After checking Theseus's blessing, she took a clear understanding of the experience difference between both species. For some reason, the spiders had given far more.

'Maybe the ones on higher floors have a bigger level,' it was what I felt like a proper justification, solely based on the little information we had gathered. The spiders were quite evolved and they were strong.

But a peculiar mystery was born with his shaky words, "there were no spiders on the sixth floor."

"Where did they come from then?" 

"I'm not sure my lady."

"How far did you manage to go up there?"

"Not far..." he frowned, "the path had way too many tunnels and way too many creatures."

"Did you see their names?"

"Yes! Cave ants."

"Ants..." whimsical things back then. One of those insects that could be found just about anywhere. Often stepped on by any human shoe or feet without even realizing they were beneath. They built underground nests, often making a hole covered by the earth in the shape of a cone on the surface.

But it was different here, they were inside a mountain it sounded like they were still making tunnels. Could they make the mountain collapse?

"Did you try to fight one of them?"

"They're smaller than spiders but they walked around in numbers. There were lines of them going everywhere. Easily twenty just by the entrance. They had pieces of rock on their mouths, it looked as if they were transporting them somewhere."

"That is curious," her hands fell by waist height.

Anasthasia spoke from behind Viktor having been with him on the sixth floor, "we could attempt to expand to the fourth floor. The villagers will have no food left in two days."

"We can't allow them to starve," Alice added instantly, pointing a finger below. "Lower we go."

They nodded briefly taking it as an order.

And before any of them were able to move, they saw a scroll appear in front of my eyes.

Zone One Quest
Conquer the fourth floor.
Reward: Theseus heritage upgrade.

'This looks important Alice!' My excited yell made her smile. She felt so fortunate to discover newer ways of improving her possessions. 

With a quick glance at her information, she noticed that the amount increased by the mushrooms hadn't been that much.

Experience: 380/1000 

Three had given ten each, whilst the seven spiders turned out to be three hundred and fifty. The gap was abysmal, but it could also explain why Katherine wasn't hurt and didn't complain about the difficulty of dealing with the mushroom lads.

'Are we to kill our source of food?' 

She questioned herself in such a specific way that I couldn't help myself but reflect on her intellect.

"What an amazing observation," I added softly in my realm, not expecting her to think about it like that. 

It didn't take long for me to understand where the thought had come from. Unlike me, the residents needed to eat. Alice needed blood and souls, and the primordials would need to suck some nutrients from somewhere: likely their friends and family.

In this manner, we established a food chain and likely a hierarchy based on racial differences. This could probably lead the villagers to rebel. Though it was true they were to serve someone higher than them.

I shared my inner feelings and thoughts with Alice so that she could make sure of treating everyone rightfully while still imposing some sort of tax on them. 

The so-called give-and-take methodology.

The primordials would offer protection to the villagers, and in exchange, if necessary, these would offer them blood in low amounts.

After Alice had a long talk with them, such was defined. This made a few want to become vampires like them and even ask the girl to transform them.

They too wanted to fight and show their worth.

"I'm very happy you feel this way."

"Then!" A few added in unison with expectation.

"Sadly I have evolved into a higher specie capable of devouring those who are immortal and the creatures that live in the spectral realm, a place yet beyond my control."

Her words shattered some of their hope to reach a higher status.

"But this doesn't mean that in the future, one of the primordials won't be able to do what I did."

If I was with the information I passed to Alice, then there was a chance if they drank their blood they could evolve into the second generation of vampires. The only reason we hadn't tested it yet, was because the seven of them already required blood. And we had no way of stocking such precious nectar so that they wouldn't end up starving to death.

"For now, we'll stick to my past decision. And in the future, once we have all the conditions, I promise to do something about your evolution."

Her father's words haunted her mind, 'promise others what they desire, make them work their asses till death for it. Motivated slaves will always be better than free men without goals.'

She was no longer a doll, yet his wicked practices had rooted themselves in her. His lessons had become the testimony of his existence. And Alice could not get rid of them.

Not yet.

All she needed now was time.

To experience, to feel, to live on.

All these pieces would certainly, one day, fit together into a beautiful puzzle, giving birth to a newer persona of herself.

A better one, I hoped.

After all, I used to believe most of us live every day, of our short lives to become a better version of ourselves.

But even if such didn't happen. I'd take her side, till I could find a way to have my wish guaranteed.

For now, her survival was my priority. 

The residents were an extra force that I hoped could help her grow, if only by a bit.

"A group of vampires..." It was without a doubt interesting. I hoped with all my heart they would serve her forever. To make every single dream she had turn into reality.

I didn't want much in return since by the moon entity's words, it was likely I would forever be stuck as an item.