Mary guided Robin to the scrap of domain she had created and withdrew it into the crystal, she could see it wouldn’t last but she urged him to head south. After six hours of skirting the mountains and within sight of a large village she ordered Robin to stop and place the crystal against a nearby cliff face.

She was only just able to transfer her claim, and if it had not been for the two sea humans in Robin’s company she would have failed. She basically refused to fail them. By evening Mary had a small cave that was basically a deepish pool of sea water with a few innocuous fish for her folk to catch and snack on.

« Thank you all, you did brilliantly, and if your next target also has a link to Earth I’m going to have words with old scaly tail. I advise against going back to the Winter Wolf dungeon as I suspect it’s going to get very strange unless Briarthorn is stronger willed than he appeared. Linny is not to be trusted. »

“Yes Mother.” Chorused all her folk to the surprise of the three new recruits.

Mary created three new caverns and then she added her portal with the usual Mock Turtle decoration. Robin, the dwarf and Faaron walked over to the village to report the new dungeon.

While the village headman was making plans to deal with the hoped for influx of rich adventurers; the villagers discovered that Faaron was not just some adventuring cleric but a fully fledged pukka priest. So he was persuaded to officiate at a service in the village’s unaffiliated shrine.

Then he had to officiate and legitimise all the little and not so little things that had come up since the last priest had passed through. The glut of marriages, baptisms, blessings and corresponding paperwork were not what he had expected when he had jumped at the chance to join Robin for adventure. He completely lost interest in starting a bar brawl, he now knew these people too well. And he’d levelled up!

Mary meanwhile was relaxing after having force fed herself with her knowledge and experience of genetic engineering and creation. She had sensed that the other her was now ready and her other core was ready to receive and correctly store the data. Additionally, she could sense that the other her had been in the presence of a minor god with links to the sea. Life was good!

Then she diverted herself by playing about with ferrets the viscount had sent her some time back. Getting to grow until they massed as much as a mid sized dog was not difficult, getting them gaining the same kind of mastery of water as an otter was more challenging. Then she boosted their intelligence to create some very bright creatures. Next she riddled the caves with ferret ways and added a dozen of the things to the caves.

Toormak Rockhead had been thinking, this company was surprisingly unorthodox. The twins had come along quickly and were no longer a drag on the company, but they were being trained as soldiers not adventurers! And soldiers as his people understood soldiers. He was now certain that the boss wasn’t Captain Robin. He had to have a talk with the captain as he had more than a few doubts to clear up.

He was enjoying a surprisingly satisfying breakfast when Robin showed up.

“Cap? Can I have a word please? I have a few doubts to clear up.”

Robin grabbed the trencher that the innkeeper’s wife was offering him and seated himself at the dwarf’s table. “I wondered when this would come up, ask away.”

“You aren’t the true leader are you? Also are you part of a temple army? And where did you lot learn how to train true disciplined soldiers?”

Robin huffed a laugh, then he polished off a sausage and a couple of eggs before answering. “We work for Mother, Mother is the consort and not a god – yet. Mother taught us, and we’re Marines!”

Toormak just looked at the big tiger man, drained his tankard and tried again. “Who or what is Mother?”

Robin sat straighter. “Mother is our mother, she is also Ocidon’s consort though knowing her, I suspect she hasn’t realized that yet. Mary Silvestre is the intelligence behind Blue Lagoon Dungeon and she is Mother. And we all Love her for she truly cares for all her ‘folk whether they have legs, tentacles or flippers.”

Toormak blinked, “You mean we’re working for a dungeon. Wait a minute, I’ve heard of Blue Lagoon but as a new country that’s making war on the pirates.”

Robin grinned and nodded, “Mother really despises pirates, and we cut Vortexius Blackbeard down to size and helped kick him off the seas and ocean of Parthia. So, are you sticking with us or do want to bail? We’re heading to the Highmark Peaks next, I suspect you’ll be very useful there.”

“If I had any sense I would bail, but I didn’t get called Rockhead for no reason. No I’ll hang around.”

* * *

Taron the Ravager and his veterans stood in front of the unnamed dungeon. Taron stepped into the first chamber and proclaimed: “The Adventurer’s Guild has ordered us to reevaluate this dungeon. Be aware that we wish no harm to the core or its controlling intelligence.”

“I’ve always found that habit of yours a bit silly Taron, why bother it’s not as if a collection of caves and monsters will understand you.”

“Honestly Zandrox, how you can have gone through so many dungeons and not realized that after a certain point they all wake and become aware. I suspect this one has and that’s why it changed.”

In his heart chamber Andy examined the entrance of his domain and acknowledged that there was no way he could stop that band. Fleur agreed but they did not despair and hoped the old warrior was telling the truth. The changes Andy had made did sort of mandate an inspection but why such a strong group.

By the time Taron and his team was clearing the third level Andy and Fleur knew that they were only an addendum to the veterans true test. They were here to evaluate Mary’s portal network, though they still thought it was just a dungeon.

