《The Impeccable Adventure of the Reluctant Dungeon》


 Prologue

    ¡°Of course it had to happen like this,¡± Theodor grumbled as he floated through infinity.


    Some would say that his unexpected death was a series of mishaps, and they would be partially right. The truth was that he had met his demise by walking into an empty elevator shaft while it was under repair. The reason that he had walked inside was because he had urgently been called to the seventh floor for an important meeting by the company¡¯s management. Usually, a person would notice the large warning signs placed on the walls, but Theo was so busy going through the quarterly reports on his way to the above mentioned meeting. As a result, he had walked off the floor and, ultimately, the mortal plane of existence.


    Is this how it ends? Theo wondered. It seemed very different from what he imagined. Calm, peaceful¡­ maybe that was exactly what he needed after all those years of forced overtime.


    ¡°Greetings, mortal,¡± a radiant female voice said.


    Theodor looked up. The glowing figure of pure light descended to his level. In almost every aspect, this was the most beautiful creature he had laid eyes upon. However, the particle effects could have done with a bit more work.


    ¡°I am here to welcome you into the afterlife,¡± the being said. ¡°Your life was brief and filled with sacrifice and challenges, and your demise was¡­¡± there was a slight pause. ¡°Not entirely fair. For that reason, it was decided that you would be given a new life in a new world.¡±


    ¡°New life in a new world?¡± Theo asked. Everything sounded so confusing.


    ¡°Your soul will be transported into a land of magic, beauty, and adventure. You will be bestowed the second greatest boon, making you a hero at birth.¡±


    ¡°A hero? You mean I¡¯ll go about saving villages and fighting monsters?¡±


    ¡°Precisely.¡± The being clasped her hands together.


    A warm light surrounded Theodor, wrapping him in warmness.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Theodor shouted. ¡°I don¡¯t want it!¡±


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    ¡°Excuse me?¡± The being blinked. Of all the millions of souls she had conveyed to the next world, none had reacted in such fashion. Normally, people were overjoyed to be told they would be made a hero. ¡°Did you say that you didn¡¯t want to become a hero?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did! I¡¯ve been running about doing errands for others all my life. I don¡¯t want to do any more of that.¡±


    ¡°But heroes are exceptional people who are born with unique powers to¡ª"


    ¡°No! I¡¯m done with that! What I want is absolute calm away from everyone.¡±


    Under normal circumstances, it wouldn¡¯t take much to fulfill Theodor¡¯s request, but yet again, luck was not on his side.


    ¡°My apologies, but that¡¯s impossible.¡±


    ¡°Of course this would happen.¡± Theodor¡¯s soul let out a deep sigh.


    ¡°You see, I already bestowed the gift of destiny on your soul. You have no choice but to be born with special powers.¡± The being of light hesitated. There was something that could be done, although this was most unusual. ¡°I cannot remove the powers once they¡¯ve merged with your soul, however, I could modify its shape.¡±


    ¡°You will?¡± Theodor asked in a weak voice.


    ¡°Of course. I can transform you into a fantastic beast,¡± the being smiled. ¡°Maybe you¡¯ve dreamt of being a majestic dragon, a graceful unicorn, a creature of might and splendor that¡ª"


    ¡°That¡¯s worse than being a hero,¡± Theo said. ¡°I¡¯ll have to hunt for a living. Can¡¯t you make me in a tree or something?¡±


    The being of light blinked again.


    ¡°Look, I just want to spend the whole of my next life snoozing, as far away from people and other creatures as possible. That¡¯s what I want. A nice cozy, secure, isolated existence doing nothing. Can you give me that?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ it is possible. But are you sure? Once you¡¯re reborn in the next world, there¡¯s no turning back. I won¡¯t be able to intervene.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure. As long as I¡¯m able to do what I asked, I¡¯ll be happy even if I¡¯m a tree, a bush, or even a garden gnome.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± The being of light gave Theodor a skeptical look. She wasn¡¯t in the least convinced this was the right thing to do, but since the soul had been so insistent, she didn¡¯t have any choice on the matter. ¡°Embrace the light and be reborn anew!¡±


    Bright light filled all the space round Theodor up to infinity, becoming brighter and brighter until it was incandescent. Then there was a loud bang. The light was replaced by darkness. Theodor felt that he was surrounded by a nice warm layer of soil. The only issue was that he had undergone certain changes¡ªthe human body he was so used to in his previous life had been replaced by an entrance, three chambers, and a corridor.


    Well, this is new, Theodor thought. Starting today he had become a dungeon.

 1. Sleep and Heroes

    Being a dungeon took a while of getting used to. Since there wasn¡¯t anyone around to explain things, he had to examine himself piece by piece.


    The outer door was a good start. He found that he could open, close, bolt, and unbolt it. Thankfully, from what it looked like, he wasn¡¯t going to have to do much of that. The being of light had kept her word. As far as Theo could tell, he was within a small hill in a valley surrounded by impenetrable mountains on three sides and a thick thorny forest on the fourth. There were no villages, burrows, nests, or even bee hives in the entire area, ensuring idyllic calm.


    Connected to the entrance was Theo''s first room¡ªthe entrance. It wasn¡¯t much of a room containing a crude wooden table, with two chairs, an iron chandelier with a dozen burning candles, and a single bear trap that would need someone to be blind to fall in it.


    Adjacent to the entrance hall was what was supposed to be a guard room. Instinctively, Theodor knew that this was the place from which all dungeon minions were supposed to spawn. For the moment, the only creature he had the power to summon was a Skeletal digger.


    Normally, a dungeon would spawn a digger as quickly as possible and send it to dig further down in search of minerals and precious metals to be converted into energy. Theodor, however, had no such intention. He found that both his size and simplicity were ideal to achieve his goal of doing absolutely nothing. Many times, in his previous life, he had dreamt for such a day, and it was here.


    The final chamber was the treasure room. In it was a plain, insignificant chest that held Theodor¡¯s soul, or in dungeon terms, his ¡°core.¡± If it were to be damaged or¡ªmore likely¡ªstolen, his life as a dungeon would end, and he¡¯d go straight back to another reincarnation session with the lady of light. Needless to say, that would be a catastrophic outcome. Theo had fought hard to obtain a life of eternal procrastination and had no intention of allowing it to come to an end. And just to be on the safe side, he closed and bolted the door, then spawned a skeletal digger to push the table in front.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Theo said, his words echoing throughout his rooms.


    The skeleton looked up, blue flames glowing in his eyes, then went back to the nearest chair and sat down.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the lazy one,¡± Theo noted. Back in his previous life, that would have set him off on a shouting spree that would continue for minutes, until his blood pressure rose to the point that he had to sit down. Here, he found that he didn¡¯t care in the least. ¡°That¡¯s good. Just sit there and do nothing.¡±


    Spending close to an hour to ¡°close¡± his eyes, Theo finally got the hang of it and went into a deep snooze. For the first time since he could remember, the former man could say that he experienced true bliss surrounded by nice soft soil, and most important of all, far from interrup¡ª


    Rap! Rap! Rap!


    An annoying set of sounds broke Theo¡¯s train of thought, causing him to wake up. His immediate reaction was to try to jump to his feet¡ªa habit acquired from the years of crunching and sleeping at work. Since he was a dungeon, however, the only thing achieved was to toss all the furniture about, like a horror movie poltergeist.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± he shouted.


    The skeleton digger¡ªwhich was pinned to the ceiling of the main hall due to Theo¡¯s sudden actions¡ªjust shrugged.


    Rap! Rap! Rap!


    ¡°There!¡± The chandelier pointed in the direction of the door. ¡°What¡¯s that noise?¡±


    The skeleton stared blankly forward, then shrugged again.


    ¡°Some good you are,¡± Theo grumbled. Of course, he¡¯d end up with a minion that¡¯s stupid. ¡°Well, don¡¯t just hang there! Get down from the ceiling and go check.¡±


    The skeleton¡¯s head tilted slightly forward, expressing what was supposed to be interpreted as an airless sigh. Then, with extreme reluctance, pushed himself off the ceiling only to crash on the stone wall, breaking down to a pile of bones.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that!¡± Theo shouted. ¡°I know you¡¯re fine.¡± As the one who had created the digger, he was fully aware that his minion hadn¡¯t perished in the fall. However, even he had to admire the creature¡¯s ingenuity when it came to avoiding work. ¡°Get yourself together or I¡¯ll force you to spend the next week digging for resources.¡±


    The threat had an instant effect. The scattered bones quickly assembled, and a fully functional skeleton pulled the table away from the entrance and opened the door. Bright light poured into the hall, blinding Theo to the point that he slammed the door shut again¡­ throwing his minion out in the process.


    Ouch, he thought. That was rather unfortunate, even if the skeleton deserved it. Still, since Theo didn¡¯t want to waste energy on creating another skeleton, he cracked the door open just a bit. This time, the light didn¡¯t seem as bright. Encouraged, Theo opened it further and further, until he was able to see his surroundings. For the most part, the valley seemed unchanged since the last time he had seen it, with one major difference: a scurry of rather large squirrels with sharp teeth had disassembled Theo¡¯s minion and were gnawing on the skeleton¡¯s bones.


    ¡°What in the world is that?!¡±


    Cicada Squirrel, a voice said. Carnivorous and extremely lethal creatures that spend seven years hibernating in underground burrows. Once the period is over, they emerge for three weeks which they spend gathering food and multiplying. Many towns and villages have been completely wiped out due to the cicada squirrel¡¯s life cycle, resulting in them in being classified as a¡ª


    ¡°Hold on! Who are you?¡± Theodor shouted. Having examined every inch of himself, he knew that there weren¡¯t supposed to be any creatures other than skeletal digger, and definitely none that could talk.¡±


    I¡¯m your spirit guide, the voice said. After a person chooses to become a dungeon for the first time, a spirit guide is created in order to help them adjust to their new self.


    ¡°Just great¡­¡± Theo sighed. He knew all this was too good to be true.


    Upon creation, I was specifically instructed to disturb you as rarely as possible, and only in cases of extreme danger or alarm, the voice added.


    ¡°At least there¡¯s a silver lining. Not that I was alarmed,¡± Theo insisted. ¡°I was just annoyed that the place I was reincarnated to wasn¡¯t as quiet as advertised.¡±


    The cicada squirrels are only active for three weeks every seven years, the voice explained. A large colony of them has made Thornwood their home, which ensures that no settlements would appear in the area, ensuring calm and tranquility in the remaining time.


    ¡°Every seven years?¡± Theo groaned. As he did, several of the large creatures entered into the main hall and started sniffing about.


    There is no reason for alarm, the voice said, as Theo moved about the furniture in a clumsy attempt to shoe the creatures out. While cicada squirrels are quite carnivorous, they have no interest in material possessions or the non-living. At most, they are going to explore a bit in search of food, then leave when they find there isn¡¯t any.


    ¡°Just swell.¡± This was not a good start to Theo''s life as a dungeon. Still, he had to admit there was a bright side. At least it was guaranteed that there wouldn¡¯t be any pesky villagers about. ¡°Lazy bones, stop lying on the ground and build a fence to keep the squirrels out.¡±


    The skeleton remains didn¡¯t react.


    ¡°Look, I know you¡¯re faking it, so get back up and¡ª"


    Your minion doesn¡¯t have the required strength to function outside of the dungeon, the voice explained. As a digger minion, its only purpose is to dig resources for you to increase your power. In order for a minion to perform tasks a distance away, you¡¯ll need to bestow a name upon it.


    ¡°A name?¡± Theo had some vague memory of how to do that, not that he had considered doing so. So far, he was perfectly content in referring to the minion as ¡°you.¡± However, if a name was going to improve matters, it was an annoyance worth taking.


    Skeletal Digger is now known as Cmyk!


    A shimmering message appeared in Theo¡¯s consciousness. Instantly, the skeletal remains were surrounded by a green glow. Moving towards one another in aethereal fashion¡ªoccasionally dragging a squirrel or two that had lodged their teeth too firmly into the bone¡ªso as to create a new skeleton. This skeleton, however, was different: larger, stronger, and glowier than before, with a bone sword attached to the back of his spine.


    CMYK ¨C Skeletal Minion


    Level: 1


    Strength: 3


    Speed: 3


    Mind: 9


    Energy (Health): 21


    Free Attribute Points: 7


    Named minions can perform actions independently, although they still need access to the dungeon¡¯s energy in order to survive, the spirit guide said. Depending on the skills and attribute points you assign them, they can become useful scouts, or the first line of defense.


    Theodor wasn¡¯t impressed in the least. From what he could see, his minion was quite slow and weak, but smart enough to be lazy.


    ¡°Cmyk, get the squirrels out of here, then make a fence.¡±


    The skeleton looked at the door of the dungeon, then at the squirrels gnawing at his tibias. The prospect of working wasn¡¯t at all appreciated. However, since a minion couldn¡¯t ignore the orders of its master, the skeleton got on with it¡­ in the slowest possible fashion. Still, even slow work was work, so Theo did his best to ignore the sudden burst of chaos and attempted to get back to sleep. Unfortunately, as it turned out, that was easier said than done.


    It took over an hour for Cmyk to throw out all the squirrels from the main hall, which he did one by one, opening and closing the door each time in the process. Only well after evening was a certain degree of calm achieved. With the squirrels off to sleep, and Cmyk done working on the makeshift fence, Theo could close his eyes again and snooze off.


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    At the crack of dawn, the annoying rattling and scratching on the door resumed. The cicada squirrels had the intelligence of goldfish and the demeanor of cats. Apparently, they were incapable of retaining that the dungeon provided no food of any sort and kept on insisting to get inside. The fence did little to deter them, as did Theo¡¯s skeletal minion.


    Every hour, several of them would claw at the door in an attempt to enter, and when Theo¡ªannoyed at the constant noise¡ªopened the door, they would swarm in and start sniffing over everything.


    Initially, Theo attempted to resolve the situation by having his minion build bigger fences. Each morning, the fences would end up completely destroyed and the same scurry of squirrels would be at the door. The only reason the door remained unscathed was because Theo¡¯s regenerative ability constantly restored it to its original state.


    Three days later, Theo had had enough.


    ¡°How do I stop these things?!¡± he shouted in desperation.


    He simply was incapable of enduring this for another eighteen days, if the spirit guide was to be believed. Cmyk too shared his concern, even going so far as patting the walls of the dungeon twice in a sort of moral support.


    ¡°Guide, there must be something I could do!¡±


    Cicada squirrels are impossible to eradicate, the guide¡¯s voice said. The inhabitants of this continent amassed heroes and armies to achieve such a feat.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to eradicate them. I just want to repel them. Isn¡¯t there some spell or poison I could use?¡±


    You don¡¯t have the energy to do anything of the sort. At present, you don¡¯t even have enough resources for another digger minion.


    ¡°Just swell.¡± So much for a free lunch. If Theo ever got to see the lady of light again, he¡¯d have a few harsh words. ¡°Is there anything I can do?¡±


    You have just enough energy to cast an Aura of Fear. The effects will be temporary¡ªa week at most¡ªbut it will make any living creature that approaches you to feel deep fear, making it more inclined to run away.


    ¡°Just more inclined?¡±


    In order to cast a more potent Aura of Fear, you¡¯ll need to consume a certain amount of ores and minerals. Given that the area you¡¯re in is lacking considerable deposits, finding a sufficient amount will take you approximately two and a half years, provided that your minion never rests.


    The thought was absurd. Cmyk was the type of minion that would slack even when it knew that Theo was keeping an eye on him. Having him perform any laborious activity, let alone dig for an extended period of time, was less likely to happen than the squirrels remembering to stop searching the entrance hall for food.


    You also have enough energy to summon a bear trap, the guide said more out of pity than anything else.


    ¡°A bear trap¡­¡± Theo repeated. That was outright humiliating. Maybe it was a mistake to give Cmyk a name. With the same amount of energy, he could have created three unnamed minions, not that he¡¯d do anything with them. Having them dig would likely be just as noisy as the squirrels outside. ¡°This Aura of Fear¡­ is there a way to make it last longer?¡±


    Yes, but if it were to last for three weeks, the only thing it would create in the creatures that approach would be mild unease.


    ¡°Hmmm.¡± Theo¡¯s mind started working faster. Years of game dev experience kicked in from his previous life, providing a possible solution. ¡°What if I strengthen the aura?¡± he asked.


    That is also possible. You can amplify it to the point that any living creature within a few miles would run away in terror. Of course, that would only last for a day. It might get the cicada squirrels to avoid you for a half a week, five days at most, but they will be back.


    ¡°What if I boost it as much as possible for an hour?¡±


    The area of effect will increase. Some of the nearby creatures might get stunned from shock.


    ¡°And if I boost it more?¡±


    This isn¡¯t the best use of the aura, but if it were to last for a minute, it¡¯s likely that all squirrels within the hill might die from fright. The area of effect will extend further as well.


    ¡°What about a second? No! One thousandth of a second. No!¡± Theo hesitated. ¡°What if I make an aura that only lasts the smallest fraction of a second?¡±


    Then, it wouldn¡¯t be an aura, the guide replied. All you¡¯ll do is release one giant flash of fear that would spread throughout the area. It will certainly frighten all the squirrels off, as well as any other creature in the area.


    ¡°Perfect!¡±


    I¡¯d like to remind you that they will still return. If not today, they¡¯ll be back tomorrow and you¡¯d have used up all of your energy.


    ¡°It¡¯s no worse than any of the alternatives. Besides, primal fear isn¡¯t to be underestimated. When the stupid squirrels get a taste of this, they¡¯ll go back to hibernating. Are you sure they¡¯ll be able to tell I¡¯m the source of the fear?¡±


    Most certainly.


    ¡°So, how do I do it?¡±


    Flash of Dread created


    Convert 50 energy into a wave of condensed dread. The dread will be so powerful that it will transform into a pillar of black light that spreads throughout the land, carrying dread where it goes.


    I¡¯ve modified the Aura of Fear based on your specifications, the guide explained. All you need to do is focus on¡ª


    ¡°Flash of Dread!¡± Theo shouted.


    A beam of pure blackness shot up from the hill above the dungeon, sucking up all light as it pierced the sky. The squirrels in front of the door were swept away, fainting in an instant. They were soon followed by hundreds more that lived in the forest. Being a dungeon, Theo couldn¡¯t feel the dread that he had cast, but he clearly saw its effectiveness. For close to a minute, he remained silent, door wide open so he could see what was going on outside. So far, no new squirrels had approached the door, which was a promising start.


    As I was saying, you could have focused on the intensity during casting, the spirit guide said after a while. When spells and auras are concerned, only the maximum amount of energy is indicated. It is possible to decrease the amount by as much as you find suitable.


    ¡°Oh. I¡¯ll keep it in mind.¡± Theo felt silly.


    Before he could say another word, hundreds of cicada squirrels emerged from their burrows. Driven by panic, they uprooted trees as they rushed in the opposite direction of the valley.


    ¡°See?¡± Theo couldn¡¯t help but gloat a bit. ¡°Just as I suspected. That will tell them to bother me every seven years.¡±


    The spirit guide said nothing. It could clearly see how unsuited Theo was for the life of a dungeon. Under the circumstances, the best solution was to remain quiet, only give advice when asked, and definitely not grant Theo any further abilities.


    Theo, on his part, didn¡¯t notice at all. Content that he wouldn¡¯t get any further bothers, he instructed Cmyk to clean up the dungeon a bit, then went back to blissful sleep.


    Days passed, then weeks. No squirrel or living creature dared go anywhere near the dungeon¡¯s door, let alone disturb him. After a month, it seemed that the Flash of Dread was energy well spent. Luck and chance, however, always had a way of confounding even the most perfect of plans. While Theo was snoozing away¡ªas was the skeletal minion¡ªa grey-haired man made his way through the forest of Thornwood. With the cicada squirrels gone, there was no creature to stop him from going forward, although the roots and branches were doing a pretty good job at slowing him down. Twice the man¡¯s helmet was knocked off his head, forcing him to pick it back up from the ground with a grumble. On the third time, the man could take it no longer.


    ¡°You bloody wormwood branches!¡± the man shouted, shaking a fist at the tree was the latest culprit. ¡°When this is all over, I¡¯ll cut your trunk to splinters and leave a root so you could watch as I make your branches to mush for the paper mill! And when that¡¯s done, I¡¯ll take that paper along with a barrel of sour apples and use it to wipe my ass!¡±


    The series of curses continued, becoming louder and louder, not to mention more explicit. Like a torrent of water, the noise made its way past the forest and into the valley where Theo was trying to sleep.


    ¡°What now?¡± the dungeon grumbled, cracking the door open. No sooner had he done so, when the cursing suddenly ended.


    This made Theo somewhat confused. Remaining perfectly still, the dungeon waited, uncertain whether he hadn¡¯t merely dreamt the noise. Since nothing happened for several minutes, he closed the door and was just about to get back to snoozing when a new series of curses filled the air.


    This time the dungeon opened the door widely. There was no mistake¡ªthe noise was there. What was more, it had gotten loud enough for him to make out individual swear words.


    ¡°Guide!¡± the dungeon grumbled.


    Is there any way I could be of assistance? The spirit guide asked with the enthusiasm of an overworked customer support assistant.


    ¡°Why is there some drunk shouting in my forest?¡± Theo asked. ¡°Wasn¡¯t this place supposed to be deprived of people?¡±


    That was before you chased away the cicada squirrels. Now Thornwood is merely a rather unpleasant forest located in a difficult to reach location. Most likely, an adventurer has gotten lost and is seeking a place to rest. It¡¯s not an uncommon occurrence.


    ¡°Adventurers,¡± Theo said.


    He hated them with a passion. Even back in his previous life, people who regularly went hiking or travelling¡ªand kept casually shoehorning their trips in every conversation¡ªannoyed him to the extreme. Adding to that, adventurers in this world were considered to be a dungeon¡¯s natural enemy.


    ¡°Cmyk, go scare him off,¡± Theo ordered.


    Sitting on a chair, the skeleton tilted its skull.


    ¡°You¡¯re a skeleton, you¡¯re supposed to be able to do that. Just wave your sword or something.¡±


    Even through his utter emotionlessness, the skeleton didn¡¯t appear convinced. Nonetheless he took the bone sword from his spine and went outside.


    Meanwhile, the old man¡¯s curses were getting closer and closer. At this point he had given up picking his helmet from the ground, and had continued bareheaded through the forest. Going past the final few trees, the old man stopped to catch his breath. Breathing heavily, he took a sword from his belt¡ªsheath and all¡ªand leaned on it as if it were a cane.


    Seeing him made Theo feel guilty. He had no intention of allowing the man anywhere near, but even so chasing away a poor unfortunate old man felt wrong.


    ¡°Cmyk,¡± Theo said. ¡°Maybe just ask him to leave.¡±


    The skeleton minion looked over his shoulder, then back at the old adventurer. Slowly, he halved the distance between them and stopped. The next minute passed in silence. The adventurer had a lot to say, but was still fighting to calm his breathing. Facing him, Cmyk has neither the ability, nor the will to say anything at all.


    ¡°You think you can fool me, archdemon?!¡± the old man finally said, his voice booking throughout the entire valley. ¡°A single skeleton is no match for the likes of me! I¡¯ll have you know that back in my day¡ª¡±


    ¡°Just great,¡± Theo sighed. ¡°He¡¯s drunk. Cmyk, shoo him away!¡±


    While the adventurer kept going on his tirade, the skeleton waved its sword clumsily in a fashion that would make a scarecrow seem heroic. The man gave the minion a single glance, then completely ignored it as he walked past. Needless to say, Cmyk didn¡¯t bother rushing after the man in an attempt to stop him.


    Theo, however, was not having any of that. When the adventurer got a few steps away, the dungeon slammed and bolted the front door.


    ¡°Open up!¡± The man slammed on the door. ¡°You think that a simple door would stop me?!¡±


    ¡°Guide, is there a way to zap him with electricity or something?¡± the dungeon asked.


    If you hadn¡¯t used up most of your energy when casting the Flash of Dread, that would have been possible, the spirit guide said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bash the door in!¡± the adventurer shouted from outside.


    ¡°Can he do that?¡± Theo asked.


    Not with his bare hands. Given that the door is the absolute weakest, it is possible for it to be chopped up using an axe, mace, or adequate sword.


    A loud slam sounded as the adventurer slammed into the door with his shoulder. A few seconds later, he did it again. And again. For whatever reason the old man refused to use any weapon in his attempts to break into the dungeon. That could have been seen as a good thing, but it only made Theo think of his neighbors during his past life; they too would pound on the wall for no apparent reason.


    ¡°Just go away!¡± Theo shouted. ¡°Find some other dungeon to pester.¡±


    In response, the adventurer took a few steps back and charged into the door again. This time, the door shook quite violently. Encouraged by the effect, the old man went back even further, almost reaching the spot in which Cmyk stood. Then he charged forward.


    ¡°Oh, no you don¡¯t!¡± Theo said, doing the only thing his low lack of energy would allow: he opened the door.


    The action caught the adventurer completely by surprise. Unable to stop, he attempted to slow down. The effort was clumsy, causing him to trip on the door¡¯s threshold, then go falling right in the direction of the table. A loud crack was heard as the old man hit his chin on the edge of the table.


    Oh dear, Theo thought. That didn¡¯t sound well at all.


    CONGRATULATIONS!


    You have killed Lord Maximillian Ezier during his attempt to obtain your core!


    Lord Ezier was a triple hero of the land of legendary stature who saved the continent of Kajilan from destruction seven times, and as well as single-handedly defeated the archdemon Ziken¡ªminion of the Demon Lord Enelyion.


    978,654,300 Core Points obtained.


    News of your achievement shall be known throughout the entire continent.


    ¡°Crap¡­¡± Theo whispered. This was one fine mess he had managed to get himself into.

 2. A House in Hiding

    ¡°Oh shit! Oh crap! Oh shit! Oh crap!¡± Theo kept repeating, moving the furniture about his entrance hall with every word. His minion, in contrast, didn¡¯t seem to be in the least bit worried. In any case, the skeleton¡¯s only concern was not to fall off the chair he was snoozing in, while the dungeon moved it about. ¡°What the heck would a legendary hero be doing here?!¡±


    Triple hero, the spirit guide corrected. There¡¯s no way of knowing now, but I would assume that most likely it was an end-life crisis.


    ¡°What the heck is an end-life crisis?!¡± Theo shouted, lifting all furniture¡ªCmyk included¡ª in the air for several minutes


    It¡¯s all part of a hero¡¯s life, especially the famous ones. The older heroes get, the more they yearn for their glory days. Most often, this doesn¡¯t go beyond writing memoirs and constantly telling tales of adventures to bards, friends, family members, and everyone else who would listen. Sometimes, though, they decide to go on an adventure to prove to the world that they still have the heroic spirit.


    ¡°Just great¡­¡±


    I must admit it was impressive that he managed to come here. The valley is rather isolated. If you hadn¡¯t chased away the cicada squirrels, he probably wouldn¡¯t have made it here at all.


    Theo opened and slammed the entrance door several times, but said nothing. As someone who¡¯d endured the world of game development, he knew to stick to the golden principle: when at fault, say nothing.


    ¡°So, when will they be back?¡±


    Umm¡­ The guide hesitated. In its mind, it had explained very clearly and repeatedly that the squirrels had left the forest for good. In fact, the guide was certain it had done so multiple times. Faced with the impossible dilemma of explaining something that wouldn¡¯t be heard, it took a different approach. Possibly in seven years, is said, skirting the truth quite a bit.


    ¡°Seven years?!¡±


    Possibly fourteen. Maybe twenty-one at the most.


    ¡°Twenty-one years?! Are you kidding me?¡±


    All the furniture moved to a corner to the room where it remained still for several minutes. Theo was considering this. The more he thought about it, however, the more upset he became. Of all the dungeons in the world, why did a legendary hero have to pick him? Still, this was no time to get into a panic. He had survived over a decade in the game industry in his former life. There was no reason he couldn¡¯t deal with a trivial matter as the occasional aging adventurer. Surely it was pure luck that one managed to make it so far, nothing but a coincidence.


    ¡°Twenty-one years?¡± Theo asked. His tone was much more relaxed this time. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound too bad.¡±


    During that time, heroes throughout the land will attempt to gain riches and glory by finding you and claiming your core.


    ¡°What? Why would they want that?¡±


    Since Lord Ezier died within you, all his Experience Points¡ªand the possessions he had on him¡ªwere transformed into Core Points and given to you. At present, you are the third most powerful dungeon on the continent. Every hero or champion willing to make a name for themselves will be running to be the ones to claim the bounty.


    The light dimmed in the room, as Theo listened on to the explanation. This was beyond not good, it was a complete disaster.


    Traditionally, family members have priority, but in today¡¯s day and age, things are a bit more cutthroat among heroes, especially when dealing with such a potential bounty. Of course, it¡¯s possible that several heroes pool their resources in order to¡ª


    ¡°Thank you, guide!¡± Theo said abruptly, not too keen to hear the rest. The initial shock gone, his anger and fear slowly subsided, leaving him with a perfectly analytical mind.


    If all the hero¡¯s experience had been converted to Core Points, making Theo the third most powerful dungeon in the land, he could use that power to summon some creatures, cast some spells, and maybe build an additional defense room or two.


    ¡°Guide, you can grant me abilities, right?¡±


    No, the guide sighed. Core Points allow you to learn abilities. I merely offer you to activate them, since as a newly created dungeon, the information might be too overwhelming. If you would like, I could let you explore the¡ª


    ¡°Do I know any hero repelling abilities?¡± Theo interrupted. His mind raced through all the most powerful abilities he has seen in games¡ªsuch as meteor, or tidal wave, or mountain golem¡ªbut none of them were a permanent solution. From what little Theo knew about the world he was in, he knew that adventurers, and heroes especially, were persistent creatures. A meteor or two weren¡¯t going to be enough.


    There is a vast array of spells and abilities that could be good for hero dissuasion, the guide said. Given your strength, a dragon nest would be quite sufficient. At least for anyone but dragon slayers. Lava moats with magma elementals are also a good deterrent.


    ¡°No, no, no.¡± Theo swung all doors in his dungeon about, as if shaking a finger. ¡°I need something better. Something that would permanently stop heroes searching for me¡­¡±


    Something better than a dragon nest? The guide asked, surprised. Right now, even it had trouble picturing what that might be.


    ¡°These Core Points, would they allow me to modify objects?¡±


    Transfiguration is possible, of course. A lot of ancient dungeons use it to hide a few cracks and present a younger appearance to the world. It¡¯s mostly a vanity thing.


    ¡°And do they allow me to change location?¡±


    Change location?


    If the guide had the physical ability to blink, it would have. As far as it was aware, no dungeon had made such a request before.


    The option exists, the spirit guide said hesitantly. However, it would require nine-hundred million Core Points to obtain. Furthermore, to use it, you¡¯ll need vast amounts of energy, potentially disabling you for... to be honest, I don¡¯t know for how long. No dungeon has ever done this before.


    ¡°Perfect!¡± Theo said, full of enthusiasm. ¡°Teach me.¡±


    Spatial Displacement


    Convert 1000 energy to change location. Depending on the destination, you would be readjusted so as to avoid any harm or damages.


    ¡°Alright, now teach me¡­ actually teach me everything!¡±


    That might prove a bit difficult now that you¡¯re used up ninety percent of your Core Points. There are still a lot of abilities for seventy-eight million points, but not enough for everything.


    ¡°In that case, teach me to shapeshift.¡±


    Transfiguration


    Convert 1000 points to change your appearance into something of your choice.


    I¡¯ll probably regret asking this, but what exactly do you plan on doing?


    ¡°You said that heroes will keep coming at me until one of them destroys me, right?¡± There was a grin to be heard in Theo¡¯s voice. ¡°Well, where¡¯s the last place they¡¯d look?¡±


    At the bottom of the ocean?


    ¡°In the middle of a city!¡± Theo said proudly.


    The spirit found itself speechless. Even Cmyk woke up from his snooze and tilted his head in outright concern of his master¡¯s thought process. Dungeons never wanted to be anywhere near a city. Having a hamlet three hills away was considered bad enough. To be near a city¡ªor worse, be in the city itself¡ªwas the least dungeony thing that a dungeon could do. At this point, the guide wanted to cry. It had been a few months since its creation and already it regretted its job. There were reasons why non-dungeons weren¡¯t supposed to be reincarnated as dungeons. They messed up everything with the ease of a drunken goblin.


    ¡°Just think about it!¡± Theo continued with just as much enthusiasm. ¡°Where better to hide a tree than in the forest? In my case, where better to hide than as a house in a city? No hero would ever think of searching for me there!¡±


    Having witnessed the absurdity of the argument, Cmyk went back to dozing. The spirit guide, though, didn¡¯t have that luxury. Despite everything, its duty remained to try and preserve the dungeon as much as possible, and that included pointing out the obvious.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    I suspect that someone might notice a whole building suddenly appearing.


    ¡°Magic,¡± Theo said dismissively. ¡°Don¡¯t buildings pop up just like that?¡±


    Not usually, no¡­


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll transform into a magic building. Those exist, right?¡±


    Well, yes, there are buildings owned by mages and those sometimes have unusual properties¡­


    ¡°There you go. All I need to do is move to a city and change into a nice small magic house and the problem will be solved.¡±


    Maybe, but the cities are noisy places. There are lots of people and¡ª


    ¡°Teach me a silence spell! Now that I have the Core Points for it, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    The guide knew he was defeated. All reasonable objections were parried with reasonable solutions. It was perfectly possible for Theo to surround himself in a shroud of silence, just as he could make himself fire proof, rot proof, and rodent repellent. If he wanted, he could even cast a spell that would ensure that his surface never got dirty.


    Aware of all this, the spirit guide announced his surrender. The only small concession he managed to win was to convince Theo to move to a medium-sized town, rather than a kingdom capital. The discussion over, the plan was quickly put to action.


    Combining both spells, Theo disappeared from the small isolated valley in which he had been reincarnated¡­ and reappeared in the bustling town of Rosewind. The town was by no means remarkable. Located in a fertile area within a minor kingdom, it had pretty much what one would expect a medieval fantasy town to have: buildings, taverns, marketplaces, workshops, a palace, a temple, and a few rivaling adventure guilds. As far as the spirit guide was aware, the last dungeon in the general area of the city had been destroyed two generations ago, officially making it dungeon free.


    The change was sudden and confusing. The closest thing Theo could compare it to jumping in a pool with a new, tightly fitting set of clothes.


    The first sensation he felt was utter and complete numbness and exhaustion. Combining two powerful spells had left him too weak to even open a window or move a piece of furniture. Things were so bad that Theo was faced with the prospect of asking Cmyk for assistance. Knowing how disinclined the skeletal minion was to work, the dungeon preferred to quietly wait until part of his energy was restored. The following two hours of outside noise were almost intolerable. The first thing that Theo did, upon regaining a bit of energy, was to cast a silence spell around himself so he could hear himself think. Then, and only then, did the dungeon get back to the basic activity of exploring himself and his surroundings.


    Despite its disapproval, the spirit guide had done quite a good job of assisting Theo in transforming into something more than adequate. The dungeon¡¯s new appearance was that of a quaint, but stylish three-story house¡ªattic separate¡ªwith one basement level. In his previous life, Theo would have called it a dream mansion that he could never afford¡­ that is, if he had bothered with details such as interior decoration. As things stood, he had no more furniture than in his original form. All effort was on the outside, creating a fake face of three empty floors. Even the staircase was skipped altogether. Theo didn¡¯t seem to particularly mind. After all, it wasn¡¯t like he would be having any guests.


    The neighborhood seemed rather fine. Judging by nearby houses, the people were comfortable, if not well off, the streets were maintained, and there didn¡¯t appear to be too many animals. The single annoying aspect was that Theo was tightly fitted between a tavern on one side, and a barber shop on the other. On the bright side, since none of the buildings were residential, he wouldn¡¯t have to come up with excuses why the house was empty.


    Is everything to your satisfaction? the spirit guide asked. As far as it was concerned, moving here successfully was a miracle in itself.


    ¡°As long as I get away from those pesky heroes,¡± Theo replied. ¡°You¡¯re sure that there¡¯s no way of tracking me down?¡±


    With the amount of magic, not to mention innate abilities, arcane items, and beings with mystical powers, there¡¯s never a hundred percent guarantee. However, I would say that the chances are exceedingly low.


    ¡°Exceedingly low,¡± Theo repeated. He didn¡¯t like those at all. From his experience, that usually meant that the odds were fifty-fifty. Still, it was better than remaining in the valley, where he would certainly be found. ¡°How long will it take for me to acquire enough energy to teleport again?¡±


    If you mean ¡°change location,¡± I estimate around thirty years, provided you don¡¯t engage in any arduous activities.


    Thirty years sounded quite reasonable. Given the location and nature of the town, it was unlikely that Rosewind would get involved in any wars by then. That meant that once the heat had died down, Theo could move back to his old location to enjoy his idle rest. Given the powers he was granted by the legendary hero¡¯s unfortunate accident, he would have no trouble dealing with cicada squirrels or any other creatures in the area.


    Knock! Knock! Knock!


    Just as Theo was about to get back to snoozing, there was yet another interruption at the door. In his previous state, he would have had to open the door a crack to see what was going on outside. Having transformed into a fancy house, he cracked open one of his windows instead.


    ¡°Why is there a fat man in funny clothes at the door?¡± Theo asked.


    This is a town, the spirit guide said in a told-you-so intonation. I warned you several times that houses don¡¯t just appear overnight. And while you have arguably a good explanation for that, someone must actually tell it to the people who ask.


    That minor detail had eluded Theo. The dungeon had been so focused on his brilliant idea of blending in¡ªas well as the basking in his own genius¡ªto consider the obvious. Now, there was someone at the door, and the dungeon had absolutely no plan of action.


    ¡°Maybe they¡¯ll just go away when I don¡¯t open?¡± Theo asked.


    That would be quite likely. Of course, they would later return with the city guard who will break the door down.


    The knocking continued. Thankfully, the person outside was quite persistent. Having set his eyes on the house, he seemed determined to get to the bottom of this and had no intention of leaving before he did. That gave Theo time. Scrambling for solutions, and with an extremely limited number of options, he did the first thing that came to mind¡­ which was to grant Cmyk flesh, hair, and a set of clothes. Since he was under pressure, the final appearance of the minion was a concoction made from different thoughts and notions stirring in Theo¡¯s mind.


    The new and improved Cmyk was six feet and a half, muscular, with the physique of a bodybuilder¡ªa mix between He-Man and Arnold Schwarzenegger¡¯s Conan¡ªwith neck length straight blond hair. The outfit was composed of lime green bard trousers, soft brown leather boots, a green shirt¡ªbarely able to fit because of Cmyk¡¯s muscles¡ªand a butler¡¯s vest. To top it all, the minion had a white ruff collar.


    ¡°Open the door!¡± Theo ordered.


    Granted, with the ability to form expressions, the minion winced, then stood up with a sigh that sounded like a draft within the empty building.


    ¡°Go on, answer the door!¡± Theo shouted, then hastily removed the external silence spell. The sounds of the city invaded the calm once more. In an exceedingly slow fashion Cmyk stood up, made his way to the door, and creaked it open.


    Outside the man was just about to knock again, when he suddenly paused. Seeing the door handle, and then the door, move. Slowly, but steadily, the crack grew. The man remained still, hand still in the air, waiting. After a few seconds, he was able to see a sliver of the person behind the door. Ten seconds more and half of Cmyk¡¯s face was well in view. At that stage, the minion¡¯s intimidation effect had started to affect anyone who could see. As far as the man outside was concerned, he appeared to have woken up an extremely strong and egocentric character, and judging by the facial expression that character was far from pleased.


    ¡°Err, good day,¡± the man said with a slight bow. ¡°Apologies for waking you up so early in the afternoon. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m one of the earl¡¯s tax collectors.¡±


    Eyes focused on the man, Cmyk blinked.


    ¡°Well, right.¡± The tax collector straightened up. As any person who felt intimidated, he was determined to do something unreasonable to prove that he wasn¡¯t. ¡°I¡¯m here to ask for your building license. As you know, by order of the earl, all buildings need a permit. And clearly being a magical structure, there¡¯s the matter of tax.¡± There was a slight hesitation. ¡°You don¡¯t come from a notable line of heroes, mages, or nobility, do you?¡±


    Cmyk blinked again, then shook his head.


    ¡°Ah, perfect.¡± The tax collector let out a sigh of relief. ¡°In that case, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re subject to magic tax, which could be waived if you have the appropriate magic license, of course.¡±


    The minion kept staring blankly forward and slightly down.


    ¡°Ah, well¡­ Can you provide any of those scrolls?¡±


    Slowly, Cmyk shook his head. This posed a slight dilemma for the tax collector. On the one hand he was in his right to demand that Cmyk pay up¡ªalong with any additional fines the tax collector saw fit. However, all such demands had the risk of being followed by a fist in the face or stomach, and given the size of Cmyk¡¯s muscles, that was something the tax collection thought he could do without.


    ¡°This is your house, right?¡±


    There was a long moment of stillness, after which Cmyk shook his head.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Sweat covered the taxman¡¯s face.


    This was rather unusual. It wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d had a mage or wizard pop-up in town. So far most of them belonged to a guild or council of some sort. They were extravagant and extremely forgetful, but they had their documents in order. This was the first time that a magic user sent his house and butler ahead to prepare things.


    ¡°So you¡¯re only here to set things up for your employer?¡± the tax collector asked.


    Uncertain how to respond, the minion nodded.


    ¡°Ah, wonderful.¡± The tax collector was overjoyed. This meant that he could delay this extremely uncomfortable conversation for later. ¡°Quite commendable. Just be sure to pass by the tax collection office in the palace with the land deed, building license, magic license, and a copy of your employer¡¯s family tree. Someone will be there to add you to Rosewind¡¯s resident¡¯s registry.¡±


    Cmyk nodded again.


    ¡°Splendid.¡± The tax collector took a step back. ¡°Was wonderful talking to you. Take care, now, and see you in a week once your employer arrives.¡±


    Not waiting for the minion to respond, the tax collector turned around and rushed along the street. Cmyk remained motionless for a few seconds, blankly staring forward, then slowly started closing the door. He never got the chance to finish it, for Theo slammed it shut for him.


    ¡°Thanks for nothing, Cmyk!¡± the dungeon shouted to the minion.


    Paying no notice, Cmyk went back to the nearest chair and sat down. It felt less comfortable since he had been given a new body, but not to the point that it would keep him from snoozing off. Meanwhile, Theo was in a state of quiet panic. Deadlines and bureaucracy had always been two of the most hated things in his life. What was worse, his magnificent plan could end up undone by a sniveling tax collector, all because of a few useless licenses.


    ¡°Are there any spells to summon those licenses through magic?¡± Theo asked.


    Unfortunately, no. All licenses are made in a specific fashion that prevents magic duplicated. There was an explosion of magic forgeries a few centuries ago as a result of a poorly organized Mage Tower. Since then, it¡¯s been the law of the land, that all licenses must be magic-free and sealed by a temple in order to be considered valid.


    ¡°I¡¯m doomed¡­¡±


    Actually, it¡¯s not all lost. You¡¯ll be given a week or two to get your things in order. Since you¡¯re considered a mage, it¡¯s more than likely you¡¯ll receive an extension and a few warnings, increasing the time period to a month.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good,¡± Theo said, his words drenched with sarcasm. ¡°So, I have a whole month to find a bunch of licenses in order to get another license. Please enlighten me, how exactly is that done?¡±


    There is a spell for transforming hay into gold, the spirit guide said. Normally, I wouldn¡¯t suggest it, since it¡¯s extremely cost inefficient, but given that you are scarce of options¡­


    ¡°Are you suggesting that I go on a bribing spree?¡±


    I wouldn¡¯t recommend it, given that this remains a town frequented by heroes. However, gold can also be used to purchase and expedite licenses. All you need is the correct amount, an adequate explanation, and a trusted minion to go do it.

 3. Deed and Debts

    In his previous life, Theo used to think that money was the solution to any problem. Technically, he was right¡ªthe things that he was attempting to do were utterly impossible if he didn¡¯t have gold to spare. However, in this world, money wasn¡¯t a single issue he had to face. The spirit guide had taught him how to create a magic spindle¡ªone that he was able to use freely without relying on Cmyk. However, the spirit guide hadn¡¯t provided the main ingredient necessary for gold creation¡ªhay. It had then been necessary to get the extremely lazy minion to go about town in searching for a few fistfuls of hay in order to buy more.


    As a dungeon, and master of the minion, it was supposed to have been easy for Theo to order the skeleton around. Unfortunately, it turned out that the minion¡¯s laziness trumped its loyalty or even fear. A long haggling match took place at the end of which Cmyk was to receive his very own comfortable bed in exchange for doing a few tasks.


    Theo was big enough to give assurances that he would not go back on his promise, so he used his ability to create a special room on the top floor with a single deluxe king-sized bed inside. Content with the trade, Cmyk spent the next few hours roaming the city looking for cleanish hay he could use. Finding hay turned out to be more difficult than one would expect. The streets were exceedingly clean, and all the stables were too much hassle to bother with; Somehow, despite Cmyk¡¯s disguise of flesh, animals continued to sense his real nature and acted aggressively whenever he neared. The people, in contrast, found him rather charismatic.


    ¡°Umm, excuse me,¡± an apple seller not too far from Theo said. She had been watching Cmyk go about the neighborhood all day with no apparent goal. ¡°Umm, are you lost?¡±


    The minion looked at her. The apple seller could be described as beautiful, although she was definitely pretty in a wholesome, plain sort of way. Short hazel hair went down slightly below her neck, in almost identical fashion to Cmyk¡¯s. Like most of the stall sellers, she was dressed in simple linen clothes, although her brown skirt did have several glass beads sewn in as decoration.


    Seeing this as a way to do less work, Cmyk nodded.


    ¡°Oh,¡± the woman said, looking down at the apples for a moment. ¡°Would you like some help?¡±


    The minion nodded again.


    ¡°It must be difficult arriving somewhere new,¡± the woman continued in a quiet voice. ¡°Especially here. Rosewind isn¡¯t as organized as a lot of the big cities. I saw when your mage house popped up here.¡± The woman let out a chuckle. ¡°Everyone did, in fact. I guess it must be nice to be able to travel wherever you want without leaving your house?¡±


    Uncertain how to respond to this question, Cmyk decided to rely on what he had established to work, so he nodded once more.


    ¡°What¡ª¡± the woman began, only to be interrupted.


    ¡°Hey, Wanda,¡± a rather large man in an adventurer¡¯s outfit shouted with a wave.


    He was rather muscular himself to the point he rivaled Cmyk¡¯s own size. Unlike the minion, though, his clothes were far more practical. Most of them were leather, with the exception of the rather fine shirt of white silk he was wearing. Two sheaths hung from the man¡¯s belt, holding a sword as well as a large dagger.


    ¡°Who¡¯s your friend?¡± The adventurer made his way to the stand and picked up an apple.


    ¡°Hello, Ulf.¡± The faint smile that was on the seller¡¯s face disappeared, replaced by a slightly annoyed frown. ¡°The kind sir is the owner of that mage house.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t say?¡± The one called Ulf looked over his shoulder at the building in question, then turned around and tossed a copper coin to the seller. ¡°I¡¯m Ulfang von Gregor,¡± he introduced himself. ¡°But my friends call me Ulf. So, what do you think of Rosewind so far?¡±


    Cmyk hesitated. He was entirely disinterested in having small talk with the locals, and even if he wanted, Theo had forgotten to grant him the ability to speak. Pretty much everything he could do was sigh and grunt, which he promptly did.


    ¡°The man is lost,¡± Wanda said, quickly coming to Cmyk¡¯s defense. ¡°He just arrived, so¡ª"


    ¡°Right. I remember what it was like when I came here.¡±


    Ulf gave Cmyk a strong pat on the back. It was clearly aimed at illustrating the adventurer¡¯s strength, but against all odds, the minion didn¡¯t budge. If nothing else, Theo hadn¡¯t spared any energy on making him a rather strong minion¡ªfar stronger than needed.


    ¡°The town is a real maze,¡± Ulf continued, impressed by the strength of his new acquaintance. ¡°I kept getting lost for weeks when I first arrived. Don¡¯t worry, though. I¡¯m here to help. And Wanda¡¯s already taken a liking to you.¡±


    The seller¡¯s cheeks got a shade pinker.


    ¡°So, what are you looking for?¡± Ulf asked.


    Cmyk immediately pointed at the bakery at the end of the street.


    ¡°Bread?¡± the adventurer looked in the direction in question.


    Cmyk narrowed his eyes, then shook his head. What he was actually pointing at was the straw hat the baker was wearing.


    ¡°I think he means a hat,¡± Wanda suggested timidly.


    ¡°Ah, you want gear,¡± the adventurer said with pride, as if he¡¯d won a million-dollar quiz.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous.¡± The seller crossed her arms. She was annoyed at many things, though mostly in Ulf monopolizing Cmyk¡¯s attention. ¡°He probably wants a new set of clothes. Fashion in Rosewind is nothing like in the big cities, and he clearly doesn¡¯t want to stand out.¡±


    That was somewhat true. Even Cmyk had become uncomfortable with the looks he was getting while walking about. If it hadn¡¯t been for his impressive physique, he probably would have been subject to serious ridicule. Looking forward to wearing something more suitable¡ªand more importantly¡ªmore comfortable, Cmyk nodded twice.


    ¡°Clothes and gear, then!¡± Ulf grinned. ¡°A man who knows his priorities. I like you, friend! Let¡¯s get you set up.¡±


    ¡°Umm, please take this.¡± Wanda offered Cmyk a rather large apple. ¡°Just a small welcome gift.¡±


    As it turned out, this was just the first of many gifts that Cmyk would receive while going about town. He also found that one didn¡¯t need money to actually buy things. With Ulf as a guarantee, quite a few shop owners agreed to let the minion have the wares with as little as a promise for him to pay them back in the next few days. What was more, all of them were eager to add a free item to the purchase to get on his good side.


    The tailor had gone out of his way to find clothes that would fit, the blacksmith had agreed to part with the second-best sword on display¡­ and the absurdity of the situation was that the more things Cmyk took, the more people were willing to give him.


    In half a day, Cmyk had managed to visit everything of note within the town¡ªwith the exception of the palace¡ªhad made over a hundred acquaintances, and acquired enough gifts to fill a small room. The whole experience seemed rather pleasant. What was more, the minion had also found what he had been set out for: hay. In the case of the latter, it had also come with a cage and an obscenely large white rabbit¡ªcourtesy of one of the local farmers.


    Come evening, when the stall and shop owners had closed up and Ulf, along with Cmyk¡¯s other newly made friends, had departed to get back to their own lives, the minion returned to his dungeon. Needless to say, Theo was furious.


    ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?!¡± the dungeon shouted. ¡°I give you a simple five-minute task, and you spend a day chatting with people, buying everything in sight, and¡­ is that booze I smell?¡±


    The minion knew he was at fault, so he did the only thing that he knew would get him off the hook: hold the cage with the rabbit in front of his face.


    ¡°What the heck is that?!¡± Theo asked, still furious. Even back in his previous life, he wasn¡¯t one known for his patience. Being able to watch his minion wander about town instead of doing the work he was supposed to, didn¡¯t help either.


    Undeterred, Cmyk shook the cage.


    ¡°You bought a lazy fat rabbit? Actually, how exactly did you afford all that?¡±


    With a blank expression on his face, the minion took out a roll of parchments from his belt with his left and waved them next to the cage.


    Those are ower¡¯s papers, the spirit guide explained.


    ¡°Just great! You¡¯ve been out for a day, and you¡¯ve already gotten me in debt! I guess you can call your bed goodbye!¡±


    Terrified by the prospect, the minion took several steps back. There were a lot of terrible things that Theo was capable of doing, and this seemed like the worst. No bed meant that Cmyk would have to resort to chairs for sleeping, which¡ªnow that he had a fleshy body¡ªno longer were comfortable.


    There¡¯s hay beneath the rabbit, the spirit guide said in an attempt to diffuse the situation. Cmyk could use that to spin the gold needed to pay off the debt, as well as buy more hay? You¡¯ll need more than a few gold coins to buy the land deed.


    ¡°Hmmm.¡± Theo didn¡¯t sound overly convinced.


    Look at it from a positive point of view. Him mingling with the locals has earned him trust. It¡¯ll be a lot easier for him to get things done, which means you could be left alone.


    Theo rattled the table in the main room. He didn¡¯t trust the ex-skeleton as far as he could throw him. However, the guide did have a point. Clearly, a lot of people had found his minion trustworthy enough to sell him things on credit. For the sake of Theo¡¯s dream of eternal sleep and procrastination, he decided to let matters slide this time.


    ¡°You better not let me down,¡± the dungeon said. ¡°Go get spinning!¡±


    Theo lifted his minion, moving him to the top floor. Thus, work finally began. Even with Theo and Cmyk¡¯s combined efforts it took them an hour to spin the first gold coin. The process was long and arduous, driving the spirit guide to hysteria just by looking. Once done, both minion and master agree to take a short break, pleased with their achievement.


    The next day, the work continued. The second gold coin was made in a quarter of the time. The third was ready in a matter of minutes. After that the floodgates broke. Coins poured onto the floor, as Cmyk and Theo synchronized their efforts. To no one¡¯s surprise, the hay was completely gone, to the grouchy annoyance of the fat rabbit that had been deprived of its comfort.


    ¡°Good job!¡± Theo said, caught by the thrill of the moment. ¡°Now take those coins, pay off your debts, then get more hay.¡± There was a slight moment of hesitation. ¡°And you can spend the rest of the money however you wish. Just get the hay first!¡±


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Eager to get all this ¡°work¡± business over with, Cmyk gathered the gold coins and left. Five hours later, he was back with a whole lot of new things¡ªmostly pillows, fluff filled blankets, and silk sheets¡ªand, of course, several stacks of hay.


    There was no trace of the gold coins Cmyk had left with, but Theo was far from annoyed. His only focus at present was getting the coveted land deed. According to the spirit guide¡ªwhich Theo had started calling Spok¡ªthe cost of the deed would amount to roughly five hundred gold coins, a thousand to be safe. The goal in sight, Cmyk gave an apple to the fat rabbit and went to work with only marginal reluctance.


    In no time, the floor was covered in coins. Stacks of gold piled up around the spinning wheel, forcing Cmyk to make a trail each time he went to get a fresh stack of straw.


    I think this much will be enough, Spok said. It is a good idea to conserve your energy in case of an emergency.


    ¡°I restore energy fast enough,¡± Theo completely ignored the suggestion. ¡°Are there any skills for platinum or silver coins?¡±


    The question made little sense. Even so, the spirit guide swallowed its sarcasm and once again attempted to explain the utility of the request.


    Platinum coins are mostly used by high nobility and some temples. Having them in large amounts is certain to attract attention. As for silver, you can just get them as change from the gold coins.


    ¡°I take that as a no, then.¡±


    Instinct urged Spok to say ¡°yes,¡± however, self-preservation made him remain quiet.


    Gold making continued well into the evening. By that time, it was too late for Cmyk to go and buy the deed, and so it was mutually agreed that everyone would enjoy some well-deserved rest. Spok attempted to argue, reminding the dungeon that the last time the nap had lasted a few months. The suggestion was outvoted and ignored.


    Morning came with a series of knocks on the door. Only this time they were accompanied by rather loud yells.


    ¡°What is it this time?¡± Theo grumbled. ¡°Can¡¯t a dungeon get a decent night¡¯s rest?!¡±


    Peeking through the upper window, Theo saw a rather large adventurer bounding on the door, yelling for Cmyk to open. From observing his minion two days ago, Theo knew that to be Ulf, and he strongly disliked him.


    ¡°Cmyk, your adventurer friend is out there,¡± the dungeon said in a disapproving tone. ¡°See what he wants and then get to buying the deed. And paying off your debt.¡±


    The minion didn¡¯t budge from his bed. Theo was fully aware that Cmyk could hear him¡ªjust as the minion knew that his master knew¡ªso he resorted to the tried and tested method.


    ¡°You can spend the rest of the gold on things you like,¡± Theo relented. ¡°Provided you bring back more hay!¡±


    The moment he said that, Cmyk jumped out of the bed and rushed downstairs. Being a lifeless minion, he didn¡¯t need to remove his clothes, and thanks to his innate magic, didn¡¯t need to wash or comb either.


    It might be a good idea to create an entrance hall, Spok said while the minion was making its way down.


    ¡°What the heck do I need that for?¡± Theo grumbled. ¡°Just a waste of Core Points and energy.¡±


    The spirit guide tried its best to ignore that remark, especially since Theo had wasted an astronomical amount of points for two of the most useless dungeon abilities in existence.


    There might be less questions if people didn¡¯t see one vast empty room upon opening the door. And it¡¯s far more economical than relying on illusions.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Theo considered the option. He liked economical things¡ªthat way he wouldn¡¯t have to spend energy constantly maintaining something, but rather focus on important matters, such as sleep. ¡°You¡¯re just trying to turn me into a conventional dungeon, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    You¡¯re by no means conventional, Spok replied. I¡¯m just trying to look out for your best interests and minimize potential complications.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Theo grumbled. ¡°Cmyk, stop for a moment.¡±


    Thank you, the guide said, rather relieved to have won an argument so quickly for once.


    ROOM CREATION


    Spend 50 energy per square foot to create or transform a room within you. Additional items could be added to the contents of the room, but need to be created separately.


    The ability seemed remarkably close to downloadable content creation. And since Theo had no knowledge of interior design, he left the actual details to Spok, as he had with the house¡¯s exterior.


    Floor, walls, and ceiling in the respective section trembled, then moved like shaking jelly. Theo observed with fascination as floorboards, tiles, and other roomly decorations grew around Cmyk, creating the ideal entrance lobby. Both idyllic and refined, it looked like something that had come out of a movie set. Without a doubt, Spok was quite talented in that regard. Back in his previous life, Theo could only dream of owning a building with such a lobby.


    ¡°Go ahead, Cmyk,¡± the dungeon said.


    The minion opened the door.


    ¡°Hey, Cmyk!¡± Ulf said loud enough for half the neighborhood to hear. ¡°You sleep till late, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Cmyk stared blankly forward.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I like about you!¡± The adventurer laughed, slapping Cmyk on the shoulder. ¡°Never ashamed of his habits. It takes strength for that, you know.¡±


    ¡°Are all adventurers idiots?¡± Theo whispered on the upper floors, his question directed at Spok.


    There are all kinds. Mostly, they are just obsessed with finding and looting dungeons.


    ¡°So, ready for a new day?¡± Ulf continued. ¡°A few friends came back from a quest, so they¡¯ll be celebrating the occasion. I told them a thing or two about you, so all of them are dying to meet you. What do you say?¡±


    There was no response.


    ¡°Come on.¡± The adventurer poked Cmyk in the ribs with his elbow. ¡°You can bring Wanda too. I know she¡¯ll be happy about that.¡±


    The minion blinked. It wasn¡¯t that Cmyk had any particular indication to blink. Rather, he had found that blinking every now and again was better for his eyes. Like everything else about him, however, that too was wildly misinterpreted.


    ¡°There you go.¡± Ulf laughed. ¡°Just¡ª"


    At this point, Theo abruptly closed the door. Small talk was never his thing, but more practically, the dungeon had created a large sack¡ªfilling it with as much gold as it could hold¡ªand levitated it to the minion.


    ¡°Here¡¯s your pocket change,¡± Theo said. ¡°Remember. Deed and debts first, fun afterwards!¡±


    The dungeon opened the door again, at which point the minion just walked out, a sack of gold on its shoulder. The conversation with Ulf continued, but since Theo was by no means interested, he closed the door shut again. Then the waiting began.


    Normally, this would have been a calm and relaxing process. After all, Theo had his quiet, there were no immediate annoyances, and thanks to the silence spell, all outside sounds stopped at the door¡ªwith the exception of knocking. Today, however, the time dragged on, moving with the speed of a drunken snail.


    Every ten minutes, Theo would open a window to peek outside, and each time, he¡¯d find that there was no sign of his minion. Anxious, the dungeon started rearranging what little items there were within him. For starters, all the coins were neatly piled in stacks of a hundred and placed neatly next to the spinning wheel. Annoyed to have them on the floor, Theo then used some energy to make a special table to hold them all. Naturally, having one nice element in an otherwise messy room was out of the question. Spending most of his previous adult life, Theo had developed ¡°selective OCD¡± urging him to fix a few things.


    A nice mahogany floor was created and covered by a thick Persian carpet. Cmyk¡¯s bed was moved to a separate bedroom, while the spinning wheel remained in what was to be a workroom. A wardrobe was created, in which Theo threw all the minion¡¯s remaining clothes and accessories, then he started making chairs.


    Are you planning on inviting anyone inside? Spok gingerly approached the subject.


    ¡°What makes you think that?¡± Theo replied with a snort.


    That usually is what chairs are for¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s the principle of the thing,¡± Theo replied. ¡°A house needs to have a few chairs. It¡¯s practically tradition.¡±


    I see¡­


    ¡°And a few trinkets here and there. And a kitchen. Yes, I must have a kitchen, and¡­ are there concepts such as running water?¡±


    I believe water has been running since the creation of the world, Spok replied. If you are referring to indoor plumbing and waterworks, those exist in some cities, but require a special permit. Personally, I would recommend against it. As a magic structure, you have the means to create a better and cheaper equivalent, by merely investing some energy in it.


    The dungeon wasn¡¯t particularly convinced.


    And, of course, you won¡¯t need to apply for any additional permits. In fact, that¡¯s all included in the magic permit you¡¯ll inevitably need to acquire.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Bureaucracy was the only thing capable of changing Theo¡¯s mind quickly. ¡°How do I get one of those?¡±


    You need to send a request to the nearest accredited Mage Tower, asking for an in-person inspection and evaluation. With the recent increase in magic construction, a detailed schematic of the structure, along with a list of local spells and magic appliances, will also be enough. Along with a small donation, of course.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Theo grumbled. Apparently, some things never changed. ¡°Won¡¯t the mages be annoyed I¡¯m sending something they could create on their own?¡±


    That¡¯s a common misconception, the spirit guide explained. Transfiguration is generally a dungeon discipline. While mages do, in fact, have the knowledge to create gold, the mana requirements are punishingly high. Most often, they could only create something that has the appearance of gold for a few hours.


    ¡°I see. And I can send the request through magic means? I don¡¯t need to wait for Cmyk to get there or anything?¡±


    That is the preferred method.


    ¡°Okay. Tell me how to make a request.¡±


    If I may, I think it¡¯ll be much faster if I composed the request and all accompanying documents. All you need to do is focus some energy for me to use.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Theo said, considering the option.


    It¡¯s a huge step, I know. But let me assure you, guides cannot act in a way to harm their dungeon. Unbreakable oaths aside, it is hardly practical, since whatever happens to you will happen to me as well.


    ¡°You know what? Is there a way for me to give you a bucket of energy or something, so you do all that without constantly having to bother me with details?¡± the dungeon asked.


    Spok was rendered speechless. The spirit guide had long gotten used to illogical phrases¡ªsuch as ¡°bucket of energy¡±¡ªbut being offered absolute autonomous freedom was unprecedented. Dungeons never did that. That was one of the reasons binding oaths had been created in the first place. Spirit guides were created with vast knowledge, so they depended on the dungeon¡¯s energy. More often than not, one of the first requests dungeons made during their own reincarnation process was to emerge without a spirit guide, but with a few ready abilities instead.


    Are you sure you want to grant me that much autonomy? Spok asked.


    ¡°You can handle that stuff, right?¡±


    Yes, but that¡¯s¡ª


    ¡°And you¡¯ll deal with the daily maintenance of things and all other annoying tasks?¡±


    Only basic chores. All important decisions will be left to you, or at the very least, require your permission.


    ¡°Good. You¡¯re hired!¡± Theo opened and closed all windows of the building out of habit. In the past life that was his way of indicating that a discussion was over¡ªat least when talking to employees beneath him on the food chain. Here, the action caused a lot of people on the street to give the building a strange look. ¡°Build the rest of the rooms, make a kitchen, a bathroom, and all the other fancy things, and then teleport the magic permit request.¡±


    Err, I am not allowed to use spells outside of the dungeon¡­


    ¡°You are now. I¡¯m making you responsible for all the mail. Questions?¡±


    If the spirit guide had a head to shake, it would definitely have done so.


    ¡°Perfect! Let me not keep you from your work,¡± Theo said in managerial fashion. ¡°If you have any further questions, don¡¯t hesitate to let me know. In the meantime, I¡¯ll be taking a nap.¡±


    And so, the transformation of the dungeon began. Most of what Theo had created was discretely destroyed or transformed into something with an actual fashion sense. The spinning wheel was moved to the attic, which became the work area. Spok paid particular attention to add a lot of slanted windows on the roof, as well as make the work area a lot more accommodating. The idea was taken from Theo¡¯s memories of his former life, but modified to be suitable for local architectural norms. The third floor was transformed into a giant library, complete with statues, exotic plants, and a few aesthetically pleasing magical devices. In addition, an armory was also created there¡ªmostly decorative in nature¡ªalong with a work study.


    The second floor was made into a vast living area that would be the envy of fashion magazines: a giant master bedroom¡ªcomplete with enchanted fireplace¡ª, a trophy room, as well as a huge bathroom made of gray and blue marble.


    The ground floor had a well-equipped kitchen, not that anyone was going to use it, the entrance lobby, as well as the grand hall in which guests would be invited¡ªnot that ever was going to happen. Cmyk¡¯s bed and other possessions were moved to the basement, which was a living area on its own. As any minion, that was the only proper place for him, although Spok did take care to make it rather comfortable. That didn¡¯t prevent the guide from adding a few prison cells, just in case.


    Finally, the lowest level of the dungeon was transformed into the traditional treasure room, complete with the core chest of Theo himself.


    Rather pleased with its achievement, the guide then proceeded to compose the magic permit request and send it off along with essentially all remaining gold coins. That done, there was nothing left to do but admire the work, which Spok did¡­ at least until there was a knock on the entrance door.

 4. Thieves and Permits

    Opening a dungeon¡¯s door was a task usually left for the dungeon. Normally, Spok wouldn¡¯t even bother with the matter. It was well established that the only being that could open a door was the dungeon itself, and occasionally some overly determined adventurers. This was supposed to be no different. However, if the last few days were an indication, knocking was always occupied with furious shouting, annoyed grumbling, or sometimes both.


    Umm, there¡¯s someone outside, the spirit guide said.


    The dungeon didn¡¯t react. Most likely, it had already managed to doze off. This presented the spirit guide with two options: use its newly granted powers to open the door or do nothing and wait until Theo woke up. Not being one for shouts, Spok decided to open the door.


    The door swung open, as if caught by a draft. To the spirit guide¡¯s surprise, however, the only thing there was a small wooden box placed neatly on the floor. This was rather unusual. Normally, one would ask about in order to inquire about the sudden delivery. However, since it didn¡¯t have the body, the only remaining alternative was to quickly levitate the box inside and close the door.


    ¡°What happened?!¡± Theo stirred, woken by the sudden noise.


    You¡¯ve received something¡­ Spok hesitated. Sir.


    There was no rule stating that a spirit guide cannot be a butler, although Spok could say with absolute certainty that no one in their right mind had even considered that a valid possibility.


    ¡°A something?¡± Theo asked, moving half of the new furniture within the rooms as he did so. ¡°What something?¡±


    That is what I was trying to determine, sir. The guide moved the box to the first-floor hall, placing it on the table. The object seemed fairly common. The craftsmanship wasn''t great, though it wasn¡¯t terrible either. One side was revealed to have a stamp of some sort¡ªpotentially a cat in front of a full moon, if one used a bit of imagination. A rather ornate latch on one side kept the lid closed.


    ¡°You really went all out with the changes, by the way,¡± Theo said. ¡°Nice. I like it.¡±


    Thank you, sir. Spok was relieved. Do you want me to open the box?


    ¡°Oh, sure. You¡¯re responsible for all the mail, right?¡±


    The guide levitated the latch aside, then opened the lid. A single scroll with a blue seal lay inside atop a cushion of black velvet.


    ¡°What does it say?¡± Theo asked as the spirit guide unrolled the scroll in the air.


    Just a lot of pomp and snobbishness, sir. In short, the Feline Mage Tower has given you a class S special mage permit, along with their deepest thanks for your generous contribution.


    ¡°Class S special permit?¡± Two of the seats in the guest room tilted, indicating the dungeon¡¯s surprise.


    Permits have their own classification, Spok explained. Actually, it¡¯s a commonly used classification that is widely used by various organizations in the world. To put it briefly, C is considered the lowest grade.


    ¡°C as in Common?¡± Theo asked.


    No¡­ C as in the third letter of the alphabet. Although, it could be said that C could stand for common. B class permits provide additional benefits, such as defense magic capabilities, A grants you the use of combat spells, as long you don¡¯t overuse them. And S¡ªor Special¡ªclass allows you to use pretty much any type of magic. In this case you have been granted a special mage permit, which means that the permit applies not only to the building, but to all items in it, and to you as well.


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡±


    In your case, none. However, if you were an actual wizard living here, you wouldn¡¯t have to apply for a personal license or register any magic items in your possession.


    ¡°Oooh, I see.¡±


    That was actually quite a good deal. While Theo was fully aware that he would never use the full benefits of his license, by the looks of it, he had gotten a V.I.P. package of some sort.


    ¡°How much money did you send them to get this?¡±


    Not that much. I just cleared all the coins that were left.


    ¡°Hmm. Are you sure it isn¡¯t a scam? That didn¡¯t seem like a lot.¡±


    It¡¯s possible that they simply are a new mage tower. I didn¡¯t look into it. I just sent the request to the most powerful tower I could sense in the area. Do you want me to frame the permit and hang it in your study?


    ¡°Oh, definitely!¡±


    In his previous life, Theo had an entire wall of framed diplomas, online courses he had finished, even a photo of him and one of the company¡¯s vice presidents. There was no way he¡¯d break the habit now, especially after he¡¯d gotten such a fancy permit.


    A perfect steel frame appeared around the permit, encapsulating it between two thin shards of crystal. Spok was about to levitate the item to the third floor when the entrance door suddenly opened. This time, it was Theo who had done so.


    ¡°It was about time, Cmyk!¡± Theo said in the way of welcome. ¡°Do you know how long we¡¯ve been waiting? We redecorated all the rooms and got a magic permit before you managed to show up.¡±


    Spok felt like coughing. There was no reason for the spirit guide to be upset that the dungeon had shared credit for something it hadn¡¯t done¡­ and still, Spok felt deeply annoyed.


    Cmyk, on the other hand, didn¡¯t care in the least. Calmly, the muscular minion carried in two large square stacks of hay, then went back out and brought in several bags of belongings¡ªmostly clothes, armor, and a few weapons.


    Don¡¯t put the hay on the floor, Spok sighed, then diligently levitated it to the attic.


    ¡°And the permit?¡± Theo reminded.


    A smirk formed on the minion¡¯s face. With the speed of a cheetah, he grabbed something tucked away in the back of his belt and held it high in the air. The item was a rolled-up piece of parchment, and while it could have passed as quite luxurious by local standards, it couldn¡¯t hold a candle to the magic permit floating in the air less than a foot away.


    ¡°Is that it?¡± Theo asked, disappointed as he unrolled the new parchment. ¡°Why can¡¯t I read this?¡± the dungeon wondered. ¡°In fact, why can¡¯t I read anything?¡±


    Dungeons don¡¯t have the ability to read, Spok said. Not that it¡¯s a difficult ability, it¡¯s just that there has never been any practical need for them to do so. And since no one likes to waste Core Points¡­ The guide stopped. I shall grant you the ability to read all languages, it said shortly after.


    CORNUCOPIA OF SOUNDS AND LETTERS


    You have the ability to understand and read all mortal and enchanted languages.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Theo read through the scroll. For the most part, it was a typical land permit, but once again, thanks to the generous sum provided, it came with the title of Baron attached. Being a dungeon, Theo was never going to use it, but he had to admit feeling somewhat tickled by the fact. ¡°Is a baron important?¡± he asked.


    It¡¯s the lowest of all seven noble titles, sir, Spok explained.


    ¡°Perfect!¡± An insignificant title meant that Theo wouldn¡¯t be expected to do much, if anything. ¡°People in this world sure are generous. Frame this as well and put it in the study. What else do I need to get?¡±


    You¡¯ll need a building permit and a family certificate containing your full family tree. The building permit might be slightly tricky, given that the standard practice is that you get it before starting to build, but there might be a way around that. The family tree might be somewhat more difficult. For that, you need actual relatives.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you get a forgery or something?¡±


    While it¡¯s theoretically possible, neither you nor I have the connections to do that. Dungeons were never supposed to have parents or deal with local bureaucracies. The easiest solution would be to?¡ª


    ¡°We¡¯ll worry about that in the morning,¡± Theo interrupted, indicating it was time for a nap. And while the dungeon was all too happy by the fact, the nap turned out to be quite short.


    A few hours after the Dungeon and his minion had gone to sleep, an annoying sound of scratching and tinkering came from the door. It wasn¡¯t that the sound was loud, but it was just rhythmic enough to stir the dungeon into a state of being semi-awake.


    ¡°Cmyk,¡± Theo grumbled. ¡°Quit fiddling with your keys and get back to sleep!¡±


    Sir, Spok said. The minion is in its room. Also, none of your doors have keys.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Theo went from being semi awake to fully awake. Crackling a window open, he peeked outside. Two black clothed figures were standing at his door. ¡°Someone¡¯s tinkering with the door!¡± he whispered.


    Theo had no idea who those people were. They definitely didn¡¯t seem to be adventurers, let alone heroes.


    I believe you are being robbed, sir.


    ¡°Thieves? Here?¡± The thought sounded shocking. ¡°Why the heck will they be robbing an empty house?¡±


    The ¡°house¡± isn¡¯t empty, sir. Your minion is living here.


    ¡°Oh¡­ right.¡±


    Not to mention that you have been spending a lot of gold the last few days. It¡¯s natural that the local thieves would learn about it.


    The door suddenly opened. This was confusing since neither Theo, nor the spirit guide had opened it. In theory, there wasn¡¯t supposed to be any force capable of opening a dungeon entrance. The structure to which Theo had transformed to, was flowing with magic from the lowest basement to the roof. Virtually, every wall and staircase were full of magic supposed to stop, kill, and repel any adventurer foolish enough to set foot inside. And yet, the two intruders not only had forced the door open with ease, but had stepped inside as if nothing had happened.


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t planning on using my key-herp on this,¡± one of the figures whispered. ¡°This better be worth it.¡±


    ¡°Will you relax!¡± the other hissed. ¡°The guy¡¯s loaded! He spent more gold in the taverns that they¡¯ve seen in a year.¡±


    I knew it! Theo thought. It¡¯s all Cmyk¡¯s fault!


    ¡°Besides, who else will buy the barony spot? The lot of land has been so overpriced that it¡¯s been empty for decades.¡±


    Theo didn¡¯t react to this. If he had, it would have been to explain that he found the place absolutely worth it, not to mention that the land came with a title attached, and who were they to judge how he spent his money, anyway?!


    The thieves quietly closed the door, then went on into the guest hall.


    ¡°See?¡± the second thief asked, triumphant. ¡°I told you he¡¯s loaded! Who else would buy all this stuff?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be difficult selling the furniture. Although Anky might pay a pretty penny for the leg of that armchair. His cerberus keeps chewing on it, so he¡¯s always on the lookout for replacements.¡±


    Theo felt his walls tremble with anger. Were they actually discussing hacking up part of his furniture? And just after Spok had made it, too? The chair itself wasn¡¯t the issue¡ªTheo was able to create dozens more at any time. It was the shamelessness of the thieves that made him want to crush them where they stood.


    It won¡¯t be a good idea to kill them, sir, Spok said. While beneficial in the short run, it¡¯ll create too much commotion. You wouldn¡¯t want to be outed as a dungeon in a city such as this. Not until you have the energy to move somewhere else.


    ¡°What do you suggest?¡± Theo whispered in the attic. ¡°I leave them to take whatever they want?¡±


    That might be the best option, sir.


    Theo moved every piece of furniture in the master bedroom to the ceiling. If he were human, he¡¯d be biting his tongue and clenching his fists. Here, he had to make do with whatever was available. All that power and he couldn¡¯t use it to chase out a couple of thieves.


