by Matthew Peed
“I don’t know. For now, let us just work on getting you a semi decent fighting force. If you die, I die. I’m not looking forward to that again.”
“I have been trying to use the Summon thingy, but my eyes start spinning when I look at it.” There was so much that you had to input. Some of it made sense, while other parts didn’t.
“Well, you are designing a personality from the ground up. What else would you expect?”
“Premade options!” I said, mentally putting my hand up like a student in class.
Starburst just looked at the ground and took a really long deep breath. He didn’t say anything for several minutes. “Just select random then . . .”
I turned to look at the list, and sure enough there was a random option. “Is . . . is that safe?”
“What do you mean?”
“They’re not going to try to attack me or anything like that?” I asked, tapping my fingers together.
“They won’t. They can’t exist without you.”
“That’s good to hear!” I said, then tapped the summon button. A swirl of light sprang up near us. I felt the energy leave me again, much more this time than when I infused Starburst with a soul. I was sure that if I had a physical body, my eyes would be wide open. It was sort of fascinating to see a new body forming right in front of me.
A doll about the size of a child came into existence. She had long, straight, silver hair that fell down to the small of her back, with a small pair of devil wings poking through. She was wearing a Victorian dress with a lot of fabric, lacy, and frills, while she had an expressionless face made from a white material. I wasn’t sure if it was a wood or plastic.
“Now is it a winner or loser?” Starburst muttered while looking the doll over.
“That’s rude, talking about a lady like she isn’t even here,” said the doll as she unfolded a fan and held it in front of her mouth. I could feel some sort of power radiating from it. I wished I could see her status like I could my own. As soon as the thought formed, another list popped open.
N/A
Age: 0
Level: 1
Race: Sentient Doll
Type: Manipulator
“OH! Hey, Starburst! What’s a Manipulator?” I asked, as that was the only thing I really didn’t follow.
“What? She’s a Manipulator? How’d you get so lucky on your first random?” Starburst asked, tossing his head back and forth. I swore he acted more like a horse as the hours went by. I just hoped he didn’t forget how to talk eventually.
The doll chuckled and folded the fan in one swift motion. “That’s right! Bow before me, peasants!”
I ignored her and repeated my question to Starburst.
“A Manipulator is a being that is able to control several lesser monsters without costing the dungeon souls. They are far weaker and frankly stupider, but if the Manipulator gets skilled enough, they can become quite powerful.”
“I’m glad to see my luck is bringing me good things for once,” I said with a fist pump.
“Ah. I remember, you had a ridiculous luck and fate number.”
“I’m glad to see that you understand my prowess,” the doll said, sticking its nonexistent chest out.
“The only problem, they’re incredibly weak themselves. Not really something you want for your first monster,” Starburst said, turning his head away from the doll. I could almost see the pity aura coming off him.
“If they can command a whole bunch of monsters, wouldn’t they be the best to summon first?” I asked, confused.
Starburst shook his head like I was an idiot. “Well . . . you have to feed her Aether for her to be able to summon things. You have what, a thousand Aether? Likely less since you summoned us. That’s not a lot to work on,” he said, the pity aura only growing stronger.
“No. I have over eighteen thousand.”
“What? HOW!?”
I had to resist laughing at how he cantered like a horse. Shrugging, I replied, “Yeah, don’t ask me. I don’t know.” The mana had been there when I woke up. It could have been due to Terleza, but being unable to track her down made it impossible to ask.
“Summon! Summon more! Then we’ll work on creating an actual dungeon for you!” Starburst said, prancing around my center.
I still found it strange that he barely made any sound since he weighed close to nothing. I wished I had my physical body back so I could cuddle with him. I would need to figure out how to get the dead god out of him first, but that was an issue for later down the road. Nothing would stand between me and cuddling my soft unicorn. Though it would be awkward.
The doll we had just summoned stomped her foot, but as was the case with Starburst, she weighed close to nothing and barely made a sound. “Don’t ignore me!”
“I’m not ignoring you, Lucy,” I said.
“Lucy? Can’t you see I’m more of an Elizabeth!?”
“Nope. I’ve already decided on Lucy.”
~~~
“I’m surprised. I figured since I could only summon dolls, they would all be soft and cuddly,” I said, watching the stuffed animal moles I’d summoned digging into the side of the tunnel. While their main bodies were soft, their claws were made from steel. I was able to do this by using Creation, Deconstruction, and Summon at the same time. It helped that the final one was a Manipulator like Lucy, though he hadn’t said anything to me yet.
I’d pulled some of the steel from the old train car. Following Starburst’s instructions, I made the claws. Deconstructing them, I was able to use them to influence the summoning and create a mole stuffed animal. From there I was able to copy them and summon more if needed. They cost two hundred Aether per, plus a soul, while the minions were only about twenty Aether each. Still a sizable chunk, considering I hadn’t gained any the entire time.
“Dolls have certain limitations, but they are highly customizable. I’ve never studied them fully.”
“Stella, we really need some earl grey,” Lucy said to her twin. I’d summoned Stella by copying Lucy. They were both stuck up, so I left it at two for the moment. At least they got along with each other.
