Chapter 25: Run or not to run?
Amy watched the diggers as they left the room and started digging through the wall. She lay on the breeder, still naked, as it was the most comfortable spot in this prison of stone. Thankfully, the cave was quite warm, even if the stone itself was cold.
She was defiled, a tainted elf that had been used by a dungeon to breed. She had allowed it, and worst of all, found pleasure in it. The mess between her legs constantly reminded her of it. She wanted to clean herself, but there was no water and no clean cloths.
The incubation had taken a lot out of her, and she was feeling weak. She hadn't eaten or drunk anything all day, and it was beginning to take its toll as her throat was parched and her stomach ached, as all the events of the day came crashing into her: from her and her teammates finding the dungeon, facing a humanoid dungeon boss, the males being killed, her sister-in-battle being defiled to death, and she somehow surviving being defiled and ending up as a breeding tool. It made her feel like it was a curse for her to have survived that process.
She got up and placed her clothes back on despite how filthy she was. Her clothes couldn't even be called that anymore, a large tear exposing one of her modest breasts.
"I'm hungry and thirsty," she spoke to the dungeon in the most popular language on the planet.
After no response other than Zach's presence being made known, she tried asking again, even in the guttural human tongue, but still nothing.
Amy hesitated before asking again, this time using hand motions to indicate eating and drinking. This time, Zach clearly understood, as a small table was constructed next to the stone chair. A stone platter with a swirl design appeared on top of it along with an assortment of fruits and meat. Even though the meat was uncooked, it smelled delicious.
Amy flinched away at the sight of the notorious dungeon food.
"No! That stuff is terrible! It's disgusting!"
Zach clearly didn't understand what she meant, but when she made gagging and vomiting gestures and pointed at the food, it abruptly vanished.
'Ungrateful elf!' The he-dungeon abruptly raged, its core crystal shaking in anger. 'I made you such delicious food, and you dare call it disgusting?! You are lucky you are my thing, so I will give you a chance to apologise for your rudeness.'
He reabsorbed the biomass the food was made of. Due to being new to this world, Zach didn't know that food made from biomass were completely tasteless and useless to human body.
She also apparently needed water, but the dungeon had none, and no way of procuring it himself at the moment.
Calming down, he knew he couldn't let his elf die on him. She was very useful, valuable, and most importantly, extremely beautiful.
knowing she needed water to drink he quickly remembered while the digger was exploring it stumbled on a stream which looks clean and there weren't dangerous beasts nearby back then, but still he will need the digger to scout ahead in order for her to get the water.
The diggers didn't take any mana to dig and expand his dungeon, but they weren't very fast. Each one was a little less than half as fast as when he dug with mana. But it all accumulated together, and with him working in conjunction with the diggers, his mining speed had already doubled, half of which required no downtime waiting for mana to regenerate. He wondered if having them level up would increase their speed.
His only current option was to have the elf leave the dungeon and procure water and whatever food it was she ate. He couldn't let her go unsupervised, though, in case she decided to run away or came under danger.
The scout digger returned, and he let it into the elf's room. He used it to nudge the elf, who squeaked in shock at the touch.
'Go with the digger. Take this bucket and fill it up with water at your village. Get food and come back,' the dungeon said while trying to speak to his elf.
He also created a simple stone bucket with a handle. The handle was attached with a stone pin, allowing it to swivel for comfort in carrying, although it was still ugly in the dungeon's opinion; therefore, he didn't turn it into a blueprint.
It took a while for the elf to understand, but eventually she understood to follow the digger. She carried the stone bucket while curiously examining it and followed the digger outside.
Amy was free!
At least, she wanted to think that. She was accompanied by a terrifying beetle-like monster, which she had even given birth to.
'Do I count as its mother?' she thought in fear and at the same time disgust. Who wouldn't, when such a thing in no way similar to them came out of their stomach?
It was like the feeling a chicken gets after hatching a crocodile—fear!
The dungeon seemed to want her to carry a primitive stone bucket and follow the beetle outside the dungeon. She wasn't sure exactly what it wanted her to do, but the scent of freedom was incredibly tempting.
If she could, she would run off as soon as she got a chance. But first, she needed to get food and water. She was too hungry to move properly, and the monster beside her was incredibly frightening. Those jagged, sword-like teeth which grew from its mouth felt like things of horror to her.
At this moment, she truly missed her teammates. It was due to how weak her combat power was that she became a mere supporter in battle, only boosting or healing her teammates and leaving the hard parts to them. This should let everyone know how incredibly weak she was. So weak that before the dungeon itself she found herself not capable of escaping.