    ¡°What if I use the aura of fear?¡±


    And make the inhabitants of the entire town run off somewhere? I fear that might be noticed¡­


    ¡°What about¡ª"


    The question remained unfinished. That was unfortunate, since it was a really good idea. Theo would have asked to learn how to cast a sleeping aura and put both intruders to sleep, then gently throw them out and then lock the door and block it with something heavy. The problem would have been resolved, and no one would have known a thing. Instead, Cmyk had walked into the entrance lobby.


    The next two seconds passed in complete silence and confusion.


    Cmyk had originally gone up, believing the sound that had woken him up had come from the rabbit. And since he was still not used to the concept of taking his clothes off before going to bed, he was still in full gear, carrying a lit candlestick in one hand and a large metal bowl with an apple in the other. He wasn¡¯t at all expecting a pair of strangers standing in the entrance lobby. From their part, the thieves had used a rather expensive magic gem to make sure that there was no living being in the building, and now they were staring at an extremely muscular man armed for battle, holding a dangerously large candlestick and a helmet in the other.


    ¡°Oh, shit,¡± Theo said, just before all hell broke loose.


    One of the thieves grabbed a vial from beneath his cloak and smashed it on the floor. Blue smoke filled the room, almost choking Theo with its peppery taste. Instinctively, he slammed the door shut. This provided a serious dilemma for the thieves. None of them had any desire to fight, however, they didn¡¯t want to get caught either. A split-second decision had to be made, and the shorter of the thieves made it by drawing a sword from his dimensional ring and swinging at Cmyk.


    Unaffected by the smoke, the minion blocked the attack with the candlestick. All the energy invested by Theo had made Cmyk not only extremely strong, but with excellent reflexes. Unfortunately, despite its size, the candlestick proved no match for the weapon. Clearly it was magic as well, since it sliced halfway through the metal object with the ease a knife would go through butter.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Theo shouted, feeling a prick. Apparently, having an item created by him broken caused him pain. It was no worse than a paper cut, but that infuriated the dungeon enough to levitate the sword obtained from the legendary hero into the entrance lobby and strike indiscriminately at the thieves.


    The attack was blocked by the second thief, who had drawn a large shield from nowhere.


    ¡°He¡¯s got magic!¡± the second thief shouted.


    On cue, the first thief leapt back and threw a series of flying knives in the direction of Cmyk.


    Moving at speeds that seemed impossible for its large frame, the minion twisted and leapt through the lobby, evading all the attacks. A few knives were deflected with the apple bowl, which then itself was sent flying¡ªapple and all¡ªat the thief¡¯s head.


    ¡°Careful with the furniture!¡± Theo shouted, swinging the sword about wildly. While he had become used to levitation, swordsmanship wasn¡¯t a skill he currently had.


    Finding himself in a tight spot, the first thief grabbed another vial and flung it forward. The vial easily missed Cmyk, though it exploded in flames the moment it broke in the wall.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Theo roared. ¡°No more mister nice guy!¡±


    Breaking in was bad enough, but setting him on fire was way across the line. At this point, Theo no longer cared about not being discovered. A deep animosity filled him, wanting nothing less than beating the thieves into a pulp. A table and two massive chairs flew in from the guest hall, swinging at the thieves in slow, sloppy fashion; and while the attacks were easily blocked by the thief with the shield, the strength was enough to push her back several steps.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± the first thief shouted.


    ¡°The house is full of magic!¡± the second thief replied. ¡°I¡¯ll break a window! We¡¯re getting out of here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no you don¡¯t!¡± They took one of the interior doors off its hinges, moving it in front of the ground-floor window. He had no intention of having them break anything else, unless it was with their heads


    LEGENDARY SWASHBUCKLING


    Complete mastery of swordplay, acrobatics, guile, and bravado rivaling that of any adventurer.


    I thought that might be useful, Spok said.


    It did. Suddenly, the chaotic movement of the sword and furniture became a lot more precise. Instead of wildly hacking and slashing, Theo focused on light piercing attacks. Like an experienced fencer, he combined swings, feints, and jabs, causing the thief with the shield to move the shield about in a desperate attempt to protect herself, only to get clobbered on the back of the head by a floating table.


    Meanwhile, Cmyk dealt with the other thief. Unwilling to give the man a chance to fetch another vial, the minion rushed forward and grabbed both of the thief¡¯s arms. In his lazy mind, Cmyk was already celebrating his victory, when a kick in the groin told him his opponent thought otherwise. The attack itself didn¡¯t cause nearly as much pain as the thief had hoped¡ªor any, for that matter. However, it forced Cmyk to respond with a quick headbutt, rendering the intruder unconscious.


    Both thieves down, a momentary sense of victory and accomplishment set in. Cmyk and the nearby floating furniture turned to one another, displaying a figurative grin of superiority.


    ¡°We showed them, eh?¡± Theo asked.


    That is indeed commendable, sir. But can I remind you that part of you is still on fire, not to mention the damages inflicted on the lobby¡ª


    ¡°Holy crap! Cmyk put the fire out!¡± Theo fretted. ¡°Spok, repair the damage!¡±


    And what about the thieves?


    ¡°What do I care? Tie them up and throw them out! We have more important things to worry about!¡±


    A set of ropes appeared, winding around each thief, then tying a tight knot with a bow. Once that was done, Spok opened the front door, tossed the intruders outside, and closed the door shut. Naturally, in the process, the spirit guide didn¡¯t forget to deprive the thieves of all more exotic possessions: a shock absorbing shield, a pair of metal cutting daggers, a pair of dimension storage rings, and a necklace with a life sensing gem. After all, it was only fair that they paid for the damages inflicted.


    Repairing the house involved more grumbling than actual work. Theo would complain at each nick and scorch mark, pointing out that ¡°it wasn¡¯t as good as before.¡± Spok would try to explain that everything was identical to the way it was, only to be directed to another scratch mark and go through the same process. Cmyk, on his part, picked up the apple from the ground, went upstairs to feed the rabbit, then went back to his room without helping in any work at all.


    Once again, things eventually returned to normal, until the next knock on the door.


    ¡°Cmyk!¡± Theo shouted, not even bothering to peek through the windows. ¡°See who it is this time. And don¡¯t even think of going out with your friends! You¡¯re grounded until you spin more gold!¡±


    With a silent grumble, the minion went to the door and opened it.


    ¡°Good day to you, sir,¡± a man in a bright blue uniform, a shiny breastplate, and an incredibly large mustache said. ¡°Lieutenant Kyle Ribbons of the city guard at your service. I¡¯m here in regard to the whole disturbance business.¡±


    Theo felt his heart sink¡ªor he would have if he still had one. Apparently dealing with the thieves felt like a bottle of whiskey: lots of fun during the night, but a huge headache in the morning after.


    ¡°From what I understand, you¡¯re rather new in town, correct?¡± the lieutenant asked.


    Staring blankly forward, Cmyk nodded.


    ¡°And where did you come from? There seems to be some confusion regarding that matter.¡±


    ¡°Is there a way to summon a more intelligent minion?¡± Theo whispered in the attic.


    That would be possible. What type of minion would you like to create?


    Theo thought about it, then thought some more. Summoning a combat minion would only make things worse. Not to mention that he¡¯d also have to grant the minion flesh or cast an illusion so it looked human. And even then, could he actually rely on minions to do as he asked? By definition, Cmyk was supposed to be a loyal and hardworking digger. The creature hadn¡¯t done a moment¡¯s work in its existence unless there was a huge personal benefit.


    ¡°Forget that,¡± Theo quickly said. ¡°I want to create a human copy of myself in order to deal with this.¡±


    There¡¯s a perfect skill for that, sir. It¡¯s rather expensive, but still within your means.


    ¡°Just get on with it before Cmyk does something we¡¯ll all regret.¡±


    Spok felt overjoyed. Finally, Theo had asked for a skill that was both useful and dungeon-like.


    CREATE FREE AVATAR


    The one time ability to create an outside entity of yourself. The avatar is able to leave the dungeon freely, while also sharing all skills already obtained. Since all energy comes from the dungeon, the amount of energy required increases with distance.


    The appearance of the avatar is determined by the dungeon upon creation.


    Before the spirit guide could explain the advantages of the avatar above any simple summon, Theo had already cast it. The form that was created was humanoid, tall, slender, with tanned bronze skin and long curly black hair. In his past life, Theo would have chosen an appearance much closer to that of Cmyk. In fact, had he used the ability a day ago, he would have created an avatar that was an exact copy of Cmyk. However, the Legendary Swashbuckling skill that he had recently learned had given him a new aesthetic understanding.


    ¡°Nice,¡± Theo said, looking at his hands.


    With the snap of a finger, a mirror appeared before him, allowing him to admire his new form. Everything from his clothes to the charming¡ªand slightly scoundrelly¡ªgrin on his face were a mix between a pirate and a musketeer, both from popular romantic novels. Sadly, he didn¡¯t have long to admire his appearance. The conversation with the city guard lieutenant was progressing poorly, focusing on Theo to rush down in haste.


    ¡°Lieutenant,¡± Theo said with a wide smile, pushing Cmyk to the side.


    The grand entry made the city guard pause. His mind struggled to come to terms with seeing a tall skinny man move a massive, unmovable warrior with such ease.


    ¡°Err, and you are?¡±


    Theo stared blankly, only now realizing that in all the commotion, he hadn¡¯t come up with a name.


    ¡°Theodor d¡¯Argent,¡± the avatar said, the first thing that came to mind. ¡°I happen to be the owner of this building.¡±


    ¡°Ah, my apologies, sir. I was not aware that¡­ I mean to say, I thought that this was the person who lived here.¡± The lieutenant glanced at Cmyk.


    ¡°Ah.¡± Theo nodded. ¡°A common mistake. I sent him over to get the building in order before I came in person. As you might have noted, it¡¯s a magic building.¡±


    ¡°I see that, sir.¡±


    ¡°A fully registered building on a legally purchased plot of land,¡± Theo continued. ¡°I believe that has also granted me the title of baron as well?¡±


    ¡°Forgive me, my Lord. It¡¯s rare that one meets nobility outside the castle. As I was trying to inquire¡ª"


    ¡°Why I¡¯m here,¡± Theo finished the sentence. ¡°Well, you see, I decided to move to a nice, calm place in nature to avoid the chaos of the big city. You know what it¡¯s like, right?¡±


    ¡°I have never left Rosewind, my Lord,¡± the liutenant said flatly.


    ¡°Ah, and you haven¡¯t missed a thing. It¡¯s so much more charming and adventurous here.¡±


    The liutenant narrowed his eyes. There appeared to be something very fishy going on, yet he wasn¡¯t able to put his finger on it.


    ¡°Ahem,¡± the lieutenant cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯m here to inquire about the disturbance.¡±


    ¡°Disturbance?¡± Theo asked, feigning ignorance.


    ¡°Two extremely dangerous thieves were found tied up in front of this very door.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t say.¡±


    ¡°Their description matches that of part of the Claw Hook band that has been causing havoc throughout the region.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my. That sounds quite serious. I¡¯m glad that they were captured, then.¡± Theo attempted to quickly close the door. Before he could succeed, however, the lieutenant managed to grab it with his right hand. Since Theo didn¡¯t want to crush the man¡¯s knuckles, he reluctantly allowed the door to be opened again.


    ¡°As I was saying, my Lord, the people who managed to capture them have earned an official reward from Earl Rosewind,¡± Lieutenant Ribbons continued in exceedingly formal fashion. ¡°And since the thieves were found in front of your door, and there were quite a few witnesses seeing them being thrown out of your door, you and your companion are to come with us immediately to the earl. Unless there¡¯s some reason for that to be inconvenient for you.¡±


    ¡°No, not inconvenient at all.¡± Theo smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go right now.¡±

 5. Birth of the Heroic Dungeon

    The earl¡¯s castle was fairly close to the spot Theo had chosen as his hiding place. If there was a building that could claim to be in Rosewind¡¯s center, the castle was definitely it. Surrounded by a moat and set of tall walls, it was designed to be quite imposing, towering above the few noble mansions surrounding it. The halls and corridors were built with the sole purpose of displaying the earl¡¯s immense wealth and power.


    Full-scale sets of bronze armor decorated the walls on either side, while Theo¡¯s avatar was escorted along a red carpet¡ªpassing through multiple internal gates¡ªto the throne room. Balls of light glowed in the air, indicating that Theo wasn¡¯t the only building with magic in the city.


    Hmph, Theo thought while walking. Size isn¡¯t everything. I¡¯m still far more stylish than this place. Right?


    The question remained unanswered. As much as Theo wanted, the spirit guide was incapable of following his avatar outside of the dungeon. Of course, Theo could easily describe what he was seeing, but that would be annoying. The moment he restored some energy, he was going to have Spok teach him how to create a magic mirror, scrying ball, or whatever other magic device there was that allowed remote viewing.


    ¡°Please, wait here, my lord!¡± the city guard lieutenant said a few steps before the throne room.


    ¡°Umm, why?¡±


    ¡°The earl must prepare for your visit,¡± the lieutenant explained. ¡°It¡¯s all part of the etiquette.¡±


    Looking around, Theo could see that he wasn¡¯t the only one that had to go through such a humiliation. A woman in her thirties was also present, sitting in one of the chairs. While her expression was quite measured¡ªone could say even calm¡ªTheo could see her tapping annoyed on the wooden armrest with her left hand. Unlike most women in town, she was wearing a stylish uniform-style attire, strongly suggesting that she was a noble of some sort.


    Poor soul, I empathize, Theo thought. He found the whole thing utterly stupid, especially since it was the earl who had rushed him here. Unwilling to cause a scene, Theo put a fake smile on the face of his avatar.


    ¡°Of course,¡± he said. ¡°Where do I sit while I wait?¡±


    Lieutenant Ribbons tensed up upon hearing the question. Uncertain what its actual purpose was, he systemically inspected all nine available chairs that were placed in the ante-chamber.


    ¡°Whichever you prefer, my lord!¡± the man said, then gave a salute, turned around, and walked off.


    Theo waited for a few seconds, then sat next to the unfortunate woman.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he whispered in greeting. ¡°They caught you as well, eh?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± the woman glanced his way.


    ¡°The audience to the earl,¡± Theo whispered on. ¡°I heard it¡¯s an offer no one could refuse.¡±


    ¡°You can say that.¡± The comment made the woman let her guard down. ¡°If I didn¡¯t need a favor from the geezer, I never would have agreed with this, but¡­ Anyway, that¡¯s my problem.¡± The woman¡¯s features softened. ¡°What are you here for?¡±


    ¡°Apparently, to receive thanks of some sort,¡± Theo said. ¡°I¡¯m Theodor D¡¯Argent, by the way. Baron, apparently.¡±


    ¡°Liandra Sky,¡± the woman nodded. ¡°First Class Heroine.¡±


    Within Theo¡¯s true form, several pieces of furniture trembled. The universe had to be playing some cruel joke. After all the trouble he had gone through: the teleportation, the transformation, the difficult to obtain permits, Theo¡¯s avatar had found itself sitting next to a hero, and First Class one, at that.


    ¡°A real Heroine?¡± Theo¡¯s voice raised two octaves. ¡°What brings you here?¡±


    ¡°I have a favor to ask from Earl Rosewind. Of course, the old goat is a stickler for etiquette, so everyone who wishes to have an audience with him must go through this humiliation. Why did you make the earl feel so thankful?¡±


    ¡°Nothing major. Just¡ª"


    The sound of trumpets filled the antechamber. Both Theo and Lindra looked at the entrance to the throne room. The castle steward appeared, dressed more flamboyantly than either of them, holding a rather large ornate staff.


    ¡°This is our cue to get ready,¡± Liandra stood up. Theo quickly followed her example.


    The moment the trumpets went silent, the steward struck the floor three rimes with the bottom of his staff.


    ¡°Announcing Heroine Liandra Sky and Baron Theodor D¡¯Argent,¡± he said loudly in a deep booming voice that would make any announcer in Theo¡¯s previous life envious.


    Having made his announcement, the steward moved to the side, letting the two guests officially enter the throne room.


    It took ten full seconds of walking for Theo and the heroine to reach the appointed spot for their audience. As with everything else, it was clearly marked by a blue line of velvet across the carpet¡­ as well as four armored guards. The earl himself was exactly what Theo imagined him to be: small, old, in expensive clothes, and a small coronet that did little to cover his bald spot. Standing next to the throne was a young man in his twenties. He didn¡¯t have a crown, but there was a rather large medal on the right side of his stylishly plain uniform.


    ¡°Ah,¡± the earl said in typical aristocratic fashion. ¡°Liandra, it¡¯s really been too long.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Lord Rosewind,¡± the woman bowed. ¡°A pleasure, as always.¡±


    ¡°I remember when your father used to bring you here, and you¡¯d spend the days running around with Avid,¡± the earl rambled on, giving the man by the throne a quick glance as he did. ¡°It would have been so nice if we could just talk about the old days, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ve called you here on a rather urgent matter.¡±


    The earl cleared his throat.


    ¡°I assume you¡¯re the new baron?¡± he gave Theo¡¯s avatar a stern look.


    ¡°Baron Theodor d¡¯Argent, my lord.¡± Theo bowed as well. He had no idea what the proper etiquette was, so he decided to follow the Liandra¡¯s lead.


    ¡°And quite a capable mage, from what I¡¯m told.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you flatter me.¡± Theo couldn¡¯t keep himself from responding. This was a habit acquired in his previous life and transcending his reincarnation. ¡°I¡¯m merely a class S,¡± he humble-bragged.


    ¡°A class S mage?¡± The earl nodded several times. ¡°That makes things even easier. Considering you were the one who caught those two despicable thieves, I wanted you to take part in this request. However, given you were new here, I wasn¡¯t sure whether it wouldn¡¯t be too much of a burden for you. Hearing that you are a class S mage, I¡¯m relieved that it wouldn¡¯t be an issue.¡±


    Wait, what?


    Back in the building that was Theo, doors slammed in fury. Had he just been duped again? If he only had kept his mouth shut, none of this would have happened. Now, he had gotten himself involved in some other mess, one he suspected he wouldn¡¯t like.


    ¡°The Claw Hook gang has been terrorizing the region for years, and we¡¯re not only talking about my town. Month after month, they had become more and more brazen, stealing from beggar, merchant, and noble alike. The Duke of Kanies himself offered a reward of twenty thousand gold coins for anyone who finds the brigands¡¯ hideout and puts an end to their actions. Quite a lot of adventurers have tried, but all of them failed.¡±


    ¡°They all wound up dead?¡± Theo asked, unable to stop himself once more.


    ¡°Fortunately, no,¡± the earl continued. ¡°I like your bravery, however. The annoying thieves are just impossible to track down. Every member of the Claw has multiple magic items in their possession that make capture impossible. You are the first, and only, person to do so, my dear baron.¡±


    Theo felt a chill through his walls. Unwarranted compliments were a sure sign of scary things to come.


    ¡°The thieves you captured quickly revealed the exact location of their boss¡¯ hideout, and through that have untied my hands.¡± The earl stood up from his throne. ¡°That is why, by the power invested in me, I decree that the two of you go and deal with this nuisance once and for all! A hero and a mage, and the hope of all of Rosewind, hereby receive the noble quest of finding the Claw Hook hideout and do what needs to be done so that calm is restored to the region once more!¡±


    There it was¡ªthe punishment disguised as a reward that Theo so much feared. Not only wasn¡¯t he going to be left alone, but now he was forced to waste his time hunting thieves¡­ accompanied by a hero. At this point, he really couldn¡¯t imagine things getting any worse.


    I should have just sent Cmyk, Theo said to himself. Things would have been so much simpler then. Although¡­ maybe it wasn¡¯t too late to change things.


    ¡°Earl Rosewind, I¡¯m honored by your trust,¡± Theo began. ¡°I really am. Unfortunately, as I was told by your tax collector upon arriving here, I have a lot of documents to get in order. After all, as someone from a noble lineage, I must serve as an example to others and not leave even trivial matters unfinished. Of course, I¡¯ll gladly¡ª"


    ¡°Hmm, you have a point there.¡± The earl scratched his left ear. ¡°It¡¯s not rare for nobles to forget that even they are subject to the kingdom¡¯s laws. You are quite the paragon of virtue. And that only proves I was right in choosing you for the job.¡±


    Huh? There was a smile on Theo¡¯s avatar, but deep inside, he was weeping.


    ¡°Go on your quest and deal with the Claw Hook thieves. In the meantime, I¡¯ll see to it that all your bureaucratic issues are resolved.¡±


    ¡°You are too kind, my Lord.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. It¡¯s the least I can do. Oh, and Liandra.¡± The earl turned to the woman. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to having you join me for dinner upon your return. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a lot for us to talk about.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure there is.¡± Liandra nodded. ¡°Thank you, my Lord.¡±


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    In such an absurd fashion, Theo found himself¡ªor at least his avatar¡ªroped in an official noble quest assigned by the earl himself. The situation was so hair-tearingly annoying, that the only thing he could do was have his avatar smile and return briefly to pack before heading out. On the bright side, the dungeon would remain safely in the city, keeping an eye on Cmyk and any other potential thieves. However, he had to be extremely careful that his avatar didn¡¯t get injured. Since there was mana¡ªand not blood¡ªrunning through his veins, even a slight wound risked revealing Theo¡¯s true nature to Liandra. If that happened, she would have no issue finding and destroying him.


    ¡°Spok!¡± Theo shouted, while his avatar was making its way back to the building. ¡°Is there a quick way to transfer skills to my avatar?¡±


    Could you please elaborate a bit on that? The spirit guide asked.


    ¡°I want to grant and increase the abilities my avatar has the same way you do.¡±


    Oh, you can already do that. All it takes is¡ª


    ¡°While my avatar is outside,¡± Theo added.


    This made things considerably more challenging. While dungeons were virtually omnipotent when it came to everything within them¡ªas long as they had enough energy and Core Points¡ªthey had limited powers outside. The spirit guide once again had to think long and hard to find a skill or ability that would allow what Theo wanted. Unfortunately, unlike before, this time there was nothing to find.


    It seems that no dungeon has asked for such a skill¡­


    ¡°Come on!¡± Theo slammed a door. ¡°You mean to tell me there¡¯s no way to make my avatar stronger while it¡¯s outside?¡±


    It might be possible to grant it abilities while it¡¯s slightly outside, Spok said cautiously. With your power, maybe that could be extended to a block or two¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to go on a quest who-knows-where and do who-knows-what. Can I teleport my avatar here and back?¡±


    That is a possibility, yes¡­


    ¡°Great!¡±


    ¡­but it will require more energy than you currently have. While changing the location of a part of you is far less than moving yourself, it still requires considerable energy at long distances. Also, it won¡¯t be reliable since it¡¯ll be affected by anti-magic fields, sacred sites, and a number of other exceptions.


    ¡°I¡¯m doomed.¡±


    I¡¯m sorry, sir, but your requests are just so¡­ unique. Dungeons simply don¡¯t think that way.


    ¡°Hold on!¡± All the lamps within Theo lit up. ¡°You said no dungeon has asked for such skills before. Does it mean I get to ask for skills?¡±


    The question, while extremely logical, astonished Spok. Usually, dungeons only requested powers before their reincarnation. There was nothing that said they couldn¡¯t ask while being alive¡­ it simply wasn¡¯t something that was done.


    There might be a way, but it¡¯s not something anyone has tried so far.


    ¡°At this point I¡¯m ready to try anything.¡±


    You can go to one of the temples and ask from the deities directly. They are the only ones that grant abilities. Normally dungeons make such requests in person, but since your avatar is technically part of you, that should count as well.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re asking me to go to a temple with my avatar and have it ask that I be granted the ability to grant it abilities?¡± There was a long moment of silence. ¡°You¡¯re getting sneaky, Spok. I like that! Before that, I need to pack as if I¡¯m a normal person.¡±


    It was astonishing how quickly Theo had forgotten what it was like to be a human. It didn¡¯t help that in his past life, he had seldom left the city, let alone the state.


    Creating a backpack was the first thing that came to mind. Of course, that was before Theo was reminded that one of the items obtained from the thieves was a dimensional ring. From a magic perspective, the item was somewhat puny, merely containing a few swords, two dozen daggers, and a few thief tools of the trade. A quick mana jolt from the dungeon later, the space inside vastly increased. Clothes were first on the menu, followed by the local equivalent of a sleeping bag, some pillows, rope, a grappling hook, pots, pans, and everything else Theo could think of.


    The dungeon had to be reminded about food and water¡ªboth things he didn¡¯t need, but required to keep up appearances. Cmyk was sent to the nearby market with a few coins of gold, and quickly came back with a large assortment of bread, apples, bottles of ale, and ¡°fresh fish.¡± All those were diligently cooked¡ªin Theo¡¯s new kitchen¡ªwrapped and added to the ring just as there was a knock on the door. Cracking open one of the upper windows, Theo saw that Liandra had arrived to pick him up with a pair of horses.


    ¡°Quick, teach me riding,¡± Theo whispered.


    LEGENDARY HORSEBACK RIDING


    Complete mastery of horseback riding.


    Straightening his clothes, Theo¡¯s avatar rushed to the door and opened it.


    ¡°Lady Liandra,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°How punctual of you. Not only did you pack fast, but you managed to find me so soon.¡±


    ¡°Your house is the only one that suddenly appeared.¡± The woman smiled. ¡°Are you ready to go? Or do you need more time?¡±


    ¡°Quite ready. I just finished packing my ring.¡± The avatar made sure to tap on it for effect.


    ¡°A dimension ring?¡± Liandra nodded a few times. ¡°A lot of adventurers are using these nowadays. I prefer to stick to traditional methods.¡± She pointed to the backpacks of her horse.


    ¡°Pfft, adventurers. What do they know?¡± Theo¡¯s avatar laughed. ¡°It¡¯s not like they managed to catch this Claw Hook.¡± He went out and closed the door behind him. ¡°Just one minor thing. Might we pass by the temple before we go? I¡¯d like to say a quick prayer, just in case.¡±


    ¡°Um, sure.¡± The woman tilted her head slightly, visibly surprised by the request. ¡°Which temple do you want to go to?¡±


    ¡°Which temple?¡± Theo whispered in the attic of the building, while his avatar stood on the street outside.


    Luminaria, Spok said. Goddess of Light.


    ¡°The temple of Luminaria,¡± the avatar repeated.


    ¡°Wow. And I thought I was old school.¡± Liandra chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m not even sure there still are temples dedicated to her in this part of the continent.¡±


    ¡°Has she fallen from grace?¡± Theo felt storm clouds form in his basement.


    ¡°Rather, the opposite. No one dares dedicate a shrine to the high deities out of fear it won¡¯t be perfect. You can pray to Peris, goddess of journeys and first maiden of Luminaria.¡±


    The proposal made Theo feel even worse. It was as if he were just informed that he could no longer meet the CEO of the company, but could have a chat with his secretary instead. The dungeon had no idea who this Peris was or what she stood for. Sadly, the only option he was left with was to agree with a smile and follow Liandra to the temple in question.


    There wasn¡¯t a single person at the temple. Given the unparalleled strength of deities in the world, Theo expected the place to be packed. Instead, he learned that it didn¡¯t even have a dedicated priestess.


    A single statue of white marble stood in the center of the prayer hall, covered by light shining through the stained-glass windows. Without a doubt, a number of extremely highly skilled artisans had been involved in the initial construction of the temple. Since then, though, it had fallen on hard times. If there had been pews or furniture, they had long been removed, leaving empty bare walls, dusty floors, and more than the standard amount of spiderwebs.


    Someone has it rough, Theo thought as he walked to the statue and knelt down.


    ¡°Umm, hello there,¡± he whispered. ¡°I¡¯ve no idea what the proper etiquette is, but seeing how empty this place is, I don¡¯t think you¡¯d care much.¡± He paused for a moment. ¡°Thing is, I was told that only a deity can grant me new abilities. Now I know you¡¯re not Luminaria, and most definitely have no idea who I am, but if you could do me this small favor, I¡¯ll be extremely grateful.¡±


    Theo didn¡¯t expect there to be a response. In fact, he was half ready to stand up and leave, when suddenly a voice out of nowhere made him reconsider.


    ¡°You¡¯re a dungeon?¡± the voice asked. It was far more childish than he expected, unusually cheerful, and¡ªto Theo¡¯s annoyance¡ªlouder than he would have liked.


    ¡°Shhh!¡± Theo said, glancing at the entrance to make sure that Liandra hadn¡¯t heard his secret revealed.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± the goddess said. ¡°It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve never seen a dungeon visit a temple before. This will definitely be the talk of the week.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad I can oblige,¡± the avatar said through gritted teeth.


    ¡°You¡¯re the human who fell down the elevator, right? I heard about you. Didn¡¯t you get reincarnated as a dungeon in an inaccessible valley halfway across the continent?¡±


    ¡°I was,¡± Theo grumbled. ¡°It didn¡¯t work out.¡±


    ¡°Oh well. It happens, sometimes. So, why are you here?¡±


    ¡°As I said, I¡¯ve come to ask that you grant me a skill.¡±


    ¡°A skill?¡± the goddess sounded confused.


    ¡°Skill, ability, power¡­ I was told that only a deity can grant me abilities that no dungeon has.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true, but¡­ what skill could you possibly want that no one dungeon has asked for? I mean, there are so many dungeon skills that it will take years for¡ª"


    ¡°I want to be able to have my avatar learn skills while being a huge distance away,¡± Theo interrupted.


    ¡°Wow. I stand corrected. That is a new one. I can¡¯t believe that no one asked for this before. Actually, I can¡¯t believe that you went ahead and made an avatar to walk about.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I¡¯m quite unbelievable. Can you help me?¡±


    Light flickered all over the statue.


    ¡°If you were human, it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal. I¡¯d bless you here and now, bestowing you with a heroic proficiency and all corresponding skills. However, you¡¯re a dungeon and dungeons don¡¯t like heroic skills. In fact, they don¡¯t like following any standard template that isn¡¯t their own. That¡¯s why they keep asking for new skills every reincarnation.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just make some kind of long-distance link between me and my avatar?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s so simple, why don¡¯t you do it?¡± the goddess snapped. ¡°If I¡¯m to create a link, I might as well¡ª¡±


    There was a sudden pause, and Theo didn¡¯t like pauses. From his experience, when someone stopped mid-sentence, it was a precursor to something truly terrifying.


    ¡°I can make you a heroic dungeon,¡± Peris said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡ª"


    ¡°Hear me out! No one will know you¡¯re a hero. You¡¯ll just gain the heroic trait.¡±


    Even with Theo¡¯s extremely limited knowledge, this sounded terribly wrong. Heroes were supposed to destroy dungeons. A dungeon to be a hero sounded like there being a cannibal corpse.


    ¡°How exactly is that going to help me? Or do you just want to put me out of my misery?¡±


    ¡°The thing that you ask is impossible. Maybe Luminaria can do it, or one of the greats, but good luck getting an audience with them outside of reincarnation. Granting you the heroic trait is well within my power, and while you won¡¯t be able to grant powers to your avatar at a distance, your avatar will be able to learn them on his own.¡±


    ¡°Say again?¡± This definitely piqued Theo¡¯s interest. While not exactly what he had in mind, it definitely had a certain level of appeal.


    ¡°Your avatar will be able to do what heroes do and improve the same way heroes improve,¡± the goddess explained. ¡°At the same time, your avatar will be able to draw from your energy when casting spells, and acquire any dungeon skills you can grant upon returning back to you. Quite the good deal, if I do say so myself.¡±


    ¡°Heroic dungeon,¡± Theo repeated, trying to get used to the concept. ¡°Well, what the heck. What do I need to do?¡±


    ¡°Traditionally you¡¯d have to give me an offering of some sort, but I¡¯ll settle for you sending a minion several times per week to clean up my temple. I know it¡¯s just an insignificant temple in some small town, but I¡¯d like it to be kept clean, at least.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t my minion turn to ash the moment it sets foot inside?¡±


    ¡°Are you ash?¡±


    ¡°Point taken. Well, if that¡¯s all, we have a deal.¡±


    ¡°Splendid!¡±


    Without warning, a circle of light appeared on the floor beneath Theo¡¯s avatar and shot up like a pillar. For a moment, the dungeon lost all sensation from his avatar, as if he were struck by an extremely powerful laser. Then, a series of floating letters and numbers appeared within the brightness.


    Baron Theodore D¡¯Argent ¨C Heroic Dungeon


    Level: 1


    Strength: 50


    Speed: 40


    Mind: 60


    Energy (Health/Mana): 9021


    Free Core Points: 3,554,219


    While Theo had nothing to compare them with, the stat values looked rather impressive. For one thing, they were ten times better than those of Cmyk. For some reason, that made Theo feel exceedingly pleased. A lot of the core points from the legendary hero¡¯s demise were gone, but there was still more than enough left to deal with the smaller things, and more importantly, Theo had a vast energy reserve.


    HEROIC TRAIT ¨C EXPERIENCE


    Destroying dungeons and claiming their core will result in obtaining Core Points.


    Killing demons, magic monsters, and minions and claiming their cores will result in obtaining Core Points.


    ¡°I can really do that?¡± Theo asked. ¡°No wonder heroes spend all their time killing dungeons.¡±


    ¡°Dungeons do the same. They¡¯re just more subtle about it. Anyway, good luck with your hero-ing. Hope to see you again sometime.¡±

 6. Attack of the Flying Goblins

    It felt as if half of the town had gathered at the front gates of Rosewind. Theo wasn¡¯t used to such commotion, nor did he want it. Personally, he would have much preferred if they had snuck out completely unnoticed¡­ which would have happened if he hadn¡¯t been so fussy about packing or gone to the shrine. There was no denying that the hero trait was worth it, although after a minute of cheerful shouting he was no longer sure.


    ¡°First time?¡± Liandra asked.


    Theo nodded with his avatar.


    ¡°First times are rough, especially when it¡¯s a big deal. That¡¯s why we should have left directly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll know for next time,¡± Theo mumbled. ¡°Do you stop noticing in time?¡±


    ¡°You always notice, but the burden gets easier. My first time was really rough. My father was there, wishing me luck, not to mention a few thousand people wanting to show their support.¡± The woman sighed. ¡°The only thing worse is children.¡±


    ¡°Children are worse?¡± Theo blinked. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Looking at children is like looking at their hopes and dreams. You know exactly what they¡¯re hoping for, just as you know that it¡¯s not always possible to achieve it. Bringing bad news to children is like causing the end of the world. Some resent you for it, others not so much, but all of them are heartbroken, and you feel crappy for something that isn¡¯t your fault.¡±


    Theo nodded again, this time somewhat absentmindedly. Everything the woman had said was probably true, but that wasn¡¯t his problem in the least. He wasn¡¯t worried about dashing anyone¡¯s dreams, because he had made no promises. What worried and annoyed him was the noise coming from the people and the prospect that they might start gathering at his building should the quest be successful. Guests¡ªuninvited or not¡ªwere one of the things the dungeon disliked with a passion, especially after everything that had occurred in the last week. If he were to capture the thieves and return a hero of the region, things were going to get a hundred times worse. If he were to achieve his dream of a calm, quiet life, there were two options: either be so efficient that the earl didn¡¯t dare waste his time with other quests, or be so incompetent, that the earl wouldn¡¯t want to. Both had their pros and cons, making it difficult to decide.


    ¡°Do you think there will be any fighting?¡± Theo asked.


    ¡°Most probably,¡± his traveling companion replied.


    ¡°A lot of it?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. Thieves usually prefer to run, but when they¡¯re defending their stronghold, they tend to get berserk.¡±


    Just great. Theo sighed internally.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, though. I doubt they¡¯ll be able to cause much harm.¡± Liandra tapped on the sheath of the massive two-handed sword her horse carried. Looking at it was enough to make Theo feel uneasy. Apart from the faint glow of magic emanating from the weapon, the size alone was enough to slice through his front door. ¡°Well, except their leaders. They probably got some artifact or minion that helped them transform a band of third-rate thugs into something actually dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Does that happen a lot?¡±


    ¡°Enough to be noticed. There are a lot of failed adventurers out there. Most can¡¯t tell the difference between a good find and a cursed item. Given that we¡¯re dealing with a group of thieves, I¡¯d say that it¡¯s more likely that we¡¯re facing some noble who fled his kingdom, for whatever reason, and now is trying to return to the lifestyle he¡¯s accustomed to.¡°


    ¡°You¡¯re really cynical,¡± Theo smiled.


    Seeing the people of Rosewind, he was afraid that all of them would be good for nothing idealists who liked to drink a lot and brag even more¡­ just like Cmyk. Finding someone who shared his view of the world was a small blessing that gave him hope of being left alone once this quest was done with.


    Thinking about Cmyk, the town was ideal for him, probably too much. The dungeon¡¯s avatar had barely been gone for ten minutes, when the sneaky skeletal minion had spun a pouch of gold coins at the attic, then left for the town. Given that Theo was officially supposed to be on his mission with Liandra, there was nothing the dungeon could do, but grumble quietly and let his minion get drunk with his friends.


    Oh, you better enjoy yourself now, Theo said to himself. Because when I get back from this there will be changes! And we¡¯ll see who has the last laugh then!


    The riding continued up to evening. Being a heroine, Liandra needed little food and rest; being a dungeon avatar, Theo¡¯s humanoid representation didn¡¯t need any. Still, in order to pass as human, he was the one who asked for a rest. Ten minutes later, upon reaching a ¡°suitable spot,¡± Liandra granted his wish.


    A camp was set up, at which Theo used a minute amount of energy to light the campfire without creating a smoldering crater in the ground.


    ¡°Handy spell,¡± Liandra said, taking a bite from her ration. ¡°Must be quite useful for combat.¡±


    ¡°Everyone needs to know a few defensive spells,¡± Theo said, in an attempt to appear bashful.


    In truth, this was one of the few spells his avatar knew. In his haste, Theo had only learned one new spell before heading out¡ªfireball. The spell was chosen mostly for sentimental reasons¡ªback in his previous life a day couldn¡¯t go by without someone mentioning the spell at least once. Here, when he had the opportunity to make it real, he couldn¡¯t resist. Unfortunately, that was the only new spell he had learned. That spell, together with Dome of Silence and Flash of Fear, were pretty much the only spells he could effectively cast.


    ¡°If those are your defense spells, I¡¯d like to see your attack spells,¡± Liandra laughed.


    ¡°I¡¯m hoping it won¡¯t come to that.¡±


    A few minutes passed in silence. Then a few more. No one was in a particular mood to talk, which was good. The silence and the night sky almost made Theo forget the chaos that was everyone in Rosewind.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the night shift,¡± Theo offered once Liandra had finished her food. ¡°Will give me a chance to stretch my legs a bit.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± the woman asked.


    ¡°No worries. I¡¯ve been up with wizarding stuff lots of nights,¡± he lied. ¡°I¡¯ve plenty of spells to make sure that we¡¯re safe.¡±


    ¡°Theo¡­¡± Liandra stared at him with a blank expression. ¡°We¡¯re in the middle of a field next to a trading road. Monsters don¡¯t venture so far and bandits wouldn¡¯t put in the effort. We¡¯re safe as can be.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± That was somewhat disappointing. He had hoped to try out the destructive power of his fireball, but most of all. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s for the better,¡± he said more to himself than anyone else. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll just¡ª"


    Before he could finish, something swooped from the air, grabbed one of the horses and flew off into the darkness. The action was so fast that by the time Liandra jumped to her feet, weapon drawn, the horse thief was flapping away.


    ¡°Something snatched my horse!¡± Theo said in his main self, back in town.


    A few descriptions would be useful, Spok said. Remember, I can¡¯t see what you¡¯re seeing.


    ¡°Fast, silent, with large flappy wings and a taste for horses,¡± Theo said as his avatar tried to get a better look.


    There are a few things that can match the description, the spirit guide said. How many of them were there?


    ¡°One,¡± Theo sighed, stirring the furniture on the second floor. ¡°How many do you want there to be?¡±


    A few of the large-flappy-winged species travel in groups, so I was hoping to narrow it down by that.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s just one.¡±


    Curiosity made Theo look up. The moment he did, half a dozen more creatures swooped down. All of them were big and wingy, although the nearby fire made it difficult to see more than their general outline. That, of course, didn¡¯t stop him from casting a fireball straight up.


    A pillar of flame emerged from Theo¡¯s hand, heading for the heavens, briefly turning night into day. Several dozen of the winged creatures were instantly reduced to dust. The few remaining were quickly cut down by Liandra, who had used her weapon as a boomerang.


    CORE CONSUMPTION


    Your heroic trait was activated, transforming 37 goblin cores into 370 Avatar Core Points.


    In future, all cores obtained by the avatar will automatically be transformed into Avatar Core Points.


    AVATAR LEVEL INCREASE


    Your Avatar has become Level 3


    +3 Mind, RANGED ATTACK skill obtained


    230 Core Points required for next Avatar Level


    The text flickered in front of Theo¡¯s eyes. There was something different, though. He could only see it through his avatar¡¯s eyes. Also, the method was quite different. When he had to learn dungeon skills, all Theo had to do was tell Spok what he wanted and then spend the core points. His avatar, on the other hand, seemed to transform the newly acquired Core Points directly into levels, which in turn increased the avatar¡¯s attributes and also granted new skills.


    RANGED ATTACK - 1


    Allows your avatar to aim at (and hit) targets from a distance.


    Using the skill will increase its rank, increasing maximum distance and precision.


    There was no doubt about it, the skill was one that Theo hadn¡¯t seen. However, he still couldn¡¯t tell whether the skill was mocking him or not.


    ¡°Snap out of it!¡± Liandra shouted, slicing a flappy thing right above his head. ¡°There are still more out there.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Theo looked around with his avatar.


    It was slightly embarrassing to be reminded he was in the heat of battle. More than that, it was highly suspicious. As a dungeon, Theo¡¯s real self remained safely in Rosewind, protected by the best walls, runes, and magic traps that Core Points could buy. From the view of Liandra, however, he was a scrawny noble who had frozen while under attack.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Fireball!¡± Theo shouted, casting another pillar of fire up to the sky. Unsurprisingly, there were no creatures hit this time. However, that wasn¡¯t Theo¡¯s goal. Lacking adequate night vision, he merely wanted to light up the area so as to see where his real targets were. Surely enough, they were there, filling the sky like a swarm of very large insects.


    This was a perfect opportunity for Theo to try out his new skill. Targeting one of the flappers, he cast a moderately small fireball and threw it in the enemy¡¯s direction. A large explosion engulfed the entire creature, along with several more around it.


    CORE CONSUMPTION


    5 goblin cores into 50 Avatar Core Points.


    That was outright puny. Back in town, Theo had spent more Core Points on furniture. However, this was what ¡°heroic¡± growth was like, and for the sake of his secret, he had to get used to it. The only solution was to kill more of the creatures, which he immediately set on doing by casting another fireball. Another explosion of orange flames burst in the sky, killing several more, as well as lighting up several others to be targeted.


    The rate of fireballs increased. Like fireworks, they kept lighting up the sky, dealing with the threat, while Liandra proceeded to kill the creatures in far more stealthy fashion, using flying knives and her boomerang sword.


    AVATAR LEVEL INCREASE


    Your Avatar has become Level 4


    +1 Mind, AETHER SHIELD skill obtained


    390 Core Points required for next Avatar Level


    AETHER SHIELD - 1


    Allows your avatar to cast a force shield bubble around him using 10 Mana (Energy).


    Using the skill will increase its rank, increasing shield bubble¡¯s size and strength.


    That¡¯s a pretty useless skill, Theo thought. Being a dungeon, his energy compensated for any wounds of his avatar. There was no actual need to use additional spells. Although, come to think of it, it was a good idea to use it to keep pretenses. At least that way he wouldn¡¯t have to answer uncomfortable questions.


    ¡°Why are there so many?¡± he asked, casting an aether shield around him. A sphere of pale white light emerged. For a standard person, it could have passed as impressive, but Theo found it outright pitiful. He wasn¡¯t even given the option to invest more energy to make it stronger. Hero skills, as it turned out, were very ¡°as is¡± and required their own mini-leveling up to become adequate.


    ¡°There¡¯s a transport portal somewhere,¡± Liandra shouted. ¡°As long as it¡¯s open they¡¯ll keep flying through.¡±


    If he were alone, Theo would have just used his Flash of Fear and be done with the whole thing. Having a hero nearby made that impossible. That annoyed him somewhat, causing him to focus on his use of fireball. At this stage he no longer waited for one blast to end before casting the next spell. The balls of fire kept bursting above like bubbles. And yet regardless of how many creatures were destroyed, more appeared seemingly out of nowhere.


    ¡°Don¡¯t waste mana!¡± Liandra aimed her left hand at the sky.


    A golden beam of light emerged from the ring she was wearing. Instantly, Theo¡¯s aether shield disappeared along with all the fireballs. The darkness in the air thinned, revealing a few of the creatures. In the faint light of the moon, they didn¡¯t seem as scary as before. In fact, they looked like¡­ goblins operating dragon-like marionettes. Within moments, the heroine''s sword had whizzed through the air, downing the creatures that were left. Like sacks of potatoes they crashed to the ground, joining the dozens already there.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Theo asked, cautiously looking at her ring.


    ¡°Anti-magic field,¡± Liandra replied casually. ¡°Can only do it once per day, but it is enough to shut down pesky portals and other such stuff.¡±


    ¡°Good thing you had it.¡± Deep inside, all the furniture in Theo¡¯s main structure was shivering. Anti-magic was one of the ways to sever the connection between him and his avatar, which would result in the disenchantment of said avatar. While the figure looked real in every sense of the world, it was nothing but a clump of energy¡ªor mana¡ªgiven form. Good thing that the anti-magic item was so weak, or there would have been serious issues.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what we have here,¡± the woman stepped to the nearest corpse.


    There was no doubt about it: the creature was a goblin in a glider-like contraption. The craftsmanship was quite impressive, as were the materials used. Hundreds of strands of steel connected every part of the large wings to boxes of finely tuned bronze gears, allowing something as simple as a goblin to become a master stunt flier.


    ¡°Is that a kite?¡± Theo asked, looking over Liandra¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯ve no idea,¡± the woman said as she cut the straps that held the goblin in place. ¡°This is some pretty intricate gnome-craft,¡± she added. ¡°Quite expensive to make. I¡¯d say about twenty gold coins.¡±


    ¡°Twenty gold coins isn¡¯t much.¡±


    ¡°Each.¡± The woman raised a finger.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Even with Theo¡¯s ability to transform gold into straw, a thousand gold wasn¡¯t anything to sneeze at. It was also a huge waste. ¡°Who would spend so much money on goblins?¡± he asked. ¡°Those things couldn¡¯t even fly properly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say that they were specially trained as operators. Look at their hands and feet? Judging by the calluses, they have been at this for months at least. Also, flying in a swarm takes considerable skill, not to mention swooping down and snatching your horse.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Damn! Theo had completely forgotten about his horse being stolen. Taking a quick look, he noted that Liandra¡¯s own steed was still there, safely standing among the goblin wreckage. Not only had the creature not been stolen, but somehow had managed to survive completely unharmed. There¡¯s no justice in the world.


    ¡°Anyway, we better get some rest. I doubt they¡¯ll have another go at us tonight, and we need to be fresh for tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t we have to clean up? I mean, the camp is a mess and¡ª¡±


    ¡°You sound just like my father,¡± the heroine grumbled. ¡°I won¡¯t stop you from cleaning if you want, but I¡¯m not lifting a finger for that. A night in this won¡¯t kill us. We have much bigger problems to worry about.¡±


    ¡°The thieves?¡±


    ¡°Forget the thieves. Whoever sent this flock of goblins didn¡¯t do so to stop a hero and a mage. They had far bigger plans in mind, and until we find out what those plans are, the entire region is in danger.¡±


    That sounded bad, terrible even. Being roped into capturing a band of thieves was troublesome enough. Going after an unknown entity for no apparent reason was out of the question. Theo had to admit he was slightly curious how and why someone would create a fleet of flying goblins, but not so much to actually go searching for answers. On the other hand, he didn¡¯t want to annoy the very real hero, especially since in the entire fight Liandra hadn¡¯t even used her two-handed sword.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just clean a bit, then.¡± Diplomatically, he moved away from the fire, giving the woman enough space to take her travel bed from her horse and unroll it on the ground.


    Using his standard dungeon abilities, Theo levitated the wreckages from the ground to a nearby location. Since there was a lot of time until dawn, and he still had a bit of OCD inclinations from his previous life, he then proceeded to sort everything in piles. All goblin corpses were diligently placed in a hole he had created using another of his dungeon abilities, then scorched to cinders. Sadly, this didn¡¯t result in any additional core points. Liandra must have claimed the cores when she had killed the creatures, similar to how Theo had.


    The gliders were divided into parts, which were then disassembled into basic components. Wood and leather were the most common elements, followed by bronze, copper, and steel. Interestingly enough, there also were a number of aether crystals among the wreckage. Each was no bigger than a pearl and contained so little mana that it was almost an insult to call it an aether crystal. However, the output had been precisely measured to allow the glider, and its operator, to remain freely in the air.


    After tinkering a while, Theo consumed most of the aether stones, restoring a meager two hundred and seventy-four points of energy. After some consideration, all the gathered energy was used to burn up the remaining wreckage parts, only leaving enough to create one glider in case Liandra wanted to examine it further in the morning.


    That done, the avatar sat on the ground, a fair distance from the flickering camp-fire and cast a dozen aether shields around him, in an attempt to stack them onto each other. Sadly, for him, each time a new shield was cast, the previous one cracked out of existence.


    ¡°Spok,¡± Theo said back in his main body. ¡°You can stop searching. The creatures were goblins.¡±


    Oh, the spirit guide replied. Since their previous chat, it had been simply waiting for additional instructions or clarifications. Of course, it had no intention of admitting that. Flying goblins are rather novel¡­


    ¡°They were operating some gliders. Liandra said that gnome-work was involved.¡±


    Gnomework is rather popular in some lands. There have been dungeons that even hired gnomes to construct additional traps, although the fad didn¡¯t last long.


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    Apparently, a number of the gnomes proceeded to rob the dungeon while installing the traps.


    ¡°Those sneaky¡­ anyway, what I want to know is why didn¡¯t that crystal thingee I took from the thieves work? Wasn¡¯t it supposed to tell me if there were living things around?¡±


    Maybe because you were accompanied by a hero?


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid! I should have felt the difference when the swarm of goblins appeared.¡±


    That is true. Do you have the item on you? It won¡¯t work if it¡¯s in the dimension ring.


    There was a long silence. While leaving Rosewind, Theo had placed the item in his ring, out of fear that someone in the crowd might snatch it from him. As a result, he never had it on while they traveled. No wonder he had stopped noticing the presence of Liandra and anything else, for that matter.


    ¡°Those gnomes,¡± the dungeon quickly changed the topic. ¡°What are they like?¡±


    The best way to describe them is geniuses with the temperament of sugar crazed bunnies on a rampage. While they could be extremely professional, cat herders will have a difficult time controlling them, not to mention that if they decide to do something, they have the abilities to do so. As I said, they did manage to rob a few quite powerful dungeons that had hired them to install new traps.


    The description was more than enough to give a perfect picture of what they were supposed to be, to the point that Theo was absolutely sure he didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with them.


    On that note, I would appreciate it if you had a word with your minion, sir, Spok said. He has been overfeeding Maximillian, and that¡¯s hardly healthy for him.


    ¡°Maximilian?¡± Theo asked. ¡°Who¡¯s Maximilian?¡±


    That¡¯s the name I have given to our rabbit, sir. The one you¡¯ve been keeping in the attic?


    ¡°Oh, that.¡± Theo didn¡¯t particularly care about the creature. It was amusing to have, and since it spent most of its time static, regardless if it were in a cage or not, the dungeon hadn¡¯t given the matter any thought. Seeing that his spirit guide had some strong feelings on the matter, though, it was clear that he had to make a stand. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure Max gets his exercise.¡±


    Thank you.


    ¡°Back to gnomes. Are they actually dangerous? I mean do they have any powers, fangs, super strength?¡±


    Other than their vastly superior intellect, they are harmless. They are small in stature, smaller than goblins, extremely weak, and rather visually impaired. They spend most of their time tinkering in caves¡ªwhich they transform into vast laboratories.


    That didn¡¯t sound dangerous one bit. If anything, Theo actually felt for the creatures.


    Due to their rather expensive tinkering habit, they often offer their services for money which they spend on tools and materials to focus on even more advanced tinkering. Quite a few of them are broke and forced to work to pay off their debts.


    ¡°I think I get the picture. Are they capable of magic?¡±


    Definitely not. If there is a race that is completely and utterly incapable of magic, that would be them.


    That made sense. It also suggested that if there were any gnomes working for the person, or people, who had sent out the flying goblins had hired the services of a few gnomes. Or, rather, it was more likely that they acquired a few indentured gnomes to¡ª


    Why the heck am I thinking about this? Theo mentally grumbled at himself. He wasn¡¯t supposed to be concerned with this. His one and only goal was to get that thieves business done so he could return to his calm and quiet life of doing nothing.


    That was it! The first thing Theo was going to do when Liandra woke up was to convince her to focus on the thieves. After that, she was free to do whatever she wanted, but only as long as he wasn¡¯t involved.


    Morning came slowly. Theo had spent the entire night casting aether shields to the point that he had maximized the skill. The ¡°bonus¡± he had received was the ability to cast it on targets other than himself¡ªwhich was a marginally better use of the skill. By the time Liandra woke up, he had started throwing a rock at a target then levitating it back to increase his ranged attack skill.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± Theo said eagerly. ¡°I think we should focus on the thieves.¡±


    ¡°Good morning to you too, Theo,¡± Liandra said as she stretched.


    ¡°Err, yes. Good morning. Since these devices were clearly made by gnomes, we¡¯re likely dealing with someone who has set off on a pranking spree, using indentured gnomes to construct his contraptions. Like, who in their right mind would send flying goblins to wage a war? Other than stealing a few horses, what can they possibly do?¡± Theo¡¯s avatar smiled triumphantly. ¡°Even if they had weapons, they couldn¡¯t get out of the contraptions on their own.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve really been thinking a lot about this,¡± the woman nodded, visibly impressed by Theo¡¯s reasoning.


    ¡°Well, I do have a knack for¡ª"


    ¡°But you¡¯re wrong.¡± She stood up. ¡°The goblins weren¡¯t sent out to fight. They were sent to snatch as many people as they could. That means that whoever sent the goblins had something very specific in mind.¡±


    ¡°And what might that be?¡± Theo crossed his arms.


    ¡°Forced labor. Someone has enough gnomes to build something terrifying and is now gathering the manpower to help them achieve it.¡±

 7. Village Snatchers

    Five villages had been ¡°hit¡± by flying goblins, all in the last month, as it turned out. Four of them had been completely depopulated, with the fifth having people remain indoors most of the time and never ever leaving during the night.


    Even in his previous life, Theo couldn¡¯t describe himself as a people¡¯s person. He was the sort of man who preferred to be left alone and, when needed, spend some time with a small circle of friends. However, even he couldn¡¯t remain emotionless at the pitiful sight of the villagers. The raids had only been going on for slightly more than a week, but that had proved enough for starvation to set in. With the constant threat of nightly snatchings, the people couldn¡¯t venture anywhere that was further away than a day, and with all the horses gone, that meant they could only reach a few of the ghost villages. With no one daring to work the fields and pick the harvest, and no food from outside, it was inevitable that things would go bad.


    Theo had immediately given away his food rations. Since he didn¡¯t need any, he was quick to take the opportunity to get rid of them. Initially, it had seemed like a good idea, but had the unfortunate effect of having him be proclaimed as a local hero¡ªthe last thing he wanted. Inspired by his example, Liandra followed suit, then even went hunting for more. That, too, was a mixed blessing. On the one hand, Theo no longer had to worry about being caught out. However, it also means that instead of enduring one person¡¯s company, he had to endure a few hundred.


    ¡°Thank you so much,¡± an old woman said, grinning cheek to cheek. ¡°It¡¯s been so long since there¡¯s been hope here.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Theo¡¯s avatar looked at her, somewhat confused. ¡°I thought the monster snatchings started a week ago?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but the problems didn¡¯t start with it. It¡¯s been difficult even before the consuming darkness. The last few harvests have been poor. The river that used to go through this valley suddenly dried up. The men in the village had to make the wells deeper and even then it was hard work taking the water to the fields.¡±


    That sounded pretty disastrous. What was more annoying, Theo had the means and the energy to solve the problem quickly¡­ but his avatar didn¡¯t. According to Spok, there were several dungeon spells for creating moats, ponds, and waterfalls, but they required Theo¡¯s main body.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask for help from a nearby town?¡± Theo asked.


    ¡°The towns are far away, and heroes are difficult to come by. If you brave heroes hadn¡¯t come when you did, this village would have died out like the rest.¡±


    Please don¡¯t call me that, Theo cringed on the inside. ¡°Ah, well, that¡¯s what we¡¯re here for,¡± he offered a fake laugh. ¡°How, how about some fireworks while we wait for the brave hero Liandra to return?¡±


    Thankfully, a little ingenuity had allowed him to modify his fireball spell to something more amusing. With just a bit of extra effort, Theo also used some of the materials he¡¯d scavenged from the goblin fliers to add some color to the flames as well. The result was nowhere near as anything that could be achieved on Earth, but still made the local children gaze at the sky, their eyes wide.


    The display continued all the way until evening, when Liandra returned with a rather large catch. There was no telling where and how she¡¯d managed it, but somehow the heroine had caught three large boars and dragged them back to the village. Then the feast began.


    ¡°You should eat a bite,¡± the woman said, offering a slice to Theo¡¯s avatar. ¡°You need to be at your best.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m always at my best,¡± he replied, but still took the food¡ªit would have been suspicious for him not to. ¡°They seem to be in a hurry.¡± Theo glanced at the villagers.


    ¡°Starvation tends to do that to people. Also fear. Even with us around, they won¡¯t want to be out during nightfall.¡±


    ¡°You think there¡¯ll be another raid?¡± Theo looked up. For the moment he couldn¡¯t see anything but sky. Then again, he hadn¡¯t seen anything the previous night either, until the portal opened.


    ¡°Maybe. Just in case we¡¯ll spend the night watching. Eat up. You need to be full of mana.¡±


    Theo said nothing. Little did the woman know that he had recovered more energy while his avatar was walking than the entire reserves of a small mage tower. There was no chance that he wouldn¡¯t have enough should there be another attack. Also, this time he intended to use his skills much more optimally, and get all the enemy targets. Competition with Liandra would come off as childish and petty, but it helped his avatar level up faster and more levels meant he¡¯d have more skills to use.


    When every scrap of meat was eaten, and the bones were boiled to make for soup, the villagers rushed into their houses. All doors were barred as the sun went below the horizon. A waiting game began. This time, Theo had put on his magical life sensing gem, which was supposed to warn him of any sudden surge. As the hours passed by, however, it was starting to look as if it was all for nothing.


    ¡°What if they don¡¯t show up?¡± he asked, fiddling with a piece of bone he had taken from the boars¡¯ remains.


    ¡°I think they will. Whoever¡¯s been kidnapping villagers is systematic. They won¡¯t move onto the next before taking everything from this one.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Theo said.


    This was a matter in which he had a slightly different view. According to the map Spok had made back in his original body, the villages didn¡¯t form a straight line. Rather, they were positioned more like a fork, or an arrow showing the direction from which the threat was coming from. The first village they had gone through seemed to have been deserted quite recently. The one after that had been empty for a month, and the one after¡ªthree months. Moving on from the third, the opposite logic held through. There was every indication that the fourth village had been emptied between a month and three ago, and as for the last¡­ they were standing in it.


    Theo, of course, had shared his well thought out hypothesis with Liandra, who had been utterly uninterested. That had caused Theo to grumble about the short-sightedness of heroes and adventurers in general.


    ¡°I still think we should have gone north from the third village,¡± he persisted, even now. ¡°It¡¯s clearly where the evil overlord had sent his troops from.¡±


    ¡°Magic portals don¡¯t work that way.¡± The woman sighed. ¡°Besides, we must save the people in the village.¡±


    It¡¯s just one village, Theo thought. If we deal with the source of the issue, we¡¯d be saving many more, and getting everything resolved that much faster!


    ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right,¡± he said, instead. ¡°One step at a time. Let¡¯s deal with this, then we¡¯ll see how things go.¡±


    ¡°You know, Theo, you¡¯re a weird one.¡±


    The dungeon froze. Theo¡¯s avatar was rendered completely motionless while he calculated whether he had enough energy to teleport elsewhere. It would be a shame if he had to do so, especially since the earl of Rosewind gone through with his promise and magically procured all necessary documents making Theo¡ªor rather his avatar¡ªan official and fully registered member of town.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± He asked, a nervous, guilty smile on his face.


    ¡°You do anything to avoid a fight, but when it happens, you want it done as quickly as possible. At first, I thought you were a coward who was good at magic, but now¡­ now I¡¯m not sure what you are.¡±


    ¡°Just a humble mage from a faraway place,¡± Theo replied. If he had the ability to sweat right now, he would be doing so profusely. ¡°I just¡­ haven¡¯t been outside much.¡± Technically, that was very much correct. As a dungeon he would have preferred to remain hidden away in the valley he was initially reincarnated.


    ¡°There¡¯s that.¡± Liandra nodded. ¡°But I think there¡¯s something more. And I have a pretty good idea what it is.¡±


    Theo tensed up.


    ¡°You can¡¯t understand people, can you?¡± She gave him a serious look. Time seemed to freeze. In his mind, Theo could see her draw one of her many unusual weapons and charge at him without warning. ¡°You mages are all alike,¡± Liandra added at last. ¡°So focused on your spell principles and magical theories, that you ignore all the rest of life. I¡¯ve seen that you mean well, but this isn¡¯t some home assignment to be rushed through. People¡¯s lives are at stake here. Yes, we could have gone in the direction we believed the ¡°evil overlord¡± to be, but who would have done anything for the people here?¡±


    Phew! Theo sighed, relieved. This was a close call, far too close for comfort.


    ¡°I know this isn¡¯t something mages like to hear, but someone needs to say it.¡± Liandra looked away. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Err, no, you¡¯re right!¡± Theo was quick to agree. ¡°That¡¯s us. Weird mages, not a bone of common sense in our bodies. You were right to point that out. And I¡¯ll do everything in my power to become more human, so to say.¡±


    The heroine laughed.


    ¡°You¡¯ve really missed your calling. You¡¯d have done much better as a traveling mage-bard.¡±


    ¡°Is that even a thing?¡± Theo¡¯s original body asked back in Rosewind.


    Mage-bards do indeed exist, the spirit guide said. They are quite rare and twice as annoying, mostly because they are so powerful that people can¡¯t easily get rid of them. There have been several cases of mage-bards making their way into a dungeon and staying there for years, despite the dungeon¡¯s best efforts to get rid of them. Incidentally, for that purpose, a number of anti-mage-bard spells were specially requested.


    ¡°The mages destroyed the dungeons?¡±


    Rather, some dungeons found that premature reincarnation was preferable to waiting the mage-bard out. Just because someone is powerful in magic doesn¡¯t mean that their jokes and bard repertoire were any good.


    Theo trembled. Having to deal with Cmyk was bad enough. Having to endure a Cmyk who ate and sang would have been absolutely terrible.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m fine the way I am,¡± the dungeon¡¯s Avatar said. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s focus on the task at hand. You never know when those goblins might come flying in.¡±


    So, they waited¡­ and waited¡­ and waited.


    The moon rose, reaching its highpoint, and still there was no trace of the goblins. It was starting to look as if the recent defeat had caused their overlord to reevaluate his plans and either pause them or find a new target. Theo was just about to say the inadvertent ¡°I told you so¡± when suddenly dark clouds appeared from nowhere, covering the sky.


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    ¡°There,¡± Liandra whispered.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Theo whispered. Even with his vision, he could see nothing beyond the darkness.


    ¡°That¡¯s classic fog of war,¡± the heroine explained. ¡°Remove the light, create confusion, then open the portal and have the troops swarm in.¡±


    Thinking back, this must have been what had happened the previous night. With Theo¡¯s mind focused on the thief¡¯s quest, he hadn¡¯t bothered to notice that the moonlight had vanished. After all, it wasn¡¯t often that he looked at the sky. Now, though, when he was made aware, the whole thing seemed a lot more mundane.


    On cue, the outline of a blue oval emerged in the darkness for a few moments, then vanished away again. Moments later, the life-sensing gem Theo was wearing gave its warning.


    ¡°They¡¯re here,¡± Theo whispered. However, something felt different. For one thing, he could feel the presence of a lot more living things: hundreds rather than dozens. Given the size of the previous swarm, this one had to be monstrous. Several seconds later, the number doubled.


    ¡°Spok,¡± Theo asked back in Rosewing. ¡°Is there a spell that could double the size of an army?¡±


    There are several that can achieve that, the guide replied. A simple illusion technique that uses mana to clone¡ª


    ¡°Not clones,¡± the dungeon interrupted. ¡°Actual beings.¡±


    A spell that would double living creatures? Not that I know.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± That was what Theo was afraid of.


    Normally, this was the point at which the heroes were supposed to wait patiently and let the well thoughtout plan unfold. Liandra had gone through great lengths to explain every step they were supposed to take, when they would act, who they were going to target. Theo, however, decided to wing it, casting a directed fire pillar in the rough direction of the portal. As expected, the column of flame lit up the sky, piercing the darkness like a red-hot needle flying through wax. Bright light revealed what the enemy was trying to hide; the moment it did, though, Theo wished that it hadn¡¯t.


    Two dirigibles the size of a small castle hovered above the village. Cast iron covered their entire hulls, making them like a pair of floating helmets. Initially, they looked slow and dignified, almost majestic¡­ until the null sections slid open and a pair of giant claws fell down, crashing around a house and scooping it back up.


    What the heck?! Theo didn¡¯t hesitate, casting five moderate fireballs at the nearest airship. The flames burst, engulfing the vessel entirely. Upon dying out, though, there didn¡¯t seem to be a scratch on the hull. Apparently, the evil mastermind had taken the previous battle into account and had come up with a new design.


    ¡°Stupid gnomes!¡± Theo shouted. How dare they counter his fireballs? If that¡¯s the way they wanted it, that¡¯s what they were going to get. Raising both arms forward, he was about to cast a maximum strength fireball when Liandra leaped his direction.


    ¡°Stop!¡± the woman used her magic negation item. The forming fireball poofed out of existence. ¡°You can¡¯t destroy them while they¡¯re above the village! You¡¯ll kill everyone here.¡±


    ¡°What do you propose we do?¡±


    Another claw crashed down, snatching another house.


    ¡°Do we just let them take all the houses? Why not help them while we¡¯re at it?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more than one way of fighting these things. They are slow, bulky, and made for pure defense. All we need to do is reach them, then slip inside.¡±


    That didn¡¯t sound too difficult. Theo could do enough levitation to get Liandra aboard. Given her skills, it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult for her to deal with a few hundred goblins. Maybe that wasn¡¯t a bad idea, after all.


    Loud creaking sounds filled the air. Looking up, both companions saw the upper parts of the airships break up and slowly move apart. Dozens of goblin fliers poured out into the sky. Unlike before, these ones were equipped with large harpoon guns.


    ¡°You were saying?¡± Theo gave Liandra an annoyed look. The hundreds of goblins his gem had felt weren¡¯t the airships¡¯ crew, they were their fighter squadrons.


    ¡°Change of plans!¡± Liandra drew her boomerang sword. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with the little ones! You get the big ones away from the village!¡±


    Theo grumbled. He wanted to deal with the little ones¡ªall the cores were there. Unfortunately, he had to agree. Fireballing a squadron of goblins was all well and good in the open, but doing so above the village was virtually the same as torching it himself. Alas, as much as it saddened him, there wouldn¡¯t be a lot of fireballs or core points in this battle. Instead, he would have to resort to other methods.


    How would you like a bit of telekinesis? Theo smiled. Quite fortunate that there were two airships. This way, he could just crash them together. Of course, before that, he was going to have to give them a gentle nudge.


    Focusing a moderate amount of energy, Theo targeted one of the ships and cast the spell. Nothing happened. Confused, he tried again, this time using more energy. The result was the same. The airships remained floating calmly in the night sky, as if mocking him.


    This wasn¡¯t supposed to happen. Theo knew that there was no issue casting the spell¡ªhe had the lack of energy to prove it. It had to be a problem of power. Maybe for an object this large at such a distance, it was normal to be much more difficult than moving an armchair through a room?


    Targeting the nearest ship, Theo gave it his all.


    The airship still didn¡¯t move, but this time¡ªby a lucky coincidence¡ªthe grabber claw had just started dropping down. Instead of continuing, however, the claw suddenly darted away from the village, dragging the entire airship with it. The force was so large that after a few seconds, the claw mechanism tore off the rest of the craft and disappeared in the night sky.


    Theo¡¯s eyes widened, then narrowed as anger filled him along with an idea of what was going on.


    ¡°The big ones have anti magic fields!¡± he shouted. ¡°I¡¯ve dealt with one of them, so it won¡¯t be long before¡ª"


    The magic portal flickered again in the darkness. And just as before, Theo felt the sudden presence of several thousand beings. Once again, and against his better judgment, he cast a cone of fire. His suspicions were soon confirmed.


    ¡°The bastard¡¯s sending more of them!¡± he shouted.


    A brand-new airship had emerged and joined the fight. If the previous two were any indication that means that there would be a few hundred flying goblins more in the skies pretty soon.


    ¡°How many goblins does he have?¡±


    ¡°Goblins are easy to find,¡± Liandra said as she downed craft after craft. The goblins had made the fatal mistake of targeting her with their harpoons, which only made it all the easier for the heroine to slice them up. Of course, the field she had run off to wasn¡¯t so lucky. An abandoned barn, and quite a lot of land and fences had been struck by so many harpoons that the patch of land looked like a reverse porcupine. ¡°The ships, though. That requires lots of workers and resources.¡±


    That made things annoyingly more complicated. If there were three airships, what was there to say that there weren¡¯t a dozen more? Fighting them one by one was no longer the solution.


    ¡°Spok!¡± Theo asked in his main body. ¡°Aether Shields. Are they physical objects?¡±


    In what way? The spirit guide was confused.


    ¡°They can stop swords and arrows, right? What about things like water, fire, armies of ants?¡±


    Well, in that regard, I guess you can view them as solid objects. An adequately made Aether Shield has been seen to save heroes from drowning, albeit temporarily. If I were to say¡ª


    ¡°Thanks!¡±


    That was all Theo needed to know. Taking a deep breath, he rushed towards Liandra through the village. The flying goblins noticed him and started shooting their massive harpoons in his direction. Eight-foot spikes of solid iron hit the ground behind the running avatar, forming a consistent¡ªalthough crooked¡ªtrail.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± the woman asked.


    ¡°Leading them away from the village!¡± Theo snapped at her.


    ¡°I see that!¡± Liandra snapped back. ¡°But why? You¡¯re supposed to keep the people safe.¡±


    ¡°Change of plans.¡± The village was ten feet behind him now, not that there was any defined boundary for a place this small. The clay and wood walls had been destroyed long before the traveling companions had ever gotten here. Now there was nothing more than an imaginary line that separated the buildings from the nearest fields.


    Causing chaos and devastation so close wasn¡¯t the best solution. Then again, Liandra had already successfully murdered the field, so it didn¡¯t really matter.


    ¡°Keep close to me!¡± Theo shouted, aimed at the first flying goblin he set eyes on.


    Fireballs flew through the air, filling the sky like fireworks. The flying devices exploded one after the other, turning the cinders along with the pilots.


    CORE CONSUMPTION


    28 goblin cores into 280 Avatar Core Points.


    That¡¯s more like it, Theo thought, casting more and more medium fireballs.


    ¡°There are too many of them!¡± Liandra shouted. As a capable hero, she had switched from attacking to making sure that none of the harpoons hit her companion. Apparently, just because dozens of goblins were bursting in flames left and right was no reason for the rest not to try to kill their targets. ¡°You¡¯ll run out of mana!¡±


    ¡°I have more mana than you think,¡± Theo¡¯s swashbuckling kicked in, forcing him to look over his shoulder with a confident smile as he kept on casting fireballs.


    AVATAR LEVEL INCREASE


    Your Avatar has become Level 5


    +1 Mind, SWIFTNESS skill obtained


    500 Core Points required for next Avatar Level


    SWIFTNESS - 1


    Allows you to speed up your reaction time, allowing you to perform 2 times more actions for 10 seconds by using 10 Mana (Energy).


    Using the skill will increase its rank, increasing the number of actions you can perform while the skill is in effect.


    The skill wasn¡¯t exactly what Theo was hoping for, but it could be useful in the present circumstances. Not wasting time, he immediately resorted to it. The number of exploding goblin fliers doubled.


    AVATAR LEVEL INCREASE


    Your Avatar has become Level 6


    +1 Mind, ARCANE IDENTIFY skill obtained


    600 Core Points required for next Avatar Level


    ARCANE IDENTIFY - 1


    Allows you the ability to identify magic materials, runes, spells, and artifacts.


    Using the skill will increase its rank, increasing the information obtained.


    Ah, the classics, Theo thought. He had no idea how useful that particular skill would be, but he was glad to have it. The first thing he was going to do once his avatar returned was to inspect every inch of himself and see what the stats and values of his furniture were.


    Until then, the fire-balling would continue. Come to think of it, this was a rather good exercise. It felt more like having fun than fighting. With Liandra guarding him, and his infinite mana, Theo had the chance to stack up on Core Points and increase the level of his avatar considerably.


    No sooner had he thought that than the surviving goblins broke off their attack, returning to the airships. That wasn¡¯t only sneaky, it was terribly annoying.


    ¡°Come back, you cowards!¡± Theo shouted. Sadly, even he knew that it was fruitless to keep targeting them. The goblins had already moved above the village, and when they re-entered their metal dirigibles, he wouldn¡¯t be able to do a thing.


    ¡°Give it a break,¡± Liandra said. ¡°We¡¯ve won this one. Let them retreat. We¡¯ll get the rest of them later.¡±


    ¡°I think not.¡± Theo cast an aether shield around himself, then around the heroine. ¡°We go to the source.¡±


    Using his levitation, the avatar weaved both spheres through the air, like a pair of bowling balls. His suspicions had proven to be true. The Aether Shield was treated like a physical object, and while it was a physical object, he could levitate it.


    Both Theo and Liandra whooshed through the air. Following an irrational path, they twisted and turned, slamming into the side of the nearest airship. Both shields cracked and disappeared instantly. The force exerted onto the airship, however, remained thrusting the ship into the night sky.


    But it didn¡¯t end here. Casting two new Aether Shields, Theo repeated the process, slamming into the second airship, then the third. Now all three of the enemy¡¯s ships were far from the village and¡ªhopefully¡ªdamaged enough on the inside to make their way back.


    ¡°You¡¯re crazy, you know that?¡± Liandra asked, but judging by the upbeat note in her voice, she seemed to have rather enjoyed that. ¡°It¡¯s the first time I''ve crippled an airship in such a way, I¡¯ll tell you that.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not finished.¡± Theo smiled.


    ¡°What do you mean? The small fries won¡¯t be an issue. We can take them in our sleep.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking about the flying goblins.¡±


    A short distance away in the sky, the portal activated once more. From here, Theo was able to get a really good look at it. It was the size of an extremely large mirror¡ªlarge enough to let a whole airship through. In effect, the front of an airship was at this very moment starting to exit¡ªmore reinforcements, no doubt.


    This was exactly what Theo was waiting for.


    ¡°Here we go!¡± the avatar said, then thrust himself and Liandra through the portal.

 8. The Mandrake Mountains

    Passing through the portal turned out less climactic than one might think. There was no tunnel of light, no mysterious runes floating about¡­ nothing more than the sound of a brief pop. The closest way to describe it was like walking through an extremely thin sheet of paper; the village, with all its surroundings, was left behind, and a completely new endowment emerged. The only small issue¡ªthough not so minor for Theo and Liandra¡ªwas that they had appeared smack in the middle of a veritable fleet of dirigibles. There were at least eight of them, though it was difficult to tell for certain, since both Theo and Liandra landed on the top of a dirigible smack in the middle of the fleet.


    Upon coming into contact with the vehicle¡¯s surface, both aether shields popped like bubbles. Being an experienced heroine, Liandra immediately drew one of her swords and stuck it halfway through into the metal surface. Theo, on the other hand, did no such thing, leaving himself to fall to the ground.


