The first Micro confined the murderous sixty-fourth Micro in a box with the Turtle Art, which the Micro inside clumsily resisted. However, with the support of several other Micros, the box was reinforced and the Micro inside soon ran out of energy. The first Micro pointed at a nearby Micro, who understood his task. He stepped forward with glowing eyes.

  “Comparing him to you with Spirit Vision, there is clearly something different, mostly in his head,” the fortieth Micro reported. “An unwanted passenger… It’s moving—I think it’s alive.”

  “The old man took medicine for a parasite after that one camping trip, but we don’t have pills…” the first Micro thought aloud. “How should we deal with the parasite without killing the Micro.”

  “Oh, poison!” most of the Micros in the room thought aloud in unison.

  “We should be able to survive most of the poisons we can make,” the first Micro said. “Numbers seventy through seventy-eight, feed him different poisons and report to Micro number two if one is effective. I’m out of fuel… Somebody inspect the other Micros for parasites… Don’t poison yourselves…”

  The storage room where the first Micro was found to be infected by a parasite became a quarantine for those with foreign bodies detected within them. Though only the sixty-fourth Micro had acted out violently due to the parasite’s influence on his mind, a total of seven Micros were confirmed to be infected. After voluntarily confining themselves to quarantine, they began to use their remaining energy to create poisons along with the other Micros. Several Micros grew violent as the parasites took hold of their minds, but the poisons were effective at slowing them down. Micro hadn’t previously experimented much with poison, but the basic method for creating a broad range of poisonous compounds using energy could be found in their minds thanks to the Core Cards they had mastered, and they grew more confident in their abilities with time.

  The injured Micro was eventually saved with the help of three energy fruits, but the mood of the tunnels darkened for the next week. The smell of the poisons which filled the tunnel made the Micros sick, but they continued to work despite the constant pollution. With regular inspections, more and more Micros were confirmed to be infected, and the source was still unclear. Finally, after half of the Micros had been infected, and few Micros remained outside of the quarantined area, good news came on a rainy day.

  “We found a poison that will work!” a Micro happily reported. “It takes a lot of energy to produce, but it works quickly!”

  The second Micro ordered that the method to create it be shared, and the bitter smelling poison soon filled the tunnels. It looked like a green cloud of exhaust that hung in the air for hours at a time, but the Micros were relieved when those of their number whose minds had begun to deteriorate finally showed signs of improvement. Several days later, while expanding a tunnel, the Micros discovered a small nest of the parasites in the dirt. After poisoning the nest, the Micros considered burying them far away for hygiene’s sake. However, the collective came up with an idea.

  “Number eight, you test it,” the second Micro ordered. “Report any side effects you may notice quickly.”

  “Keep your distance, in case it makes me act weird,” the eighth Micro replied. Without hesitation, he then picked up a dead parasite, a worm-like creature the length of his hand, and threw it into his mouth. The other Micros anxiously awaited his reaction. “It’s not as good as the fruits, but it did fill me up a bit. I feel about five percent fuller now, give or take.”

  The parasites were carried to their own storage chamber and monitored carefully for signs of spoiling, but they appeared to stay fresh indefinitely. The same species of parasite was found several times in the next week as the tunnels continued, and another species which required a unique type of poison to eliminate also appeared, but food became less of a worry to the Micros. Though the energy cost to kill the parasites barely made up for the energy they provided when eaten, the Micros were happy to have found a more efficient way to deal with the threat.

  ~

  On the nine month anniversary of the trial’s beginning, several Micros who oversaw different aspects of dungeon activities held a regular meeting. With enough food sources secured to keep every Micro fed, not accounting for unforeseen energy expenditures, their focus had turned to long term survival strategies.

  “We now have access to five hundred trees connected to our tunnels, correct?” the first Micro, having regained command after a long rest, asked the Micro across from him.

  “Yes, the farthest tree from here is twenty-five hundred meters from the central hill,” the Micro replied. “They are evenly distributed in every direction. We are still searching for more trees, but we are focusing most of our resources on expanding the local network of tunnels for now.”

  “How are the farming projects?” the first Micro asked another.

  “We’ve been able to grow seven trees to maturity. We expect that they will become a stable source of energy in about four months at their current rate of growth. They grow the same way trees on earth grow, but they grow much faster,” the Micro replied. “We experimented with various improvised fertilizers, but the results of those tests are still inconclusive.”

  “How are the energy fruit reserves now?” the first Micro continued.

  “Parasite nests have prevented our reserves from emptying for the past two weeks, but they are not a reliable food source, given the cost of poisoning them,” another Micro replied. “There are too many varieties now, so poison testing is becoming less efficient. A more direct approach to extermination may be the best course of action.”

  “And the scouts?” the first Micro turned to the next Micro. “Anything new or exciting to report this month?”

  “Our scouts have had several encounters with monsters, but there were no accidents. We are planning to hunt a boar-like creature next week and confirm whether or not it takes more fuel to kill the creature than the creature can provide as food,” he explained. “We may require extra Micros to ensure the hunt goes smoothly.”

