There is No Epic Loot Here, Only Puns

22: The Greenhouse Effect

Delta took a moment as her mana jumped up because of the new day. Until she had a clock or sent Hob or Gob out to watch the sunrise, Delta just had no idea what time it really was.

With a decent haul of 41 mana, Delta could really dig her teeth into some ideas. But she took a moment to sit down and just... relax. There was a very real urge to just not think about what happened in the last day and keep building, upgrading, researching, absorbing...

It was escapism and it came with a handy menu. Delta returned to her boss room, just to have some company as Fran and Francois... Cois, talked.

Cois was bragging about the spider he set on fire and Fran was laughing his little butt off as he listened. Delta smiled, happy they weren't just doll-like creature's who stood around until it was time to kill.

It made Delta care about them and feel better about just taking a break. If she just kept rushing blindly ahead, things could get worse in many ways.

"First... the spiders," she said quietly to herself as Fran began his own tale of the 'Bacon Explosion'.

Hob and Gob took their eggs, thinking they were berries or such. They hatched and escaped, possibly telling the other spiders. Delta could see how that could look bad and maybe even show Delta that the attacks may be warranted out of fear or some need to protect their young.

But... there was something Cois and Quiss had let slip over the the last day.

Monsters were drawn to dungeons and Delta didn't really know why.

"Menu, why do monsters attack dungeons?" she asked, not sure the extent of her aid's knowledge of the outside.

I can only speak of the spiders you have defeated. They were not 'feeling' vengeful or furious. Merely hungry. Even in the short time, the ambient mana in the air around them was less. If they had stayed long enough, they may have begun to devour your mana points. I suggest eradication of the extreme measure upon their next visit.

"That's... well, for one that's dark. Two, monsters, not my ones, but actual monsters feed off mana?" Delta felt like someone had said that to her...

I can only hypothesis on the events that transpired. Even the hatchling spiders used your mana rich air to hatch quicker. It was rather interesting timing of the spiders hatching just as the goblins brought them into the dungeon. I would ask the guests know as Ruli and Quiss. They have knowledge. Normally, I do not think this would work, but you are strange and do not operate on logic. It is vexing and it is interesting.

Delta smiled and leaned against the dungeon wall.

"I try. Thanks, Nu," she said and stood as Bacon's eyes lit up as a lumen mushroom popped into existence. Those handy little things were beginning to grow places as well, unlike the unspeakable evil, they were super handy.

Nu?

"You know, Me...Nu. I name everything, it's a coping mechanism for the fact I have no mouth and must pun," Delta declared proudly. Honesty was the best policy.

Delta didn't want to pretend that the fact she was a powerful, monster-making, magic building dungeon didn't bother her. It was one thing to lose an arm or a sense.

This? This new existence was heavy and Delta could only unpack things one at a time. There was a lot she had been forced to give up and thinking on them before she felt ready just wasn't a good idea.

But as long as she didn't lie to herself, she would... find some peace one day, if something else didn't break her first. It had only been a few days after all. Delta took it as passing a test of character that she was doing so well already.

"Alright, now the people," she began to pace and felt better.

Ruli, Quiss, Deo, Poppy, Amanster, and a supposedly whole town of people. How does those affect her?

Well... so far it had been nothing but a good experience. People had been nice, Deo had been funny, Ruli was awesome, and Quiss gave her a duck, indirectly.

But there was a whole world out there.

A whole world...

"Nu, what is this world called?" she asked quietly.