    ¡°Theo!¡± Liandra shouted, then attached an aether thread to her boomerang blade and threw it in his direction.


    The avatar just stared as the thing flew by.


    What am I supposed to do with that? Theo wondered. Falling from such a distance wasn¡¯t going to harm him in the least, even if he didn¡¯t have any spells to cushion the fall. However, being seen to do so might cause far more serious problems.


    ¡°Ooops,¡± he shouted, making a forcibly clumsy attempt to catch it.


    ¡°Grab it, you idiot!¡± the woman yelled, both terrified of Theo¡¯s potential demise and frustrated at his incompetence.


    This was bad. And to think that things had just started to look up for Theo. Thanks to his decisive actions moments ago, he had amounted to something in the eyes of the heroine; more important, she had considered him human.


    ¡°Spok, I need a magic deactivation spell!¡± Theo shouted in his main body back in Rosewind.


    That might not be the best solution, the spirit guide replied. Also, given the¡ª


    ¡°Just do it!¡±


    AETHER NEGATION


    Use energy to drain all magic within a certain field. The energy required is twice that of the aether within the specified field.


    Without waiting, Theo had his avatar use the new spell. Nothing happened.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± his avatar said, still falling to the ground. He had completely forgotten that dungeon spells could not be transmitted to his avatar through such distances. To be more precise, he was hoping that he¡¯d get lucky against the odds, and it would turn out that the distance was close enough to Rosewind for the skill transfer to have effect.


    Stress filled Theo¡¯s consciousness. This felt all too much like a deadline¡ªa thing that had traumatized him his entire past life. Instantly, he cast several swiftness spells to provide himself an extension of sorts, then cast Arcane Identify on anything in view. No new information came from the many dirigibles¡ªthe anti-magic field was clearly able to confuse even a simple ability such as identify. To Theo¡¯s surprise, however, the portal itself yielded a strange result.


    SPACE PORTAL Level 3


    Radius: 300 feet


    A condensed aether portal, created by an aether generation crystal, that allows instant transport between two points, following the principles of the dimension carry items. Since the magic is self-contained, it cannot be negated.


    In order to remain functional, the space portal must constantly be powered by an energy source located directly below it.


    Directly below? Theo looked down.


    A giant purple crystal was glowing on the ground, similar to an aviation obstruction light that was put on skyscrapers in his previous life. That thing was responsible for creating the portal? Destroying it would instantly close the portal, and with luck, release enough mana to create a small explosion, just enough to conceal Theo¡¯s crash in the ground.


    Using his range attack ability to target the crystal, Theo then launched a series of medium-strength fireballs, condensing them into the size of peas.


    When the first fireball hit its target, a spiderweb of cracks covered the entire surface of the crystal. When the second hit¡ªan explosion far greater than anything Theo had imagined engulfed his avatar and the entire area.


    Being made of energy, the avatar¡ªand his clothes¡ªwere completely unharmed. Theo just felt a sudden drain of energy as the flames swept through. Strengthened by the mana released from the aether crystal, they expanded up to the dirigibles themselves. The force was so great that the entire fleet was swept away like kites in a thunderstorm.


    Uh, oh, Theo thought.


    This wasn¡¯t part of the plan. All he wanted to do was to conceal the result of his fall, not blow up a hero. It was like the accident with the old man all over again. Now he¡¯d have to quickly gather enough energy and find a new place to move to and restart the process from scratch. His title, the land deed, not to mention the special magic permit were useless. He was going to be lucky if he could end up as a hole in the ground in a nearby swamp.


    ¡°Spok, start preparations to move,¡± Theo sighed back in his main body.


    Oh. The disappointment in the spirit guide¡¯s voice was palpable. Is there something that upsets you in the current location?


    ¡°How can I put it¡­¡± the dungeon began in a passively aggressive fashion. ¡°I think the earl might be upset upon learning that not only did I get sidetracked from his original task¡ª¡± which was Liandra¡¯s fault ¡°¡ªbut also got a hero blown up in the process. Call me cynical, but I believe there would be some retributions.¡±


    No hero has died.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Several doors in the dungeon went ajar.


    There has been no increase in your energy. If a hero had died due to your actions, you¡¯d have received a massive amount of Core Points. No such thing has occurred.


    Theo remained speechless. The spirit guide was right! As a dungeon, he should have received a ton of Core Points, along with an explanation who he had killed. Those were the rules. The fact that he didn¡¯t could only mean that¡ª


    ¡°You bloody idiot!¡± Liandra shouted, as she landed a few steps away. Neither flames, nor explosion, nor even several hundred feet drop had caused her any serious damage. Merely parts of her clothes were slightly singed.


    That was quite terrifying, come to think of it. As a dungeon, Theo had exhausted quite a lot of energy to maintain his avatar whole. For a human to have done it¡­ the title Liandra held wasn¡¯t only for show.


    ¡°You could have told me you planned to destroy the crystal!¡± she shouted, adding a dozen swears that would make a rowdy innkeeper blush. Hearing her was slightly shocking, although on the bright side it meant that the dungeon¡¯s secret remained. ¡°I was worried there for a moment!¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡ª"


    ¡°Seeing you fall made me think you took us through the portal without a plan.¡±


    ¡°I knew that there had to be a crystal creating the portal,¡± Theo lied. ¡°Since it wasn¡¯t near the village, it stood to reason that it was on the other side.¡±


    ¡°Reasonable.¡± Liandra nodded. ¡°So you just had to get through and float down in an aether shield to reach it. Clever.¡±


    As much as Theo wanted to claim the credit for that, he couldn¡¯t. In fact, he felt so silly for not thinking about it that he chose not to say a thing.


    ¡°Anyway, where do you think we are?¡± he looked around.


    It was difficult to make out anything in the darkness. With the portal and the aether crystal both gone, it was impossible to make out anything. The entire sky was covered with clouds, indicating that they were a fair distance away, and there seemed to be a set of jagged mountain cliffs not too far away. First thing Theo was going to do when his avatar returned was to grant it dark vision. That way, he¡¯d never end up in a similar situation.


    ¡°No idea. Probably the Mandrake Mountains¡±


    ¡°The Mandrake Mountains?¡± Theo said, somewhat alarmed.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a name.¡± The heroine reassured him. ¡°There haven¡¯t been wild mandrakes on the continent for centuries. Well, not in large amounts anyway. Supposedly there were loads of them here at some point, but you know how legends are started.¡±


    ¡°I have an idea¡­¡± Theo thought back to his own notoriety. As far as the world was concerned, he was a vicious dungeon that had killed a legendary hero and now had a price on his head. Thankfully, the news hadn¡¯t reached this part of the world.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s no point fussing about it. With the goblin carriers gone, it¡¯ll be best if we get some sleep. Things will be much clearer in the morning.¡±


    ¡°I doubt that. We¡¯ve no idea what the people behind this are doing, why they went on a kidnapping spree, capturing gnomes and people, or even what their end goal is.¡± Theo scratched his right earlobe.


    ¡°I meant there will be more light in the morning,¡± the heroine said in an amused tone. ¡°Glad that you¡¯ve gotten interested in this, though.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested,¡± Theo quickly went on the defensive. ¡°I was just pointing out the problems.¡±


    Damnit! He grumbled to himself. There was no denying that had had gotten slightly interested. Not only that, but he was starting to sound like an anime clich¨¦. When he had entered this world, the only thing he wanted was to sleep quietly and detox from all the stress in his previous life. However, now that that was ruined¡ªand he¡¯d ended up in this mess¡ªthere was a part of him that wanted to figure out what was going on. It was similar to an itch a person got after starting a book to pass time, only to find themselves pulled in after a few chapters.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Mechanized goblins, aether portals, anti-magic dirigibles¡­ there was bound to be a story behind it. Not to mention that if someone was trying to take over the world, sooner or later they¡¯ll become a huge discomfort. The best solution was to deal with them early on.


    ¡°Just go to sleep,¡± Theo grumbled beneath his breath. ¡°I¡¯ll keep watch.¡±


    The proposal was accepted on the spot. Cleaning up a spot on the rocky ground, Liandra pulled out an animal fur from a dimensional item, then curled up on the ground, wrapping herself in it. Within moments she was already asleep.


    For Theo, the night passed quite differently. At first, he walked about, seeking out remnants of the aether crystal. Soon enough, it became clear that such didn¡¯t exist. Whatever remnants he came across were from the metal stands, keeping the crystal in place. There didn¡¯t seem to be anything special about them: the metal wasn¡¯t particularly strong or hard, just some alloy that did the job. Moving beyond the blast range was nothing. The ground continued to be hard and rocky without a single plant or blade of grass.


    Having nothing to do, Theo kept on walking for hours, slowly extending the circle around the original position of the crystal. Despite that, he didn¡¯t come across anything. Even the fleet of dirigibles seemed to have floated away.


    ¡°Spok,¡± Theo said back in his original form. ¡°Is there any way of telling where I am?¡±


    You are in Rosewind, sir. Your avatar, in contrast, is¡­ elsewhere.


    ¡°Very funny.¡±


    Sadly, I¡¯m being serious. There¡¯s no way to pinpoint your location.


    ¡°What do you mean? Can¡¯t you just make a crystal ball with remote viewing or something?¡±


    Normally, that would be rather easy. However, you appear to be in a location that prevents spying and scrying.


    That sounded rather sophisticated. Whoever was planning to take over the world had gone through extraordinary lengths to ensure that everything was concealed. Portal traveling airships, anti-magic zones¡­ What was next?


    ¡°Will this affect the link with my avatar?¡±


    Not to worry, the connection is safe. Breaking the connection between a dungeon and its avatar is a near impossibility.


    ¡°Near?¡± Theo suddenly felt worried. ¡°So, it has happened?¡±


    There are only a few known instances, Spok tried to dismiss the danger. But that was ages ago. Long before you came to be, sir.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been in this world long¡­¡±


    It¡¯s most definitely not that. Only powerful demon curses and holy magic could sever a connection and even then, not completely. It would be far easier just to outright destroy your core.


    ¡°Thanks¡­ I feel much better.¡± That¡¯s the last time I ask you for reassurance. ¡°Liandra said something about the Mandrake Mountains. Anything special about them?¡±


    Not particularly. The only thing they are notable for is that they¡¯re completely barren. If she¡¯s correct, you¡¯re half a continent away in what is considered to be one of the cursed zones.


    ¡°Cursed zone?¡± The furniture within Theo shuffled.


    Supposedly, those are zones that still have residual energy from the time deities and demons fought in the world. They are perfectly harmless. At most people might experience some minor magic disruptions, though nothing to affect you.


    That was starting to sound familiar. It seemed suspiciously close to what was needed to disrupt the connection between Theo and his avatar. Being in such a zone didn¡¯t fill the dungeon with a lot of confidence. Then again, maybe it wasn¡¯t as dangerous as it sounded. Still, it was a rather clever idea for someone to build a base at such a location: there were no bothersome neighbors, no annoying creatures, not to mention that not even magic could spy on the spot. Thinking about it, Theo would have much preferred to have been reincarnated there. At least then he¡¯d be guaranteed some peace and quiet.


    ¡°How much energy would it take to move there?¡± he asked, trying to sound casual.


    That would be completely impossible, sir, Spok said flatly. For one thing, it¡¯s impossible for you to move within such a zone. At best, you¡¯ll be located at the edge of it. Furthermore, your core will require twice as many resources to keep itself from depleting, and you¡¯ll have to create a lot of high-powered named minions to procure those resources. In short, it would be like living in a swamp: you won¡¯t see the issues right away, but as the years go by, you¡¯d slowly sink deeper and deeper, until you¡¯re completely swallowed up. And even if that wasn¡¯t the case, the weather is absolutely terrible. Cursed zones often come with sudden storms.


    There went that idea.


    ¡°What sort of maniac would live in such a sort of place?¡±


    I have no idea, sir. However, there¡¯s no guarantee that you are there. It¡¯s just as possible that there you¡¯re in the vicinity of a powerful anti-magic artifact.


    Blinded by the plausibility of the argument, the dungeon asked no more questions. Instead, it continued roaming about with its avatar until it was finally dawn. One interesting observation was that precisely a minute before dawn, Liandra woke up. Her first reaction was to look around for a place to relieve herself. Unfortunately, such a place didn¡¯t exist. Even in the morning twilight, one could see that the area was as flat as a plate with no trees, rocks, bushes, or anything that could be used for cover.


    Feeling bad for her, Theo used his dungeon magic to create a small outhouse. The gesture was very much appreciated, as was the miniature well that followed. If nothing else, it was clearly established that the anti-magic field didn¡¯t extend to creation magic. Maybe its effect had been depleted after all.


    ¡°I was right,¡± Liandra said the moment she was fully set up. ¡°We¡¯re at the Mandrake Mountains.¡±


    The mountain chain looked quite unassuming, as if the deities had gathered all the extra bits from the creation of the world and had stashed them there. Large cliffs extended both directions as far as the eye could see. None of them were terribly high¡ªa few thousand feet at most¡ªbut they were steep enough to make them all but impossible to cross.


    ¡°You think the evil overlord is hiding there?¡± Theo asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s no better place to hide.¡±


    ¡°How will we know exactly where they are hiding, though? The mountain range is quite big. It will take us years to explore it all. By the time we finish, the thieves will have died out of old age.¡±


    ¡°Still on about the Claw gang?¡± The heroine shook her head.


    ¡°Just sharing my perspective.¡± Theo crossed his arms. Even he was starting to feel that constantly pointing out the obvious was starting to get old.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, though. It¡¯ll take quite a while to find the spot. Unless¡­¡± The woman looked at Theo.


    ¡°Unless?¡±


    The first few moments, Theo expected an answer. After several more, he tried to come up with one on his own. Then it hit him¡ªhe was expected to provide the solution.


    ¡°You want me to fly us closer¡­¡± he narrowed his eyes. That was the reason why he hated volunteering. Even when he came up with a good idea, he would always end up being the one that had to do the actual work.


    Show someone a clever combination of skills and they start treating you like a taxi, the dungeon grumbled to himself. Still, he did make two aether shields around each of them, then used his dungeon levitation ability to lift them up and move them in the direction of the mountains.


    Meanwhile, back in Rosewind, Cmyk left for his daily routine. Between Spok and Theo¡¯s orders and the minion¡¯s friends, there was enough to turn him into a fully functioning citizen. Theo strongly suspected that the majority of the time outside was spent slacking off, but as long as Cmyk bought hay, cleaned Peris¡¯ temple, and didn¡¯t cause too much trouble, he was willing to let the matter slide.


    The closer Liandra and the avatar got to the mountain range, the more it seemed like there was nothing to see. The mountainside seemed natural without any traces of settlements past or present, there were no threads of smoke rising to the sky, and definitely no goblin dirigibles. At one point, Theo even focused his attention to the ground below, on the lookout for hay, building pieces, or anything that would have been dropped by the kidnapped victims.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother,¡± the woman said. ¡°The winds would have swept everything away.¡±


    ¡°That strong?¡± Theo arched a brow. ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like we¡¯re having any trouble.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re lucky. My father used to tell me of wind cones in this region going up and down like tops. Whole armies can get swept away if they¡¯re not careful.¡±


    ¡°Why would armies come here?¡± Theo grunted.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good place to attack from. The Mandrake Mountains stretch between eight kingdoms. The reason that most of them aren¡¯t at war is because it¡¯s impossible to go through them. The winds are unpredictable, making it impossible for an army to organize a planned attack. Even if they do manage, they¡¯d be cutting themselves off from any reinforcements or provisions.¡±


    That sounded typical of medieval warfare: go ahead and hope that the opponent would fall before having to think about the consequences. Thinking about it, it did raise a rather interesting question. So far Theo had been in the vicinity of the mountains for half a day and at no point did he see even a sign of the weather worsening. True, the sky was still covered in clouds, but even they seemed to just float there, completely untouched by even the slightest breeze.


    ¡°Liandra,¡± the avatar began, ¡°is there any gnome technology that¡¯s capable of controlling the weather?¡±


    ¡°If there were half the continent would be fighting for it,¡± the heroine replied. ¡°Someone would have found out, though. It isn¡¯t like that could be done in secret.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be in secret,¡± Theo noted. ¡°No one comes here. And even if they do, if the weather is as chaotic as you described, a person wouldn¡¯t think twice.¡±


    This got Liandra¡¯s attention. The woman remained silent for a few moments, then drew one of her boomerang blades.


    Almost on cue, a giant ballista bolt smashed through Theo¡¯s aether shield, launching him way back. Any normal person would have died instantly after such a hit. The size of the bolt, combined with its speed was enough to pierce any sort of armor. Being a magical construct, however, all that it resulted was another brief energy drain in the dungeon proper.


    This is getting ridiculous, he thought as he pushed the large piece of metal aside. Casting another aether shield, the avatar then propelled himself back in the direction of the mountain. It came as no surprise that more giant projectiles were flying his way. Liandra¡¯s shield had also been shattered, though, thankfully, Theo was able to see her safely on the ground below. That was one thing he didn¡¯t have to worry about.


    ¡°Spok, is there a spell that launches giant bolts of iron?¡± Theo asked while his avatar swiveled between the deadly objects.


    Not to my knowledge, the spirit guide replied. Do you want me to create one?


    ¡°No. I was just curious.¡±


    On several occasions, Theo attempted to affect the bolts directly via telekinesis. Unfortunately, his invisible enemy had already foreseen this¡ªthe bolts were thoroughly anti-mage as well.


    Theo was just about to cast a fireball in the direction of the invisible ballistas, when suddenly all attacks stopped.


    ¡°Theo!¡± Liandra shouted from below. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Perfectly,¡± he replied. ¡°What about y¡ª"


    The question was never finished as a loud grinding sound filled the air, like a series of nearby thunders. All across the face of the mountain, giant slabs slid to the side, revealing openings to what was within.


    There were moments when even a hero and a heroic dungeon would be rendered speechless. Both had suspected that the invisible enemy was in control of a large number of forces, at the very least, enough to send out waves of flying goblins indiscriminately through the land. However, even they couldn¡¯t imagine the might of the army facing them. The openings on the cliff ranged in the dozens, creating the impression that a large part of the mountain range had been completely hollowed out. There were rows of metal ballistas, flying dirigibles, not to mention hundreds of soldiers dressed in full metal armor.


    ¡°Halt!¡± what appeared to be a knight in flashy red armor shouted. ¡°You, wizard!¡± He pointed at Theo¡¯s avatar with a crimson red broadsword. ¡°Float down to the ground.¡±


    Trembling with anger, the dungeon obeyed. Few things irritated Theo as much as getting orders yelled at him, especially from people he didn¡¯t like. In this case, though, he didn¡¯t have much choice. Disobeying meant losing his avatar. Although the way things were going, maybe it was better not to get attached to it for much longer.


    ¡°You¡¯re in the domain of Lord Mandrake,¡± the red knight continued. ¡°Surrender, and you won¡¯t be killed.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a Lord Mandrake?¡± Theo whispered as he turned to Liandra.


    ¡°Apparently,¡± she whispered back. ¡°First time I heard about him, though.¡±


    ¡°So, what do we do?¡± Theo asked. ¡°I won¡¯t do much damage with fireballs from this distance.¡±


    ¡°Save your mana. They¡¯re doing us a favor.¡± Liandra placed her sword on the ground, then raised her hands above her head. ¡°If they¡¯re so willing to take us inside, let¡¯s oblige.¡±

 9. The Great Room Digging Escape

    For some reason, being captured felt like the most humiliating moment of the dungeon¡¯s life. In fact, it stung so badly that it had become the main reason keeping him from destroying his avatar. From a logical point of view, that would easily solve all of Theo¡¯s problems. The chances of anyone else making it this far were slim to none, and even if, by some miracle, they did, they would end up in a situation similar to Theo and Liandra.


    Back in Rosewind, Theo moved the furniture about pondering his dilemma. Destroying the avatar would only cost him a bit of energy. At any point, he could make a second one, or even not bother. Of course, he¡¯d lose all the experience the avatar had gained, as well as the heroic trait¡­ which considering how rare it was, made it a huge shame. What really bothered Theo, though, was the arrogance that had come from the red knight. The creature¡ªit was definitely too large to be human¡ªhad made a number of degrading remarks, topping it off by calling Theo¡¯s avatar puny. Just for that, the dungeon intended to break free and take the so-called Lord mandrake pay.


    ¡°Move along, puny wizard,¡± the red knight said, as he pulled Theo''s chain.


    The dungeon slammed several doors to vent its frustration. As much as he wanted to cast a massive fireball and scorch everyone around, but the anti-magic field manacles prevented that. Even if it wasn¡¯t for them, it was unsure he could cast a spell, anyway. The whole region was surprisingly anti-magic, as if there were layers upon layers of enchantments protecting against such an eventuality.


    ¡°Last time, I listen to a hero,¡± the dungeon grumbled to itself.


    It was her idea of ending up getting caught. If that had been a cunning plan to get the enemies to drop their guard down, it had worked. There was no way the forces of Lord Mandrake could have lowered their guard anymore now that both intruders were chained, separated and taken off under heavy guard to different parts of the enemy stronghold. Apparently, there were different restraints for heroes and spellcasters¡ªunlike Theo, Liandra¡¯s constraints had been thrice hexed to keep her from using her hero powers.


    Despite all his hurt pride, however, even the dungeon had to admit that the evil Lord¡¯s operation was impressive. A vast portion of the mountain had been hollowed out and transformed into an organized latticework of halls and chambers of barracks, factories, mining sections, and living quarters.


    ¡°Quite a lot of troops you have here,¡± Theo noted as they passed through a chamber the size of an airplane hangar. The only difference was that instead of airplanes it held dozens of dirigibles and thousands of goblin flier equipment. ¡°Must be expensive to maintain.¡±


    ¡°Lord Mandrake has more wealth and knowledge than you can imagine,¡± the red knight said. ¡°Soon he will become ruler of the continent, then the world itself.¡±


    Only a fanatic would make such claims, although with such a number of troops, who knew? It very much depended on the opposing forces in the world. Rosewind would be no challenge whatsoever, which was far from ideal considering that Theo¡¯s main body was located there.


    After being taken along a suspiciously long route¡ªthat conveniently illustrated a vast part of Lord Mandrake¡¯s armies¡ªTheo was thrown in a small stone cell and had the door slammed shut behind him. The room was dim, completely bare, with no windows, and a single torch to act as a light source. Still, one had to admit that it was exceptionally clean and rather warm.


    Finding a corner that looked suitable, the avatar sat down and leaned back. It seemed it was going to be one of those days¡­


    ¡°Spok, do you know anything about a Lord Mandrake?¡± Theo asked in its main body.


    The name is rather common, but nothing relevant to your situation, sir, the spirit guide replied. It has to be someone new.


    ¡°Whoever it is, they have enough resources and willpower to hollow out a mountain in one of the worst places in the world, and also build a vast army using gnome-work technology. Doesn¡¯t anyone come to mind?¡±


    I¡¯m sorry, sir.


    ¡°Just great,¡± Theodor grumbled.


    On the positive side, the Goddess Paris is extremely pleased with the care with which Cmyk has been tending to her temple. He even managed to gain her a few new followers.


    ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡± the dungeon snapped. He remembered giving his minion the order, although he was surprised that it had taken it to heart. Cmyk wasn¡¯t the most diligent of beings¡­ in fact he had a policy of doing as little as he could get away with and yet that still made him famous in town, be liked by nearly all, and managed to make several dozen friends in less than a week. Now even a goddess was pleased? Even in this world, things were so unfair¡­


    I thought that it might cheer you up, Spok said.


    ¡°What would cheer me up is¡­ you know what, forget it!¡±


    The avatar stood up, then tore off the shackles from its hands. Enough was enough. He no longer cared about pretenses, or whatever convoluted plan Liandra had come up with. That was one of the problems of heroes: they always made things far more complicated than they had to be. Theo was going to break out, find the heroine, beat up the whoever this Lord mandrake was, then get out of here and back to finish the stupid task of capturing the stupid thieves! And once all that nonsense was over, he¡¯d finally get back to some well-deserved rest.


    With a clang, the manacles fell to the stone floor. Normally, it would take the strength of a hundred men to bend the special anti-mage alloy. However, Theo had the strength of an ancient dungeon with energy to spare.


    So far so good. The question was what to do now. Cell door was made of reinforced iron at least half a foot thick and everything else was solid stone. The more annoying aspect of the situation was that with the room itself being five feet in every direction, Theo couldn¡¯t even get a decent charge. It was going to take a bit more than strength to get out of this one.


    ¡°Just to be sure, I can use all of my dungeon abilities, right?¡± Theo asked back in Rosewind.


    Potentially? Spock replied as fear mixed with uncertainty. Experience had taught that whenever Theo asked a simple question, there was a lot more beneath the surface, just like a deadly iceberg floating in the ocean.


    ¡°Perfect!¡± Theo¡¯s avatar pressed back against one of the walls. ¡°Room creation.¡± He placed his hand on the floor. Instantly, a new room emerged, located just beneath the cell.


    The only reason that the spirit guide wasn¡¯t panicking by this unusual development was because the anti-magic zone prevented it from seeing what the avatar was up to. When the ability had been originally created, no one had even considered that it could be used in such fashion. Creating rooms was a standard way for a dungeon to expand¡ªa main survival skill, as it were. Even in the case of some extravagant dungeons that surrounded themselves with moats and ogre pits not connected to their main structure, they were in the same area. What Theo had just done was tens of thousands of miles away, and built with the intent never to be used. The only reason he could even do that was because of the heroic trait granted to his avatar. Being at such a distance, the room didn¡¯t feel like part of the dungeon. Theo couldn¡¯t sense or control it in any way. However, he didn¡¯t need to. The whole goal was to use it to escape. And as someone who had occasionally played Minecraft in his previous life, he knew exactly how to do so.


    When in doubt, dig deeper, Theo thought as he jumped down from the ledge of his cell and created another room. Eventually he was going to find a way out¡­ or hit a magma vein, which would result in the same thing.


    Room after room appeared, taking the avatar lower and lower. Succumbing to boredom on a few occasions, he made a few rooms sideways, just to try his luck, but when that yielded no results, he continued down.


    After ten floors, Theo started feeling annoyed. After twenty, doubt crept in that he had gone in the wrong direction. Given the stack of rooms he had already created, going back up was by no means a cherished option. The solution had to be to keep on going. However, with each new room he made, the climb back up was going to be all the more cumbersome.


    Thirty rooms passed, then forty, and fifty. After passing sixty, the process had become a repetitive motion that Theo did with his avatar without even thinking about it. As such, he was utterly surprised that after creating the next room, he found it had no floor. What was even more surprising was falling through into a room that he hadn¡¯t built.


    ¡°What the heck?!¡± a high-pitched voice squeaked.


    No taller than a foot and half, a small creature with skinny arms and a rather large head looked at Theo. Three layers of thick glasses rested on its nose, right beneath a leather helmet.


    Theo had never seen a gnome in his current or past life, but he had no doubt he was looking at one now. The glasses, large floppy ears, and clothes with dozens of pockets and twice as many strange devices sticking from them were dead giveaways.


    ¡°How did you get in here?¡± the gnome asked, once the initial shock had passed. ¡°Can¡¯t you read I¡¯m not to be disturbed?!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t come through the door.¡± Theo¡¯s avatar pointed up at where the ceiling was.


    The argument was good enough to make the creature look up, then back at Theo, unable to come up with a comeback. It was at this point that the avatar decided to look around. The room was a lot spacier than the ones before, full of complex tools and machinery. In one section, further away, Theo instantly recognized a model of a goblin flying device. Without hesitation, he then went in that direction.


    ¡°Hey!¡± the gnome shouted, running behind in an attempt to keep up. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going? This is delicate and valuable equipment!¡±


    ¡°How valuable?¡± Theo asked, stopping in front of the contraption.


    It was obvious that this was a prototype¡ªit was smaller than the ones the goblins had, not to mention far cleaner. It also had several components that Theo didn¡¯t remember seeing when disassembling the goblin fliers.


    ¡°More valuable than you could afford!¡± The gnome rushed between Theo and the prototype. ¡°Who exactly are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Theo. And you are?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Vlyan Switches, lead chief engineer of this facility,¡± the gnome said with pride.


    ¡°Lead and chief?¡± Theo looked at him.


    ¡°There are a few other chief engineers,¡± Vlyan said in disgust. ¡°But they¡¯re nowhere near my level. All they can do is make crude flying cauldrons. No finesse, no ingenuity whatsoever. I¡¯m the true artist here.¡±


    ¡°So, you work for Mandrake.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I wouldn¡¯t say work exactly,¡± the gnome looked to the side. ¡°It¡¯s a more mutually agreeable arrangement.¡±


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Theo remembered that phrase well. What is usually meant was doing all the work so that someone else higher up could claim the credit. In this case, no doubt the gnome had been in serious debt and bought off by a warlord with serious ambitions.


    ¡°You make most of his weapons?¡±


    ¡°Only the good ones. The other chief engineers take care of the boring stuff. Not that anyone acknowledges me.¡±


    Looking around, there were quite a lot of interesting designs sharing a similar motif. Vlyan was clearly obsessed with enhancement gear. The goblin fliers allowed goblins to fly. A few other prototypes allowed their wearers to have extendable arm-blades, contracting shields, and a whole lot of other contraptions of questionable functionality. As Spok had said, while the craftsmanship was meticulous, some of the ideas were outright useless.


    ¡°Any chance you have a map of this place?¡± Theo asked.


    ¡°A map of mandrake mountains?¡± The gnome laughed. ¡°I¡¯d need more paper than I can carry. Besides, what¡¯s the use? I spend most of my time here and know every place I need to go to. Where do you need to go?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a friend of mine that¡¯s kept prisoner¡­ You see, she¡¯s a heroine.¡±


    ¡°Wow! A real hero!¡± The gnome sounded quite enthusiastic. ¡°How did she get here? There are hexes and runes all around here that prevent heroes from finding this place. Not to mention the goblin armies, the battle ogres, the mercenaries¡­¡±


    ¡°I brought her here,¡± Theo interrupted


    ¡°You?¡± The gnome adjusted his glasses, then looked over the avatar from head to toe. He didn¡¯t say anything, but it was clear that he found the statement more than a bit doubtful. ¡°Riiiight,¡± he concluded.


    If the dungeon had blood, it would be boiling. This was the typical reaction of know-it-all superiors would give Theo in his previous life each time he created something worthwhile. Looking at the small creature, there were a whole lot of things he could do in response. The avatar¡¯s strength alone was enough to tear up the gnome¡¯s helmet along with the glasses. However, that would be petty. After all, there were bigger fish to fry.


    You¡¯re lucky, the dungeon said to itself. So damn lucky.


    ¡°Just tell me how to get to the prison cells,¡± Theo grumbled.


    ¡°You know there are a few thousand of them here, right? Well, most of them are empty, though. Just workers who cause problems are put there for a week or two. If there really is a hero, they¡¯ll be kept in the hero cells.¡± Vlyan looked at the ceiling, deep in thought. ¡°I¡¯d say it¡¯s all the way up there.¡±


    Drat! Theo cursed mentally. I knew it! I should have gone sideways¡­ But digging down was so satisfying.


    ¡°Tell you what, just catch the ascender to the very top, then¡­¡± he paused for a moment. ¡°Then you¡¯ll figure it out.¡±


    ¡°Thanks¡­¡± The avatar made its way to the single door of the room.


    ¡°Oh, and look out for the guards! They¡¯re really nasty!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­¡±


    Look out for the guards, Theo kept thinking as he entered a long, dark corridor. Who does he think I am? Some idiot who was born three days ago?


    From a technical standpoint, that was exactly what Theo was, or at least his avatar. It didn¡¯t help that neither in his current or previous life did he have to sneak about. When it came down to it, despite all his abilities, he was as proficient as a walrus in a library. The first twenty-steps or so went without a hitch. Then came the corner, beyond which Theo came face to face with two massive knights in full armor.


    There was a moment of awkward silence. In his mind, Theo was cursing his luck, while also wondering how long this would delay him. On the guards¡¯ part, they were unused to finding any intruder walking along the corridors of their hideout. The first two real prisoners had been captured less than an hour ago and securely locked up in the special cells close to six-hundred feet above.


    The walking pieces of metal looked at each other, then at the avatar. With reflexes far exceeding the average person, they drew their weapons¡ªa massive mace and a giant battle-axe¡ªthen charged forward. Theo, in turn, knelt down and created a room below their feet. Unlike all the previous rooms he had created, this one was thirty feet deep, with sharp stone spikes on the floor. There was a loud crashing noise as both unfortunate guards fell down to their doom. Interestingly enough, upon impact they didn¡¯t get impaled by the spikes, but rather broke up into far smaller pieces.


    CORE CONSUMPTION


    2 arcane core fragments converted into 1000 Avatar Core Points.


    Core fragments? Theo wondered. As hard as it was to believe, the massive knights were nothing more than automatons powered by an arcane core. That explained why they were so large and never removed their helmets.


    ¡°You¡¯ll pay for this!¡± a pair of ghosts floated up from the remains, shooting off through the walls.


    ¡°Ghost powered automatons.¡± Theo shook his head. He had to give props to Lord Mandrake for the idea. They were a lot more efficient than having a real army, not to mention perfect at intimidating others. Swords and spells would be useless, though even they couldn¡¯t win a battle against gravity.


    AVATAR LEVEL INCREASE


    Your Avatar has become Level 7


    +1 Mind, WOUND HEAL skill obtained


    300 Core Points required for next Avatar Level


    WOUND HEAL - 1


    Allows you to heal scars, burns, and other flesh wounds by spending the appropriate amount of Mana (at least 10). Inefficient for broken bones, missing body parts, poisons, or illnesses.


    Using the skill will increase its rank, increasing the speed and efficiency at which a wound is healed.


    ¡°Seriously?!¡± Theo shouted back in Rosewind. ¡°Of all the possible skills I had to get healing¡­¡±


    Healing is a highly valued and quite rare skill among people, Spok said in an attempt to calm the dungeon down. Wizards are willing to spend vast amounts of time and money to learn such a skill, since it¡¯s normally reserved for clerics, not to mention that having one is enough to set them up for life.


    ¡°Are you suggesting I open a healing clinic? Because there¡¯s nothing more I want than having people bother me at all times day and night?¡±


    You could assist the heroine you¡¯re with, should she be in trouble? The spirit guide offered, conceding the previous point.


    Without saying a word, Theo modified the spiky room to have a ceiling, then continued walking forward. As of yet there didn¡¯t seem that anyone had noticed him, though with a pair of moaning ghosts it wouldn¡¯t be long before his escape was discovered. The solution was to free Liandra as quickly as possible and defeat Lord Mandrake, or vice versa.


    ¡°Spok, how am I on energy?¡± the dungeon asked.


    You¡¯ve been wasting a bit lately, but nothing to be concerned over, the spirit guide replied. Of course, that would prolong the period you¡¯ll have to wait before moving to a new place.


    That was a bit annoying, but it didn''t matter much. As long as Theo had a quick means to defeat enemies, it was worth wasting some energy. On the other hand¡­


    ¡°Spok, the energy I gain through my avatar, can I use that?¡±


    No, sir. Sadly, the energy you acquire there is only to advance the avatar itself. However, if you happen to find some intact dungeon cores and bring them here¡­


    The dungeon thought about it, then thought a bit more. It was a ludicrous idea, but if there happened to be any lying around, he could place them in his dimensional ring. At the end of the day, it wasn¡¯t going to hurt.


    Navigating through Mandrake¡¯s stronghold ended up being quite easy. Everything was perfectly organized, not to mention it had well-defined signs and other visual indications all over the place. It was almost as if it had been created by an evil bureaucrat with severe OCD.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Theo to find the ascender. The device was exactly what he thought it would be: a one-way elevator that eliminated the shortened time needed to reach the top. The ingenuity of the contraption was only surpassed by its stupidity. For the sake of everything, Theo couldn¡¯t imagine how the gnomes had managed to build something of the sort. Normally when something went up it had to come down. In this instance, the large cabin seemed to continue up and up, and then¡­ nothing.


    Portals, Theo thought. It had to be portals. Although how one achieved magic in an anti-magic field remained a mystery.


    For better or worse, he wasn¡¯t left to wonder long. Halfway up, the sound of metal clanking on stone told him that his escape was well known throughout the stronghold. It was bound to happen, of course. It had been quite a while since he¡¯d roomed the first two guards. Come to think of it, it was more impressive that it had taken them so long to react. In spite of the overwhelming strength of the amassed fighting force, Mandrake¡¯s guards were highly incompetent.


    ¡°Surrender!¡± a deep voice boomed from above. Moments later, the entire mountain seemed to shake.


    Theo tried to cast an aether shield, but the spell was instantly negated. He was down to dungeon skills and abilities, possibly brute strength as well. Just as the ascender reached its top destination, one of the metal knights crashed through the door, flying past Theo until he hit the wall behind with a slam.


    That was new. Guards weren¡¯t supposed to do that. Curious, the avatar turned to look at the motionless hunk of metal, just in time to see three more pile onto it, flying by one after the other.


    Isn¡¯t that sweet? He thought.


    ¡°Theo?¡± a familiar voice called from behind.


    The avatar froze in place, then slowly turned around, looking over his shoulder as he did.


    ¡°Liandra?¡± he blinked. The woman was standing less than twenty feet away, holding an impressive double handed sword with one hand. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I came to free you, of course,¡± she replied as if it were the most natural thing ever. ¡°This place is like a maze! You can¡¯t find anything.¡±


    Internally, the dungeon sighed. Undoubtedly, the woman had a lot of positive skills, but orientation wasn¡¯t one of them. Getting lost in a place as organized as this required significant skill.


    ¡°I managed to get out on my own,¡± he replied. ¡°Was on my way to find you. How did you get that sword?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a heroine, remember?¡± Liandra smiled. ¡°Our chosen weapons come to us.¡±


    Theo¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Actually, I just broke the hex cuffs and beat up the guards before they could put me in the cell. My father taught me how to break most hexes when I was six. I then went to get my gear and here I am. How did you break out?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Theo stepped out of the ascender cabin into the corridor. ¡°I used some of my mystical powers.¡±


    There was a long moment of silence. Both kept looking at each other, creating an awkward moment. The woman wanted to hear a bit more details relating to his escape method, while Theo was extremely reluctant to provide any.


    ¡°So, we find Lord Mandrake and kill him?¡± Theo asked. ¡°I mean capture him, of course.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like a plan, but it¡¯ll have to wait. We must free the prisoners first.¡±


    ¡°I thought that we were the only prisoners. I mean¡­ I overheard one of the knights saying so.¡±


    ¡°We might be the only VIPs, but there are several hundred villagers locked up in here, forced to build the weapons for the tyrant¡¯s armies. We must set them free.¡± Liandra grabbed Theo by the hand and dragged him along the corridor.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be easier if we defeat Mandrake first?¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re new at adventuring, but trust me on this. I¡¯ve seen it dozens of times. The first thing an evil overlord does is take all captives hostage and force a decision: save them or fight him. The best solution is to free them first and then deal with the rest.¡±


    That sounded both wrong and the only proper thing to do.


    ¡°But won¡¯t he just escape that way?¡± Theo would have, or better, he¡¯d set up a trap so that when someone tried to rescue the prisoners, they¡¯d end up all dying.


    ¡°He might, but people will be safe and the threat will be neutralized for a while. Also, even if he does, we¡¯ll be there to chase after him, right?¡± She glanced over her shoulder, a smile on her face.


    The prospect of wasting even more time chasing after some world-ruler wannabe made the entire building the dungeon was made of shiver. However, all he could do was smile and nod with his avatar. The best he could hope for was that it wouldn¡¯t come to that. As long as they reached the kidnapped villagers fast enough, it was all going to be¡ª


    A sudden torrent of flame emerged at the end of the corridor.


    Theo reacted without thinking, using his dungeon skill to create a side room and pull Liandra into it. The reaction was fast, though not fast enough to prevent part of the heroine¡¯s shoulder from getting scorched.


    ¡°How bad is it?¡± Theo asked, seeing the woman shake with pain. Not a sound came from her mouth, but looking at the state of the flesh the pain probably was considerable.


    And I can¡¯t even use heal wounds! Theo grumbled to himself.


    ¡°Lord Mandrake is extremely displeased that you shun his generous hospitality,¡± a deep voice said.


    Glancing into the corridor, the pair saw the red knight slowly approaching.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to show you what happens to those who displease him.¡± The knight drew a pair of flaming axes from his back and held them firmly.


    ¡°I got this,¡± Theo whispered, then placed his hand on the floor and created another room.


    The floor beneath the red knight vanished, revealing a deep spiked pit. Unfortunately, the hunk of metal didn¡¯t fall in. Instead, he remained there, levitating in the air with orange flames coming from the soles of his boots.


    ¡°Oops?¡± Theo looked at Liandra. Things just got a lot more complicated than he expected.

 10. Demon Heart

    The only thing more annoying than being chased by an invulnerable suit or armor was being chased by one with the ability to fly and shoot fire. Theo had no idea what was involved in the construction of that contraption, but he knew one thing: gnomes were nasty business, especially gnomes in debt.


    ¡°I knew I should have packed my mire shield,¡± Liandra said as she and the avatar rushed through the corridors, creating new rooms as they did. ¡°That hunk of junk would have been scrap.¡±


    The sentiment was shared, but reality had shown that things weren¡¯t as easy as the heroine suggested. The knight not only had a lot of firepower but also knew how to use it in inventive ways. For all intents and purposes, one could almost say that it had a constantly equipped jet pack that allowed the knight to not only follow them at great speed, but also pull back at the precise moments Liandra swung her heavy sword. She had attempted to use smaller weapons, but her boomerang blades weren¡¯t useful in narrow corridors, and standard flying knives bounced off the red knight¡¯s armor like peas.


    ¡°Spok, are there any anti-anti-magic spells?¡± the dungeon asked back in its main body, while having his avatar run, evading waves of flames.


    Not that I¡¯m aware, sir, the spirit guide replied, trying its best not to say anything that might give Theo any ideas. Going beyond the range of the anti-magic field might help.


    ¡°No kidding,¡± the dungeon grumbled. ¡°I should just get out of the stronghold, run a few miles away from the mountain chain and then cast a spell, right?¡±


    Why did I ever agree to this?!


    That was a very good question. Logically, there were several points at which, if Theo had stood his ground, he would have prevented the unfortunate series of events taking him here. If he had just left those thieves to take a few things and scamper off, no one would have been any wiser. The irony was that precisely because of the trouble the avatar was in right now, the main body of the dungeon was better than ever. Just moments ago, a tax collector had arrived, letting Cmyk know that everything had been settled¡ªafter a healthy nudge from the Earl Rosewind¡ªand now not only were all the permits in order, but the building had received a special protected status, requiring that the city guard keep an eye on it at all time. No thief would ever be able to disturb Theo ever again. All that would have been magnificent if Theo didn¡¯t have to worry about Liandra uncovering his secret.


    ¡°I think we should split up,¡± Theo¡¯s avatar said. ¡°We¡¯re a much easier target when we¡¯re together.¡±


    ¡°Nice try.¡± The woman smiled. ¡°We¡¯re sticking together.¡±


    What the heck?! That doesn¡¯t even make any sense! ¡°We¡¯re only making it easy for him. The best course of action is for one of us to sneak behind him and¡ª"


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re doing. You want to keep me safe by attracting his attention to you.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t at all what Theo wanted. All he wanted was a bit of privacy, so he could charge at the suit of armor through the flames and tear its head off. Attempting to do so, even under the pretense that he had some sort of anti-flame magic, would be highly suspicious, considering they were in an anti-magic field.


    ¡°I¡¯m no wizard, but I¡¯ve been dealing with far worse creatures since I was nine. I¡¯m not running from a wind-up toy.¡±


    The scorch marks on her shoulder suggested otherwise. Theo had never been on fire, but he remembered grabbing a cup of hot coffee back in his previous life. The experience had been far from pleasant.


    ¡°Here¡¯s what we¡¯ll do,¡± Liandra said. ¡°After the next turn, create a hollow section beneath the floor.¡±


    ¡°He can fly,¡± Theo said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not for him, but for us. I just need to be there. The moment he flies over, I¡¯ll break through the floor and slice that piece of junk in two.¡±


    ¡°Nice plan. I¡¯ll need to make a room, then modify it once we¡¯re in, but also keep the roof paper thin so we see¡ª"


    ¡°Can you do it?¡± The woman rushed him, reminding them they were under a bit of time pressure.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Theo made the thumbs up sign as they ran. ¡°Leave it to me.¡±


    Thankfully, branching corridors and connecting chambers were quite a common occurrence in the stronghold. The first turn was less than a few hundred feet away. The moment they reached it, both leapt to the side.


    The first thing that the avatar did was to kneel down and press his hand against the floor. Similar to all the times before, an empty space in the shape of a room appeared beneath their feet. The plan was to make the room as low as possible, giving Liandra a better chance to leap up when the time came. It was a good plan, sadly, it never came to be. The moment the room formed, a minor complication arose: the fact that there was no floor. As it turned out, the corridor was located right above a large chamber, and the thickness of the layer of rock that separated the two turned out to be smaller than the height of the newly created room.


    Confused by results, Theo remained perfectly still, trying to come up with a potential solution. From Liandra¡¯s point of view, things seemed completely different. As far as she could tell, Theo was completely frozen by the prospect of falling to his death in an area without magic. As such she had no chance but to act, and act she did by drawing a blade boomerang, attaching an aether thread to it, and throwing it at the ceiling. To little surprise, the blade sunk into the rock, as if gripping it.


    ¡°How many of those do you have?¡± Theo asked as he was grabbed by Liandra.


    ¡°Enough.¡± She held him tight. ¡°There isn¡¯t enough cord to take us to the bottom so we¡¯ll have to¡ª"


    Before she could finish the chunk of ceiling the boomerang blade was attached to broke off. It was normal that it wouldn¡¯t hold their full weight, especially being so close to the opening Theo had created.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± the woman cursed, reaching for something else that would prevent them from dying a painful death. With the ground being a few dozen feet away, there wasn¡¯t much that could be done. At this point, there was no time for a second attempt.


    Moments before splatting into the floor of the chamber, Theo extended his hand down. Instantly after, his avatar and Liandra fell into a room full of nets and cushions which broke the fall to the point that they didn¡¯t suffer any serious damage. Or, to be more specific, they weren¡¯t perceived to receive any serious damage. Known only to the dungeon, his avatar had broken his entire wrist at the moment of impact. Of course, due to his nature, the wound was immediately healed.


    ¡°You know what?¡± Liandra asked after several seconds of stillness and silence. ¡°You really are something else.¡±


    ¡°You keep telling me.¡±


    ¡°If you pull anything of the sort one more time, you won¡¯t have to worry about dying, I¡¯ll kill you myself.¡±


    That was meant to be a joke, in all probability. But given that it came from a hero, natural instinct made Theo and his avatar shiver in fear. A threat from one¡¯s natural enemy had that reaction, even if spoken in jest.


    ¡°Can you see?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes, I have some magical enhancements,¡± the avatar replied vaguely. ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°Hero sight,¡± Liandra replied. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here.¡±


    Climbing out of a room full of cushions turned out to be a lot more difficult than one expected. With everything moving and nothing solid for one to grip, it took close to a minute for Liandra to use her boomerang blade as a grappling hook to pull out. Theo followed, climbing up the aether thread she threw down at him. All the time, he kept glancing up at the ceiling. The ceiling was high enough to be almost invisible, though that wasn¡¯t what he was looking at; the red knight had already shown he could fly, so it was quite possible he¡¯d drop down after them. The fact that he hadn¡¯t posed some interesting questions.


    ¡°Do you think we lost him?¡± Theo asked.


    The question received a pitying glance from Liandra.


    ¡°What else would have stopped him from following? It¡¯s not like he¡¯d fall.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s find where we are,¡± the woman said, avoiding the question.


    The chamber they were in was beyond huge. It was as if they were out in the open during a moonless, starless night. Try as they might, the end of the chamber was not visible in any direction. However, there was something else that was: faint dots of light approximately at their level. Given the experience so far, most likely those were the usual knight guards making their rounds.


    Liandra gave Theo a sign to remain quiet. Time passed. The moments turned into minutes, yet the distant dot of light remained in exactly the same spot.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like a guard,¡± Theo whispered. ¡°What do you think it is?¡±


    Just as Liandra was about to answer, bright yellow light flooded the entire chamber. For a moment it was almost as if the top of the mountain had suddenly vanished, letting the sun shine in. It didn¡¯t take long for it to become obvious that wasn¡¯t the case. The chamber ceiling was still there in the place of the sky, and so were the walls starting where the horizon ended. Most peculiar of all, a large orb of light levitated above the ground a short distance away, burning with the intensity of a small sun.


    ¡°Spok, is there any spell that could create a sun?¡± Theo asked back in his main body.


    No. That is beyond anything but the elder deities, the spirit guide replied. Why?


    ¡°Oh, no reason. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m looking at one right now.¡±


    That can¡¯t be! Spok went into a little bit of panic.


    It was one thing to doubt Theo¡¯s reasoning¡ªever since his rebirth, the dungeon had been making all sorts of preposterous requests and getting away with it. However, so far, at least his descriptive skills were adequate. If he said he was looking at a sun, there most probably was something that resembled that.


    Could you describe it in a bit more detail, sir?


    ¡°What is there to describe?¡± the dungeon grumbled. ¡°It¡¯s big, round, and lights up the place.¡±


    Are you sure it isn¡¯t an illusion? There are quite a number of spells that can trick one into seeing something that isn¡¯t there.


    Theo grunted. This was one time he wished his main body had arms, only so that he could cross them while giving the spirit guide an annoyed look. Still, one had to admit that there was a distant possibility that Spok was right.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Theo¡¯s avatar turned to Liandra. ¡°You can see that, right?¡±


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    It was a simple question, yet it wasn¡¯t answered. Liandra stood there, more tense than Theo had ever seen her. A two-handed sword trembled in her hands, creating the impression that the woman would break the hilt in two by squeezing on it.


    ¡°Liandra?¡± Theo asked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°That,¡± the heroine replied, staring right at the ¡°sun.¡±


    ¡°The sun?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a sun. It¡¯s a demon heart.¡±


    Wait, what? Theo thought. He didn¡¯t know much about the nature of demons in this world, but he got a feeling they weren¡¯t anything good, even for dungeons. If Liandra¡¯s reaction was anything to go by, they sounded like country extinction events given form.


    ¡°Spok, what can you tell me about demons?¡± Theo asked in his Rosewind self.


    You¡¯ll have to be a bit more specific, sir. Demons are a vast species containing multiple categories and subcategories and can include anything from an entity with the power to rival deities, to a trickster imp that creates fart puffs.


    ¡°I mean¡­ what the heck is a fart puff?¡± Theo couldn¡¯t help himself. ¡°No, actually, don¡¯t tell me! Just make sure I don¡¯t have any of those inside!¡±


    Very well, sir. Spok sighed.


    ¡°Anyway, Liandra said that the sun we¡¯re looking at is a demon heart.¡±


    Oh, dear¡­


    Theo waited. And waited. Several seconds passed without the spirit guide adding anything more.


    ¡°Some more details would be nice,¡± the dungeon said in the most sarcastic tone possible.


    My apologies. I thought you were going to add something. Most likely what your hero companion is referring to, is a Demon Lord category of demon. Such demons are in a category of their own, each having very specific and unique powers. It wouldn¡¯t be possible to provide more details without knowing the exact name of the demon lord in question, however, I can describe some commonalities. You see, all demon lords are beings of immense power. Think of them as deities who are evil. While deities gain power by helping people, demon lords gain it by causing misery. I told you about the wars between demons and deities, didn¡¯t I?


    ¡°I think so¡­¡± Theo had a vague memory of such a conversation.


    To be more precise, the war was between deities and demon lords. A lot of demon lords were defeated and banished away. Unfortunately, there were large amounts of deities that were also hurt and had to retire to the heavenly domain, even if they won the battle for dominance. Since then, neither have walked throughout the world. The deities are in contact with their followers through temples, just as the demons are. It takes human action to summon both, just as you did back in Paris¡¯ temple.


    ¡°In short, you¡¯re telling me that someone summoned a demon lord?¡±


    Not exactly. There hasn¡¯t been a demon lord in the world for a while. Of course, there¡¯s no way to be certain, but the last one was killed centuries ago. All that are left are a few archdemons, who are almost as bad.


    That made the dungeon think back to the hero who had started this entire mess. According to the text Theo had received when the hero had stumbled to his death, the man had killed an archdemon.


    The heart you¡¯re looking at must be a remnant of a demon lord while alive. Since they were so powerful, their bodies could be only destroyed by divine powers. Occasionally, a few pieces were left behind¡­


    ¡°So, a heart was left behind¡­ just great¡­¡±


    This was another unplanned moment, although there wasn¡¯t much that could be done. Since neither Theo nor Liandra were deities, all they could do was leave the heart alone.


    ¡°We have to destroy it,¡± the heroine said all of a sudden.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Theo¡¯s avatar blinked.


    ¡°That thing is a source of unimaginable evil,¡± Liandra went on. ¡°No wonder Lord Mandrake is trying to enslave the world. With the power of the demon heart, he could do that.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you taking it out of proportion? I¡¯m sure it¡¯s bad, but¡­¡± he paused for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s not that I want someone to take over the world, but what can we do? Only a deity can destroy it, and as much as it pains me, none of us are that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a hero!¡± The woman snapped with more ferocity than Theo thought possible. ¡°Our whole purpose is helping people. The deities have given us the power to vanquish evil and we do it by destroying all demons and dungeons we come across!¡±


    That was a bad turn of events. Suddenly, the complacency that had been building up within the dungeon¡¯s consciences since the start of the Earl¡¯s quest vanished away. Liandra hadn¡¯t become close to Theo in the least, she was close to his avatar. If even she found out what exactly he was, she¡¯d be on him like a wall of bricks.


    ¡°There¡¯ve been three demon incidents in the world in the last few months. One in the far west that caused the death of a legendary hero, one in the distant south, and now here. That¡¯s more than there have been in centuries.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Theo decided that the best policy was not to argue. He knew that he had caused one of the ¡°demon lord sightings.¡± ¡°This is just a heart, though. It¡¯s not exactly a full demon lord, right?¡±


    ¡°For now. Demon lords corrupt even after death. If Lord Mandrake found the heart, he¡¯s already on his way of becoming an archdemon, if he isn¡¯t one already.¡±


    ¡°So, the plan remains the same, then? Save the villagers, kill the evil lord?¡±


    ¡°And destroy the heart. If we don¡¯t, someone else will only take his place.¡±


    That sounded logical. It also made Theo¡¯s spirit sink. Fighting an archdemon wasn¡¯t something he had any intent of doing. On the other hand, after everything he¡¯d done in the stronghold there was no way that the evil lord would let things pass. No doubt he was going to do everything in his power to track Theo down and destroy him. As regretful as it was, stopping him here with the aid of a hero was the best solution the dungeon could hope for.


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s go,¡± he put up a brave front.


    Having the chamber lit up put a lot of things into perspective. The endless darkness was done, clearly showing that the space wasn¡¯t infinite, just ¡°very, very large¡±. If one was to make a comparison, an ¡°underground city¡± would be apt. The chamber was roughly the size of Rosewind with groups of small houses clustered in small groups, as if someone had grabbed them, then dropped them in a pile and not bothered to sort them out. While every building was rendered livable, it was done so in the most illogically-logical fashion. All the roofs and walls were in perfect condition, not a hole or crack in sight. When it came to tilt, though¡­ Some houses were level while others were at a nearly thirty degrees angle. A series of stone steps were added, making sure the inhabitants could access the upper levels, though it was anyone¡¯s guess what was inside.


    So that¡¯s where all the stolen houses were stashed, Theo thought.


    As Liandra and Theo moved closer to the center, the general logic of the chamber became clear. The demon heart was placed in the perfect center, held in place by a series of vast metal pillars coming down from the ceiling. Starting from it, clusters of houses occupied pie chart slices following the hours of the day of a clock. So far, two-thirds were filled up, leaving eight sections empty. Looking at the slightly different house appearance, each section corresponded to one village, meaning that sixteen entire villages had been ¡°kidnapped¡± and transported here.


    ¡°So, this is what happened to the villages,¡± Theo muttered.


    Looking closer, Theo recognized the houses in the nearby building cluster. They were the same houses that he and Liandra had attempted to protect half a day ago. Even the villagers emerging from them looked familiar.


    ¡°Heya!¡± The avatar waved.


    Despite himself, Theo felt an unexpected sense of relief at seeing them alive and well. Unfortunately for him, the people didn¡¯t reciprocate. In fact, all they did was quietly gather in groups near their houses, then head off towards the outer part of the chamber along eerily straight lines. It was almost as if they were following a weird routine with puppet-like precision.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with them?¡± the avatar asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s the effect of the demon heart. All weak-willed people are open to suggestions, following any order that is given to them. Didn¡¯t you find it odd that there wasn¡¯t anyone guarding them?¡±


    The truth was that Theo hadn¡¯t even throught of that. Since his life as a dungeon, he¡¯d never had to deal with anything more than a lazy skeletal minion and a fat pet rabbit. It was no wonder he didn¡¯t know the first thing about keeping prisoners.


    ¡°Ah, I didn¡¯t notice.¡± Theo used a clumsy excuse to get out of the situation.


    ¡°You must have a really strong will not to feel the effects yourself.¡± Liandra glanced at him. ¡°Most people I know would have collapsed by now, but you haven''t even broken a sweat.¡±


    Crap! ¡°Spok, how¡¯s a demon heart supposed to affect a person?¡± he asked in his main body.


    Depends on the person, the spirit guide said. Dungeons are not affected by demon¡¯s mental abilities. Your avatar, while appearing human, is also part of a dungeon, so you have nothing to worry about.


    ¡°Thank goodness.¡± The dungeon let out a sigh of relief, changing the location of several pieces of furniture in the process. ¡°And normal humans?¡±


    Well, that¡¯s a bit more complicated. Being your guide, I cannot be certainly sure, but based on general knowledge, I could say that heroes of certain levels are also immune to the mental effects. Mages claim to be able to counter the effects as well through their ¡°strong minds and ice-cold logic,¡± but personally, I think they¡¯re just equipped with wards and charms that do it for them.


    ¡°So, how do I explain my natural immunity to Liandra?¡±


    The only advice I might give is that when in doubt, do like a wizard does: make things up.


    That I can do, the dungeon thought. ¡°Well.¡± Theo¡¯s avatar cleared his throat. ¡°I suspected there might be something suspicious going on, so I cast a protective enchantment on myself even before we were captured. I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d come across an actual demon heart, but there are more ways than one to¡ª"


    Liandra¡¯s hand darted, covering the avatar¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Shh!¡± she said, pulling him briskly aside. ¡°Look there!¡±


    A significant distance away, at the very end of the chamber, were a set of trolls. Fifteen feet tall, they towered above the best of the humans like massive statues. Each and every single one of them was wearing massive armor and gnome-work gear, making them fascinating and terrifying at the same time. However, that wasn¡¯t what had attracted the heroine¡¯s attention. Among them was someone else¡ªa familiar figure in glowing red armor.


    ¡°I thought we lost him!¡± Theo whispered.


    ¡°Apparently not. He must have detected the trap you¡¯d set for him on the ceiling and followed another route here.¡±


    Trap? What trap? ¡°Ah, right!¡± the avatar quickly agreed. ¡°Damned knight! He¡¯s smarter than I thought.¡±


    ¡°With the number of spells and gnome-work used to create him, I¡¯d not expect anything less. Still, it¡¯s better this way. Since lord mandrake is using the villagers for manual labor, he wouldn¡¯t want anything else to happen with them. All we have to do is lure him here.¡±


    There was something in that plan that didn¡¯t sit right with Theo. While he couldn¡¯t put his finger on it, he was almost certain that there was something that they had overlooked.


    In the distance, the villagers kept leaving the chamber through a single large opening, just like ants summoned to another part of the hive.


    ¡°Get ready,¡± Liandra gripped her sword.


    ¡°Hold on. If we lure him out, won¡¯t he bring more troops?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s already brought in more troops. He knows we¡¯re here and there¡¯s only one way in or out.¡±


    ¡°How can you be so sure?¡±


    The heroine gave Theo a stern look.


    ¡°If there were more than one entrance, there would be knights and trolls pouring in from them as well.¡±


    That was a good assumption, but just to be certain, the avatar looked around at the edges of the chamber. As far as he could tell, that was correct. And still, he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that was constantly bugging him.


    ¡°Spok, is there anything special you can tell me about battle trolls?¡± he asked back in Rosewind.


    Strong, stupid, with high endurance and magic immunity, Spok replied.


    That wasn¡¯t it.


    ¡°How about a glowing red suit of armor?¡±


    That depends on the color. Most often, it¡¯s an indication of a fire magic attribute. The person who has it either can absorb or launch fire. It¡¯s an extremely potent way to deal with fire-mages, or most mages for that matter.


    ¡°I see¡­ any way I could get to destroy it?¡±


    Using magic that is stronger than the target usually works, although it had to be a few magnitudes stronger. There are some heroic traits or powers that are capable of ignoring it altogether.


    Liandra was a hero, but she didn¡¯t have them. The encounter in the tunnel above had already proved that.


    Of course, in your circumstances, I wouldn¡¯t worry about that much, Spok added.


    ¡°Why so?¡±


    You¡¯re in the middle of an anti-magic field. It¡¯s only a matter of time before the spell fizzles off. I give it a few minutes max.


    A chill swept through both the dungeon and his avatar. This was precisely what had been worrying him all this time.


    ¡°Just for argument¡¯s sake. What would happen if the spell doesn¡¯t fizzle off in a few minutes?¡±


    Well, in that case you¡¯re dealing with demonic magic, which, similar to your dungeon magic, isn¡¯t affected by anti-magic fields. The only solution against that would be holy magic.


    ¡°Now!¡± Liandra said and charged out of her hiding place.


    ¡°No! Wait!¡± Theo¡¯s avatar tried to stop her, but it was already too late.


    ¡°Come at me!¡± she yelled at the red knight in the distance.


    Noticing her, the red knight took a step forward. A pair of giant wings of red fire emerged from its back, lifting it into the air.


    ¡°What the heck?!¡± Liandra took a defensive stance.


    ¡°I tried to tell you!¡± Theo¡¯s avatar grumbled. ¡°That¡¯s not just a gnome-work suit of armor! It has demon magic!¡±


    And what was more, they were about to face it in a room lit by a demon heart¡­

 11. In Search of a Blessing

    A double-handed sword of red flame emerged in the demon¡¯s hands as it flew to meet the heroine head on. Normally, that would be bad enough. However, just to add a little more boost of vileness, the creature slashed into the air, releasing a wave of flame towards Liandra and Theodor.


    Oh crap! The dungeon thought.


    Normal flames were annoying enough¡ªTheo still remembered the mess the thieves had caused in their clumsy attempt to rob him. Reinforced demon fire, on the other hand, had the potential of being far, far worse. Without thinking, the dungeon did the only thing he could think of, namely create several massive shelves of books between him and the approaching flames. Rows of wooden furniture came into existence, emerging from the floor, significantly hindering Liandra¡¯s charge.


    The woman had proven to be well prepared for anything that the demon might do. However, she didn¡¯t expect any interference from her own ally. The moment a shelf of books suddenly appeared beneath her feet, lifting her without warning in the air, she reacted on the moment by jumping high in the air. That proved rather beneficial, since the wave of flames passed beneath her, burning through the improvised obstacles like a red-hot dagger through a wax candle. Row after row, the shelves of books were transformed into piles of smoldering ash, until they hit Theo¡¯s avatar in the face.


    ¡°Dammit!¡± both Theo and his avatar shouted simultaneously.


    Apart from taking a healthy chunk of energy, the flame had also completely burned the clothes he was wearing. Completely naked and with no viable plan of action, Theo did the only thing that anyone in similar circumstances would: create a wardrobe full of clothes in the immediate vicinity to hide himself from view.


    ¡°Spok! Quickly teach me a clothes-making ability!¡± the dungeon shouted back in Rosewind.


    Sir, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea. Maybe¡ª


    ¡°Just shut up and do it, damnit!¡±


    LEGENDARY TAILORING


    Create and personalize garments to fit anyone¡¯s needs.


    Not a moment too soon! Theo thought, then used a bit of transfiguration to create a new set of clothes.


    The ability worked without a hitch. Unfortunately, instead of appearing on the avatar¡¯s body, the clothes found themselves on the master bed back in the dungeon¡¯s main self.


    ¡°Wha?¡± Theo opened and closed all shutters of his windows in a surprised blink.


    As I tried to explain, sir, your avatar will not be able to use the ability, since it couldn¡¯t learn new abilities from a distance.


    ¡°Craaap!¡± The avatar opened the wardrobe, then frantically put on the first clothes in sight. Just for good measure, he cast swiftness a few times to speed up the process.


    Meanwhile, the clash between Liandra and the red armored demon was in full force. Having evaded its flame attack¡ªmostly due to Theo¡¯s interference¡ªthe heroine leapt up and forward, landing a vertical strike on the creature. Sparks burst everywhere as the abomination blocked the massive sword with its armored arm. The force¡ªfar greater than even magical armor could withstand¡ªthrust the demon down, causing it to hit the ground in an explosion of dust and debris. A massive hole was created in the wall, as if the result of a meteor impact. Unfortunately, even such an attack proved to do little against a creature basking in the light of a demon heart.


    ¡°Heroine,¡± the demon growled. ¡°Lord Mandrake wanted to make good use of you in his experiments. However, I will not grant you such sweet agony.¡±


    The arm that had been crushed and torn off in the attack quickly regrew. Armorless, it reached into the air to drag hold of the hilt of a second sword of flame that emerged from nothing. Before it could do that, a massive wardrobe flew right into the creature, pushing him hundreds of feet back.


    ¡°Did I miss much?¡± Theo¡¯s avatar appeared on the scene with a grin, dressed in a completely new set of mismatched clothes.


    ¡°What have you done to yourself?¡± Liandra asked, unable to look away even with a raging demon nearby. ¡°You look terrible.¡±


    ¡°Magic attire,¡± Theo¡¯s avatar said with a forced smile. ¡°They provide me different attribute boosts.¡±


    The hesitant nod on the heroine¡¯s part suggested that she was ready to accept the explanation, and also that she sympathized with him.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the new plan?¡± Theo eagerly changed the topic of conversation. ¡°He seems quite tough.¡±


    ¡°He is. The only chance we have to defeat the demon is to slay the heart. And it won¡¯t let us do that while it¡¯s alive.¡±


    A perfect catch twenty-two. If the dungeon was able to grant new abilities to its avatar, there were a dozen ways he could have dealt with both. However, in the present circumstances, none of those options were possible.


    An explosion sounded in the nearby distance as a ball of flame consumed the wardrobe Theo had slammed into the demon. So much for delay tactics.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take on the demon,¡± Liandra said as she rushed in its direction. ¡°You find a way to destroy the heart!¡±


    ¡°But isn¡¯t that a hero¡¯s job?¡± he shouted behind her. ¡°I can delay the demon while you¡ª¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t stand a chance against it.¡±


    But I would, I really would! ¡°Don¡¯t you need a heroic trait to cut up that thing? I¡¯m no hero, I¡¯m just a¡ª¡±


    ¡°Think of something!¡± Liandra thrust forward, striking the demon¡¯s chest with a piercing attack.


    The force of the impact was such that it sent the creature dozens of feet back, but it still wasn¡¯t enough to make it fall. Wings of flame flapped, stopping the inertia, then propelling it forward to perform an attack of its own. As things stood, even Theo revised that he had no choice but to do as he was asked.


    There was one last moment of hesitation¡ªan instant in which Theo wondered whether it wouldn¡¯t be better to join in the fight and help Liandra finish the demon off. Just because it was immortal didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t trap it in a room of rock. Then again, seeing how it had dealt with the wardrobe, that probably wouldn¡¯t hold it for long.


    This is bullshit! Theo turned around and ran in the direction of the demon¡¯s heart. The moment he saw it, though, a new realization hit him: just because the heart didn¡¯t fight back, didn¡¯t make things much easier. After all, how was he supposed to destroy a demonic organ with the intensity of a small sun that even deities weren¡¯t able to harm?


    ¡°Spok,¡± the dungeon said back in his main body. ¡°Any ideas on destroying a demon heart?¡±


    Destroying a demon heart? The spirit guide repeated the question in the hopes that it had misheard.


    ¡°Destroying, slaying, making it stop ticking.¡±


    That might be somewhat of an issue, sir. Demon parts are difficult, some might say impossible, to destroy without divine assistance.


    ¡°Liandra said that heroes could do it. I have the heroic trait, right?¡±


    That is an interesting interpretation of natural and supernatural law. In theory, it should be possible, but there¡¯s no precedent of anyone¡ª


    ¡°Will it work?¡±


    There¡¯s no way to know, Spok admitted reluctantly. Heroes have the power to slay dungeons and demons, but even then, only powerful heroes can slay powerful demons. While you¡¯re quite strong by dungeon standards, you¡¯re an extremely low-level hero. No doubt you could deal a lot of damage to a fiend, but you¡¯re unlikely to kill it.


    That wasn¡¯t what Theo wanted to hear. From what it looked like, things were going from bad to worse: all avatar magic was blocked, he couldn¡¯t transfer newly learned dungeon abilities to his avatar, and apart from everything else, he didn¡¯t have the appropriate level to use his heroic trait adequately.


    Destruction thundered a slight distance away as both the red-armored demon and Liandra slammed into parts of the hall. The heroine had changed weapons again, taking out a massive war hammer from some dimensional item, no doubt, and slammed her enemy out of the sky. Sadly, the demon had managed to hit her with a torrent of flames on its way down, thrusting her into the ceiling.


    This is the last time I set off on noble quests! Theo told himself. Once I get done with this, I¡¯ll tell that fat good for nothing earl that I don¡¯t give a crap about his stupid thieves! I¡¯ll take all the magic items from his treasury, transform them into energy, then move to some other town, where I¡¯ll finally lead a calm and boring life!


    It didn¡¯t take long to reach the spot beneath the demon¡¯s heart, thanks to his swiftness ability. At least, the body part didn¡¯t affect his acquired abilities. Attempting to cast an aether shield, though, proved impossible. No sooner had it started forming that the thin layer of light shattered, crumbling to pieces.


    From this distance, Theo was clearly able to see that what he thought to be a sun, was in fact a floating beating heart suspended several hundred feet in the air by a pair of rather large metal cables. Whoever had created that appeared to have a quite good understanding of engineering and heat-resistant materials. Even from this distance, the avatar felt as if he was inside a furnace. Of course, being just an avatar, the heat didn¡¯t cause anything other than fear of having his clothes burn up again.


    Starting with the tried and true, Theo created a shelter to protect himself from the sun. The room emerged from the ground, looking like a crude bunker. Stepping into the shade, the dungeon avatar then created a ballista. It was amusing how exploitable the ability was. Since his avatar had learned how to create rooms and furniture, Theo could pretty much create any object he wished.


    Bet you didn¡¯t see this coming, ¡°Lord¡± Mandrake, the avatar thought, as he pushed and pulled the ballista out. Initially, he had wanted to grab the weapon as a giant crossbow, but apparently, he didn¡¯t have the strength for that. Thus, it was back to the tried and true methods of using the device as it was intended.


    ¡°Spok, how do I gain strength?¡± the dungeon asked, while its avatar totated the floor beneath the ballista, so as to get it to aim straight up.


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    You do it by gaining enough avatar core points to reach the next level, the spirit guide replied. Of course, the abilities you use to increase your level need to be related to the strength category.


    That made sense and also explained why Theo was constantly getting mind improvements. Clearly, he had taken his role of wizard to heart. Potentially, that was going to change soon. As soon as he destroyed the demon¡¯s heart with the ballista, he was going to get some bonuses on strength.


    After checking that the massive iron tipped bolt was aimed straight at the glowing demon heart, Theo¡¯s avatar fired the ballista. The bolt ripped the air with its characteristic sound then¡­ shattered like a stack of straws upon hitting it.


    ¡°You must be kidding.¡± The avatar frowned. It seemed that Spok was right and ordinary weapons had no effect on the heart. The good news was that the bolt didn¡¯t melt, so the target was hittable, but that was the only good news.


    Standing there, arms crossed like a person with no understanding of engines next to an opened hood of a car, Theo glanced over his shoulder where the fighting was still going on in full strength. Based on the amount of flames and destruction, it didn¡¯t seem that any of the sides were letting up. It was difficult to tell who was in the lead. The only thing certain was that the chamber was the huge loser, part of its wall, floor, and ceiling covered with holes like meteor impacts.


    ¡°Spok, is there a way to bless a weapon or the head of an arrow?¡± the dungeon asked.


    Of course, as long as you¡¯re a cleric. Or possibly a paladin.


    ¡°And how do I become one of those?¡±


    That would be class advancement. Heroes and adventurers get to choose, by the blessing of the deities, upon progressing to level ten. That is the point at which they traditionally get to choose a class that would define the sets of abilities they would obtain further in life. In your case, though, that does pose some interesting questions. Being a dungeon avatar, it¡¯s possible that you aren¡¯t given a class, but rather a selection of skills to choose from. As such, it¡¯s quite possible that you obtain a blessing skill the next time your avatar increases level.


    Normally, that would have been good news. However, it also presented a new catch twenty-two. In order for Theo¡¯s avatar to learn to bless, he had to level up by consuming a creature¡¯s core. However, in order to destroy the demon heart, he had to be able to bless a weapon. Potentially, he could seek out some evil guard or minion to slay, but all the creatures had thoughtfully remained in the tunnel beyond the vast chamber. In order to reach them, Theo would have to pass through the war zone, and that wasn¡¯t a good idea.


    ¡°Damned cowards,¡± the avatar grumbled. ¡°They¡¯re supposed to charge mindlessly, not hide safely away!¡±


    There is one other possibility, Spok said back in the dungeon¡¯s main body. You could pray to a deity to bless a weapon for you, sir.


    ¡°Pray to a goddess? That¡¯s it?¡± That sounded rather simple, so simple, in fact, that Theo was certain that there¡¯s more to it. ¡°What¡¯s the catch?¡±


    There is no catch, sir. You just need to pray and if the deity finds your cause worthy, they will bless your weapon for a reasonable amount of time.


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me that if I fall down on my knees right now and ask Peris to bless my¡­ ballista bolt¡ª¡± he added hurriedly in a hushed voice ¡°¡ªshe¡¯ll do it?¡±


    Naturally. Provided you¡¯re in a temple or holy land, of course.


    Theo wanted to scream.


    ¡°Spok, what are the chances of finding holy land close to a gigantic demon heart?!¡±


    Well, not too good, the spirit guide admitted. But you can easily do that here.


    ¡°I¡¯m not creating another avatar! Being in two places at once is confusing as it is. Having more¡ª¡±


    You don¡¯t need to, sir, Spok interrupted. You can send Cmyk to ask on your behalf. Since he¡¯s your creation, and someone the goddess Peris is familiar with, it would be rather simple.


    As good news as this was, it made Theo cringe. Somehow sending a minion for a blessing sounded incredibly corporate and impersonal the same way emails from the CEO congratulating people for their one year on the job were. Still, if it worked, he was going to go ahead with it. Unfortunately, the issue was that Cmyk had left the building. With the dungeon focusing a greater part of its attention on the avatar, the skeletal minion had spent consistently more and more time having fun with his friends in town.


    The notion was laughable, almost ludicrous, and yet for some reason the silent, lazy, artificially created entity had become the life of the party. Pretty much everyone in town knew him, and the few that didn¡¯t had definitely heard of him. The local adventurer guilds had made several attempts to recruit him, shopkeepers had started giving him part of their goods for free, all the inns had a table reserved for when he¡¯d show up, even the city guard would pass by the house to have a chat with him now and again. Even more absurd, because of Theo¡¯s orders that Cmyk clean and maintain Paris¡¯ temple, everyone had started considering the minion extremely devout and spiritual.


    Both worried and annoyed, the dungeon looked about. Cmyk wasn¡¯t to be seen in the marketplace or in the immediate vicinity. Given that it was afternoon, he was most likely off ¡°drinking¡± somewhere.