  “Very good, everyone. Drive safe,” the first Micro said with a satisfied nod, and the meeting was concluded

  ~

  The large boar soon became a preferred snack for the Micros. Though they didn’t waste energy trying to create a fire for cooking, it stayed fresh no matter how long they stored it thanks to the development of a poisonous gas used as a preservative. The fatty meat wasn’t as rich in energy as the fruits, but it was much more enjoyable when dried and aged in certain conditions.

  Furthermore, many of its bones were shaped optimally for digging. The Micros had planned on trying to create shovels by using the small amount of metal ore they had previously stored with their Storage Skill, but they were disappointed to find that their storage was empty. The rib cage of the large creature provided most of the Micros responsible for digging with a reliable shovels.

  The weather continued to change drastically from day to day, ranging from cold that made it impossible to breathe to heat that burned the skin in seconds. Dragons occasionally flew over the hill, one even landing on it during a snowstorm, but the Micros had tunnelled so far underground that the dragon simply moved on after resting for an hour.

  Farming experiments went smoothly despite several extreme weather events. As the amount of fruit on each tree began to keep up with their energy needs, the Micros called another meeting.

  “We now have reliable access to seven hundred and thirty-two trees,” a Micro reported. “At least two hundred more trees have been located beyond the area we have fully explored.”

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  “Our surplus is beginning to rise daily as fruit is harvested from trees on our network,” another Micro added. “We are able to use more energy to perform daily tasks now, but we are still prioritizing building a large stockpile of fruits.”

  “The fruit we have grown has begun to flower, and the number of fuelling stations along our network will double within a year,” another reported. “We have wondered if it may be possible for trees to die, but no experiments have been carried out yet.”

  “The supply of meat from creatures which we are able to defeat safely is too inconsistent to rely on when the weather is too extreme. Trapping may be more efficient than hunting in the future,” one Micro with a large scar on his face said. “Trapping would also be more fun than fighting them…”

  “We’ll wait for meat to come to us,” the first Micro began. “Limit scouting to the area immediately surrounding our network. The tunnelling group will focus on redundancies in security and drainage. It won’t be possible to defend a larger area than this with our current number if an unknown threat appears. Have the fruits we planted underground shown any progress?”

  “It seems impossible to grow them underground,” the Micro responsible for farming research replied. “We also weren’t able to grow new trees from cuttings. Research on grafting branches is progression slowly.”

  “The old man would love to try working with these,” the first Micro remarked with a melancholy tone, and the Micros all let out a collective sigh. “Alright, back to work.”

  ~

  A year quickly passed as the small colony of Micros continued to perform their duties. Farming practices and networks of tunnels were gradually developed and their efficiency improved, and few threats affected daily life. Several monsters did attempt to enter the tunnels throughout the year, but the tunnels were quickly sealed, isolating the creatures. The invaders which were too strong to be defeated safely eventually gave up and abandoned their attempts to invade the colony’s three-dimensional maze of tunnels. Communication between Micros also became more efficient. Fewer words were spoken with every day that passed, and less energy was expended on tasks unrelated to survival.

  After several more years had passed, the Micros had abandoned their system of delegating leadership positions to Micros arbitrarily, as their duties had become clearly defined with experience and time. The surplus of energy fruits in storage frequently exceeded the designated storage areas’ capacity, but the Micros continued to conserve energy.

  On a particularly cold day, many years later, as three Micros hid behind a pile of rocks at the entrance to the tunnel, looking up in silence as a dragon flew by, the Micros were suddenly surprised by a voice which they hadn’t heard in a long time.

  “Are you serious?!” The voice of little ant called Kaylero shook the world like an earthquake.

  “Hello?” The Micros all stood up straight and looked around, but the dungeon guardian was nowhere to be found.

  “Enough, already!” the ant shouted. “I feel like you’re mocking me at this point!”

  The dungeon which Micro had called home for years, the trees, tunnels, and the endless horizon, all disappeared at once. The Micros all faded from existence, one after the other, until there was only one left, alone in the dark.

  “Oh, hello again,” Micro said with a wave as he reappeared beneath the tree, joined by his friends. “It’s nice to see a different face!”

  “Master…!” Kira clung to Micro, tears flowing from her eyes. She sobbed uncontrollably while he patted her back, and he greeted the others.

  Arbur and Kolt looked back with wide eyes, as if they couldn’t believe what they were seeing. Trill let out a sigh as he dove into Kolt’s pocket, and Blue stretched her wings before landing on Micro’s head.

  “That wasn’t the most fun I’ve had in a dungeon,” Blue said with a yawn. “But the company was great.”

  “You are all strange beyond any measure,” Kaylero said with a strained voice. “I did mean to go easy on you, but this…”

  “Did we all pass the trial or not?” Micro asked the ant after locating her on the tree. “I thought I did okay, but—”

  “Don’t make jokes right now. I am not in the mood,” Kaylero snapped back. “But you…”

  “Were my tunnels not to code?” Micro asked, though he still wore a confident look on his face.

