The Dungeon's Worst Little Mistake

Breakfast is a batch of Garmould eggs that Bug had found while she was out, Garmould ham, and slices of toast cooked in the oil with everything else layered on top like a greasy pile of sin, with a light sprinkling of salt.

It's the sort of breakfast that you wouldn't expect to be having while stuck in a Dungeon, where you can't normally afford the space in your packs to bring stuff like eggs and fresh meat. And by the time Bug is done cooking, the entire Safe Room is smelling like your mother's kitchen in the morning.

And Susan hates to admit it, but… It's delicious. And that's even with both the meat and the eggs being green!

Susan didn't think that she would like green eggs and ham. But here she is, enjoying it anyways! Just another weird day in the Dungeon…

Never even considered eating those weird looking fish-dog things. Figured they'd taste like ass.

She takes another bite of ham dripping with egg yolks. Billy continuing to be a little gentleman by holding the fork for her.

Turns out, their ass tastes like pig hams.

Off to the side, Bug is busy fussing over little Elaine as she is making a mess out of her food.

"Yummy!"

"Yes, I'm glad you're enjoying it, but the food is supposed to be going in you, not on you. Now sit still and let me wipe your face clean. Such a messy little eater~ Ah, you got grease all over your new shirt! Do I need to make you a bib or something?"

Elaine is just all smiles and giggles as Bug rubs at her face with a wet towel, squishing those soft cheeks around as she wipes off a mess of eggs and grease.

"There we go, Mimmie. Try and be a bit more careful while eating. It's not good to waste food."

"Hehehe~ Ok! Thanks Mommy!"

And then the girl takes another big bite, only to end up getting more on her face again.

"Hah, what am I going to do with you?" Bug just asks, looking a little exasperated. But she is clearly very happy right now -being literally aglow with happiness as her scales shine with light- and leaves the girl to happily wolf down the rest of her meal.

"Her name, is Elaine." Susan corrects her as Bug is returning to her own plate.

Bug just takes a bite, chews, and swallows.

"No, Mimmie."

"Hmm?" The little girl looks up from her food, having heard her name.

"Nothing sweetheart. You enjoy your food."

"Ok!"

Bug just gives Susan a look like, see?

Susan takes another offered bite of food and swallows. Goddess, why does it taste so good? Didn't the report say that Bug was a Gremlin born inside of the Dungeon? Where did she learn how to cook!?

"No, her name is Elaine. That has always been her name, and it isn't suddenly going to change just because, ah! Merfer fu-"

As Billy is shoving another bite of ham and toast into Susan's mouth, and most certainly not because Bug silently ordered him to do it, Bug wipes her mouth with her towel.

"I am her mother, and I named her, Mimmie. That is her name, and I will accept no arguments."

"It doesn't work like that! No, no thank you, Billy!"

"Uh, I'm sure it does, though? After all, who named you, Susan?"

Trying to fend off Billy from shoving more food in her mouth, which is difficult while being all tied up, Susan retorts.

"That's different, and you know it! My mom birthed me. Of course she would get to name me. Ah, Billy, fine! Thanp Yuh…"

"Yes, and? Mimmie might not have come from my body, but I did raise her from a baby. And plus, if you think about, I sort of did create her, no? It might not be a traditional birth, but…"

"You killed her!"

"I died!?" Mimmie asks, looking shocked.

"Oh, don't worry sweety. You got better."

"Oh, ok. More please?"

Bug is just all smiles as she shovels even more food, a double portion, back onto her plate. This is the girl's fourth one now and she is quickly devouring all of the eggs Bug had found. They won't last the day.

"Yay, thank you Mommy!"

"You're welcome, sweety." Bug says as she gives Susan another look like she just won.

"But what about what she wants to be called?" Susan tries.

Bug just shrugs. "Sure. She can be called whatever she wants, and I'll respect it."

"Wait, really?"

"Of course. But I expect you to respect her wishes as well. Fair?"

Susan just gives Bug a look like she is trying to figure her out and accepts another bite of food as it is pressed towards her face.

"Ok…"

"Good. Sweety, Mimmie."

"Hmm?"