    ¡°Spok, go find him and tell him to go to the temple,¡± Theo muttered.


    I cannot leave the building, sir, the spirit guide explained. As much as I¡¯d like to, and I really would, I am bound to you.


    ¡°Just great¡­¡±


    I could teach you to cast a spell to find him, though.


    ¡°Do it!¡±


    ROAMING EYES


    Spend 50 energy to create a floating eyeball that conveys everything it sees and hears directly to you. The eyeball is extremely vulnerable to damage.


    Without waiting, Theo created a dozen roaming eyes and sent them floating about the city. To his fortune, it didn¡¯t take long for one of the eyes to come upon Cmyk. The minion, of course, was sitting in the Silver Mug¡ª¡°second best tavern in town¡±¡ªalong with three other adventurers and two lady admirers.


    I never should have given you skin, Theo said to himself as he moved the eyeball to the table in question.


    ¡°Hello, Cmyk,¡± he said in a polite voice.


    Normally, a flying eyeball making its way through a crowded tavern would have caused questions, if not outright panic. However, since Cmyk was mentioned, everyone took it as something normal, or even amusing.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to bother you, but there¡¯s a rather urgent matter that¡ª¡±


    ¡°Is that your boss?¡± Ulf asked, poking the eyeball with a finger.


    There wasn¡¯t much strength involved; in fact, the tip of the man¡¯s finger barely touched the surface of the eyeball. However, that proved enough to cause the whole thing to pop out of existence like a soap bubble. Apparently, ¡°extremely vulnerable¡± wasn¡¯t hyperbole. Still, there were eleven more eyeballs in the town, and now that Theo knew the exact location of his minion, he sent them all there.


    ¡°As I was saying,¡± Theo began once another eyeball had reached the table. ¡°I¡¯d like¡ª¡±


    Pop!


    Someone else¡¯s finger popped the eyeball. The same thing happened again and again. Apparently, the group was treating eyeball popping as a sort of drinking game. To make matters worse, the rest of the customers had caught on and were attempting to pop the eyeballs even before they reached the table. By the seventh eyeball, Theo had had enough.


    ¡°Listen up!¡± he shouted, the voice shaking the entire tavern. Instantly, everyone froze. ¡°I happen to be in the middle of a very important conversation with my champion! So, if anyone pops another eyeball, I can easily afford to burn the tavern to the ground ten times over and rebuild it if I want to!¡±


    That definitely caught everyone¡¯s attention. Cmyk might have been a lot more well known, but people had also heard of Baron d¡¯Argent as well, especially how he treated thieves and people he didn¡¯t like.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Theo said in a passively aggressive fashion, then floated the eyeball to Cmyk¡¯s table again. ¡°So, as I was saying¡­¡± the eyeball turned around, glancing at everyone in turn, almost daring them to pop it. No one did. ¡°There is an urgent matter you need to deal with. Once that¡¯s done, you¡¯ll be free to come back here and finish your drink.¡±


    Silence reigned supreme. All eyes were on Cmyk. From the point of view of the minion, it simply stood up and left the tavern to get the work over with as fast as possible. What everyone else saw was a brave warrior, stoically standing up, to fulfill his duty to his wizard master.


    Whispers quickly spread, ranging from the implausible to the outright impossible. Some claimed that Cmyk¡ªsince he had been referred to as a champion¡ªwas probably a bodyguard assassin who served royalty. The task, by common consensus, had to involve dispatching an agent of a wizard adversary, or possibly some hush-hush business relating to the earl.


    Since Theo was in no mood for gossip, he quickly moved all the floating eyes away from the tavern and towards his minion.


    ¡°I want you to go to Peris¡¯ temple and say a prayer for me,¡± Theo said through an eyeball.


    The minion looked at the eyeball with his typical blank expression.


    ¡°Look, you don¡¯t have to do anything but be there. I¡¯ll do the talking.¡± Come to think of it, maybe I don¡¯t need the minion at all?


    Intrigued by this possibility, the dungeon directed one of the eyeballs to the temple. The moment it crossed the threshold, the eye disappeared with a loud pop. Apparently, the temple had also invested in anti-spying, anti-scrying magic. The deities definitely valued their privacy, possibly because they had the ability to spy on everyone else.


    It took Cmyk the whole of one minute to reach the temple. That was the good news. The bad news was that he had collected a few tag-alongs on the way¡ªthe usual combination of young men wanting to become strong and go on adventures, young women in need of ¡°advice.¡± When it became obvious that they wouldn''t leave Cmyk on their own, Theo had to intervene, muttering a few vague threats. Thankfully, they worked.


    ¡°Okay,¡± the dungeon said in front of the temple. ¡°Just go in and ask Paris to bless my weapons. I¡¯ll remain here.¡±


    Cmyk just shrugged and stepped inside.


    The temple had changed considerably since the last time Theo was here. It was in pristine condition and even had a new donation box. The minion made its way to the small altar and knelt down. Ten seconds passed, then half a minute. However, nothing seemed to be happening.


    ¡°What¡¯s taking so long?¡± Theo shouted from the entrance. ¡°Are you doing it right?¡±


    The minion didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°Put your back into it! Pray harder!¡±


    That wasn¡¯t a combination of words that Theo thought he¡¯d ever utter, but here he was. The worst of it was that the life of his avatar, and even his very existence as a dungeon, relied on a lazy ass minion praying properly. Maybe it would be a safer bet to find another way of destroying the demon heart.


    ¡°Cmyk?¡± The statue of the goddess Peris came to life. ¡°What exactly are you trying to do?¡±


    Finally! Theo thought. ¡°He¡¯s trying to pray!¡± he shouted from the entrance.


    ¡°Excuse you?¡± The statue turned in the direction of the entrance. ¡°Theo? Is that you?¡±


    ¡°Who else could it be?¡± the dungeon, or rather, the eyeball, grumbled. ¡°I¡¯m in need of your help, but since it seems I can¡¯t enter your temple, I have to use Cmyk to grab your attention.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really weird, you know that?¡± The goddess snapped her fingers. ¡°Come along. I prefer not to be seen having a shouting match with an eyeball.¡±


    Cautiously, Theo moved one of his floating eyes into the temple. After confirming that it didn¡¯t pop, the rest of them followed, gathering in a cluster in front of the goddess.


    ¡°I need your help.¡±


    ¡°That much I gathered,¡± Peris smiled. ¡°What mess did you get yourself into?¡±


    ¡°Oh, just the usual¡­ I went on a journey with a heroine, got attacked by a squadron of flying goblins, then went to a village where a fleet of flying dirigibles emerged from a portal in the sky and started snatching houses from the ground.¡±


    The goddess¡¯s eyes widened in utter disbelief.


    ¡°Since Liandra wanted to get to the bottom of this, I got us through the portal, where we ended up near the Mandrake Mountains. Apparently, an evil overlord called Lord Mandrake is building an army to take over the world, or something. Oh, and he¡¯s doing it, powered by the heart of a demon lord that has been left here since the battle between demons and deities.¡±


    Theo very much wanted to add a sarcastic comment or ten concerning the deities and the half-assed job they were doing. If his last life was an indication, however, he knew full well that criticizing someone in power, even with valid cause, never ended well, especially since Thro was the one in need of a favor.


    ¡°To cut a long story short. I need your blessing to be able to destroy the heart, so now I¡¯m here, via Cmyk, to pray for it.¡±


    There was a long moment of silence. Regaining her composure, the goddess then nodded a few times, as if going through the story once again in her head.


    ¡°Let me get this straight,¡± Peris said. ¡°Your avatar is currently in the Mandrake Mountains, close to a demon lord¡¯s heart you want to destroy. And in order to do so, you¡¯re using your minion as a prayer-proxy in order to get a blessing that would help you do so?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°I must admit, that¡¯s quite a sneaky way of asking for a blessing. And it¡¯s perfectly valid from a logical point of view. Sadly, my blessing alone won¡¯t be able to help you.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± All the eyeballs vibrated, creating a strong resonance within the temple.


    This was the one thing that Theo didn¡¯t want to hear.

 12. The Grand Lord Mandrake

    ¡°Why won¡¯t your blessing help?¡± Theo asked. ¡°Is the demon too powerful?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no,¡± the goddess chucked. ¡°My blessing would be enough to make any weapon pierce the heart. However, I have to be physically there to bless you or your weapons, even if it¡¯s a temporary blessing.¡±


    In his previous life, Theo used to joke that there were five stages of disbelief. At present, he had gone through all of them several times, stopping somewhere between bargaining and anger.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t a goddess make you all powerful?¡±


    ¡°Well, not all powerful. I can appear anywhere, but only as long as there¡¯s a temple or¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sacred land,¡± Theo finished for her. ¡°I¡¯ve been told.¡±


    That was not only disappointing, but incredibly stupid. The whole point in needing divine blessings was to deal with demons¡ªor dungeons, if normal people were concerned. It was thus logical that the majority of cases in which someone would ask for help would be in a demon¡¯s den. Forbidding people from receiving blessings there was the same as forbidding them to buy umbrellas during a storm.


    ¡°Can you bless a weapon here and send it to my avatar?¡± Theo asked.


    ¡°Hmm, no, I¡¯m afraid not. I mean, I could send it to the location, but it will only fall on the top of the mountain and you¡¯ll have to get it yourself. And before you ask, no, I cannot bless explosive devices or hand grenades.¡±


    Thanks for nothing, Spok! the dungeon thought.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wish you a lot of luck, though.¡± Peris smiled. ¡°And since you¡¯ve gone through all this trouble, I can as well bless Cmyk¡¯s weapons.¡±


    Theo could bear it no longer. Bursting all of the floating eyes, he then shuttered off all of his windows and focused back on his avatar. Events there weren¡¯t going too well. While the fight between Liandra and the red-armored demon was continuing in full strength, there were signs that the heroine was starting to get tired. So far, she had pierced her enemy five times that Theo¡¯s avatar had seen, as well as chopped off one limb or another on over a dozen occasions. Sadly, that meant nothing to a creature with the ability to instantly regenerate.


    Must think of something, the dungeon said to himself.


    If normal magic and deities were useless, then the only solution was to rely on his dungeon abilities.


    ¡°Okay, heart!¡± The avatar shook his fist at the glowing organ above. ¡°If that¡¯s the way you want it!¡±


    Focusing all his spite in one single spot, the avatar created a room. However, it wasn¡¯t a simple room, but rather an entire building detachment. A tower¡ªwith an extremely pointy roof made of solid silver tiles¡ªrose up from the floor, shooting up like a rocket. The amount of energy wasted on creating this was exorbitant, but Theo didn¡¯t care. At this point, things had become personal. The entire world seemed to be mocking him, and if there was one thing he couldn¡¯t stand was being mocked.


    The structure kept going up and up, growing taller than it was architecturally safe. Any safety inspector, or even a person with a little common sense, would get a heart attack just by looking at the flimsy tower. Looks, though, were deceiving. Fueled by dungeon energy, the tower had the strength of a fortress, striking the demon heart with such ferocity that the entire mountain shook. Sparks and silver fragments rained down as the entire roof of the tower cracked up. That was more or less expected; yet, this time, the target had suffered as well. A single crack had emerged on the red glowing surface, telling the world¡ªor at least Theo¡ªthat the organ wasn¡¯t invulnerable. It wasn¡¯t a large crack, stretching no more than a foot, even if that. Still, it was a good start.


    ¡°What do you think, now?¡± The avatar crossed his arms, then proceeded to shrink the tower by a bit, reconstruct the roof, then make it grow again.


    The tower tip struck the heart again. And again. And again. Like a giant piston, it kept doing so, causing the mountain to tremble non-stop. More and more cracks emerged on the surface of the heart, until, finally, a hole the size of a human fist formed. Only then did Theo stop, a feeling of victorious spite filling him to the brim.


    ¡°Invincible, eh?¡± he mocked. ¡°You don¡¯t look so invincible now, do you?¡±


    Ahem, Spok said back in the dungeon¡¯s main body. You seem to be using up a lot of energy, sir.


    ¡°I still have plenty left,¡± Theo said, utterly disinterested.


    That¡¯s quite true. However, it doesn¡¯t seem like you¡¯ll be able to change location for the next fifty years, at least. If you lose your avatar, that will further set you back several more years.


    Normally, that would be alarming news. However, Theo was still caught up in the moment that he didn¡¯t see it as an immediate concern. After all, all he had to do was make sure that he didn¡¯t lose his avatar. Besides, he could always restore part of his energy by bringing a few fragments of the demon heart back to Rosewind. Liandra was no doubt going to disapprove, but what she didn¡¯t know couldn¡¯t hurt her. All that Theo needed to do was have his avatar climb to the top of the tower and break off a few heart fragments, which he was going to hide in his dimension ring. The plan was absolutely foolproof¡­ as long as he managed to do it before Liandra or the demon got close. For some reason, the whole mountain shaking thing seemed to have attracted their attention, the demon¡¯s, especially.


    Casting swiftness on itself, the avatar stepped into the tower, then began the long process of running up the winding stairwell along the structure¡¯s walls. There was nothing fancy within the structure, just the occasional window and random landscape portrait, but it got Theo thinking that he could well use one of those for his main body. Not now, of course. Having such a tower in the middle of a town was definitely going to attract too much attention. When he earned enough energy to isolate himself somewhere in peace, however, towers were the way to go.


    Even with swiftness, it took three minutes for Theo¡¯s avatar to reach the top of the tower. Every now and again, he¡¯d glance out of a window in passing, to remain informed of the state of the fight. Both opponents had moved on from the mass destruction phase and were now engaged in a series of violent melee exchanges. The speed with which they moved was beyond the avatar¡¯s ability to follow, so Theo didn¡¯t even bother. He did, however, make a mental note to find a way to increase his speed at the first opportunity.


    After what seemed like an eternity, the avatar finally arrived at its destination. Opening up the roof, he found himself face-to-face¡ªor more appropriately face-to-heart¡ªwith the source of his misery of the last few days. Waves of heat swept through him that would have dried up any normal person in an instant. Acknowledging his presence, the heart began pulsing.


    Watching it was weird. Somehow, the demonic body organ combined the qualities of hard and soft materials by glistening as porcelain while contracting and expanding like a sponge. It also posed a rather interesting question.


    ¡°Spok,¡± Theo said back in his main body, as his avatar kept on running up the stairs. ¡°Are demonic body parts aware?¡±


    Aware, sir? The spirit guide asked. I wouldn¡¯t call them that, but they can still corrupt, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking.


    That didn¡¯t sound good.


    ¡°So, if I consume it, I¡¯ll become evil?¡±


    Oh, no. That¡¯s only valid for humans. Well, humans and possibly a few other races. Consuming it will increase your energy a lot and potentially might even allow you to gain a few demon skills as well. Among dungeons, proper demon cores are treated as quite the delicacy. There even used to be a thriving market for them at one point.


    ¡°Used to be?¡±


    Unfortunately, unfounded allegations caused it to close down a few centuries back. A few dungeons accused the dungeon organizing the events of shaving off part of the merchandise before sending it to the final client. Quite nasty business, really. There were a few attempts to restore the practice, but none of them successful. Of course, no one traded with body organs of the caliber you¡¯re dealing with.


    ¡°So, I can consume it,¡± the dungeon concluded. ¡°What about my avatar?¡±


    Ah, well¡­ The spirit guide hesitated. That¡¯s a bit of a gray area. As part of you, it should be able to do so without issue. However, since your avatar also has a heroic trait, and heroic traits can be corrupted, it¡¯s possible that you experience certain side effects.


    ¡°Such as?¡±


    You realize that this is highly theoretical, sir? Spok became slightly evasive. As I¡¯ve mentioned before, there hasn¡¯t been a case of a dungeon doing what you¡¯ve done. Based on the behavior of heroes alone, though, you might experience cold spells, dry throat, occasional diarrhea, and a constant obsession to take over the world. I¡¯ve heard that some of the mage towers had developed some rather successful treatments, but for the most part, they only deal with the symptoms, not the core issue. Of course, you can probably ask the goddess Peris to help you.


    Theo¡¯s avatar froze. Most of the side effects sounded tolerable, but he was definitely not willing to put up with having ¡°occasional diarrhea.¡± Based on his experience with medicines in his previous life, whenever something included that phrase, the diarrhea was anything but occasional.


    ¡°Thank you, Spok,¡± the dungeon said hurriedly, then took out the hero¡¯s sword from the avatar¡¯s dimensional ring.


    As much as it pained him to waste a perfectly good source of experience and energy, that was by far preferable to the alternative. Holding the weapon with both hands, Theo thrust the tip of the blade through the small hole. A teeth-dropping screeching sound filled the air, as the heart resisted. The sensation was like trying to push a sword into a bucket of wet concrete.


    Unable to get the deed done with the strength of his avatar alone, Theo modified the tower itself, having it grown two feet taller. For several moments, the heart pushed back against the blade, determined to keep it from progressing any further, then suddenly it gave up.


    The sword slit into the heart, hilt and hands holding it included. The organ lit up, as if it were about to explode, then slowly dimmed to a low red glow. There was no doubt that the strike had caused significant damage. Unfortunately, even that had failed to destroy the heart completely. Analyzing the situation, Theo came to two conclusions: one¡ªhe had completely forgotten that he was in the possession of a heroic sword, and two¡ªhis hands were bleeding. The latter caused far greater annoyance.


    Up till now, his greatest concern was the inability of his avatar to have wounds, making it so vital to hide that quality from humans, especially heroes. Now that it happened, however, the dungeon felt overwhelming disgust.


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    Most probably all this had occurred as some obscure ability of the demon heart that had negated the dungeon ability of Theo¡¯s avatar. Whatever the reason, it was causing blood to drop all over Theo¡¯s new set of clothes.


    ¡°Good for nothing, demon heart!¡± the avatar grumbled.


    He could simply pull out his hands and bandage them, then continue with the hacking. Being too lazy, though, the dungeon decided to use the wound heal spell that he had learned. After all, the ability was described as strictly being for flesh wounds, which made it perfect. The instructions mentioned that ten mana was the minimal requirement for using the spell, but was that enough? Theo definitely didn¡¯t want to somewhat heal the wound and have it reopen at a later point. Investing a hundred was a lot more practical, or better yet, a thousand. That way, he¡¯d be sure that everything was properly healed.


    The moment he did, a glass shattering screech came from the heart. White surrounded the spot wound of the heart, spreading outwards like toxic foam.


    Theo¡¯s immediate reaction was to pull his hands out. However, a far more calculating part of him made him reconsider. His hands had already made contact with the vile substance, so there would be little gain to react now, after the fact. Also, he had a sneaky suspicion about something he needed to confirm with his spirit guide.


    ¡°Spok, what are the effects of healing spells on demons?¡± The dungeon asked, almost casually.


    Negligibly painful, the spirit guide replied. Attempts had been made to use healing spells in battle, but the practice quickly proved unsustainable. In all instances, if a person had enough mana to destroy a demonic entity through healing, they could easily achieve the same result in a far more expedient and mana-efficient fashion.


    ¡°And the deities? Did any of them try that during their fight against the demons way back when?¡±


    I don¡¯t have any knowledge on that topic, but I strongly doubt it. Demon lords and arch demons are among the most resilient creatures in existence. It would take a tremendous strength to pierce through their heart, not to mention a blessed heroic weapon. Only at that point would a healing spell even begin to deal damage.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Not to mention that the amount of mana invested in the spell would have to be in the hundreds, Spok went on. Why do you ask?


    ¡°No reason,¡± the dungeon replied, innocently moving part of the furniture towards the edges of its rooms. ¡°So, spending ten mana on healing is a lot?¡±


    That would be enough to heal most surface wounds. If the wound is really deep, and accompanied by internal bleeding, maybe one would have to spend fifteen or even twenty. Those would be rather extreme cases, however.


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Meanwhile, the white rot kept on spreading, progressing into yellowish pus at times. The sight had become so disgusting that the avatar had quickly pulled out the sword and wiped it in his shirt. Naturally, that shirt was going to be disposed of, and possibly burned at the first opportunity.


    The once impregnable heart now looked more like a rotting peach. Its light had all but completely faded, plunging the vast chamber into darkness. Here and there, small dots of light were visible¡ªcampfires or torches that until recently had been completely obscured.


    A massive chunk of rotting flesh, the size of a cow, splashed on the tower floor right next to Theo¡¯s left leg. The avatar barely had enough time to step as far away as possible before more followed. No longer solid enough to remain on the metal cables that held it, the heart practically poured down.


    CONGRATULATIONS!


    You have destroyed the heart of Demon Lord Kayinion!


    Demon Lord Kayinion was known as the Butcher of the Gods, who dispatched over a dozen deities before being banished back into his realm. His presence alone had the power to corrupt even the most noble of heroes.


    Demon Lord Heart Core obtained.


    News of your achievement shall be known throughout the entire continent.


    The message was accompanied by a loud thump on the tower floor. Looking down, the dungeon¡¯s avatar saw a flawless red sphere the size of a bowling ball, glowing in a faint orange light.


    CORE CONSUMPTION


    Your level is not yet high enough to consume Demon Lord cores.


    Increase your avatar level and try again later.


    Theo had mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, he was glad that he wouldn¡¯t have to suffer occasional diarrhea for the rest of his existence. On the other hand, being told that he wasn¡¯t good enough to consume the core made him feel insulted. After all, he had just accomplished a feat that everyone¡ªincluding a goddess¡ªhad told him was impossible. What more could this world want?


    ¡°It¡¯s not all about the level, you know,¡± the avatar said as he took the large red core. ¡°It¡¯s about how you use it.¡±


    That made a lot more sense in his mind, but, nonetheless, Theo felt better saying it. Making sure that Liandra wasn¡¯t anywhere near, he then placed the core in his dimension ring, followed by the hero¡¯s sword. After some consideration, the avatar then climbed down the tower and created a new wardrobe full of clothes; there was no way he¡¯d walk anywhere with his current ooze drenched outfit.


    A demon core, Theo thought. That¡¯ll prove useful when I get back to Rosewind.


    Given the amount of core points the hero provided, this current gem was no doubt going to provide enough so he could go anywhere in the world, should he choose to. Better yet, destroying the heart pretty much put an end to Lord Mandrake¡¯s plans for world domination. True, a vast part of the armies remained, but that was an issue easily dealt with. Once Liandra was done with the red-armor demon, Theo was going to get back to the original quest set out by Earl Rosewind, namely deal with the thief stronghold.


    Taking one final look at his greatest creation to date¡ªthe endless tower¡ªthe avatar went to check the heroine¡¯s progress. He could tell that the fight was still going on: with the demon heart gone, the demon was the brightest source of light in the entire chamber. Watching it move about like a wounded firefly suggested that its regeneration capabilities had strongly diminished, if not vanished altogether.


    The thought of swooping in and stealing Liandra¡¯s kill passed through the dungeon¡¯s mind. Defeating such a foe would no doubt earn him the level up he was cheated of, and quite probably grant a skill to boot. Thinking a bit more, though, Theo decided that was a bad idea. The woman deserved to earn a reward for her efforts. Besides, he had no idea how she¡¯d react if she was denied her loot.


    By the time Theo got close enough to see details of the fight, the demon had already lost an arm and a leg. Most of the glowing red armor was cracked, outright shattered in places. The only things that kept it going were the flaming sword and wings. After a well-aimed horizontal slice, only the flaming sword remained.


    ¡°Well done, Liandra!¡± the avatar shouted. He made an attempt to cast a fireball, more for moral support than anything else, but the spell fizzled. Apparently, even with the demon heart gone, the mountains still had a dampening magic effect.


    With a loud clash, the demon fell to the ground. Barely able to crawl, it turned around, prepared to face his opponent until the very end. Before he could even stand up, the heroine was upon him, slicing the creature¡¯s head with one precise chop. What was left of the demon¡¯s body collapsed in on itself, transforming into a large glowing marble the size of an egg. The woman bent down and picked it up. Even in the darkness, Theo could see that she was covered in wounds. If the end of the fight was clearly one-sided, the rest of it hadn¡¯t been.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said, breathing heavily. ¡°I¡¯d have had a hard time if you hadn¡¯t dealt with the heart.¡±


    Hard time? Impossible, rather, Theo thought.


    ¡°No problem,¡± he said instead. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯d have managed.¡± He was about to add another clumsily constructed compliment when Liandra tossed him the glowing red marble. ¡°What¡¯s this for?¡± the avatar asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s the demon¡¯s core. It¡¯s rare to see one this big. Normally I¡¯d have kept it for myself, but you earned it.¡±


    Theo looked at it, doing his best to appear impressed. After getting the core from the demon heart, however, this looked like a cheap toy.


    ¡°Are you sure? You were the one who defeated it. I just got lucky with the heart. The thing was in such bad condition that it probably would have collapsed on its own.¡±


    ¡°Always trying to be humble,¡± the woman shook her head.


    In truth, Theo very much wanted to have the core. Every chance to increase the strength of his avatar was more than welcome. The issue was that he had no idea how people consumed cores. It was clear that it was very different from the way dungeons did it, and even Spok had been unable to provide any details.


    ¡°Seriously, you need it a lot more than me,¡± Theo persisted. ¡°I hardly got any injuries, while you¡­¡± he didn¡¯t finish the sentence. ¡°It¡¯ll be a lot more difficult if you¡¯re in an exhausted state. We have to help the villagers, after all, plus potentially kill Lord mandrake.¡± He stressed on the word potentially. ¡°Here.¡± Theo tossed the orb back. ¡°There¡¯s no time to be squeamish.¡±


    Liandra caught the core, then looked at Theo.


    ¡°You really are something, you know,¡± she said in stoic fashion. ¡°Thanks, Theo.¡±


    The woman¡¯s grip tightened round the core, causing it to crack. Red light leaked out, surrounding her entire body in a purple glow. Moments later, both the light and the core were gone.


    That was it?! Theo thought. It was virtually identical to the fashion in which he consumed cores. Of course, he didn¡¯t break them, but assimilated the entire thing through his body. He could easily have gotten away with it, and gained a level or two. The only faint silver lining was that he knew not to refuse gifts in the future. Not that he hoped there would be any reason to.


    ¡°Now that this is over, let¡¯s rescue the villagers and take care of the thieves,¡± the avatar said.


    ¡°Lord Mandrake is still alive. While he is, the world remains in danger.¡±


    Damn it, you hero! ¡°What could he possibly do without the demon heart? I mean, yes, he has a few goblin squadrons, but anyone could take care of those. Besides, didn¡¯t you say that a hero¡¯s job was to protect the people? What better way to protect the villagers captured here than taking them as far away from this place as possible?¡±


    Liandra was just about to respond, when suddenly a series of spotlights focused on them. The lights were very different from the demon heart¡¯s glow. Rather, they felt like magical projectors attached to the ceiling.


    ¡°Well done!¡± A deep voice boomed. ¡°Color me impressed! Not only did you manage to escape your cells and evade the guards, but you also destroyed the captain of my troops and even destroyed the demon lord¡¯s heart!¡±


    ¡°Lord Mandrake?¡± Theo¡¯s avatar whispered to Liandra.


    ¡°For certain,¡± she whispered back. ¡°He¡¯s been badly corrupted by the demon heart.¡±


    ¡°Megalomania is one of the side effects.¡±


    ¡°However, you¡¯ve achieved nothing!¡± Lord Mandrake yelled.


    A new series of spotlights lit up, focusing on the far side of the chamber. Several slabs of wall had moved aside, revealing a vast army of creatures. Even from this distance, Theo was able to recognize hundreds of gnome-work suits of armor, dozens of battle trolls, not to mention ten armor clad demons, identical to the one Liandra had just defeated. Each of them had their wings of fire extended, ready to fly up in the air at a moment¡¯s notice. In front of that impressive army, towering above everything else, stood a massive colossus composed entirely of steel and rubies, like an exotic automaton. Theo had no idea how efficient rubies were as armor, but assumed they had to be as difficult to destroy as the demon heart.


    ¡°I was about to leave this lair, anyway! In fact, you did me a favor by getting rid of the trash for me.¡±


    That didn¡¯t even make any sense. The only thing Theo had done was drill a number of rooms throughout the mountain, destroy a few sets of armor, and not to forget the demon heart. Even if Lord Mandrake had planned to change location, there was no reason to leave those things behind.


    ¡°That sounds like you¡¯re making it up!¡± Theo shouted.


    ¡°It¡¯s true! I¡¯d planned it for months! You just came a few days before I started.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why did you keep kidnapping villagers?¡± Theo crossed his arms. ¡°Wouldn''t it have been easier to stop until you arrived at your new lair?¡±


    Silence echoed throughout the chamber. The question, as silly as it was, clearly proved too complicated for Lord mandrake.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± The colossus snapped after a few seconds. ¡°You can¡¯t comprehend the intricacies of my complicated plan! How could you? You¡¯re nothing but a stupid wizard who wouldn¡¯t know a levitational device if it got stuck in his nose!¡±


    Wha? Theo turned towards Liandra, confused.


    ¡°All this time you¡¯ve been running through my maze, like the silly little mouse you are, not once knowing the true nature of your enemy! Well, behold and despair!¡±


    The giant colossus took a step forward. Lines emerged on its face as the entire head broke up into segments, revealing¡­ a gnome, a somewhat familiar gnome.


    ¡°Switches?¡± Theo asked. ¡°Vlyan Switches?¡±


    ¡°So, you recognized me? Good for you! This way I won¡¯t have to introduce myself!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re Lord Mandrake?¡± Theo wasn¡¯t certain whether to be surprised or burst into laughter. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were a lead chief engineer?¡±


    ¡°The lead chief!¡± the gnome corrected. ¡°And that was nothing but a clever ruse. Everyone keeps thinking that gnomes are incapable of anything major. Just leave us alone in our lairs with our toys and pay no notice. Right? Well, wrong! I¡¯ll prove to the world that a gnome could take it over! What you¡¯ve seen is but a taste of what¡¯s to come! Soon I¡¯ll take over all kingdoms on this side of the Mandrake mountains, and when I¡¯m done with them¡ªthe rest of the world!¡±


    Theodor¡¯s avatar clenched his fists. Just when things were starting to look up, this had to happen¡­

 13. The Gnome and the Collapsing Mountain

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this,¡± Liandra said with the confidence of a seasoned heroine.


    ¡°Will you manage? There¡¯s ten of them.¡±


    That partially sounded like compassion, though Theodor had ulterior-motives in mind. True, he didn¡¯t want Liandra to get too hurt¡ªhe actually had started to find her amusing after the brief time spent together. However, there was a more practical point to his question. If she managed to destroy all the red-armored demons, that would mean that she also got to claim all their cores.


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem for me to lend a hand,¡± he insisted.


    ¡°Thanks for the offer, but I got this.¡± The woman took a step forward, dragging her massive sword along the stone floor. ¡°Without the demon heart, they won¡¯t last a minute.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really no problem.¡± The answer was exactly what the dungeon feared. Already he could see ten demon cores, not to mention everything the army of gnome-work armors had, slip between his fingers.


    Logically, there was no reason for him to be upset. His main goal remained the same as it always was: enjoy a calm and uneventful life. All this nonsense with destroying Lord Mandrake was nothing but an unfortunate joke of fate. The sooner it was over, the better, and not getting involved was only to his gain. And yet, he had had to admit to developing a guilty pleasure of seeing the levels of his avatars increase.


    Ok, Theodor, get a grip of yourself, the dungeon said to itself. You¡¯re just experiencing an experience high. Or maybe experience withdrawal? You just need to stop thinking about it and let things play out. It¡¯s bound to pass.


    Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t. With each step the heroine took towards the gathered army, Theo imagined seeing messages of further levels. Maybe it was alright to level up just a little bit? Just until he reached level ten. That was a nice round number. Or twenty¡­ twenty-five at the most. It wasn¡¯t going to hurt anyone. Well, maybe it would hurt the demons and enemies he dispatched in order to claim their cores.


    ¡°So, you think you can take on the great Lord Mandrake, future ruler of the world?¡± The gnome let out a forced laugh. ¡°I laugh at your folly!¡±


    Liandra didn¡¯t reply, continuing her slow approach.


    ¡°It took you a tremendous amount of luck, and a bit of effort to destroy one of my captains,¡± Lord Mandrake continued. ¡°And you think you can defeat ten?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s only one way to find out.¡± Liandra tightened her grip round the hilt.


    Theo¡¯s avatar moved from foot to foot, fidgeting as he thought what to do.


    ¡°Spok, what can you tell me about glowing colossuses?¡± he asked back in his main body.


    Excuse me, sir? If the spirit guide had the ability to blink it would have. Glowing what?


    ¡°Giant statue-like creatures made of metal and covered in ruby shards.¡±


    Ah. That sounds like a guardian. They¡¯re favored by younger dungeons, though lately the trend seems to be going for quality rather than quantity. The problem lies in the heroes. They seem to be quite capable of destroying single large beings¡ªeven if considerably more powerful¡ªrather than a wave of smaller minions.


    Theo could fully see that. When it came to goblins, he had destroyed considerably more than Liandra. Yep, she didn¡¯t have a particularly hard time against a minor demon.


    Am I to understand you¡¯re fighting another dungeon?


    ¡°What? No. Some pesky gnome with delusions of grandeur made one. I just want to know how many core points I¡¯ll get from its core.¡±


    The gnome?


    ¡°The colossus, Spok¡­¡± the dungeon said, annoyed.


    That would be nothing, sir. Colossuses don¡¯t have their own cores. They rely on other cores for energy. That¡¯s why creating them is an expensive investment¡ªpart of a dungeon¡¯s own core is used in the process. Should the entity be destroyed, the core fragment is lost as well, decreasing the overall strength of the dungeon. There have been embarrassing cases of dungeons losing entire sections since they no longer had the energy to maintain¡ª


    ¡°Thank you, Spok.¡± Theodor cut the conversation short.


    Since the colossus wasn¡¯t a suitable target, he pondered on taking one or two of the demons instead. It was annoying that his fireballs were still unusable. If he could cast a few of those, he¡¯d get a whole lot of experience from the mechanized suits of armor.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Lord Mandrake shouted. ¡°I order you!¡±


    ¡°And why would I do that?¡±


    ¡°One step closer and I¡¯ll slice the entire mountain in half, killing everyone in it!¡±


    ¡°Including yourself?¡± Theo asked, causing Liandra to stifle a chuckle.


    ¡°You¡¯re still mocking me? Well, you¡¯ll no longer mock me when I show you this!¡±


    The gnome hit something within the colossus¡¯ head. Immediately the chest of the construct opened up, like a very large wardrobe. Reddish orange light flooded the chamber. At the sight of it, both Liandra and Theo¡¯s avatar gasped.


    ¡°Just because you destroyed one of my demon hearts doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t have another!¡± The gnome grinned gleefully. ¡°What do you say about that, eh?


    ¡°How many hearts do demons have?¡± Theo asked the obvious question.


    Before he could get an answer, the colossus gathered its massive hands together. An orb of fire formed, growing in intensity until it reached the level of plasma. Then, without an ounce of hesitation, the construct released the sphere of destruction straight forward, aiming to hit Liandra.


    Instantly, the heroine jumped and rolled to the side, avoiding the fireball by a hair. She was way too experienced to fall for such an obvious trick. Unfortunately, Theo wasn¡¯t. A surprised expression on his avatar¡¯s face, he watched the ball of plasma sizzle its way towards him, then scorch off a foot as it continued on, melting through the chamber floor.


    Any normal person would have fallen on the ground in agonizing pain. Theo, though, merely looked down in surprise. His right boot and part of his trouser leg had evaporated completely. However, his leg was perfectly fine and very much there. The only sensation he¡¯d felt was a slight bump in energy exhausted to restore his body.


    ¡°Damnit!¡± Theo cursed and looked up.


    His eyes met the gnome¡¯s glance who was staring at him with an expression of unadulterated horror. In that single moment, a number of realizations were made. The future ruler of the world had seen evidence that Theo wasn¡¯t human and was clearly disturbed by the fact. At the same time, the dungeon had come to the realization that if anyone could reveal his true nature; it was the gnome. Both entities spent the next few seconds carefully analyzing exactly what course of action to take. Then all hell broke loose.


    ¡°Retreat!¡± the gnome shouted, closing the colossus¡¯ head around it. Several more orbs of plasma appeared in the colossus¡¯ hands, flying in the avatar¡¯s direction.


    Meanwhile, Theo had come to the conclusion that the only way to prevent imminent catastrophe was to silence the gnome, which he rushed forward to do, drawing the heroic sword from his dimension ring.


    Three plasma balls hit the ground in front of him. Though none managed to cause any further damage to Theo¡¯s clothes, they did something far worse. The entire mountain shook violently in a tremor that brought Theo and most of Lord Mandrake¡¯s army to the ground.


    Large slabs of rock walled off the gnome and his troops, hiding them from view.


    ¡°No!¡± Theo leapt back to his feet, rushing a few steps forward, only to fall again at the next series of shakes.


    ¡°Theo, don¡¯t!¡± Liandra shouted.


    ¡°But the gnome! We can¡¯t let him escape!¡± the avatar shouted.


    ¡°Let him go. We have far greater problems! If the fireballs have reached an underground deposit of magma, the entire mountain might explode!¡±


    No, this can¡¯t be happening! The dungeon cursed. Not only had the maniacal goblin overlord uncovered his secret, but the creature was loose out there. Seeing how loose it was with its words, it was quite likely that it would blabber out the truth about Theo to everyone it came across, friend or foe.


    ¡°The villagers,¡± Liandra said as she ran to Theo¡¯s avatar, helping him up. ¡°We must save the villagers. That¡¯s what¡¯s most important.¡±


    Tears in his eyes, the avatar did everything possible to force a smile, but found it impossible.


    ¡°The villagers,¡± he said, the words coming out of his mouth like ice cubes through a straw. ¡°Yes, we must save them¡­¡±


    ¡°Quickly! Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Without a moment¡¯s delay, the heroine rushed towards the tunnel in which the unfortunate prisoners had gone. Theo did the same.


    ¡°Spok, what are the chances of the Mandrake Mountains being an active volcano?¡± he asked the spirit guide within his main body.


    It all depends on how many demon organs were buried there.


    That didn¡¯t bode well. From what Theo had seen, there had been two whole hearts, not to mention scores of other demonic fragments that had powered the gnome-work machinery. It would be nice to think that those were all, but something told the dungeon that there were a lot more buried, deeper underground and, at present, highly agitated by the gnome¡¯s reckless plasma ball release.


    ¡°Can you do something about the light?¡± Liandra asked, as they were running.


    Deep in his own thoughts, the dungeon had his avatar cast a small fireball. To a huge surprise, this time the spell didn¡¯t fizzle out.


    ¡°I can use magic?¡± The avatar looked at its hand in astonishment. ¡°I can use magic!¡±


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Apparently, with the demon heart gone, there was nothing preventing normal magic from being used. Taking advantage of the fact, Theodor instantly cast a pair of aether shields around himself and Liandra. Transparent spheres of energy appeared, then were instantly lifted thanks to the dungeon¡¯s telekinetic ability. Now, at least, then they could move a bit faster.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± The heroine turned to the avatar. ¡°But I could still use some light.¡±


    ¡°Give me a moment!¡± Theo grumbled.


    That was the problem with some people¡ªalways urging for this and that, while being complete slowpokes. Casting another fireball, he then entrapped it in a shield. By the laws of nature, and common sense, this shouldn¡¯t have worked. However, as it turned out, it was perfectly possible for a magically created flame to exist without air, surrounded by a magical shell. There were a lot of questions to be asked, but for the moment, he didn¡¯t care. The only thing important was to get all the villagers out of here and chase down Lord Mandrake.


    ¡°How about this?¡± Theo asked, as several more glowing orbs of fire emerged, flying nearby.


    ¡°Not bad.¡± The heroine smiled. ¡°Now all we¡ª¡± she stopped mid-sentence. ¡°Look out!¡±


    Four large battle trolls had emerged further ahead, blocking the duo¡¯s entry into the tunnel.


    Breaking the aether shield while still maintaining his telekinesis, Theo cast a massive fireball forward. Apparently, he had put in a bit too much mana in it because not only did it burn the first few trolls to a crisp but also knocked the remaining two several dozen feet back.


    CORE CONSUMPTION


    4 troll cores converted into 400 Avatar Core Points.


    AVATAR LEVEL INCREASE


    Your Avatar has become Level 8


    +1 Mind, MINOR BLESS skill obtained


    700 Core Points required for next Avatar Level


    ¡°Now you give me this?¡± Theo grumbled.


    MINOR BLESS - 1


    Allows you to bless small items with divine might. The items can be no larger than a thimble or arrowhead.


    Using the skill will increase its rank, increasing the size of items that could be blessed.


    Reading the effects of the new skill felt like adding insult to injury. As it stood, the skill was utterly unusable. Even worse, in order to make it usable, Theo would have to spend vast amounts of time and energy blessing useless items.


    ¡°Be careful, there might be more of them!¡± Liandra said.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Theo created another aether shield around him. If only we¡¯re so lucky.


    They flew along the tunnel to a point in which it broke up into a vast cave network. Reaching it, Theo dissolved the aether shields, letting him and the heroine gently onto the stone floor. Not too far away, a dozen villagers banged on the wall with crude pickaxes. No one seemed particularly concerned by the tremors that had engulfed the entire mountain. They didn¡¯t appear to be guarded, either.


    ¡°Hey!¡± the avatar shouted. ¡°Villager folk! Stop what you¡¯re doing and run for your lives!¡± He mentally prepared for an outburst of sudden panic. The people ignored him altogether. ¡°I said, run for your lives,¡± Theo repeated.


    That didn¡¯t seem to have any effect, either. Striking the wall with the methodical effectiveness of puppets, the villagers kept on working, as no one was near.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with them?¡± Theo looked at the heroine.


    ¡°They¡¯re probably still under the influence of the demon heart,¡± she said.


    ¡°How? I destroyed one of them, and the snotty little gnome ran away with the other.¡±


    ¡°People aren¡¯t like magic, Theo. It takes them a while to get back to their usual selves. Sometimes days, or even weeks, must pass before everything is back to normal.¡±


    ¡°Weeks?¡± If Theo wasn¡¯t a dungeon, both he and his avatar would have fainted. ¡°How are we supposed to get them out like that? Carry them?¡±


    Liandra gave him a hopeful look.


    ¡°Forget it! I¡¯m not dragging several thousand people out of here! No way!¡±


    For some reason, the moment he said it, he felt bad. True, he was a dungeon¡ªan introverted dungeon, if there was such a thing¡ªbut he still had memories of his previous life as a human. Leaving a thousand people in peril through no fault of their own wasn¡¯t something he was willing to go on with. It was one thing speaking about theoreticals, but seeing it in person made his core ache.


    ¡°We don¡¯t even know which way is out,¡± he said defensively. ¡°And there¡¯s no telling how much longer the mountain would last. I wouldn¡¯t put past Mandrake to have rigged the entire place to explode just for the fun of it.¡±


    The woman smiled.


    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s not like I want to leave them here. I don¡¯t. It¡¯s just that my power isn¡¯t limitless. Maybe I can rescue a few dozen, but¡ª¡±


    A quake far stronger than before shook the tunnel, bringing all the brainwashed villagers to the floor. Yet, even that didn¡¯t stop them from attempting to strike at the nearest surface with their tools. Large rocks broke loose from the ceiling, falling dangerously close to the people. It was at that precise moment that Theo acted.


    Forgetting concerns, doubts, and fears, he did what a dungeon had to do. Fourteen aether shield bubbles emerged, enveloping everyone, Theo¡¯s avatar included. He knew perfectly well that at present the aether shields wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand an impact of such force, but that wasn¡¯t the plan. The only thing Theo needed the shields for was to make sure that none of the people were dangling about as he moved them out of the path of the falling rocks and down the tunnel.


    ¡°Hang on!¡± he shouted, casting swiftness on himself. This is the worst idea ever!


    Gritting his teeth, and all pieces of furniture in his main body, Theo flew along the tunnels with his avatar, followed by a row of aether shield bubbles.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the villagers!¡± he shouted. ¡°You figure out a way to get us out of here!¡±


    Similar to a real-live version of snakebyte, the avatar flew along the corridor, gathering people along the way. Everyone he passed by would be encased in an aether shield, then made to join the ever-growing queue. A normal person would have a long runout of mana, not to mention lost track of each and every ¡°bubbled¡± person. However, Theo was a dungeon, and as such had perfect spatial awareness of the surrounding area and every spell he controlled. Energy burned like crazy as more and more villagers were clustered to the group. Soon the queue became so large that Theo had to break his own aether shield in order to be able to create larger, straighter tunnels through which to fly.


    My apologies for pointing out the obvious, sir, but your energy is decreasing at an alarming rate, Spok said back in the dungeon¡¯s body. Might I suggest calming things down a bit?


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think I would have, if I could!¡± Theo shouted.


    Ah. Well, I¡¯d just like to say that if things continue like this, soon you won¡¯t be able to maintain all the furniture you created.


    ¡°The hell with the furniture!¡±


    One thousand seven hundred and eleven bubbled humans were flying behind Theo¡¯s avatar, all of them blissfully unaware of the destruction around them. Rocks continued falling from above. Some of them Theo was forced to wrap in an aether shield, only to prevent them from hitting the unfortunate villagers.


    ¡°Did you come up with a plan yet?¡± he asked Liandra. Nearly every part of the cave system had been explored. Nothing but a few minor segments remained.


    ¡°Yes.¡± the heroine replied, three bubbles away from the avatar. ¡°We have to return to the main chamber.¡±


    ¡°What?! Why?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll be the way out!¡±


    Back in the dungeon¡¯s main body, nearly all of the energy reserves were gone. In an effort to keep the core from disintegrating, Spok started converting furniture into energy. It was a crude, wasteful process, but at this point, it was all that could be done.


    Turning to his right, Theo¡¯s avatar entered the final unexplored tunnel. As luck would have it there was a single person there. After a few moments, he, too, was added to the group.


    ¡°Caught them all!¡± the avatar shouted.


    AETHER SHIELD - ULTRA


    You have reached the maximal level of the AETHER SHIELD skill. All shields you create will be invulnerable for the first ten seconds of their existence.


    That was finally some good news. Theo felt all of the shields he had created harden. Apparently, already existing aether shields were also affected, starting from the point he had acquired the skill. All that he needed to do now was get back to the main chamber, which proved easier said than done.


    Just how many villages did that gnome really snatch? Theo wondered, as he shuffled the spheres along the exceedingly tight tunnels. His dungeon sense told him that the shortest route to his destination was just over a mile away. Normally, that wouldn¡¯t be much at all. At present, it seemed an impossibly large distance.


    The seconds felt like hours. Giving it his all, Theo navigated everyone to their destination.


    ¡°That way,¡± Liandra pointed.


    ¡°Why there?¡±


    ¡°I have a divine compass ability. That¡¯s the way we need to be at.¡±


    Theodor had no idea if that was the right way or not. What he feared, though, was that it wouldn¡¯t take more than a few empty rooms to breach the wall.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we go to where the gnome ran off?¡± Theo asked.


    ¡°And risk getting caught in a gnome booby trap? Bad Idea.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s our other option?¡±


    ¡°Let me out.¡±


    Slightly confused, the dungeon did as instructed. The heroine landed on the floor and instantly rushed forward, sword in hand. Six feet from the wall she swung her weapon. Brilliant white light flashed in the chamber as the heroic blade sliced the air, releasing a wave of energy forward. The strength was such that it sliced through stone like cheese, going on for what seemed like a mile.


    Normally, such an event would be accompanied by some good and some bad news. Unfortunately, in this case the bad news was more than the good. While the attack had managed to form a crack in a mountain, reaching light, it had also made the already unstable situation worse. Also, the crack was far too narrow to let anyone other than a squirrel pass through.


    ¡°Do another one,¡± the avatar urged.


    ¡°Can¡¯t.¡± The woman shook her head. ¡°One more strike, and the whole mountain will collapse onto us.¡±


    Damn it! Theo knew what had to be done. However, he also knew that he was not going to like it. So far, only a few pieces of furniture had been converted into energy. If he were to make an escape tunnel, a lot more would follow.


    ¡°This better be worth it!¡± He flew forward.


    Using what energy he left, he kept tapping surfaces as he went, creating small segments of arching tunnels. Not so long-ago Theo would have been able to create the entire thing at one go. Now, however, he had to pace himself. Furniture was going fast as he moved forward, the villagers following in their cocoons of aether.


    ¡°Keep going!¡± Liandra encouraged, who, for some reason, had remained behind.


    Theo could no longer worry about her now. All that was in his mind was to reach the outside before his energy ran out.


    ¡°Last time I¡¯m using my energy for something like this,¡± the avatar grumbled as more of his valued creations disappeared. The entire first floor was nothing but an empty room now. The kitchen and bathroom were also in the process of emptying. Soon even his study would be at risk.


    The cage of the large rabbit crashed to the floor, as the table it was on ceased to exist. Moderately disturbed, the critter turned stretched, took a few steps to the nearest corner, then huddled up there, and continued sleeping.


    Less than ten feet separated Theo from freedom. One more room and the distance was halved. Another and bright light fell upon him, blinding the avatar for several seconds¡ªan objectively short amount of time that proved enough to have him lose track of the aether bubbles behind and the inertia that came with them.


    At precisely that moment, Liandra made her move. Charging forward, she used the flat of her blade to push upon the last of the aether shields. The action was not enough to break the shield, instead propelling it¡ªand all those in front¡ªforward.


    A sudden rush of villagers slammed into Theo¡¯s avatar, shooting him out like the cork on a bottle of champagne. At the mercy of gravity, the avatar found itself flying through the air to the ground hundreds of feet below.


    With a loud thump that caused one more chair wardrobe in his main body to vanish. Barely had that happened when villagers started falling like hail. The good news was that the aether shields were strong enough to cushion their fall before cracking up. The bad news¡ªthe avatar ended up beneath a fair number of them.


    Sir, your energy has stopped decreasing, Spok said back in the structure of the dungeon. And with half a room to spare.


    ¡°Spok, just¡­¡± Theo began. ¡°Never mind.¡±


    As a dungeon, Theo didn¡¯t have a direct concept of pain, at least not as far as his avatar was concerned. Yet when it came to annoyance, the sensation was doubled. Few things were as humiliating as having to be dug out of a pile of people. Naturally, Liandra took her sweet time getting to him, even as the mountain trembled behind.


    ¡°Theo?¡± the heroine shouted. ¡°You alright there?¡±


    ¡°Ask me again once you get me out,¡± he grumbled, as several of the nearby villagers kept fidgeting.


    Being taken out of the caves had stopped them from obsessively mining. However, they still remained very much puppetries. At this point, Theo didn¡¯t mind. After all, he too needed a bit of a rest.


    ¡°Spok, how long before enough energy is restored?¡± he asked in the very empty building in Rosewind.


    For you to be able to perform a few spells, I¡¯d say six hours, maybe eight. To reconstruct any of your furniture, probably a week?


    Eight hours of sleep sounded swell about now. Maybe even ten.


    ¡°Theo?¡± The heroine pulled off two villagers from the avatar. ¡°Things alright? Anything broken?¡±


    ¡°Nothing broken.¡± The avatar smiled, then closed his eyes. ¡°I just need a short rest.¡±

 14. Heroic Scroll Mailing Service

    Sleeping was bliss. It was the first time since he¡¯d moved to Rosewind that Theo managed to get a proper night¡¯s sleep. Normally, it wouldn¡¯t be considered much¡ªbarely twelve hours¡ªbut it was a time during which he had the luxury of not thinking about the recent complications of life. Also, this was a time to dream¡­ to dream of the furniture he had lost; and while Theo dreamed, parts of him were restored.


    It was an unusual process, similar to hiccupping during one¡¯s sleep. Each time the dungeon regained enough energy to recreate an item, the item would pop up. The Spirit guide would make sure that it had the exact same appearance and location it had before. However, since the items were based on energy requirements, the order was not what one might have imagined. Table ornaments would appear on the floor, patiently waiting for the larger objects they used to be placed on to appear. Thin books¡ªmost often, volume threes¡ªwould emerge standing on their lonesome.


    Meanwhile, Theo¡¯s avatar also slept like a log¡­ with a chainsaw in it. The snoring was so bad that it de-mesmerized the villagers surrounding it. At one point, when all the villagers were up¡ªand Liandra had explained the situation¡ªno one could bear the terrible noise coming from the avatar any longer. With a violent shake and a delicate shove in the stomach, Theo was woken up.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Both the dungeon and its avatar snapped into reality. ¡°Is it over now?¡±


    Still drowsy, both spoke in sync. It was only when it became apparent that the dungeon was looking at two completely different things that it regained its composure. Back in Rosewind, Theo did a quick inspection of his state. Pleased with the partial progress, and displeased that Cmyk had run off to have fun in town again, it rearranged the furniture items to its liking, then focused on the energy regained, as if it were a progress bar. As for his avatar¡­


    ¡°Did the place explode?¡± He turned around, expecting to see a cone of smoke and rivers of lava. The only thing visible was a large hole in the side of the mountain.


    ¡°And good morning to you too,¡± the heroine shook her head. ¡°Feeling better?¡±


    That was a difficult question to answer. With a considerable part of energy regained, the dungeon felt considerably better, at least to the point it didn¡¯t have to worry about its existence. On the other hand, the state of the avatar left a lot to be desired. While Theo¡¯s hair and skin was immaculate as ever, the clothes he was wearing were reduced to rags. It didn¡¯t help that he also had just one boot left.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been better,¡± he grumbled. ¡°What happened while I was out?¡±


    ¡°That happened.¡± Liandra pointed at the vast number of people surrounding them. ¡°With Lord Mandrake¡¯s stronghold destroyed, the villagers returned to their normal selves. A bit faster than expected, too, thanks to your snoring,¡± she added with a smirk.


    For some reason, that made Theo uncomfortable.


    ¡°And Lord Mandrake himself?¡±


    ¡°Escaped.¡± The heroine¡¯s features hardened. ¡°He got most of his army on the flying things and disappeared westward.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± That was bad news. Theo¡¯s secret was still out there, and by the sound of it, catching up to the army was going to be a chore. Normally, he¡¯d not hesitate to use his aether bubble transport method. Being so low on energy, though, he preferred not to. ¡°At least his labs are destroyed, so he won¡¯t be able to make more.¡±


    The avatar stood up and looked around. Other than the mountain and the vast crowds of people, there was nothing to see. That presented two immediate problems, or rather three, considering the state of his main body. On the one hand, Theo had to find a way to reach the evil gnome as quickly as possible. On the other hand, he had to do something with all the people here. For the moment they were still in shock, so not prone to questions. Given time, though, they¡¯d start bothering him with the trivialities of life, such as food, sleep, and shelter. Theo was far too familiar with the pyramid of needs from the job in his previous life to see where this was going. Finally, he had to properly fix himself up, and also expand.


    ¡°Spok,¡± he began in his main body. ¡°Is there a way to gain energy faster?¡±


    Other than consuming cores? No, not particularly. The spirit guide hesitated. Well, there¡¯s one way, but it might not be very appropriate.


    ¡°Just tell me.¡± The dungeon grumbled. For some reason, the destruction of his furniture had also awakened a deep desire for him to expand in size as well.


    You could gain energy from heroes and adventurers.


    The thought of that struck Theo like a lightning bolt. Strictly speaking, that was the normal way dungeons acquired energy. Well, one of the ways.


    With Cmyk being so well liked, it would be easy for him to get enough adventurers for you to consume. With luck?¡ª


    ¡°No!¡± Theo said firmly. ¡°I¡¯m not consuming adventurers! This whole mess started because of that old geezer, who¡ª¡±


    You don¡¯t have to kill them, sir, Spok quickly added. Just consume part of their energy. There¡¯s a tradition of dungeons letting adventurers feast within them for weeks in order to gain as much energy as possible. Of course, they would usually devour them in the end, but you don¡¯t have to.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Theo didn¡¯t seem particularly convinced.


    If done in moderation, all they¡¯ll feel is a slight hangover. I¡¯ll see to it that no one is harmed.


    ¡°Forget it! Any other options?¡±


    Well... Spok sighed in the disgruntled fashion of an employee who had a brilliant idea shot down. You could always expand down, like a typical low-level dungeon. Build diggers, create more energy collecting rooms¡­ It won¡¯t be as efficient, since there¡¯s nothing good beneath towns and cities, but it¡¯s possible.


    That sounded a lot better.


    ¡°Do I have enough energy for that?¡±


    Normally you¡¯d be the one doing those calculations, sir. My main role is only to guide you, not to¡ª


    ¡°I¡¯m giving you the authority to take care of that,¡± Theo said, casually waving a few doors within him. ¡°Just leave me enough energy to cast a few spells now and again.¡±


    In your case, a few hardly applies, the spirit guide whispered.


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m promoting you to caretaker! Deal with the energy problems, while I focus on the more important stuff.¡±


    C-caretaker? Spok stuttered. This was the first time in the history of dungeons that a spirit guide was given such an important role. Being a caretaker was far more important than any dungeon boss could hope to be. In fact, that was the most important position after the dungeon itself.


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    No, no problem whatsoever! It¡¯s just rather unexpected. I never imagined I¡­


    ¡°Look, you¡¯ve done a great job so far, and your contributions haven¡¯t remained unnoticed. I¡¯ve been keeping an eye on you from the start, and think it¡¯s time you get some more responsibilities. You deserve it.¡±


    Most of what was said was nothing but clich¨¦ manager speak. Theo knew how to use it, and had seen it used dozens of times back in his previous life. As far as the spirit guide was concerned, though, this was the highest praise one could possibly get.


    Of course, sir! Thank you, sir! I¡¯ll get on it right away!


    Well, at least that takes care of that, Theo thought. Now, though, he had a whole other mess to deal with.


    ¡°So, what do we do now?¡± Theo¡¯s avatar asked Liandra. ¡°I take it we can¡¯t walk to where we were before arriving here?¡±


    The woman shook her head.


    ¡°Do you even know where we are in relation to Rosewind?¡±


    ¡°I have a basic idea. It¡¯ll take us three weeks to get anywhere close. And that¡¯s assuming we walk at a steady pace. With the number of children and elderly here, I¡¯d say it¡¯ll be longer.¡±


    Of course it would, Theo thought.


    ¡°And even if we get there, it won¡¯t be any help. All the houses, the livestock, and everything else is gone, buried in what¡¯s left of Lord Mandrake¡¯s stronghold.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s our solution, then?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already sent a message to the hero guild asking for assistance. Hopefully, some of them are free to lend a hand.¡±


    ¡°Are heroes that busy?¡±


    ¡°You have no idea¡­¡± Liandra let out a deep sigh. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for stuff with my father, I¡¯d have never been able to find time for this. Heroes are in huge demand. Still, it¡¯s a good thing we got to come here. Otherwise, we would never have stumbled on Lord Mandrake until it was too late.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Good wasn¡¯t the word Theo would use. ¡°So, we just wait?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much. I can send a few more letters to the nearby rulers, have them provide some assistance. Of course, that would come at a price.¡±


    ¡°Gold is not an issue,¡± Theo¡¯s avatar quickly said. Having the ability to spin gold out of straw, it was the last thing on his mind. ¡°I can pay for the expenses once I get back to Rosewind.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s actually a great idea. I¡¯ll chip in as well.¡±


    The avatar narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°Spok, what is the usual financial standing of heroes?¡± he asked back in Rosewind.


    That very much depends on what part of their life you¡¯re talking about, sir. Starting heroes are incredibly poor. Established ones could be called well-off, but most of their money is tied up into equipment and items they need for their job. Successful retired heroes, on the other hand, are exceedingly wealthy.


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


    That meant that for all intents and purposes, Liandra wouldn¡¯t be much of a financial assistance.


    ¡°Any chance we can drop the people off in a nearby kingdom, then get back to chasing the evil gnome?¡± the avatar asked. ¡°Just to make sure he doesn¡¯t cause any further problems elsewhere, of course.¡±


    ¡°Depends. Having an entire town pop up isn¡¯t standard practice. I suppose it could be done, but it¡¯ll be a huge burden on the local nobles.¡±


    ¡°Why them?¡±


    ¡°The ruler isn¡¯t likely to take care of the day-to-day affairs of every town and city in his domain. That¡¯s for the local nobles to deal with. And having a whole new town pop up on your doorstep comes with its problems.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t say¡­¡± The metaphorical gears in Theo¡¯s mind were turning. This whole latest mess started because of Earl Rosewind. If he hadn¡¯t sent off Theo to deal with those thieves, this whole chain of events wouldn¡¯t have started. It was only fair that the dungeon caused him a headache as well. ¡°I think the solution is obvious,¡± he said with a wide smile. ¡°We have them settle near Rosewind. After all, if we cannot help people in need, can we even call ourselves people?¡±


    For several seconds, the avatar stood there, head held up high, chest puffed up. After a while, though, he noticed the complete silence that had formed. Hundreds of pairs of eyes were upon him, and that was not all! Hope shone in everyone¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°You are a hero,¡± an old woman finally dared to speak. ¡°Our salvation.¡±


    Cheers erupted, filling the air.


    ¡°No, wait, I¡­¡± Theo tried to explain things, but it was too late. All he wanted to do was to cause problems to someone who had caused problems to him, and instead he had ended up a hero, of all things. This felt so wrong! ¡°We must still be vigilant!¡± he shouted. Thankfully, this had the desired effect. ¡°The evil Lord Mandrake might still have troops in the area. We haven¡¯t survived all this to fall into another of his traps! Rest up well, for soon we set off!¡±


    The excitement changed into a murmur of agreement, after which the villagers started the process of gathering into groups for the trip.


    ¡°You have spirit,¡± Liandra whispered to the avatar. ¡°But your speeches need a lot of work.¡±


    Theo felt outright insulted. In his previous life, he had spent years going through game scripts, including marketing announcements. Everyone knew perfectly well that cheese sold. There was no doubt about it. And if it worked there, it would surely work here. Then again, maybe he could tone down things just a bit.


    ¡°Do you have a plan?¡± the heroine asked the question that Theo dreaded.


    ¡°Of course I have a plan,¡± he replied, desperately searching for one. ¡°You said you can send messages to people. How?¡±


    ¡°Heroic scrolls,¡± Liandra said. ¡°Expensive, but they¡¯re useful for times such as this. Strictly speaking, they should be used only when fighting powerful dungeons and arch-demons, but emergency also counts.¡±


    ¡°When fighting dungeons?¡± That caused some unease.


    ¡°If heroes get trapped in part of a dungeon, using this, they could ask for help, as well as send details about the traps and defenses they¡¯ve encountered so far. That way, the next group of dungeon fighters won¡¯t get hurt.¡±


    Those sneaky, good for nothing cheaters! ¡°Yes¡­ that way they won¡¯t get hurt,¡± the avatar said through gritted teeth. ¡°Can you send anything other than a scroll?¡±


    ¡°Sure. I have a few enhanced scrolls that let me send items as well. A bit pricey, but always good to have one or two. What do you have in mind?¡±


    This was a pivotal moment. There was something that could greatly boost Theo. However, doing it risked Liandra learning his secret. At the same time, delaying risked the gnome shooting its mouth off.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I want to send to someone,¡± the avatar said after half a minute of pondering.


    The heroine waited.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she said after no further explanations followed. ¡°Any details?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit complicated. Is there a way for me to send it without you knowing?¡±


    Liandra arched a brow.


    ¡°It involves someone who might be in danger if it were known he¡¯s involved in this. That¡¯s why I prefer to send the item and the message myself without anyone knowing. No offense.¡±


    In any world that would have been seen as a shady argument, to say the least. If they weren¡¯t so far from civilization, this would have passed as a scam. Theo even pictured people using this excuse, then running off with the extremely expensive scroll and selling it off at half price. If he didn¡¯t have his hay-to-gold magic, he definitely would have.


    ¡°Okay,¡± the heroine said and, without reserve, took out a glowing green scroll and handed it to the avatar.


    Theo looked at it, then at Liandra.


    ¡°You¡¯re giving it to me just like that?¡±


    ¡°Why not? You¡¯ve already saved the life of everyone here at least once. If you say you need this, then I trust you need it. As long as the people get somewhere safe, fast. I don¡¯t need to know the details.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t trust be earned?¡± Inexplicably, Theo felt incredibly guilty. Had she argued, he¡¯d have gladly taken the scroll without remorse. Having it handed to him just like that, though, made him feel reluctant. ¡°We¡¯ve only known each other for a week¡­¡±


    ¡°As my father used to say, it¡¯s deeds that earn trust, not time.¡± She shoved it into his hands. ¡°Just take it. Do your stuff? I¡¯ll organize the group a bit. Moving anywhere with two thousand people requires a bit of work.¡±


    Theo watched her walk to a group of villagers¡ªprobably the elders¡ªand started discussing something. He looked at the scroll again.


    No time for hesitation, he told himself. None of this was his plan. He never wanted to become the savior of villages, and once this was over, he had every intention of never doing it again. Carefully, he untied the thin piece of string, keeping the scroll rolled up. Theo was hoping that once unrolled, the scroll would provide some instructions as to what to do. However, all he saw was a blank piece of parchment.


    ¡°Spok, do you know anything about heroic scrolls?¡± the dungeon asked back to his main body.


    A fair bit, yes. They are a nuisance created a few centuries ago by a prominent mage tower. At first, they were only meant to be used by heroes, but gradually, anyone with the necessary funds was able to buy them for personal use. It¡¯s interesting to note that current magical delivery spells were based on the same research.


    ¡°Are you telling me you could have sent me, you know, a blessed weapon without all this time?¡±


    In theory, yes, but the mandrake mountains prevent magic from¡ª


    ¡°You could have bought magic scrolls to send it with!¡± Theo shouted, causing doors to slam within the entire building. ¡°Hell, you could have used the scroll to send me a scroll! That way, I could have returned and learned all the spells I need!¡±


    There was a long moment of silence.


    I did not think of that, the spirit guide admitted. But even if I had, it wouldn¡¯t have been of any use. Heroic scrolls can¡¯t be bought just by anyone. The hero guild has a near full monopoly over the items. What¡¯s left is bought up by prominent adventurer guilds, kings, queens, and other high dignitaries.


    ¡°If it¡¯s about the money, just make a few piles of gold.¡±


    That¡¯s the thing, sir. It isn¡¯t. Well, it¡¯s not only about the money. Each scroll is quite pricey, but there are very strict rules whom they could be sold to. If there weren¡¯t, every person of questionable morals would be able to kill any ruler by using the scroll to send a vial of deadly poison.


    Theo hadn¡¯t thought of that. Considering that even anti-magic fields didn¡¯t affect the scrolls, it was normal for them to be kept exclusive. Otherwise, there''ll be all sorts of problems. For all he knew, heroes could keep sending things into him until he choked to death, if it was possible to choke a dungeon. Still, he had no intention of admitting that he was at fault.


    ¡°Nevermind,¡± the dungeon grumbled. ¡°Just tell me how it¡¯s used.¡±


    You have a heroic scroll?


    ¡°Yes, I do. And I want to use it to send a demon core to myself.¡±


    That should be fairly easy. Just wrap the core in the scroll and address it here.


    There were a number of issues with those instructions. For starters, the core was larger than the scroll itself. Wrapping it was outright impossible. The most Theo could do was use some thread to tie the piece of parchment to the core. Hopefully, that would prove enough. But even if it did, he had no way of addressing it. Sure, he knew the name of the town and the plot of land he made his home, but would that be enough? Surely there had to be some GPS equivalent to ensure delivery?


    ¡°How exactly do I address it here?¡±


    Just concentrate on where you want it to arrive. It must be a place you¡¯ve been to. In this case, your study would be a perfect choice.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Theo remained unconvinced. ¡°And the whole wrapping thing? The item is bigger than the parchment. If I tie the two together, would it work?¡±


    It very well should. Unless you have the cheaper variety of heroic scrolls that are only used for messages.


    ¡°No, I have the good stuff.¡± Otherwise, things would get embarrassing very quickly. ¡°You¡¯re sure it will work?¡±


    Most definitely.


    The dungeon didn¡¯t know what was worse: having Spok be hesitant about something or be completely certain about it. Given the lack of options, the best that Theo could hope for that all would turn out well.


    After he made sure that no one was looking, the avatar took the demon heart core from his dimensional ring and placed it onto the glowing green parchment. Using a piece of thread from his clothes¡ªthey had suffered so much that a little more damage would hardly be noticeable¡ªhe tied both together. The core was then lifted in the air and given a hard shake, just to make sure no misshap would happen during transport. On the surface, everything seemed fine.


    Now came the final part. It seemed by far the stupidest thing Theo had done, and since his reincarnation, he had done quite a few. Holding the core with both hands, he concentrated. Unsure what to focus on, he imagined the basement.


    ¡°Go there,¡± he whispered.


    Hardly had the words been uttered than the parchment¡ªalong with the core¡ªvanished with a flash from the avatar¡¯s hand, only to reappear in the basement of his main body.


    ¡°Wow, it actually works¡ª¡± Theo began, but was interrupted by a flash of red light.


    CONGRATULATIONS!


    You have consumed a heart core of the Demon Lord Kayinion!


    Demon Lord Kayinion was known as the Butcher of the Gods, who dispatched over a dozen deities before being banished back into his realm. His presence alone had the power to corrupt even the most noble of heroes.


    90,000,000 Core Points obtained.


    News of your achievement shall be known throughout the entire continent.


    ¡°Enough with the news!¡± the dungeon snapped. Having all his deeds announced to the world¡ªwhatever that meant¡ªwasn¡¯t at all acceptable. In fact, it was outright dangerous. Maybe other dungeons enjoyed being on a leaderboard somewhere, but Theo only felt that put a bigger target on his back. The only positive was that there were no locations present.


    SPACE PORTAL CREATION


    Spend 200 energy to create a portal connecting your immediate area to a distant location up to a mile. Additional energy will increase the distance.


    Was that one of the fabled demon skills? It sounded actually useful; more than that, it seemed to be the solution to all of Theo¡¯s problems. However, experience had taught him that if something was perfect, there usually was a nasty catch.


    ¡°Spok, what are the drawbacks of the present skill?¡±


    Drawbacks, sir? The spirit guide asked, while busy recreating all missing pieces of furniture. Maybe that it¡¯s on the expensive side? Portals only last for several seconds. Maintaining them for longer is the same as creating a new one.


    ¡°Forget about that. Is there a requirement that only demons can use them, or anything of the sort?¡±


    No, you can pretty much cast it anywhere.


    ¡°And I don¡¯t need the other end of the portal to be on cursed land or anything?¡±


    No, sir. There is nothing demonic about that skill, other than demons are usually adept at using it.


    ¡°So, and let me be very clear, there is nothing preventing me from creating a portal from here to my avatar?¡±


    Other than it would require roughly a percent of your current energy to maintain, no.


    One percent? That was quite expensive, indeed. If Theo were to transport all the villagers, he¡¯d have to do so in under two minutes. That wasn¡¯t ideal by any means. Then again, he could take some of them and have Liandra deal with the rest. Thinking about it, that wasn¡¯t a bad move: it was going to allow the dungeon to enjoy some rest, while the heroine and Earl Rosewind had their hands full with this whole situation.


    Of course, you¡¯ll need to move a significant distance away from the Mandrake Mountains. They have a negative effect on portal magic.


    ¡°Spok, have I mentioned how much I hate you?¡±


    Logically, it explained why the gnome had created its portals so far away. Of course, that didn¡¯t make the dungeon feel better. It meant that at the very least, it was going to take a day to take everyone to a spot from which he could open the portal. Not at all great.


    ¡°Theo!¡± Liandra shouted to his avatar. ¡°Are you done?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes,¡± the avatar shouted back, waving at her for no particular reason. ¡°All done.¡±


    ¡°Good, because we better get going. Don¡¯t want a storm to catch us while we¡¯re near the mountains.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t want a storm to catch us¡­¡±

 15. The Hidden Dozen

    The last goblin glider crashed onto the ground, a few hundred feet from Theo¡¯s avatar. Behind him, the mass of people cheered. The dungeon, however, didn¡¯t feel one bit pleased. As far as he was concerned, walking should be made illegal. There was no practical point in it. Even horseback riding was cumbersome and slow. Using his aether shield skill and telekinesis ability to fly through the air had been so much better. Alas, that wasn¡¯t an option now. When he had tried using it, Liandra had made a harsh comment that he could only use the spell if he could cast it on everyone. Theoretically, he could do that, but wasting energy on a futile effort of the sort, especially given jow much he was going to use on the portal, was out of the question. As a result, he had been forced to use his avatar to slowly walk through the middle of nowhere in the direction of the nearest kingdom.


    Now and again, small squadrons of goblins would attack, providing Theo an excuse to use the spells for faster movement. The problem with that was that because of his overpowered spells, he¡¯d destroy the monsters before he had a chance to really engage with them. It didn¡¯t help that they were eager to fly in his direction instead of attempting to escape, which any normal minion was supposed to do.


    CORE CONSUMPTION


    12 goblin cores into 120 Avatar Core Points.


    Just a hundred and twenty, Theo sighed mentally.


    At this rate, it was going to take forever for his avatar to reach level nine, let alone ten where the really cool stuff was supposed to happen.


    ¡°All clear!¡± Theo shouted to the people behind. ¡°We can go on now.¡±


    ¡°I think we¡¯ll need to rest a bit,¡± Liandra shouted.


    All the dungeon¡¯s doors creaked, as they did the equivalent of human teeth gnashing. Rest was the last thing he wanted, especially since he didn¡¯t need any. Sleep, on the other hand, was more than welcome, but for that, they had to find a town to stay in, or at the very least, a forest. So far, the weather had been unusually favorable¡ªall the clouds seemed to be attracted by the Mandrake Mountains, where they swirled, creating an ominous-looking cone. Clearly, there were more demon parts buried beneath the tons of rock.


    ¡°How long is a ¡°little bit?¡± the avatar asked.


    ¡°Not much. Probably half an hour or so,¡±


    ¡°Half an hour¡­¡± The avatar wanted to scream. Since there was nothing that could be done, he slowly made his way to the heroine and sat down.


    The constant delays were exceedingly annoying, not to mention boring to the point that the dungeon had no choice but to focus on its main body development. Initially, when he had delegated the responsibility of dungeon expansion to Spok, it was expected that Theo wouldn¡¯t remain uninvolved in the process. Since he¡¯d arrived in this world, he never did anything cumbersome unless he had to. Given the free time on his hands, though, he had quickly turned into a backseat architect. Either it was the appearance of the new rooms that he didn¡¯t approve of, or the position, or he¡¯d incessantly nitpick, focusing on meaningless details. Ultimately, a few hours had proven enough for the spirit guide to quickly give up doing anything and just wait quietly for the moment. Theo got bored with the activity again.


    Room creation, as it turned out, was a lot more complicated and fulfilling than one expected. Having only a building to focus on, Theo thought that all it took was a modicum of artistic skill in order to get things going. As it turned out, expanding involved careful planning, budgeting, and strategic choices. Every room created required energy and maintenance in the form of additional minions. The issue was that Theo had zero understanding of the former and strongly disliked the latter. Spok had tried to politely explain, but would instantly get a grumble not to meddle and that Theo ¡°knew what he was doing.¡±


    After another fine mess, and while his avatar was forced to rest, the dungeon had no choice but to admit partial failure.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Theo erased all rooms of his recently created network. ¡°So, I need a hub first, right?¡±


    A guard chamber might be a more appropriate first step, sir, Spok said, patiently. As things stand your core is rather exposed to attack. Having a few more¡ª


    ¡°Cmyk will take care of that. So, hub?¡±


    Yes, a hub would be a good thing to have, the spirit guide agreed, unwilling to get into an argument.


    A large room appeared one room beneath the core chamber. The room connecting them was barely the size of a closet, meant to serve as a buffer in case Theo decided to redo the whole construction again. Strictly speaking, there was no need for it: the whole purpose of the hub was to connect to other rooms¡ªin this case, there were a total of twelve corridors leading out to potential chambers. According to Spok, the usual practice was to keep the hubs small and rely on corridors, but Theo had quickly disregarded that and had gone with the largest room he could get away with; anything larger and the whole building risked sinking into the ground.


    Multiple support columns were added, after which the pondering began yet again. In the past few times, the dungeon had proceeded with creating a few diggers to drill down in search of materials to consume. However, that had quickly proven to be useless. The spirit guide had been right when it had said that there was little of value beneath a town. What little ores the geographical location provided had been extracted ages ago, leaving nothing but earth and sand and rock.


