecting him. Two options had the Mantis losing his pack that he had fought so hard for, and Valterra wouldn’t stand for it. He had never modified a creature on the cusp of Ascension before, but there was always a first time. As the first Dungeon to use a Hunting-Pack Mantis as a main Dungeon Monster, he had control over its Paths of Ascension, which included the Mantis Pack-Leader and these options before him.

  So he dove into the mantis’s mind to ascertain what he wanted to be. This would be a personal Ascension, one that might pave the way for the species as a whole. What Valterra found was encouraging, at least to him. The mantis was concerned for his pack primarily, and he hoped they had survived. The rest was red-hot rage against the invaders that had slaughtered their way through his pack, mixed with a desire to bathe in their blood.

  Valterra could feel his desire for strength, not just for himself but for his pack as well. He respected that. He would need such determination if more invaders came, and he was sure they would come. Since he couldn’t actually manipulate the current options, since he didn’t have them, he set about creating his own option based on the amount of internal Aether the Mantis had to Ascend with. He went ahead and just called it the Pool of Ascension.

  He started by making the insect larger, which consumed a good chunk of the Pool of Ascension. So he reduced it back down and instead focused on making it faster, stronger, and more intelligent. Intelligence drained the pool, but he still retained a good chunk by the time he was happy with its base form. Then he began to manipulate the Aether within it. He strengthened its ties to its pack and allowed Aether to pass through the bond. Each kill would strengthen the whole, much like the Danians grew in power.

  Valterra paused in his work and looked over at the first colony of Empowered Danians to find them glowing with Ascensionary light as well. Good. He still had quite a bit of Divine Potential to spend from Trik’Weri’s reimbursement, and considering they were a unique creation, he would probably need to use some to create their new Framework. Speaking of Divine Potential. As Valterra returned, he focused on the Mantis and its bonds. He nodded to himself.

  He would bestow a Name upon the species as a whole. It would be conceptual, of course, not individualized. His instincts told him that individual Names were much more powerful. This would be similar to naming a room within his Dungeon, not that he had done that yet. The concept would apply to all of the members, and thus, the effects would be less but more widespread.

  He crystallized the image of what he desired and then imparted it upon the insect and watched as the Name was accepted and its Ascension began. Divine Potential, around three hundred of it, flowed from his Core to fund the Naming. When it was done, he looked at the new creature tag with no small amount of pride.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  Emergent Lord of the Red Tide (Unique, Divine, Rank D - Iron)

  Blessed by Valterra Unok’Davaas, this insect is an emerging Lord of the Red Tide and an instrument of his divine will. Its growth is now tied to that of its horde. The greater the horde, the greater the one who leads them.

  Name Given!

  [The Red Tide]

  The Wrath of Valterra Unok’Davaas manifested.

  Congratulations, Dungeon Core! You have created your first Concept!

  Concepts are powerful tools to manipulate your Dungeon further. Creatures falling under a particular concept will naturally adapt to fit its tenets. This Title may be granted to any creature, but it is recommended that they be attracted to a concept naturally, as their nature dictates. You may also strip a concept from a creature or prevent it from falling under its sway.

  Progress to Core Ascension:

  5%

  Only five percent, huh? Valterra wasn’t terribly surprised. It was becoming harder and harder to reach the next stage of Ascension, and he figured that was by design. I do wonder why I have a percentage, though? I bet it's a function of the System, the dungeon core mused. My creatures don’t have a percentage, although, even if they did, most of them wouldn’t even know what a percentage was, much less be able to tell me if they had one.

  Speaking of creatures, Valterra turned his attention to the next few in line.

  Your “Sylcyne Mountain Eft” is ready to Ascend!

  Please choose from among the following stages:

  Sylcyne Mountain Newt (Rank E - Bronze)

  The Ascended adult form of the Sylcyne Mountain Eft, this amphibian returns to the cold streams and lakes of its childhood. Fully capable of living both in and out of the water, the Sylcyne Mountain Newt is an efficient and capable hunter. Its tongue produces a sticky mucus that allows it to catch prey on land, while the plates in its jaws allow it to hold onto prey while underwater.

  Fae-Touched Salamander (Rank E - Bronze)

  A common salamander touched by fae power. Whether it was through the influence of a powerful fae or the spilling of fairy blood, this salamander has been placed on a rare Path of Ascension. True fairy salamanders are a rare sight outside of their Mother Trees. Still, they are blessed with the slightest inkling of draconic blood, a trait now shared with this unnaturally elevated denizen. Not being a lizard, this should be a paradox, but like most things fae, it only serves to make it stronger, gifting it a strong affinity for fire.

  There were quite a few Sylcyne Mountain Efts that had reached the requisite amount of Aether needed to Ascend. These must be some of the ones that fought the ants so long ago, Valterra realized. That reminds me. I need to do something with that Framework. I can’t afford not to utilize what I have, especially when it's something unique. Back to the matter at hand, fiery amphibians would be interesting, and I think I already have the other one.

  Valterra looked into his Core briefly, confirming that the Framework was indeed there before selecting the new option. Seems like I’ll have quite a few fire-related Frameworks here soon, Valterra mused as he turned to the next creature in line.

  Your “Arrowtail Glass Lizard” is ready to Ascend!

  Please choose from among the following stages:

  Shardcoil Lizard (Rank D - Iron)

  A legless lizard that has Ascended to further heights, the Shardcoil is a fascinating reptile. Unlike other glass lizards, this one keeps its tail when in danger. Instead, it vibrates its now crystalline tail in ways similar to a rattlesnake. While vibrating, the lizard can infuse the high-pitched reverberations with Aether, causing intense pain, nausea, and confusion within the minds and bodies of prey and predator alike.

  Glassvine Lizard (Rank D - Iron)

  Aether has truly transformed this legless lizard. Embracing its nature, this reptile is truly a fragile organism, but one with impressive survivalistic adaptations. With the complexion of green frosted glass, the Glassvine Lizard is beautiful in appearance and deeply attuned to the life around it. Often found hanging from the limbs of trees or shrubs like a vine, you will never find one unguarded, as the Aether it exudes causes other creatures to protect it with surprising viciousness.

  Spindlethorn Scaleling (Rank D - Iron)

  A distant cousin of the lizard men of the Sahrin desert, the Spindlethorn Scaleling is the stupid, stunted, legless lizard equivalent. Remaining legless, its process of Ascension has granted it two rough arms. Three-fingered hands allow it some ability to grasp and hold, and while it isn’t truly sapient, it does possess built-in instincts for rough tool and weapon making. Despite those capabilities, its main form of defense remains the sharp, thorn-like protrusions that grow from its tail.

  All of the options looked good, if a little strange. All of them ended with the legless lizard transforming in some way, though he could see how the original Framework influenced the options. Unlike the other creatures he had already chosen new stages for, the legless lizard didn’t have any options affected by the invasion. Two of them, at least, seemed like they were direct Ascensions.

  Valterra only had one legless lizard currently, but now that he knew he had the Framework, he would totally be spawning more. Still, the one in front of him had to Ascend, and he didn’t want it to be disappointed. To be honest, only one really called to him. Perhaps it was because of the death and destruction so recently dealt to his dungeon, but he wanted at least one of the outcomes to be something beautiful.

  The Glassvine Lizard was his choice, and since the lizard itself had no strong feelings on the matter, Valterra confirmed it. As the light of Ascension covered the creature, the dungeon core turned his attention to the next in line. He was looking forward to this one.