"Do you prefer the name, Mimmie, or Elaine? Or, if you'd rather be called something else, we can do that instead. It's your choice."

"My choice? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm….. I like both!"

"Yeah? So, you're fine with me calling you Mimmie?"

"Yes!"

"And with Susan calling you, Elaine?"

"Yes!"

"… Do you have a reason why?" Bug asks, a curious look on her face like she is trying to figure out a little puzzle.

"Hmm… Don't know? Just like, both?" She says as she tilts her head to one side cutely.

"Fascinating… Alright sweetheart. We'll do that then. I'll call you Mimmie, and Susan can keep calling you Elaine, ok?"

"Ok!" Mimmie happily cheers before digging back into her food with gusto.

Susan isn't happy that that sort of ended in a draw, but at least Elaine is happy with her using her name still. If she had said that she only wants to be called Mimmie… Susan prefers to not think about it.

Bug just continues to watch the girl. Observing, thinking, considering something. Susan eventually has to ask after Billy finally takes away her empty plate, "What's with you?"

"I'm trying to understand how she was made, and I think I know how…"

"What? Tell me!"

"Alright, alright, chill… So, I've been looking at her soul for a while now-"

"You can do that? How?"

"-and… Please don't interrupt… I got a Skill awhile ago that lets me do it. Got it for free by nearly killing myself. Don't recommend… It's almost entirely useless though, since I don't really practice Soul magic. Oh, but it is useful for fighting while blind. I used it in the smoke cloud while I was fighting you guys. Anyways, I've been looking at Mimmies soul, and it changed."

"What do you mean, it changed?"

"Ok, some context. From what I've seen so far, there are three types of souls. You've got animal souls, like with the rats and spider and other little critters scuttling around the Dungeon, which are like little sparks. Weak and tiny, not worth mentioning honestly, but they are there. Then you have human souls, like yours and mine-"

"You have a human soul? I thought you were a Gremlin or something?"

"- and… seriously. No interruptions. And when I say human, I mean person. Sapient Life. Calling it a person soul doesn't sound as good as human soul… Anyways! Like you and me. We're people. Our souls are more like… a cloudy, liquidly, looking thingy that fills our body and conforms to our shape. But it also sort of leaks out? I don't know, it's weird and hard to describe. Regardless, it is easy to tell the difference between a human soul and an animal soul. Then, there is a monster soul, like what Mimmie used to have."

"Used to?"

"Yup. They look like a human soul, filling the entire body of the monster, but there is a difference. They're hollow on the inside. And I don't mean literally. It is more of just a feeling, like they are lacking something vital that separates them from us. And Mimmie's soul? It isn't hollow anymore."

"Are you trying to tell me that my sister's soul is trapped inside of your monster's? Asks Susan like she is on the verge of attacking someone. Too bad that she is tied up though. What is she planning on doing, anyways? Carve Elaine out of Mimmie? That wouldn't work.

"No, don't be stupid. She isn't inside of Mimmie's soul. It's not like she is stuck the hollow parts. Nope. Instead, from the look of it… I would have to say that the two of them have sort of… blended together. All swirly, swirly like, with what looks like her soul sort of sprouting out from within. It's pretty…"

"Mommy called me pretty~" Says a happy little Mimmie, whom most of this conversation is flying over the head of.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"You are pretty, aren't you?"

"Hmmhmm~"

Susan is just sitting there, thinking as she stares at Elaine.

"So… wait. Is this Elaine, or…?"

Bug just smiles. "She's both! Isn't that fascinating? Two souls in one body, mixed together to form a single, new, person. Fascinating… I could potentially recreate the situation that caused this. I might have to, just so I can see if my idea is correct. I wonder if anyone else has tried this yet? Making people out of monsters… that could be cool…"

"Wait! You know how this happened to her? How!?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah. It definitely had to be because I was maintaining Inflict Pain on her the entire time right up until she died. I don't have any spells that directly manipulate other people's souls, but Inflict Pain was probably all that was needed. It targets the soul after all. I wouldn't be surprised if her soul was stunned or something after she died and then got trapped… Mhh, after that, I don't know exactly what happened next to cause the mix. I would have to do some tests to find out, but at some point, they fused together. Then, and hold one second… Yup, Mimmie is Level 10, so she probably got her Class selection from the S%$#3&… I wouldn't be surprised if her new soul caused a mess with the Class selection and caused this to happen…" Bug says with a hand on her chin as she looks Mimmie up and down, the little rascal happily licking her plate clean of egg juices and grease.

