The city turned out to be ruins, it looked like it was scorched by the sun. Dusty entered the city and started to explore the ruins, nothing was found and it was eerily quiet.

  The ruins looked like they had been abandoned for decades, nothing grew and what little there were crumbling to pieces. No windows, no doors, just the pillars that made up the buildings. Everything that could be scavenged were picked clean there weren’t even signs of death just emptiness. This gave a shiver down by soul it reminded me of the darkness it was nothing.

  “Ok buddy I thinks it’s time for you to come home.” I mentally nudged Dusty to return but as he turned around a corner a dark shadow stood.

  Unknown corruption level unknown

  Affinity unknown

  “Yep, time to go.” This time I mentally shoved Dusty and he agreed and sprinted away.

  Thankfully the Corruption didn’t follow it just stared off as Dusty ran back home. It took a few days but after we were out of sight of the ruins I finally started to relax and Dusty slowed down his pace and proceeded to hunt on his way home.

  Back home I added to the defenses of the dungeon a stream that cut the second floor in half boiled to the temperature that would cook anything that would fall into it. With a small bridge for Dusty to cross as he comes and goes. His next expedition will take him as far away from that dead city, maybe we could find signs of life other than those small morsels we have satiated ourselves with.

  But before that I will get my fill of fluff and play with Dusty to his hearts content. I even planted a small tree inside my core room for him to climb and scratch. I placed the other trees on the second floor to reduce the line of sight the back wall and the stream crossing the center of the room, it made It feel like a jungle with the heat and trees on the floor.

  Expedition complete

  “Oh, Dusty must be home.” Before I had a chance to change my view to see Dusty return, he darted straight to the dungeons entrance. If the changes to his home bothered him it didn’t show he knew exactly where to go to get to the core room and soon I found him at my pedicle and champing on his kibble and drinking like he hadn’t murdered his way through the desert for the past week.

  “Welcome home Dusty.” I said to him as I petted him and combed his fur with a brush I purchased from the store. He seems to have gotten bigger after his trip its probably from all the things he killed on his way.

  Your dungeon beast Dusty has leveled up from level 1 to level 2

  “What’s this?” I said as I looked at the notification.

  “You had quite the trip didn’t you, you even leveled up what a good boy. Yes, you are my little murder mittens.” I repeated while squishing his cheeks and feeding him treats.

  “You deserve a rest I’ll have you go on another expedition after a long-deserved rest.” I watched as he stretched and climbed the new tree and naped in on one of the larger branches.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  For the time being I added some thorn bushes at the entrance and a couple of cacti at the entrance to deter large animals for the time being I don’t want to get over my head especially see that thing in the city.

  Another few days of pampering and farming S.P. I had noticed the number of lives has increased in number and variety. It looks like I have created a small ecosystem, and it has attracted all of them to me. This is great for my farming, but I wonder what else might be attracted to my little oasis.

  Passing the time some more I added some glowing moss to the walls and ceiling of both my floors to provide lighting since the entrance was hidden behind foliage now and there was no natural light on the second floor.

  A week passed quickly and I let Dusty out on another expedition wishing him luck I continued to observe my surroundings and their changes with the recent dungeon upgrade. Hooty and his partner had made a nest and looked like they had a few eggs laid. Insects have also moved in and other plant life that I didn’t place. Things seem to grow faster around my oasis which is nice in this barren desert land and the dead city off in the distance doesn’t give me hope for the rest of the world.

  The next day a sandstorm blew in it was so big that Dusty was stuck traveling in it despite being a couple of days away. Poor Hooty and Ms. Hooty were stuck in their nest guarding their eggs. I helped them stay in their tree with my telekinesis. “It will be ok you two I’ll help you.”

  Would you like to add Hooty and Ms. Hooty to your dungeon beast’s Y/N

  “That’s new and it doesn’t cost me anything sure why not.”

  Level 1 Hooty and Ms. Hooty have been added to your dungeon

  Affinity wind

  With this addition, I gently lifted and placed the nest with them still in it into my dungeon on top of Dusty’s tree, they seem to appreciate the improvement to their improvement to their living conditions.

  When they settled in and Ms. Hooty had the eggs well taken care of, I had Hooty join Dusty in his expedition. And boy it was exciting though Hootie’s eyes I sore though the sky and saw my dungeons surroundings in a new light. But I was met with disappointment and most of what I saw was more sand and ruins.

  Though movement caught my eye in the distance, I sent the two over to investigate but I don’t want Hooty to go too far ahead so this will have to take a day or two to reach it.

  In the meantime, I kept Ms. Hooty fed with fresh kills from outside and provided a bird feeder and a bigger nest, she seems to really like the upgrades and the pampering.

  In the distance far from the dungeon was a caravan moving through the desert to an unknown location to most of its passengers. Several wagons were being pulled not by beast of burden but people of many different races but all chained the same. Many of the wagons carried goods and resources but at the rear a carriage was more luxurious and comfortable than the wagons it followed behind at the rear of the caravan.

  “Keep it moving we are on a timetable!” Yelled a portly man in a silk tunic barley broke a sweat in this sweltering heat a jeweled whip sat at his side, and with a simple juster of reaching it caused the slaves in chains flinch at the sight. A pampered slave sat next to him blowing cooling breeze onto his face and her gaze towards the other slaves showed that she enjoyed their discomfort and suffering under the burning sun.

  “That’s right heads straight and eyes forward.” The man chuckled as he ate from a platter of fruit fed to him by his personal slave, fruit so expensive that none of the people in chains have ever seen not to mention tasted, the only fruit belonged to the wealth or powerful.

  The rounded man was in the back of the caravan in the fanciest carriage pulled by slaves containing the most valuable cargo. They were going to meet with a valued customer of his and he was looking at a very big pay day out of it.

  Sniffles and tears from two figures could be heard inside the carriage as they traveled to what would be their new home as slaves to a rich individual. Worked till the day they died making the life blood of this dead and baren world water.