Epic of Caterpillar
chapter-276

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And on that day, the Grand Forest had its biggest earthquake since the Wyvern Overlord had memory…

Thankfully, my Kingdom and its buildings, alongside the people were protected by the countless magic barriers I had settled before with hundreds of thousands of traps long ago. If I hadn't let this countermeasure, which was originally made for invasions, the Castle and most of the houses would be in ruins now.

When the tremor finished, the Dungeon seemed to be still the same, nothing has changed inside of it…

Ding!

[The [Bloody Sacrifice Dungeon] has devoured the [Forgotten Labyrinths of the Unspoken Dunes Dungeon] and both dungeons have been successfully merged!]

[The Energy of both dungeons is being shared, a dungeon expansion through the [Territory] of [Grand Forest] is going to take place]

[Expanding…]

[Complete]

Although nothing seemed to have changed, my family, who was in the boss room contacted me with surprised voices through my Slime Clones. A large corridor made out of red blood bricks appeared right in the middle of room 110, and a sudden wave of blood beasts started to wander inside but was harmless to them.

The Bloody bricks quickly expanded around the dungeon, and blood rivers didn't take much time to materialize inside, were blood-related monsters drank and nourished themselves. The usual Fire Monsters didn't seem to mind the blood monster and coexisted together in harmony. My family couldn't believe that all of these monsters wanted to kill us all some minutes ago, they were now incredibly submissive and friendly, like cattle animals.

Is it because of the owner change and its merge with my original dungeon? They perhaps know what I want to harm and what I don't, and immediately can tell that my family is something that they shouldn't harm.

Even the gigantic Lesser Fire Dragons became submissive pets and Ailine petted their big heads, which were filled with adamantine-like scales and countless of horns.

I decided to see the Dungeons status now as it showed itself, I glanced at the amazing upgrade that merging two dungeons brought. Instead of my novice dungeon and the advanced god-made dungeon, a new and upgraded dungeon appeared in the system.

[Dungeon System]

[Dungeon Name: [Wicked Bloody Labyrinth of the Devilish Demoness (Merged Dungeon)]

[Dungeon Level: 58] [EXP: 0000000/5.800.000]

[Dungeon Master: Kireina]

[Dungeon Points: 113990]

[Dungeon Population: 3709230/5000000]

[Assigned Dungeon Boss: Athos

[Dungeon Quality: A-]

[Dungeon Magic Core Production: B+]

[Dungeon Self-Regeneration: B+]

[Dungeon Skills]

[Monster Reincarnation Cycle; Level 8]

[Mineral Drop; Level MAX] > [Magic Minerals Drop; Level 1]

[Gemstone Drop; Level MAX] > [Magic Jewels Drop; Level 1]

[Equipment Drop; Level 7]

[Automatic Traps Creation; Level 8]

[Monster Variety Acceleration; Level 6]

[Dungeon Expansion; Level 3]

[Dungeon Combination; Level 4]

[Dungeon Devour; Level 6]

[Dungeon Biome Diversification; Level 5]

[All Monster Breeding Efficiency; Level 6]

[Monster Diversification; Level 5]

[Dungeon Traits]

[Desert Monster Affinity]

[Undead Monster Affinity]

[Phantom Monster Affinity]

[Fire Monster Affinity]

[Enhanced Bosses+]

[Enhanced Monsters EX]

[Enhanced Spawn Rate EX+]

[Enhanced Riches Drop Rate EX]

[Enhanced Equipment Set Drop Rate EX]

[Dungeon Self-Repair+++]

[Chaos Monster Affinity]

[Illusion Monster Affinity]

[Superior Blood Monster Affinity]

[Superior Cursed Monster Affinity]

[Transcendent EXP]

[Transcendent Gold Drop Rate]

[Transcendent Magic Cores Drop Rate]

[Transcendent Equipment Drop Rate (Unique+++ ~ Mythic+++)]

[Increased Magic Core Rarity]

Oh, it really merged everything, even the Skills, and Traits, and it even upgraded various of them, some skills that reached the max level also evolved after the merge… Should I snatch more dungeons and merge them up with mine? It seems that it's the best way to increase its level, skills, and traits efficiently.

There was also the matter of spending the Dungeon Points and completing more tasks, while also adding new rooms and items inside this newly merged dungeon, like totems, etc.

