Valterra Unok’Davaas, the Playground of the Gods, looked upon his shattered realm with mixed feelings. The delvers were gone, most of them slain by his creatures, quite a few of whom were glowing with the light of Ascension. He had had little time to process what had happened during the tiny war that had been conducted within his halls, but now that it was over, he found the System would not let him rest.

  As the notifications he had kept at bay began rolling in, he was quickly overwhelmed. With all his might, the best he could do was slow the tide as he cleaned up a bit. He felt the Aether twist and roil as it moved through the gaping hole in his walls, and he figured that would be a good place to start.

  Swiftly, he used his Aether to plug the holes with stone and then removed the leftover debris. Then, gingerly, he opened his slowly growing notifications but managed to restrict them to the ones about his creatures. He knew how hard it was to hold off Ascension and wanted to ensure they were taken care of. They certainly deserved it.

  Your “House Mouse” is ready to Ascend!

  Please choose from among the following stages:

  Mouse Guard (Unique, Rank F - Copper)

  A house mouse following in the paw steps of its kin. Where one treads, another may follow. This mouse has embraced the calling of Ile’fen as guardian and warrior. Crafted by the High Spirit of Conflict, this stage on the Path of Ascension paves a way forward to even higher heights.

  Hoarder Mouse (Rank F - Copper)

  Laying aside its mundane nature, this mouse has Ascended, its eyes and mind transforming to better notice valuable objects. When gathered and placed into its nest, these objects provide the mouse with a small amount of excess Aether. These beasts need not ever fight again, content to steal and pilfer to fuel further stages on their Path of Ascension.

  Other-Touched Mouse (Rank E - Bronze)

  A rare sight outside the Other, this mouse is relatively common in the realm of the Fae. While it might be considered prey in that Otherworld, these large mice can be a plague once in the mortal world. Having been touched, these mice carry a piece of the Other with them, manifesting as a variety of effects too numerous to count but always in their favor.

  Seven of the mice that had survived the attack on their strongholds by the invaders had managed to kill some of them. A single kill was all it took, and the fruits of their willingness to fight were clear to see. The invaders they killed were something called Fae or perhaps kin to them, and a new, never-before-seen option was now available because of it. Obviously, Valterra chose that option and moved on. He would not let their devotion go to waste.

  Your “Iridescent Ground Beetle” is ready to Ascend!

  Please choose from among the following stages:

  Radiant Ground Beetle (Rank F - Copper)

  Aether has transformed this humble beetle. Its carapace now shines brilliantly upon command, allowing this beetle to blind predators and prey in equal measure.

  Aetherflight Beetle (Rank F - Copper)

  With wings now empowered by Aether, this beetle can take true flight rather than short hops. Laying aside its terrestrial life, this beetle lives more in the air than it does on the ground.

  Armored Ground Beetle (Rank F - Copper)

  Giving up its beautiful outer shell for one that is uglier but sturdier, this beetle is prepared to survive. Remaining on the ground, this beetle is too large and heavy to fly; its wings are now only useful for a controlled fall.

  Quite a few beetles in and around the fighting had survived after getting a few nips in. As a creature without a rarity, it was ludicrously easy for them to reach their Ascension threshold. He chose a few from each option and moved on. He would see what they became now that they had a little Aether in them.

  Your “Mouse Soldier” is ready to Ascend!

  Please choose from among the following stages:

  Mouse-At-Arms (Unique, Rank D - Iron)

  Adept with all manner of weaponry, the Mouse-At-Arms is a formidable fighter and elite soldier. Another step along the path to greatness, this mouse prioritizes martial prowess above all else. Armed further with bodily enhancement that stems from an upgraded Aether Core, the Mouse-At-Arms is a threat to all that would oppose its lord.

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Mouse Other-Mage (Unique, Rank D - Rare)

  A mouse touched by foreign fae magic, this creature has now absorbed and can use the magic of its enemies. Eschewing the physical weapons of its kinbeasts, this mouse has new weapons it must learn how to wield. Dedicated to serving the Dungeon, this mouse now wields the invaders’ magic to do it.

  Mouse Berserker (Unique, Rank C - Steel)

  Giving up all future potential, this mouse has chosen the path of everlasting war, wrath, and ruin. Able to enter a battle rage at any moment, this mouse is a powerhouse fighter, willing and able to shrug off the worst of hits and deal them back twofold. Wielding fearsome claws and growing armor-like fur, this mouse is a walking, squeaking terror on the battlefield.

  Valterra looked over the options excitedly. Quite a few of the mouse guards stationed in the large fortress he had made for them had accumulated enough Aether to evolve. Of the three options, two of them were the same, but he was excited to see a magical option present. It was in place of another leader, but Valterra didn’t mind.