« Withdraw and try to survive, I will need you and your experience more than ever after this fiasco, and you too Fleur. »

The Badger folk nodded and prepared their crossbows.

Taron cursed as he dodged yet another slime that dropped from a ceiling trap. This little dungeon had some unexpected twists, and he had never come across a dungeon that spawned slimes to only use them in traps.

The sixth level had been a little bare and unfinished. Clearly the dungeon hadn’t finished with its reorganisation. Taron was fascinated, it was a unique experience to see a level still under development.

Then it was time for the final chamber and they would evaluate the core and withdraw.

“Well, one final chamber then we’re done bar the report. A nice little dungeon miles better than it used to be. The rewards are still a little basic but I’ve seen signs that the dungeon is working on them too. The slimes are a pain but not excessive.”

« Show your worth, but don’t kill any of them if possible. »

“You sure boss? We’ve been watching and we could take them out. They’re too cocksure.” Inquired the badger guard captain.

Fleur looked at the badgers wide eyed, “how?”

“They’re warriors, they sorta work together. Mother’s gonna tear them apart. We’re soldiers, we work together. If there were another seven of us nothing could touch the boss.”

« Show your worth, then fall back. »

“’K boss.”

Fingers Caracaa threw open the door and dove to the right, and went down with an arbalest bolt in her thigh. Zandrox charged through the door and fell back when a ballista bolt punched through his breastplate, torso and backplate before burying itself in Jiira the healer.

A voice roared in the heart chamber. “Hold, form the shield wall, I think we have proved our point like the boss ordered.”

Taron poured two healing potions into their healer and carefully drew the large square headed iron bolt from Jiira. Then Jiira healed Zaandrox while Fingers crawled out of the room to take her turn at being healed.

Taron squared his shoulders and strode into the dungeon’s heart room. It was about one hundred meters long and was guarded by badger folk. This was the third dungeon he had heard of with them. The dungeon did nothing, and he could see a dungeon pixie hiding behind the badgers.

Technically they had won. He was able to inspect the core in its alcove behind steel bars. It flickered nervously but with far more life and fire than had been mentioned in the previous reports. Also the companion had been a whisp.

He nodded thanks to the core and strode out. Artillery, the damn thing had artillery defending it’s heart chamber.

* * * INTERLUDE * * *

Tuesday and the tunnel linking her no longer separated domain was done, all her ‘folk had access to the sea. Now she needed to get them some transport.

After a turbulent morning, and having fielded several awkward questions she retired to the library for a bit of peace. ‘Got a second me, getting’ overwhelmed with questions on manipulatin’ DNA. Any help would be welcome, got space in my core. Pretty please.’

Mary could feel amusement and glee bubble up in the back of her mind. ‘Welcome me to the most fun goin’. Here you go me, sorted by race an’ changes. Start with the Sea Humans.’

Mary felt herself separate again with a distinct prolonged giggle. She felt a stream of data stream through her brain and into her core. This lasted for almost fifteen minutes. Her core actually felt heavier, she looked down and her eyes widened in surprise. Her core had grown by a third. She grabbed a plastic ruler from the desk and used it.

‘I can’t let anyone see you, an oval blue white diamond two centimetres by three! Now what did I tell me to check, oh yes sea humans...’ Mary sat back in her chair and gazed at the ceiling stunned as the experience of knowing her islanders down to their very cells and then changing them, creating a new species sank into her being. ‘Oh wow!’ Her phone’s alarm buzzed and she awoke from her stupor and headed back to her classes.

She was still trying to fully absorb all the knowledge and experience that was so fundamentally hers as she walked out to get her jeep and head home. Mary chuckled, there in front of her stood a line of assorted transport options, old junkers rubbed shoulders with an assortment of newer cars, and right next to her Jeep a bright pink Chevrolet Bolt.

There were two people waiting for her, it looked like Julian Sottomayor and a close relative.

Julian introduced his older brother Dennis and looking apologetic and embarrassed asked her if she’d follow them home and lead Dennis though the assimilation process.

“Honestly, it’s simple if you just want one of the standard races,” Mary exclaimed in exasperation. “But, ‘K fine, lead on.”

She was startled when the brothers got into the pink miniature and took of with a muted whine. Mary followed, feeling very conspicuous. The Sottomayors were obviously very rich if the mansion they led her to was any indication.

She met their – obviously embarrassed – parents and fascinated kid brother who just looked and stared.

They explained, and explained, the parents were ok with it... ‘honestly, why do they think I care, it’s not as I know him after all.’

When a thoroughly exasperated Mary left the whole family had been integrated and Denis was Denise.

‘Beep! Two hours, I could have been fishin’ or updatin’ my thesis for doc Cas. ‘Stead I was listnin’ to a lot of hand wringin’ and excuses!’

And when she finally got home there were a couple of naval officers waiting for her with her parents. It felt weird to have two mothers in the same room chatting and getting along like a house on fire.