    Three new rooms emerged side by side, all connected to the hub. In each of them, Theo placed a large aether generator. This was always a plus. The aether generators were expensive, incredibly so, but very useful, since they extracted aether from the soil itself. Between them, his core, and what existed in the building, the dungeon had vastly increased its energy production.


    ¡°Can I build a carrot patch?¡± Theo asked.


    Underground? Sure, Spok didn¡¯t even try to argue. Of course, it would be a lot easier to have one above ground. There tends to be a bit more sun there.


    Three subterranean garden plots popped up: one for carrots, one for lettuce, and the final one for celery. For some reason, the house rabbit seemed to enjoy it a lot.


    ¡°Orchards too, right?¡±


    Three long chambers emerged, wide and tall enough to hold trees. There were no plants, of course. Dungeons couldn¡¯t produce plants, or anything living, for that matter. At some point, Cmyk was going to have to go out and buy some, though with the minion¡¯s aversion to work, there was no telling when that would happen. Still, everything was ready for that moment, or so the dungeon was convinced.


    ¡°Alright, what now¡­?¡± the dungeon asked, more himself than anyone else.


    Maybe three other rooms? Spok asked, words dripping with sarcasm.


    As far as the guide was concerned, Theo continued to be nothing like a dungeon. The proper thing to do was produce minions to harvest resources, create halls, and build more and better chambers with which to expand. Instead, everything was going in the completely opposite direction. The dungeon had been criminally lucky, obtaining an unheard amount of core points thanks to the misfortune of a single hero. Three quarters in existence would have given half their halls for such an opportunity. Instead, Theo had wasted all that energy on the most absurd things. It was as if he valued comfort above everything else, even when expanding. That was unlikely to change anytime soon, at least not while he had such an overabundance of energy left.


    ¡°Are there spells for mapping an area?¡±


    You already know the surrounding area, sir. But if you insist, you might buy a cartographer¡¯s map of Rosewind. Normally, they¡¯d be considered expensive, but for you¡­ Spok didn¡¯t finish the sentence.


    ¡°Have Cmyk buy me one when he gets back,¡± the dungeon ordered. ¡°And also seeds for the gardens.¡±


    Of course. If you¡¯ll allow me, I think that a few material refineries would be rather useful. Proper materials are necessary for better and more elaborate rooms. You can¡¯t rely on energy forever. Not if you want to amass enough energy to leave this place.


    A few days ago, the comment would have made perfect sense. However, at present, it was barely a factor. While the dungeon hadn¡¯t outright abandoned the idea, too much had been invested already, to throw everything away and go elsewhere.


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep thinking of options,¡± Theo said, dismissing the idea as only a good manager would. ¡°I¡¯ll focus on getting my avatar back here.¡± As well as the herd of people, he added mentally.


    Shifting his focus to events thousands of miles away, Theo looked around with his avatar. A quarter of the people were still lying on the ground, breathing heavily. During the last brief stop, less than a fifth needed to rest. The march and lack of food was making it more difficult to move. If things continued like this, by nightfall exhaustion would reach such levels that Theo and Liandra would be the only ones capable of walking.


    Taking a chance, Theo discreetly attempted creating a portal near his avatar. The purple outline of a circle materialized for just a moment before melting away like cobwebs near a flame. So much for a quick solution. If memory served, the group would have to walk three times as much as they already had for portal magic to become possible.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re doing,¡± Liandra whispered. Her tone was deathly serious.


    ¡°You do?¡± The avatar looked at her. Right now, it was a blessing that he didn¡¯t have the ability to sweat, or the gig would have been up.


    ¡°You want to use a portal to get them to Rosewind directly? That¡¯s why you keep pushing them all the time. You know that each time they stop makes continuing all the more difficult.¡±


    ¡°Guess I can¡¯t fool you.¡±


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°It won¡¯t work,¡± the heroine said flatly, causing Theo¡¯s smile to quickly fade away. ¡°Lord Mandrake fed them just enough so they could work. The demon heart took care of the rest. Nearly all of them are exhausted and undernourished. Their bodies know it, and soon enough they will as well.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t just leave them here.¡± Internally, the dungeon was actually quite fond of the idea. Leaving the villagers here, along with Liandra, to keep an eye on them was the best course of action. That way, his avatar would be free to float to the point he could create a portal and return to Rosewind.


    ¡°We won¡¯t. I¡¯ll remain here with them. Meanwhile, you¡¯ll go on.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± he asked in fake concern. ¡°I can stay as well until help arrives. You sent quite a number of scrolls, so it¡¯s only a matter of days before someone shows up.¡±


    ¡°No. You must continue and get one of the flying devices.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll¡ª¡± Theo abruptly stopped. ¡°Say again?¡±


    ¡°The flying devices. They should be large enough to carry all the people, and a lot faster than a horse or wagon. Bring one here and we¡¯ll be able to easily reach Rosewind. Who knows, maybe you¡¯ll even be able to get a portal working and have us fly through.¡±


    Doors slammed violently in the dungeon¡¯s main body, attracting the attention of several people in Rosewind. Right this instant, Theo was as livid as he had ever been, and to make it worse, he had to keep all that rage bottled inside.


    ¡°You want me to chase down a goblin dirigible and capture it?¡± he asked in the politest tone he could muster.


    ¡°It¡¯s not as glamorous as destroying a demon heart, I know, but it¡¯s the most useful thing that could be done right about now.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    But what? He had already said multiple times that he could travel far faster if he used his aether shield method. Also, he had boasted quite a bit about how he¡¯d destroy Lord Mandrake¡¯s entire flying fleet, if he came across it¡ªa boast only reinforced by the ease he had taken down the goblin squadrons.


    ¡°I can¡¯t take a whole dirigible,¡± he said. ¡°I mean, I can capture it, sure, but I¡¯m just one person. How am I to control such a massive contraption? That¡¯s a job for at least a dozen people.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯ll have them,¡± Liandra said, as if she was expecting such a response. ¡°I¡¯ve already spoken to all the village elders, and they have agreed to send a small group of their best.¡±


    Theo felt like crying. Glancing over his shoulder, he now noticed the small group standing there.


    ¡°They¡¯re no heroes, but they¡¯re strong and smart. They¡¯ll be able to help you steer the flying device.¡±


    Strong and smart were not at all what Theo thought, looking at the selection. Their only qualifications seemed to be that they were still standing upright, unlike an increasing majority of the rest. If any of them were even half as smart as Liandra claimed they were, they wouldn¡¯t have remained in their villages.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be exposing them to too much danger,¡± he quickly said. Faced with the prospect of having to lead a group, he preferred to try to steer the dirigible on his own. At least then there would be a far lesser chance of mess-ups. ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself.¡±


    The heroine shook her head.


    ¡°I knew you¡¯d say that. That¡¯s the thing about you, Theodor d¡¯Argent. You never change.¡±


    Lady, you don¡¯t even know me, the dungeon thought. Like, you¡¯re so clueless that clues consider you an endangered species!


    ¡°They¡¯re going with you and that¡¯s final,¡± she went on. ¡°And just in case you¡¯re thinking of pulling a fast one, if you run off, I¡¯ll catch you, beat you up and drag you back here. Got it?¡±


    The ultimatum was less than ideal. Theo knew that if it ever came to a fight between him and Liandra, there was a huge risk that he would end up losing. True, he had a considerable number of spells and abilities, but she was a hero, and when it came to fights between heroes and dungeons, sooner or later the heroes always won.


    ¡°Are they somewhat competent?¡± he lowered his voice, admitting defeat.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you talk to them yourself?¡± Liandra beamed with the glee of one who had gotten her way. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I won¡¯t interfere. Unless you try to run away, that is.¡±


    The thought had crossed Theo¡¯s mind, but he had discarded it before she had made the point. For the foreseeable future he was condemned to chase after a goblin dirigible with a group of minions¡ªhuman minions at that.


    Standing up, the avatar gave Liandra one last disapproving look, then slowly made his way to the group. Up close, the people looked even worse than from a distance. It was outright impressive how, out of over a thousand people, this was the best available to him. Two of the twelve were well in their eighties, possibly even older. Three seemed like children, one was outright a child; two were frail as supermodels, and one had the build of a bear that had converted every inch of muscle into blubber. The remaining three appeared mostly average, which was to say by no means special.


    ¡°Hello, all,¡± the avatar said. ¡°I guess you''ve got some idea what we¡¯ll be doing?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll capture a goblin carrier and fly it here!¡± the child of the group said with enthusiasm. Short and skinny, he was somewhere between fifteen and twelve years old, with hair and clothes so greasy and thick with dirt that Theo had difficulty determining the actual color. ¡°Right?¡±


    ¡°Right, right.¡± This is going to be just fun¡­ ¡°Well, I guess you¡¯ve all seen what I can do. How about you introduce yourselves and share what skills you have that can contribute to the mission?¡±


    There was a long pause. Everyone looked at everyone else, none willing to be the first. After a while, Theo was left with no choice but to make the selection himself.


    ¡°You,¡± he pointed to what appeared to be the strongest person in the group. ¡°What¡¯s your name and how can you be of help?¡±


    The man winced, already showing that he had a rotten attitude. Obviously, he was hoping that someone else would go first.


    ¡°They call me Flail.¡± The man crossed his arms. ¡°I¡­¡± Everyone could see the hesitation. He took a quick glance at Liandra, as if seeking support, then returned his gaze onto the dungeon¡¯s avatar. ¡°I used to be a B-rank adventurer. My last mission was a bust. The entire party got slaughtered. I was designated to be on the rearguard, so I managed to escape. No one wanted to go with me on missions after that, so I decided to retire in a small village. That didn¡¯t last long, though. I think everyone can guess the rest.¡±


    ¡°Spok, how strong is a B-rank adventurer?¡± Theo asked back in his main body.


    Decently strong, the spirit guide replied, still slightly bitter about the whole room construction thing. Cmyk¡¯s friends are B-rank for the most part. They can handle their own against standard monsters, and can provide good support in large enough numbers, but are nothing to be worried about.


    Definitely not ideal, but leagues ahead of the common villagers.


    ¡°You¡¯ve had experience fighting these things?¡± Theo¡¯s avatar asked. ¡°Goblin carriers, I mean.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the man replied. ¡°But I¡¯ve had experience fighting goblins.¡±


    ¡°Name is Jack,¡± the largest of the group said, his deep voice and large beard only furthering his stereotype. ¡°I used to be the Gladiator Champion of Degorium three years running.¡±


    The avatar blinked several times.


    ¡°Used to be?¡± he asked. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I gained my freedom, and settled down somewhere quiet where I never had to fight again.¡± He slammed his massive gut with both hands. ¡°I seem to have let myself go a bit, but I still have the strength. Just point me in the right direction and I can smash through any door or opponent, be it goblin, human, or troll.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s rather¡­ that¡¯s very impressive.¡± Theo nodded with his avatar. ¡°Anyone else have anything to share?¡±


    As it turned out, every single person of the dozen had a story to share, and none of them were what they seemed. The child, as it turned out, was a once in a generation prodigy that could pick up pretty much anything¡ªbe it combat technique, or scholarly knowledge¡ªalmost instantly. The reason he had remained in his village was because he didn¡¯t want to leave his friends and family. The two women with delicate features had been highly paid assassins who had spent several months in a village waiting for their target to pass nearby in order to eliminate him. Due to Lord Mandrake¡¯s involvement, the mission had ended up in failure, so at present they had no other choice but to keep their cover. Several of the rest were retired soldiers who, like Flair, had enough of it all and wanted to enjoy some rest. One was a city fixer, who was forcefully retired and cast out due to ¡°changes in management.¡± And as for the old geezers, they were something that no one expected.


    ¡°You¡¯re what?¡± Theo asked in disbelief.


    ¡°Shield-bearers,¡± one of them said. ¡°Are your ears gone already?¡±


    ¡°My ears are fine,¡± the avatar snapped back. ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­ What are you doing in a village?!¡±


    Shield-bearers was the term used for powerful warriors who were a single step below heroes. From what Spok had explained, in some cases they matched heroes in speed, strength, and abilities, yet through a trick of fate, had never been blessed with the heroic trait, making it far more difficult for them to slay demons and dungeons. Normally, shield-bearers would be assigned to a hero whom they would protect till the end of their days, or the hero¡¯s retirement. At that point, most of them were given a generous stipend from the local ruler to spend what remained of their days in relative luxury.


    ¡°It was the dying wish of our hero,¡± the other replied. ¡°Nasty bastard. Well, at least we thought so at the time. After a decade, though, we saw how right he was.¡±


    ¡°All our life we kept on stressing about monsters and what not. Living in a quiet village was the best thing that had happened to us. Well, until an overlord wannabe appeared.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you try to escape?¡±


    ¡°Just because we¡¯re shield-bearers doesn¡¯t mean we can withstand the lure of the demon heart,¡± the first old man grumbled. ¡°It takes a hero to do that. One such as you, for example.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m no hero.¡±


    ¡°Oh? We beg to differ. Only a hero could do what you did. There¡¯s no doubt about it. It¡¯s rare to see a mage hero, but it wouldn¡¯t be the first time.¡±


    It was a good thing that they couldn¡¯t tell he was a heroic dungeon. If they knew, things would be beyond awkward.


    The avatar started pacing left and right in front of the group.


    ¡°Just to be clear. All of you are actually incredibly strong, by local standards, and through one reason or another, decided to stay in some small forgotten village or other until you were snatched by the pesky gnome overlord?¡± He gave them a glance. ¡°And now, you¡¯ve all decided to reveal your true nature and come along to help me capture a goblin carrier?¡±


    ¡°None of the rest know why we¡¯re here,¡± one of the female assassins said. ¡°And I, for one, would very much appreciate it if things stay that way. We¡¯ve created a few friendships in our new life, and there¡¯s always a reason to hide from the old.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that I can understand. But why step forward at all? If you hadn¡¯t told me, no one would have ever found out.¡±


    ¡°Seeing how things were going, we knew that the rest of the people wouldn¡¯t last too long,¡± one of the former soldiers said. ¡°Everyone¡¯s tired, there¡¯s no food, no water¡­ I give it a week or two before people start dying out. Besides, the heroine caught us out.¡±


    This made Theo feel rather concerned. If Liandra had managed to spot all of them, there was a very real chance that she could figure him out as well. More than likely having an avatar freely moving about was so unusual that her conscious mind refused to accept it, but if he remained close for too long, she might start noticing things that would lead to questions, which in turn would escalate to a potentially painful death.


    ¡°Right,¡± the avatar said, clearing its throat. ¡°Here¡¯s what we¡¯ll do. We¡¯ll track the carrier down, sneak aboard, kill all the goblins there¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then fly it back here, get everyone aboard, and fly them back home,¡± the child finished.


    ¡°Yes, thank you, Elias,¡± Theo grumbled. One thing he didn¡¯t like since his previous life was being interrupted. Considering it was a child, though, he was forced to give Elias a pass. ¡°Although it might not be the same home. It¡¯ll definitely be a home, though. And there will definitely be someone to take care of you. In fact, it¡¯ll be far better than before.¡±


    Several people in the group nodded.


    ¡°Right.¡± The avatar clapped his hands, then rubbed them together. ¡°What equipment do you need?¡±


    ¡°Equipment?¡± Gladiator Jack asked. ¡°You¡¯re going to make us equipment?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous.¡± The dungeon¡¯s avatar glared at him. ¡°I¡¯ll just create some.¡±


    Snapping his finger for dramatic effect, Theo created a room on the ground in front of him. It wasn¡¯t the best of rooms: it lacked a roof and only had three walls. However, there was a large variety of weapons, clothes, and armor¡ªjust as an armory was supposed to have.


    ¡°There you go. Gear up and dress up well. We¡¯re going to take down the goblin carrier in style.¡±

 16. The Truth about Spok d’Esprit

    A line of aether spheres floated through the wilderness at tremendous speeds. For the last few hours they had been tracking the invisible trail left by Lord Mandrake¡¯s fleet of air carriers. Initially, the spheres had been high in the sky, but after several goblin squadron encounters, it had been decided for them to be as close to the ground as possible. At some point in the future, Theo was going to invest in an invisibility spell¡­ or hope that his avatar would acquire one, eventually.


    ¡°Slightly to the east,¡± Nauska said.


    Being the high-grade assassin she was, she had the means of tracking targets from huge distances. In this case, she was following the location of the items that had been confiscated after her capture. While Lord Mandrake wasn¡¯t particularly interested in the possessions of his workers, he also was smart enough not to allow anything to interfere with the effects of the demon heart. As a gnome, he also had a tendency of snatching any gadgets that caught his fancy. Nauska and her sister, being on the job prior to their capture, had plenty of those hidden among their being, including several delicate ¡°automata spiders¡± which were like catnip for a gnome.


    ¡°It¡¯s close,¡± she added. ¡°We should see it soon.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been saying that for an hour,¡± the dungeon¡¯s avatar grumbled. ¡°Are you sure this time?¡±


    ¡°She is,¡± Flail said, pointing in the distance. ¡°I can see it.¡±


    Wincing, the avatar looked in the appropriate direction. Initially, all that was visible was a cluster of storm clouds in the evening sky. Even entities with excellent eyesight weren¡¯t able to see anything more. However, when lightning cracked in the clouds, there could be no doubt that something was there. Instead of shooting down to the ground, the lightning bolt twisted, hitting something in the cloud itself. Upon doing so, its color changed from electric blue to deep purple, as the ¡°something¡± pulled it in, as if it were a strand of spaghetti.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Theo reduced the speed at which the spheres were moving, then shifted them around so as to form a circle. ¡°Any suggestions how we proceed?¡± he asked. ¡°The carriers are made of some anti magic material, so I can¡¯t use fire spells on them.¡±


    People started looking at one another through the transparent aether barriers. Up till now, they had viewed Theo as an almost all-powerful wizard. To see him so utterly clueless required some time for readjustment.


    In part, it was the dungeon¡¯s fault for that. Due to his unique situation, his avatar had a combination of rookie spells and overpowered abilities with nothing in between.


    ¡°We need the carrier whole if we want to actually use it to carry people,¡± Theo clarified.


    The reasoning was logical enough to receive a series of ¡°ahs.¡±


    ¡°The easiest way is to make a hole in the thing,¡± Wolf said. He had kept more to himself than the others, but based on a few scant comments about skills and life, Theo was convinced that he had been a pirate at some point in his past. ¡°Since it¡¯s driven by a form of magic, it won¡¯t be too much of an issue.¡±


    ¡°As long as we don¡¯t damage the aether source in the process,¡± Dom the shield-bearer said. ¡°I¡¯ve seen many magnificent magical devices destroyed because of careless recklessness.¡±


    The pirate crossed his arms, but said nothing.


    ¡°The idea is good, don¡¯t get me wrong,¡± the old man continued. ¡°But we must be sure to breach the hull in the right spot. If we don¡¯t, we¡¯ll need to find another ship.¡±


    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s the way we go,¡± Alksa¡ªa retired war veteran¡ªinterjected. ¡°We know there are more than one of them. We experiment with this one and see what happens. If we get it¡ªgood. If not, we know what not to do for the next one.¡±


    If Theo¡¯s avatar had the ability to turn pale, it would have. It had already taken them this long to catch up to a carrier. If they missed their chance, it would increase the chase by days, and he really didn¡¯t want the hassle. Of course, there was a chance that there was more than one carrier, but based on Lord Mandrake¡¯s tactics so far, Theo doubted it. Maybe due to its gnomish nature, the future ruler of the world had a rather weird strategic thinking. Instead of keeping his force as one solid group, Lord Mandrake had scattered dozens of small groups all over the place. The goblin squadrons, for example, were few in number and had the efficiency of mosquitos on a summer night¡ªnoisy, annoying, and providing no particular benefits when killed. Even now, after killing off dozens of them, Theo hadn¡¯t consumed enough to get his avatar to level up.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have the luxury of time,¡± the avatar said. ¡°It¡¯s all good and well for us to come up with the perfect plan, but think of the hundreds that are waiting for us. If we lose this one, who knows when we¡¯ll reach the next? It might be weeks,¡± he exaggerated. ¡°Can you honestly say that the people depending on us have that long?¡±


    No one said a word. Pleased with the result, Theo did what any good manager would: combine everything that was said in a single proposal, adding just enough trivial, nonsensical details for him to claim as his own.


    ¡°Instead of breaching the hull ourselves, we¡¯ll have them do it for us!¡±


    Everyone stared at the avatar, like he had something stuck in his teeth. The trivial detail Theo had chosen to start with had turned out to be so distracting that it was no longer clear what exactly he had in mind.


    ¡°I mean, there¡¯s a way for them to get in, right? A sort of entrance, if you will. If we trick them into revealing this entrance, or even better, open it, we can get aboard without risking the carrier itself.¡±


    The silence intensified.


    Crap! Theo grumbled. They weren¡¯t falling for it.


    ¡°You mean lure them out?¡± Flail asked.


    ¡°Precisely!¡± Theo clung to the straw given to him. ¡°We lure them out!¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I see.¡± Dome stroke his chin. ¡°You¡¯re quite the sneaky one, baron. Instead of using force, we¡¯ll use trickery disguised as strength. If a small enough group lands on the surface of the carrier, the enemy would consider it an attempt at sabotage and will send out a strong enough force to deal with the issue. Then, the rest of us could swoop in directly into it and take the fight there.¡±


    ¡°Make the hunted believe she¡¯s the hunter,¡± Nauska nodded. ¡°We can use the clouds as cover. Three will be enough to make as much noise as possible. The rest will be hidden until the time is right. Baron d¡¯Argent has shown he can move his aether shields at tremendous speed. The moment they reveal their hidden entrance, he¡¯ll get all of us in. From there, we¡¯ll do what we do best.¡±


    ¡°We still have to be careful how we fight, though,¡± the old man said, shaking a finger. ¡°Things can be destroyed from the inside just as easily as they can be destroyed from the outside.¡±


    ¡°Might also be a good idea to keep some captives,¡± Wolf spoke up again. ¡°We¡¯ll need them to fly the carrier, or at least teach us how to.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easy.¡± Nauska gave the man a glance of unrivaled superiority. For some reason, the two didn¡¯t seem to get well along. ¡°Baron d¡¯Argent will use his aether bubbles to capture them. They won¡¯t be able to join in the fight, but remain well enough for questioning later.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Flail agreed. ¡°Shows why you¡¯re leading us, Baron. Great plan.¡±


    ¡°And not only that. You didn¡¯t want to impose your decisions on us because you knew we¡¯d have second thoughts,¡± Dom said with a sly smile, as if saying, ¡°I know what you¡¯re doing.¡± ¡°Now that we¡¯ve come to this conclusion on our own, things are quite different. Magnificent strategic thinking. I definitely wouldn¡¯t want to have you as an enemy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Theo said, as everyone was nodding. ¡°This was what I was thinking all along. Now all we have to do is do it.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t the first time Theo had seen a clueless manager get merit for something done by others. However, it was the first time it had happened to him in this life and the past. Not willing to give any of the people a chance to think through what had happened, he put the plan in motion.


    All spheres formed a tight cluster as they shot forward in the direction of the target. The speed would have been uncomfortable, possibly unbearable, for ordinary people, but none of the avatar¡¯s present companions were.


    Within minutes, the goblin carrier became a speck in the sky, then grew to the point that it could easily be recognized. As Theo had suspected, it was floating on its lonesome. It seemed quite different from the ones that the avatar had faced so far¡ªlarger, bulkier, and slightly squarish in shame. Normally, that would be a concern, but at present it made things easier¡ªthe initial attackers had less of a chance of falling off.


    ¡°Nauska, I¡¯m sending you and your sister to take care of the main attack,¡± the avatar said. Those were the first names that came to mind. ¡°Think you¡¯ll be alright?¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t disappoint you, baron.¡± With a flick of their wrists, a series of hidden knives appeared in the palms of their hands. Without a doubt, the clothes and weapons the dungeon had provided suited them well.


    ¡°Perfect.¡±


    Without warning, the aether spheres with the assassins shot up in the direction of the massive carrier.


    Meanwhile, the rest sped up along the ground. It wasn¡¯t that the dungeon doubted the assassins¡¯ ability to defeat goblins; it was the exact opposite. He feared that they might do too well, killing off vast numbers of them and depriving him of the monster cores¡¯ experience. The objects were valued quite highly and even people who didn¡¯t have the power to consume them preferred to gather them to sell later.


    It¡¯ll be fine, Theo told himself. I got this.


    It was all a matter of timing. The moment the assassins got on the top of the carrier, the rest of the aether spheres would fly up into the clouds. There they¡¯d stay for a while¡ªa few minutes at most¡ªbefore darting into the bowels of the metal beast. Theo¡¯s avatar was going to lead them. Of course, he had to be close enough to control the spheres adequately. It was a tricky process that required a lot of skill, timing, and perfect concentration. A single delay or false movement and¡ª


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    Knock! Knock! Knock!


    Someone knocked on the door of Theo¡¯s main body.


    ¡°What the heck?¡± The dungeon grumbled. ¡°I¡¯m in the middle of a very complicated mission!¡±


    This was unacceptable. Theo didn¡¯t like being disturbed at the best of times. Having someone have the audacity to knock now made him want to create a pit beneath the front door and swallow the person up.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Cmyk?! I bet it¡¯s one of his no-good friends again!¡±


    Err, your minion is planting seeds in the underground gardens, as you instructed him, Spok said.


    ¡°I know where he is!¡± the dungeon snapped. ¡°I meant what¡¯s taking him so long! Clearly, they aren¡¯t here to see me. I¡¯m not in Rosewind!¡±


    Of course you aren¡¯t.


    ¡°You know what I mean! Anyway, Cmyk, get the door! You can get back to planting later!¡±


    Underground, the minion sighed. Cmyk enjoyed work as much as his creator did¡ªwhich was to say not at all. Strangely enough, gardening seemed to be a notable exception. There seemed to be a certain charm to doing repetitive actions with an immediate result. In a way, it was close to gold spinning¡ªanother activity that Cmyk had gotten into the habit of doing every morning. Spinning meant gold, which equated to better drinks, a better time in the taverns, not to mention better items. The latter the minion had to cut back after a few stern words from Theo on the topic of over-cluttering.


    ¡°Now, Cmyk!¡± the dungeon urged, as the knocking started once more.


    Taking one look at the neat rows of sprouts, the minion diligently placed his gardening tools in the corner of the underground chamber, then started his trip to the floors above.


    It took him close to half a minute to reach the door. Once there, Cmyk wiped his hands in his work apron and opened the door.


    The person outside was the familiar tax collector that had come to visit the first day of Theo¡¯s arrival in Rosewind. Upon seeing him, both minion and dungeon thought the same thing: ¡°Oh crap.¡±


    ¡°Ah, good evening,¡± the tax collector said with a large smile. ¡°My apologies for the late visit. I trust you aren¡¯t doing anything important?¡±


    No, nothing important, Theo thought. Just organizing twelve people to capture a large goblin carrier in the middle of a thunderstorm.


    ¡°Might I come in?¡± he asked.


    Unable to talk, Cmyk moved to the side. Still intimidated by the minion¡¯s massive frame, the man slid into the house. Theo felt a sense of dread. Right now, he would have preferred a dozen heroes with flaming swords to a single tax collector.


    ¡°Quite a nice place,¡± the man said, looking around. ¡°I understand why the thieves took a liking to it. Good thing that the baron is a spell caster, right?¡± He laughed in the way people who attempted to get on others¡¯ good side did. Naturally, Cmyk remained unshaken and stoic as a statue. ¡°Well, I¡¯m here on the matter of registration. You remember our previous conversation, I hope?¡±


    ¡°The documents,¡± Theo whispered to his minion. ¡°Bring the documents from the study.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± The tax collector looked around. There was no one there. ¡°Did you say something?¡± He looked at Cmyk.


    The minion looked back.


    ¡°I must have misheard. In any event, I¡¯d appreciate if¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish, the minion extended his right arm, gesturing to the man to enter the living room¡ªthe door to which the dungeon had conveniently opened during the conversation so far.


    ¡°Ehh, I really don¡¯t want to impose,¡± the tax collector began. ¡°But since you¡¯re offering.¡± He quickly walked in, not giving Cmyk even the chance to respond. ¡°Do you have anything to drink, by chance?¡±


    That greedy, good for nothing leech, Theo grumbled to himself. Despite that, he made sure to summon a carafe of brandy in the living room. There was a moment in which he considered adding a mild poison or strong laxative, but decided against it. The only thing worse than having a tax collector inside was having an ill tax collector there.


    ¡°Never mind, found it!¡± the man shouted as Cmyk begrudgingly made his way up the stairs.


    ¡°Spok, we must do something!¡± Theo said in semi-panic. ¡°There¡¯s no way Cmyk can pull this off.¡±


    You do have the energy to create another minion, sir, the spirit guide reminded.


    ¡°Are you kidding? What the hell will I do with two Cmyks? You handle it!¡±


    Me, sir? Suddenly the spirit guide felt the strange sudden need to sit down. I¡­ I¡¯m just a spirit guide¡ªa sprite, a ghost, a discorporate entity. By definition, I¡¯m not supposed to¡ª


    ¡°I have the skill to make you an avatar, right?¡±


    Well, yes, but it¡¯s never been done. This goes against eons of tradition. It¡¯s just not done. You¡¯ve already given me a lot more than I can hope for. Having a body¡­


    Theo took a deep breath, causing the curtains on the upper floors to flow towards the center of their respective rooms.


    ¡°Is there anything preventing you from obtaining a body?¡±


    No, but¡ª


    ¡°Are you subject to any restrictions if you were to obtain said body?¡±


    I wouldn¡¯t be able to leave the building. Unlike the common minions, I am linked to your physical presence, but not part of it. Anything beyond the limits of your domain is out of bounds.


    ¡°Good enough! Now make yourself a body and deal with the problem at hand.¡±


    For Theo, this was just another annoying triviality. For Spok, however, this was a world-shattering event of epic proportions. Throughout all of existence, there had been various types of dungeons: cruel, aggressive, calm, secluded, even a few benevolent. However, none of them were anything quite like Theo. There were certain aspects of being human that just couldn¡¯t be learned or mimicked. Unlike all the rest, Theo had retained all the knowledge from his previous life, and it showed. As grumbly and chaotic as he was, he still treated his minions as equal beings of lower standing, not just puppets bound to his will; he had granted them partial autonomy.


    Threads of multicolored light appeared within the dungeon¡¯s study. Combining together, they formed a nucleus, which then stretched into a humanoid shape. A bright flash followed, leaking through the window shutters and the bottom of the room¡¯s door. When it was gone, the figure of Spok was in the room¡­ and it was not at all what Theo had expected.


    ¡°Err¡­¡± the dungeon said. ¡°You made a female avatar?¡±


    ¡°Was I not allowed?¡± Spok asked, her voice soft and clear, almost flowing.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just. I didn¡¯t know there were female spirits.¡±


    ¡°Spirits aren¡¯t male or female. We just are. This is what I felt I was, and this is what I became.¡±


    There was nothing left to say. There was no telling where the spirit guide had obtained the image of the avatar it had created, but it had done an outstanding job, putting all previous efforts with Cmyk and the dungeon¡¯s own avatar to shame. Standing six feet tall with porcelain white skin and long raven-black hair tied wrapped in a bun, Spok wore a dress that would feel at home in a Jane Eyre novel. A long-sleeved shirt of flawless white stood out against the deep blue of the long skirt and elegant work vest. Embroidered in gold thread, the dungeon¡¯s coat of arms was visible on the right side of the vest, displayed with pride.


    Creating a large mirror in front of her, Spok turned around, adjusted her hair to go one step beyond perfection, then put on a pair of while silk gloves and took the land deed and magic permit from the wall. Then, in the brisk pace of someone who knew what she was doing about, she left the room and headed downstairs.


    ¡°I have things under control, Cmyk,¡± she said as she passed by the minion, who was slowly making his way to the study. Mildly surprised by the presence of another avatar, Cmyk then shrugged and started his way back down.


    By the time Spok reached the first floor living room, the tax collector had already managed to finish three cups of brandy and was on his way to gulp down a fourth. Upon meeting Spok¡¯s glance, though, he suddenly felt like a child who¡¯d been caught stealing cookies in the kitchen.


    ¡°Good evening to you, sir,¡± Spok said in a firm voice. ¡°I see you¡¯re enjoying the baron¡¯s prized brandy?¡±


    The tax collector looked down at his half empty glass, then back at Spok.


    ¡°Err¡­ good mor¡­ evening!¡± he quickly corrected himself, placing the glass on the nearest solid surface and standing in front, in an effort to hide his sin. ¡°Good evening, I meant. I was just¡ª¡±


    ¡°I am Spok d¡¯Esprit, the steward of Baron D¡¯Argent¡¯s estates. I believe you¡¯ve come regarding the permits you requested a week ago?¡±


    ¡°Erm¡­¡± If the man had a plan of action, it was now completely torn to shreds by the woman¡¯s assertiveness. ¡°Yes, yes, ma¡¯am.¡± He stared blankly into the distance. ¡°Err, no!¡± His mind slowly caught up to what was going on. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m here to inform the Baron d¡¯Argent that the matter has been resolved.¡±


    ¡°Resolved?¡± Spok asked as she carefully placed the land deed and house permit on the table.


    ¡°Yes, resolved.¡±


    Sweating profusely, the man grabbed the satchel hanging from his shoulder and started burrowing within. Moments later, he took out a rather plain-looking piece of parchment and handed it to the woman.


    The parchment was quite large, containing several seals in the corner, including Earl Rosewind¡¯s personal seal of authority. However, with the exception of that, the only other thing present was the name ¡°Theodor d¡¯Argent¡± written at the very top.


    ¡°The baron¡¯s family tree,¡± the tax collector announced.


    Retaining her composure, Spok looked at the parchment again, let out a hmm of disapproval, then rolled the family tree up.


    ¡°This is a blank piece of paper,¡± she said.


    ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s the start of the family tree,¡± the man said defensively. ¡°As the baron¡¯s family increases, more and more branches would be added. When the space runs out, an additional parchment could be obtained, for a nominal fee.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like that will happen anytime soon.¡±


    ¡°All that remains is the extremely minor matter of a birth certificate. Normally that¡¯s required, but due to the earl¡¯s personal interest, everything¡¯s dealt with. All that¡¯s left is merely to know the Baron¡¯s exact date of birth, so things are¡­¡± there was a slight pause. ¡°Made proper.¡±


    That was unexpectedly good news, for once. As long as Theo presented himself to be of reasonable age, he¡¯d never have to deal with this annoying leech again.


    ¡°Say I¡¯m thirty,¡± the dungeon whispered in the study.


    Are you sure, sir? Spok asked. That might be a bit¡­


    The screeching of doors indicated that was Theo¡¯s final decision. As such, Spok had no choice but to go with it.


    ¡°The twelfth of the seven month,¡± she said. ¡°Seven hundred and eleven.¡±


    ¡°Err¡­¡± the tax collector blinked, then went through his satchel again for an empty piece of paper and a piece of coal. ¡°Can you say that again.¡±


    ¡°The twelfth of the seven month, seven hundred and eleven,¡± the woman repeated. ¡°Is there anything else you¡¯d like to know?¡±


    ¡°Actually¡­¡± the man began. Seeing Spok¡¯s glance harden, however, was enough to make him contemplate the choices he¡¯d made in his life. The baron seemed like a quite agreeable fellow, but his champion and steward were both terrifying beyond measure. ¡°No, that¡¯s all that¡¯s required.¡±


    ¡°Good. In that case, I wish you a good day.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    The man did something between a nod and a bow, then rushed past her, heading for the exit. Doing so, he almost bumped into Cmyk, who was on his way to the underground gardens. It was pure luck that prevented a serious collision. The narrow escape made the tax collector hurry even more, practically running to get outside. Once he did, Theo slammed the door shut behind him.


    ¡°That¡¯s at least one nuisance dealt with,¡± the dungeon said. ¡°What do I do with the family tree thing?¡±


    ¡°You keep it,¡± Spok said as she picked up the deed and permit¡ªthings that the tax collector hadn¡¯t even bothered to glance at. ¡°It serves no purpose whatsoever, at least in the near future. In a few decades, you might start thinking about how to create the appearance of having a family, but until then, the document is best kept in the bottom of a drawer.¡±


    ¡°Okay, you deal with it, Spok. I have to focus on something else.¡±


    ¡°And what might that be, sir?¡± the spirit guide asked. Her new body made the question seem a lot more reproachful than it was.


    ¡°Oh, nothing much. Just trying to get twelve people into a flying goblin carrier after being struck by lightning. Nothing nearly as annoying as dealing with the leech just now.¡±


    ¡°I wish you the best of luck, sir. Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯ll go make my own room on the top floor. Please try not to be too reckless with your energy usage.¡±

 17. Attack on the Goblin Carrier

    Without warning, the aether spheres with the assassins shot up in the direction of the massive carrier.


    Meanwhile, the rest sped up along the ground. It wasn¡¯t that the dungeon doubted the assassins¡¯ ability to defeat goblins; it was the exact opposite. He feared that they might do too well, killing off vast numbers of them and depriving him of the monster cores¡¯ experience. The objects were valued quite highly and even people who didn¡¯t have the power to consume them, preferred to gather them to sell later.


    It¡¯ll be fine, Theo told himself. I got this.


    It was all a matter of timing. The moment the assassins got on the top of the carrier, the rest of the aether spheres would fly up into the clouds. There they¡¯d stay for a while¡ªa few minutes at most¡ªbefore darting into the bowels of the metal beast. Theo¡¯s avatar was going to lead them. Of course, he had to be close by to control the spheres adequately. It was a tricky process that required a lot of skill, timing, and perfect concentration. A single delay or false movement and the whole plan would unravel like a ball of yarn near a litter of kittens.


    Within twenty seconds, the assassins reached their target. That was according to plan. What wasn¡¯t, was the aether spheres shattering in the side of the carrier, rather than the top. The only reason Theo¡¯s heart didn¡¯t sink¡ªother than him not having a heart¡ªwas the presence of an annoying tax collector that had entered his main body. All that careful planning, and the capture attempt, was about to be over before it even started. Theo was already considering how to catch the assassins in a new aether sphere, when instead of falling, they sunk their weapons into the massive hull of the flying device, clinging to it like ants to cheese.


    That was impressive, especially since Theo was certain that the weapons he provided them weren¡¯t capable of such feats. It had to be some sort of skill or ability. Whatever it was, had him let out a mental sigh of relief.


    Reaching what was considered a sufficient distance, the rest of the aether spheres moved up into the clouds.


    ¡°Err, baron?¡± the prodigy child of the group asked. ¡°If we¡¯re in the clouds, how will you be able to tell when to attack?¡±


    The avatar turned in the boy¡¯s direction, eager to explain the obvious. However, no sooner had the mouth opened, when Theo realized that he didn¡¯t have any explanation. Despite the many wonderful spells and abilities he had, seeing through clouds wasn¡¯t one of them.


    ¡°Seriously, kid?¡± Flail rolled his eyes. ¡°We¡¯ll send out one to scout and give out the signal. Even if spotted, a single person isn¡¯t a threat.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± The boy¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re still young.¡± Theo¡¯s avatar said, relieved at Flail¡¯s interference. ¡°You¡¯ll pick up things as you grow older. Everyone, stay here. I¡¯ll go see how things are going.¡±


    A massive bolt of lightning flashed less than twenty feet from the avatar. This was the first time Theo had seen lightning up close, and he definitely didn¡¯t like it. Images of a raw egg exploding in a microwave passed through his mind. Naturally, even if the avatar was hit, all that he¡¯d suffer was a large energy drain. However, there were ten other people in aether spheres as well¡­


    Moving through clouds was among the most tedious experiences imaginable, and in more ways that one. Apparently, telekinesis relied heavily on spatial awareness to the point that after moving a few feet, the aether sphere furthest away began to wobble. Quickly, Theo pulled all of the spheres towards his avatar. Everything became much more stable yet again. From there on it was a process of slowly moving through the cloud¡ªwhich didn¡¯t seem like moving at all since everything appeared exactly the same¡ªhoping to reach an edge at some point. Finally, the dungeon¡¯s avatar emerged from the cloud cover and right on time to see a fight raging on the top of the goblin carrier. The assassin sisters were doing a good job dealing with a wave of goblins in crude armor. Their actions, not as flashy as Liandra¡¯s were extremely precise and efficient, dispatching each monster with one hit, then tossing it off the carrier. Theo¡¯s heart ached at the thought of all those wasted goblin cores.


    There was a brief moment of indecision, mostly due to events taking place in the dungeon¡¯s main body. However, that quickly ended as Theo spotted the large hatch on the dirigible. In truth, it wasn¡¯t the hatch itself that he managed to spot, but rather the flow of goblins streaming from it in the dozens.


    ¡°Ready, everyone!¡± the avatar said. ¡°Here we go!¡±


    The aether spheres shot forward. Of course, the one holding Theo¡¯s avatar was at a substantial distance from the rest. Being slightly on the greedy side, he wanted to get as much experience as possible¡ªthe one good thing about being forced into this mission.


    Lightning crackled through the air. Being attracted to a massive hunk of flying metal, it made its way to the carrier. This time, however, instead of striking the outer hull as before, the lightning bolt was attracted by something a lot more potent: a living dungeon.


    Theo, and everyone else, watched in fascinated terror as the purple bolt struck the aether sphere, shattering it like a bubble, then lit up the avatar like a lightbulb. Any normal person would have been reduced to a cloud of ash. In the avatar¡¯s case, though, only the shirt was.


    Seriously? Theo grumbled to himself. Another one?


    No wonder adventurers were constantly seeking treasures. Wardrobe costs had to be absurd. So far, Theo had ruined quite a number of attires, and he didn¡¯t even get into hand-to-hand combat that often. It was outright impressive how Liandra managed to cope. Then again, she was a first-class heroine.


    The wave of goblins stared at the avatar as it landed on the metal surface. No one was sure what to make of him. On the one hand, he didn¡¯t look at all muscular or impressive. On the other hand, he had just been struck by lightning and remained completely unscathed.


    There were many things that Theo could have done at this point: make an extremely bad pun, say some words of inspiration, or even yell as he charged at the vast masses of goblins. Instead, he chose to resort to the tried-and-true methods, casting a massive stream of fire.


    CORE CONSUMPTION


    31 goblin core fragments converted into 310 Avatar Core Points.


    AVATAR LEVEL INCREASE


    Your Avatar has become Level 9


    +1 Mind, CLEAVE ATTACK skill obtained


    630 Core Points required for next Avatar Level


    ¡°I needed that,¡± the avatar said, after the flames of his spell had effectively cleared the carrier of any enemies.


    It was beyond a doubt that the spell hadn¡¯t been intended for such use. A mage, even a powerful one, would have long run out of mana, ensuring that he wouldn¡¯t be able to go on a barbecue spree. Even a fire elemental would be hard pressed to do as much damage as Theo had. As a dungeon with a large supply of energy at hand, thanks to the demon heart core he had consumed, he wasn¡¯t bound by puny restrictions. Sometimes, being overpowered felt quite good.


    CLEAVE ATTACK - 1


    Allows your avatar to perform superior circular slash attacks, slicing through multiple enemies. Each subsequent slash attack, done within one second of the last, will increase in strength.


    Using the ability will increase its rank, increasing the range stacking potential of the attack.


    The new ability sounded somewhat useless, but Theo didn¡¯t complain. At least he could combine it with his legendary swashbuckling at some point. That was for later, though. Right now, he had other things he needed to focus his attention on.


    ¡°Go for the entrance!¡± the avatar shouted, as he moved the rest of the aether spheres to the top of the carrier. With most of the goblins gone, there was no need to delay the attack.


    In groups of two, the aether shields shattered, letting the people within land onto steel.


    ¡°Quickly, before another lightning hits us. I won¡¯t be able to protect you all a second time.¡±


    The order was followed without hesitation. All twelve people rushed forward, weapons at the ready. Even if a new wave of goblins emerged from within, it would have little chance of resisting. Theo was already planning what to do with the carrier when suddenly a red-armored demon emerged from within. Wings made entirely of crimson flames expanded, extended as if taking the role of a barrier.


    ¡°Demon!¡± the assassin sisters shouted in unison.


    Everyone stopped in their tracks. There was no illusion about how tough such a creature was. Even without the demon heart to constantly provide it energy, it was fast, strong and capable of melting opponents on touch.


    With a growl, the creature took a step forward. A large halberd of flame formed in the demon¡¯s hands. The entity¡¯s presence was unexpected, but welcomed: it was a good source of experience, even if Theo wasn¡¯t certain his avatar could consume cores of that level. Even better, it was an indication that Lord Mandrake might be on the carrier. Defeating him, or rather the construct he had created using the second demon lord heart, would be most welcome.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this.¡± The avatar pulled out a rapier.


    From the dungeon¡¯s perspective, he didn¡¯t want anyone from the group to steal his kill. As far as they were aware¡ªhe was protecting them by putting his own life at risk.


    Without a word, the avatar dashed forward. Unburdened by armor, or clothes for that matter, he was in a perfect position to make use of his swashbuckling. The demon was probably of a similar opinion, for before the two could clash, the creature flew up in the air.


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    This was rather annoying, but by no means a deal breaker. Using his dungeon telekinetic abilities, Theo lifted his avatar into the air to face the opponent. No longer limited by an anti-magic field, there was nothing stopping the avatar from flying around at will.


    The demon was the first to start the attack, waving the large halberd at the avatar. Instinctively, Theo parried using his rapier. Somewhere in the multiverse of existence, a room of physicists cursed their lungs out, at the prospect of a thin piece of metal stopping the momentum of a massive weapon of fire, ten times its size. Despite that, Theo was successful.


    Confused just as much as in the dungeon, the demon attempted another slash. That, too, was parried with ease and followed up by a counterattack that pierced a small hole within the creature¡¯s glowing red armor.


    I should have blessed the tip of my weapon, Theo thought, as the demon let out a roar of pain.


    Red hot magma trickled out of the wound, melting the upper half of the rapier.


    The demon swung its halberd again. This time, Theo pulled away, increasing the distance between them. Injured, the demon flew to the other side in an attempt to flank him. Funnily enough, Theo had the exact same intention.


    Both entities flew about, circling each other for several seconds, after which they stopped. It was time for the typical stare-off. No doubt aware of Theo¡¯s true nature, the demon was hesitant to attack straight up. On his part, Theo had no clue exactly how to proceed now that half his rapier was gone. He could, of course, take out the hero sword from his dimensional ring, although he didn¡¯t want to risk damaging it.


    ¡°Aim for the middle of the chest!¡± one of the old geezers shouted from below. ¡°That¡¯s a demon¡¯s weak spot! The middle of the chest and the forehead.¡±


    The middle of the chest and the forehead, Theo thought. Good advice, although he would very much have appreciated it if it had been given earlier.


    ¡°Come at me!¡± The avatar waved its arms in an attempt to taunt his opponent. Unfortunately, that had little effect.


    Damn it, you cowardly demon!


    Of all the times a demon would lose courage, why did it have to be now? The next lightning strike was already overdue. The longer the fight continued, the greater the chance the avatar would be hit.


    Desperate, the avatar looked about its person in search of something that he could throw at his enemy to annoy it. It would have been nice to have a dagger or two. However, the only thing that fit the bill was his belt buckle or the buttons of what was left of his shirt.


    ¡°Well, the heck with it.¡± He ripped off two buttons. Each was barely the size of half a coin, made entirely of silver. Normally, they wouldn¡¯t be able to deal any damage, but Theo had the bright idea of blessing them. That way, at least they were going to sting enough to anger the demon into action.


    After thoroughly blessing each of the two buttons, he aimed at the chest and forehead of his opponent and flicked his finger, propelling the buttons as if they were marbles.


    The head and chest of the demon were struck simultaneously. Theo expected¡ªor rather hoped¡ªthat the action would be enough to irritate the demon. Instead, the middle of the creature¡¯s chest and its head exploded in a fountain of golden light. The red-armor shriveled like a grape in the desert, then fell down with a cling onto the carrier.


    That was a bit anti-climactic. Back in the Mandrake Mountains, Liandra had spent much longer to defeat her demon.


    Gently floating down, the avatar made its way to the melted armor''s remains. The demon core was there, glowing bright red, partially wrapped in a shell of wrinkled metal. Theo used telekinesis to claim it.


    CORE CONSUMPTION


    Your level is not yet high enough to consume Demon Lord cores.


    Increase your avatar level and try again later.


    ¡°Of course, it would be,¡± Theo mumbled to himself, then put the demon core in his dimension ring. ¡°Well, what are we waiting for?¡± he asked, looking over his shoulder. ¡°Another lightning strike?¡±


    The rest of the group charged on. With the speed and elegance of flying squirrels, they entered the husk of the goblin carrier. Just in time as well. Barely had Flail closed the giant hatch, when thunder sounded outside. Had they taken slightly more, Theo would have been the only one to see the mission through.


    ¡°Split up,¡± he ordered. ¡°There¡¯s every chance that Mandrake is here, so be careful. If you come across him, come find me. He¡¯s not someone you can take out alone.¡±


    ¡°That attack you did. Where did you learn it?¡± Grisama¡ªone of the characters with a questionable past¡ªasked.


    ¡°It came naturally.¡± The avatar brushed it off. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s get this thing under control first. We can chat on the way back.¡±


    Whoever said that gnome technology was complicated was definitely the master of understatement. The inside of the flying vessel was a maze of corridors and rooms which seemed linked to one another without any logic whatsoever. It was as if the architect was allergic to straight lines and had done everything possible to avoid them. Even as a dungeon, Theo had a tough time remembering everything.


    Interestingly enough, there didn¡¯t seem to be any more goblins, or other creatures, present. At first, Theo thought that his fellow fighters had dealt with everything, but when, after twenty minutes, he still failed to find anything, he started to suspect that something wasn¡¯t right.


    ¡°It¡¯s rather empty for such a large vessel,¡± Dom said. The old man had also failed to come across any opponents, and he wasn¡¯t the only one. ¡°I found hundreds of glide devices in the lower parts of the carrier, but no goblins.¡±


    That didn¡¯t make sense. Why would there be a demon present, if the Lord Mandrake wasn¡¯t present? Or even if he wasn¡¯t, there had to be more troops than a measly hundred goblins. By the time Theo¡¯s avatar reached the control room, he was certain that the gnome had a nasty surprise in store.


    ¡°Did anyone come across any goblins?¡± the avatar asked.


    ¡°I did,¡± the former gladiator replied, raising his hand. ¡°Half a dozen had gotten stuck in one of the smaller passageways.


    ¡°Six goblins¡­ Anyone else?¡±


    No one said a word.


    ¡°Maybe you killed them all getting here?¡± Wolf suggested.


    That was one possibility, though it was highly unlikely. Theo¡¯s current fear was that the gnome might have rigged the carrier to explode; Lord Mandrake had the knowledge and the resources. And if it definitely sounded like something he would do.


    ¡°Spok,¡± the dungeon said in his main body. ¡°Know anything about goblin carriers, by chance?¡±


    ¡°No, not particularly.¡± The Spirit guide replied. ¡°They¡¯re usually cheap minions, so most dungeons tend to avoid having them. It doesn¡¯t help that they are extremely messy. Skeletons are much better.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for your input,¡± the dungeon grumbled.


    There were half a dozen seats in the control room, each smaller than a person could comfortably take. In front of each seat were a combination of dials and levers. One would assume that normally those would be used to control the vessel, but without help, it was anyone¡¯s guess as to how exactly. Several more weird looking contraptions were placed on the walls, though not a single window or opening.


    Knowing a thing or two about submarines from his previous life, Theo looked around in search of a periscope. There wasn¡¯t one to be seen, though. Instead, there seemed to be an antique gramophone placed quite prominently in the middle of the room. The only difference was that instead of a standard horn, a large crystal ball was placed on top.


    ¡°Does anyone know what that is?¡± the dungeon¡¯s avatar asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a gnome¡¯s sound scryer,¡± Nausca said. ¡°They¡¯re used to talking to people across great distances.¡±


    That made sense. With a fleet composed of dozens of carriers, if not more, there had to be a way to ensure all were following the same orders. More curious than anything else, the avatar went to the device and cranked it up.


    Lights flickered into the crystal. At first, they were little more than colors that came and went, but as the gramophone picked up speed, so did the image in the crystal ball. After half a minute it was clear enough to create a full image of a face¡ªLord Mandrake¡¯s face, to be exact.


    ¡°Ah, I see you¡¯ve followed the breadcrumbs I left you,¡± the gnome said, amused. ¡°Quite an achievement¡­ if it wasn¡¯t my plan from the very beginning! I knew you¡¯d follow me from the start, so that¡¯s why I took certain precautions. The carrier you¡¯re on¡ª¡±


    ¡°Is rigged to explode,¡± Theo interrupted.


    ¡°What?¡± The gnome blinked, moving further back, so the entirety of its head was now visible. ¡°What¡¯s the point of that? It won¡¯t harm you a bit. Remember, I know exactly what you are.¡±


    Without thinking, Theo cast an aether wall between his avatar and the rest of the group, then applied silence on it. There were certain things he didn¡¯t want anyone to hear. It was a good thing, too, for gnomes weren¡¯t known for their discretion, unless it came to schematics.


    ¡°I¡¯ve no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Theo used one of the five worst denials in response.


    ¡°An actual dungeon avatar, roaming freely so far from home. You must be quite powerful. Most of the dungeons I worked for didn¡¯t bother creating an avatar of their own, and even when they did, the results were laughable. In order to have your avatar come all the way here, you must be insanely powerful.¡±


    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t say insanely¡­ I mean, why do you think I¡¯m a dungeon?¡±


    ¡°Oh, please.¡± The gnome crossed its arms. ¡°Do I look stupid to you? Of course, I know you¡¯re a dungeon. I knew it the moment you were hit during our last encounter. No doubt you¡¯d heard of my exploits and decided to claim the demon hearts for yourself. Well, it¡¯s not happening. In fact, not only isn¡¯t it happening, but it¡¯ll never happen.¡± The creature flashed a toothy smile. ¡°You see, while you wasted your time following what you believed to be my troops, I¡¯m making my way towards the one place that will bring me complete victory: your main body!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The avatar glanced over his shoulder towards the rest of his group.


    The people had no doubt realized that he had sound-isolated himself and were patiently waiting for him to finish his conversation with Lord Mandrake.


    ¡°You¡¯re bluffing,¡± the avatar said. ¡°You¡¯ve no idea where to find me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, but I do.¡± The gnome¡¯s smile widened. ¡°After working decades for dungeons, I¡¯ve picked up a few things. One is to follow the thread connecting you, or rather this avatar, to your main body. In a week, two at most, I¡¯ll get there. When that happens, I¡¯ll show no mercy. You¡¯ll pay for destroying my stronghold, and I¡¯ll claim your core.¡±


    ¡°I thought you said you planned on moving out of there weeks ago.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true! I did!¡± The gnome pouted. ¡°In any event, you won¡¯t trick me with your smart talk. I¡¯ll destroy you and that¡¯s that! Then I¡¯ll finally get back to taking over the world.¡±


    Theo wanted to smash the device here and now. Doing so, though, wouldn¡¯t provide a solution to his problem. Not only had the pesky creature learned of his true nature, but was heading to Rosewind with an armada of carriers and gods know how many armies. The worst of it was that there wasn¡¯t anything the dungeon could do. Without his avatar, Theo¡¯s combat capabilities were rather limited. The thought that he¡¯d have to rely on Cmyk for protection was enough to make the entire building tremble.


    ¡°Spok, am I capable of withstanding an attack?¡± he asked back in his main body.


    ¡°That depends on the nature of the attack, sir,¡± she replied. ¡°If a somewhat competent hero learns of your location, there¡¯s a fifty-fifty chance that you¡¯ll survive. If it¡¯s anything more than that, your chances are low.¡±


    ¡°Is an army of gnome-work carriers more or less than a competent hero?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Spok placed her index finger on her lips. ¡°That¡¯s a good question. It all depends on the number of carriers, I suppose. If they come with a few hundred goblins, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for you. Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°No reason.¡± The furniture within the building shifted about. ¡°Actually, remember the Lord Mandrake I mentioned a while back? There¡¯s a chance he might be on his way here¡­ with an army of demons, trolls, and flying goblins¡­¡± The dungeon hesitated a bit more. ¡°And he¡¯s set on destroying me.¡±


    ¡°He knows you¡¯re a dungeon?¡± Spok frowned as if she were a middle school teacher who¡¯d caught one of her pupils doing something they shouldn¡¯t have.


    ¡°Somehow he figured it out and now he says he¡¯s coming to get me.¡±


    ¡°Oh dear. And I take it your avatar is nowhere near?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°In that case, the only solution is to turn this house into a fortress and rely on the town¡¯s forces to dissuade the attackers.¡±


    ¡°All that energy and I can¡¯t do anything to stop them?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of energy, but a matter of space. If you openly expand throughout the city, there would be questions, but even if it doesn¡¯t, buying real-estate in a town is a laborious and expensive process.¡±


    Theo considered his options. None of them seemed particularly good. Running was out of the question: the gnome would only follow. If the dungeon was to survive, the town of Rosewind was to survive, and for that to happen, he was going to have to rely on both the local population, and those that were with his avatar.


    ¡°Cmyk!¡± Theo shouted. ¡°Get up there and start making gold! We¡¯ll need to buy a few things.¡±

 18. Protector of Rosewind

    Multi-tasking was a difficult skill in the best of times. It was said to be the trait of successful generals, rulers, and merchant masterminds. People with such abilities would build empires¡ªfinancial or other¡ªwin vast battles and not lose any sleep in the process. None of them were anywhere close to what a dungeon was capable of, and all Theo had to show for it was an almost empty goblin carrier and small, though sophisticated, building in the town of Rosewind. And now, by the looks of it, he risked losing it all.


    ¡°Damn it, Cmyk, can¡¯t you work faster?!¡± Theo slammed the attic door several times in rapid succession. His minion had been hard at work making gold out of straw. At present half of the room was filled with neatly placed stacks of gold, but it was far from enough. From what Theo had seen in Lord Mandrake¡¯s mountain stronghold, a considerable number of mercenaries would have to be hired just to ensure that the Rosewind would be able to put up a fight.


    ¡°Anger won¡¯t make things go faster,¡± Spok said. ¡°In contrast, good planning would. If it isn¡¯t too much of a bother, maybe you can share what you intend to do, sir?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± the dungeon snapped. ¡°I¡¯ll hire as many defensive troops as I can and help the town guards hold off until my avatar and Liandra arrive.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re planning on hiring heroes?¡±


    The thought was enough to make Theo¡¯s stomach churn¡ªif he had a stomach.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not get too extreme. Standard armies would do.¡±


    ¡°Because, unless you rely on heroes, you¡¯ll be wasting your gold. Standard armies are useless against dungeons or demons. When dealing with someone like Lord Mandrake, they won¡¯t even create a distraction.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re telling me to hire heroes? Good plan, Spok. Really good plan.¡±


    ¡°Not at all, sir. You don¡¯t have the ability to hire heroes.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The shutters of the building closed and opened again abruptly as the dungeon blinked. ¡°Why not? I have the money.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of money. Only certain people can request the assistance of heroes. As the strongest warriors in the world, it would be natural that everyone strives for their attention. If it were only a matter of money, an extremely wealthy noble would pay to have a hero bring a kitten down a tree, while an entire village is overrun by monsters.¡±


    ¡°An entire town is about to be overrun by monsters,¡± Theo grumbled.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure everyone claims that. So, in order to ensure that heroes use their skills adequately, only established rulers and other heroes can request for help. There are a few exceptions, but you aren¡¯t among them.¡±


    The dungeon was left speechless. Even in a fantasy world bureaucracy managed to find a way to creep in and ruin things for everyone. On the other hand, it wasn¡¯t like Theo intended to ask heroes for help, anyway. Other than the absurdity of the situation, that would increase the risk of him being found out.


    ¡°So, what do you suggest?¡± Theo asked.


    ¡°Deal with the matter yourself, of course.¡±


    A gust of wind passed through every single room as the dungeon sighed. He was hoping to avoid this. Originally, his plan had been to buy up as many free lots as possible and expand to occupy them. Once that was achieved, he could easily create a series of defense structures to hold off the gnome army. If there was anything dungeons excelled at it was defending against invaders. Unfortunately, there were two major problems with that. First, it was going to involve a lot of effort. Theo had attempted to delegate the task to Spok, but this time the spirit guide had firmly refused. In no unclear terms, she had made it known that if he wanted to go forward with this; he was going to have to do it himself. All that she could do was assist.


    The second, and far greater issue, was the tax collectors. It had been a pain in the neck to get all the necessary permits for one building. Acquiring a tenth of the town was going to be a bureaucratic nightmare. Spok had insisted that it should be a lot easier, though the dungeon had its doubts.


    Finally, there was the issue of materials. As Spok had rightfully warned him, not everything could be solved by using core points. In theory, nothing prevented Theo from simply creating underground tunnels to the land plots in question, then form extensions of himself on top. That, however, was going to be exceedingly wasteful. The budgeting skills that Theo had developed in the course of his previous life kicked in.


    ¡°Cmyk, take a rest,¡± he ordered. ¡°We¡¯ll delay the armies for later. For the moment, go buy out any free land along the city walls. And I mean any!¡±


    Relieved to be no longer spinning straw, the minion stood up. The moment he did, a somewhat fashionable cross between a suitcase and a wooden chest popped into existence.


    ¡°You¡¯ll carry the gold in this,¡± Theo said. ¡°Just try to be discreet and don¡¯t overspend! I don¡¯t want people to think you¡¯re a chump.¡±


    Cmyk had no idea what the term meant, but nodded nonetheless.


    ¡°Spok, magic a letter to the tax office administration, or whatever it¡¯s called. Think of an explanation of my purchases.¡±


    ¡°Very well, sir.¡± The spirit guide nodded. ¡°Is there anything specific you¡¯d like me to mention?¡±


    ¡°Just be creative about it. I don¡¯t want it to arouse any suspicion.¡±


    ¡°Of course, sir.¡±


    ¡°And after you¡¯re done, I want you to contact all merchants, blacksmiths, jewelers, and masons in the area. I¡¯ll be buying some materials.¡±


    At first light on the following morning, Theo¡¯s plan was put into motion. While his avatar slowly flew the carrier towards Liandra and the rest of the rescued villagers near the mandrake mountains, every merchant and craftsman within a fifty-mile radius of Roeswind had an envelope appear on their doorstep.


    Each letter within was identical, informing the people in question that Baron d¡¯Argent, a mage and architect hobbyist, wanted to buy all their wares right away and was willing to pay a premium for it. Since it was well known that the Baron himself was out on a noble quest, it was his steward who took care of the practical transaction.


    The promised amounts were more than sufficient, and since it came from a mage, no one gave it much thought. After all, mages were universally accepted to be rich and eccentric, so having them go on impulsive buying sprees for no apparent reason was alright. The only requirement was that everything had to be brought to the gates of Rosewind in great haste.


    Half an hour later, Cmyk¡ªwell known and beloved Rosewind champion with a dark and mysterious past¡ªset off through town, buying as much free land as he could. A man of few words, he carried a letter that his employer¡ªBaron d¡¯Argent¡ªwas interested in purchasing the respective piece of land ¡°and/or building¡± at a reasonable price. Initially, there was some hesitation among the owners, but seeing that Cmyk had the money with him on the spot, deeds quickly exchanged hands. And with each new purchase made, interest grew. Most of the money ended up going into the Earl¡¯s treasury. As the ruling noble of the land, he held most of it; although there were also a considerable number of others willing to sell. It seemed that many of the things that made the town to be seen as advantageous were exactly what kept others away. The town was relatively small, isolated, far from any trade routes or bodies of water. Even monsters didn¡¯t bother roaming the area, which was the reason why the city walls were primarily for show. Pretty much the only people there were locals, and those who wanted to enjoy a calm retirement.


    Roughly every hour, Cmyk would return to refill his suitcase. It was absolutely astonishing how cheap everything was. Given what Theo had to pay for his initial spot, he feared that his minion would need to take a break to make more gold. However, he had already bought over a dozen properties and the piles of gold had only decreased by a tiny fraction.


    With all that underway, the dungeon focused on the most bothersome task yet: dungeon expansion processes.


    Unlike people¡ªor Theo¡¯s avatar¡ªdungeons didn¡¯t have levels. All the actions they could perform depended purely on the type and nature of the rooms within them. A dungeon with an aether generator had the energy to spend on more rooms, more minions to acquire more ores and minerals with which to create more sophisticated rooms and devices. That much was clear¡ªSpok had done a good job explaining it every chance she got. However, there was one exception to the rule¡ªa dungeon¡¯s rank.


    Ranks were very different from levels. Strictly speaking, they didn¡¯t provide any new powers or abilities. The only thing they granted was more efficient methods of aether generation and usage. From what Theo gathered, they acted like a multiplier when dealing with all things aether related, minions included. Even Spok considered it a waste of effort, considering the amount of core points and energy Theo had at his disposal. Considering the numbers, though, it was looking more and more likely that it was a sacrifice that had to be made.


    Mentally preparing for the effort, Theo did an insight on himself.


    DUNGEON STATUS


    Name: THEODOR


    Rank: 1


    Personal Avatar: Heroic (Unique)


    Spirit Guide: Atypical


    Minions: 1 Champion


    Rooms: 17


    Aether Generation: 7000 energy per hour


    Core Points: 67585520


    It was vaguely flattering to know that his personal avatar was heroic, especially since it was unique among all dungeons. Everything else, though, was less than average with the exception of the current amount of core points.


    Stupid overlord wannabe. Why couldn¡¯t you do this somewhere else? Theo wondered.


    Since the gnome had an air force, ground troops¡ªeven if Theo was able to hire mercenaries¡ªwere practically useless. Bows and arrows weren¡¯t going to cause a dent in the goblin carrier¡¯s armor. Ballistas were needed for that, or better yet, flying minions. The issue was that between reinforcing the town and the expenses associated with his avatar; the dungeon didn¡¯t have the core points to freely spend as before. He was going to have to be smart about this, and the first step was to increase his rank.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Earning a higher rank was fairly straightforward. All that was required were a few basic resources and a small, fully crystalized mana crystal. Normally, the dungeon was one had to create the mana crystal by slowly purifying a rare precious gem and infusing it with aether. However, thanks to his generous donation to the Feline Mage Tower, Spok was able to request one for him. The crystal¡ªa flawlessly blue vessel in the shape of an octahedron¡ªarrived in a velvet padded wooden box with a letter of thanks and a sincere apology by the arch mage of the tower that it was only a quarter full. Now all that was needed was for the purchased ores and minerals to arrive.


    ¡°Those mages are rather too polite, don¡¯t you think?¡± Theo asked as he used his telekinesis to put the mana crystal in one of his aether generators. ¡°Are you sure there isn¡¯t anything fishy going on?¡±


    ¡°Towers are like that when they start out. And don¡¯t forget, you are an extremely respected patron of theirs, sir. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if you are the only person who bought their permit.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Maybe I should go visit them at some point.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t recommend that, sir. Mages would be able to see through your avatar disguise. A nice thank you letter will be more than sufficient, if you are so inclined.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? Very well. Write something fancy. And give them a small token of thanks. I don¡¯t want to seem stingy or¡ª¡±


    Before the dungeon could finish, there was a knock at the door. This wasn¡¯t the crude knock of the tax collector. It was rhythmic and precise, almost artistic.


    ¡°Any chance this could be Cmyk returning with some friends?¡± Theo asked, in hope.


    A second series of knocks suggested that not to be the case.


    Straightening her dress, Spok went down to the first floor and opened the door. A dozen city guards were standing in two rows, swords at the ready. Captain Ribbons was also present, but he hadn¡¯t been the one who had knocked on the dungeon¡¯s door. That honor went to Earl Rosewind himself.


    ¡°Good day, dear lady,¡± the earl greeted. ¡°I was told that the good baron had a rather fetching steward. Now I see that the description doesn¡¯t do you justice.¡±


    ¡°You are too kind, my Lord Rosewind.¡± Spok curtsied with such dignity that one would consider her a noble as well. ¡°It¡¯s such an honor having you visit. Would you like to come inside?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to, but I don¡¯t have much time, I¡¯m afraid. I¡¯ve been tasked with the dreadful responsibility of accompanying the Duke of Goton¡¯s second daughter hunting. The poor thing has the illusion that just because a place is isolated that it must have rare and undiscovered beasts. Still, it is my duty, so I¡¯ll be off to meet her carriage in a bit.¡±


    ¡°But of course, my lord.¡±


    ¡°The reason I¡¯m here is because I heard that Baron d¡¯Argent has been buying up properties all over town. All of them near the city wall, in fact. Is there anything I should know about?¡±


    ¡°Oh, just another whim, I am sure. The baron is the type of man who cannot help himself. The moment he settles in a place, he starts thinking how to improve it. It¡¯s his weakness, you can say.¡±


    Theo was far from pleased with that description. In fact, he was outright furious. If he could be certain that there would be no consequences, he would have slammed the door in the earl¡¯s face and have Spok bear the consequences. Improving this town was the second least favorite activity he could think of. Of course, the absolute least was getting destroyed by an overeager gnome maniac with a burning desire to take over the world.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± The earl nodded several times. ¡°Quite commendable, I must say. In fact, I have come to him with a request of sorts. When I say request, I honestly mean that. I wouldn¡¯t want people to think I¡¯m forcing the old boy into something he doesn¡¯t want.¡± Earl Rosewind laughed.


    ¡°I am sure, my lord.¡± Spok smiled along. ¡°As you know, the baron isn¡¯t here right now, but maybe I can be of assistance? I am his appointed steward, after all.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the noble rubbed his chin with his thumb and index finger. ¡°He¡¯s off to see the end of those dreadful thieves of the Hook Claw Gang. I distinctly remember sending him there. And yes, I do hope you could be of assistance. You see, I want to sell him the wall of the city.¡±


    If there was a moment for Spok and Theo to feel shocked at the same time, this was it.


    ¡°The city wall, my lord?¡± Spok asked, unsure how to react.


    ¡°Oh, it will come with a title, of course. Protector of Rosewind and all that,¡± the earl waves his hand. ¡°Since he is a man of vision, and also means, I think it would be a wonderful opportunity for him to focus his artistic talents on the city¡¯s wall. Between you and me, my grandfather built it purely to stop the jokes about Rosewind hall being more wind than wall. It¡¯s neither pretty nor has it served any practical purpose other than keeping foxes from running into town. It would be to everyone¡¯s benefit if something more¡­ deserving were to be built.¡±


    ¡°Let me be certain I understand this correctly, my lord. You¡¯re putting Baron d¡¯Argent in charge of the city¡¯s defenses?¡±


    ¡°Of course not! That would be absurd. The man clearly hasn¡¯t any battlefield training. He¡¯ll just be responsible for the walls. And by that, naturally, I mean he¡¯ll make sure it¡¯s well kept, clean, and presentable in case some dignitary decides to visit. Can¡¯t have them thinking less of us, can we?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Spok said beneath her breath.


    ¡°So, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°It will be rather¡ª¡±


    ¡°Splendid,¡± the earl interrupted, barely a moment after. ¡°Here¡¯s the deed.¡± He opened the palm of his hand. Instantly, a servant rushed from somewhere and placed a rolled-up scroll with a very large and officially looking ribbon in his hand. ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry about price. We¡¯ll discuss that once the Baron returns. For now, just consider the wall yours. Oh, and possibly make use of all the materials you¡¯ve bought to give it a do over here and there. Nothing fancy, mind you, just enough to show progress.¡±


    Handing the deed to Spok, the noble then turned around and walked to a carriage waiting nearby. The town guard followed quickly after.


    ¡°Sometimes he scares me,¡± Theo said, looking at the whole thing through the crack of the door.


    ¡°I agree, sir.¡± Spok nodded, then slowly closed the door. ¡°What do we do now? Does that change your plan?¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ve been given control of the wall. Is there a way to assimilate it?¡±


    The spirit guide remained silent. Dungeons weren¡¯t creatures that assimilated things. They grew, forming rooms and runnels in earth, rock, and clay. Instances of dungeons taking over cities were few and far between, and in all cases, the cities had already been abandoned. Still, there was no rule or law that it couldn¡¯t be done.


    ¡°I think I have something suitable, sir.¡±


    DIGEST


    Spend 50 energy per cubic foot to digest a plant, ore, or mineral deposit, making them part of you. Cannot be used on living creatures.


    ¡°I think you should start by building a connecting tunnel to your properties, including the wall,¡± Spok suggested. ¡°Afterwards, maybe digest one section at a time.¡±


    ¡°Sounds reasonable. It¡¯ll also make acquiring the materials easier.¡±


    While Theo¡¯s main body was considering how to best utilize the vast amount of real-estate he had just acquired, his avatar was also dealing with its own issues.


    Flying a massive dirigible with a full crew was challenging at the best of times. At present, the entire group was relying on the skills of an ex-pirate to get them out of a storm that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. When Liandra had said that the weather near the Mandrake Mountains was unpredictable, she hadn¡¯t exaggerated.


    ¡°Nothing to worry about,¡± Wolf shouted. ¡°I¡¯ll get us out of this. I¡¯ve driven a gnome ship once. It¡¯s similar to this.¡±


    Having never seen a gnome ship, Theo had no basis to agree or not. However, he knew it wasn¡¯t normal for the carrier to spin around like a top. If the rest of the crew weren¡¯t exceptional warriors, they would all be dizzy vomiting by now.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you do anything about¡­¡± The storm suddenly changed direction, sending everyone except Theo¡¯s avatar flying across the control room. No one got hurt, of course, but this was starting to get annoying.


    ¡°Nothing to worry about,¡± Wolf said, crawling back to one of the control seats. ¡°Storms don¡¯t last long here. We just have to wait it out and we¡¯ll be back on our way.¡±


    That was among the stupidest things Theo had ever heard. Even if he wasn¡¯t in a rush, he had no intention of just sitting there, waiting for the storm to clear. With a grumble, he left the room.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± The child prodigy shouted behind him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, kid,¡± Flail said. ¡°He¡¯s going to do what needs to be done.¡±


    It all sounded very noble and dramatic. There was one small detail, though: Theo had no clear idea what he was going to do. An object this size was too big to be affected by telekinesis and attempting to cast an aether shield around it was just as ludicrous.


    Walking along the narrow wavy corridors, he tried to come up with a plan. He was so close to the rest of the villagers that he could almost see them. By all accounts he should have arrived by now, but it has been one thing after the other. At first, it had taken a while for the carrier to get going. While Lord Mandrake hadn¡¯t busted up the controls¡ªan oversight on his part¡ªeverything was so overly complicated that only a gnome would make sense of it. Then, once they had finally turned the thing around, they had spent a few hours going in the wrong direction, before the shield-bearers had used their compass skill to tell him where he was supposed to be going. And now, there was the sudden storm. There were definitely ways how this could have gone worse, but not many.


    ¡°Planning something?¡± One of the assassin sisters appeared without warning next to the dungeon¡¯s avatar.


    That would have been quite startling, especially since he hadn¡¯t sensed her approach. However, Theo was so annoyed with everything going on this day that he simply gave her a glaring look.


    ¡°I expected nothing less of you.¡± The woman said, not hiding her smile. ¡°Most would have screamed or tried to attack me. You just analyzed the situation calmly and saw I presented no threat.¡±


    ¡°We have a few bigger threats, Nauska,¡± the avatar said, still walking. ¡°This storm is bad enough. If it gets any worse, it can crash this ship on the ground. We¡¯ll survive, of course, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t be able to take the people aboard,¡± the assassin finished the sentence for him. ¡°Why don¡¯t you push the carrier out of the storm? You managed to fly us aboard.¡±


    ¡°Those are completely different things. The hull is made of anti-magic material. The moment my aether shield comes in contact, it will collapse. And if I just use brute force to slam it in, there¡¯s no telling which direction we¡¯ll go.¡±


    Of course, Theo chose not to share the fact that he had already tried that a while back. The entire reason for the dirigible going off course was Theo losing his patience and using several aether spheres to nudge it in the right direction.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you control them?¡± the woman asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. Even for me, it¡¯ll be like pushing a piece of rope: there¡¯s no telling how it¡¯ll turn.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    It was unclear whether Nauska was having problems with the example, or she actually agreed with his reasoning. The following silence made Theo visualize his example in an attempt to explain it better. After all, he didn¡¯t want his image tarnished because of such a triviality. Ironically, doing so gave him a rather unique idea.