The Rin Sisters contacted me not long after, so I had to explain them the sudden tremor and also the change in the Bloody Sacrifice Dungeon, which it seems that had changed names and also its bricks and overall aesthetic changed as well, the bricks changed in color to dark and purple colors and new monsters appeared out of nowhere, some rooms were slowly expanding and all of the people inside had to evacuate.

I tried to use the Skill [Dungeon Maintenance] and found out that its functions were more than I could have imagined…

Usually, or based on my experience, a dungeon would be born with a Dungeon Core, and this would grow and expand on its own as it leveled up completing tasks and generating new monsters inside. However, its owner doesn't have total control over it, and it neither can freely manipulate it as if it were a part of its body like gods seem to be able to. To the point that they can easily create rooms, make new stairs, new floors, and even move monsters' positions in a whim.

With [Dungeon Maintenance], I'm able to do all of this more or less, and as I level this skill up, I can do even more things.

At level 1, I am capable of teleporting on any floor in my dungeon, this includes the 110 floors and also the other floors in the former bloody sacrifice dungeon part. I'm also capable of carrying my family with me or anyone I want.

I can also remodel the dungeon, change its shape to my liking, and unlike [Dungeon Assimilation], the dungeon won't go back to its previous shape after some second, creating permanent changes. I can also assign different species of monsters, move their populations around as my liking and even shuffle the Bosses.

Also, I'm capable of accessing the [Dungeon Reincarnation Cycle] and pull out the souls inside, freeing the monsters or bosses trapped inside, and even putting and trapping new ones inside. I could even put a normal human farmer inside and he would suddenly become the dungeon boss and be able to reincarnate almost endlessly… If I could put on my soul inside, I would become immortal! But would be trapped in the dungeon.

Spawn Artifacts can also be easily located now as well, and I don't need to do such things personally anymore. Coupled with the Skill [Automatic Dungeon Mapping], the whole map of the dungeons I own appears, and the skills merge with the Dungeon System, letting me edit dungeons with just my fingers as if I were playing a game on Earth.

I wonder if I can make the dungeon grow legs and walk. It should be possible, but I need to level up the Maintenance Skill for that. With all of this omniscient power over my dungeon, I feel like a goddess now… I don't think a mortal should even have these powers.

For now, I gathered with my family and immediately started to do some dungeon remodeling.

First of all, I freed the Eight Dungeon Boss, Yiksukesh, and Nefertiti. Athos hasn't spawned yet, so I left him resting inside of the special space where all of the Souls rest after their physical bodies die. Also, any "freed" Dungeon Boss is still considered my servant or slave and they still can't leave without my authorization.

By editing the monster species, I moved them around and mixed all of them for better diversification, while also making sure to leave the first rooms having weaker monsters for the rookies to train with. I moved some of these dungeon monsters to the bloody sacrifice part, however, these were the weakest ones, like Girtablilu, Ghosts, and Golems.

I also used some points in setting up various totems to increase diversification and breeding efficiency. Also, each floor received a big "resting zone", a large room with the size of a castle that had countless smaller rooms inside, I settled teleportation traps there so the people can easily transport between resting zones, facilitating traveling. They can be filled with furniture and other things when they begin to be occupied by the Guild branches.

These resting zones will be perfect for adventurers that want to keep exploring but don't want to leave the dungeon right away, finding a safe resting zone with comfy beds, various restaurants, and trading areas.

Last but not least, I put more teleportation traps everywhere, to facilitate traveling even more! However, these traps can only be used by outsiders or me and my family, monsters cannot use them either edit them to their liking, so it's safe, each teleportation trap will be inside small rooms.

Oh, and before I forget, I also created a resting zone in the Lower Realm, by slightly expanding the Floor 110, right outside of the Boss room, near the red door that leads to the Lower Realm.

A small, castle-like structure filled with different rooms and windows and made out of the dungeon bricks suddenly appeared in the scorching and wild areas, surprising the passerby monsters and some demi-humans. They were visible on the map, but I wasn't able to move or edit them, sadly…

I generated various golems inside of the resting zones, I made sure to shape them into beautiful ladies to attract attention, I even added some of my Flesh and Slime into the mix, giving them the intelligent of my Clones. The one in the Lower Realm tried to call on the passerby demi-humans, who were a group of Hellhounds and some purple-colored Onis, but they were only creeped out and ran away… My creations are not cute?!

