A chorus of footsteps echo down the spiral stairwell as we descend into the dungeon. Today we come not to explore, but to fulfill a mission set out by Lord Fredrick. Speaking of Lord Fredrick, it took much convincing from both I and his advisor to get him to treat the dungeon with more caution. It would be unfair to deprive Daywark of its lord due to simple curiosity.

  "Captain Dirk, are we really going to take one of those big lizards out of the dungeon?"

  I turn to the junior soldier who just spoke, and he straightens up under my scrutinizing gaze.

  "Yes, Billy. Lord Fredrick's orders."

  Billy goes quiet at that. He was there when Daniel died. He witnessed Tanner's ankle get smashed by one of the bullhead geckos. I'm not surprised the boy would have second thoughts about trying to catch one of the bullhead geckos after seeing all of that.

  Unfortunately for us, our personal opinions don't matter right now. Lord Fredrick ordered us to capture two bullhead geckos. Said to specifically try and find two that look notably different.

  The trickle of water flowing from the grate above to the floor below does a good job of masking the scuttling movements of the bullhead geckos. We have to move quietly, looking around us very carefully to spot any sign of the elusive reptiles.

  Eventually our careful observation pays off. Billy points silently to a lumpy shape sitting flush against the wall. I take a dog catcher's net from one of the junior soldiers in the back, and creep closer to the camouflaged bullhead gecko. The others watch with bated breath. One step, two step, until I'm standing within arms reach of the dog sized lizard.

  The bullhead gecko opens its eyes suddenly, staring at me. I swing the net toward the creature in an effort to scoop it up. Unfortunately, the bullhead gecko is far too quick. It dashes along the wall and up to the level of stairs above us. The thing moves like it's running across flat ground, despite going up a smooth stone wall.

  "You almost had him, Captain Dirk!"

  "I don't need your platitudes, Billy."

  "Y-Yes Captain Dirk!"

  Despite what Billy says, I didn't get anywhere near catching the creature. Doubt creeps in as I turn to give the men orders. We're already down here, and we've brought enough nets for roughly half the squad. It would be a waste to turn back without giving this a thorough attempt.

  "Alright men, we move in pairs! I want each man with a net to move with someone without. You can share the net if you like. We need to catch two lizards by nightfall."

  The next hour is an energetic frenzy. The junior soldiers are overeager, and often wind up trying to chase the bullhead geckos up and down the stairs. The veterans treat it more like a slow and methodical hunt. Everyone is fired up and eager to catch the grey skinned geckos.

  Then, that first hour is up, and the mood has shifted.

  Most of the men are losing steam. I call them all together at the bottom of the stairwell, ensuring they're paying attention to what I have to say.

  "Alright, we're going to discuss strategy. We need to figure out what works and what doesn't."

  Immediately the men are perking up. Several men raise their hands to signal they wish to offer something to the conversation, and I call on them in turn. The first I choose to acknowledge is an older man with a thick greying beard.

  "Frank. What have you got?"

  "Aye, well Captain, I think we all know damn well running willy-nilly doesn't do the job."

  Several of the younger soldiers look frustrated by his words. Some of them are clenching their fists at their sides. One such young soldier--Billy--speaks up, his voice full of piss and vinegar.

  "Maybe we would've caught those lizards by now if you old bastards would get off your asses and move a little!"

  Now that got the men riled up. If I don't step in it's clear there's going to be a proper fight.

  "Settle down, all of you!" I bark.

  The men straighten up immediately. I sigh, looking at each of the men and boys who were about to start a spat over their differing methods.

  "Now, each of you brings something to the team. Not one strategy is the correct one, and we aren't going to argue like a bunch of undisciplined thugs, now are we?"

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  "No Sir!" They reply in relative unison.

  Everyone's voice is in that reply, except for one. My slight smile falters when I lay eyes on a particular junior soldier. He's blatantly ignoring the meeting we're having. Instead of contributing to our efforts, he's seated on the bottom steps of the spiral staircase, eating an apple. An apple he sure as hell didn't ask me if he could bring.

  My gaze draws the eyes of the other soldiers. They all slowly turn to look at the boy, and their jaws drop. The room is quiet as I start to walk toward the boy. The men step aside so I can get through, letting me walk right up to him.

  Finally realizing the room has gone quiet, the boy looks up to see me glaring down at him.

  "What do you think you're doing?" I ask.

  The boy chews slowly. He swallows the chunk of apple, and replies sheepishly.

  "Eating an apple?"

  My hand moves before I can reign in my temper. I slap the damn apple out of the boy's hand, and grab ahold of his collar. He weighs nothing to me as I lift him up off the ground. The men try to stop me, their words barely heard as I want to really give this boy a piece of my mind.

