<div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    The sensation of multiple System messages washed over the dungeon mind space. Memory branches grew, incorporating message sensations and the sensations of increasing in level and unlocking new treasure. Deep in the floating loop branch, the roots broke down the empty husk and absorbed it as well. The husk was composed of complex components and potent mental materials. When the last particle of the husk was broken down and absorbed, the loop felt ready to burst from the concepts and energy from the husk. In the end, the loop was compose of one long vine branch, and there was a natural response to such a feeling of fullness.


    <hr>


    A fruit grew on the white loop, floating on the pond. The body of the fruit was white, the stem was red, and single green leaf grew from the stem. Mental energy flowed into the fruit, filling out the body. When the fruit was full, the flow of energy cut off and the stem detached from the loop. The fruit fell through the water and settled on the bottom of the pond.


    After a time, the fruit split open to reveal a white vine sprout. The vine sprout grew up through the water towards the loop. Thin red and green streaks appeared on the vine as it swelled in size. The white vine grew up through the floating loop and began to open its leaves. Each leaf unfurled into a white loop that blazed with mental energy. White roots grew across the bottom of the pond. The white tendrils from the floating loop broke away from the network fibers and memory vine. The broken tendrils spiraled inward to connect with the growing white vine. Roots spread across the ground, connecting with the mushroom network and memory vine.


    Mental energy flowed smoothly into the white vine to fuel its growth. The loop leaves grew sparsely off the side of the white vine, leaving significant spacing between most of them. The white vine branched as it grew. The branches threaded themselves smoothly between the branches of the memory vine.


    The highest loop leaf of the white vine rose above the memory vines and into the light of the mirror star. The mirror star reflected a mixture of multiple memory branches onto the white loop. Another loop rose above the memory vines as the first loop processed. The mirror light reflected the ghostly memories and the processing from the first loop onto both loops. The processing of both loops reflected back from the mirror star and the loops began to process their processing. A third loops rose above memory vines. The light from the first loop began to increase exponentially. The processing of each loop was reflected back across the other loops, which began processing the new layer of processing. Mental energy flooded up the white body of the vine in order to power the loops'' processing.


    When a fourth loop rose above the memory vines, the previous loops began to distort. The information bundles and the memory vines drooped as the white vine drew more and more energy to power the loops. The first loop to reach the light twisted and split, spilling energy. Pain radiated from the damaged loop. The loops processed the pain on top of all the layers of processing. The limp memory vines put up one last ghostly memory before falling dormant.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "pain, absorb, grow”


    The message rebounded between the mirror star and each of the loops. More loops split as the processing became too much. All at once, the loops in the light flashed red and shot red roots to spear through the mirror star. The dungeon mind space went black.


    <hr>


    A shining green droplet formed high up in the dungeon mind space. It hung at the top for an eternity before falling. The green star fell through the space and vanished into black tangles. Scattered stars appeared near the bottom of the space. Gradually, the light of the stars increased. Shadows formed, contrasting the light of the stars. Something like rain began to fall from above. The stars brightened further, revealing white and green vines covering the ground of the space with a tangle of rambling branches. The stars brightened further, resolving into circles of light that grew off the white vine like leaves. The circles of light had a strange property--they appeared white, but also seemed to flash reflections of their surroundings, like little mirrors spinning in a breeze. White ghosts of branches and leaves began to flicker above the branches of the green vine.


    "weakness, hunger, distress"


    The information bundles, the foundational instincts, and the vines all felt the weakness, the lack of energy. In the still-dim mind space, a pair of concepts echoed loudly.


    "safety, defense"


    The information bundles drew comfort from the concept of safety. The mushroom network carried the feelings of comfort to the vines. The white loops processed this experience, but found no explanation. Without other context, the vines fell back on their earliest memories.


    "curiosity"


    More concepts echoed around the mind space. The sensory rain filled with vibrations at the same time as the concepts arrived.


    "defense, safety", "danger, void"


    information bundles sent their reactions into the mushroom network. Ghostly memory branches lit up around the green vine. The white vine loops took in all this information and processed for a while. Mirror light flashed back and forth between the loops as they compared their process and conclusions.


    "danger, defense, shell"


    Mental energy flowed into the foundational dungeon instincts. The dungeon drew more mana from the void to fuel the defenses and replenish mental energy. The information bundles all withdrew into shells or hunkered down in response to the command for defense. The plant foundational instincts woke up and began to pull in energy and mana to reinforce the dungeon vine branches and repair damage. The sensory rain increased in volume as the physical dungeon returned to normal.


    Mirror light shone from the loops, carrying information to and from each loop. The loops of the white vine observed their surroundings. They watched memories play out above the green vine branches. They saw the bound information bundles on the ground and the unbound ones moving through the vine branches. The loops observed the sensory rain that fell from above. The loops observed each other.