Like an alarm clock buzzing at the exact Six in the morning, the little creature that had been sleeping right beside me woke up, the single eyes wide awake with the heathers stretched out.
My eyes had opened a minute ago as well, and I had been staring at the sleeping baby till now. There was a smile on my face as I saw her waking up.
"Morning, dear." Holding her in my hands, I raised the little eyeball up, hugging her to my face, feeling her gentle warmth.
Her glittering sparkles, the honey-sweet scenes she constantly exuded, touched my face for the first time this fine morning. She was adorable… I couldn't help my smile.
"Did you have a good sleep?"
She was energetic, but she was tired last night. Unlike the dungeon, where she doesn't even have to sleep or rest, after we came back, she seemed to have used up all of her energy.
She was tired, just like me, so both of us fell asleep a little too early…
"Ah, we didn't get to play last night."
I could tell she didn't mind it at all. Instead of being angry at me for not playing with her, she was happy that I was feeling refreshed.
After all those fights in the dungeon and after all that blood, being back in this comfortable penthouse was just the thing I needed.
"Shall we take a bath?" Pressing the little one closer to my chest and throwing my head back on my super soft pillow, I opened my status window.
ID: Aria Cartethyia Solona (Otherworlder)
Job: Dungeon Architect (Novice)
Creation Units (CU): 90
Essence Points (EP): 43
Architect EXP: 201 (Next level: 1000)
Possessed Coins: 15,743
Innate Skills: Task Division (S), Pocket space (A), Mana affinity (E).
Job Skills: Creation (Beginner), Dismantle (Beginner), Material Collection (Beginner), Material Appraisal (Novice), Blueprint Mapping (Novice), Invisible hand (Novice).
Other skills: Assistance System (EX).
Titles: The one who came from a different world (L), The one who met the Trignity (L).
Available blueprints: Boundary (Novice), Safe Zone (Novice), Spike trap (Beginner), Material conduit (Novice), Improvised Barrier (Novice).
A slow, genuine smile spread across my face.
The coin count was a beautiful sight. The EXP from the boss fight was substantial. But my eyes still lingered on the EP.
The number was a significant jump, thanks to that pristine tail section.
Staring at the screen a little longer, my gaze then drifted to my {Pocket Space} inventory.
Neatly listed among the various monster parts and collected herbs were the unique items from the basilisk:
Ember-Core Fragment (Lesser) x1Fortified Sinew x8Ember scales x11Essence vessel (Tail) x1
The last item had intrigued me from the start since this was something new. I had never heard anything about a vessel that held the essence of some creature.
The one here was listed as a small, metallic-looking container, intricately patterned, seeming to pulse with a faint, warm light of its own.
'Rose? What exactly is an Essence Vessel?'
I wanted to ask the question for a while now, but it's only now that we get the chance to do so.
[ "An Essence Vessel is a condensed repository of a creature's inherent nature and a specific aspect of its power, formed under precise conditions during a pristine material collection." ]
Her explanation was thankfully not too difficult; she practically meant this thing was a zip file generated from a much bigger data set.
[ "Integration of the Essence Vessel with a conscious creation would allow the designated creation to manifest a version of that power, scaled to its own nature, and your available resources." ]
"Oh, so something like evolution material, huh? What will the creation get if I use this thing?" Thıs text ıs hosted at novel fire.net
[ "The Basilisk's Fire Breath would become a part of its fundamental being, a skill it inherently possesses. However, the probability of successful integration will depend on the vessel used." ]
"So it's like a super rare material that I should only use on the best of my creations instead of something I'm going to mass produce. Gotcha."
Yup, it was simple to understand. Super easy.
[ "The Essence Vessels are rare, so only use them with utmost certainty." ]
"Yes, yes, I got that much. Don't nag at me now."
The implications exploded in my mind like fireworks.
I wasn't just going to make cute companions or simple traps with this anyway.
I could craft beings with specific, powerful abilities, or better, upgrade one that had proven their potential.
I could design ecosystems within a future dungeon, with creatures that complemented each other, that had synergies, and one that would be fun to fight… not like that hungry, dumb basilisk. This thing was a game-changer.
"Huuu," I sighed deeply, my mind already racing with possibilities.
'A stone guardian with basilisk-fire breath? A scout that could spew a concealing smokescreen? The creative potential was dizzying… but this thing is useless for me right now.'
I had neither a dungeon nor a suitable creation to use the vessel on. And I know it's going to stay like that for a while longer.
Still, the excitement demanded celebration.
We also needed to wash off the lingering psychic grime of the dungeon and bask in our success, so I placed Qwy on my head and finally got up from my bed.
"Come on, baby. It's treat time."
Taking off the heavy clothes around my body, I just threw them all on the bed. Since the morning was resting time and we were going back to the dungeon by night, I had all the time in the world.
Going straight to my luxurious bathroom with my little baby, I wrapped a towel around my now prettier body.
'I didn't see it earlier, but now that I look at myself, the small changes are actually visible.'
The muscles throughout my lean body were a little firmer now; that strength boost I had felt was not a superficial thing. The area around my waist was also more toned, and my abs felt harder as well.
It didn't make me look too muscular, though… if anything, the image in my big bathroom mirror looked more feminine than it had previously been.
It wouldn't be a crime to perform a selfcest if it were someone … but then again, doing anything with a 'version' of myself would feel a little weird.
The little eyeball turned on the shower on one side, along with the various ruins around the large bathtub. She also poured the herb salts that we got from the fairy owner the last time.
"She said it'd help with recovery and fatigue from the dungeon runs, right?" Bubbles started coming out of the perfectly warm water as the water itself turned green because of the magical salts.
I admired myself a little more, combing my hair and making sure everything was just right before slowly descending into the warm water.
The perfect bath. Even the healing hot springs might not be as effective as this artificial pool of bliss.
My little daughter liked it as well.
Every time we were taking a bath, she'd fly up and then dive directly into the water, splashing some right on my face.
She loved doing this… my bright little eyeball of kindness.