"Level ten, class selection, that weird, garbled word you keep saying. What the hell are you going on about?"

"Hold on. I'll tell you what I can later. Not sure how much I can without getting censored though… Meh, we'll find out. But first. Mimmie, sweety, can you focus on mommy for a second?"

"Mommy?"

"Thank you, dear. Ok, now then. Can you tell me if you have access to the S%$#3&?"

"S%$#3&?"

"Yup. You should have like a little glowing dot in the corner of your vision. Or, try saying, 'Open Status Page.' Can you do that for mommy, please?"

"Ok! Open Status Page… OH!!! Mommy, something happened! It blue!"

"Ok, good girl. Do you see some boxes? Can you read?"

"Read?"

"No? Hmm, language must have been caried over with the other half of your soul, but not the knowledge of how to read. Makes some sense… Ok, let's try this."

"Wait, what are you two doing?"

"Just hold on, Susan. I'll get to you next. Now Mimmie, please say, 'Make display public view.'"

"Make display public view… Oh, it did a thing!"

"Good girl, here let me see your screen, please."

For Susan, a blurred and static filled, something, is suddenly in the air between Bug and Elaine. Her brain tries to comprehend what she is seeing, but all she gets back is confusion and a headache as she watches Bug direct Elaine as to where to place her finger.

"Ok, so these are your stats then, huh? Lots of points in Vitality, Endurance, and Strength, hardly anything in Dexterity, Magic, or Intelligence. No wonder you can bite through my scales. Such a strong girl! Let's go ahead and raise your intelligence some so you can think better, we can keep your magic low as I doubt you'll be needing too much mana for anything important… Some Dex so you can move a little faster, and then split the rest into Strength and Vitality since you clearly have a build going here. Human-Mimic… not the most creative class name I've seen, but meh. Ok, Mimmie, sweety, please click on this button now to confirm your changes. Yup, there you go, good girl! Ok, now you see this popup asking if you would like to finalize S%$#3& integration? I want you to click this button. You're going to get a nasty headache, but I promise that you will be-"

"AAAAAAaaahhhhhahahahahhhhhaaAAAAAhhhhh!!!!"

Elaine is suddenly screaming, the static filled air before her suddenly vanis- Was something in the air before Elaine? Susan can't remember. She thinks that there used to be something there, but she just can't remember…

Wait, that isn't important! Elaine is in pain, grabbing her head and screaming her lungs out. Pulling at her hair and crying!

"What the fuck did you do to her! Answer me!!!"

"Relax! She'll be fine. I went though this myself once! Hurts like a bitch, but she'll get through this!" Bug yells over all the screams of agony as Elaine continue to pull at her hair and hit her head with her own fists. Even the chest below her is writhing in equal agony with the eyes on the lid even crying.

Bug has to quickly grab her hands and stop her from harming herself as the girl starts to leave marks on her face, the process of whatever is happening to her apparently not being something that is quick and easy.

And then, she goes silent. With her eyes rolling up into the back of her head, she passes out and collapses into Bug's waiting arms, her body still twitching slightly every now and then.

"Shh, shh, there we go baby. Time to sleep. When you wake up, everything will start to make a whole lot more sense. There we go, let's tuck you in. Nighty night. I'll see you when you wake up~" Bug coos as she gently pushes the sleeping girl back into her shell and closes the lid. With some soft pats, she pets the shell and wipes away the tears from its eyes as well.

"What. Did. You. Do to her you monster!?"

"Calm down, she'll be fine. It was just the S%$#3& integration finalizing. Hurts enough to make you willing to bash your skull in with a shiny rock, but that's all it is. She'll wake up in a couple of hours or so." Bug says as she walks over to Susan in a relaxed manner.

She just hurt her supposed daughter, and she is relaxed! What the hell is wrong with her?!