  "Captain Dirk! There's a lizard!"

  Both the boy in my hands and I whip our heads around to see a bullhead gecko open its blunt head to eat the discarded apple. In one chomp it's gone, and the lizard scampers off.

  I absentmindedly place the boy back on his feet, brushing the dust off his shirt.

  "Men, I think we've found our hunting method."

  ~

  Gu proudly holds up a drawing he's made using the primitive crayons I made for him. The artwork is crude and resembles a child's, but the meaning behind it is clear. Gu and I, standing side by side, holding hands.

  "Gu, you're so precious!"

  "Gu gu!"

  I hug Gu, wrapping the cute gremlin in my embrace. After we separate I take his drawing and put it on the wall, using some handy little magnetic stones I created specifically for this purpose. Every kid deserves to have their art put on the fridge! That includes gremlins without refrigerators.

  Gu scampers off to go kick over a tower of blocks he and I built earlier. Seeing him occupied, I take the chance to go check on my core.

  My core is as I left it--sitting on its carved pedestal, glowing a bright blue hue. I reach out and touch it.

  Now outside my body, I can feel my core is full of mana! There's more than enough to create an army of geckos, or to carve a colossal cavern. Naturally, I'll put this mana to use working on Green Valley--which I named it after much deliberation.

  Of course Green Valley isn't Green Valley without green, so I should get started on those plants.

  Using the fern experiment as a baseline, creating different plants is pleasantly simple. Within minutes I have grass, ferns, trees, lily pads, cattails, and algae. Of course these plants are all immature and just starting their lifecycle. It would be nice if I could speed things up somehow.

  Wait, why can't I? I have the mana to spend!

  Mana surges into the plants at my command. I'm elated as I watch the various plants and algae grow rapidly, as if aging days in seconds. This will speed up my landscaping process immensely!

  With my newfound gardening skills, I set to work. Grass covers Fair Plateau like a carpet. Gnarled oak trees make up much of Swarm forest alongside a population of ferns and grasses. The river and Toad Lake both boast a healthy quantity of cattails and algae. Toad Lake hosts the only population of lily pads.

  I'm elated by how good my landscaping looks with plant life populating it. I'm too excited--and too mana rich--to stop now!

  Unlike before, I don't need to make models to create my new animals. Using my experiences thus far and the creatures around me as reference I'm able to whip up living breathing organisms like I'm molding clay.

  For Fair Plateau, I create a healthy rabbit population. The little fluff balls are quick to start burrowing. It's a bit like watching a three dimensional ant farm as they tunnel into the dirt, forming networks of little tunnels beneath the surface.

  Throughout Swarm Forest, I mix those same rabbits with a large population of songbirds. The little things make themselves at home in the knots and hollows of my gnarled oak trees. The bunny population is thinner here, so their burrows are solitary dens.

  Within Toad Lake, I spawn schools of small fish. They range in size from grasshopper to rabbit. They fish look happy with the algae and lily pads, using them as both food sources and shelter.

  Green Valley is teeming with life!

  I couldn't be happier, but there is a nagging feeling at the back of my head. Glancing upwards to the soldiers within my dungeon's entrance reveals they're attempting to capture my bullhead geckos. I had forgotten human greed. If I create an underground world full of exploitable resources, then the soldiers will descend and raze it to the ground in order to further their own agenda. That is why I need to ensure my dungeon remains dangerous.

  The first monster I add to Green Valley is the goliath toad. A rather massive toad, big enough to swallow a person whole. They lack range attacks, but can snatch up prey within a meter or so using their tongue. The goliath toads can leap great distances, but they lack accuracy when doing so. These amphibians should keep visitors from getting too comfortable in the waters of Toad Lake.

  The second monster I add to the valley is a type of spider, henceforth known as a swarmer. Their appearance is loosely based on a tarantula, except they're closer to the size of a toddler. They're adept tree climbers and quick on their eight feet. The swarmers spin webs in their territory, trapping prey and impeding threats. Their name is due in part to their tendency to attack in large groups when detecting enemies. With swarmers infesting Swarm Forest, no one will be deforesting it.

  Finally, I need something for Fair Plateau. Naturally, I want something that can take advantage of the wide open space. A hawk fits that niche perfectly. My hawk is larger than average, big enough to use its talons to lift a child into the air. They're not as aggressive as the goliath toads or swarmers, but they're protective of their nests.

  Unfortunately, I don't have many ideal places to house the hawks on a big empty Plateau. There's not enough space on the cliffs, and the trees of Swarm Forest are the territory of the swarmers. I think I'll have the great hawks nest atop a structure--the structure connecting the dungeon above to Green Valley.

  All that's left is to make it.