  He already had the Framework for the Mouse Captain and would create more if he felt his creatures needed more on-the-ground leadership. Most of the mice in the fortress he chose to become Mouse-At-Arms. He required actual fighters and not just guards. To that end, he also chose five mice to become Berserkers. They wouldn’t be able to advance further, but they would be powerful combatants for him to unleash on invaders. He was looking forward to it.

  As much as he loved the idea of magic mice, he only chose to make three of the mice into Mouse Other-Mages. He wasn’t comfortable having new magic around, even if the Framework itself had come from Uncle Ile’Fen, and figured that he could always add more once these mice had fully matured, and he was sure of what he was dealing with. With the mice out of the way, he moved on.

  Your “Hunting Pack-Mantis” is ready to Ascend!

  Please choose from among the following stages:

  Pack-Leader Mantis (Rank E - Bronze)

  Evolved from the Hunting Pack-Mantis, this insect has Ascended to lead the pack. Its instincts are primitive but effective in guiding its lesser brethren to better hunting grounds. Larger and fiercer than its prior form, this bug is a natural killer and is lethal to those who run afoul of it and its pack.

  Cinder-Spark Mantis (Rank E - Bronze)

  Ascended from the Hunting Pack-Mantis, this insect has been subject to intense heat or flame and has survived to tell the tale. It has now incorporated the Elemental Affinity of Fire into its body. Now consumed by flame, this insect cannot live without it, needing constant access to its affinity, often causing it to start small fires to survive.

  Mantis Recluse (Rank E - Bronze)

  Ascended from the Hunting Pack-Mantis, this insect has grown to be self-sufficient. Rather than grow larger or develop powers, the Recluse becomes stronger, faster, and more deadly for its size. To all appearances, it is just a Hunting Pack-Mantis that has lost its pack, leading possible predators to become prey. It can also imitate its lesser kin and will even hunt with them, only to turn around and take the kill for itself and refuse to share.

  Valterra found the options fascinating. Only three mantises had survived the combat with the fae, and he was tempted just to make them all Cinder-Spark Mantises and move on, but he forced himself to choose the least aggressive of the survivors to be a Recluse. He had learned the error of not having answers to threats. Each additional choice allowed him more options in the future. Once the Recluse had finished Ascending, he would have access to the Framework, and he could sow them across his Dungeon like hidden vipers for invaders to stumble across.

  Speaking of serpents, Valterra’s gaze homed in on a welcoming sight.

  Your “Dwarf Razorscale Boa” is ready to Ascend!

  I didn’t even know that I had one of these guys, Valterra mused to himself. To be fair to himself, he had woken from his Ascension to find an invasion of Fae and Fallen, so perhaps he could be forgiven for not remembering which creatures had gone through the process. Distantly, he recalled that there had been several creatures that had finished their Ascensions while he had been asleep, but he hadn’t had the time to check on them. Mentally shrugging, Valterra turned to the rest of the notification.

  Please choose from among the following stages:

  Iron Scale Boa (Rank D - Iron)

  Growing much larger and longer, this snake exchanges normal scales for iron ones. Although treasured as a dungeon monster for this fact, it is also found in the wild around iron deposits rich in Aether. Preferring to constrict prey with its heavy body and consume it whole, this boa is a fearsome defender of its territory.

  Whipscale Slicer (Rank D - Iron)

  Long and lithe, the Whipscale Slicer is so named due to its razor-sharp scales and tendency to launch itself at foes. The resulting crack of displaced air isn’t as loud as a whip, in truth, but it does allude to the impressive speed at which this snake can attack. Upon striking, the snake will attach to its prey and begin coiling around it. Being long and thin, it doesn’t take long for the snake’s coils to carve through its prey completely.

  Hey, the Iron Scale Boa is back. That’s interesting. I guess the base Constricting Green Snake Framework can only deviate so far from its purpose. Although I suppose I will have to see what stages are next when the Green Adder Ascends. What should I choose now, though?”

  The thought led him, as it always inevitably did, to looking into his creature’s thoughts in order to ascertain what they were feeling or desiring. What he found in this case was a desire to grow. While that wasn’t a ton to go off of, Valterra could glean that the Iron Scale Boa would most likely fit best. His snake would be large and powerful, well beyond the usual limits of his title. It did mean that once it finished Ascending, he would be receiving a shrunken Framework.

  The feeling he got was that the Boa would be around six to eight feet long, absolutely gigantic for his Dungeon. It did mean, though, that the resulting Framework would only be around three to four inches long. Valterra couldn’t help it. He laughed at the image the thought brought to his mind—a tiny snake, roaming the halls of his Dungeon seeking anything small enough for it to devour.

  Finished, he turned and looked at the remaining glowing lights and sighed, his laughter fading. He still had much to do.