“Indeed. This dusty tunnel is getting quite boring,” Stella replied, lifting her dress up off the floor.
The moles were hard at work carving a path down into the Earth. Apparently, I had to leave the station mostly as it was. That was disappointing, as it wasn’t very cute. They’d been working for over an hour now and had already carved several feet from the wall. I had no idea if that was good or bad, but I decided to call it good and praised the moles.
Another ten minutes went by with everyone doing their own thing. I was floating aimlessly in the air, while Starburst appeared to be practicing stabbing people with his horn. At least that was what it looked like to me. There was a loud boom, and everyone turned to the wall that the moles were digging into.
Water flooded into the tunnel from what looked like a busted pipe. One of the moles had sliced clean through it. They were trying to get out of the of quickly growing pool, but their fluff was making it hard for them to move. I hadn’t considered water when creating them. I made a mental note this time, in case I needed to summon a new one later.
“Ah, the pitiful peasants. I suppose we should help them,” Lucy said to her sister. They snapped their fans closed and flung them out. A string of energy shot out and wrapped around the moles. They each pulled two from the pool, while one managed to escape on his own.
“Ah, you poor things!” I wished I had a way to dry them off. I tried using Deconstruction on just the water and found that it worked. I moved over to the pool that was starting to spill into the rest of the tunnel and started absorbing it. Shocked, I didn’t know why I was getting the energy, even after absorbing everything in the train station that I could reach.
Luckily, I had someone I could ask. “Starburst! Starburst! I’m getting really, really trace amounts of Aether from this water! Why?” I asked, while spinning around his head.
“EH!?”
he replied, slamming his hoof on the ground, clearly annoyed. I flew back, giving him his space. “It’s the life in the water. Bacteria and whatnot. You get Aether from absorbing life energy,” he explained. Bluntly, if I had to be honest.
“Why did the bacteria in the water give me Aether and not the bacteria in the station?”
“Because,” was all I got from him. I frowned but decided to ignore the moody old man.
I absorbed all the water and all that kept flowing in. Before long, I started to worry it would never stop, so I had the moles start digging in a different part. This time I ordered them to avoid anything that wasn’t made of stone or soil. After about five hours, the water flow slowly became a trickle. I guessed that the people in the city above me had turned off the line.
All in all, I gained four Aether by the time the water stopped. The moles had carved nearly a dozen feet deeper into the wall and were still hard at work. Starburst explained it was one of the benefits of the dolls, unlimited stamina. I was happy to hear there was something good for them. Golems and a few of the other options also had this benefit. I stuck my tongue out at Starburst when he said that.
“Well, the moles are hard at work and the water’s stopped. Let’s take this moment to have the two dolls summon some minions.”
“You’re going to finally allow us to summon our servants? It’s about time. Nobility should have some servants,” Lucy said with a snap of her fan.
“I agree! It’s downright rude of you,” Stella said from next to her.
“AHHHH! Shut up before I toss you out of the dungeon!” Starburst yelled at them, tossing his head back and forth. I bet being surrounded by girls was the last thing Starburst wanted. I snickered at his misfortune.
“You brute! You would rob Mistress Azaria of her precious Aether by making us turn to dust!?” Lucy demanded while pointing her fan at him.
“You’re just so annoying! She has a lot to do before her dungeon is opened! We don’t have time to deal with your attitudes.”
Stella placed a hand on Lucy’s arm. “Sister, I believe we shouldn’t push the old man for a while.”
“Very well . . .” Lucy grumbled but dropped her fan to her side.
“Good. We’re all friends again!” I said, floating in between them while clapping my hands. “How much Aether should I give them?” The moles were more construction-based toys, and he only let me give the main one enough to summon four minions.
“Since we have so much to work with, go ahead and start with five hundred. That should be more than enough,” Starburst replied.
I moved over their heads and pictured the strange energy I’d been feeling flow into them. Their fans lit up, as did their eyes. They moved apart and unfolded their fans. With an elegant wave, they formed two large magic circles in front of them.
“Toy soldiers!” Lucy intoned.
“Penguin army!” Stella said in the next second.
In Lucy’s circle, three dozen figures that looked like nutcrackers took shape. They were about three feet tall and wielded halberds, or was it pikes? I’m not sure. I’d never really studied weapons or been interested in them, after all. They were painted blue and red and lined up in precise lines.
In Stella’s circle, penguins equipped with various types of armor emerged. They appeared to wield swords that had a slight curve to them. They were about the same height as the nutcrackers. I clapped when I saw them, as I thought they were super cute. I liked the nutcrackers, but they had a more traditional feel to them, similar to something you’d see during Christmas. The penguins were more my style, being cuddly to the max.
“Well. How are they?” I asked, floating around them while trying to keep my composure. I wished I had a physical form so I could hug one of the penguins.
“Not bad. They should do well against weaker foes. Let’s get to work on the dungeon itself!” Even though that was what he said, I could tell he wasn’t happy with the minions.
Chapter 5: Construction
Azaria
“I’ve been thinking about it,” I said. “I want to make it a dollhouse.” Starburst had made me think about the theme of the dungeon, but a dollhouse was the only thing that I felt fit.