    ¡°But if a rope cannot be pushed, it can be pulled,¡± he said, deep in thought.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Now the woman was utterly confused.


    ¡°Nauska, get everyone but Wolf to meet me where the goblin gliders are. I know what to do.¡±


    The assassin nodded, then vanished just as suddenly as she had appeared. Theo didn¡¯t pay any notice, rushing down to to the goblin gliders.


    Using brute strength, he began disassembling them, dividing the components into piles. By the time the rest of the group had appeared, four gliders had been reduced to parts.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re here,¡± the avatar said. ¡°Give me a hand. I want you to disassemble a few each. The thing I¡¯m looking for is steel cords. I want us to make ten chains. They have to be strong enough to be able to drag the carrier.


    With some hesitation, the group got to work. Thankfully, their respective skills made the process exceedingly fast. In half an hour, ten chain-ropes, a hundred feet each, had been composed. Each of them was composed of links made of steel threads. They had been tested and retested several times while being tied together.


    ¡°Perfect!¡± Theo said. ¡°Now here comes the beautiful part. We¡¯ll tie one part of each to a goblin glider and the docking ring of the carrier. Once that¡¯s done, I¡¯ll cast an aether sphere round the gliders and have them pull the carrier forward. Since they aren¡¯t made of any anti-magic materials, the shields should hold.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re thinking of pulling the carrier like a sledge through snow?¡± Flail asked.


    ¡°Hmm. Yes.¡± Dom nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve seen that done with sea-dragons in the ocean. Dangerous, but effective. We should travel five times as fast as we usually do.¡±


    ¡°And the best part,¡± the dungeon¡¯s avatar began enthusiastically. Before he could finish, Wolf ran into the hangar.


    ¡°The storm has cleared!¡± he shouted triumphantly. ¡°There¡¯s nothing but clear skies now. We¡¯ll be with the villagers in less than an hour.¡±


    There was a brief silence.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s great news,¡± the avatar said, a forced smile plastered on its face. ¡°That way, we¡¯ll get to transport everyone much faster to their new home.¡±


    Damn you, Wolf! How dare you steal my thunder! Theo cursed on the inside. The only positive was that the carrier was going to reach Rosewind a lot faster. Hopefully, the town was going to be still standing by then.

 19. Vinewood Forest

    ¡°Should have known you¡¯d overdo things,¡± Liandra said, looking at the giant carrier.


    Meanwhile, aether spheres were lifting people, a dozen at a time, up inside. It was a wasteful way of using energy, but the sooner the whole group could start the trip to Rosewind, the better.


    ¡°I take it no heroes showed up?¡± Theo¡¯s avatar asked. On the one hand, that was good. It meant that he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about others discovering his nature. At the same time, he was really annoyed that he had to do their job for them.


    ¡°Sadly. Sometimes difficult choices have to be made. Still, I knew I could rely on you. Funny how it¡¯s been less than a week that we¡¯ve known each other and you haven¡¯t let me down once.¡±


    The avatar could only smile. This was not at all what he had planned.


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll need your help to get back home.¡± he changed the subject. ¡°The shield bearers with me are a bit¡­¡± Theo carefully considered his words. ¡°Their compass skill seems to be a bit off, and we can¡¯t afford to get lost. We need to get to Rosewind as quickly as possible.¡±


    ¡°Again, with the constant hurrying. I know that having over a thousand hungry souls is challenging, to put it mildly, but rushing won¡¯t solve anything. As my father used to say, rushing only brings the goal further.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°It means that while rushing, people often make mistakes they wouldn¡¯t have otherwise, which ultimately makes them take longer.¡±


    Oh, one of these sayings, the dungeon thought. Even in the previous life, he didn¡¯t like them. They made no sense and only confirmed the conclusion of the person saying them. Rushing wasn¡¯t going to cause anyone to slow down. Being sloppy about it would. Since the heroine wasn¡¯t convinced, though, this called for drastic measures.


    ¡°Lord Mandrake is on his way there,¡± the avatar whispered. ¡°He told me when we took control of the goblin carrier. I cast a cone of silence to keep the others from knowing, but¡­¡±


    The whisper had the desired effect. The woman¡¯s expression abruptly changed. It was just as Spok had said: the fastest way to get a hero to do something was to tell them of an evil entity that intended to take over the world.


    ¡°If he makes Rosewind his new base, he could easily take over the kingdom, and after that the world.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your plan?¡± she asked. At this point, the battle was all but won.


    ¡°We¡¯ve tied some gliders to the nose of the airship,¡± Theo explained. ¡°From there I¡¯ll use my magic to pull it straight to Rosewind. All I need from you is adequate directions.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re using me as a navigator?¡± Liandra crossed her arms.


    There were certain things that a hero was never to be asked. Chief among them was acting like a sidekick. While pretty much all heroes had the skill to flawlessly navigate in any environment and the world at large, they would never degrade themselves to give directions. Doing so would mean that they put someone else¡¯s ability above their own.


    Liandra had seen how capable Theo was, she had even grown to acknowledge his skills. However, he remained merely a mage. As such, even if she wanted to help him in this fashion, years of training screamed that it would be a humiliation to do so.


    ¡°I just need the basic direction,¡± Theo continued, oblivious to the internal conflict that was unfolding. ¡°The shortest distance between two points is a straight line, so as long as I direct the carrier in the right direction, we¡¯ll be there in no time.¡±


    There were two things that the heroine could do. The expected reaction was for her to refuse in a polite and firm manner¡ªpossibly providing an explanation of some sort. The alternative was to explain the flaws in his plan and take over the entire operation and be the one to lead everyone back to Rosewind. Both had their pros and cons. However, in that precise moment, Liandra did neither. Turning around, she pointed at the horizon.


    ¡°That way,¡± she said curtly, then walked away.


    A normal person would have inquired about the sudden behavior change, or at the very least asked for a clarification. Being a dungeon, though, a direction was all that Theo needed. Thanks to his special awareness, he could already imagine his avatar returning to his main body. It wasn¡¯t going to be a comfortable trip, especially for the villagers aboard, but it was going to be fast. As long as he used his abilities to surround the gliders in a protective aether sphere and push them as strong as possible¡ªthough not too strong so as not to snap the link connecting them to the carrier¡ªit would be like driving a dog sled.


    Doubling the number of villagers that he lifted to the carrier, Theo got back to focus on other important things, namely the unexpected developments in Rosewind. When the earl had given him the wall surrounding the city, it had seemed like a good thing. The price didn¡¯t matter, since all that Theo needed to cover it was enough hay. The location was also perfect, since it allowed the dungeon to fortify and modify the walls so as to withstand Lord Mandrake¡¯s attack. With the steady supply of resources coming in¡ªand the core points at his disposal¡ªthere was nothing that was supposed to prevent Theo from surviving and saving the town in the process. At least, that¡¯s how it was supposed to have been until he saw the actual state of the wall.


    Other than the section around the main gates, and a few near the earl¡¯s castle, the stones were so loose than a farm animal could topple them by leaning on them. Reaching the wall had cost him a large amount of core points just to create a network of tunnels to the walls. Spok had insisted that the tunnels be made deep under the city and have large trap sections. Theo hadn¡¯t appreciated the idea, but gone with it all the same to avoid arguments. Sadly, that was just the start of his expenses. The amount of core points that had gone into making the wall functional has cost had cost, aside from a vast amount of the materials purchased, about a quarter of his remaining core points. And all that was just for the basics. The dungeon had yet to place ballistas on the battlements.


    ¡°Woah, did you see that, Kev?¡± a guard said, sliding his grimy hand along the inner wall of a watchtower. ¡°Smooth as marble. I tell ya, it must pay a lot to be a mage. Make me think we¡¯re in the wrong business.¡±


    Theo took a deep breath, swinging the shutters of all windows in his main body open. Now he understood how the hatred between dungeons and people had formed. It had been less than a few hours since the wall had become part of him, and already there were guards going about, touching everything, as if they were construction inspectors. Even worse, graffiti had already appeared here and there along the length of the wall, and a few drunkards had relieved themselves on it.


    ¡°Maybe I should just let Mandrake take over¡­¡±


    ¡°You will be the first to be destroyed, if he did, sir,¡± Spok reminded.


    The dungeon sighed again. With his luck, it was likely that the pesky people who ruined the wall would outlive him.


    Just a bit more time, the dungeon thought. The moment his avatar was back and the gnome¡¯s attack was thwarted, there would be substantial changes. For one thing, Theo intended to insist that the city guards walked by the walls instead of on top of them. Further, he would make damaging the walls a crime. Although, that might prove more difficult for the other buildings he had created. Not knowing that the cheapskate earl would go for something so ludicrous as sell off his own town walls, Theo had planned on using normal structures as anti-aircraft sites. Now that would be redundant.


    ¡°Spok, if I own the buildings and the city walls, I can merge them into one, right?¡± the dungeon asked.


    Fully aware that the decision had already been made, the spirit guide nodded.


    ¡°So, I can make them part of the wall, right?¡±


    Spok remained speechless, as if waiting for the punchline of a rather unfunny joke.


    ¡°Then, I can make into minion garrisons to hold off the attack! Oh, and I could place a moat on the outside of the wall as well.¡±


    ¡°Those are all wonderful ideas, sir, but from what you said, the attackers will be arriving from the air,¡± Spok noted, adjusting the silk cuffs of her blouse. ¡°Not to mention that having dungeon minions would lead to certain questions. While your magic permit allows you a certain amount of leeway when it comes to your unusual behavior¡­ such as impulse buying, instant building constructions, and vast amounts of gold.¡± She gave the study a stern glance. ¡°Having clearly identifiable dungeon minions pour out for no reason would be different. Remember that a heroine is accompanying your avatar. And let us not forget that there are a few adventurer guilds in Rosewind.¡±


    ¡°Those good for nothings? They¡¯re not real adventurers! All they do is get drunk and boast about things they¡¯ve done years ago.¡±


    ¡°Nonetheless, some of them have seen dungeon minions. And giving them flesh won¡¯t solve the issue. I¡¯m afraid that one Cmyk is enough for a town this size.¡±


    As much as Theo hated to admit it, she was right. He was going to have to limit himself to structural improvements and not create any minions. However, that came with its own set of problems. The issue of gaining too many core points too fast was that Theo had the possibility of building anything and everything he wished. Even after excluding everything that was prohibitively expensive, there were far too many options. The gardens alone, which were a small part of decorative rooms, ran in the dozens. Material converters, aether generators, buffer rooms and everything else were enough to make any person dizzy.


    Drawing inspiration from his previous life, Theo had placed rudimentary aether generator chambers beneath each of his new acquisitions. That had vastly increased the amount of energy he had, to the point he could consistently cast more powerful spells. In normal circumstances, that would have been enough to shoot down any flying threat, though not the anti-magic shielded dirigibles Lord Mandrake had created.


    ¡°Spok, tell me again, what do pits do?¡± Theo asked.


    ¡°They are minion breeding pools, sir,¡± the spirit guide explained. ¡°Depending on the nature of the pool, various minions spawn and walk about. The difference between them and minions you create yourself is that these do not require any additional core points or energy.¡±


    ¡°But the pit itself does.¡±


    ¡°Well, yes, but it constantly spawns minions. The whole point is for them to fill an area and present a nuisance for heroes and adventurers.¡±


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    More like a free means for heroes to gain experience points, Theo thought.


    The more he looked into the specifics of being a dungeon, the more he was astonished that they hadn¡¯t become extinct. On the surface dungeons were supposed to be these great, strong, self-sufficient systems of evil, but in reality, they were making sure that even junior adventurers had the means to level up and destroy them. Try as he might, he could see no practical purpose in having a slime pit. At most, it could serve for keeping tunnels clean of rats, insects, and other pests, but at the expense of slimes. When it came to people, a dungeon might as well directly greet them with dropped loot. It was going to be faster.


    All of a sudden, an idea came to mind. It had nothing to do with defending the town, but was sneaky enough to put a smile on the dungeon¡¯s face, if it had a mouth or a face.


    ¡°Spok, teach me how to create a royal slime pit,¡± Theo said.


    ROYAL SLIME PIT


    Requires 1000 energy per day.


    Creates one royal jelly slime every day. Royal jelly slime is impervious to non-magic physical damage and has the ability to consume any threat the size of a standard human.


    Note! Royal jelly has no effect on skeletal minions.


    ¡°Might I inquire what you plan to do use that for?¡± The spirit guide asked.


    ¡°To keep the tunnels clean,¡± the dungeon quickly replied. ¡°They can¡¯t climb up, right? So, there¡¯s no danger of them appearing on the street.¡±


    Spok gave the study a skeptical look. She knew that he was up to something, though not what exactly.


    Theo, on the other hand, had it all planned out. While consuming entities he had created wouldn¡¯t provide any cores, he was very curious to see what would happen if his avatar did it. Given that the avatar had a heroic trait, slime pits would be the perfect grinding ground, ensuring he had his daily fix of experience. Best of all, he could do it from the comfort of his own body.


    Meanwhile, as the dungeon was metaphorically rubbing hands in glee, its avatar was preparing to set off. With the villagers packed throughout the chambers and corridors of the goblin carrier, final preparations were being made to ensure that the propulsion source wouldn¡¯t tear the vessel in two.


    ¡°Is everything set?¡± the avatar asked.


    Standing on the chain of wire, two hundred feet above the ground, Nauska waved to confirm that it was.


    ¡°Perfect! Get back in here!¡± the avatar ordered. ¡°Someone tell Wolf to be ready!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really going to do this?¡± Liandra asked, both impressed and concerned. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of anyone pulling an airship in such fashion before.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s still been done, right?¡±


    ¡°In legends,¡± she replied. ¡°My father used to tell me stories how he had to fight the massive air-chariot of the Archdemoness Illieilli which was pulled by a pair of dragons in the sky. This, though¡­¡± She looked at the bubbles of goblin gliders floating in the air. ¡°Are you sure you know what you¡¯re doing?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely!¡± Theo lied. ¡°Trust me! We¡¯ll be home before you know it. Then we¡¯ll be able to organize the town, build up some defenses, and crush Lord Mandrake once and for all.¡±


    ¡°I wish it were so easy,¡± she sighed. ¡°We¡¯ve been extremely lucky so far. If it wasn¡¯t a gnome, the world would already be on fire.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Theo felt curious.


    ¡°Gnomes are extremely petty creatures, which easily get obsessed with things. Lord Mandrake is so obsessed with hurting you that he¡¯s likely to ignore almost anything on his way to Rosewind. Anyone else would have conquered the closest capital at hand, then taken over a kingdom, building his forces.¡±


    ¡°What can I say? I have that effect on evil overlords.¡± The avatar flashed a wide smile. Naturally, he didn¡¯t mention that he himself was just as petty.


    ¡°Wolf¡¯s ready!¡± a yell came from the corridor.


    ¡°Perfect! Tell everyone to brace themselves! We head out for food and freedom in one minute!¡±


    Not the best slogan as far as slogans went, but for a craft full of starving villagers, it was more than enough.


    Gently, Theo used his telekinesis to move the goblin gliders so that the nose of the carrier pointed in the direction Liandra had indicated earlier. According to Spok, the distance from the Mandrake Mountains to Rosewind was roughly three weeks on horseback. Given that horses were four times slower than a goblin glider and didn¡¯t travel along a straight line, it was within the realm of possibilities that Theo became reunited with his avatar within four days or less. That was going to give him plenty of time to kill some royal slimes, learn a whole lot of useful spells, and ensure that no one discovered his secret. And after that, he was finally going to enjoy some rest and quiet.


    ¡°Ready?¡± he asked Liandra. The heroine nodded. ¡°Here goes.¡±


    Back in the dungeon¡¯s main body, the energy usage spiked as the avatar thrust the goblin gliders forward with all its might. The massive airship tugged forward, paused a bit¡ªas Theo¡¯s avatar got used to the sensation¡ªthen thrust forward twice as fast. The force was strong enough to push a large part of the passengers back. Thankfully, all the links held, propelling the carrier with the speed of a small plane. At this point, there was nothing left for Theo to do, but keep the course. Unfortunately, this was where overconfidence and impatience kicked in.


    Having already seen that his plan was working, a new series of thoughts pass through the dungeon¡¯s mind. If traveling at this speed would take three or four days, increasing the speed four times would shorten the trip to a single day. Normally, there would be no way of knowing how to increase the ¡°push¡± or something. However, since Theo knew his energy consumption, he could keep on going until it became four times as much. And that¡¯s what he did.


    The carrier flew forward, making the passing clouds form lines, as if it had gone into hyperspace. Absolutely everyone, including Theo¡¯s avatar, was shoved back several steps or more. Instead of making the dungeon calm it, though, it had the opposite effect. Back in his previous life, Theo had never felt the exhilaration of speed. A small voice in his mind whispered that now was the worst time to do so. However, a much stronger voice said that with him being virtually indestructible, now was the perfect opportunity to have a go at it.


    The speed of the carrier progressively increased during the next few minutes until, suddenly, without warning, the massive aircraft froze still. Following the inertia, Theo¡¯s avatar, along with everyone else, was thrust forward. In many cases, that resulted in a minor bruising; in this, Theo got to see all twelve links to the goblin gliders snap off, leaving the machines fly off into the distance.


    ¡°What the heck?!¡± both Theo and his avatar asked in unison.


    ¡°Anything the matter, sir?¡± Spok asked. ¡°Is it about the aether crystal taking too long to fully charge?¡±


    ¡°What? No.¡± Theo thought about it. Now that she mentioned it, the process was agonizingly slow. Based on how much it had managed to fill up till now, it was going to be at least days before it was ready for consumption. ¡°Something stopped my goblin carrier.¡±


    Upon hearing that, the woman made her way out of the study and down to the living room. There she took the scrying crystal ball from its place on the display shelf and put it on the table.


    ¡°I have some good news, and some not so good news,¡± the spirit guide said, looking into the crystal ball. ¡°Your avatar is no longer in the vicinity of the Mandrake Mountains.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the good news?¡± Theo asked in hope.


    ¡°Not exactly, sir.¡± The woman shook her head. ¡°Maybe you should look outside of the airship.¡±


    The avatar did that.


    A giant cluster of vines had wrapped itself round the entire vessel, stretching down to the forest below. That, in itself, was quite bad. The vines themselves had the thickness of small trees, and it was going to take considerable effort to remove them without harming the actual ship. Sadly, that wasn¡¯t the worst of it. Looking closely, Theo was able to see creatures on the vines¡ªcreatures with bows, knives, spears, and pointy ears.


    ¡°Spok, just to be a hundred percent certain. Those are elves, right?¡±


    ¡°Silvarians, to be precise, which are one of the forest sub-species of elves, but yes, indeed they are.¡±


    ¡°And let me guess. They don¡¯t like gnome technology.¡±


    ¡°To be perfectly honest, they just don¡¯t like anyone invading their domain. I don¡¯t think they are particular towards gnomes. Similar to dungeons, they dislike everyone equally much.¡±


    ¡°Just perfect.¡±


    Slowly, Theo lifted the hand of his avatar. A ball of crimson flame appeared within. Before he could throw it, though, Linadra grabbed his arm.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she whispered. ¡°Extinguish that right now!¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Theo didn¡¯t. ¡°They¡¯re trying to capture us. I¡¯ll burn off the vines and¡ª¡±


    ¡°This is Vinewood. The Silvarians have complete dominance here. If you do anything to the vines, they¡¯ll shoot up a new batch, and that time they won¡¯t wrap themselves around the carrier, but pierce through it.¡±


    Acknowledging her point, the avatar dissolved the fireball. The elves seemed to acknowledge that, for several of them put away their weapons as they climbed their way up.


    ¡°You could have warned me to expect this,¡± the avatar whispered, in annoyed fashion. ¡°I would have thought of something.¡±


    ¡°How was I supposed to know that you¡¯d be so stupid to fly over Vinewood?¡± the heroine snapped back at him.


    ¡°You gave me the direction.¡±


    ¡°I told you which way Rosewind was. I didn¡¯t expect you to follow a straight line to get there! And what¡¯s with the ridiculous speed? Half the mage towers on the continent are probably panicking right now.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t we fight them again? They don¡¯t seem stronger than the demons we faced. Should be easy to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Did you forget the part of tree trunks shooting from the forest into the carrier?¡± The woman crossed her arms. ¡°We¡¯ll be able to survive, but the hundreds of people aboard won¡¯t.¡±


    To that, Theo had nothing to say. Grumbling to himself, he waited, watching as a small group of elves gathered in on a patch of vines in front of the carrier. After a minute, it was clear that they had no intention of coming in. Thus, Liandra and Theo had no choice but to go out and meet them.


    ¡°Spok, anything I should know about these elves?¡± the dungeon asked in his main body.


    ¡°They are highly magical creatures. As such, they prefer to stay away from people and dungeons for that matter.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±


    ¡°While they live exclusively in forests, their cities are underground, beneath the roots of the trees to be exact. That would make them natural enemies of dungeons.¡±


    This sounded worse and worse by the second.


    With the vines in place, the only way to get off the goblin carrier was through the roof. The dungeon¡¯s avatar made its way along the windy corridors¡ªnow packed with people¡ªuntil reaching the exit hatch. Liandra followed.


    ¡°Hello, there!¡± he said, smiling as wide as he could from the edge of the carrier. As he did, he made sure to cast as many arcane identify spells as he could.


    As suspected, a large part of the talismans and weapons the elves were carrying were endowed with magical properties. Two elves in particular were rather impressive: they seemed to have bracelets that allowed them to ¡°command the forest.¡±


    Liandra¡¯s greeting was a lot more elegant. Sliding off the side of the airship, she didn¡¯t say a word until she was face to face to what seemed to be the group¡¯s leader.


    ¡°Blessings, great green one,¡± she said, bowing slightly as she did. ¡°Forgive our poor manners and intrusion. We¡¯re on a way to the kingdoms beyond and weren¡¯t aware that we had trespassed your domain. I assure you, our intention is only¡ª¡±


    ¡°You broke the sacred trust,¡± the elf interrupted.


    That doesn¡¯t sound at all good, Theo, thought, as he levitated down to join the heroine.


    ¡°We did not do so knowingly,¡± Liandra quickly said. ¡°You can see that I¡¯m a hero. You have my honor that we bear no ill will and¡ª¡±


    ¡°What must we do for you to let us fly on?¡± Theo went straight to the point. Diplomacy was no doubt the smart play, but he didn¡¯t have time to waste right now.


    ¡°One who knows the value of time,¡± the elf said. ¡°That¡¯s good. Our prince wishes to see you. Come with us.¡±


    ¡°A prince? Sounds important.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very important, sorcerer. Something is killing the forest, and you are going to find out what and stop it. Then we¡¯ll discuss the matter of letting you go. A fair offer, won¡¯t you say?¡±


    Fair was the last thing it was, but as long as it got Theo out of this place and back on track to Rosewind, he was willing to play along.


    ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll go fetch my lieutenants and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Only you.¡± The elf pointed at the avatar. ¡°The prince wishes to speak only to you and the heroine. Everyone else is to remain on your flying ship. If you cause problems, the vines will crush it and everyone inside.¡±


    That was a bit more direct that Theo expected.


    ¡°In that case, we gladly accept the invitation,¡± the avatar said. Meanwhile, all doors in the dungeon¡¯s main body opened and slammed with irritation.

 20. Princes and Messengers

    The only thing that Theo could say about the Silvarians was that they were the least elvish elves he could think of. In his previous life, he had familiarized himself with thousands of concepts relating to them. At one point, half of all projects Theo was involved with¡ªalong with their competitors¡ªhad elves. Back then, he was one of many who had complained about how bland and identical they seemed to all other depictions. Now, when he least wanted it, he had gotten his wish come true: something different.


    After escorting him and Liandra down the stem of vines, the elves had taken them directly to their home: a network of tunnels beneath Vinewood. The tunnels were neither elegant nor refined. Theo felt he would have done a much better job designing them; for that matter, he thought that moles could have done a better job.


    The only source of light was a small crystal shard that one of their captors carried. It did a good job hiding the surroundings, but even it couldn¡¯t completely hide the mess and filth all around. And it wasn¡¯t just a case of dirt and the occasional rotten root here and there. Walking through these tunnels was like walking through a badger¡¯s den. Rags, leaves, even rodent carcasses were visible every few steps. Theo didn¡¯t even dare look down each time something crunched beneath his feet, out of fear that it might end up being exactly as bad as he imagined it.


    ¡°I take it you don¡¯t get out often?¡± he asked, trying to make light of the situation. Liandra¡¯s quick glare suggested that starting conversations might not be the best idea.


    ¡°Why do we need this scum?¡± one of the elves asked in what Theo assumed to be elvish. Having the ability to understand all languages was definitely useful, though it made it impossible to determine which language was which. ¡°Look at him? He¡¯s just a waste of sun!¡±


    The description was no doubt exotic, though created the unmistakable impression that it was an insult.


    ¡°What the prince wants, the prince gets,¡± the more important elf said. It was clear that he didn¡¯t want to discuss the matter further.


    ¡°Spok,¡± Theo said back into his main body. ¡°Anything special I should know about Silvarian princes?¡±


    ¡°Other than that they are elvish royalty, there isn¡¯t much I can tell you,¡± the spirit guide said as she ran through the numbers written on a rather large scroll.


    With all the adjustments going on, Theo had left her to deal with the trivial things such as ordering materials, paying, and having them be transported to the respective ¡°warehouses¡± along the town wall. Spok didn¡¯t hate the responsibility. She even found it fulfilling, if it wasn¡¯t for the minor matter that she couldn¡¯t leave the dungeon. Thus, she had to resort to ¡°appearing¡± in the appropriate structure at the appropriate time, or rely on Cmyk to pass on written instructions.


    ¡°They are rather elusive, extremely demanding, and powerful enough to have kingdoms take them seriously,¡± she continued.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°They are said to be extremely snobbish and refined.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, this one must have fallen on hard times.¡± The dungeon creaked.


    The elves did a good job walking through the maze of tunnels. Any normal person would have been helplessly lost three times over. Being a dungeon, though, allowed Theo to memorize the way out without issue. In fact, he had become so bored with the constant turning around aimlessly that he was on the verge of asking them to just take them to the prince and be done with it. After twenty minutes of walking, the elves finally did, arriving to the first and only door the underground had.


    ¡°Do not address the price,¡± the elf with the command bracelet said. ¡°And don¡¯t try any magic.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Theo flashed a wide smile, while on the inside, he was all but shouting in annoyance. ¡°How am I to address him?¡±


    The question was meant to be innocent, but it caused the entire elf escort to turn around and stare at the avatar. To make matters worse, Liandra joined in as well.


    ¡°Everessence,¡± the lead elf said at last. ¡°You¡¯ll address him as his Everessense.¡±


    Catchy, Theo thought. All of a sudden, he felt a sudden urge to rename his rabbit to that. The name was far better than Maximilian. Unfortunately, thanks to Spok, the critter had accepted its boring name already.


    Knocking twice on the door, the lead elf took a step back. Both parts of the door swung open, allowing them entry to a vast chamber. All hopes that at least the royal chamber would show the splendor worthy of a royal were quickly dashed. While definitely a lot cleaner, the chamber remained a very large hole in the ground. There were no statues, no glowing plants, or streams of shimmering water. There wasn¡¯t even pavement on the ground; nothing but a small mound with what could pass as a throne on top.


    Over a hundred elves were stacked in the chamber. Most were guards standing on the far side of the chamber or at the entrance. A few dozen, though, were at the base of the mound. The more intricate design of their clothes suggested an effort to portray themselves as high-class nobility. The attempt completely failed, mostly due to the massive amounts of dirt and talismans on top. Even the figure on the throne looked more like a beggar king than an actual ruler. It was difficult to believe that this bunch of individuals were held in such high regard by so many kingdoms. Then again, tradition was said to make people act in strange ways.


    ¡°I bring the mage and the hero, Everessence,¡± the leading elf approached the mound. He was talking in elvish again. ¡°Their airship is held firmly, and the people inside are too weak to fight. I¡ª¡±


    The figure on the throne raised a finger, making the elf instantly stop. With a low bow, he stepped to the side, joining the other ¡°nobles¡± in the chamber. The guards close to Liandra and the dungeon¡¯s avatar moved away, giving them more than enough space to walk about. Only the second elf with a command bracelet remained close to them for a few moments more, after which he too went to the nobles.


    ¡°What¡¯s his problem?¡± The avatar whispered.


    Liandra didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°I see you have dimensional rings,¡± the figure on the throne said in human. ¡°Don¡¯t use them. I wouldn¡¯t want the hall to get dirty.¡±


    This is clean? Theo wanted to shout. Even Lord Mandrake maintained a better stronghold, and he was an insane gnome with delusions of grandeur who kidnapped whole villages to build his world conquering fleet of goblin airships.


    ¡°Why did you fly over our domain?¡± the prince asked.


    ¡°Everessence, our goal was not to¡ª¡°Liandra began, but was quickly gestured to stop.


    ¡°I want him to say. Our seers said he was the one who brought the airship here; an airship coated with demon anti-magic alloy capable of piercing our shrouding spell.¡±


    Theo was moments away from opening the mouth of his avatar when the end of the sentence gave him pause. There had been a shrouding spell? The dungeon had no idea precisely what that was, but he could tell that piercing it was bad.


    ¡°Spok, out of curiosity, what is a shrouding spell?¡± he asked back in Rosewind.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a bit too late for that, sir.¡± The spirit guide sighed. ¡°You are pretty well known at this point.¡±


    ¡°Spok¡­¡± the dungeon pressed on.


    ¡°A shrouding spell is a fancy way of calling a massive illusion. It can be cast on a person, but usually is cast on buildings or areas. Unlike common illusions, shrouding spells draw energy from the area they are cast and can remain in effect indefinitely. There was a time when dungeons used them to hide behind a false guise of a hill, or an abandoned castle, or a field of corn. It has its uses, but is annoying to maintain.¡±


    ¡°In what way?¡±


    ¡°Just because a dungeon grows, doesn¡¯t automatically mean that the shrouding spell does as well. It has to be maintained, and the larger the area, the more energy it requires.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m waiting,¡± the prince said in the underground chamber, with an icy edge in his voice.


    ¡°It was completely by accident,¡± the avatar said.


    Silence filled the room. Three generations of elves started, unable to believe their ears. This wouldn¡¯t be the first time someone had lied to the prince, but never in such an audacious fashion.


    ¡°By accident?¡± the elf ruler could only repeat.


    ¡°Well, you see, the airship isn¡¯t mine. I just took it from a gnome overlord who wants to take over the world. In fact, I was on my way home from the Mandrake Mountains to try and stop him, when¡­ well, you stopped me. I never saw the shrouding spell, but will be willing to pay any damages so you can repair it.¡±


    Now it was the prince¡¯s turn to open and close his mouth without saying a word. There were so many things wrong in what the avatar had spewed that he didn¡¯t know where to begin. The cogs in his mind made a few hundred revolutions in an attempt to combine all of his grievances in one elegant package. A few seconds later, it became clear that such a feat was impossible even for an elf price.


    ¡°No one is supposed to see a shrouding spell,¡± the elf said at last, choosing to tackle that topic first. ¡°The entire point is for it to keep us safe from outside meddling. And I don¡¯t want your pittance. Our mages are already preparing to deal with the damage you caused.¡±


    ¡°Maybe tell them to wait for a bit, so that we don¡¯t pierce it again when we leave,¡± the avatar said.


    The remark was meant as a friendly suggestion, but had the opposite effect. Even darkness was not enough to hide the blood rushing to several of the elves¡¯ faces. Fortunately, the prince wasn¡¯t among them. In one brisk action, the elf ruler stood up, then made his way down the mound until he came face to face with the dungeon¡¯s avatar.


    From up close, the prince seemed a lot older than Theo expected. There wasn¡¯t a single wrinkle on the elf¡¯s face, yet his skin seemed thin, almost stretched, as if someone had tried to put a mask on his head. It was the cheekbones that gave the appearance of age, that and the almost V-shaped chin. A necklace made entirely of amber talismans was visible round his neck, semi-buried beneath layers of once expensive clothes. The most unusual feature, though, remained the eyes¡ªclear and flawless, like green marbles.


    ¡°You claim to have come from the Mandrake Mountains,¡± the elf said.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The avatar nodded.


    ¡°How did you get there?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°No one lives near the Mandrake Mountains. No one goes there. But if you are to have come from there, you must have gotten there before that. I want to know how.¡±


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    The question shouldn¡¯t have been at all difficult. Theo couldn¡¯t forget the unfortunate chain of events that brought him here if he tried. At the same time, he was fully aware how ludicrous it sounded when said out loud.


    ¡°It¡¯s complicated,¡± he mumbled. ¡°I¡¯m sure Heroine Liandra can explain it much better than I.¡± He looked in the woman¡¯s direction.


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking her, I¡¯m asking you.¡± The prince narrowed his eyes. ¡°Heroes do what heroes have to. Mages, however, must follow the rules.¡±


    That didn¡¯t make much sense, but even if it did, it wouldn¡¯t matter since Theo wasn¡¯t a mage. Still, the best course of action seemed to be to play along.


    ¡°We were sent on an important mission by Earl Rosewind, when we were attacked by a flock of flying goblins.¡±


    The prince tilted his head to the side.


    ¡°Flying goblin gliders,¡± the avatar quickly corrected. ¡°They brought us to the Mandrake Mountains. So, that¡¯s how that happened.¡±


    The lack of details didn¡¯t go unnoticed. The elf glared, then squinted, then turned around, slowly walking to his throne. Every step he made echoed in the chamber, despite the ground being earth. Just before reaching the throne, the prince briskly turned around again.


    ¡°Your airship can¡¯t leave,¡± he said. ¡°Your people will be fed, you¡¯ll be treated as¡­¡± he paused, searching for the word. ¡°¡­visitors, but you won¡¯t leave Vinewood.¡±


    Oh, come on! ¡°Might I ask why?¡± It was Theo¡¯s turn to become inquisitive. Not to mention he didn¡¯t like the thought of having a thousand people kept in a giant tin can. The gnome had made sure to include toilets on the carrier, but the water was a limiting factor. Any more than a week and the situation would only be described as indescribable.


    ¡°You broke the sacred trust, you broke the shrouding spell, you won¡¯t tell us how and why you got to the Mandrake Mountains.¡± The prince waved his hand while talking. ¡°What did you expect would happen? You come here with a hero and an army and yet claim it was an accident.¡±


    Back in Rosewind, several buildings creaked. Even the town wall was seen to crack up in a few places before the cracks mysteriously vanished.


    From where Theo stood, the accusations were ludicrous. When the elf said ¡°an army¡± he clearly hadn¡¯t seen the people inside. The villagers were in such a state that they¡¯d have difficulty capturing a chicken coup. And as for Liandra, sure she could probably take out a few dozen elves without breaking a sweat, but for some reason, lacked the will to do so. The dungeon hadn¡¯t known her for long at all, but hadn¡¯t seen her in such a quiet state since he was summoned to Earl Rosewind¡¯s palace.


    ¡°Spok, how bad would it be if I beat up an elf prince?¡± Theo asked in his main body.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t advice that. The elves were instrumental in helping the deities during the war against the demons. For that, the entire race was thrice blessed by the top three divines. Circumstances matter, of course, but in general, open wars against them are avoided. Since there aren¡¯t that many, it''s much easier to convince them using financial or other means. For the most part, only evil overlords, tyrants, and dungeons get into fights with them.¡±


    ¡°I am a dungeon,¡± Theo grumbled.


    ¡°I thought you were keeping that a secret, sir.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes I wonder if it¡¯s worth the hassle.¡±


    Beating the pompous elf into submission was out of the question. By the looks of it, the Silvarians weren¡¯t terribly interested in gold or material possessions, either. That severely limited all bargaining options. And yet, there seemed to be something strange. As furious as the prince was, he didn¡¯t seem in a hurry to throw them in the local equivalent of a prison.


    The dungeon waited for a few seconds to confirm his suspicion. Nothing happened. The prince sat back on his throne, remaining silent, as if waiting for something. This was all the confirmation Theo needed. Now he had a pretty good idea what was going on.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to keep all of us here?¡± he asked, testing the waters.


    The aim of the question was to let the elf guide Theo towards the real topic of conversation. The dungeon knew the approach quite well: paint a terrible picture, then offer the means to resolve it. The request was no doubt going to be bothersome, but preferable when compared to the prospect of remaining as prisoners in the forest.


    ¡°You definitely,¡± the prince said without questions. ¡°The heroine will be released. Since she didn¡¯t break the trust, she can return to the hero guild.¡±


    So that¡¯s why you didn¡¯t let her talk, Theo thought.


    That was sneaky, almost as if the prince had legal training. It also meant that whatever the request was, it involved Theo specifically.


    ¡°Spok, any chance anyone can see I¡¯m a dungeon by analyzing my avatar in some way?¡± the dungeon asked. ¡°Using some identify spell, for example?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± The woman teleported herself to one of the warehouse sections of the dungeon. There, she opened the door, handed a large pouch of gold to a well-dressed merchant, and instructed him to have all his merchandise brought inside. Not waiting for a response, the spirit guide then went into the backroom of the building and latched the door behind her. ¡°The concept of a heroic avatar is unique. I doubt there are any spells that have been adjusted to recognize that. After receiving your heroic blessing, the avatar is virtually a separate entity. Maybe the easiest way to describe it is to say that you are constantly possessing your avatar without actually owning it. If someone were to try and identify your abilities, they would only see those of your avatar.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Thanks, Spok.¡±


    Theo took a peek.


    Baron Theodore D¡¯Argent ¨C Heroic Dungeon


    Level: 9


    Strength: 50


    Speed: 40


    Mind: 69


    Energy (Health/Mana): 27500


    Free Core Points: 11,954,971


    SKILLS


    Ranged Attack - MAX


    Aether shield - MAX


    Aether shield - ULTRA


    Swiftness - 5


    Arcane Identify - 1


    Wound Heal - 1


    Minor Bless - 1


    Cleave Attack - 1


    While the value of his mind earned a chuckle, there didn¡¯t seem to be anything remarkable in his avatar. True, the core points were impressive, but they weren¡¯t usable from this distance. Everything else ranged from mediocre to outright poor. The only impressive skill was the presence of an ultra ability, which Spok insisted to be quite rare.


    ¡°Is there anything I could do to resolve this misunderstanding, Everessence?¡± Theo decided to get directly to the point. ¡°As I said, I¡¯m a rather wealthy man and will be happy to pay any price in order to get my people free and on their way.¡±


    The left corner of the prince¡¯s mouth curved up.


    ¡°The seers say that you¡¯re a rather talented wizard,¡± the elf said. ¡°Exceptional, rather. In fact, they think you¡¯re so good that you might be the one spoken in prophecy that will free us from our curse.¡±


    Wait, what? Theo and his avatar blinked. This was not what he expected things to go.


    During his brief existence in this world, he hadn¡¯t come across any prophecies. For the most part, this was due to the fact that he was a dungeon. Dungeons were, at best, the neutral evil entities of the world. Psychologically, they were a combination of hoarders, ruthless businessmen, and geezers shouting at kids to get out of their lawn. From what Spok had explained, their sole drive was to expand as much as possible before inevitably falling prey to an adventurer or hero raid. Few tried to do anything of global significance, and when they did, it was in the vein of taking over a kingdom.


    It had to be the heroic trait! That was the only explanation. Heroes, by definition, had to be entangled in all sorts of prophecies. When the goddess Peris had granted Theo the heroic trait, she had also made him part of that world.


    Thanks, goddess, Theo thought to himself. He was definitely going to have some strong words with her on the matter.


    ¡°You humble me,¡± the avatar said. ¡°I¡¯ve nothing but a few¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re able to do things that you shouldn''t. Only wizards of the highest caliber can shield their skills from my seers. But you haven¡¯t done just that, but gone a step further.¡± The prince leaned forward. ¡°If a normal person were to glimpse your skills, they¡¯d be left with the impression that you¡¯re a puny level nine mage and thought nothing of it. However, Silvarian seers aren¡¯t just anyone.¡±


    There were whispers among the nobles.


    ¡°You see, for all your cunning trickery, you made one fatal mistake. You didn¡¯t masque your mana. From what they were able to tell me, your mana capacity exceeds the common wizard a hundred-fold.¡±


    The whispers turned into murmurs. Even Liandra looked at the avatar in a new light. It had been obvious that he was stronger than he pretended to be, but even she didn¡¯t expect him to be a hundred times stronger than the average mage.


    ¡°And let us not forget you¡¯re a hero in the making,¡± the prince added.


    ¡°Oh, you saw that¡­¡± the avatar mumbled. That was one thing he had hoped would remain hidden.


    ¡°As I told you, Silvarian seers are extremely good at what they do. Maybe you coming here was indeed by accident, maybe it was planned. Either way, it was prophesied.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not get ahead of ourselves, Everessence. There are many other heroes. Maybe it was Liandra who was prophesied to lift your curse?¡±


    ¡°You are correct,¡± the prince admitted. ¡°It¡¯s something that I considered. And it would have been true if the prophecy didn¡¯t mention that the person who would lift the curse had to be a wizard. You¡¯re not the only one who my seers focused on. The heroine, while extremely impressive, didn¡¯t have the mana of a wizard¡¯s apprentice. There¡¯s no way it could be her. Not yet, at least.¡±


    There pretty much ended the argument. Theo knew when he was beaten. Resisting at this point was only going to make it worse. It would be far better to accept the unfortunate turn of events and get this done as quickly as possible. After all, there was always the possibility that the task was something trivial. Although, the way things were going, it most likely wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°If I were the one who¡¯d lift the curse, what would I have to do?¡± the avatar asked cautiously.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite simple,¡± the prince said. ¡°You must go down to the heart of the Vinewood forest and claim its core.¡±


    ¡°Vinewood is a dungeon?¡± The avatar gasped. This was one twist that it hadn¡¯t seen coming.


    ¡°Dungeons aren¡¯t the only things that have cores,¡± the elf hissed, making his hatred of the entities apparent. ¡°The core is the living heart and blood of the forest. All the trees are connected. Their roots form one giant tapestry that goes deep underground to the source of their energy. I want you to go down there, find the core and bring it here. That is all.¡±


    The elf was right¡ªthe explanation was rather simple. In Theo¡¯s experience, that usually meant that the execution would be annoyingly difficult.


    ¡°Just dig it out?¡±


    ¡°Naturally, the Vinewood will do everything to protect its core. As I said, it¡¯s the living heart and blood of the forest. Without it all the trees will die and wither away. Of course, it¡¯s nothing you won¡¯t be able to handle.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be alarmed. I have no plan on destroying the forest. I just need its core for a few moments to hold a ritual. After I¡¯m done, I¡¯ll have the core returned to its rightful place.¡±


    That sounded better. At least Theo wouldn¡¯t have to worry about being a forest killer. On that note, maybe it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to create an aether generator for each of his gardens. So far, he had transferred energy to them directly. Having a source of mana linked to their roots would be a splendid idea.


    ¡°Do I have to do it alone?¡± The avatar gave Liandra an obvious glance.


    ¡°The hero is free to help you, if she so wishes. However, if she does, she¡¯ll have her guild to answer to.¡± The prince straightened up, becoming a lot more formal. ¡°Will you agree to help the wizard, knowing the dangers or consequences you¡¯ll face?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the woman replied. ¡°We¡¯ve been through a lot already and we¡¯ll be through more. The later he gets to Rosewind, the more the town is at risk, and not only it. I¡¯ll gladly accept the task of helping him.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡± The prince clapped his hands. ¡°You¡¯ll be given food, drink, and any equipment we can spare. Rest now, for tomorrow you set off to find the core.¡±


    That didn¡¯t sound bad at all. Maybe some rest and relaxation was what the dungeon needed. With Spok dealing with things in Rosewind and his avatar allowed a night of feasting, he could enjoy a bit of well-deserved calm.


    Suddenly, the sound of horns filled the air above Rosewind. This was extremely annoying, since the source of the noise came from one of the wall¡¯s watchtowers.


    ¡°Royal messenger!¡± a guard shouted.


    Theo looked through the dormers of the wall. Indeed, there was a rider approaching at full speed. At this distance, the only thing prominently visible was the blue flag he was carrying.


    ¡°Call sir Ribbons!¡± another guard yelled. ¡°Get everyone at the main gate.¡±


    ¡°Spok¡­ should I be concerned about this?¡±


    Unfortunately, this was a question the spirit guide couldn¡¯t answer. All she could do, along with the dungeon, was wait for the rider to approach the town gate.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the earl?¡± the rider asked in a hoarse voice. Judging by his state and that of the horse, he must have been riding non-stop for a day at least.


    ¡°Earl Rosewind is hunting,¡± the lieutenant of the guard replied. ¡°His son is here. I¡¯ll take you to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Send for the earl,¡± the rider cut him short. ¡°I¡¯ve a message from His Majesty. The earl is to fortify the town and prepare for an attack.¡±


    ¡°An attack? No one has attacked Rosewind since¡­¡± Sir Ribbons paused to think. By the looks of it, no one had ever launched a serious attack against the place.


    ¡°They are now. Three mage towers report a massive fleet of airships making their way towards the kingdom. Three countries have already surrendered without a fight. If this continues, the fleet will reach Rosewind in a week, maybe less.¡±


    Theo¡¯s core sank. The thing he had feared was about to happen, and far sooner than he thought.

 21. Beyond the Dead End Tunnel

    BREATHING ENCHANTMENT


    Allows breathing underwater for one day.


    ¡°Underwater charms?¡± Theo¡¯s avatar asked. ¡°Am I going for a swim?¡±


    The elf placing the enchantment on him grunted. She didn¡¯t like being rushed, especially since Theo had already made a fuss about going on the mission as quickly as possible. Normally, there would have been a full day of preparation. Instead, she and two others were forced to rush talisman preparation only because a foreigner demanded it. Not only that, but the human was constantly complaining about it.


    ¡°You¡¯ll need air in the tunnels below,¡± the elf replied, keeping her calm. ¡°We have found that the breathing charm works best under these conditions.¡±


    ¡°Heh.¡± Theo crossed the arms of his avatar.


    From his point of view that was a completely useless trinket, as were most of the ones he was outfitted. True, it gave him a rare opportunity to practice his arcane identify spell, but other than that it was all just a waste of time. He might have just gone on the stupid task and be done with it.


    ¡°Do I get anything to control roots?¡± the avatar grumbled.


    ¡°That would take far too long to complete.¡±


    Somehow the answer didn¡¯t surprise Theo. It wasn¡¯t so much his view that the universe was conspiring against him, rather than the practical reality. It had taken him the greatest amount of energy to identify the bracelets that could control the forest. During his brief stay in the ¡°throne hall¡±¡ªor whatever the proper name of that dump was¡ªhe had also noticed that a number of the elf nobles also were wearing similar bracelets. In comparison, all the other trinkets were equipped with minor enchantments.


    ¡°Are we done, yet?¡± he asked. ¡°Seriously, I don¡¯t need all these enchantments.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you probably don¡¯t,¡± the elf admitted. ¡°However, we mustn¡¯t risk the prophecy. You are to be granted any help we could provide before you go on your search for the forest core.¡±


    ¡°I never knew that prophecies were so specific.¡± The avatar, nodded several times, impressed. Strangely enough, that brought a smile to the elf¡¯s face, one that she quickly hid by returning to her usual neutral expression.


    ¡°The prophecy isn¡¯t that specific. We¡¯re just smart enough to hedge our bets.¡±


    The conversation should have ended here, but something in the way she said it intrigued the dungeon. It was almost as if she were talking from experience. If that were true¡ªand since the curse still hadn¡¯t been lifted¡ªthings must have gone quite poorly with the last candidate. Either that, or there were more parts to the prophecy that had been shared. Not wanting to find out the hard way, the avatar cast his arcane identify spell on the elf.


    Naturally, nothing happened. The elf wasn¡¯t an object and as such not subject to the spell¡¯s functionality. However, that had never stopped Theo before. At each unsuccessful he increased the amount of energy in the spell. As he did, he slowly started sensing a faint presence on the elf. It almost felt as if there were a water bubble somewhere that popped just before he could identify it. Any person would have stopped at this point. Over a thousand mana spent was more than any mage wouldn¡¯t be willing to waste on a hunch. Theo, however, just doubled the energy spent. On the tenth time, the elusive bubble gave in.


    HEART OF THE SEER


    (Unique Elf Enchantment)


    Grants grand prophetic and insight powers to the owner.


    Due to the destructive strength of the enchantment, it is cast on a bud crystal and given to a child shortly after birth. Elf children without prophetic inclination reject the crystal causing it to crumble to pieces. Those born with the rare talent, allow the crystal to merge with their heart, slowly replacing it in time.


    ¡°Huh?¡± The avatar trembled.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter now?¡± the elf asked, more annoyed with his behavior than anything else.


    ¡°Nothing. I just didn¡¯t know that you were a seer.¡±


    The second part of the sentence slipped out unintended. Theo knew full well how irresponsible it was to reveal what no doubt was both a personal and highly secret fact. At the same time, some of his annoying habits from his previous life still lingered on, namely revealing more information that one should when caught doing something that he shouldn¡¯t have.


    ARCANE IDENTIFY - ULTRA


    Allows you to identify hidden, masked, and shielded enchantments.


    Can only be used once per hour.


    The elf froze for several seconds. Then, she quietly stood up and went to the small table and proceeded to tie another jade talisman to a thread.


    ¡°How long have you known?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I just found out now,¡± Theo replied.


    ¡°You¡¯re not sparing me by lying,¡± the elf said. ¡°The moment you appeared in the forest, we knew that you were stronger than all of us combined. His Everessence believes that if we combined all our efforts, we could probably defeat you. Maybe we could, but it would come at a great cost.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± But I honestly found out just now! Theo wanted to say.


    It had started as a hunch, brought on by a combination of impatience, boredom, and curiosity. Now, no one was going to believe that he wasn¡¯t the great wizard they had hoped for.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just get done with this,¡± he said in a slightly stern voice. ¡°The sooner we can start our trip, the better.¡±


    The rest of the preparation process continued in silence, although it wasn¡¯t any faster than before. Piece by piece, Theo¡¯s avatar was equipped with half a hundred talismans, over three quarters of which were absolutely useless. If he were human, he¡¯d be protected from choking, paralysis, fire, five types of poison, bleeding, and blindness. As an avatar, though, he had that protection by default.


    As much as the prospect of the dungeon¡¯s existence annoyed him, it was by far preferable to the panic taking place in Rosewind. The arrival of the royal messenger had caused quite the stir, to put it mildly. News of a fleet of flying airships on their way to attack the kingdom had already circulated every part of the town twice and continued on to the villages in the area. That, in itself, wasn¡¯t bad, since it gave a reason for people to mount a unified defense. Unfortunately, that¡¯s the last thing that had happened. Sir Ribbons had quickly informed the Earl¡¯s heir about the situation, who in turn had sent scouts to find his father, as well as called all nobles, to the castle. Unfortunately, none of the nobles took him very seriously. Peeking from dozens of buildings, as well as the entire wall, Theo had gotten more gossip that he could bear and none of it good. By the sound of things, nothing was going to get resolved until the earl returned, or the town was razed to the ground, whichever came first.


    Finally, the final talisman was added to the many others, making Theo feel as if he had a Christmas tree for an avatar.


    ¡°Are you sure these will hold?¡± he asked, lifting one of the jade talismans that had a Greasiness enchantment. Despite the name, it was rather useful, decreasing the chance of him getting stuck.


    ¡°Do not concern yourself,¡± the elf replied. ¡°The threads are enchanted with durability. They won¡¯t snap.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t what Theo was asking, but he chose not to press on. Already, too much time had been wasted. Standing up, he straightened his clothes, then went towards the door.


    Knowing full well the network of Silvarian tunnels, the avatar made its way to the prince¡¯s chamber. A few steps from the door, it swung open, allowing him to enter. Upon doing so, he saw that Liandra was already there. To his surprise, she was wearing half as many talismans.


    ¡°Is he ready?¡± the prince asked, denying Theo the chance to do the same.


    ¡°Yes, Everessence,¡± the elf said. ¡°We have done everything that we could. He¡¯d have no better chance than now.¡±


    Not the best encouragement, but given the circumstances, it was going to have to do.


    ¡°I see that Liandra has less amulets than me,¡± Theo tried to be as diplomatic as possible. ¡°Any reason for that?¡±


    ¡°Magic doesn¡¯t come free,¡± the prince said. ¡°A lot of skill and mana is required for a talisman to be made. Our effort was to be sure you¡¯re as well equipped as possible. Of course, we discussed the matter with the hero beforehand.¡±


    A nod from Liandra suggested that the prince wasn¡¯t lying. That only made everything more annoying. If anyone had bothered talking to Theo¡¯s avatar, an hour or two would have been saved. Still, there was no point in crying over spilt mana.


    ¡°Alright, where do we start?¡± The avatar cracked his fingers.


    ¡°Our enchanter will take you to the dead end tunnel,¡± the elf said. ¡°Before that, I have something for you.¡±


    A single wooden ring levitated through the air, stopping in front of the avatar. Using arcane identify on it revealed nothing. Using the ultra variant, however, showed it to be a rather peculiar dimensional ring. Unlike the one Theo already had, this one had the ability to hold a single magical item of enormous strength. In many ways it resembled a prison. Also, on further inspection, it seemed that Theo wasn¡¯t able to control it.


    ¡°When you find the forest core, free it from the roots, then press the ring against it. That will help you carry it back here without worrying about dangers on the way.¡±


    ¡°Use the ring on the core,¡± the avatar repeated, grabbing the ring from the air. ¡°Got it.¡±


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°I would also suggest you avoid carrying it in the open. Some of the forest¡¯s guardians might react poorly.¡±


    Forest guardians? That was conveniently skipped during the elf¡¯s previous explanation. Maybe there was a point in carrying all those amulets, after all.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Theo placed the wooden dimensional ring within his own. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°Gods¡¯ speed and good luck.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, and good luck to you too,¡± the avatar replied instinctively, then headed towards the door.


    All the elves in the hall tensed up, along with Liandra. As far as they were concerned, this was a thinly veiled threat that Theo was displeased with the present arrangement. Also, it sounded like a warning about what might happen if they tried to trick him. Several of the nobles instinctively reached for the hilts of their weapons, quietly waiting for the ¡°savior wizard¡± to leave the chamber. Once he did, Liandra and the seer rushed behind him.


    Walking through the runnels ended up taking a lot less time than Theo feared. Clearly now that the deal was struck, the elves didn¡¯t believe in wasting time, so the seer took the direct path to their destination.


    The dead end tunnel, as one might expect, ended up being exactly that: a tunnel that ended halfway. The unexpected bit was that there were three massive wooden doors and two metal gates along it.


    ¡°Any reason for all this?¡± The avatar patiently waited for the seer to use her magic to unlock the final gate before the end of the tunnel.


    ¡°For general safety,¡± came the response. ¡°The magic of the core attracts many creatures. That¡¯s why we keep the tunnel buried further on.¡±


    ¡°Will we get a shovel?¡± The avatar tilted his head, asking in his most sarcastic voice.


    ¡°There are several on the ground at the end of the tunnel.¡± The final gate clicked open. The elf opened it, then stepped to the side. ¡°From here on, you¡¯re on your own. Good luck.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Liandra said with a smile, preventing things from escalating. ¡°I¡¯m sure that Baron d¡¯Argent will easily do what¡¯s asked of him.¡±


    The elf and the avatar looked at each other, but said nothing.


    The shovels were where they were said they¡¯d be, half buried in dirt. Thankfully, the anticorrosion, antirust enchantments on them made them retain their pristine condition. Theo picked up one and slid a finger along it, while the sound of clicking and locking went on behind him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re the first ones to be sent on this small fast,¡± he said, then placed the shovel against the tunnel wall.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t,¡± the heroine replied, more concerned with the elf than their current predicament.


    ¡°Thanks for your support, by the way. With everything I¡¯d seen you do so far, I would have expected you¡¯d at least say something when in the presence of an elf prince. You weren¡¯t this quiet, even in the Earl¡¯s throne room. What happened? Did you get star struck?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Liandra let out a deep sigh. ¡°It¡¯s complicated.¡±


    ¡°Complicated? We have a thousand people locked on our own airship which is entangled by vines that shot miles into the air. Oh, not to mention that it turns out that I¡¯m part of some prophecy which forced me to steal the heart of an entire forest. How more complicated could your story be?¡±


    ¡°The elves were the ones who created the first heroes,¡± the woman said.


    Back in Rosewind, the doors of several buildings gaped open in surprise. Personally, he had expected something along the line that she had elf blood in her veins or something. Learning that all the heroes originated from elves was way too much. For starters, he wasn¡¯t sure what that even entailed. Did she mean that heroes were, or at least had been, half-elves?


    ¡°Spok, do you know if there¡¯s any relation between elves and heroes?¡± the dungeon asked in one of the new ballista towers he had constructed.


    ¡°I¡¯m only familiar with heroes when it comes to dungeons, sir,¡± the spirit guide replied, as she adjusted the massive ballista to aim in the appropriate direction. ¡°Neither elves, for that matter. Is there a reason you¡¯re asking?¡±


    ¡°Just curious. Carry on with the defenses.¡±


    Several times Theo¡¯s avatar opened his mouth trying to voice the question and several times it stopped, trying to find a better phrasing. In the end, he decided to go with the simplest version.


    ¡°How exactly?¡±


    Liandra looked at him, then picked up a shovel from the ground and started digging.


    ¡°We better get to work.¡± She avoided the question. ¡°It¡¯s a long journey to the forest¡¯s roots, so if you plan for us to finish in a week, we¡ª¡±


    The avatar places his hand against the hard soil. Instantly, a room formed with a convenient flight of stairs going down. It wasn¡¯t especially large, but a clear indication that digging wouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    ¡°How?¡± he repeated.


    ¡°What I¡¯m about to say stays between us.¡± The heroine looked at him. ¡°Give me your word on that.¡±


    ¡°I give you my word.¡± Most likely, that had to be some formal heroic contract that bound him to secrecy. Frankly, it didn¡¯t matter, for the dungeon had no intention of sharing it with anyone.


    Liandra nodded, then went down the stairs. The avatar followed.


    ¡°Back during the wars between deities and demons, the elves were one of the few races that had the power to withstand the creatures of evil in a one-to-one fight. However, similar to the deities, they were few. Humans were abundant, but weak. That¡¯s why, at one point, the elves decided that they would share part of their divine spark with the mortals.¡±


    ¡°Giving rise to a race of half elves?¡± Theo added hurriedly.


    ¡°What?¡± Liandra stared at him in near shock. ¡°No! They gave us a drop of their essence,¡± she said. ¡°Their magic.¡±


    ¡°The first heroes were mages?¡± The avatar put his hand on the farther wall, creating a new room further on. ¡°That¡¯s a bit anticlimactic.¡±


    ¡°No, they gave us our heroic trait. That¡¯s how the first heroes were born. And since humans multiply a lot faster than elves, more and more of them appeared. That is why the heroes have an eternal debt of gratitude towards all elves. We cannot do anything in their lands without their approval. To do so would be to go against our own blood. Some have tried and all without exception lost their heroic trait as punishment.¡±


    That explained a lot. Not to mention, it gave Theo another reason to dislike the elves. If it hadn¡¯t been for them, there wouldn¡¯t have been heroes to pester him. Although, he could also see the positive side. If the demons had won over the fight against the deities, the world would be a very different place. There was no guarantee that dungeons would be welcome either.


    From what he had seen, among the rooms he could create all those involving any sort of demons came with warnings. Apparently, there had been cases of unsecured demons wreaking havoc in dungeons after being summoned. That was one of the reasons the spell, Demon Dispel, had been explicitly requested from the deities.


    For the next ten minutes Liandra and the avatar went on walking in a straight line along the continuation of the dead end tunnel, forming new rooms as they did. Now and again, Theo gave in to the impulse and added a few exotic elements, such as thick carpets, bowls of fruit, or random statues, to break up the monotony of it all. It got him a few annoyed glances from the heroine, but Theo felt good with himself. At one point, upon making the next room, only half of it came into being. The second half was replaced by a burrow-like tunnel that continued further on. Being a dungeon, Theo would have been able to have a pretty good idea how far it continued. The only reason he couldn¡¯t this time was because the continuation of the tunnel was blocked by an impressive large mole-like creature.


    Large black eyes winced, annoyed at the light from the torches that Theo placed in all of his created rooms. Moments later, the eyes of the creature shifted to glowing red.


    ¡°Look out!¡± Liandra grabbed the avatar by the collar of his shirt and leapt back, pulling him safely away from the creature¡¯s clawed paws.


    The mole let out a roar that would have put a pride of lions to shame. Fangs the size of daggers, green with poison and decay, became visible in his mouth. It was obvious that the Silvarians knew of this type of creature, else they wouldn¡¯t have created so many anti poison talismans.


    Without hesitation, the avatar pointed forward. A wave of flame emerged from his hand, pouring onto the creature like a torrent of water.


    The roaring changed into screechy screams. The pungent smell of roasted fur and meat filled the air as the flames burned through the creature and continued along the tunnel for hundreds of feet before finally dissipating.


    CORE CONSUMPTION


    1 mole core fragment converted into 200 Avatar Core Points


    It was only at that point that Liandra let go of the avatar, summoning her own weapon in the process. Seeing that she had summoned her two-handed sword, Theo could tell that things were serious.


    ¡°What was that?¡± he asked.


    ¡°A mole,¡± the woman replied.


    ¡°Maybe if you hadn¡¯t roasted it, I could have told you.¡± tears appeared in the woman¡¯s eyes. ¡°How can you stand that stench?!¡±


    ¡°This?¡± Being a dungeon, Theo had experienced worse. Of course, from his perspective, aromas weren¡¯t good or bad, but rather informative. The thing he really disliked, and currently regretted, was the sensation of the king slimes traveling throughout his tunnels created. ¡°I¡¯ve got a talisman for this,¡± he lied. ¡°It¡¯s a breathing enchantment. Want it?¡±


    Before Liandra could refuse, the avatar took off the talisman in question and tossed it to her.


    ¡°Better?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Not much,¡± the heroine replied, but still put it on.


    Holding her breath, she then went to the charred remains of the creature. There wasn¡¯t much left, but after a while, Liandra managed to pick up a bone that had managed to survive the inferno.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like anything special,¡± she said before tossing the bone aside. ¡°Probably just a normal mole affected by the forest¡¯s core.¡±


    ¡°You call that normal?¡±


    ¡°Cores help things grow. Why do you think they attract creatures to them?¡±


    ¡°Personally, I thought cores were only found in dungeons and demons.¡± Theo feigned ignorance.


    ¡°Even then, the cores attract. It¡¯s difficult to resist raw power.¡±


    ¡°Just great. So, we have all these things to face in addition to everything else?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll tell you one thing. Next time, warn before burning them. I¡¯ll make sure to hold my breath.¡±


    Continuing along the ready tunnel, it soon became evident that others weren¡¯t as lucky. Rotten remains started appearing. Some appeared to have been dead for less than a decade, while others were hundreds of years old. In all cases, there was a weapon of some sort lying by. Now and again, they even came across gear in perfect condition¡ªindicating there was some magic involved in it. Theo suggested they split the loot amongst themselves, but Liandra was firm that they were to collect everything and present it to the elf prince. After that, it would be up to him to decide whether he¡¯d share it with them, or give it to someone else.


    Naturally, there were also a lot more critters further down. Given the amount of core points the moles provided, Theo hoped they¡¯d come across a few more of those. Unfortunately for him, giant ants seemed to be the new flavor of the month, and while large and annoying, they provided a fraction of what the moles did.


    The tunnel kept on branching and twisting, but even so, it wasn¡¯t difficult to tell which was the direction towards the core. As Liandra had pointed out, all the roots they¡¯d come across were pointing in the same direction. At one point, the tunnel came to an end yet again. Now was the time for the next decision.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± The avatar rubbed his hands. ¡°Forward or down? Or maybe diagonal?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult to tell.¡± The heroine tapped her chin with her index finger.


    ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be a guess. It doesn¡¯t particularly matter. I have the mana for both.¡±


    ¡°In that case, best go down. We¡¯ll have to sooner or later.¡±


    ¡°Down it is.¡± The avatar stomped on the ground, creating a rectangular chamber extending from his foot. In a way, this reminded him of his experience in the Mandrake Mountains. He had done a lot of digging there in his attempts to escape. As much as Theo hated to admit it, he was starting to like creating rooms. Maybe it had to do with the dungeon¡¯s desire to expand. Doing it with an avatar seemed like a sugar free version: he did what his nature craved without increasing in volume.


    ¡°What do you think the guardians would be like?¡± he asked as he floated down within an aether bubble. ¡°As tough as Lord Mandrake¡¯s demons?¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± Liandra jumped down directly. ¡°Otherwise, the ants and moles would have devoured the core by now.¡±


    ¡°I have my doubts. I know you¡¯re supposed to be impressed by the elves and all, but they didn¡¯t seem anything special. If it wasn¡¯t for the airship, I could have¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish, the floor of the latest chamber gave in. Twisted roots shot from beneath, wrapping themselves around Liandra and pulling her down, before Theo could even blink.


    ¡°Liandra!¡± he shouted, focusing on his telekinetic ability to pull her back up. The roots, however, proved stronger. The avatar quickly floated down, but the moment he approached, a giant rusty blade smashed the aether shield around him.


    Hollow eyes sockets with green flames stared at the avatar, who despite the loss of the spell remained floating mid-air.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± a deep voice screeched as the rest of the skeleton emerged from the air. ¡°You aren¡¯t a hero, but you still know a few tricks.¡±


    Theo felt a strange sensation pass through him. One look at the skeleton was enough for him to know what he was facing. It wasn¡¯t the creature that he was worried about¡ªhe could probably defeat that with his fireball spell alone; what really worried him was the fact that the being standing in front of him was a minion, and for a minion to exist, someone must have created it.

 22. A Long Awaited Specialization

    ¡°Why are you with the hero?¡± the skeletal warrior asked.


    He was a lot more impressive than Cmyk could ever be. Standing seven feet tall, covered by large slabs of metal armor, he could easily stand up to any of the gnomework suits of Lord Mandrake. If Theo was to guess, this would pass as a ¡°boss minion¡±¡ªpowerful creatures aimed to put an end to any intruding heroes or adventurers. Creating one cost a tremendous amount of core points.


    ¡°Are you an assistant?¡± The skeleton stepped closer as roots reconstructed the floor. ¡°A servant?¡±


    ¡°A servant?¡± the avatar grunted. ¡°Did you ever consider that the hero might be the one assisting me?¡±


    Deep laughter echoed through the room. The minion clearly doubted it.


    ¡°You¡¯re weak, far too weak!¡± the skeleton said. ¡°Not that the hero was much stronger. All of them are weak. Weak and stupid. That¡¯s why she will pay the price and join the rest in my master¡¯s collection.¡±


    ¡°Collection?¡±


    ¡°My master likes to collect heroes. One day, his collection will become the greatest the world has known. You, however, are not fit to be part of that collection!¡±


    As fast as lightning, the minion swung its massive sword at Theo¡¯s avatar. The blade split the air, but before it could reach its target, the avatar had summoned his own sword from the dimensional ring and blocked. Having legendary swashbuckling skills was quite a good ability to have in a situation such as this, although when it came down to it, Theo preferred to have something slightly more combat oriented. While anything legendary helped, handling a sword was quite different from handling a rapier.


    The skeleton warrior froze still. The flames in its eye sockets grew brighter as it looked at the sword that wasn¡¯t supposed to be there. Changing its stance, the minion then went into a frenzy of attacks. The avatar, still floating in the air, parried.


    Initially, Theo was afraid that the skeleton¡¯s skills might match or outshine his own. For half a minute, he played it cautiously, only blocking blows and analyzing the pattern. Soon enough, he found that despite the otherwise impressive speed¡ªat least to the eyes of an observer¡ªthe attacks were painfully slow. Once he got used to it, watching the attacks was almost like looking at slow motion. Even with the avatar¡¯s awkward handling of the sword, blocking became easy to the point that every now and again then let out a counterattack of his own.


    The heroic blade struck the massive metal chest plate of the minion, leaving a deep mark. After building up enough confidence, Theo deflected a strike, and went all out. Defender became attacker, pushing the passive skeletal minion back, and chopping off chunks of armor in the process. Twice the avatar slashed through a humerus, yet the magic of the minion instantly restored the bone to its former state. Despite the dungeon¡¯s advantage, victory wasn¡¯t going to be so easy¡­ or wasn¡¯t it?


    ¡°You have a legendary sword,¡± the skeleton said, as it was pushed back. ¡°Where did you get it?¡±


    ¡°Oh, this old thing?¡± the avatar asked casually. ¡°It was given to me by an old acquaintance.


    Strictly speaking, every single word in the sentence was true, although it painted a completely different picture of what had happened. Yes, the hero that had stumbled to his death was old, and the dungeon was acquainted to him through the congratulatory message that had appeared after. However, the two had never been in good relations. If anything, during the brief moments they had known each other, the old hero had attempted to kill the dungeon for no good reason whatsoever.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡±


    ¡°My master would want to add it to his collection.¡±


    ¡°Well, you can tell your master¡­¡± the avatar did a diagonal attack aiming at the second quadrant. The blow was deflected, by the minion, though in doing so, created an unprotected opening. Theo then took advantage, spinning in the air and chopping off the upper half of the skull. ¡°That I¡¯ll give it to him personally,¡± he said.


    The massive minion remained still, like a puppet that had its strings cut off. The flames in the skill faded away, after which the rest of the skeleton collapsed to the ground in pieces.


    CORE CONSUMPTION


    1 Skeletal Warrior Minion core fragment converted into 500 Avatar Core Points


    AVATAR LEVEL INCREASE


    Your Avatar has become Level 10


    +1 Strength, SWORD CHOP skill obtained


    930 Core Points required for next Avatar Level


    Five hundred core points? That was quite a significant amount, although the dungeon felt that he was cheated. Knowing how much it cost to create a minion of such nature, he was hoping to receive at least four times that.


    SWORD CHOP - 1


    Allows your avatar to slice through solid objects by infusing it with 10 energy. Only efficient against physical objects.


    Using the ability will increase its rank, increasing the effects of the chop strike.


    That was at least something nice. The name could definitely use some work, but the effects were perfectly suited. Also, Theo¡¯s avatar had finally increased his strength a bit. Broadly speaking, magic kills increased mind, while physical kills boosted strength. The only question remained: how would one increase speed? That was a question for another time, preferably when Spok was less grumpy. Having to deal with several dozen panicked merchants and laborers had managed to stretch the patience of the spirit guide to the extreme. It didn¡¯t help that several nobles had approached her, requesting that she support them¡ªin the name of Baron d¡¯Argent, of course¡ªduring the council meeting. With Earl Rosewind still gone, the intrigue in his castle had reached ludicrous levels.


    HEROIC SPECIALIZATION


    (Level 10 requirements met)


    Based on the life you have led so far, the deities have granted you the opportunity to select a secondary specialization complementing your heroic trait. Further specializations are also possible based on your future development.


    The choices provided to you are as follow: MASON, MERCHANT, MAGE, and MISSIONARY.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding,¡± Theo grumbled.


    Annoying alliteration aside, none of the specializations were remotely appealing. Back from his previous life, he remembered specialization classes being a lot more useful. True, being a mage had some appeal, but even that seemed so bland.


    ¡°Do I get to know which is which?¡± he asked.


    MASON


    (Offered due to abundant building and room construction)


    Constructing buildings of any type and nature would require less stamina. If magic structures are built, less mana would be used in their construction as well.


    That one was outright useless. Theo could construct rooms with the snap of his finger, and even if there was some minuscule amount of energy saved, it wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d gain a huge advantage from it.


    MERCHANT


    (Offered due to massive accumulation of wealth)


    Negotiating prices is heavily in your favor, allowing you to increase profit margins by a substantial amount.


    That was a hero specialization? If so, Theo¡¯s definition of heroes was quite outdated. Try as he might, he couldn¡¯t imagine heroes going about like a door-to-door salesman, offering discounts for heroic deeds. Part of him wanted to pick this option just for the fun of it. However, that would mean he¡¯d have to interact with people on a daily basis, which was something he wanted to avoid.


    MAGE


    (Offered due to abundant use of magic spells)


    Increases your mana pool by 1000. This is a significant step towards performing high-intensity spells.


    The dungeon felt outright insulted. A measly thousand mana? He spent more on common spells. Were humans that weak? Apparently so. This too was a hard pass.


    MISSIONARY


    (Offered for killing a demon with a messed item)


    Increases the chances of receiving a blessing from the deities.


    ¡°Can I get something else?¡± Theo asked as his avatar crossed his arms. Not that the last was terrible, but he was already in pretty good relations with the goddess Peris. If anything, she had to be thankful to him. Thanks to Cmyk¡¯s involvement, the temple was always in pristine condition, and with a significant number of followers. Some had even suggested expanding the temple, not that was possible given the lack of town space surrounding the structure.


    The description of the last specialization disappeared, replaced by something unexpected.


    RANDOM


    (Offered because requested)


    Chooses a random specialization. The choice cannot be changed.


    Clearly, the deities were just as confused by Theo¡¯s situation as he was. This was probably the most elegant way for everyone to get what they wanted. Not that there was any guarantee that the dungeon would get anything useful. On the other hand, at least it couldn¡¯t be worse than some of the options it had done though.


    ¡°Just give me the random,¡± Theo said.


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    ANIMAL HANDLER


    Allows a better understanding of animals, allowing you to treat and handle them better.


    Not great, though not terrible. If nothing else, it was going to allow the dungeon to take better care of Maximilian. The rabbit had gained significant weight after being bought, and neither Cmyk nor Spok were doing a terribly good job tending to it. Starting tomorrow, Theo planned to set a strict schedule of feeding, rest, and exercises to ensure that it got back into shape.


    Now that was all over with, Theo could finally get back to the matter at hand. According to the skeletal warrior, the entity that had created it was in collecting heroes for some reason. Hopefully, that meant that Liandra was alive, but also that the entity would redirect its attention towards Theo¡¯s avatar.


    Theo floated to the part of the room where Liandra had vanished. A thick layer of roots had completely patched the hole as if it had never been there. This was a perfect opportunity for Theo to test out his new chop ability. Dedicated a bit of energy to the legendary weapon, he struck the floor. Roots splintered at the force of the blow, along with half of the room¡¯s floor. Theo made a mental note to limit the amount of energy he used for the ability, then cast an aether bubble around him and slowly floated down. He expected to find a dozen skeletal warriors expecting him. Instead, he found a vast chamber of columns awaiting him. In many ways, it was as if he had entered some old abandoned temple, or worse¡ªit was almost as if he had entered another dungeon.


    ¡°Spok,¡± he said back into his main body. ¡°Are there cases of forgotten dungeons?¡±


    ¡°Just a moment, please,¡± the woman said, as she went through the new scroll of expenses handed to her by the waggoneer. With the latest disturbance, most of the locals were rushing to get back to their homes. That made transport of goods difficult and extremely expensive.


    Nodding a few times, Spok handed the man two gold coins, then closed the door.


    ¡°You were saying, sir?¡± Spok rolled the scroll away.


    ¡°Forgotten dungeons. Do you know anything about them?¡±


    ¡°There are a few cases of dungeons that have retired after a long and productive existence. Not too many. As you should know from personal experience, it¡¯s difficult for even an inactive dungeon to remain inactive for long.¡±


    ¡°Know of any that collect heroes, by chance?¡±


    ¡°Sir, I¡¯m not a dungeon encyclopedia. Spirit guides have a general understanding of events. We do not keep in touch with every dungeon in existence. But, to answer your question, yes, there have been instances of dungeons acquiring more exotic taste. Some have been known to collect travelers or even adventurers, but very few target heroes. As the saying goes, those who play with fire inevitably get burned.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t a definitive answer, but enough for Theo to suspect that he was right. There was every indication that the ¡°core of the Vinewood¡± had never belonged to a forest, but a dungeon that had existed there long ago. Just looking at the hall, the dungeon must have become immense. This room alone was larger than Earl Rosewind¡¯s palace. The architecture was imposing: massive stone columns, gothic style arcs across the ceiling¡ªan adventurer¡¯s dream. The heroic part of Theo felt overjoyed he had found such a forgotten treasure. The dungeon part of him, though, was annoyed at himself for disturbing the slumber of someone else. There was no denying he was in the wrong, or the Silvarian elves, for that matter. All the ancient dungeon wanted was probably to have a nice long hap, and a pesky tribe of elves had suddenly appeared above and started sending expeditions down to steal its core.