  “Your success is as obvious as it is confounding!” Kaylero replied. “The pixies’ success is indisputable also. As for the children, they certainly survived…”

  Five shimmering Core Cards suddenly appeared in the air. Two of the shining red cards appeared before Blue, and two appeared before Micro, but only one card appeared in front of Kolt’s pocket. Trill poked his head out of the pocket and frowned.

  “The three of you accomplished the primary goal of the trial,” Kaylero announced, her voice lacking any trace of enthusiasm for their accomplishments. “You established a secure, stable, and self-sustaining colony. Your continued existence despite the dangers of the world was essentially guaranteed…”

  “It wasn’t that complicated in the end,” Micro said happily. “There really is nothing like an honest day’s work.”

  “Your minds are truly not human. I should not have expected a normal trial—” Kaylero composed herself with a deep breath before continuing. “The farm tool achieved the most efficient result possible. The level of cooperation you attained should not be possible for any being with an ego. If I wasn’t talking to you now, I would doubt you were even sentient. What human would be content to spend every waking hour beneath the surface. Most of your copies never saw the sun again after going underground! And you all survived?! It is absurd!”

  “Micros are efficient and reliable,” Micro replied. “We’re not built for heavy duty tasks, but we do what we—”

  “Just stop talking, please!” Kaylero pleaded. “You embodied selflessness, and therefore have proven yourself…”

  “I’ll miss all those copies of me…” Blue smiled, recalling the trial with a smile. “Is there a skill for making copies…?”

  “And the pixies…” Kaylero continued. “Though only the blue one managed to keep all of her copies alive, how can you call yourself worthy of the Ant Art after that mess?! You didn’t cooperate a single time!”

  “We played together pretty often,” Blue argued.

  “You constantly fought!” Kaylero screamed. “You all lived in different trees, and didn’t share a single fruit!”

  “I found a really nice tree, actually,” Trill added casually.

  “Right?” Blue agreed enthusiastically. “They were always the right temperature, and the bark… oh, it was so soft…!”

  “I didn’t think of living in trees,” Micro said. “Nice idea, Blue.”

  “You wouldn’t fit in a tree anyway!” Blue said, beginning to laugh.

  “That’s true…” Micro shrugged.

  “Even the three runts over here managed to learn how to survive the trial indefinitely…” Kaylero continued, choosing to ignore the conversation between Blue and Micro before it infuriated her further. “Though only small groups of you survived, and you are still utterly unworthy of this dungeon’s reward.”

  “I—I watched myself die…” Kolt stuttered, still staring blankly at Micro. “So many times… for so long… I thought I would—”

  “Am I the real me?” Arbur asked, looking down at his hands. “How would I know…?”

  “I hope you all hesitate next time you find yourselves at the doorstep of a ruby level dungeon,” Kaylero concluded with a sigh. “Fools…”

  “How much time has passed since we got here, by the way?” Micro asked Kaylero. “Is it safe outside now, or is the world still on fire?”

  “The trials took place in a separate time. Not much time has passed at all,” the grumpy ant replied.

  “Then, would you mind if we wait here a while?” Micro asked. “It’s probably still really hot out there. I’ve never seen that much purple fire before.”

  “Purple, you say?” Kaylero asked. “That is not a battle you would survive. Fine, you have passed this trial, somehow. You may leave at your leisure. Just don’t do anything ridiculous in my presence.”

  “Thanks, Kaylero,” Micro said, bowing and saluting the ant with one hand wrapped around the other.

  ~

  When Kira had finally stopped crying, Micro gestured for everybody to join him on the ground away from the tree. The warmth of the sky was comfortable, despite the lack of a real sun.

  “So, the Ant Art, eh?” Blue juggled the two cards in her hands while standing on Micro’s head. “And this thing. What is it?”

  “It kind of looks like a nose…” Micro looked at his own cards, one of which featured an ant-like design, and one which Appraisal helped him identify. “Spirit Smell, huh? That could be useful. I wonder if I’ll be able to smell dungeons!”

  “I can’t say I want to be able to know what you smell like in any greater detail…” Blue said to Micro with an eyebrow raised. “Oh well.”

  Micro, Blue, and Trill threw their ruby cards into storage, being unable to master them at their current levels, and relaxed. Arbur and Kolt were coming to their senses again, and Kira had fallen asleep on the grass next to Micro. She had been inconsolable for a while, but her aura was beginning to feel much less anxious as she slept.

  “Don’t worry about the weird feelings you get after a dungeon trial,” Micro reassured them. “They go away after a little while. It’s like waking up from a bad dream…”

  “I can’t believe all of your copies survived, master,” Arbur said in awe. “Even though my copies tried to work together with a common goal in mind, everything fell apart when the first dragon came. We panicked and fought amongst ourselves so shamefully…”

  “Well, you can try again some day,” Micro smiled. “Just enjoy the weather until it’s time to go. We still have a long journey ahead of us.”

  “The weather in a ruby level dungeon?” Arbur whispered as he stared at the mysterious sky. “Yes, I’ll try to enjoy it, Master Micro…”