Starburst nodded. “That’d probably be the best. Your monsters will get a boost if they’re in an environment suitable to them.”
“Good! Then we’ll go ahead with the dollhouse idea. Teach me, Sensei!” I bowed like they did in Japanese movies.
“The moles have carved a good amount from the wall. You need to claim it as your first floor and the magic will do the rest. Each room has a focus at the center. You have to carve out enough material to make room for that. We’re pretty close to the surface, and it’s your first floor so not much is needed, but when you get to the fifth or tenth floor, there will be quite a bit of mining required.”
“I say no to hard labor,” I said, sticking my tongue out at him.
“All you’re doing is absorbing the rock they’re piling up!” Starburst neighed with disdain.
I crossed my arms. “No. Hard. Labor.”
“We’re all going to die,” he said, letting his head drop.
“Hey. Should I, like, make a cover for your horn so you can actually, you know, fight?” I asked, poking it with my nonexistent finger.
“That’s not a bad idea. I was wondering how I could do anything with this . . . soft body.”
“Be cuddled. Be severely cuddled,” I answered, once more folding my arms.
“I would run you through if you had a body, girl,” Starburst said gruffly.
“Pervert,” I shrieked, covering myself, even though I was invisible.
I pulled up the creation list like Starburst showed me when I made the claws for the moles. Something that looked like the paint program that every computer came with popped up. This didn’t require a whole lot of artistic talent but it was helpful. I quickly drew a plain horn in the window but frowned, as I wanted something a little more.
I dreaded the idea of people coming in here and trying to kill me and the dolls I’d made so far. To add to that, I still also dreaded the idea of hurting anyone almost as much, but this hesitance lost to my desire to protect myself. Starburst was a bit of a grump, but he reminded me of my grandpa who used to live in the country. Just . . . in the body of a horse.
Not knowing anything about weapons, I had to do my best. I knew from movies that my dad more or less made me sit through that sharpness was important. I made two sharp edges on either side of the horn. From there, I vaguely remembered something about jagged points being important, so I threw that in there. Finally, since he was a unicorn and would be ramming his enemy, I made the point as sharp as possible.
With all that done, I felt I’d created something a bit too deadly. I for sure would not want to be on the opposite end of it. The creation cost three hundred pounds of stone, which was taken from my inventory list.
That was how creation worked. I could “purchase” the item as long as I had enough material in my inventory. Stone was worth the least, while metals were slightly more valuable. I idly wondered how much gold might be worth. Its weight or its value in the market outside?
“Here,” I called when I was finished with the weapon. I attached it to his horn, and the dungeon fused it to his body. I couldn’t help but wonder how the plush could hold up the weight of the horn.
“Now if I die in the dungeon, the horn will drop as a reward,” Starburst said, testing the weight by moving his head a few times.
“You look handsome. You’re welcome,” I said, sticking my chest out.
“Are you going to distract me again to keep from working on your dungeon?”
“No . . .” I floated away with a pout at being found out.
“Good. You wanted a dollhouse, so picture the first floor of a dollhouse.”
“Should it be backward since we’re going down?” I asked, slowing spinning over the rather large hole that we’d bored into the wall.
“It’s magic
. Do what you want!” Starburst shouted, his patience obviously at its end.
“Alright, alright. No need to shout.”
I turned toward the spot and focused on my first floor being centered in the hole. I felt a pull, then a tremendous amount of the energy that I used before left me. The sensation lasted for a good five minutes before it stopped. I immediately wanted to fall asleep. That changed when I saw the beautiful wooden door and smooth marble walls that had formed.
“Beautiful!” I shouted and shot forward. I slipped through the walls without any resistance—I mean, I’m basically a ghost. I emerged onto what looked like the ground floor of a mansion. Actually, it reminded me of home.
I don’t want to brag, but my parents had been quite wealthy. They were famous for their various works. I knew I was spoiled, but I had been happy with my parents. I wished I knew what had happened to them.
A large staircase led up to what looked like three wings. Flying up the stairs, I saw dozens of doors along the halls. I was a bit confused, though. I thought since it was called a floor, it would only be a single set of rooms. I voiced this to Starburst, who was touring the structure with me.
“I’m sure in some cases that would happen. Because you had an idea of what constitutes a dollhouse, this is the result.”
“I see.” To be honest I really didn’t, but I didn’t want him thinking I was slow.
“You’ll have the twins place their minions in the rooms. People will come in to fight them to get the treasure and fame. You said you could make another floor?” he asked after we’d toured most of the mansion.
The rooms didn’t vary too much. The wings mainly consisted of bedrooms, with the right wing having a music room, the left wing having a what appeared to be an art gallery, and finally the center wing having a lounge-like room. Starburst explained I would usually make a unique monster for each of these rooms.
There was actually a first and second floor to this floor. I really wasn’t sure how that worked. The ground floor of the mansion contained a pantry-slash-kitchen, a dining room, and a few miscellaneous rooms. I had a hundred souls to work with, but Starburst explained that some people were really unlucky and only had a dozen or so to start with. I couldn’t decide if I should feel happy that I was better off, or sad that a hundred people had already lost their lives for me.