Azaria 2 - 7

Good Morning my peeps!

Chapter 7: A Plastic World!

Azaria

I spent more time than was probably necessary staring at the spot that would soon be connected to another dungeon. I really was through with people acting like they could just walk all over me. If this dungeon thought that might be the case then I will show it what it had coming to it.

This was making me recall the moon meeting almost a month ago. Only a few of the dungeon minds there could actually think in the way that humans thought. While the majority might have seemed mindless, there was still a sort of intelligence that came to any creature. They knew they had to eat to survive and grow stronger. They might not be able or even want to put these thoughts in to word, but they were not to be underestimated.

“DJ Rai!” I called coming to a decision.

“Yes, boss?” She asked once she connected to my mind.

I projected a map that overlaid the surface above me to the overall structure of the dungeon. It had come to me as soon as I thought about what information I wanted to show her. I knew the divers would likely kill for this information, but right now only she and I knew it. From what I could tell the station was only a few miles away, which made sense given that it was likely the next station down the line.  “Send your dolls to this location on the surface. Find out what we’re dealing with. If there the mind is able to comprehend the words surrender then that will make things easier in the future.”

“You got it!”

“Starburst.”

“What is it, girl?” He asked seriously. I hoped he was enjoying me not crying for once.

“I want to make a manipulator class monster that has strong minions,” I explained. I doubted that I would be able to go into the neighboring dungeon myself and vice versa. They would be sending their monsters to try and eat my core or at least eat my energy. I needed something that was good at both attacking and defending.

“That is probably the most difficult when the factors are considered. Remember the manipulator is weak because it can summon potentially countless minions. Then you have the fact that you’re limited to doll types.” He sighed with an exaggerated shrug. “To be honest, I almost want you to rely on your luck. With how high it is, you might get something amazing.”

“My luck?” I repeated. Starburst did explain that my luck was basically over the roof. I really never believed him considering the path my life took, but I needed to start looking at things positively. If I hadn’t become a dungeon that day, I would have joined the others in the train and died. There was also the fact that I managed to keep my own mind and memories. A fact that was obviously extreme rare.

I closed my eyes and considered what I needed once I decided to do as Starburst said. Other than Aether and a soul, I wouldn’t be losing out on anything if it was a failure. With that decided, I gripped my head as I considered everything that I should cover with the summoned doll.

Perhaps something like the boys used to use when they played those board games. I pursed my lips as I shook my head when I thought it over. Those were figurines, they might not work with my power. Besides, I didn’t know anything about them or the games. It might not work even if it did count.

I shook my head annoyed by the fact that I didn’t know enough. I glanced at the city and decided to populate it for the moment. This one was easy, I had played with a doll brand that had a character for just about everything. Sure, it might be mostly girls, but that was beside the point. For a city, it was perfect.

I took a deep breath and focus on just a single part of the town. Inside a factory, I concentrated on making a mind that would oversee most of the dolls in the city. It would use the factory to make more and would be the goal of the floor. Almost two thousand Aether later, a almost human looking man and woman stood wearing business cloths. It was also the first time that the identifying magic or whatever it was labeled them together.

HiveMind Barbe & Kin

Level: 6

Type: Manipulator

Abilities: Management

Plastic Mimicking

Two as One

Assortment

“Barbe?” The blond hair doll looked at me with an almost frightening large smile. She was thin as a rail and if she was an actual human, you would have questioned where her organs were located. She wore a simple summer dress that went to her knees.

“Oh dear. I can sense you, but can’t see you! Such a pity.”

“Kin?”

The man put a hand to his head and leaned back with an exaggerated gasp. He was dressed like he was going for a vacation, with a Hawaiian shirt and kaki pants. “Exactly my dear Barbe. How could such a thing be!?”

“I’m Azaria. I need you to fill the city.”

“No problem! They will be us and they will be me!” Barbe said with a over the mouth laugh. Yeah, I really wasn’t sure about these two. At least she appeared excited to do her job.

I wasn’t sure what to make of the two since those dolls hadn’t been my favorite back when I was a child. I hadn’t watched the shows or movies much. The two moved to the wall of the factory and placed theirs palms against it. There was a surge of Aether before the factory rippled a bit and it changed, gaining a bunch of weird machines. From the back wall, a bit of Aether drained barely noticeable compared to normal overall usage and molten plastic flowed into a mold.

A few seconds later, another barbe came out with steam or smoke coming off of her. The belt moved and next she was presented with some cloths. The doll put them on, and it moved down again. I was thoroughly surprised about the next option which was weapons. The barbe copy took a sword and strapped it to her back. Thus a barbe dressed in a suit with a long sword strapped her to her back soon walked out of the factory.

“That was… interesting,” I commented watching as the factory kicked into full gear and started popping out barbe and Kin copies every two or three minutes.

Barbe clapped her hands and cheered. “Give us enough time and we’ll have the city packed full.”

“Alright. I’ll leave it to you two!”

“You got it, dear.”

Glancing outside, I saw that night had fallen while I was thinking and working with the two new dolls. I moved to the roof in a hope to see Thomas again, but it’d been a while since he last visited. I was worried that he might not visit again with the person named Neo owning my dungeon. If it was too dangerous, I would just have to settle for the nice memories.

Sitting on the roof, I watched the moon and stars drift lazily across the sky. The moon was only a sliver away from being full which meant it was almost time for another moon gathering. I wouldn’t be quite a bewildered this time and would make sure to take advantage of the situation to learn as much as I could. Twenty-one wasn’t all that she seemed and I was sure there was more that she could tell me.

Half way through the night yielded no results on the Thomas front. I had given up on seeing him, but decided I might as well enjoy the night. I’m not sure if it was normal for a dungeon core or not, but I didn’t have to sleep. While I was sure some people would spend every second they had to work around their dungeon. I liked to take the time to appreciate the moment even if for a few minutes.

“Mother,” DJ Rai called breaking my mood.

“What is it DJ?”

“I’m at the station. It is number 63.”

“Not 67?” I asked surprised that it skipped two numbers.

“No. I checked on the way. Your dungeon extends under five other dungeons. I would wager that 66 and 67 are just not high enough level to reach that far down. From what I’ve picked up a lot of dungeons are only about a mile down. Even some of the higher level ones. It could be either.”

That would check out then. My dungeon was well over a mile deep when added together. The spot that Rai was at was only a third into the fourth floor. It was possible that there were more than just five if we went in a full circle around my center. This would make things much more interesting, but also dangerous.

“Rai. I want you to check out the dungeon however you see fit. I need information on what it has. I don’t want to come to blows, but I have a feeling it might not be up to me.”

“Understood. I shall commence Rave Spy asap.”

We broke the connection and I looked back to the sky. It would only be a few hours before the sun broke over the horizon, but why did it feel like my heart was getting colder? Every time I spoke, it felt like I was getting closer to causing someone else’s death. Even if it was to protect my own life.

I sighed and shook my head. No point in dwelling on it. I laid back and decided to spend the rest of the night watching the stars. Even if it was alone.

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