The atmosphere of this new forest is completely unlike that of Green Valley. I'm forced to crane my neck to see the tops of the trees here, their height beating out the walls and structures of Daywark. Trees extend as far as I can see in all directions. The only break from the woods is a towering pillar of rock in the distance.

  "I don't like this place, Boss."

  "There's something off about this place. You're right to not trust it."

  The boys all look nervous. The trees here make you feel like an ant walking amongst blades of grass. Swarm Forest looks like a joke compared to this place. I'll have to be sure the men tread carefully, or at least the least useful ones die first.

  "Snake!"

  We all turn to look at the man who shouted. He's pointing up into the trees high above, his eyes wide with surprise and fear. What the hell is he so freaked out for? Snakes are a dime a dozen in the forests around Daywark.

  "What're you shouting for? We kill dog sized spiders!"

  "T-The snake is big!"

  I'm about to ask him what he means by big when a frighteningly fast moving bundle of scaly coils lands on the man. He lets out a strangled cry as he's toppled. The huge snake hisses as it starts to wrap itself around the poor fool.

  "What're you all doing?! Kill it!"

  The men are finally shaken into action. I join them with my own spear, stabbing the serpent over and over in hopes of getting the giant reptile off its victim. The thing hisses and writhes in a hopeless struggle. I haven't heard a peep from the man beneath the monster. Hopefully he's just being talked over by the shouting men around me.

  Over a minute of continuous impalement is enough to finally kill the overgrown worm. It releases its grasp, its lengthy body going limp with death. Unfortunately the damn thing is so heavy that it takes us a good bit of effort as a group to move it aside.

  When we do, the man underneath is long dead. His neck is broken.

  "Damn it! Keep your eyes out for any snakes, and don't stand under them like this idiot!"

  "Yes, Boss!"

  We can't afford to lose more people so soon. I want to get some proper treasure before we turn back for the day, and I can't do it alone.

  Our march starts up with the massive stone pillar as our destination. It looks like a freakishly tall plateau, made of natural rock. The men are taking bets on whether or not its man-made. Our progress only halts when we encounter something comfortingly familiar. Spiderwebs.

  "Swarmers! Never thought I'd be happy to see these nasty buggers!"

  "Stay sharp, fellas! Don't relax."

  I'm scolding them, but even I feel some relief upon encountering these things. Giant snakes are a league above giant spiders in my mind. The swarmers move toward us like they always do, and the boys start stabbing their faces one by one. If they can't get close they can't encircle you.

  Swarmer after swarmer comes down the trunk of the towering tree. Our stamina is flagging when the last few finally arrive. I rest, leaning on my own spear as I watch two of the boys kill the last couple spiders. One of them misses a stab--The spear impales the tree next to the spider.

  That tree starts to move.

  The two men fighting the swarmers don't even notice what's happening. They're so focused on their foes they don't see the branches of the massive tree descend. One of the men is smashed into the dirt by branches vaguely resembling a fist. The other one stumbles back in shock, his jaw slack.

  "Get up, now!" I scream.

  Rumbling groans of wood bending fill my ears as the soil erupts. The fallen man is engulfed in a shower of earth as huge gnarled roots rip themselves from the ground. The living tree steps, its roots making the ground shake as it balances its weight on them.

  Shit, this is not good. We have to leave.

  "Retreat! Back to the door!"

  "Yes, Boss-"

  I grab and pull Danny by his wrist. Less than a second later a huge knot of wood slams down into the spot he was just standing. We flee, stumbling away from the wrathful wooden creature. Our remaining ally is already several paces ahead of us. I can't blame him for running at the first sign of danger.

  My lungs burn when we finally catch sight of the door. Behind the door is a darker section of the forest. The canopy there is so dense it is cast in shadows. Big thorn covered vines grow across every available surface in those dark woods. I get an ominous feeling from that part of the forest, even as I approach the exit.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  "B-Boss, wait, something isn't right!"

  "Damn it, Danny, we don't have time to wait around!"

  I don't stop for the foolish boy. If he wants to get himself killed, then so be it. I keep running down the hill toward the door. The man ahead of me is just as frantic as I am, and he's wearing a smile on his face as he's only a few paces from escape.

  Then I see an odd looking tree beside me move. I quickly realize it isn't a tree at all, but a furred leg extending up into the heights of the forest. The color drains from my face as I tilt my head back to look up at what must be the body of this impossible monster.

  High above, I see several huge furred bodies, each with a long tongue shaped head that moves in ways that make my skin crawl. The sudden low whine of one of the creatures is all the warning I get before they start moving. Their steps shake the ground almost as much as that living tree's did.

  "Lord save me..." I mutter, losing hope.

  The sting of a slap to my cheek pulls me back.

  "Boss, we have to go! We're not dead yet," Danny encourages me, grinning.

  Shit, how can I lose myself faster than this snot nosed brat? He's meant to be looking up to me, not the other way around! I rub the stinging cheek Danny just slapped. The kid's got a real arm on him, apparently.