Some monsters immediately tried to eat my golem, however. But were quickly sliced into pieces as the golem controlled the resting zone with the skill [Dungeon Assimilation], shaping the structure like countless blades. Then, it began to butcher the monster and brought it inside… Wait, are you going to eat it?

Anyways, I was done for now. Letting my family resting, I went with Rimuru and Zehe to visit Yiksu, I also contacted Ashura and Nefertiti. Ashura was just fine but got surprised as new strange fleshy monsters started to crawl around the Yokai Village, but seemed to be submissive. Nefertiti immediately noticed that she lost her connection to the dungeon and was filled with joy, she also told me that she was sewing clothes for her baby…

Using a teleportation trap, we appeared right in front of Yiksukesh, although she lost her connection to the dungeon, she was slumbering and seemed to not have noticed. I decided to wake her up with a simple command that my Title of the [Divine Dungeon Master] gave me.

"Wake up!"

In an instant, Yiksukesh woke up and glared at me with enraged eyes…

"Y-You! You come to kill me again?! I'm going to kill you first!!! Hiiissssssssssss!!! …Huh?"

Yiksu immediately noticed that something was off… Her connection to the dungeon was gone.

"I feel strange…! And you… Why do I feel like I need to obey you?! What… What are you?! Are you the God who imprisoned me here?!"

"I'm not, relax for a minute and let me explain things…"

After explaining everything to the calmer Yiksu, including Jormungandr affair, she started to tear up, with her giant snake eyes, crying tears of both joy and sadness.

"Hiisss! My grandpa said that?! I miss him so much… I was so reckless back then, you know? I should have never entered this Realm alone… I became an easy target for that damned god's plans! I was so naïve back then… But I'm finally free, right? I can finally go back home! Aaah, I miss Helheim Nether Rivers, I loved to take baths while the souls and ghost massaged my tail…"

"Well, my negotiations with your grandpa are rather different, you need to stay for some time with me, and whenever we travel to Helheim, we will bring you along"

"Eeeh?! But I want to go back! I want to go baaaaack! Hisssssss! Let me go back!"

Yiksukesh, the intimidating, colossal snake that could stand up to one hundred meters, started to cry like a spoiled brat.

"Sigh… No is no!"

"Hiisss… So mean… I want my grandpa… Hiss…"

"M-Mean?"

It seems that my authority as Dungeon Master is making Yiksukesh very submissive to me, but it ends up making her twist her mind into that of a spoiled little girl which thing don't go her way. Because she can harm me or anything like that, she ends up just crying and overall being very annoying.

"If you don't stop crying you won't leave the dungeon!"

"Hiisss…! Snif… O-Okay, hiss… But you better give me something tasty to gulp"

"Are you hungry?"

Yiksu nodded while cleaning her tears with her tail.

"I am… I haven't eaten anything in eons…"

"Okay, okay…"

In the end, Yiksu calmed down with a lot of Lesser Dragon Meat, she liked to eat her prey alive, so I just brought some already existing Lesser Dragons and she hunted them down happily, releasing her frustrations and calming her hunger.

After eating her fill, Yiksu smiled happily.

"I guess I don't need to be in my original form for now, as I am going to go out, I don't think I can fit through that small door… Hisss…"

"Don't worry I can ju-"

Poof!

An explosion of white smoke filled the room as the figure of Yiksu disappeared, a small, humanoid silhouette appeared on her position, as the smoke dissipated, a small, young girl glared at us with indifferent scarlet eyes. Her skin was pure wait, she had some scales around her hips, shoulder, feet, and arms. Her long, pointy ears were covered in that same dark green scales, she ad a serious expression but were very cute, her eight was of around a 1 meter and 25-30 centimeters, very small, even my daughters, Vudia and Ailine were taller. Although she was a human form of a giant snake, she didn't have a snake tail like lamias, but a small snake tail over her butt.

"Phew… I don't really like this form, but I guess is convenient to get along with you rats"

"…"

[The Skill [Dungeon Area Assimilation; Level 5] reached level 7!]

[The Skill [Dungeon Snatch; Level 1] reached level 3!]

[The Skill [Dungeon Maintenance; Level 1] reached level 3!]

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