    The avatar floated to the floor, then looked around. Roots were everywhere, although not dirt. From what he could see, there wasn¡¯t a single speck anywhere.


    You really kept it in good shape, Theo thought. Maybe an arrangement could be reached. Given a chance, he preferred to avoid fighting a dungeon, although that wasn¡¯t always possible. While dungeons didn¡¯t often run into one another due to their nature, they were highly territorial, and having one invade the domain of another was likely to trigger a response.


    ¡°Hello?¡± the avatar said loudly. ¡°I know you can hear me. I¡¯m not here to cause trouble.¡±


    That was a lie if there ever was one. The whole reason Theo and Liandra had come here was to steal a core¡ªthe core, to be precise.


    ¡°This is all a massive misunderstanding. I¡¯m sure that if we discuss things, we can come to a mutually agreeable solution.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who destroyed my minion,¡± a dry voice echoed throughout the hall. ¡°And now you¡¯re here to rescue your companion? Touching¡­¡±


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t need to escalate.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s play a game. I have your hero. All you need to do to get her is find her.¡±


    There was a flash of green light in the far end of the chamber, then another and another. Dozens of light flashes were everywhere, each giving birth to a skeleton minion.


    ¡°That is, before I find you.¡± Laughter echoed as the horde of minions descended upon the avatar.


    As a dungeon, Theo didn¡¯t particularly like his odds. As a hero, though, all he could see were bags of core points running his way.


    ¡°I tried to be reasonable, but if this is how you want it.¡± The avatar lifted his left hand, then cast a massive fireball.


    The flame hit the approaching group of skeletal warriors, filling the chamber with a heavy smell of charred wood. Just to be on the safe side, Theo doubled the amount of energy he normally used for the spell. After several moments, he stopped. Unfortunately for him, the skeletons were still there, bright red runes glowing on their skulls and pieces of armor.


    ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who can have protective talismans,¡± the voice whispered. ¡°Good luck saving your friend.¡±


    So much for an easy fight. Gripping his sword, Theo energized it using the full amount, then struck at the first of the approaching skeletons.


    The blade cut through it like butter, slicing through shield, armor, and all.


    CORE CONSUMPTION


    1 Skeletal Soldier Minion core fragment converted into 100 Avatar Core Points


    That was remarkably easy. Just as Theo was about to charge at the rest of the skeletons, a series of arrows struck his head and torso. There was no pain, just a few spikes in his energy consumption. Turning around, the avatar saw half a dozen skeletons with crossbows shooting at him from the side a short distance away.


    This is what you¡¯re going for? Theo grumbled to himself.


    The arrows clearly had magic in them, for they had shattered his aether shield without any issue. That made them exceedingly annoying. When the avatar took a step in their direction, a new skeleton blocked his way. This one was twice the normal size, holding a massive tower shield.


    Just as before, the avatar slashed at the minion, only this time the sword didn¡¯t slice through the slab of metal, but bounced back instead. That unexpected result merited a quick arcane identify. The results weren¡¯t good. In addition to an anti-flame and anti-ice enchantment, the shield had an anti-shatter one as well, making it act like a real shield. That didn¡¯t stop Theo from attacking again for good measure. Same as before, his sword bounced off as if it were made of rubber.


    A massive ax swung down at the avatar from the side. Thankfully, Theo¡¯s legendary swashbuckling skills allowed him to elegantly evade the attack, even if the floor wasn¡¯t that lucky. Several of the stone tiles cracked up at the ax¡¯s impact. If this had hit, it was going to leave more than a mark. Theo was going to have to deal with the ax skeleton as well, though later. For the moment, he had a plan and planned to stick to it.


    Using his telekinetic ability, he lifted the shield skeleton into the air then dashed straight at the skeleton archers. Three more arrows pierced his chest, though they didn¡¯t stop him from reaching his target and slashing them all to bits with a single cleave attack.


    CORE CONSUMPTION


    6 Skeletal Archer Minion core fragments converted into 300 Avatar Core Points


    No sooner was he done than the avatar turned around and threw his blade at the shield skeleton still in the air. With his back exposed, there was nothing to protect the minion, so the blade easily severed the base of the minion¡¯s spine, decapitating the entity.


    CORE CONSUMPTION


    1 Skeletal Shield Minion core fragment converted into 200 Avatar Core Points


    I could get used to this, Theo fought. It was almost as if he were fighting his own creations. Of course, these ones had the explicit intent of killing him. All of a sudden, the waves of enemies didn¡¯t seem so terrifying anymore.


    It had to be admitted that the dungeon against him had done well in organizing the minions. They were varied, working together as one large unit. Archers, spearmen, shielders, and heavy attackers worked together to create the most effective offensive. Unfortunately for them, they only made the avatar stronger.


    Focusing on the weaker ones first, Theo acquired enough core points to gain another level¡ªand the corresponding skill, which turned out rather useless. Somehow, Tracking wasn¡¯t what he could use right now, especially since it was specified that it was meant mostly for outdoors. Then again, the skill he obtained for the following level was perfect: Zap. While it wasn¡¯t exactly chain lightning, given enough enemies, it could get pretty close. Also, it was one thing the skeletal minions weren¡¯t protracted against. Theo¡¯s only regret was that there were so few to test it on. The results, though, were impressive¡­ possibly a bit too impressive.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re really set on rescuing her?¡± the voice said. ¡°I underestimated you.¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be the first time,¡± the avatar said, as it tried to determine where the voice was coming from. Despite the flawless victory, he wasn¡¯t any closer to figuring out where Liandra or the forest core were.


    There were eight corridors leaving the chamber, without any indication of which could be the right one.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll add you to my collection, after all.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve failed so far.¡±


    ¡°You seem to have an interesting spell protecting you. Most would have lost conscience by now, but I do like a challenge. And to make things more interesting, I¡¯ll give you the first hint.¡±


    ¡°You know that I¡¯ll find your core,¡± the avatar said, but there was no answer. Instead, one of the corridors lit up in green light. There was every chance that was a trap, but Theo didn¡¯t care. Walking in was as good a choice as any, and it could well speed up things. Casting another aether shield bubble, the avatar floated into the corridor.


    The condition of the ceiling and walls was terrible. There were more roots than stone, all continuing further in. At least that suggested there was a good chance that Liandra and the core were close to one another. There was a certain twisted logic that a dungeon would want its prized possessions close to where its core was. Theo didn¡¯t particularly care. As far as he was concerned, his core was a major inconvenience. Possibly, that was why Spok was constantly creating traps to protect it.


    After a while, the corridor split into two. The choice was an easy one. All that the avatar had to do was follow the roots. Soon after, the process repeated again. This time, when making the choice that seemed right, the avatar got to a dead end. A large mosaic seemed to block the path, although judging by the roots, the force that was driving them continued on.


    This had to be the next obstacle. However, it didn¡¯t seem at all what a dungeon would have done. The skeleton minions Theo could understand: they were cheap and efficient. This, though. It wasn¡¯t a trap. Rather, it was a riddle. What was more, there were elf words carved all over it.


    ¡°Is this some sort of puzzle?¡± the avatar asked. Yet again, there was no answer.


    Of course, Theo had no intention of wasting time with something as stupid. Charging forward, he struck the stone with his heroic blade. Alas, nothing happened. Whoever had protected the wall had made sure to make it invulnerable.


    All this for a forest core, Theo said to himself.


    ¡°Walk the path of the chosen,¡± he read what was written.


    That didn¡¯t provide many hints, at least not any that he could make out.


    ¡°Spok, are you good with riddles?¡± he asked back in Rosewind.


    ¡°No, sir, I¡¯m not,¡± the spirit guide replied without hesitation.


    ¡°Good. What do you think ¡®Walk the path of the chosen¡¯ means? It might be related to the elves, or some forgotten dungeon, or maybe Vinewood itself.¡±


    The woman sighed. She knew full well that she had been volunteered into something she had no knowledge or desire to do. And yet, she had to assist her dungeon in any way possible. Teleporting to the main building, Spok went into the living room and looked into the crystal orb. There was nothing but darkness there.


    ¡°You¡¯re in a place that¡¯s preventing spying,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s just a simple spell this time, although powerful enough to interfere.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. About that¡­ I think I might have entered a dungeon.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Spok almost jumped in place. If there was anything that could make her feel that she was about to faint, this was it. A dungeon ransacking a dungeon was unnatural. The proper way was for dungeons to build a defensive structure and send hordes of minions to one another until one group managed to reclaim the other¡¯s core. ¡°What have you gotten yourself into, sir?¡±


    ¡°I did say that the forest core probably belonged to a dungeon.¡±


    ¡°That is extremely unlikely, sir.¡± Spok was careful not to say the word possible. Normally, she would have, but after being attacked by a dungeon who was human in its previous life, anything was possible. ¡°It would take a tremendously large dungeon to have a forest within it. And, if that were the case, the heroine with you would have sensed something.¡±


    ¡°Well, she got kidnapped,¡± Theo said. ¡°And without much of a fight, either. A bunch of roots just burst up from the ground and snatched her away. Now, she seems to be near to where the core¡¯s at.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°So, what does the riddle mean?¡±


    ¡°Given so little context, it could be anything. Are there any visual clues?¡±


    ¡°Hold a moment.¡± The avatar stepped back. ¡°There¡¯s a mosaic of a dragon breathing fire on a forest in the middle of a sea, I think.¡±


    That was a good start.


    ¡°Are there any colors?¡± Spok asked.


    ¡°Shades of green and blue,¡± Theo replied. ¡°The message is carved on chunks of stone around it.¡±


    ¡°In what language?¡±


    ¡°Elvish, I think?¡± Theo hesitated.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    ¡°Look, I know all languages. How am I supposed to tell what language it¡¯s in?¡±


    ¡°How about you try pressing the tile with the word ¡®path¡¯ on it?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°No, sir, I¡¯m not. But at this point, it¡¯s as good a choice as any.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± The avatar went to the wall and pressed the tile that the spirit guide suggested. A bolt of lunging came from the word, throwing him back over twenty feet.


    ¡°Did it work?¡± Spok asked, oblivious to what had happened.


    Great, Theo thought. It was going to be a long day.

 23. Into the Core Chamber

    With a casual stroll Cmyk made his way down the staircase, through the trap chamber to the gardens. He quite enjoyed that part of the day. There was nothing like a few hours of calm and serenity among the underground fields and orchards now that the gardens were in full bloom. Of course, it helped that the dungeon dedicated vast amounts of energy to the gardens, making sure they were in near perpetual bloom. The plants ranged from common to exotic, the exotic ones being only for decoration. Cmyk had no idea why the dungeon had them, since no one else was allowed down here. Not that the minion minded. This meant he had all that much more calm to enjoy his hobby. Lately a new set of gardens were added beneath the usual ones: fast-growing wheat. Not that Theo or anyone else ate the stuff. The reason for that sudden addition was the one thing that had become in high demand¡ªstraw. With the dungeon buying everything out in the area, the prices had risen to the roof to the point that farmers were unwilling to sell, especially with news of an approaching fleet of airships. As a result, the dungeon had resolved the problem by creating a straw source of its own.


    ¡°Cmyk.¡± Spok appeared in front of him. The spirit guide had gotten quite bossy since she had obtained an avatar. Although, her approach was markedly much better than the dungeon¡¯s. ¡°Once you¡¯re finished here, could you give a message to the Earl¡¯s son?¡± She handed the minion a sealed scroll. ¡°The boy seems to be ignoring everything I send using magic, so I have no choice but to rely on you.¡±


    Cmyk looked at the scroll, then at Spok and shrugged.


    ¡°Splendid.¡± The woman disappeared once more, probably teleporting to another part of the dungeon, which lately had become a large part of the city. For someone who claimed to want a calm, quiet life Theo had definitely done a lot of expanding in the last few days. Then again, Cmyk was hardly one to talk. His days had become quite busy. Every morning he¡¯d tend to the gardens, gather some apples and carrots for Maximilian, hop to Peris¡¯ temple to clean it up¡ªhaving a chat with people along the way. On the way back, he¡¯d accept a free apple from Wanda, after which he¡¯d be dragged by Ulf and his other adventure buddies to one of the taverns, where he¡¯d spend the day until evening. Then, he¡¯d go back and enjoy a nice ten-hour nap and start everything all over again.


    A finely crafted two handed sword on his shoulder, Cmyk went to the wheat garden and started reaping. The dungeon had constructed a scythe for the task, but Cmyk had found that his premium sword did a much better job. Today tended to be a particularly successful day¡ªit was the day that the glowing stalks of wheat would turn into hay. That was another of the dungeon¡¯s innovations. Being stingy, Theo had created a separating room in which the grain was separated from the chaff and stored away. Meanwhile chaff was then placed in an aging contraption where it was made into first-grade premium quality glowing hay. The special thing about that was that it created glowing gold coins, which both Cmyk and his creator agreed were a lot more fascinating than common gold.


    ¡°Cmyk!¡± the dungeon shouted. ¡°Forget what you¡¯re doing and buy me some glass!¡±


    The minion paused. Straightening up, he waited for a few seconds, then tilted his head. If nothing else, he was fully aware that Spok was the one who usually dealt with purchasing materials.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that!¡± Theo grumbled. ¡°I¡¯m the dungeon here, so if I want glass, no one can say otherwise!¡±


    In truth, there had been a minor argument between the dungeon and the spirit guide recently. It was supposed to be a secret, but with things echoing throughout the main building, it was difficult for the minion not to notice. In fact, it would hardly be surprising if the slimes weren¡¯t aware of it at this point. The creatures were rather annoying, moving about the tunnels as they wished. Twice, one had attempted to invade the gardens, and because of Theo¡¯s orders that no slime was to be harmed, Cmyk had to carry the slippery critters out and into one of the distant tunnels.


    The root of the argument was the dungeon¡¯s obsession with creating an observatory. Spok had argued that one was hardly necessary at this point, especially with all the other important buildings required. Normally, the dungeon would get its way, but since Spok had been dealing with the intricacies of day-to-day management, she had flat out refused to do anything else extravagant until the basic defenses¡ªsuch as ballista towers, wall improvements, and energy generators¡ªwere completed. Thus, the dungeon was left with the option to have to do things on its own.


    ¡°Look, Cmyk, just go to the local alchemist and get me some glass,¡± Theo said. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the rest. Also, get what you like from there. I¡¯ve made you a new room to store your trinkets.¡±


    This sounded quite appealing. Sheathing his sword, Cmyk gathered what he had reaped, piled it on the cover of the underground field, then slowly made his way back to his room. Putting on his town clothes, he then left the main building.


    The town was exceptionally full of people. The approaching fleet had given birth to waves of gossip, not to mention that many people from the nearby villages had come here, hoping to have a better chance should the worst come to pass. Cmyk, of course, ignored all that and made his way to the Earl¡¯s castle. Although it was the dungeon who urged him to go out, Spok¡¯s requests were always the first ones to be followed.


    Several dozen people greeted the minion as he passed by. Used to his stoic silence, they returned to their daily chores and gossip.


    ¡°Good day, sir Mik,¡± the guard at the castle¡¯s entrance said. Like many who had difficulty pronouncing Cmyk¡¯s name, he had assumed that the first letter stood for an abbreviation for ¡°champion.¡± After all, the crazy baron himself had called Cmyk his champion, so it had to be true. ¡°What brings you here today?¡±


    With an emotionless glance, the minion handed the guard the scroll Spok had given him.


    ¡°Ah.¡± The guard looked at the scroll, examining the seal. ¡°Official business, eh? Well, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll give it to the kid. Between you and me, he¡¯s a bit lost without his father. I mean, the old Roswind is a good ruler and all, but he tends to be a bit¡­ lacking when it comes to his family. Not that it¡¯s my business, but I think the lad could use a firm hand to show him the ropes. You being a champion and all, I reckon you¡¯d be perfect to become something like a mentor.¡±


    Unsure how to react, Cmyk just nodded.


    ¡°Thought so too, eh?¡± The guard grinned. ¡°That¡¯s what I like about you¡ªalways one of action. Since it¡¯s not official or anything, I can¡¯t make any promises, but I¡¯ll ask a few questions, tell Sir Ribbons that you¡¯re considering it. Alright?¡±


    Cmyk nodded again, then turned around and left. There were a lot of things left to be done, and not too much time.


    The temple or Peris was quite full as he passed by. Five times the normal amount of people had gathered, sending prayers for blessings towards the goddess. Sneaking by with the discretion of a rockstar, Cmyk made his way to the only alchemist shop in Rosewind. The place was small, with heavily reinforced walls and narrow windows. It was a shop without a sign or emblem, frequented almost exclusively by adventurers in need of healing salves and other potions. That was how Cmyk had found out about it and¡ªvery much to his misfortune¡ªshared the information with the dungeon after accepting a potion vial of an exceptionally high quality of glass.


    Opening the door, the minion turned sideways, then squeezed in.


    ¡°Yes?¡± An old man peeked above a counter full of weird devices and multicolored potions. ¡°Ah, Cmyk. Been a while. How are you?¡±


    With the grace of a careful elephant in a China shop, the minion took a few half steps forward.


    ¡°Marvelous!¡± Being one who dealt with adventurers on a frequent basis¡ªand hearing them drag on about their missions¡ªthe old alchemist was one who admired silence. As such, Cmyk was his favorite customer. ¡°Fancy any fast growth potions? I just made a new batch. It¡¯s quite in demand with this mysterious fleet approaching.¡±


    The minion shook his head.


    ¡°Ah, well. Maybe another time,¡± the shopkeeper said, disappointed. ¡°Maybe I can¡ª¡±


    ¡°What we need is some of your glass,¡± a floating eyeball said. Neither Cmyk nor the shopkeeper had any idea when and how it had appeared. Neither of them seemed particularly concerned about it, though.


    ¡°Ah.¡± The alchemist nodded. ¡°Baron d¡¯Argent, I presume?¡±


    ¡°In a manner of speaking,¡± Theo replied. ¡°As you know, I have been made responsible for the city¡¯s defenses.¡±


    The alchemist sighed, his idlily of silence ruined. It was as obvious that the eyeball was dying to go into details just as much as the shopkeeper wanted to avoid them. Cmyk sensed it too, for he popped the eyeball almost instantly. Alas, the action was foreseen by the dungeon for moments later, a new floating eyeball appeared.


    ¡°Ahem.¡± It glared at Cmyk. ¡°As I was saying. I¡¯d like some of your exceptional glass.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± the shopkeeper asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m making an observatory and for that, I need¡ª¡±


    ¡°Why do you want to buy it from me? You¡¯re a mage. You¡¯ve already made half a dozen buildings on your own, as well as changed the entire town wall. The previous one looked better, by the way.¡±


    ¡°Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,¡± Theo grumbled. ¡°As for why, my glass making skills are marginally inferior.¡±


    That was an outright lie. While everything the dungeon made looked quite well, possibly even magnificent, to the normal person. It was mostly an illusion. Compared to the alchemist¡¯s work, his glass couldn¡¯t even be called fully transparent.


    ¡°I want to be able to see the airships as far away as possible,¡± the eyeball said. ¡°Just name your price.¡±


    ¡°Ten pieces of gold,¡± the alchemist said without hesitation.


    ¡°For a lens?!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. I¡¯ll make the observatory piece. It¡¯s clear that some airhead like you won¡¯t be able to pull it off. I¡¯ll just be wasting my skill making components that you mess up. Give me the gold, the dimensions of the tower, and you¡¯ll have it ready in a week.¡±


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°That might be a bit¡ª¡±


    ¡°For twenty gold, you can have it done in a few days.¡±


    ¡°How much will fifty get me?¡±


    ¡°For fifty, I¡¯ll have it done by the end of the day. Transport, of course, is not included.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of that. Cmyk.¡± The eyeball turned to the minion, who tossed a pouch of coins on the only free spot at the counter. ¡°Half now, half upon collection.¡±


    The price wasn¡¯t a big issue. However, the dungeon despised being heated. Seething, Theo thought and thought how to have his vengeance, though in such a way so as not to compromise the results of the work. He still wanted his top-class observatory, after all¡ªsomething that he might well have been able to achieve if the aether gem didn¡¯t take so long to charge up.


    ¡°Anything else?¡± The alchemist picked up the pouch, shook it a few times to check the weight, then put it away without even counting the coins inside.


    ¡°Are you any good with elvish puzzles?¡± the eyeball asked. It wasn¡¯t meant to be a serious question. Rather, it just happened to be the second most annoying thing that Theo was experiencing right now.


    ¡°Elvish puzzles?¡± The alchemist¡¯s eyes widened like a child who¡¯d gotten a glimpse of cookies in the cupboard. ¡°What exactly do you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s no guarantee the puzzle is elvish. That¡¯s just speculation of mine¡­ Imagine a passage blocked by a mosaic of a dragon breathing fire of a forest in the middle of a lake, or maybe a sea,¡± Theo began. ¡°There¡¯s also a message saying tread the path of the chosen.¡±


    ¡°Go on,¡± the shopkeeper leaned on the counter.


    ¡°That¡¯s it. It appears to be a magical riddle of sorts. It is unbreakable and doesn¡¯t let anyone continue forward.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Are the words in different segments?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, they are.¡±


    ¡°Tried pressing the one with ¡°path¡± on it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡±


    In the last twenty minutes, Theo¡¯s avatar had pressed ¡°path¡±, ¡°chosen,¡± and every other word, as well as the mosaic cluster forming the dragon, the forest, and even the fire itself. Each time, he had been zapped back mercilessly as a result. Under normal circumstances, he would have died a dozen times, but since he wasn¡¯t, the only thing that the dungeon suffered was a substantial waste of time and energy, and an increasing reluctance to touch anything.


    ¡°And you can¡¯t break it?¡± the alchemist asked, intrigued by the puzzle.


    ¡°Tried that. It can¡¯t be pulled, pushed, or¡ª¡±


    ¡°Did you try burning it?¡±


    If the eyeball blinked, it would have. Despite being quite adept at casting fire magic, that was one of the things that the dungeon hadn¡¯t attempted.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Theo asked.


    ¡°Well, since you said there was a dragon burning away a forest, what if that¡¯s an indication of what you must do in order to continue?¡±


    ¡°Well, of course, I did that.¡± As he spoke, the dungeon¡¯s avatar cast a small fireball and threw it at the mosaic. Theo very much wanted to progress, but there was this voice in the back of his mind that was vocally shouting that he didn¡¯t need help from an alchemist geek.


    The flame hit the mosaic, melting a hole in the middle and continuing on. The dungeon was outright furious. There was no reason for him not to have tried that, especially since he had tried everything else. In all honesty, the avatar had even tried zapping it in the misguided hope that lightning would affect lightning.


    ¡°So, not fire either,¡± the alchemist said. ¡°Tough one. Doesn¡¯t seem very elvish, though. I¡¯ll have to go through my books and check.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ no rush,¡± the eyeball managed to say. ¡°Focus on the observatory equipment for now. There will be time to discuss riddles later.¡±


    ¡°Right, right. But what if¡ª¡±


    Theo popped all the floating eyeballs before the alchemist could answer. Getting help to solve the riddle was bad enough. Although, this wasn¡¯t a true riddle. Anyone could have figured it out. Casting a few more fireballs to melt the rest of the mosaic, the avatar then continued on, reasoning that the only reason for the momentary failure was the simplicity of the puzzle. Soon enough, though, it became clear that the mosaic wasn¡¯t truly a puzzle, but a warning.


    Several of the talismans flared up. One of them was an ¡°internal heat¡± talisman, while the other had a ¡°dragon¡¯s breath¡± enchantment. While the tunnel didn¡¯t seem all that different, the temperature around the avatar had dropped dramatically. Another twenty feet and even a large part of the roots had changed into icicles.


    The lair of the dungeon is ice? Theo wondered. Icy cold air would affect any creature that could breathe, while doing nothing to skeletons and the like. That explained why so many of the ¡°chosen¡± had failed so far.


    ¡°Worried about your companion?¡± the dry voice cackled. ¡°Maybe you spent too much time at the entrance.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you liked to collect them?¡± The dungeon had no intention of showing any doubt, even if the concerns were valid.


    ¡°I never said I collected heroes alive.¡±


    A pillar of ice flashed at the end of the tunnel, flying towards the avatar like a giant spear. Instantly, Theo raised his hand forward, casting a stream of flames with as much power as he could afford.


    Fire met ice, causing the air to explode ten feet away. The steam released, frosted over, then burst into vapor again in a never-ending cycle marking the border of the spells. Apparently, both seemed to be of equal strength: unable to push the other away, or in turn, be pushed back. The confrontation continued for ten full seconds, after which both spells ended almost simultaneously.


    Damn it! Theo thought. He suspected that fighting a dungeon wouldn¡¯t be easy, but he never expected to come across something capable of matching his avatar, and at the worst possible moment, at that. While he was trapped here, Lord Mandrake was eagerly making his way towards Rosewind, and as much as he had improved the town¡¯s defenses, it was far from enough.


    ¡°Seems we¡¯re of similar strength,¡± the dry voice said.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go for a draw. Just let me out and¡ª¡±


    ¡°You expect me to surrender the core and set you and your companion free?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I¡ª¡±


    ¡°You arrogant little brat! I¡¯ve dealt with hundreds like you! You¡¯re barely worthy to become part of my collection and you think you can take me on? All you¡¯ve done is defeat a few of my minions. You¡¯re not anywhere near the heart of my domain.¡±


    ¡°Look, I really¡ª¡±


    Before Theo could finish, the sound of growling filled the corridor. It wasn¡¯t normal growling, though. There was an icy touch to it. Not a particular fan of creatures in dark tunnels, Theo cast a small fireball and encapsulated it in an aether bubble.


    The light wasn¡¯t enough to illuminate the entire corridor he was in, but it showed one thing: the path behind him was blocked by a solid slab of ice. While melting through it would be possible, it was going to take considerable time and divert his attention from the other dangers present. The enemy dungeon had left him only one path to success: straight forward.


    Ice rays shot at him, each missing by mere inches. Casting a dozen swiftnesses on himself, the avatar dashed forward, the improvised lantern floating behind. Five steps later, Theo saw them¡ªlarge lizards made completely out of shards of ice. They were on the floor, on the walls, even the ceiling, slithering in his direction. One opened its mouth, emitting another ice ray. The distance was too short for the avatar to react, so the ray touched his shoulder. Frostbite kicked in, quickly turning into ice. Within moments, the avatar¡¯s entire left shoulder was encapsulated in a hard shell of cold. Despite the setback, Theo managed to thrust the floating fireball right into the creature¡¯s mouth. As both spells came into contact with one, another explosion took place, shattering the creature¡¯s head off.


    CORE CONSUMPTION


    1 Ice Lizard core fragment converted into 250 Avatar Core Points


    The amount of core points was impressive, but Theo didn¡¯t have much time to celebrate. Two more lizards leapt at him, with more approaching on the walls behind. Using his right hand, the avatar cast a pillar of flame. While that proved enough to cause the lizards to lose their grip and fall to the floor, it didn¡¯t particularly hurt them.


    Once more, Theo cast a continuous fireball, concentrating the flame on a single creature. The lizard let out a sound that was similar to nails screeching on glass, but even so, was able to withstand the heat.


    ¡°Sir,¡± Spok said back in the dungeon¡¯s main body. ¡°I¡¯ve no idea what you¡¯re doing, but your energy consumption has significantly increased. If you don¡¯t calm things down, you¡¯ll end up resorting to core points and furniture again.


    Blasted lizards! Theo placed his right hand on the lump of ice around his shoulder and cast the spell one final time. The ice exploded to pieces. At least now he could move adequately. Calling for his sword, the avatar then struck the semi-melted lizard in the neck. The resistance was noticeable, but ultimately, the being shattered.


    CORE CONSUMPTION


    1 Ice Lizard core fragment converted into 250 Avatar Core Points


    AVATAR LEVEL INCREASE


    Your Avatar has become Level 13


    +1 Strength, LONG WEAPONS skill obtained


    1080 Core Points required for next Avatar Level


    Long Weapons? Theo blinked.


    LONG WEAPONS - 1


    Grants long weapon proficiency, allowing you to masterfully use spears, lances, halberds, pikes, and other long weapons.


    The skill sounded somewhat useful, though not particularly so. If Theo had had the foresight to gather some of the weapons of the skeletal minions he had defeated, maybe things would be different. Since he hadn¡¯t, though, the only real thing he gained was the strength increase.


    Clusters of ice rays flew by, freezing everything they came into contact with. Thankfully, this time Theo¡¯s avatar wasn¡¯t part of that. Filling his sword with energy, he performed a cleave attack. The blade hit the scales of several lizards, cutting off a few chunks of ice. One of the lizards opened its mouth in pain. Taking advantage of the situation, the avatar then cast a fireball spell, sending it right into the creature¡¯s mouth. Same as the first lizard he killed, its head popped off, followed by the rest of the being shattering.


    CORE CONSUMPTION


    1 Ice Lizard core fragment converted into 250 Avatar Core Points


    Why can¡¯t it ever be easy? Theo sighed.


    Even with the experience the lizards provided, fighting them was bothersome and risky. While it was clear, they couldn¡¯t deal enough damage to defeat him, they were more than capable of imprisoning him in a block of ice, condemning the avatar to life as a statue. Come to think of it, maybe that¡¯s what the dungeon meant when he said that he was collecting heroes. Definitely quite the exotic, not to mention expensive, hobby.


    Stacking a dozen more swiftnesses, the avatar sprinted through the corridor, stepping over lizards and all. Seeing how many of them there were, it quickly became obvious that tactical retreat was the better choice. In such a narrow space, dealing with so many creatures would have been difficult, even if Theo knew how to kill each one at a time.


    As the avatar ran, a golden glow became visible in the distance. It was either the end of the tunnel, or the light of something far larger and scarier coming his way. Not willing to take any chances, Theo cast an ultra aether shield sphere around him and moved on. The decision was sound. Seconds after he did so, a multitude of ice rays hit the sphere from behind. Normally, that would have been enough to shatter Theo¡¯s protection to pieces, then freeze him. However, with the aether shield being invulnerable, the blast only propelled him forward, creating several thick layers of ice on the back of the sphere.


    Faster and faster the dungeon¡¯s avatar flew towards the end of the tunnel. Just before reaching it, the most unexpected thing happened. The five seconds of invulnerability gone, the sphere shattered. Free to expand, the ice crust spontaneously grew, blocking the tunnel. The avatar, however, had gathered far too much inertia, continuing forward like a cork off a champagne bottle.


    A vast new massive chamber emerged, bathed in golden light. Using his telekinetic ability, Theo caused the avatar to slow down, then come to a complete top, floating a hundred feet above the chamber floor.


    Wow, the dungeon thought.


    The contrast with his own chambers was enormous. Columns as thick as houses rose up from a crystal floor, reaching up to the dome-like ceiling completely covered in roots. More unexpectedly, however, the core was also there, hanging from the ceiling¡­ and it was a lot bigger than Theo imagined it to be. Right now, he understood why the elves had given him a ring to reclaim the ¡°heart of the forest.¡± The core alone was bigger than the initial building he had created upon arriving into Rosewind.

 24. Chrono Lich

    The dungeon¡¯s avatar slowly floated down to the floor. As it did, ice emerged, creeping up along the walls of the chamber, sealing it from any external interference. The temperature drop was so intense that several of the talismans worn shattered off the avatar¡¯s neck. Interestingly enough, the resist sleep talisman was also glowing. It seemed that the dungeon was using some sort of sleeping mist to render heroes harmless.


    ¡°The sleeping mist is a nice touch,¡± the avatar said. ¡°You¡¯ll have to teach me that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more than a trick,¡± the dry voice said. For some reason, it didn¡¯t sound like it was coming from the core, though. ¡°Why don¡¯t you admire my chamber?¡±


    Careful not to touch the floor, the avatar floated towards the center of the chamber, past the columns. It was at that point that he saw that the columns were not columns at all: they were prisons. Within them, wrapped in roots and aether restraints and then enclosed in ice, were five people in full combat armor. Liandra was among them. Theo¡¯s first reaction was to consider them dead. However, his opinion changed when the woman opened her eyes and glanced at him.


    ¡°Surprised?¡± the voice cackled. ¡°I could have easily killed them, but it¡¯s a lot more fun this way. Some have been here for decades. Of them, only one other managed to reach the chamber on his own.¡±


    ¡°Do I get a prize?¡± Theo asked.


    ¡°You should feel honored that I let you come this far. You¡¯re not remotely close to their caliber. Compared to them, you¡¯re like a kitten that¡¯s only able to rip paper and considers that to be a feat.¡±


    That was a rather picturesque metaphor, but also made Theo think. He had no problems understanding it, but he still had memories of his past human life. A normal dungeon shouldn¡¯t be able to think that way.


    ¡°Spok,¡± Theo asked in his main body. ¡°Know of any dungeon that has cats?¡±


    The spirit guide visibly froze as if struck by lightning. For three full seconds she remained as she was, holding a scroll half open in front of her, until she finally finishing to roll it up.


    ¡°Cats, sir?¡± she asked as she placed the scroll in its compartment in her work study.


    ¡°Cats,¡± the dungeon repeated, annoyed. ¡°Small, furry, annoying, get everywhere.¡±


    ¡°Such creatures are not usually something a dungeon would like to have within them. Unless you¡¯re referring to a panther pit, of course. Might I remind you of your opinions regarding the cicadae squirrels?¡±


    The wall and several buildings in Rosewind shivered. This was a dark part in the dungeon¡¯s history, it preferred not to remember. At the same time, Spok brought up a rather good point. No respectable dungeon would voluntarily inflict such pain on itself.


    ¡°Thanks, Spok.¡±


    Theo cast his ultra arcane identify on the core.


    CORE OF VINEWOOD


    Living seed of the forest, that grants life and magic to all trees and creatures within.


    Appeared at the dawn of time, it is one of the many core seeds that were scattered throughout the land to help the world flourish.


    Can only be consumed by Level 9 dungeons, Demon Lords, or Deities.


    The first thing that Theo did upon seeing the results of his identification was double check his own level. Despite his vast eagerness, he remained at level one and the leveling gem still had twenty-seven percent to completion. Sometimes, Theo thought that the blasted thing was losing energy.


    The second though he was a lot more insightful. As fascinating as the ¡°seed core¡± was, there was one thing it couldn¡¯t be¡ªa dungeon.


    ¡°You¡¯re not a dungeon,¡± the avatar said, turning around. ¡°You¡¯re just someone taking advantage of its power.¡±


    Laughter echoed throughout the chamber.


    ¡°Did you build this place, or did you stumble upon it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re quite good. Maybe you are worthy to become part of my collection, after all.¡±


    A vortex of icy energy formed a dozen steps away. As it grew, an entity appeared in its core¡ªa very skeletal entity with a necklace of talismans of its own.


    ¡°A lich?¡± Theo asked.


    There was a brief period during which he considered creating a lich chamber himself. Being boss-level minions of extreme power, one of those would have come in handy when fighting Lord Mandrake. The only drawback, that the construction of one required a vast amount of core points, not to mention that liches were complete energy hogs.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Purple flames burned in the lich¡¯s eye sockets. ¡°Not always, though. There was a time, when I was just like you: a mage the elves considered to be the chosen one. The very first chosen one.¡±


    That was a rather unexpected revelation. On the other hand, seeing the Silvarian¡¯s attitude, Theo could understand it. The lich must have been a prodigy of his time, and as such had been offered vast rewards, geared up with magic talismans and sent to find the core.


    ¡°What went wrong?¡± the avatar asked, cautiously approaching the entity.


    ¡°Everything went wrong. The elves said that there would be elemental guardians protecting the core, but they didn¡¯t bother with details. I dug my way through dirt, and roots, moles, and insects to a temple that existed long before the forest seed sprouted.¡± Blue flames surrounded the lich¡¯s bony hands. ¡°No one before me had reached this far. The creatures were a joke, so were the root guardians in the outer sanctum. I barely used half my energy to defeat them. But that was before the truth of this place was made clear. The root guardians weren¡¯t actual guardians. They were foot soldiers. The real guardians were elementals.¡±


    Theo could sympathize. If a normal person, even a prodigal mage, wasted so much energy on digging and dealing with small fries, there was no way he¡¯d survive against elementals. Those were almost as powerful as a lich, and even more expensive to create. The only thing even more expensive than them was building a dragon roost, which, come to think of it would have been a good idea.


    ¡°I take it you lost?¡± the avatar asked.


    ¡°I never lose.¡± The lich¡¯s skull flared up, surrounded by blue flames. ¡°I defeated all four of the elementals. The damage sustained was too much, though. The cursed elves had given me all those useless talismans and only one to heal minor wounds. It was my desire for vengeance that sustained me. That and the power of the core turned me into what I am today, and I plan to kill every single chosen one that tries to help the elves.¡±


    ¡°And the heroes?¡± the avatar asked.


    ¡°Everyone needs a hobby.¡± The lich pointed at the avatar, casting an ice ray.


    Theo cast a fire pillar in response. Boosted by the core, both spells were a lot more powerful, clashing in an explosion of power that pushed both parties several steps back. Clearly, this wasn¡¯t going to be easy. On the other hand, Theo noticed that the energy used was a lot less than expected¡ªmerely a fifth, to be exact.


    ¡°Are you sure you want to go on with this?¡± the avatar asked, taking the legendary sword from his dimensional ring. ¡°You¡¯re strong, I give you that, but I happen to have defeated a demon lord,¡± he boasted.


    ¡°A demon lord?¡± The purple flames in the lich¡¯s eye sockets turned white. ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°You better believe it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who destroyed the heart of Demon Lord Kayinion?¡±


    Theo saw no reason to clarify that the demon lord had multiple hearts, and the one he¡¯d destroyed was very static and undefended, since Liandra was dealing with a demon minion.


    ¡°Very well.¡± The lich cackled. ¡°This¡¯ll make things interesting. I never told you what sort of mage I was, did I?¡± bony fingers moved about drawing symbols in the air. Within moments a white ring circle had formed, bathing everything in a pale light.


    ¡°Let me guess. You¡¯re¡ª¡±


    There was a sudden knock on the door of Theo¡¯s main body. With everything going on in Rosewind, that could hardly be considered unusual. A quick peek through the window, though, revealed something different. Not only was there a large crowd gathered but also an impressively large and intricately complicated telescopic contraption.


    Curiosity tipped the scales, causing Theo to cast a few floating eyeballs and have them float down from the windows. As he suspected, the old alchemist was there, standing in front of the door, a large book beneath his left arm.


    The dungeon was just about to ask what the racket was when the alchemist spotted the cluster of eyeballs.


    ¡°Ah, there you are!¡± the man said with a wide smile. ¡°I¡¯ve been consulting some of my books and have come to the conclusion that it must be a spell combination riddle.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± The eyeballs stared at him.


    ¡°In order to pass, you must cast various spells on various words,¡± the alchemist went on. ¡°A sort of combination lock. Ingenious really. So, in order to pass, you must¡ª¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Theo interrupted.


    ¡°The riddle you asked me about. I¡¯ve been thinking about it since our conversation this morning.¡±


    ¡°You cast a fireball on the forest in the center,¡± Theo said.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    ¡°I hope you didn¡¯t rush after me just for that. Need I remind you that you¡¯re supposed to be building my observatory device so I can protect this city?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s done.¡± The alchemist pointed to the wagon with the device behind him. ¡°I told you I¡¯d finish it by the end of the day. You still owe me thirty gold, by the way.¡±


    ¡°Thirty? It was supposed to be twenty! Besides, you said it¡¯ll take you a full day.¡±


    ¡°Thirty, including installation!¡± The alchemist pointed at the floating eyeball a bit too energetically. As a result, one of the eyeballs popped out of existence. ¡°Oops. Sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°You mean you were able to complete all that in a few minutes?!¡±


    ¡°Minutes? Well, I know I¡¯m fast, but it took a bit longer than that. It¡¯s almost evening. And I prefer to finish the work before it gets dark.¡±


    The dungeon was just about to point that it wasn¡¯t even noon when the sun betrayed him. Somehow, the ball of fire, had managed to sneak its way to the horizon without him noticing. That wasn¡¯t supposed to be right. While Theo wasn¡¯t a clock-watcher, especially since he¡¯d become a dungeon, he could have sworn that only a few minutes had passed between the melting of the barrier and him entering the lich¡¯s chamber. There was no possible way that¡­


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Don¡¯t tell me, Theo thought.


    While everything was going on, his avatar had remained practically motionless. Actually, it was more than that. As far as his avatar was concerned, time was flowing as normal.


    ¡°¡ªan elementalist,¡± the avatar finished the sentence as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°No, a chrono mage,¡± the lich laughed. ¡°Let¡¯s see how long you can last, with each minute lasting several hours.¡±


    That sounded like cheating. Thinking about it, it was something a chrono mage would do. Not that Theo knew anything about chrono magic. Maybe once everything was over¡ªprovided the town was still standing¡ªhe could inquire at his mage tower. Until then, though, he had a choice. He could either focus on the fight against the lich, or focus his attention on Rosewind. Since there was no urgency in his lich battle¡ªas a dungeon, he didn¡¯t need to sleep or rest¡ªTheo decided to concentrate on getting his normal body in order. Not that it was a big challenge, either. After getting his money, the alchemist and his team went to install the viewing device on the tower that Theo had constructed for the purpose. While the work was taking part there, the dungeon decided¡ªfor the first time since its reincarnation¡ªto focus on its actual self.


    One look at what Theo had become was enough to make him fall into despair. It was like a slob taking a look at himself in the mirror after a year of doing nothing but eating snacks on the couch. No longer the lean, mean bundle of elegance and power, the dungeon had bloated to include the large part of a town, all his parts connected in the most inefficient way possible. Bloated empty chambers and spaghetti-like tunnels crisscrossed beneath the Rosewind, linking the various buildings that he had obtained. With the sole exception of the wall, those two were a hollow fa?ade containing nothing more than a vast empty space and a small study belonging to Spok. It was no wonder he was wasting so much energy to just maintain the whole thing. If he had given the matter some actual consideration and not done as he pleased, leaving Spok to manage the mess, he¡¯d be in a much better state. Still, what was done was done. The main thing now was to fix as much and as quickly as possible.


    Theo¡¯s main building, containing his core, was thankfully roughly in the center of town, giving him good access to every other part of him. The location of the gardens was also adequate, mostly because of their vicinity to the building. As for everything else, however¡­ Having energy reactors close to buildings was a great idea to ensure that they were well maintained should anything happen. Yet, it remained a piecemeal solution. Unironically, the deserted temple Theo¡¯s avatar was fighting at was a lot better organized. From what he could tell, it was all based on the principle of spheres of influence: an inner sanctum, a layer of defenses and protections, and an outer sanctum full of minions. In this situation, the dungeon didn¡¯t need to worry about adventurers storming in, so he could do away with the minions. Everything else, though, could do some reorganizing.


    After some consideration, Theo decided that it was better and more efficient to keep what he had and slowly fill in the empty spots, creating a solid structure underground, instead of focusing solely on the buildings on the surface. In order to achieve that, he had to do one thing: start from his core and build deeper. Also, unlike before, his tunnels, chambers and corridors were going to be a lot more solid.


    ¡°Spok, how much materials do we have?¡± Theo asked.


    ¡°After reinforcing the walls and extravagances such as your observatory,¡± she stressed, ¡°not that much. You might be able to reinforce two buildings at most, but that¡¯s it.¡±


    Not as good as he had hoped. It was a mystery where all tons of ore and minerals had vanished. The reason, to a large degree, was that the quality of the purchased ore was rather poor, and after refinement, there was only a fraction of material available.


    ¡°How many core points will it cost me to create a proper set of stone and metal tunnels?¡± Theo asked.


    Spok nearly dropped the quill she was holding.


    ¡°Is everything alright, sir?¡± she asked with real concern. Normally, his modus operandi was to delegate everything to her, then shift between micromanaging, fooling about with his avatar, or creating a random room at a random location for no real purpose.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°I meant you could reinforce a quarter of the tunnels, perhaps a few chambers more, but not much more.¡±


    ¡°How many core points will it cost me to do it?¡±


    ¡°About nine tenths if no other construction is done. You¡¯ve been using a lot of them, sir, even with the energy produced. Under ordinary circumstances, I¡¯d have recommended buying monster cores, or even hiring adventurers to get some for you. Unfortunately, that isn¡¯t an option right now, and I fear the place is exceptionally poor in any minerals or metals. The soil is fertile, though.¡±


    Mineral poor, but soil rich. It sounded like a nice place to retire. It seemed that the return of the avatar was the best thing that could happen. The chrono lich put a spanner in that plan, making a twenty-minute battle take days. Things would have been so much easier if the earl was here, but of course, there was still no sign of him. Half a dozen riders had set out with the explicit goal of finding him and bringing him back to the castle, so he could take the defense of the city in his own hands, yet so far none of them had returned.


    ¡°Would you like me to assist you with anything, sir?¡± The spirit guide offered.


    ¡°No, Spok, I¡¯ll take care of this myself.¡± Theo was just about to thank her and get back to thinking about dungeon basics when a sneaky idea came to mind. It was somewhat extreme, and he suspected Spok wouldn¡¯t be particularly pleased, but it was going to provide a temporary solution. ¡°Actually, Spok, there¡¯s one thing you can do.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like you to invite Avid Rosewind tomorrow morning on my behalf.¡±


    ¡°The earl¡¯s son, sir?


    ¡°The same. Try to convince him that it would be for the good of everyone if he donated part of the treasury for the defense efforts.¡±


    There was a long moment of silence. Spok considered the prospect, then considered it again. In a twisted sort of way it did make sense, although she had serious doubts of the plan succeeding. Spok, like every other noble, had been trying to get the earl¡¯s son to side with them since the news of the fleet reached town. Sending yet another scroll was hardly going to work.


    ¡°I doubt that he¡¯d accept, sir,¡± the woman said. ¡°He¡¯s been doing a pretty good job of hiding from everyone. I doubt he¡¯ll even open the invitation I sent.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll have no choice but to give it in person.¡±


    ¡°Sir, you know well that¡¯s impossible. I can¡¯t go anywhere that isn¡¯t part of you.¡±


    ¡°You can go to the wall. And I believe part of it is rather close to the earl¡¯s castle.¡±


    ¡°Close is a bit of an overstatement, sir.¡±


    ¡°By tomorrow morning, it won¡¯t be,¡± Theo said. He knew that it was going to cost him a lot, both in terms of gold and core points, but it was a worthwhile investment, especially if he was able to get a large supply of magic trinkets with which to replenish his reserves.


    ¡°I see. In that case, I¡¯ll do my very best, sir.¡±


    Everything happened just as Theo had said. As his avatar and the chrono lich exchanged a few more words and started the first motions of their fight, the dungeon had purchased the land between the city wall and the earl¡¯s castle, and proceeded to fill it with solid buildings. Simultaneously, he had strengthened all chambers and tunnels beneath his house, as well as modified the size of the gardens to form a series of underground rings. That had caused some minor confusion for Cmyk, but was also a lot more appreciated, since slimes no longer were able to simply wander in. The aether generators were moved close to each quadrant, while the central area within the ring was transformed into a manufacturing chamber, where wheat was divided and straw made directly into gold. Three storage chambers were also constructed: one for grain, one for straw, and one for gold, leaving the house above a lot tidier. The new freed-up room was transformed into an archive room and given to Spok, who had already taken the entire top floor.


    Meanwhile, the new observatory had also been finished. Despite the quirks of his character, the alchemist had done a splendid job, creating a telescope that had the power to see hundreds of stars in the night sky, as well as see well into the two neighboring kingdoms. Theo had also learned the Spy Scrying spell that allowed him to increase the range of his sight by ten miles per fifty energy spent. One of the hopes was to be able to use it to spot the earl. Alas, there was no such luck.


    ¡°If I might, I¡¯d like to congratulate you on the efficient way you¡¯ve spent your core points, sir,¡± Spock said as she walked along the roof of the new wall section. ¡°You¡¯ve done rather marvelously.¡±


    ¡°You mean I¡¯m finally starting to act as a dungeon?¡± Theo clarified. Right now, he wasn¡¯t sure whether to be pleased by the praise or not. ¡°Did you take enough gold?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. A full carry-chest¡¯s worth.¡±


    Internally, the dungeon sighed. Despite all his attempts, he had failed to get Spok to call the device a suitcase. Somehow, she had managed to coin the phrase carry-chest, to his great annoyance.


    ¡°And you¡¯re using the shiny gold, right?¡±


    ¡°Every last coin, sir.¡±


    ¡°Good. In that case, it¡¯s my turn.¡±


    The dungeon created a dozen floating eyeballs and sent them around the castle. Naturally, he was careful not to be seen by any of the guards. While popping the eyeballs wouldn¡¯t cause any harm, spying on the town¡¯s ruler openly wasn¡¯t a good idea.


    It didn¡¯t take long to locate the earl¡¯s son. The youth had chosen to hide at one of the castle¡¯s towers. Spok had her doubts, but Theo was sure he¡¯d be there¡ªif the boy was waiting for his father, he¡¯d wait at the spot from which he¡¯d be able to spot the earl as he returned to town.


    Using his telekinetic capabilities, Theo then transported a small bell to the tower¡¯s window and rang it. The faint noise proved enough to catch Avid¡¯s attention. The boy opened the window to find the source of the noise. However, what he found was a whole new section of buildings that didn¡¯t exist before, with Spok d¡¯Esprit on top, sitting at a table with what appeared to be an assortment of food.


    ¡°Good morning to you,¡± the woman said in a loud and clear voice. ¡°I was wondering if you¡¯d like to join me for dinner, Avid. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re quite busy, so I thought I¡¯d combine a brief discussion with the most important meal of the day.¡±


    Normally, the response to such an invitation would be to close the windows and ignore it completely. However, there was something in the prospect of having breakfast on the roof of a brand-new building that made Avid feel a lot more inclined. Not to mention that he knew practically nothing about Baron d¡¯Argent¡¯s steward; that suggested that there was a possibility that she might actually be tolerable.


    ¡°It would only take a moment, I assure you,¡± Spok added as she poured two cups of wine.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Avid Rosewind said. ¡°I¡¯ll be with you shortly.¡±


    Theo expected that the boy would use some magic item or spell to fly from the tower directly to Spok. Instead, Avid just walked. Unwilling to risk having him fall, the dungeon modified the face of the building to have a rather forgiving stone ladder. The effort didn¡¯t go unnoticed.


    ¡°When did you make this?¡± Avid asked upon reaching the top.


    ¡°The baron greatly values time and efficiency,¡± Spok lied outright. ¡°Given the approaching danger, he wanted to be sure that you and your family receive the best protection, along with the rest of town, of course.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Avid hesitated a bit, but still took a seat at the table. ¡°He¡¯s been doing a lot of changes. My father believes that he¡¯s a powerful eccentric mage that has chosen to move to a nice quiet place to focus on retirement.¡±


    The description was accurate to the point that Theo was no longer sure that the earl was the buffoon he pretended to be.


    ¡°And what do you believe?¡± Spok asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. I¡¯ve only seen him once, and he seemed¡­ underwhelming. I think you¡¯re the real power behind him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not the one who¡¯s gone on a quest set by your father.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re the one overseeing all ¡°his¡± developments in town, including the wall.¡±


    ¡°You flatter me, but let me assure you, the baron is the one with the vision. I¡¯m merely following his instructions.¡±


    It didn¡¯t take a mind reader to see that Avid still had his doubts. If anything, the denial only reinforced his conviction that Spok was the mind behind everything.


    ¡°What did you want to talk to me about?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to eat anything?¡± Spok sounded almost motherly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry. I just wanted to see the view from here¡­ and learn what you really wanted.¡±


    ¡°Quite direct. In that case, I¡¯ll be direct as well.¡± Spok placed the wooden suitcase and opened it. Stacks of gold coins glowed inside. ¡°The baron would like to acquire all monster cores, or items with such, in your treasury.¡±


    Avid¡¯s eyes widened. This was the first time he¡¯d seen glowing gold, and it had the desired effect.


    ¡°Anything you can spare,¡± Spok added.


    ¡°You¡¯re aware that they belong to my father,¡± Avid said reluctantly.


    ¡°Actually, that isn¡¯t entirely correct. They belong to the earl, and at the moment the earl is you. To be more precise, you can act in the name of the earl. And between you and me, after today no one will be able to do so.¡± Spok leaned slightly towards the young Rosewind. ¡°Not many know this, but the airships are much closer than people think. By tomorrow evening at the latest, they¡¯ll be here. If we don¡¯t make use of what you have in your treasury by then, it¡¯ll be too late. And, as I said, the baron will buy the items in question, nothing less.¡±


    The youth swallowed. This was a tremendous decision to be made. Normally, it would be his father who¡¯d make it, along with an advisor or two. Now that he was gone, all the advisors gave different suggestions and the nobles constantly tried to convince him to give them the reins of power.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Avid asked.


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Spok replied. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be here if I wasn¡¯t.¡±


    There was still a hint of doubt in Avid¡¯s eyes. However, it wasn¡¯t enough to risk the destruction of the city. Fear kicked in, then determination.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need to talk with the treasurer,¡± he said at last. ¡°You¡¯ll get what I manage to find by the afternoon.¡±


    ¡°That would be most fortuitous. Thank you, young Rosewind.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Avid stood up, then climbed down the building. He didn¡¯t take the case of gold, but Spok used her own telekinesis ability to move it to the tower. A deal was a deal.


    ¡°I must say, Spok, I¡¯m rather impressed,¡± Theo said once she had remained alone.


    ¡°Thank you, sir. Spirit guides were meant for negotiations.¡±


    ¡°Not that. I¡¯m impressed you knew about the airships. I saw some of them through the observatory telescope. The first ones will be here by tomorrow.¡±

 25. The Dukes Daughter

    Chests from the earl¡¯s treasury started arriving a few hours later. They were considerably bigger than Theo had expected, and refreshingly useful. Sadly, they couldn¡¯t compare to the heart core, but they were in enough amounts for the dungeon to strengthen the town wall as well as create a few more ballista towers. Due to the guard¡¯s insistence that they be given charge of the defense capabilities, Theo was left with no other choice than to compensate by creating as many towers for his personal control.


    The observatory too was granted two ballista platforms, along with an additional defense dome. Having spent so much money and effort in creating it, the dungeon was eager to keep it as protected as possible. If he had the power, he would have created an aether shield generator as well, but for some reason that proved impossible. Only Theo¡¯s avatar was able to cast the spell, and despite the hundreds of rooms and contraptions available for construction, rooms with any advanced magic properties weren¡¯t among them. That felt somewhat odd. Given enough core points and energy he could build pretty much any spawning room, including dragon roosts, griffin nests, lich tombs and so on, but nothing that could perform any magic aside from aether generators.


    ¡°Spok, are you sure that I can¡¯t build a magic manipulating room of some sort?¡± the dungeon asked.


    ¡°There are multiple refineries, purifiers, and material converters you could create,¡± the spirit guide replied. ¡°Those are highly magical rooms.¡±


    Technically, she was correct, but that wasn¡¯t the question Theo had asked, and Spok knew it. Sadly, she wasn¡¯t able to say more than was in the list. This was both sad and a sobering reminder that even the spirit guide had her limits.


    ¡°How is the fight with the lich going?¡± Spok asked.


    ¡°Slow,¡± Theo sighed. ¡°I¡¯m in the middle of deflecting his blow and making a rather witty comment.¡±


    The latter had turned out to be a mistake. Maybe if the dungeon¡¯s sole point of reference was the time slowed zone, it wouldn¡¯t matter, but having to physically watch the mouth of his avatar word, a joke that he had come up with an hour ago, was beyond annoying.


    From now on, no more comments! Theo vowed. Of course, even he knew that the vow had the weight of a New Year¡¯s resolution. There was virtually no doubt in his mind that the lich was going to do something that would merit some other witty comment to the point that the dungeon wouldn¡¯t be able to resist.


    ¡°Are there any spells that would propel the ballista bolts further?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Sir, if there were such spells, don¡¯t you think that heroes would have already used them on large stationary targets such as dungeons?¡±


    Spok had a point. The only thing worse than dealing with heroes and adventurers was having them propel lethal chunks of timber from a distance.


    At least the main section of the dungeon was starting to get a proper feel that met both Spok and Theo¡¯s approval. All sections beneath the main building were now made of steel reinforced stone. Not only that, but Theo had taken the time to create a ring of trap chambers and massive stone doors around the garden ring. Since physical barriers didn¡¯t impede Theo or Spok, keeping the doors sealed shut was no issue. Furthermore they were a perfect means of stopping the king slimes that were going about the tunnels in ever-increasing numbers. Theo had made the mistake of using a large amount of core points to create three more king slime pits¡ªone for every cardinal direction¡ªin the hopes they¡¯d keep each other in check. The plan had backfired tremendously. Not only did the slimes not engage in combat, but they started multiplying like crazy to the point that Theo had to seal off a number of other tunnels just to keep them contained.


    ¡°Sir, I know your views on minion pits, but I really think that you should construct a few dozen of them. As numerous as the slimes are, they wouldn¡¯t exactly be suitable for fighting off an invasion. For one thing, they¡¯re likely to consume more of the town¡¯s people than attacking goblins.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give it some thought.¡± Theo gave the standard response managers used when they wanted to say no. ¡°Did you manage to hire any mercenaries?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, none accepted the offer. It¡¯s more a matter of logistics than anything else. There are much closer offers for them to accept.¡±


    Theo screeched the doors of his buildings in annoyance. The one time he wanted people to arrive and none of them did. The sad part was that even if they had gotten here, he no longer was sure they would have made any difference. The airships he had seen were considerably more than he had expected. It wasn¡¯t a mere dozen or so that had made their way here, there were hundreds. If each had a thousand goblins, that made an army a hundred thousand strong at the very least. All the people of Rosewind, including the neighboring villages, were five times less.


    A horn sounded in the distance beyond the walls. Immediately, Theo turned the observatory of the telescope in the appropriate direction. What he saw filled him with relief and alarm. Relief, because he saw the colors of Earl Rosewind¡¯s flag waving from a carriage that was making its way to the main gate. Alarm, since there was a second flag above it, and according to the rules of hierarchy, that meant there was a duke aboard as well.


    ¡°The earl¡¯s finally back,¡± the dungeon grumbled. ¡°And he¡¯s brought a friend.¡±


    ¡°I believe that would be Duke Goton¡¯s daughter, sir,¡± Spok explained. ¡°If you remember¡ª¡±


    ¡°I remember!¡± Theo snapped.


    A moment ago, he found it difficult to imagine how things would get worse. Now, he no longer had to. Having the adventurous daughter of a duke enter town prior to a massive attack was the worst possible thing that could happen. With her around, it was a lot more likely that the earl could decide to enter negotiations with Lord Mandrake. The moment that happened, the sneaky gnome could well promise to spare the city as long as Theo¡¯s core was brought to him on a silver platter. If that happened¡­


    ¡°Is there a way for me to make your avatar move freely about?¡±


    ¡°Other than consuming the entire town, no sir,¡± Spok replied. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I need you to stay close to the duke¡¯s daughter and make sure that the earl doesn¡¯t get any strange ideas.¡±


    ¡°Strange ideas, sir?¡±


    ¡°Look. I don¡¯t want to risk him making a deal with Lord Mandrake. If you¡¯re there during the reasoning process, you can nudge things away from such an outcome.¡±


    ¡°I understand, sir. But there are far easier ways of dealing with the matter.¡±


    The carriage steadily made its ways to the main gate. It was accompanied by several riders, including one of the scouts sent to find the earl in the first place. It was safe to assume that the noble had been apprised of the situation.


    ¡°Attention!¡± Lieutenant Ribbons shouted as the carriage reached the gate.


    Two rows of soldiers stood to attention on either side of the road. One of the escorting riders¡ªa servant judging by his clothes¡ªdismounted, then rushed to open the carriage door.


    The first person to get out of it was, of course, Earl Rosewind. The second was a tall skinny woman dressed in armor which while tailored to fit, felt absolutely off. Back in his previous life, Theo would have accused the woman of heading to a cosplay convention.


    ¡°Mind your step, dear girl,¡± the earl said, extending his hand.


    The woman¡¯s face twisted with reluctance, but she grabbed hold of it. There was no doubt in anyone¡¯s mind that the young lady was going through a rebellious phase, wishing to prove to her father that she didn¡¯t need his help in any single way. Theo wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Duke Goton had deliberately dumped the girl onto Earl Rosewind to get some calm and quiet.


    ¡°Spok,¡± the dungeon whispered back in his main building. ¡°Any chance you can teach me a spell to identify heroes on sight?¡±


    HERO REVELATION


    Spend 100 energy to identify a hero even if they attempt to hide their nature through magic or other means.


    Without waiting, Theo cast the spell. It came to no surprise than neither the woman, nor the earl had any heroic traits.


    So much for that, Theo said to himself.


    ¡°Cute walls,¡± the woman said, in mocking fashion.


    ¡°Why, yes, they seem somewhat unique, don¡¯t they?¡± The earl responded with such calm and confidence, that anyone would have sworn that they had always been in such condition. ¡°As a matter of fact, I recently asked Baron d¡¯Argent¡ªa good friend of mine¡ªto see whether he can improve them a bit. You see, the man is a rather powerful mage, if a bit on the eccentric side.¡±


    Since when are we friends? Theo wondered. As far as the dungeon was concerned Earl Rosewind was the polar opposite. A menace would be more appropriate. If it wasn¡¯t for the pesky noble, Theo would quietly be enjoying life right now in the middle of a city, and not having to worry about an airship invasion, chrono liches, and his secret coming out.


    ¡°A mage?¡± the duke¡¯s daughter asked, visibly intrigued.


    ¡°Quite. He bought a plot of land not too far from the castle one day, then moments later built a whole house there. Quite a magnificent sight, I must tell you. One moment there was nothing there, and the next, a veritable mansion the likes of which even I had never seen.¡±


    The ploy was clear. Just as Duke Goton had dumped his rebellious daughter onto the earl, the earl was now doing the same dumping her on Theo. Normally, the dungeon would be pissed, but in the current circumstances, this could turn out to be a blessing in disguise. All that was needed was for Cmyk to play his part.


    ¡°Once all this nonsense with the invasion is over, I¡¯ll gladly introduce you to him. I¡¯m sure you have many questions regarding legendary beasts and mythical monsters.¡±


    ¡°Nice,¡± the woman replied with a nod.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure it would be. Now, if you would¡ª¡±


    The sound of clanking came from within the city. Several guards grabbed the hilts of their blades, turning in the direction of the noise. Seeing that it was only Cmyk wearing exceedingly expensive and ornate armor, they relaxed. No matter how suspicious his actions, everyone had a soft spot for the local celebrity.


    ¡°Ah, and that is the baron¡¯s champion,¡± the earl said, extending his hand in the direction of the approaching minion. ¡°Sir¡­¡± he glanced at Lieutenant Ribbons for assistance.¡±


    ¡°Sir Myk, sir!¡± the officer responded instantly.


    ¡°Ah, yes, of course. Sir Myk. Wonderful fellow, and quite the knight himself, I must add. Very pious, very religious, not to mention quite strong.¡±


    The duke¡¯s daughter glared at the knight with a combination of annoyance and disappointment, as if someone had presented her with the old new thing. Knights, such as Cmyk, were rather common and not at all fashionable in larger cities. If anything, it reminded her of the crowds that would often visit her father. Being one of higher standing, though, she did what etiquette demanded of her, which was to extend her hand, expecting the obligatory kiss. However, this time, the minion placed a scroll in her palm, instead.


    Everyone froze. The soldiers were outright impressed that someone would dare be so open to the daughter of a duke. On her part, the woman¡¯s mind had started an endless feedback loop. Years of etiquette had taught her that a knight was obliged to follow up by kissing her hand. Yet all her senses clearly showed that not to have happened.


    ¡°Is he a hero?¡± the woman asked, slowly pulling her hand back.


    ¡°No, not that I know of. He is a mysterious person, however. He¡¯s said to have slaughtered many powerful enemies who attempted to harm his master. Once my good friend the baron returns, I¡¯ll be sure to ask him to share some stories on the matter.¡±


    The answer seemed adequate. Still slightly confused, the duke¡¯s daughter looked at the scroll. The most remarkable thing¡ªthat had remained completely unnoticed due to Cmyk¡¯s behavior¡ªwas that it wasn¡¯t made of parchment, but solid gold. Intrigued, the noblewoman broke the wax seal and unrolled the scroll.


    ¡°It says I¡¯m cordially invited to the baron¡¯s mansion,¡± she read. ¡°I thought you told me that the baron wasn¡¯t here.¡± She looked at Earl Rosewind.


    ¡°Quite right, quite right. He¡¯s off. His steward is overseeing his estate, however. Wonderful lady. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll like her.¡±


    ¡°A lady stewarding the baron¡¯s estate?¡± there was a faint glint in the woman¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Oh, absolutely. She tends to keep to herself, but I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she too has some minor knowledge on magic as well.¡±


    Theo felt like laughing. Saying that Spok knew about magic was the same as saying Shakespeare could spell words. Everything that Theo had learned was thanks to Spok. Spirit guides were nothing if not living encyclopedias.


    Folding the scroll back up, the duke¡¯s daughter looked at Cmyk. The minion had lived enough among humans to know what that meant, so he turned around and led the way to the dungeon¡¯s main building. The duke attempted to follow, but was fortunately intercepted by one of the local sniveling nobles. Apparently, news of his return had quickly spread, causing all interested parties to scramble for his attention. The only reason they hadn¡¯t appeared sooner was because it had taken some time for them to dress up in their most flashy clothes. The duke¡¯s daughter, on the other hand, dressed as a common adventurer wannabe, attracted no immediate attention.


    ¡°What¡¯s the baron like?¡± the woman asked, walking alongside Cmyk. ¡°And his steward.¡±


    Cmyk glanced over his shoulder and shrugged.


    ¡°Is it a secret?¡±


    Not knowing what to say, the minion pretended to ignore the question, increasing his pace. Meanwhile, Theo was doing his best to remain calm, observing the whole thing through some floating eyeballs. Each time he paid attention to what Cmyk was doing, he deeply regretted it. Given the sheer incompetence of the skeleton, it was a mystery how he and the dungeon had survived until now.


    ¡°Spok,¡± Theo began. ¡°Your idea about creating some skeleton spawning chambers¡­ never talk of it again. I¡¯d rather have a swarm of goblins attack than¡ª¡± he abruptly stopped.


    ¡°Than?¡± the spirit guide asked after a few minutes.


    ¡°Get the ballistas ready! We¡¯re under attack!¡±


    All ballistas on the north-east section of the wall moved forward, aiming at the sky. That thoroughly confused the guards stationed there. Many of them looked out, trying to find a reason for such behavior. Initially there was nothing to be seen, but soon enough, they spotted what Theo had thanks to his observatory: a vast swarm of flying goblins gliding their way towards the town.


    Me and my big mouth, Theo thought as he covered the observatory with its protective dome.


    ¡°Cmyk!¡± one of the floating eyeballs floated down to the minion. ¡°Grab the girl and carry her to home.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± The duke¡¯s daughter crossed her arms. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡±


    ¡°Cmyk!¡± Theo said in a more insistent fashion.


    Left with no choice, the minion turned around, grabbed the woman, then sprinted towards the dungeon¡¯s main building faster than anyone would have thought his body would allow. The action was so fast that by the time the noblewoman started to protest; she had already been dropped off¡ªquite literally¡ªin the room¡¯s foyer. There was little doubt that would cause a scandal in the days and weeks to come, but for the moment, such repercussions were far away into the future to be of any major concern.


    From what the dungeon had last seen, and based on the carriers¡¯ speed, it would be at least a full day before Lord Mandrake arrived. Unfortunately, that hadn¡¯t stopped the gnome from sending his weaker, faster troops ahead.


    Horns soon sounded, letting everyone know of the danger. Like clockwork, the earl was rushed to his castle, while the guards climbed the city walls, equipped with nothing but bows. Theo had no idea if the archers were any good, but even if they were exceptional, there was nothing a few hundred would do against such a threat. Aiming one of the ballistas at the cloud of approaching goblins, the dungeon let the bolt fly.


    Propelled with great force, the chunk of wood went forward. For over ten seconds, it went on and on until it finally came into contact with its potential target. Then¡­ nothing happened. The goblins along its path moved to the side, forming an empty lane for the projectile to fly through, not harming a single one of them. Apparently, the dungeon wasn¡¯t the only entity that had prepared for this invasion.


    You sneaky little gnome, Theo grumbled.


    In all honesty, he hadn¡¯t foreseen such an eventuality, but if there was one thing he had learned since his reincarnation was that when it came to fighting, it was expected for dungeons not to fight fair. Using half of his remaining core points, Theo modified the roofs of all the buildings he had bought¡ªwall towers included¡ªto be covered with crossbows. There was no doubt that the town would sustain some, probably significant damage, but the goblins wouldn¡¯t be able to evade crossbow bolts.


    ¡°Why did you bring me here?!¡± the duke¡¯s daughter asked within the dungeon¡¯s main building. ¡°Am I being kidnapped?¡±


    Right now, that sounds pretty appealing, Theo grumbled, not wanting to deal with another distraction. Thankfully, Spok stepped in.


    ¡°Not at all, your ladyship,¡± the spirit guide said. Her height and perfect posture quickly made the noble quiet down and straighten up. ¡°You have my deepest apologies for the manner in which you were brought here, but it¡¯s for your own safety. The town, as it happens, is under goblin attack.¡±


    There was no response, as if all protests and complaints had been swept away by Spok¡¯s words.


    ¡°Let me assure you, the baron¡¯s mansion is the safest place you could be right now,¡± Spok went on. ¡°You¡¯ll be perfectly safe here.¡± The spirit guide went up to the duke¡¯s daughter. From such a proximity it was even more obvious that she was a full head taller. ¡°Forgive my late introduction. I am Spok d¡¯Esprit, steward of Baron d¡¯Argent¡¯s estate.¡±


    ¡°Amelia Goton, second daughter of Duke Goton,¡± the woman said, still slightly stiffly. ¡°You remind me of my governess.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a compliment, Lady Amelia. Might I suggest we go to the living room? You¡¯ll be a lot more comfortable there.¡±


    Silently, Amelia followed. Compared to the palaces she¡¯d spent her life growing up, the baron¡¯s residence was barely a house, let alone a mansion, and yet it had a feeling of grandeur, as if it were far larger than it currently was. The noblewoman¡¯s tutors referred to this as presence when describing the small temples she had to visit every morning after waking up. This wasn¡¯t a temple, though it felt very different.


    ¡°Would you like some brandy?¡± Spok offered.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Amelia said, unwilling to refuse.


    Spok poured two glasses, then handed one to the noblewoman, while leaving the other on the table.


    ¡°Are we really under attack?¡± Amelia asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid so. To be honest, we weren¡¯t expecting the attack until later, which was why the baron asked me to invite you here. Unfortunately, there are things that even he couldn¡¯t predict.¡±


    The convenient lie made Theo seem a lot more competent than he was. One could almost think that he had planned this all along. Sadly, outside, in the real world, things weren¡¯t as rosy. The first waves of goblins had managed to reach the town walls. Archers and the new crossbow modifications had managed to thin the ranks a bit, but the sheer amount was such that they blotted out the sun like locusts. Clay pots of combustible substances rained like hail, exploding the moment they hit something hard. The experience was utterly terrifying for the local inhabitants. The only silver lining lay in the fact that of all the buildings targeted, none had actual inhabitants in them; for some reason, the goblins were only targeting those structures that were part of Theo.


    You pesky, good for nothing¡­ the dungeon went into a swearing spree while focusing all of its own firepower on the invaders. From this distance, even the ballistas were effective, taking out goblins by the dozens.


    Each explosion depleted a large amount of the dungeon¡¯s energy reserves. The amount quickly approached the output limit. Before it could, though, Theo converted some of his core points to additional energy, managing to patch up the situation.


    ¡°Go out there and fight, you lazy skeleton!¡± he shouted to Cmyk. ¡°It¡¯s your town too!¡±


    With less reluctance than usual, the minion did just that. Climbing up the stairs to the attic, he then went out onto the roof. Goblins were circling above like vultures. Without hesitation or thought, Cmyk swung his sword at the attackers, then let it go. The weapon sliced through several goblin gliders, causing them to crash down on the marketplace near the building.


    ¡°What idiotic action was that?!¡± Theo asked. ¡°Can¡¯t you use a bow like everyone else?¡±


    Cmyk tilted his head.


    ¡°Never mind. Here¡¯s another one.¡± A new sword floated out of the window and in front of the minion. ¡°Now just¡ª¡±


    Before Theo could even finish, Cmyk had thrown the sword again, with the same results.


    This time, Theo didn¡¯t say anything. Silent, he created another sword then floated it to his minion, as if daring him to do the same. Cmyk sensed that, so he slowly placed his hand round the hilt and fastened his grip. Then he swung the sword backwards.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare¡­¡±


    Unfortunately, Cmyk did, throwing the sword up again.


    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Theo shouted, furious. Never before did he want to tear Cmyk limb from limb as he did now. In fact, he wanted to zap him with lightning so many times that the minion would burn to a crisp!


    The moment he thought about it, a bolt of lightning shot up from the roof, singing dozens of goblins along the way. The bot bombs that some had on them exploded, creating even more devastation in the sky.


    Impressive as that was, however, it wasn¡¯t supposed to be possible. Spok had been very specific that as far as skills were concerned, the dungeon and his avatar were two separate entities. Only when his avatar was back was there a possibility of skill transfer. And yet, somehow, Theo had managed to let out a lightning. Just to make sure, he repeated the feat. A second lightning bolt crackled up from the observatory, obliterating the creatures above. Goblin cores rained down like candy, but they weren¡¯t able to bring any benefits. Unlike his avatar, Theo didn¡¯t absorb cored by touch; only his core could do that.


    ¡°I thought you might like this.¡± A being of light appeared on the roof of Theo¡¯s main building. ¡°Just remember that you owe me one.¡±


    ¡°Owe you?¡± Theo asked, confused. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Forgotten me already? I¡¯m hurt.¡± The being changed appearance. Light gained form, then face, becoming identical to the statue Theo had seen inside Peris¡¯ temple.


    ¡°Peris?¡± he asked.


    ¡°The one and only. Technically, I couldn¡¯t directly take part in worldly affairs, but I wasn¡¯t going to let my temple be destroyed after all the followers you helped me gain.¡±


    ¡°You gave me the lightning?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure it would have worked. It¡¯s supposed to be granted to heroes, but since I already gave your avatar the heroic trait, I assumed you should be able to handle it as well. Good thing too, because it would have been awkward if you¡¯d have killed yourself using it.¡±


    Awkward indeed, along with a half a dozen other adjectives that Theo didn¡¯t want to say out loud.


    ¡°So now, what?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Simple. You clean up the sky and when you¡¯re done, send Cmyk to fix any damage done to my temple. I want it to look its best by the time the real battle starts.¡±

 26. Ice Magic and Hero Pressure

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who destroyed the heart of Demon Lord Kayinion?¡± the lich asked.


    Theo saw no reason to clarify that the demon lord had multiple hearts, and the one he¡¯d destroyed was very static and undefended, since Liandra was dealing with a demon minion.


    ¡°Very well.¡± The lich cackled. ¡°This¡¯ll make things interesting. I never told you what sort of mage I was, did I?¡± bony fingers moved about drawing symbols in the air. Within moments a white circle had formed, bathing everything in a pale light.


    ¡°Let me guess. You¡¯re an elementalist,¡± the avatar finished the sentence as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°No, a chrono mage,¡± the lich laughed. ¡°Let¡¯s see how long you can last, with each minute lasting several hours.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cheating!¡± Theo said out of habit.


    When he thought about it a bit more, he found that it wasn¡¯t, really. As far as the outside world was concerned the two of them had engaged in a battle at the speed of molasses. One had to admit, it was a clever trick. What better way to exhaust someone by having them fight three days nonstop. The plan, though, had one major flaw: Theo didn¡¯t need rest either. In effect all that the lich had done was transform a life-and-death battle to a prolonged and very boring chess game.