When she gets over to Susan, she reaches down and grabs her by the ankles, starting to drag her across the room.

"Wait, what are doing!?"

"Starting the ritual, duh? What, did you think I was going to do it while Mimmie is watching. Have her watch as I stab you in the heart with a dagger and mutilate your soul. Which will be painful by the way, fair warning."

"Wait, what!? You're going to kill me? I thought you were just going to change me with magic or something!? Stop!"

"Pfft! No. Ghouls are an Undead. I can't just magic you into one. You have to die first, duh. And again, I would rather not have Mimmie watch that. Gotta use this opportunity while I can! Billy, grab the bag, and the good dagger! No, not that one. I want the cool wavy, curvy one! Yeah, now that's a ritual dagger if I have ever seen one, thank you, Billy."

Susan has to look as Billy hands over the dagger and… you know what? That actually is a pretty cool dagger. If she saw that in the market, Susan would have totally bought it. It just too bad she's about to get stabbed with it!

"Hey, come on! We can talk this out! You wanted to be friends, right? Well, all I care about is getting to stay with Elaine. So, how about I promise to be your friend, and we don't go through with all this ritual nonsense, yeah?"

Bug is currently drawing a big circle around the tied up and squirming Susan, while Billy is setting down black candles.

"Hmmmm, a tempting offer. But no. I don't trust you…"

"I know we got off on the wrong foot and everything, but come one, please? Let's talk this out?"

"Yes, the wrong foot. Let's call hunting me down and trying to kill me, the wrong foot… And talking things out? Hmmm~ I do recall giving you several chances to just, talk things out. Hell, I even gave you several chances to leave. But you lot were rather hellbent on killing me, no?"

"Well, it doesn't help that you are trying to destroy Silest! We didn't exactly have very many options! Hey, what are those!?"

"Leaches… Don't mind them. Also, Silest is just collateral damage at this point. You guys had all the options in the world. You could have left, packed your shit, and then… I don't know, gone to a nice beach and had a barbeque? There, right off the top of my head and I gave you an option. You made your choice, now it is time to pay the piper and become a Ghoul. Billy, here, put this around her neck."

Susan tries to struggle, but the little skeleton manages to get the necklace on her. It's made of little bones and black flowers that smell of sweet poisons.

"Come on! I'm sure we can come to some kind of deal, or something! Anything but this, AHh, get those leaches off my foot!"

"Nope. I think I got the circle right? The square there, those squiggly lines there… Was the triangle supposed to be like that or… Meh, I'm sure it will be fine."

"Fine!? Wait, what happens if you get the ritual wrong? Tell me!"

"Hm? Oh, don't worry. Just something about Death mana failing to be contained within the vessel and violently escaping in a rapid and forceful expansion in every direction…"

"I'll explode!?"

"Don't worry about it… I think I got it right…"

"How can I not worry!? Elaine! Elaine, please wake up and save me! This Necromancer bitch is crazy!!!"

By her feet, Bug is busy pulling the leeches off of Susan's toes and handing them to Billy.

"Ok Billy, put these in the mortar and pestle and grind them up into a slurry… ehh, gross… Ok, now add them to the pot. Add three leaves of nightshade, four cups of water, and a pinch of salt, leave to heat until it boils… Billy, mind the pot. After it starts to boil, add all the ingredient in those bowls beside you."

Bug comes back over and looks down at Susan.

"Hey, you doing good? Just going to be a little wait on the brew~ Can I get you anything in the meantime, water?"

"Freedom, please?"

"Sorry, we don't sell that here."

"I want to talk to your manager."

"I am the manager! Hahahaha!" Bug cackles as she walks over to fetch something from a bag.

When she comes back over, she is holding a fist-sized red gem.

"What's that...?"

"This is a special catalyst that I am going to shove inside of your soon-to-be-dead heart. It will act as the new anchor for your soul here soon. Pretty, right? This beauty cost me so many points. I could have bought a nice fancy bed, but I decided to get this for you instead. Nice, right?"

"Oh, joy, you bought me jewels. No one has ever done that before…" Susan says sarcastically, though it actually is, regretfully, true…

"Billy, how's the brew cooking?"

