The Apple Grotto Nymph (Dungeon Core Fairy Tale)

  After the two children had finished laughing, Theanore got out of the pool. She was cold, and she let Crassus dry her up and dress her in a new dress.

"I told the seamstress that I will be selling the dresses," Crassus said as he righted the frills on Theanore's creamy polka dot dress.

"We can give you something so no one will ask questions," Marinus said as he dived deep and came out with a pearl oyster in his hand. Breaking it open, he separated the pearls and ate the oyster itself.

"If I am seen with these, then people will begin to ask questions," Crassus said, and Marinus shrugged.

"Suit yourself. Just make some believable tales, old man."

"Old?" Crassus said with a snort, faking anger in his voice. "I am twenty-seven years old, you toddler."

"You are practically ancient, old man," Marinus teased back, not being bothered that he was called a toddler. He sort of was, age-wise, anyway. He didn't have legs to toddle on, though.

"You are not marrying my daughter until you learn to respect your elders. Theanore, you won't marry a disrespectful boy, will you?" Crassus asked sternly. Theanore thought it was all a game, and so she giggled.

"Of course not, father," the nymph said as Marinus sputtered indignantly.

"I am sorry for calling you ancient, Sir," the merman said, and Crassus nodded.

"That is much better. Now, show me that you can provide for my daughter. Catch her some fish. We only had a mushroom-nettle soup and fruit tea so far."

Marinus dived with a huff and then came back up with two silver longtails in his hands. He then looked at Theanore, blushed, and dived back down to bite their heads off with his sharp shark-like teeth.

Placing the fish at the feet of the nymph, he looked at her for approval.

"I'll make a proper son-in-law out of you yet," Crassus said, taking the fish.

"I'll go cock these for you two. I will eat bread. You munchkins need all the food you can get," he went out of the pool cavern to the protest of both of the children that they weren't munchkins.

"He thinks that just because he is old, he can order me around," Marinus said, pouting. He had not forgotten how Theanore's father tried to trick him into giving up his sea horn.

"What is the big deal about this marriage thing? Doesn't it mean that we will be great friends forever?" Theanore asked, and Marinus chuckled at her naivety.

"Never mind that, Thea. You need more protectors besides me. Try asking the system if you can create things other than upgraded ants and fish," Marinus said as he casually swam to the edge of the pool so he could take a hold of Theanore's hand.

The nymph squeezed his hand reassuringly and cleared her throat.

"System, can I create…monsters?" Theanore wasn't sure she really wanted to create monsters, but she needed something to protect her. Monsters were good at fighting. Even she knew that.

Here is a list of the monsters you can create using your mana:

Boar berserker;

Snake stone-smasher;

Young bear cub;

Young shark;

Murder muffin.

Level up further to unlock a bigger selection.

Murder muffin? Muffins were pastries. Her father had given her one as they drank the tea. He had given one to Marinus too.

"Choose the murder muffin," Marinus said next to her, having read through the selection. "And pick two so that they can breed, and you won't have to splurge more mana on them."

"What is a murder muffin?" Theanore asked. Something that had the name of a muffin shouldn't be linked with murder.

Small feline ambush predators. Related to the common cat, but smaller. Can be upgraded into needle murder muff-terrors. They form murder muffin pride. Much like common lion pride. They use their numbers to take down prey.

"Cats? They are cats? I want cats!" Theanore exclaimed happily. Then she received a dreadful message.

Mana: 0/28.

Mana per murder muffin needed: 20;

"Wait, I can absorb pearls. System, I want to absorb these four pearls," Theanore said, and she received a new message.

Mana: 4/32.

"Mari, I need 36 more pearls for the two murder muffins. I must have cats. I saw a rat near my apple tree. It hissed at me, and I am afraid that it will chew through the stem!"

"You just want a cat, Thea," Marinus chuckled as he dived down. He had taken some normal oysters with him, so he had to shake them to find if there were pearls inside.

Mana: 10/38.

He dived again.

Mana 17/45.

And again, until finally, the two children saw before them:

Mana 40/68.

Create two murder muffins? Yes/No?

"Yes!" They both shouted excitedly at the same time and two lights shot out of Theanore and then two kittens were staring up at them.

"System, they are different genders, right?" Marinus asked. Theanore was slowly creeping towards the kittens with a glint in her eyes.

Yes. The gray one with the black dots under its eyes is the male one. The ginger kitten with the M on its forehead is the female one. Nymph, don't go near them!

But the warning came too late, as the ginger one hissed at Theanore and scratched her nose. The nymph touched the spot, and she fell on her bum from the shock that something this cute could do her damage.

Murder muffins are incredibly violent. Even as kittens, they can provide for themselves.

To prove the system's point, the gray murder muffin went to the edge of the pool and jumped in. It came out with a silver bait fish. Even though it was smaller than the silver longtails the fish did their best to get out of its way.

"I am going to name you Rip," Theanore said to the gray kitten that had already eaten the bait fish and was back inside the pool for another one. He caught one fairly easily and ripped it with his teeth, just like the former one.

"And you will be Hiss," the nymph named the ginger female kitten, which hissed at her.

"I dare say you like the name if you are saying it already." The kitten hissed again, and it jumped into the pool to get its fill of fish.

"Oh, how am I going to get them to the front of the cave if they refuse to let me hold them?"

Buy catnip? Yes/No?

"System, will that help me get the murder muffins to chase after the rat?" Theanore asked, and she received an answer.

Catnip is a herb with calming effect even on murder muffins. You can hold them and carry them safely if they are under its effect.

"And how much mana would a catnip cost me?"

Catnip is free of charge purchase with a murder muffin. Since you purchased two murder muffins, you get two fully grown catnip plants.

Two lights came from Theanore, and she watched as two bush-like plants appeared in front of her. As soon as the murder muffins caught their scent, they got out of the pool and went to cuddle with the bushes.

"It is like they are completely different animals," Theanore said with wonder. She found that as long as the murder muffin was next to the plant, it didn't hiss or scratch. Scratching Hiss behind the ears she heard as the small kitten began to make a strangely calming sound.

Warning:

Murder muffin is preparing for an attack. Normal cats purr to show love. Murder muffins purr to give their victims a false sense of…

Hiss bit Theanore's hand, and the nymph removed it with tears in her eyes.

…safety. It is best to lure the murder muffins to the apple tree and plant the catnip near it. That way you will get the most protection.

Would you like me to levitate the catnip out of the water cavern? Yes/No?

1 mana.

"Mari, could you?"

"On it. Darn cats! They better be able to feed off rats because I will not share my fish with someone who attacks my wife-to-be."

Rip began to purr and to move towards Marinus' position, and he got splashed with water by the merman for his sneakiness. Theanore couldn't help herself. She giggled.