  I start moving again, my eyes darting between the impossibly tall legs around us and the door. The man who was moments away from reaching the door is nowhere to be seen. I hope he made it out, but I can't be sure.

  "Let's go!"

  My words are followed by the sharp crunch of bone beneath a massive hoof. I don't need to turn around to see what that sound was. The smell of blood is strong enough that I feel sick. I grit my teeth, and start running.

  The tears streaming down my cheeks are embarrassing, but I don't have the time or energy to wipe them away.

  My foot catches on something, and I tumble down a few steps away from the door. I lift myself up, realizing I've just tripped over the body of the man who was ahead of us. I can't for the life of me remember the poor sod's name. He's been crushed flat, like a pancake.

  I vomit, heaving for several long seconds.

  The rumble of huge beings walking all around me makes it hard to stand. I manage, stumbling my way to the door. The rumbling thuds suddenly give way to peaceful chirping of birds. I collapse, leaning against the gnarled oak for support.

  We gained nothing from this journey. Not I, nor any of the men I led here. If only Danny had really been behind me, and not suffering the same fate as that man I tripped over.

  I don't think I'm ever entering this place again.

  ~

  Witnessing the carnage in the Wildwood was a bit jarring. I was under no illusions about how dangerous woodwalkers and treants are, but I hadn't expected either of them to be so vicious with the adventurers. That treant barely got a scratch from a tiny spear and yet it slaughtered two men without remorse.

  Perhaps I can ask Silva to lessen the aggression of the monsters in the Wildwood?

  That would certainly help me sleep at night...

  On a different note, those deaths have filled my core with an abundance of mana. I've got plenty to build or experiment with something. Honestly I think I need to do something about the dungeon's layout. I've watched groups venture into the dungeon in search of resources countless times, without issue, but now that the Wildwood is open that will change.

  In order for them to enter the Wildwood they have to make a nearly kilometer long trek into Green Valley. The struggle of making such a journey does give me a nice boost of mana, but what about the population limits I'm enforcing? How can I ask them to only send six people in when Wildwood is so massive? I could change the maximum to allow more, but then people will flood back into Green Valley and overwhelm it.

  What I need is a more fundamental change.

  I carve out a grand chamber deep beneath the earth. The walls are carved into fine brickwork, overlain with petrified vines and flowers. The space is fairly grand, with high arched ceilings and plenty of open room. Lantern stones illuminate the chamber.

  This will be the antechamber. The connection from my dungeon's door to all sections within.

  The front of the antechamber gets a door which I connect to the dungeon's current front entrance. Now, instead of Green Valley they will enter the antechamber. Next I create a door inside the antechamber leading into Green Valley, ensuring the same function as the old door. Finally, I add a door connecting to Wildwood.

  To finish this room I create a centerpiece. Stone forms into the shape of a gnarled oak, dominating the room with its mimicry of plant life. I dot the antechamber with benches as an afterthought, intended to provide some means of comfort to adventurers.

  Now I can control the capacity of Green Valley and Wildwood separately.

  ~

  "You're sure we'll be getting paid for this, right?" Lyric questions.

  I watch him bicker with Rebecca. We usually want him to cool it with the money questions, but it's fair to ask, considering how things are going with the Adventurer's Guild. Not much money is coming in after the big rush of interest at the start. There just isn't enough coming out of the dungeon to warrant regular visits.

  Nobody wants spider meat, and their venom isn't easy to extract. The toads are way too dangerous to hunt for what little meat they can provide. The great hawks are extinct, so oversized poultry isn't being brought out of the dungeon either.

  Basically, the dungeon is a sinking ship.

  If I didn't need money I would be on board purely for the scientific significance of such a place. I adore seeing the creatures within and how different they are to the documented species, but I have to put food on the table!

  "I told you, Lyric, we are paying you! We're backed by the crown!"

  "You said that last time. I have only gotten half my pay."

  Coins. Always about coins, can't do anything in this country without them. If only the dungeon spat out enough coins for everyone. Coins we can use, I mean.

  Those foreign coins that appear occasionally in Swarm Forest aren't worth as much as they would be if they were local currency, and the amount of raw metal isn't worth the effort of trying to melt down. The healing potions are great. They'd be a lot greater if more merchants trusted them enough to buy them!

  "I'm sorry, Lyric. I won't be asking anything more of you after this."

  "What? Don't be like that, Rebecca."

  "It's not a choice for me. The guild is running on fumes. If we don't start turning a profit Prince Theobald will pull his support, and there's no telling what happens then."

  Sighing, I decide I'd rather go inspect the dungeon's door than listen to this depressing conversation. The portal is guarded as usual. The men guarding the door don't bother to tell me off, though, as I'm a frequent visitor to the door itself.

  My footsteps slow as I approach the door. Peering inside leaves my mouth agape. The corridor that usually lies on the other side of this door has been replaced by a spacious chamber, dominated by a stone tree.

  "R-Rebecca! You should see this!"