The little skeleton is dumping another bowl in and gives a thumbs up in response.

"Good, let me see… Ok, next, let simmer at medium heat until it turns green… Eugh, this smells like shit… Then, to finish it off, add a sprit of lemon."

"A sprit of lemon? Why would…?"

"I don't know, that's just what the recipe calls for. Ok then, now run it though a clean cloth to filter out the chunks and fill into a separate container, then let sit for a minute to cool… There we go! Good job, Billy!"

Billy gives her another thumbs up as she is placing a nasty, green potion on the floor next to the gem and the dagger.

"Ok, let's see here… Did I miss anything?" Bug goes back through the list and double checks everything. "Nope! We should be good to go. Susan, any last words before I Ghoul you?"

"I fucking hate you. But so long as I get to stay by Elaine's side… Hah… just get it over with!"

"Cool. Billy, light the candles! We shall, commence."

As Billy goes around and lights each black candle one by one, Bug puts on a black cloak and a wooden mask that she pulled out of nowhere. Once she is dressed and looking like a cult leader's daughter on bring your kid to work day, she begins to read aloud from the book.

"Oh, poor soul, trapped and rotten. A caterpillar in a spider's web! By the Dark Mother, your soul shall soon be bound in eternal servitude. Immortality, through death and forever bound! –"

As Bug continues to incant, her Death core begins to radiate with power. The Safe Room, which most certainly isn't feeling so safe anymore, quickly begins to get covered in ice as the temperature drops. The eternally burning fires of the hearth begin to dim and flicker, and darkness begins the fill the room. One by one, the black candles go from burning red to instead having black flames dancing on their wicks, the little fires growing taller and stronger the longer Bug continues to read. Then, she holds one arm out above Susan and proceeds to slit her own wrist, ice cold blood falling onto Susans face and into her mouth as she sputters and tries to spit it out.

" – Blood of my blood, you shall rise again and become one with the night! Accept this gift and become one of my own. Through immortality, we shall be bound. Master and servant, forever more! –"

Susan is shaking now, her entire body chilled to its core as Death begins to flood her body and press against her living soul. She can feel it as the cold dead hand of Death itself gets a grip on her heart, seemingly trying to keep the quivering muscle from beating within its tightening grip. With her breaths coming out as cold vapor and tears freezing on her cheeks, she watches as Bug lowers herself down to her knees and raises the dagger up above her cloak covered head, finishing her incantation.

"And then wait for dramatic effect, and just in case some Hero comes to stop you at the last possible moment…" Bug reads from the book and then turns to look towards the door expectantly. Susan looks as well, but nobody shows up. Susan was really hoping that somebody would… "And then, stab the heart. Ok then!"

Susan looks back up with a start, the blade already sinking into her chest and leaving her gasping for air.

Ouch… So, this is what dying feels like? I don't like it…

Bleeding out, fading, eyes going blurry. Susan can feel as the green potion is forced down her throat and as the dagger is used to cut her open, a hand soon replacing it as it roots around in her chest. Thankfully, by this point, she is already dead, and her brain is shutting down, so she can't feel it anymore.

Then, cut to black.

…

Unfortunately, she doesn't get to stay at that point or get to move on to the whole afterlife part of things…

A cold dead hand is suddenly grabbing her soul as it desperately tries to flee from her body, dragging it kicking and screaming back inside and forcing it into a glowing red gem. What follows is pain.

Just pain, as that is the only word that can be used to describe the torture that is have a living soul being twisted and turned and torn and pierced until it is finally, fully, anchored into a dead body. If there is any solace in this, it is that Susan is not fully conscious of what is happening to her. For if she were, she would most certainly have been driven well past the point of insanity by the sheer suffering that is this pain.

And when it finally ceases and the ritual is complete, Bug watches as the hole in her new buddy's chest slowly nits itself closed and the unbeating black heart within seals up to hide away a bloodred gem. Having just watched everything that had just happened to Susan's soul, she can't help but to grimace.

"… Well, that was fucked up. I wonder how long it will take until she wakes up? Mhmm, guess I'll just get this all cleaned up while I wait. Billy, grab the broom! It's time to earn more levels in housecleaning!