Zion looked at the Sheep Monster Contract one more time.
There was still a chance that the sheep were not as weak as they first seemed.
It was a small chance, but plenty of dangerous creatures used harmless appearances to lower their prey’s guard.
Maybe all that fluffy wool concealed sharp bones underneath, or their eyes turned red the moment combat started.
They could even be undead sheep that kept moving after being cut apart.
Zion focused on the contract.
[Sheep Monster Contract]
[Classification: Beast]
[Threat Rating: Minimal]
[Primary Attack: Headbutt]
[Secondary Traits: Herding, Grazing, Dense Wool]
[Environmental Preference: Open Grassland]
There was no mention of undeath, hidden bone spikes, or even sharp teeth.
Zion stared at the information for another moment.
Still, the contracts only displayed basic details.
Maybe some traits had to be discovered through use.
There was only one way to find out.
Zion moved his consciousness away from the throne room.
The sensation was strange at first.
His awareness stretched through the sealed doors without opening them, passing through the stone as if it did not exist.
For a brief moment there was only darkness, and then Floor 1 appeared around him.
It was even less impressive than he expected.
The entire floor was one enormous cave.
Rough stone covered the walls and ceiling, while the ground sloped unevenly in several places.
A few thin cracks ran through the rock, but there were no tunnels, pillars, or natural formations he could immediately use.
No grass.
No water.
No monsters.
No atmosphere.
Just a wide, cold, dark cave.
Zion moved his awareness toward the center.
He could inspect the floor from almost any angle, drifting close enough to examine the stone or rising high enough to see the entire chamber at once.
For someone who currently had no body, it was surprisingly freeing.
He still couldn’t touch anything, but at least he could move.
At the far end of the cave stood another set of stone doors.
They were much smaller than the ones sealing his throne room, though still large enough for several people to pass through at once.
Beyond them waited the final corridor leading back to him.
At least for now.
He didn’t plan to have them so accessible for long.
Zion looked over the empty cave again.
“This definitely needs work.”
He opened the monster-placement panel.
[Sheep]
[Summoning Cost: 4 Essence]
Zion frowned as he thought about the cost.
“Four?”
That seemed suspiciously cheap.
A creature responsible for protecting his life cost less than one fifth of Clatter.
Either Clatter was far more impressive than its description suggested, or the sheep were exactly as dangerous as they looked.
Unfortunately, he was beginning to suspect the second option.
Zion selected one.
A pale circle appeared across the cave floor.
Light gathered inside it before a soft thud echoed through the chamber.
A sheep landed on all four legs.
It stood completely still for several seconds, staring into the darkness.
He moved closer immediately.
The sheep’s wool remained soft and white.
Its eyes were large and black, with no glowing red light or strange energy hidden inside them.
There were no exposed ribs beneath its coat, no sharp bones pushing through the wool, and no signs that it might suddenly transform into something horrific.
It did not even have horns.
Zion inspected it from another angle.
“Nothing?”
The sheep took one careful step forward, its hoof scraping against the rough stone.
Then it lowered its head.
Zion watched as the animal moved its mouth toward the ground and attempted to graze against bare rock.
After a few confused movements, it lifted its head again.
The sheep looked to one side of the cave, then the other.
Its ears shifted as it listened for something that was not there.
A few moments later, its large black eyes started to shine.
He moved even closer.
“Are you crying?”
A thin layer of moisture gathered along the bottom of the sheep’s eyes.
Then it released a small, uncertain sound.
“Baa?”
The noise echoed through the empty cave.
Zion stared at it.
A few minutes ago, he had been hoping the creature secretly had bone spikes.
Now it was standing alone in a dark cave, apparently crying because there was nothing to eat.
He felt strangely guilty.
Disappointed, but guilty.
The sheep had appeared in a cold stone chamber with no grass, no sunlight, and no other sheep.
It probably had no idea why it was there.
As far as Zion could tell, it only knew that everything around it was wrong.
“This thing is supposed to protect my life?” If he had hands he would’ve been face palming right now.
The sheep lowered its head again.
Zion let out an imaginary sigh before opening the placement panel.
“Fine.
You probably need friends.”
He summoned another.
Four essence disappeared from his total, and a second sheep landed several feet away.
The first sheep noticed immediately.
Its ears shot up before it hurried across the cave, its hooves clicking loudly against the stone.
It pressed itself against the newcomer’s side almost the moment it reached it.
The second sheep looked around with the same confusion before leaning closer.
He watched them for a moment before summoning three more.
The reaction was immediate.
The moment the new sheep appeared, all five moved toward one another.
Within seconds, they had formed a tight cluster in the middle of the cave, their bodies pressed together while they looked around the unfamiliar space.
They were still nervous.
But at least they were no longer alone.
Zion inspected the group.
[Sheep Group]
[Condition: Stable]
[Morale: Low]
[Environmental Compatibility: Poor]
[Current Effects:]
[-5% Vitality]
[-10% Movement Speed]
[-10% Herd Coordination]
He paused.
“So the environment affects them.”
That was new.
He focused on Environmental Compatibility.
[Dungeon creatures are sustained by dungeon essence and do not require ordinary food or rest for survival.]
[Compatible environments may improve morale, behavior, physical development, and combat efficiency.]
[Incompatible environments may reduce performance.]
He read the information carefully.
That made sense.
More importantly, it meant the pasture pack was not just decorative.
His attention immediately shifted toward the terrain section.
[Grassland Terrain Pack]
[Unlocked]
A grid appeared across the cave floor and Zion selected a small patch directly beneath the sheep.
[Placement Cost: 2 Essence]
The stone began to change.
Green spread through the cracks before thickening across the surface until a square of soft grass covered the ground.
The sheep noticed immediately.
All five lowered their heads at once and started grazing.
Zion watched as their status changed.
[Morale: Neutral]
“Oh.”
That was fast.
The difference was small, but obvious.
Their bodies loosened, and they stopped pressing quite so tightly against one another.
One sheep even wandered a few steps away before lowering its head again.
Zion expanded the grass.
More green spread across the cave floor, replacing the bare stone in wide sections.
The sheep followed it as it appeared, gradually spreading out until they were no longer standing in a single nervous cluster.
Their condition changed again.
[Condition: Stable]
[Morale: Content]
[Environmental Compatibility: Moderate]
[Current Effects:]
[+3% Vitality]
[+5% Movement Speed]
[+5% Herd Coordination]
He looked at his remaining essence.
The grass had already cost more than the sheep themselves.
At first, that felt ridiculous.
Then he looked back at them.
The animals moved with noticeably more energy now.
Their wool seemed slightly fuller, and they wandered across the grass without constantly checking the darkness around them.
They no longer looked like someone had abandoned them underground.
Zion stared at the pasture for another moment.
“So making them comfortable makes them stronger.”
That changed things.