    A staff of ice formed in the lich¡¯s hands. Without wasting time¡ªthough only in the time dilated zone¡ªhe aimed at the dungeon¡¯s avatar.


    ¡°Ice blades!¡± the lich shouted.


    Vast chunks of ice, which could pass for blades, materialized at the top of the staff and darted towards the avatar.


    On his part, the avatar cast an indestructible aether bubble. The ice blades hit it, smashing to pieces. The lich didn¡¯t delay with another series of ice bolts, freezing the entire front half of the aether bubble. Unlike Lord Mandrake, he wasn¡¯t the king who spoke during combat. It was only now, suffering the effects of time dilation, that Theo found that he actually missed it. Faced with the certainty that this was going to be a long fight, he could well do with some banter. He wasn¡¯t going to start it, though. Getting labeled a combat chatterbox was a line Theo didn¡¯t want to cross.


    A second wave of ice blades hit the avatar¡¯s aether bubble from both sides. Having blocked his sight, the lich was relying that he could catch Theo off guard with a surprise attack. It was useless, of course. Six seconds remained before the effects of the spell would end. Until then, there was nothing that could possibly deal any damage. Theo was considering sharing that when an ice ray hit the side of the sphere.


    The liches plan was clearly to take advantage of the avatar shield and imprison it in a wall of ice, in order to cast more potent spells. Either that, or just to keep him still believing the time dilation effects would start kicking in.


    Theo decided not to give him the chance, casting swiftness multiple times on himself, then running out of the forming ice cage the moment the aether shield disappeared. Ice spikes emerged from the ground with the explicit goal of impaling him. Zig-zagging, the avatar energized his sword, slicing them in half. Seeing the ease with which he did so, Theo dashed towards the column of ice and struck it as well with the aim of freeing the hero trapped there. A loud cling echoed throughout the vast chamber as if a bell had been rung. However, the column remained very much intact.


    ¡°Using the expensive stuff for your collection?¡± the avatar asked. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Want to maintain their never-removed-from-the-column status?¡±


    The joke went straight over the lich¡¯s head. To be honest, on further recollection, Theo himself wasn¡¯t terribly pleased with the joke. In future it would be better if he stuck to jokes relating to his present life, if at all.


    Reaching out forward with his left hand, he cast a massive torrent of flames, then struck the column again. The faintest of cracks appeared on the wet surface. Whatever magic protected the columns, it was more than he could handle at the moment.


    Half a dozen more talismans lit up as purple mist filled the air. By the looks of it, the lich was filling the room in a combination of poison, paralysis, and sleep spells. Rather clever. Even with enchantments, a normal human would be affected within moments. Every second corresponding to minutes of exposure, a single break was enough to wreck a person¡¯s body beyond repair.


    ¡°That won¡¯t work on me,¡± the avatar said. ¡°I¡¯m far too¡ª¡± half of his glowing talismans cracked and crumbled to pieces.


    The whole floor was covered in a sheet of ice from hands emerged and grabbed the avatar by the foot. Ice blasted through the cloth instantly freezing the flesh, then started to move up. From what Theo remembered from his previous life, a person would have died of shock from the massive temperature change. Even he was at risk of losing his avatar.


    The avatar shifted his left hand down, burning the clothes around his leg to cinders. The heat was enough to make the icy hands let go for just long enough for the avatar could use his telekinetic abilities and levitate out of reach. Ice fell off in small chunks, freeing his leg. However, the lich had no intention of giving up. A barrage of ice beams followed. That was definitely more than a bit overkill. It couldn¡¯t be said that Theo had much of combat experience, but in the last week he had fought a goblin or several hundred. He¡¯d even faced the pesky gnome for a few seconds. The lich''s way of fighting couldn¡¯t be different. He didn¡¯t charge forward aimlessly, nor did he rely on brute strength like the demons did. The creature¡¯s thing was to use everything at his disposal to weaken, wound, or trap the avatar while keeping at a safe distance. After a while, the obvious became apparent: the lich was a glass cannon.


    You¡¯ve never faced a hero directly, have you? Theo said to himself. It¡¯s always been spells, mists, area spells and enchantments.


    If that¡¯s the way it was going to be, it was time that the dungeon flipped the script. Returning the sword into the dimensional ring, he started casting fireballs with both hands, then instantly encapsulating them in small aether spheres. Three quarters were directed towards the lich, which the rest scattered at random in the chamber.


    More ice blades emerged, striking the spheres dead center and causing them to explode. A series of ice shields emerged, shielding the lich from the effects of the blasts. Unlike the ice in the chamber, this ice was brittle, shattering instantly as the explosion occurred.


    Feeling he had the upper hand, Theo pressed on, his avatar only consuming a fraction of the energy the spells usually required. More blasts followed, as the spheres hit the walls and ceiling, causing pieces of stone to fall from above. Alas, that wasn¡¯t the only thing that came falling. Just as the avatar was decreasing the distance between him and the lich, an ice lizard slammed down on the ground between them.


    Not expecting the creature, the avatar stopped. Seconds, the equivalent of minutes, passed before he looked up. Then he saw them: dozens of lizards crawling out of the many tunnels near the ceiling. Too far away to see their enemy, they were merely walking along the stone surface, almost as if they were taking a stroll. The explosions had caught their attention, on occasion even causing them to lose their grip and fall to the floor. Much to Theo¡¯s dismay, that hadn¡¯t caused them a single visible injury.


    ¡°You¡¯re strong,¡± the lich said in its whispery voice. ¡°You¡¯ve fought for over a day. Most would have succumbed by now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not most.¡±


    ¡°A few struggled just like you, even if they knew their defeat was inevitable.¡±


    Coming to its senses, the nearby ice lizard turned towards the avatar. With a screeching sound, it opened its mouth. Theo, though, knew what to expect. Normally, he wouldn¡¯t have the speed to hit the creature with a fireball in the mouth the instant it opened it. Being able to perceive time both as an avatar and as a dungeon outside of the effects of the time dilation spell, it was child¡¯s play. Or¡ªas he previously thought¡ªas a very slow game of chess.


    When the lizard attempted to emit an ice ray, its head popped off with a small bang.


    CORE CONSUMPTION


    1 Ice Lizard core fragment converted into 250 Avatar Core Points


    It was time for the avatar to attack again. Instead of casting more fireballs, though, he drew a handful of pebbles towards himself. One by one, each of the stones received a blessing, then were sent flying right at the lich.


    As expected, the skeleton cast a massive shield to protect against any attacks. The pebbles hit the piece of ice, piercing through it like hail through a piece of paper. The majority flew by, missing the lich¡¯s body by inches. One, though, managed to hit him right in the shoulder. Rays of white light shone in all directions, forming a bubble of incandescence within which the chrono spell didn¡¯t seem to have any effect. The lich¡¯s entire right arm vaporized subject to the blessing power.


    A long, dry scream filled the air, causing the ice columns to vibrate. The time dilation spell itself was shattered, for the dungeon felt the passage of time between it and its avatar suddenly synch.


    Finally! the dungeon thought. And not a moment too soon.


    Back in Rosewind, three goblin raids had successfully been withstood. Thanks to the reinforced walls, modified ballistas, and the new lightning ability granted by the goddess Peris, the small town had somehow managed to survive. Sadly, it had also suffered significant damage. While the first raid focused exclusively on buildings that were part of Theo, the subsequent raids were less indiscriminate. The goblins didn¡¯t target people; the future gnome overlord likely was forward thinking enough to know that he¡¯d need a workforce to replace the one he¡¯d lost in the Mandrake Mountains, to construct his new lair. Anything else¡ªstalls, shops, even ponds and gardens¡ªwas fair game. At present, the only structures that had suffered no visible damage whatsoever were the dungeon¡¯s. Ironically, that had led to the dungeon spending additional energy to change their appearance to something more damaged, so they didn¡¯t stick out among the rest of the town.


    The only good news was that the main force of Lord Mandrake¡¯s fleet was still half a day away, give or take. The not so good news was that even with the time dilation spell gone, it was going to take more than that for the dungeon¡¯s avatar to return home. That had long stopped being the plan. The only solution was to send the Vinewood core back to his main body and consume it. In order to do that, he needed two things: the core itself and a hero scroll, which meant that he needed to get Liandra out of the ice column.


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    ¡°You think you¡¯ve won?¡± the lich asked, his hand on the part of his body where his shoulder had been.


    ¡°I have.¡± More firebombs floated around the avatar, ready to fly in any direction.


    The dungeon contemplated having a long speech on the matter. He could see in the flaming eye sockets of the lich that the skeleton was expecting it. Yet, that was something a low-level villain would do. Theo, on the other hand, directed all the spheres of fireballs at the lich. The force of the combined explosion was large enough to cause several ice lizards to fall from the ceiling. Knowing the pattern of their attacks, the avatar waited for the right moment and shoved several fireballs in their mouths, almost on instinct.


    CORE CONSUMPTION


    4 Ice Lizard core fragments converted into 1000 Avatar Core Points


    AVATAR LEVEL INCREASE


    Your Avatar has become Level 14


    +1 Mind, FLIGHT skill obtained


    930 Core Points required for next Avatar Level


    Not too bad. Although, something was missing. Apparently, the lich was stronger than the dungeon had thought.


    FLIGHT - 1


    Grants the power of flight at the cost of 10 mana per minute.


    Using the skill will increase its rank, increasing the speed of the flight.


    The skill wasn¡¯t entirely useless. Not that Theo couldn¡¯t use telekinesis on his avatar. Still, now he had the proper way of flying, which was a good thing potentially.


    The smoke of the blasts quickly dispersed, revealing not only that the lich had remained intact but also that he had been shielded by a large crystalline creature twice his size. Looking like a golem made of shards of sharp ice, it stood in front of the skeleton, its entire left arm transformed into a large tower shield. At any other time, the dungeon would have asked Spok for clarification regarding the creature. However, with her busy dealing with Lady Amelia, it was time to resort to plan B.


    ¡°You summoned a new creature,¡± the avatar said, creating a dozen more firebombs in the air.


    ¡°It¡¯s more than a mere creature,¡± the lich laughed dryly. ¡°It¡¯s an ice elemental and more than a match for you.¡±


    ¡°Ice elemental?¡±


    What Theo wanted to ask was more details regarding the creature itself. He had some preconceived notions about what elementals represented, but they were mostly generic information. However, what the lich understood was completely different.


    ¡°Yes. When I said that I had defeated all the elementals protecting the forest core, I never said that I had destroyed them all.¡±


    ¡°Actually, you¡ª¡±


    ¡°The ice elemental serves me now, and it¡¯ll make a special column for you to join my collection.¡±


    That sounded somewhat ominous. Not being one to back off, the avatar instantly threw all the flame bombs at the elemental. A new series of explosions followed. Yet, unlike before, no sooner had the blasts occurred than they froze in the air. The sign would almost have passed as beautiful, if it didn¡¯t indicate that the weapon Theo had relied on had just been rendered useless.


    The elemental¡¯s right hand transformed into an ice lance, which was then thrown straight at the avatar.


    Similar to before, the avatar surrounded himself with an invulnerable aether sphere. Only this time, the lance didn¡¯t shatter upon impact, but propelled the sphere through the chamber, half burying it in the wall behind.


    Oh, crap, Theo thought. This didn¡¯t look good.


    Things took a turn for the worst, when the following stream of ice hit the front of the sphere, effectively sealing the avatar in the wall. Obviously, despite the avatar¡¯s recently acquired skills, the opponent wasn¡¯t someone he could take on directly. The Vinewood core was simply boosting the magical entity far too much, making it more indestructible than Theo.


    ¡°Spok,¡± the dungeon whispered from the attack.


    The plea remained unanswered as the spirit guide continued to show the outside of Rosewing to the duke¡¯s daughter, using the scrying crystal ball. All in all, that was a good thing¡ªit had kept the noblewoman relatively quiet and kept her from venturing out in a misguided desire to do something heroic. Unfortunately, it also kept Spok from providing valuable advice at a critical moment of the avatar¡¯s battle.


    ¡°Spok,¡± Theo said again, somewhat louder.


    ¡°Did you hear something?¡± Lady Amelia glanced at the door. ¡°I could have sworn that someone¡­¡± her words trailed off.


    ¡°It¡¯s Baron¡¯ d¡¯Argent,¡± the spirit guide replied, taking advantage of the fact that the lady wasn¡¯t looking, to change the scene in the crystal ball, as if she were switching a television channel. ¡°How may I be of assistance, sir?¡± she asked.


    The scene wasn¡¯t anything to write home about. Rather, there was no scene, just a great blackness filling the ball.


    ¡°What¡¯s the best way to deal with an elemental?¡± Theo asked. ¡°An ice elemental.¡±


    ¡°That should be quite easy considering your abilities, sir,¡± Spok began. ¡°Just shatter the core of the elemental and¡ª¡±


    ¡°The thieves have ice elementals?¡± Lady Amelia asked, leaning towards the crystal ball in an attempt to see what was going on.


    ¡°Baron, this is Lady Amalia Goton, daughter of Duke Goton,¡± Spok said. ¡°She has graciously accepted your invitation and is awaiting your return.¡±


    ¡°About that, I¡¯ve been slightly sidetracked. Nothing too serious. I just stumbled on an ice elemental that is fire resistant.¡±


    ¡°That cannot be, sir. Ice elementals are extremely susceptible to fire. A fireball or two should be enough to deal with them.¡±


    The description was not at all comparable with the entity that the avatar was facing.


    ¡°This one is different. Fireballs freeze upon touching it.¡±


    ¡°A fire-freezing ice elemental?¡± Lady Amelia¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°That is most peculiar, sir,¡± Spok said.


    It¡¯s most annoying is what it is! Theo wanted to shout. However, he knew that wouldn¡¯t solve anything and was just likely to cause more problems later on.


    ¡°Elementals of such a level are rather uncommon. The spell maintaining them must be extremely powerful. If you¡¯re dealing with a summon, I¡¯d suggest focusing on the wizard or ritual behind the elemental.¡±


    ¡°Can I summon it away with a portal?¡±


    ¡°That would be quite difficult and not advisable. For one thing, it would send the creature here. For another, it would require vast amounts of energy¡ªenergy I¡¯m not sure you could afford to waste in the current circumstances.¡±


    The dungeon grumbled mentally. Spok was right, of course. Moving the ice elemental would be expensive, leaving Theo¡¯s own core rather defenseless. Another solution had to be found. Somehow, once again, he found himself in a tight situation. And just as before, there was only one thing he could do.


    Waiting until the indestructible effect of his aether sphere was over, the avatar created a room behind him. It was a small room, just enough for him to take a few steps back and to the side in case the ice elemental followed up with an attack. To little surprise, his enemy did. The wall of ice thrust forward like a metal press, slamming into the wall of the newly created room.


    Quickly, Theo created a new room composed of a winding stairwell and ran up. As he expected, the wall of ice followed, though far slower than before, creeping into every new space created. Constantly casting swiftness on itself, the avatar kept a solid lead, making its way up the walls of the chamber. More roots appeared the further up he went, up to a point that it was getting difficult to squeeze through. It seemed that all the roots of the entire forest converged there, making their way to the massive Vinewood core.


    Faced with creeping ice on one end and impenetrable roots on the other, Theo did the only option available to him, which was to continue sideways by building a hanging corridor just beneath the ceiling. This was a risky notion, and one followed by ice lances breaking through the floor as the avatar sprinted forward. Each time a new segment was created, it was almost instantly destroyed by the raging ice elemental.


    ¡°You stupid lich!¡± the avatar shouted while creating new corridor segments along the roof. Then it hit him. There was no need for him to keep building rooms, he had the ability to fly, which he did, entering the chamber. Sending dozens of flame bombs at both the lich and the ice elemental, he crisscrossed towards the core. If there was one thing the invading goblins in Rosewind had taught him, it was that people found it extremely difficult to focus their attention on more than one thing.


    The avatar¡¯s enemies acted as expected. The ice elemental rushed to shield its master, pausing all attacks. This was the moment Theo was waiting for. Casting flight as many times as possible, the avatar darted to the giant core.


    ¡°No!¡± the lich shouted, realizing what was about to happen, but it was already too late.


    The instant the avatar reached the enormous shining sphere, he summoned something from his dimensional ring. However, it wasn¡¯t his sword.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see you powered down,¡± the avatar said and pressed the wooden ring given to him by the prince against the core¡¯s surface.


    The golden light in the chamber vanished along with the core itself. The only thing that remained was the faint blue glow of the ice and a dozen flame bombs that the avatar had at the ready floating in the air in their aether shield bubbles. The effects of the Vinewood core didn¡¯t end there, though. No longer sustained by its power, the magic in the chamber began to fade. All six ice columns cracked up, the shattered falling to the ground like buckets of ice.


    ¡°Did I ever tell you you¡¯re crazy?¡± Liandra asked. Now that the enchantment keeping her imprisoned was gone, she and four more heroes were free to move about. It was difficult not to be impressed. Although she had let herself be caught in almost childish fashion¡ªlargely due to the fact that like most people, she needed air¡ªthe heroine didn¡¯t seem at all harmed by the ice she had been wrapped in.


    ¡°Only a few dozen times,¡± the avatar smirked. ¡°You can deal with the ice elemental, but the lich is mine.¡±


    None of the heroes said anything, but Theo saw agreement in their eyes. That was perfect. In their eyes, he probably looked like a badass, wanting to deal with nothing else but the great monster itself. The fact was that the dungeon was a lot more confident that he could deal with the lich than the ice elemental. The lich had been severely wounded thanks to the avatar¡¯s blessing attack. Now that he couldn¡¯t get any energy from the core, he was probably a single hit away from destruction.


    ¡°Kill them!¡± the lich shouted, pointing at the heroes with his single hand.


    It was a pathetic sight that Theo didn¡¯t want to prolong, so he directed all his flame bombs at the skeleton.


    Having received a direct order, the ice elemental didn¡¯t intervene, taking a few steps towards the center of the chamber, as its master was engulfed in a ball of flames.


    CONGRATULATIONS!


    You have killed lich-mage Ollen Alkazar.


    A chrono mage prodigy, the hero failed to complete the task given to him by the Silvarian elves and fell to the guardians of the Vinewood, turning into a lich upon death.


    500 Avatar Core Points obtained.


    ICE MAGIC obtained.


    News of your achievement shall be known throughout the entire continent.


    Five hundred points? Theo wanted to scream. He quickly turned his avatar to attack the ice elemental, but it was already too late. The heroes had already sliced it to pieces. All that the dungeon got to do was watch the fragments fall to the ground.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± he hissed. He should have focused on the ice elemental! At least then he¡¯d have earned more than five hundred points. Getting a new skill was better than nothing, but he would have gotten one anyway once his avatar gained a new level.


    ICE MAGIC - 1


    Allows the casting of ice rays capable of freezing any target.


    As the skill¡¯s rank increases, additional ice abilities will become available.


    That sounded a bit better than his fireball spell. It seemed that heroes had an advantage in that area. While dungeons could learn hundreds, if not thousands, of spells, each of them was an individual action. Heroes, apparently, had the ability to learn whole categories containing multiple spell groups. Maybe this wasn¡¯t a total loss, after all?


    ¡°Liandra!¡± The avatar rushed towards her. Despite the local victory, the threat in Rosewind remained. ¡°I need another of your magic scrolls! We have to send the core to Rosewind. Lord Mandrake is already there. This is the only way to save¡ª¡±


    ¡°Theo.¡± The woman didn¡¯t let him finish. ¡°We can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Say what?¡± The avatar blinked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you have the best intentions at heart, and Rosewind could use the power of the core, but we can¡¯t send it. We made a promise to the prince to return it to him, and we must keep that promise. If we don¡¯t, we¡¯ll lose our heroic nature and will end up like that lich.¡±


    The avatar looked at the remaining bones of the lich, then at each of the heroes in turn. Even if Liandra were to be convinced to send the core away, there was no way they would.


    ¡°Fine,¡± he said with the utmost restraint. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the prince¡­¡±

 27. The True Chosen

    Lord Mandrake was annoyed. It seemed like the whole world was conspiring against his plans to conquer it. Initially, things had gone to a good start. The demon hearts had allowed him to procure the energy and free labor to construct vastly superior devices, which he had. In mere months he had achieved what had taken others decades. There had been setbacks, naturally. The demons he had summoned were clumsy and stupid, incapable of following even the simplest instructions that didn¡¯t involve killing or destroying. The gnome had been forced to devote time and resources to creating airships capable of kidnapping people for the job. Of course, then he had to capture creatures capable of flying those airships. Thankfully, there were enough goblins at hand and in large numbers.


    For a time, everything seemed to be going splendidly, when that dungeon appeared. Lord Mandrake gnashed his teeth just thinking about it.


    The dungeon had been clever, oh so clever. It had created an avatar to infiltrate his base, and even used a heroine as cover. Everyone knew that heroes and dungeons didn¡¯t mix, so Lord Mandrake had lowered his guard, thinking that he was dealing with just another random adventure party. That was had proved to be a major mistake. As a result, his entire bas of operations¡ªincluding all the meticulously created research labs¡ªhad been destroyed, along with one of the demon hearts.


    ¡°Lord Mandrake!¡± A demon in glowing red armor entered the command room. ¡°I bring news from the field!¡±


    The gnome sighed. The first time his demon minions addressed him, he¡¯d gotten startle to the point he needed minutes to calm down. Now they had become nothing more than a bothersome annoyance.


    ¡°Yes, yes,¡± he waved his hand. ¡°What¡¯s the news?¡±


    ¡°The local kingdom has sent a group of mages to challenge us. They¡¯re protecting their main city, pushing some of our goblin carriers back. Permit me to lead the charge and reduce those arrogant¡ª¡±


    ¡°Just ignore them,¡± the gnome said.


    ¡°But, my lord! This is an insult towards you and your power. We should¡ª¡±


    ¡°If they could have done anything, they would have. Just ignore them. If they¡¯re a pain, we¡¯ll come back and wipe them out later.¡±


    That was the problem with his demon soldiers. They were unmatched when it came to protecting him against enemies, but useless when it came to anything else. All attempts at getting them to see even a small part of the big picture ended in utter failure, to the point that it was better just to give them direct instructions and hope for the best.


    ¡°As you command, my lord!¡± the demon said.


    ¡°Anything else?¡± The gnome grabbed the parchment with the new designs he was working on. At the moment, it was little more than a system to preserve centrifugal energy¡ªextremely intricate, extremely efficient, and yet the gnome had no idea what to use it for.


    ¡°Your goblin fleets have been destroyed.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Lord mandrake jumped into his chair, effectively transforming it into a podium. ¡°How? I sent three waves! The first, I understand, but all three¡­¡±


    ¡°It seems the city used some unknown spell, singing all goblins in the air with a massive chain lightning. Permit me to lead the next charge and destroy¡ª¡±


    ¡°Just shut up!¡± the gnome hissed, then kicked the side of the chair from the inside.


    That dungeon was proving to be a considerable danger. Lord Mandrake was correct to take the course of action he did. He had hoped that his goblins would have destroyed the threat long before he approached, though even at the time, he was aware that to be a pipedream. Dungeons were cunning, heartless entities that didn¡¯t have an ounce of mercy. Their only goal was to grow as large as possible, consuming everything in their way. The gnome knew that firsthand. Back when he was a simple gnome worker, not even a chief engineer, the gnome had indentured himself to a dungeon. Things hadn¡¯t been good at all. He still shivered, remembering the harsh conditions he had to go through. The dungeon wasn¡¯t interested in elegance or development. All it wanted were tools with which to locate and gather rare resources with which to increase its rank. Lab mishaps were frequent. Whole research chambers would explode, only to be replaced by new ones¡ªthe energy cost added to the gnome¡¯s debt.


    Things had gotten so bad that the gnomes took advantage of an adventurer party entering the outer layers of the dungeon to stage a rebellion. The attempt was unsuccessful, but in the resulting chaos, several of them managed to escape. Lord Mandrake was among that number, and understandably, the last thing he wanted was to have a repeat of the situation.


    ¡°Spread out the fleet!¡± he ordered. ¡°We¡¯ll encircle the town.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lord Mandrake!¡± the demon flew out of the command room, leaving the gnome alone with his automatons.


    This was going to delay his plans a bit, but he had to play it safe. If the dungeon had already enslaved the town, he was going to destroy it brick from brick, layer by layer. And when the dungeon was erased from the face of the earth, he was going to build a new research base in its place, just for the sake of it. Then, he was going to take over the world, as planned.


    Meanwhile, in the tunnels beneath Vinewood, the ¡°cunning and calculating¡± dungeon avatar was having issues of his own.


    Having seven people return from the dead-end tunnel, when two had been sent, had created considerable confusion among the elves. Quite a few even assumed that an invasion was taking place. It was only thanks to Liandra¡¯s quick wit that the worst was avoided. Although, once tempers had calmed down, a sense of awkwardness appeared.


    It turned out that the five surviving heroes had been sent as the previous ¡°chosen¡± quite a while back¡ªover a century on one occasion. When the lich had said that he took good care of his collection, he wasn¡¯t joking. The chrono spell used on them had kept them from aging for decades, even more. The oldest hero had been sent by the current prince¡¯s grandfather with promises of glory and fortune upon succeeding. As it turned out, no such promise was kept. Technically, the elves weren¡¯t obliged to, since the heroes prior to Theo and Liandra hadn¡¯t succeeded in their quest. Anywhere else, the loophole would have been seen as a way out, but since these were elves, the heroes had taken it at face value and set off back in a world they knew nothing about. Theo pitied them to a certain degree, though not as much as he pitied himself upon learning what his ¡°reward¡± was going to be.


    ¡°You¡¯re joking, right?¡± he glared at the prince.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m very serious.¡±


    ¡°Look, I got the core. Here¡¯s your ring. Can¡¯t you use it yourself? Your seers have confirmed that it¡¯s in there, so¡ª¡±


    ¡°The prophecies say that only the chosen one will be able to remove the curse using the forest¡¯s core. You¡¯re the one that needs to say the words and perform the ritual.¡± The elf leaned forward on his throne. Having the means of breaking the curse had erased generations of mystical wisdom handed down from his ancestors, making him act like a little child. ¡°We¡¯ve kept your people well fed. We¡¯ve even provided them with extra clothes and food that will last them several weeks. All you need to do is¡ª¡±


    ¡°I get it!¡± the avatar snapped.


    This wasn¡¯t at all how he planned it. Originally, the core was supposed to be back in his main body now and he, along with Liandra and the rest, were supposed to be out of this forest and back on the airship. Frankly, he was somewhat disappointed that his dirty dozen hadn¡¯t managed to overpower the elf guards and break the vines, keeping the airship stuck here.


    ¡°How long is this going to take?¡± the avatar asked.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know,¡± an elf seer said, standing a few steps from the avatar. ¡°All that the prophecy says is that the chosen one will put his hand on the core and say the words of the past. We¡¯ve managed to collect the words, but we didn¡¯t have the core.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± Theo looked around. ¡°You want me to summon the core here?¡±


    The chamber he was in couldn¡¯t compare to the one in which he had fought the lich. His dungeon special sense told him that the core¡¯s orb could fit here, but only just. Although, now that he thought about it, it was somewhat suspicious that the hall was constructed in such a way; everything important was close to the wall, leaving the center quite empty, as if something was supposed to be placed there. Maybe there was something about this prophecy after all?


    ¡°Very well. Everyone stand back.¡±


    The seer nodded and moved back. The elf nobles did the same, joining the guards at the edges of the hall.


    ¡°You too,¡± the avatar told Liandra.


    ¡°Are you sure about this? You might need some help?¡±


    ¡°Only the chosen one could do this, remember?¡± he smirked. Strictly speaking, he didn¡¯t want to risk another calamity. If anything were to happen to him, he could explain it away with the effects of the core. Still, he preferred not to have a hero scrutinize his every action.


    With a frown, the heroine went to the edge of the hall. Then, when he was pleased that everything was as it should be, the avatar summoned the core from the ring.


    The glowing sphere emerged, pushing the avatar back with such force that he left tracks with his feet. If he were a normal person, he¡¯d have his legs torn off, or worse. Slowly, he looked over his shoulder to find that the prince¡¯s throne was suddenly a step away.


    ¡°So far, so good?¡± The avatar offered a somewhat guilty smile.


    The elf didn¡¯t react, mesmerized by the core.


    ¡°What are the words?¡± the avatar asked,


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    Still no reaction.


    ¡°Everessence, the words?¡±


    That caused the prince to snap out of it. Standing up from his throne, the elf took one of the talismans around his neck and handed it to the avatar. There were probably a hundred words, carved in onto the jade in miniature letters.


    ¡°I have to read all that?!¡±


    ¡°Those are the words we¡¯ve been able to collect after searching for generations. Some gave their lives for that task.¡±


    ¡°Not to be insensitive, but have you read this?¡±


    ¡°Part. Some of the words are too old for me to remember.¡±


    That made sense. It also made the elf quite lucky considering the things that were actually written. Sometimes having the ability to know all languages could be a mini-curse of its own.


    ¡°So, I just place my hand on the core and recite that?¡± The avatar looked at the elf. The price nodded. ¡°Well, here goes.¡±


    The moment his fingers touched the core, the avatar¡¯s entire body began to glow in golden light. There was no surge of energy that Theo could sense, no feeling of warmth, or cold, or anything. Rather, it was as if he had placed his hand on a sphere of air.


    ¡°The incandescently confused shall share the threads of their own mortality with the loom of nature,¡± he said. Maybe somewhere it the phrase sense, but definitely not to Theo. ¡°With the winds of fate combined, the chosen prays for the crown to be removed and the ash swept away, revealing that which had been darkened.¡±


    The golden light of the core turned mint green.


    ¡°Thrice purified, the light will shine, covering branch, and paw, and hand, until the sky shimmers blue in the endless embrace of the stars. The spilled ash will harden and gather in one to be cast into the ground where it would be soaked in light, as the children emerge pure again once more.¡±


    Only a prophecy could come up with such a chant, Theo thought. It was worse than karaoke. The only hope was that the language was indeed too old for elves or humans to understand a word of what he was saying.


    ¡°The shards of the chosen will mix with the air, and at that moment the one that was would join with the many bringing the point of eternity.¡± The avatar finished reading.


    This was the point at which something truly tremendous and enchanting was supposed to happen. However, it didn¡¯t. Seconds passed, one by one, and yet there was no change. Then, without any warning, the light coming from the avatar¡¯s body flickered off, as if someone had flipped a switch. The avatar¡¯s brows rose up in confusion as he glanced at the prince. No sooner had he done that than the core reverted to its golden state.


    ¡°Was that supposed to happen?¡± the avatar asked, knowing full well what the answer would be. ¡°Maybe the curse has been lifted?¡±


    The prince¡¯s reaction said it all. The only thing that would make his heart-shattering sadness even more apparent was if his ear somehow managed to flop down.


    ¡°I¡¯ll read it again. Maybe I pronounced something wrong.¡±


    The avatar was just about to take a deep breath to get the incantation done in one go, when he felt a hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± the elf seer said.


    ¡°I managed to lift the curse?¡±


    ¡°No. The curse is still here. Simply, you aren¡¯t the chosen one.¡±


    A day ago¡ªor a few days considering the effects of the lich¡¯s chrono spell¡ªTheo would have liked nothing better than to be told that. Now, though, after he had gone through all the trouble to obtain the Vinewood core and bring it back, he felt rejected.


    ¡°Let the airship go,¡± the prince said as he turned away. ¡°And give them some reward.¡±


    ¡°Hey, t¡¯s no problem for me to just read it again. Maybe twice is the charm and¡ª¡±


    ¡°No.¡± The seer shook her head. ¡°We¡¯re thankful for everything you¡¯ve done. Without you we wouldn¡¯t have gotten the core. You aren¡¯t the chosen one, though. We can only hope that one day the right one makes his way here and lifts the curse.¡±


    Theo was so disappointed by the whole thing that he didn¡¯t even bother to argue, having his avatar follow the seer like a wooden puppet. The only thing he obsessed at the moment was why he wasn¡¯t good enough to be the chosen one. The prophecy didn¡¯t say that the chosen one couldn¡¯t be a dungeon, and even if it did, that was stupid. He was clearly prime chosen one material! After all, he was the one who had succeeded after a century of failures.


    Maybe it¡¯s some trait, he thought. That had to be it.


    Liandra joined along as the avatar passed by. She was a bit conflicted about the whole thing. On the one hand, it was good that they had helped the elves get to the heart of the forest, as well as defeat a lich with a hobby of collecting heroes and sticking them in ice columns. On the other hand, they had failed to lift the curse, and that wasn¡¯t something a hero took lightly, even if there was a prophecy involved.


    ¡°The prince is thankful as well,¡± the seer said. ¡°He just needs some time to be alone. We have hoped for this moment for so long. You brought us closer than anyone before, but still not enough.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re sorry that it wasn¡¯t,¡± Liandra apologized. ¡°We¡¯re just thankful for doing as little as we did.¡±


    Why are you apologizing? Theo wondered.


    The trip out of the elf tunnels was much quicker. There was no wandering about, just a direct walk through. Even so, the elves¡¯ opinion hadn¡¯t improved much. Theo could hear them commenting about him. Most often, it was that the prince had made a mistake trusting Theo at all. In other times, the comments were of a much more censored variety.


    ¡°What exactly is your curse?¡± the avatar asked.


    ¡°Theo!¡± Liandra shushed him.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± the seer elf said. ¡°We can share that much. After the demon lords were defeated, ages ago, each of the elf tribes was granted a boon. All asked what was pretty much expected of them: the ability to talk to animals, weave light, long life, magic that would grow and heal plants. The prince that was our ancestor, though, had other ideas.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Curiosity made Theo forget his bitterness.


    ¡°The ability to increase our own life by draining that of others.¡±


    At first, the dungeon was about to ask what was wrong so horrible about that, when he suddenly realized. The elf hadn¡¯t said anything about it being voluntary. Knowing the way deities interpreted wishes, the Silvarians probably drained life all the time. The avatar quickly looked at Liandra. She looked unchanged, but given that she was a hero, it was possible she had some protection, or just had more vitality than the ordinary person.


    ¡°The deities were merciful enough not to have our power act instantly. We sap slowly the life of others. Slowly, but constantly. Long ago, this place was full of fine forests and abundant fields, but after ten years, it had all withered away. Some of our champions went out seeking advice from allies and even the deities, but the deities were not to be found and everyone we sought advice from would get ill. Thus, we were shunned by the world and forced to hide underground, where we would affect no one.¡±


    That was a nasty piece of magic. Being a vampire was all nice and good if it was done voluntarily, but in the elves¡¯ case, it was inevitable they ran out of food no matter what they did.


    ¡°How did Vinewood survive?¡± the avatar asked.


    ¡°Vinewood was different. Our ancestors found a core seed, one created by the deities themselves. It couldn¡¯t be affected by our curse, so it was buried deep underground and left to grow.¡±


    That explained the temple structure underground. The whole thing seemed too complicated and majestic for the lich to create. Rather, he had stumbled onto it and made it his own.


    ¡°Gradually the forest became what it is now, and we remained beneath the ground. Now we have enough food to survive, but we can never leave here without destroying everyone around.¡± The elf paused for a moment. ¡°The prophecy came later, speaking of one who would help remove the curse by using the core of the forest. By that time, it had grown too large to be taken out quickly and none of us dared approach it out of fear that we would affect it in some way.¡±


    ¡°So, you sent others to do it for you,¡± the avatar said. It was a good example of delegation, although Theo still didn¡¯t like that he had gotten involved.


    ¡°It was the only way. If the chosen succeeded, we would be free and reward them. If not, we¡¯d let them go with a minor token of our thanks.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t what happened. There was no telling how many heroes or adventurer wannabes had died in the process. Not to mention that they had created the lich in the first place. There were a lot of harsh words that could be said, but right now, Theo preferred not to get into an argument with a bunch of life-sapping elves. Maybe when he was back in Rosewind he¡¯d send a strongly worded letter.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± the elf said, seeing the avatar¡¯s frown. ¡°Your people are safe. We kept them as far away from us as possible and only a handful of guards were guarding the vines.¡±


    ¡°Thanks¡­ It would have been nice to have a reward, though.¡±


    ¡°You already were given a reward.¡±


    ¡°My life?¡± the avatar asked in the most sarcastic fashion it could muster.


    ¡°No,¡± the seer allowed herself a chuckle. It was quickly stifled, but it was still there. ¡°It was left on your airship. You¡¯ll see it when you get there. It¡¯s not as much as we would have liked, but the large reward must remain intact for the chosen one, for when they lift our curse.¡±


    This was adding insult to injury. Not only was he getting the scraps, but Theo had made the job far easier for someone else who¡¯d take the whole lot without even a thank you. If there was any justice, he would be owed ten percent of the ¡°large reward.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just get out of here,¡± he mumbled to himself.


    Upon reaching the base of the vines, the elf and the rest parted ways. Offering some more thanks, she gave both of them a peck on the cheek, then turned around and headed back to her tunnels. The prophecy needed consulting, and the core was to be returned to its original spot to keep the forest alive until the next time a chosen one appeared.


    Using his new spell, the avatar flew up to the top to his airship, carrying Liandra along with an aether bubble.


    ¡°You did a good thing,¡± the heroine said, sensing his disappointment. ¡°We might not have broken the curse, but we killed a lich and freed five heroes.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ about that. Can you keep it between us?¡± Theo asked.


    ¡°But why? Rescuing a hero is a big deal. The reward alone¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want the credit. Let¡¯s just say that you did it and forget about me? It might cause some complications¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why it would, but alright. I won¡¯t share the details, but I can¡¯t do anything about the other heroes.¡±


    That was alright. After what they had been through, none of them had inquired about Theo¡¯s name or place of residence, and thankfully, no one had mentioned it in their presence. As long as Theo didn¡¯t leave Rosewind chances of them crossing paths were extremely low. Besides, they had other things on their mind right now. Returning to a world after decades of absence was bound to cause a few complications.


    ¡°Thanks. Now let¡¯s go back home.¡±


    In order to remain safely hidden in Rosewind, Theo first had to ensure that Rosewind was safe. And the way thing were going that was not a given. His plan to use the Vinewood core to power up had failed, and he couldn¡¯t rely on the earl¡¯s treasury. Already he had consumed all cores and core-like objects that the noble had and still was only able to withstand goblin attacks. The real threat was on its way and approaching fast.


    ¡°Liandra,¡± the avatar began. ¡°I¡¯ll need you to navigate me again.¡±


    ¡°I thought you might say that,¡± the heroine said with a sigh. ¡°Well, the heck with it. You went through all the trouble with the elves, so why not? Are you planning on flying like crazy again?¡±


    ¡°No. This time we¡¯ll go faster.¡±


    ¡°Faster than before?!¡±


    ¡°Lord mandrake has reached the town. Right now, he¡¯s surrounding the city with airships, preparing for the final assault.¡±


    ¡°How can you be sure?¡±


    ¡°I have my ways. I¡¯ve been keeping an eye on everything going on back home and it isn¡¯t good. If we don¡¯t reach him on time, we¡¯ll come back to a pile of rubble.¡±


    ¡°So, it¡¯s that serious?¡±


    ¡°What can I say? The gnome really has it for me. He¡¯s probably mad that I broke his heart and¡­¡± Theo stopped. Out of context, that sounded so wrong. ¡°Anyway, we have to find him and destroy him for good. Him and all his troops.¡±


    ¡°And destroy the other demon lord heart.¡± Liandra nodded. ¡°Do you have a plan?¡±


    ¡°Other than getting us back there, not in the slightest.¡±

 28. The Glorious Lord Mandrake

    ¡°People of this town!¡± Lord Mandrake said, his voice amplified a hundred-fold by the magic device in his airship. Unfortunately, that only made it sound even more high-pitched and squeaky. ¡°Good job on getting rid of my useless goblins. I meant to do that all along! They were weak, dragging me back! You actually did me a favor.¡±


    Only the sound of the wind could be heard in response. Every combat capable person was standing at the walls of Rosewind¡ªTheo¡¯s walls¡ªgripping bows and crossbows as they waited for the inevitable invasion. Several messengers had been sent to request help from larger nearby towns and cities. The chances of any of them succeeding were between slim and none. Two had been killed moments after leaving the city, and the two that survived weren¡¯t going to reach their destinations in less than a day. By then there was no guarantee that the town would remain standing.


    Unlike the goblin raids of the previous day, this operation was meticulously thought out. The airships were spread out, forming three rings around Rosewind. Lord Mandrake was aware of the defense capabilities of the dungeon, including the ballistas and the new lightning spell. The latter wasn¡¯t going to be efficient either way, since all of the dirigibles were made of anti-magic alloy, capable of repelling any magic. And just for good measure, the gnome had ordered a demon aboard every airship on the innermost ring.


    ¡°In my grand benevolence, I am willing to give you a chance!¡± the gnome went on. ¡°Everyone who walks out of town now will be safely placed on a ship and taken care of. I will absolutely guarantee all your lives. Maybe it won¡¯t be a life you¡¯re used to, especially for the less hardworking of you, still you¡¯ll receive food, water, and a lot of activity, but most important of all, you¡¯ll have the knowledge that you helped the birth of the great Mandrake Empire¡ªthe empire that would spread all over the world and¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a really dumb name!¡± someone interrupted.


    In the command room of his airship, the gnome¡¯s ears twitched. He recognized that voice, it was the voice of the entity he had traveled all this distance to destroy.


    ¡°Did you try saying that out loud?¡± Theo laughed.


    ¡°The Mandrake Empire is a magnificent name!¡± Lord Mandrake snapped. ¡°Poets will write ballads about it for years! Every syllable streams majesty! If you had any taste, you¡¯d see that!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s as crap as your first hideout. Was that majestic too?¡±


    The sound of gnashing teeth filled the air. Despite his vast intellect, Lord Mandrake was surprisingly easy to annoy, especially by things that messed up his plans. There was no reason for him to be. After all, the odds were overwhelmingly in his favor. Even with the new ballistas the dungeon had erected, there was no possible way for him to lose. At most, he¡¯d sacrifice the inner ring of airships to reduce every building to rubble, and when that was done, he¡¯d proceed to dig out the dungeon and shatter its core. And still, the gnome couldn¡¯t help but feel afraid. Dungeons were by nature cunning, and this one seemed to be more cunning than any other so far. If there was something he could pull out of its sleeve, it would.


    ¡°If you think your puny attempt to upset me will work, think again!¡± the gnome said.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Theo shouted back.


    ¡°The only reason I¡¯m talking to you is because it would be a waste to throw away so many good workers. A town like this would do a lot better than the scraps I had managed to collect back in my previous base of operations. Here, things should move a lot faster. A few weeks after I destroy this insignificant town, and you along with it, I¡¯ll make a new city, one that rises to the sky and marks the start of a new age!¡±


    ¡°The Mandrake Age?¡±


    ¡°Yes! The Mandrake¡­¡± the gnome frowned. ¡°Very funny.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not difficult. Anything else to offer?¡±


    ¡°Tell you what. Surrender and I¡¯ll spare everyone else. I might even spare you if you apologize.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that cute? Can I think about it?¡±


    ¡°You have ten minutes!¡±


    At first, Lord Mandrake felt victorious, but soon the sensation faded, replaced by suspicion and then concern. Ten minutes was way too long. A world of things could happen. Or maybe that was the point.


    The gnome jumped off the extremely large control chair and rushed out of the room. Something was going down. The dungeon wouldn¡¯t have engaged in this verbal sparring match if it wasn¡¯t. Whatever it was, though, Lord Mandrake was going to make sure that it didn¡¯t affect his plans.


    Meanwhile, down in the city, Theo was desperately trying to come up with a way to survive the inevitable attack, preferably along with the rest of the city. He had already used up all the materials and core points at his disposal¡ªkeeping a moderate reserve for the battle itself, naturally¡ªand had beefed up as much of the defenses as possible. Due to the looming danger, Theo had followed Spok¡¯s advice and moved his core further down, beneath his main building. Hopefully, it was going to be a temporary thing. Either that, it wouldn¡¯t even matter.


    ¡°What spell are you using exactly?¡± Lady Amelia asked, petting Theo¡¯s rabbit.


    The noblewoman had gotten quite used to the main building in the time since the first goblin raid. If anything, she had started feeling too much at home. It didn¡¯t help that Spok kept the drink always magically stocked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a proprietary spell,¡± the dungeon replied. ¡°I can¡¯t say more.¡±


    ¡°A hidden spell? Nice. Father told me about those. One of the towers that did business with him was very big on hidden spells. Will it be enough to take care of Mandrake¡¯s fleet? There are a lot of them.¡±


    Theo sighed internally. That was one more thing that he didn¡¯t approve of. When had told Spok to get the duke¡¯s daughter on his side, he didn¡¯t mean creating her own personal scrying crystal ball. Judging by how at ease she was with using one, Theo was almost certain that he had several back home using them like a medieval entertainment system.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s all part of the baron¡¯s plan,¡± Spok entered the room. One stern look from her was enough to get both Lady Amelia and Maximilian to instantly straighten up. ¡°Have you been feeding him again, my lady?¡±


    ¡°No! Of course not!¡±


    Spok narrowed her eyes a fraction, let out a slight hmm, then made her way to the couch, then looked into her own crystal ball. When Amelia tried to peek in, she calmly stopped the image.


    ¡°The mage tower sends their regrets, but they aren¡¯t in condition to send anything against the current fleet,¡± Spok said.


    ¡°They heard about the anti-magic coating?¡± Theo asked.


    ¡°They learned about the anti-magic coating.¡± She nodded.


    ¡°What about the adventurers? The hero guild? Duke Godon¡¯s troops?¡±


    ¡°Cmyk, or Sir Myk,¡± she said in mocking fashion, ¡°has already organized the local adventurers. Earl Rosewind has made several requests for a hero to assist, with little success, and the duke is holding you personally responsible for putting his daughter in danger.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, father is like that,¡± Lady Amelia agreed.


    ¡°Unfortunately, the troops he has sent won¡¯t arrive here anytime soon.¡±


    ¡°So, we can¡¯t rely on them either.¡±


    That significantly reduced the options at Theo¡¯s disposal. Thanks to the support provided by the goddess Peris, he would be able to hold off a few airships, possibly a few dozen, but not all of them. Despite everything else, the gnome was smart, extremely good at resource management, and had an abundance of airships. All Theo had were seven remaining minutes.


    Using his observatory, he took a good look at the carriers on that side of the city. They were somewhat smaller than the one his avatar had snatched, more oval, and a lot shinier. It was almost as if they had been brand new, possibly part of the fleet that Lord Mandrake was building to conquer the world. If that were the case¡­


    ¡°Your time is up!¡± Lord Mandrake¡¯s voice echoed throughout the air.


    ¡°You said I had ten minutes!¡± Theo shouted back.


    ¡°I changed my mind! Since everyone is obsessed with staying in this town, they¡¯ll die with it!¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t that be a waste?¡±


    ¡°Some losses are inevitable. I¡¯ll make up for it from the surrounding villages. Better prepare yourself!¡±


    The inner ring of carriers began moving forward. In response, the dungeon adjusted his ballistas. If it came to a showdown, he planned on taking a few of the airships along. Silence filled the world, everyone tensely waited for the moment of impact. The earl had barricaded himself in his castle, taking most of the townsfolk there as well. Some of the nobles preferred to remain in their fortified mansions in the center of the city, possibly believing they wouldn¡¯t be targeted there. The streets and squares were empty, most of the shops were barred with only the most eccentric shopkeepers remaining close to their products.


    ¡°Get ready, men!¡± Lieutenant Ribbons said from the town wall. With his captain taking care of the earl¡¯s safety, Ribbons had been made de facto commander of the defense efforts. Him and¡ªagainst any possible logic¡ªCmyk. The minion had literally not done anything but party and buy things since arriving to Rosewind, and yet had managed to create an intricate backstory full of mystique, intrigue, and chivalry.


    ¡°What do you think, sir Myk?¡± an adventurer asked. ¡°Have you seen anything like this before?¡±


    The minion looked at the woman addressed him, then back at the approaching airships.


    ¡°What am I asking?¡± She shook her head. ¡°Of course you have. It¡¯s probably just another day for you. You and your boss can really be scary sometimes.¡±


    ¡°This is your last chance!¡± Lord Mandrake¡¯s voice echoed, amplified by several airships. ¡°Walk out of town and I¡¯ll guarantee your life.¡±


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Same as before, no one did.


    ¡°Alright. Nice knowing you.¡±


    Suddenly segments of the hull slid off one of the airships. Massive triple harpoon guns emerged on each side. On close inspection, Theo saw that they weren¡¯t mere harpoon guns, but had a chain of massive arrows attached to the side. The pesky gnome had managed to create a harpoon gun repeater and those projectiles were large, even larger than those of the dungeon¡¯s balliastas.


    The airship moved forward from the rest, then opened fire. Bolts the size of buildings split the air with great intensity. The first few hit the ground fifty feet from the wall, with each next moving closer. The last half dozen not only managed to reach the wall, but punctured it as if it were made of jelly.


    Soldiers ran along the wall, rushing away from the affected section. Naturally, it didn¡¯t crumble. Theo saw to that, although he had to admit that the sensation of having massive anti-magic bolts sticking from him wasn¡¯t appealing.


    ¡°Spok, can I consume those?¡± he asked out of habit. No sooner had he done so than he realized his mistake¡ªhis spirit guardian wasn¡¯t alone.


    ¡°Consume?¡± Lady Amelia asked.


    ¡°It is possible to convert them to magic,¡± Spok quickly added, resolving the situation. ¡°However, it would come at a cost.¡±


    ¡°A cost that I can afford?¡±


    ¡°For the time being, yes, but not for long. Mana doesn¡¯t grow on trees, sir.¡±


    More airships went through their transformation, arming themselves with the devastating weapons. That was enough for the dungeon to make a decision. Several decisions, in fact. For starters, the section of the wall instantly consumed the bolts, transforming them into a metal coating on the front of the wall. Since Theo knew the properties of the bolts, he knew what thickness would be optimal to fend against further attacks.


    The second decision was to go on the offensive; specifically, to launch the only ammunition he had in abundance.


    Large chimney-like constructs emerged from the town, aimed at the approaching airships. One would say that they had the appearance of cannons only made out of stone. That was indeed what they were, shooting projectiles of living slimes at the enemy.


    In moments, three airships had their fronts completely covered in slime. While not magical, the slimes had the annoying ability to corrode flesh as well as seep through even the smallest holes. Splat after splat, they hit the hull of the airships. Some dripped off, falling victim to gravity, but others managed to make their way inside the carrier, where a feast of goblins awaited. Given the nature of the creatures, experienced adventurers would have had difficulty defeating one, let alone a pack of goblins of questionable intelligence.


    First the airships stopped shooting, then they stopped advancing, and finally they fell to the ground with a loud thump. Apparently, the slimes were capable of consuming more than just goblins.


    ¡°All carriers attack!¡± Lord Mandrake shouted.


    Projectiles launched on all sides. Metal bolts rained onto the town just as slimes and ballista bolts flew in the opposite direction. Theo¡¯s energy and core points dipped as he consumed as many bolts as possible, covering the wall and other parts of himself with a thick layer of metal. Unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t remotely enough to stop the damage. While some of the following bolts bounced off, others tore through the metal, requiring him to use even more core points to patch up the damage. While ninety percent of his energy and core point reserves remained in effect, the number was decreasing fast, not to mention there were whole parts of Rosewind that weren¡¯t protected. In the town itself, bolts pierced through entire houses, pinning them like a toothpick through a sandwich. Nothing was immune, even the temple of the goddess.


    Crap, the dungeon thought. That was something else he¡¯d have to repair later on¡­ if there was a later on. Paris had offered him moral support, but as a deity, there was only so much she could do. Other than providing advice and blessings, she didn¡¯t have the power to take sides directly in a battle, even if it meant losing her temple.


    Thankfully, since Lord Mandrake was being methodical about this, most of the devastation was occurring on the outer sections of the town.


    ¡°Are we safe here?¡± Lady Amelia asked.


    ¡°As much as possible,¡± Theo grumbled.


    ¡°What the baron wanted to say is that this mansion has the best magical protection in the whole of Rosewind.¡±


    It was incredible how much could be achieved by adding the word magic to anything, even when it didn¡¯t make any sense. Pleased with the answer, the duke¡¯s daughter nodded and kept observing the battle in her crystal ball. As for the magic, while technically it was true that the entire building was constructed using magic, that didn¡¯t provide any better protection than the reinforced walls. While there were multiple ways of creating magic shields, that was more of a human, or avatar, skill. And even if it wasn¡¯t, magic was only able to block so much. If Theo¡¯s avatar was hit by one of the flying horrors that Lord Mandrake¡¯s ships kept launching, his aether shield would shatter, barely slowing the projectile down a bit.


    Two and a half minutes of extreme intensity seemed to drag on for hours, as if the chrono lich had cast one of his spells on the area. To everyone, it seemed that there was no end in sight. With devastation on both sides of the wall, the only thing that the defenders of the city could do was hope to remain alive. Naturally, the dungeon lent an invisible hand now and then. On quite a few occasions, people would trip in something that wasn''t there before, only to avoid a direct bolt hit, or the ground would unexpectedly collapse beneath them just moments before the entire section of the wall was transformed into a pincushion. A few of the soldiers started asking questions, but an explanation was quickly found: ¡°Magic.¡± After all, it was a well-known fact that Baron d¡¯Argent was a world famous mage, probably the head of a mage tower, who had come to Rosewind to enjoy his retirement. Of course, he¡¯d use magic to protect the city as a favor to his childhood friend Earl Rosewind.


    The more Theo listened to the explanations, the less they made sense, but as long as they helped him achieve what he wanted, he didn¡¯t particularly care. One thing he was extremely thankful for was that despite the vigorous attempt to destroy him, Lord Mandrake hadn¡¯t openly called him a dungeon. This way, at least he had a chance of surviving, should he remain alive after the end of the raid.


    When the final iron bolt was launched, and the last slime propelled at the incoming airships, an eerie quiet filled the air. Over two dozen airships had fallen on the ground, becoming permanent landmarks of the area. The rest of the first ring were depleted and useless. Meanwhile, Rosewind had acquired more metal than it ever had. Roughly a seventh of the buildings¡ªall part of Theo¡ªhad effectively turned from stone to metal, and even that wasn¡¯t anywhere nearly enough to consume a fraction of the metal projectiles scattered around. The worst part was that the attack had breached the outer walls in several areas. Fixing it was possible, but the dungeon preferred to keep a large reserve of energy and core points for the next phase of the attack. After all, repairs could be done at any time, but once spent, there was no getting the core points back.


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s over?¡± a guard asked Cmyk at the wall.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you see there are more airships behind?¡± Ulf grumbled at the unfortunate rookie. ¡°Think before you waste Myk¡¯s time.¡±


    ¡°Sorry¡­¡± The guard looked away, embarrassed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bet that they reorganize,¡± Ulf went on. ¡°The ones in front will move back, then rearm, while the next row will move forward. Three rows, each larger than the last.¡±


    ¡°Gods¡­¡± The rookie shivered.


    ¡°How do you know so much, Ulf?¡± another adventurer asked.


    ¡°An uncle of mine served under a big time general. Those were the tactics he¡¯d use, though he didn¡¯t use airships. As he used to say, war was simple back in the day.¡±


    ¡°Everything was simple back in the day.¡±


    Theo couldn¡¯t agree more.


    Just as Ulf suggested, the front airships moved back. Navigating between the rest, they created a new ring behind all the rest. The second ring had become the first, but to everyone¡¯s surprise, they didn¡¯t progress forward, but slowly floated down to the ground. The sides of the hull moved up, but instead of harpoon guns, what came out was a vast number of goblins, trolls, and gnomework automatons.


    ¡°Did your uncle say anything about that?¡± the adventurer asked Ulf.


    The hundreds became thousands, the thousands¡ªtens of thousands. Each small army was led by a demon with crimson wings and glowing red armor.


    Theo had no idea what the real strength of the local adventurers was. As far as he was concerned, they were a bunch of drunkards that constantly dragged Cmyk to taverns. Since his initial arrival in Rosewind, he hadn¡¯t seen a single one of them set off on a mission of any sort, even to hunt monsters or particularly large animals. While it was possible that a few of them could take on a demon or two, defeating several dozen was highly unlikely.


    ¡°As you can see, I¡¯ve thought of every detail,¡± the gnome said triumphantly from his airship. ¡°Even if you repair the wall, and I know you could, I¡¯ll just drill it full of holes again, while my large and vastly improved army storms your town. Bet you feel stupid now, huh? If only you had surrendered, all this could have been avoided.¡± There was a short pause. ¡°Well, okay, it couldn¡¯t have been avoided, but you¡¯d have become part of the Great Mandrake Empire. Now, you can only contemplate your life decisions in regret and¡ª¡±


    ¡°The city is protected by a goddess!¡± Theo shouted back.


    There was another pause, this one far longer than the past. Seconds went on, turning into a minute.


    ¡°Ha!¡± The gnome finally reacted. ¡°As if! You¡¯re lying!¡±


    ¡°Nope. There is one.¡±


    ¡°Your small and insignificant town has nothing, but an old deserted shack that could have passed as a temple. When I destroy it, I¡¯ll build a far better temple. No! I¡¯ll build dozens of temples, all dedicated to myself, and prove that Lord Mandrake is the greatest, most powerful, and smartest ruler that has graced all existence!¡±


    That¡¯s a bit much, Theo thought. Even for a megalomaniac, the gnome was going too far. Still, as long as he was talking he wasn¡¯t attacking, and that let the dungeon prepare. Spending a third of all remaining core points, Theo constructed a new underground section, going beyond his current bounds. This was going to be a temporary installment, of course. Once it had done its role, the dungeon planned to stop maintaining it with mana, causing it to effectively dissolve into nothingness. That was one thing that still bothered him. He had asked Spok to provide additional explanations on the matter, but the spirit guide had kept on stating definitions as if they were fact, without revealing the reasons for them. Apparently, even spirit guides had their limitations.


    The gnome¡¯s speech continued for a few minutes more, culminating in maniacal high-pitched laughter that would make a cat¡¯s ears bleed. The instant it was over, all the armies surrounding Rosewing charged forward. Like ants closing in on a grain of sugar.


    Looking at them, Theo calculated the number of levels his avatar would increase by, if only it were here. On the other hand, if some of Lord Mandrake¡¯s minions dropped a few cores, that would allow Theo to patch up somewhat. Ultimately, it was all a matter of timing and resource management.


    ¡°Stand firm!¡± Lieutenant Ribbons shouted. ¡°There¡¯s nowhere to hide. Our only chance is to meet them on the walls and stop as many of them as we¡ª¡±


    Suddenly, a second wall rose up from the ground, a wall of stone spikes that pierced through demons, trolls, and goblins alike. In a single instant, thousands were destroyed, with many more blocked from proceeding forward.


    The action was a huge gamble¡ªconstructing and increasing the second wall cost Theo almost all existing core points. Thankfully, it paid off, as the cores released by the creatures were more than enough to fill his reserves, and even allowed for some wall fixes as well.


    ¡°What?!¡± the gnome shouted. ¡°My demons. How did you destroy my demons?!? They¡¯re supposed to be invulnerable!¡±


    ¡°I told you that there was a goddess protecting Rosewind!¡± Theo gloated. ¡°The tip of every spike was individually blessed so it can easily kill off any demon.¡±


    ¡°Oh, how very clever¡­ unless that was my plan all along! I wanted you to create a new wall! This way, I won¡¯t have to build it myself once I take over the town!¡±


    Every person on the wall rolled their eyes. It was obvious that Lord Mandrake was making up things to save himself the humiliation that just happened. While the numbers were still vastly on his side, there was no denying that he had lost a monstrous amount already.


    ¡°Stop laughing!¡± Lord Mandrake shouted. ¡°You think you think you¡¯re the only one with surprises? I have one of my own!¡±


    The third ring of airships began their transformation. Like bolt guns emerged on the side, similar to the first ones in the battle, but with one difference. This time, when they flew forward, they didn¡¯t pierce the outer wall, but disintegrated it, exploding on impact. Hundreds of blasts roared, shaking the entire town and every building in it. Once the smoke had settled, the outer wall, and a large part of the surrounding ground, was gone.


    ¡°What do you think now? Still think you can win? Well? Nothing to say?¡±


    The dungeon didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°A pity,¡± Lord Mandrake said. ¡°Guess that¡¯s it, then?¡±


    Before Theo could answer, an airship zoomed in from nowhere, crashing into a cluster of others, sending them flying off like billiard balls. Now, finally, the dungeon¡¯s avatar had returned home. All it had to do was fight its way through the army of enemy minions. With the help of a hero and twelve elite fighters, that wasn¡¯t supposed to be difficult¡­ or was it?

 29. Avatar, Gnome, and Dungeon

    ¡°To the left!¡± Liandra shouted. As an accomplished heroine, she had been in many unusual situations, from hopelessly life-threatening traps to blood drenched fields of battle. This was the first time she had experienced mind-numbing absurdity in action. ¡°The other left!¡±


    According to Theo¡¯s sources, Lord Mandrake was on the course of reaching the town of Rosewind in a matter of hours, if he wasn¡¯t there already. The only solution was to use the dirigible to go as fast as possible to get there in time and prevent the worst. In itself, there was nothing wrong with that. Liandra had seen mages fly as fast as lightning¡ªusually in an effort to escape¡ªfrom one place to the next. Of course, all those had been short range boosts. Even an experienced mage would quickly run out of mana within seconds, having them rely on the gathered inertia for several moments longer, before they either managed to flee their pursuers, or fall to the ground like an overripe pear. In most cases, it wasn¡¯t a pretty sight, which was why mages only used that as a final resort. Clearly no one had told the baron this. Not only was the man flying at ludicrous speeds for minutes, but he had also cast several shield spheres in order to protect himself from crashing into flocks of birds, which had happened on two occasions so far.


    ¡°Too much! Back to the right!¡± the heroine yelled again.


    Her situation was slightly better, though not by much. In order for the plan to work, she had agreed to remain on the top of the carrier, holding onto what could pass for a hastily constructed railing, and shout directions to Theo. Next to her, dragging like corks on a thread, were the dirty dozen who had secured themselves with belt chains to the railing. They too had thought they could handle the speed, but as it turned out, Theo¡¯s avatar had propelled them at such speed that only the raw strength of a hero was capable of withstanding such force.


    ¡°There! Right there!¡± Liandra shouted. ¡°Yes! That¡¯s perfect!¡±


    ¡°This is like being in a hurricane!¡± Wolf shouted.


    ¡°How would you know?¡± one of the assassins asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been through a few. Usually in a boat. The best thing to do is to get a knife and tie yourself to the main mast.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the knife for?¡± the prodigal child asked.


    ¡°So, you can cut yourself out once everything calms down?¡±


    ¡°Okay. What do you do if there¡¯s no mast?¡±


    That was a question that the ex-pirate couldn¡¯t answer. As much as he liked to talk, the similarities between a ship and an airship weren¡¯t that many, especially with someone like Theo at the helm.


    It had taken half an hour for all the villagers aboard to get prepared for the trip. Specifically, that consisted of the baron separating them in smaller rooms throughout the airship and casting an aether shield sphere around each in such fashion that they couldn¡¯t move. His logic was that this way, nothing would risk breaking the shield, even if it would be uncomfortable for a while. Miraculously, so far he had ended up being right.


    ¡°Miss!¡± Flail shouted. ¡°How soon do you think we¡¯ll get there?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea!¡± Liandra shouted back.


    Even with an aether shield in front of her, she didn¡¯t want to risk looking away, in case Theo changed direction again. What was more, she had a far more important question that needed answering.


    ¡°Theo!¡± the heroine shouted. ¡°When we get there, how are you going to stop?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± the avatar looked over his shoulder.


    He had heard the question perfectly, yet had no idea what to answer. All this time he had focused so much on getting to Rosewind¡ªas well as protecting the town from invasion¡ªthat he hadn¡¯t bothered to think about what he¡¯d do once there; to be more precise, he hadn¡¯t considered stopping. Slamming an airship into himself with the speed of a bullet was going to be quite painful and raise uncomfortable questions, not to mention put everyone aboard at risk.


    ¡°I said, how are you going to stop once we get to Rosewind?¡± Liandra asked again.


    ¡°It¡¯s all taken care of!¡± The avatar attempted to grin. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. All you need to do is¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish, the moment he had been fearing happened. Lord Mandrake¡¯s fleet of airships¡ªthat had seemed unimaginably far ever since Theo had defeated him in the Mandrake Mountains¡ªsuddenly popped up in front of him. Time seemed to freeze, as Theo realized that he had no realistic way of slowing down. Even if he changed direction, the airship had accumulated so much inertia that it would continue onwards on its own accord and slam into the nearest set of obstacles. It was time for a split-second decision, and thus Theo did what Theo did best: improvise.


    Without warning, he cast an indestructible aether shield around himself, then simultaneously cast two massive ice magic shields: one in front of his own airship, and one in front of the one he was inevitably going to crash into.


    It was a good thing that the ice shield wasn¡¯t transparent, for if it were, Liandra would have clearly seen both massive sheets of ice slam into each other with Theo in-between. Ice shattered with a bang, severely reducing the goblin carrier¡¯s speed. That wasn¡¯t enough to bring the airship to a stop, but thankfully, crashing into the other ones did the trick.


    Like a cue-ball hitting a triangle of pool balls, Theo¡¯s airship sent the others flying about. Not wasting any moments, Theo pushed the chunks of ice away, falling securely to the ground. Finally, his avatar had returned home. All it had to do was fight its way through the army of enemy minions. With the help of a hero and twelve elite fighters, that wasn¡¯t supposed to be difficult¡­ or was it?


    ¡°Everyone alright up there?¡± the avatar looked up. He was expecting to see a mighty heroine leading twelve majestic fighters, sending fear into the hearts of their enemies. What he saw instead were twelve people dangling helplessly on the side of the airship, and Liandra leaning against the railing vomiting.


    Never knew that heroes had such weak stomachs, Theo thought.


    ¡°Does anyone need healing?¡± he shouted up.


    Almost in unison, everyhow waved a hand, indicating that they had no desire to be the subject of any more of Theo¡¯s spells. That was sort of a problem. As confident as Theo was in his abilities, even he knew that he couldn¡¯t take on an entire army without it being obvious that his avatar wasn¡¯t human. He was stretching the believability of him being just a mage, even now. What he needed was a smokescreen.


    ¡°Mandrake!¡± the avatar shouted as loud as he could. ¡°I¡¯ve come back in person to defeat you, so-called ruler of the world!¡±


    Theo flew up, taking out the legendary sword from his dimension ring. The goal wasn¡¯t so much to attract the gnome¡¯s attention, but rather to be seen by everyone else.


    ¡°I see that we arrived in the nick of time!¡± he shouted even louder.


    The plan was ludicrous to the point that even a five-year-old wouldn¡¯t fall for it. Thankfully, Lord mandrake was a lot more spiteful and obsessed than a five-year-old. The flagship of the fleet slowly turned so as to face the speck of dust that was Theo¡¯s avatar. Then, against all the odds, its top section opened up, revealing the gnome¡¯s mechanical golem.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± The squeaky voice boomed. ¡°You¡¯ve been here all the time!¡±


    ¡°Indeed!¡± Theo frantically thought what to say. That pesky gnome just couldn¡¯t keep its mouth shut, even when it wasn¡¯t trying to let out his secret. ¡°My heart has always been in Rosewind, so I used magic and the help of the fine town guard and¡­ other people about to hold you off until this moment! And judging by what¡¯s left of your airships, we did quite well!¡±


    ¡°Ha! You just saved me resources!¡± The construct the gnome was in crossed its arms. ¡°They are an old, almost obsolete model. Would have cost me more time and effort to upgrade them to the standards of my current airships than to build them from scratch! I let you destroy them!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what you said a moment ago.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did! Not my fault you can¡¯t listen properly!¡±


    The dungeon remained silent. The gnome was probably the only creature in existence whose excuses were even worse than his own. There wasn¡¯t a soul alive or dead that would believe him. Still, as long as that gave him time, it was better to play along.


    ¡°Well, you wanted to fight me, let¡¯s fight!¡± the avatar continued. ¡°There¡¯s no need to get the town involved. You and me here and now. Winner takes all.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Lord Mandrake said. ¡°I see your scheme. You want to distract me enough to pull another fast one. Well, I have thought of this! In fact, I have considered anything you and the puny little people inside the town can do. You won¡¯t catch me by surprise again. And even if you do, I have enough countermeasures to destroy both you and everyone else once and for all! Today shall mark a great day! The day that Lord Mandrake made his mark for the world to see! And I¡¯ll do it by destroying you!¡± The massive construct pointed at the dungeon¡¯s avatar. ¡°All troops! All out attack!¡±


    The enormous army charged towards the town wall from all sides. This was the worst possible scenario. Most likely, that was the reason the gnome had resorted to it. If there was one thing Lord Mandrake excelled at, it was intelligence. He knew that if he let Theo¡¯s avatar rejoin the rest of him, things would become a lot more difficult, so he prevented that by attacking both dungeon and avatar at the same time.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Spok,¡± the dungeon asked in its main building. ¡°How long will it take for me to assess the situation if I joined you?¡± Every word was chosen with care so as not to make the duke¡¯s daughter suspicious.


    Just as Theo was preparing to decrypt Spok¡¯s answer. Lady Amelia fainted.


    ¡°Sleep spell,¡± the spirit guide explained calmly, as lifted up the woman with telekinesis and floated her to a bed in the guest room. ¡°As for sharing the experience, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not sure. It might be instantaneous, or it might take a few hours. At this point, there¡¯s no knowing.¡±


    ¡°Great¡­¡±


    ¡°Furthermore, I¡¯d recommend against it. It¡¯s possible that the process might require you to enter a non-responsive state. If that were to happen, neither you nor your avatar would be able to put up a fight. And given the town¡¯s defenses¡­¡±


    There was no need to continue. As it stood, the dungeon was the only thing that kept the whole town from destruction. The irony was that the people of the town, especially the earl and the adventurers, were precisely the people Theo was hiding from.


    Left with no choice, the dungeon aimed the ballistas at the approaching troops and shot. It would have been much better if there were a few more slimes to launch in order to slow down the charge, but all of those had already been exhausted and it would be a while before the slime pits would spawn new ones.


    ¡°Wolf,¡± Theo shouted from his main body. ¡°You and the rest deal with the airships! Liandra, help with the city¡¯s defenses. I¡¯ll take care of Lord Mandrake myself!¡±


    Aiming solely to prevent the gnome from saying anything that Theo would regret, he used up a substantial amount of energy to cast an ice wall separating him and Lord Mandrake from everyone else.


    ¡°Ice won¡¯t work on me,¡± the gnome laughed. ¡°The demon heart has the power to melt through it in minutes. Seconds even!¡±


    ¡°The wall isn¡¯t meant for you. It¡¯s to save you the humiliation of others seeing you defeated.¡±


    ¡°Ha! As if a lowly avatar will be able to do that!¡±


    Both avatar and dungeon winced. While the ice wall prevented anyone from hearing¡ªand more importantly, seeing¡ªall that took place there, hearing the secret spoken out loud still made Theo feel tense.


    ¡°I did it once before,¡± the avatar snapped.


    ¡°You just caught me off guard. This time, things will be a lot different. I know where your core is and when I destroy it, you won¡¯t be able to be a nuisance any longer. From your corpse, a new empire will rise in which gnomes will rule the world and all other beings, dungeons especially, will either submit or be destroyed.¡±


    ¡°You said that already¡­ multiple times.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯ll say it again! From your¡ª¡±


    Theo had no intention of listening to the drivel any longer. Casting a dozen swiftnesses on himself, he then instantly stretched his hand forward, casting an ice ray at Lord Mandrake. Just as in the underground Vinewood temple, a slab of ice formed, surrounding the gnome¡¯s golem. This was enough to put anyone in a bind, including the avatar himself. As it turned out, Lord Mandrake hadn¡¯t been exaggerating.


    Bubbles formed within the ice block, slowly growing and merging together until the whole thing cracked out, letting water pour out.


    Of course, it wouldn¡¯t be so easy, Theo grumbled. It would have been so much better to end the threat of exposure here and now. However, it seemed that he¡¯d have to fight on multiple fronts. The only good bit of news was that Liandra and the rest of Theo¡¯s dirty dozen had gotten to a state in which they could fight. The not so good bit of news was that they chose to do so in a completely chaotic fashion, completely ignoring all the instructions they¡¯d been given.


    While Wolf¡ªthe only one who could steer the carrier adequately¡ªhad gone back inside and started driving the airship, everyone else remained on top of the hull. That also included Liandra, who had summoned her two-handed great sword.


    ¡°Fly to the nearest one, then keep going,¡± she ordered. ¡°We need to take as many airships here as we can.¡±


    ¡°The baron won¡¯t be pleased with this,¡± one of the old shield bearers said.


    ¡°Not everyone can fight like him,¡± the heroine replied. ¡°Wolf, just get the airship perpendicular to the rest and keep on going forward. I¡¯ll take care of the ones in the back.¡±


    The huge carrier began turning, indicating that he had acknowledged her order.


    ¡°Everyone else, your only task is to keep the villagers inside safe. Ram anything on the way and don¡¯t let anyone board you!¡±


    Finished, the heroine let go of the railing she was holding, turned around and sprinted along the full length of the carrier. With the entire top being flat, she easily built up speed, then leapt through the air, landing on another airship several thousand feet away. Eleven people paused, staring at her in awe. Seeing Theo fight was one thing. Witnessing the full powers of a hero was no less impressive.


    Liandra didn¡¯t stop or even pause. With one swing of her sword, she sliced the airship in two, then went on to leap to the next. That was one of the major flaws of Lord Mandrake¡¯s plan. He had arranged the ring of airships with such precision that a hero could consistently jump from one to the next.


    The fragments of the sliced airship slammed onto the ground, goblins emerging from them, like blood. Thankfully, there were few of them and in quite a dizzy state to affect the rest of the war. Alas, there were already more than enough enemy troops to worry about. Even with Lord Mandrake and the airships occupied, the defenders were at a considerable disadvantage.


    Using ten percent of his remaining core points, the dungeon modified the outer layers of the wall. More specifically, it created a series of spiked metal cylinders that he then sent rolling in the direction of the approaching hordes. Initially, the success of this approach seemed highly questionable. While one of the cylinders was enough to squish several dozen goblins each before stopping, the ones that hit war trolls did no damage whatsoever. Still, that was only part of the plan. Using half of his remaining energy. Theo cast multiple mass lightning spells at the cylinders. The town¡¯s protectors looked aside as several of the front enemy lines were reduced to ash. It was truly unfortunate that all their cores had gone to waste. If Theo had been able to get some of those, he could repeat the process multiple times. Despite the good effort, though, the armies kept on charging with only a few minutes¡¯ delay.


    This is going to hurt, the dungeon said to itself before goblins, trolls, and gnomework suits slammed into it. Stone, coated by inches of solid metal, was enough to withstand the wave, but not stop it. Creatures stacked up, quickly pouring over to where the defenders were.


    Using what was left of his core points, Theo constructed a second wall, shooting up twice as high as the first. It was considerably thinner and only a foot away from the real one, but it managed to get the defenders a slight reprieve.


    Meanwhile, the fight against Lord Mandrake himself continued.


    ¡°If you like fire, how about you try some of my own?¡± Flames burst from the golem¡¯s waist, aimed at Theo¡¯s avatar. Quickly, the avatar cast an ice ray while flying to the side. Fire met ice, but unlike Dallion¡¯s fight against the lich, this time the ice was instantly transformed to vapor.


    ¡°Ice blades!¡± the avatar shouted, launching shards of ice at his enemy. Several of them managed to make it through the flames and hit the construct, yet the moment they did, they instantly evaporated as well.


    ¡°Told you! Demon lord hearts are a lot stronger than standard ones! Not many know that. All the stupid dark mages used them to summon armies and a few useless skills. How narrow minded of them, when they could have achieved so much more!¡±


    Changing tactics, the dungeon had his avatar cast a pillar of fire, but that too did no damage whatsoever.


    ¡°Do you know what the real secret is, dungeon?¡± the gnome asked in its squeaky voice. ¡°Energy! Every part of a demon lord is full of energy as long as you know how to use it! That¡¯s why the Mandrake Mountains are untamable. The mountain itself has soaked the demon lord¡¯s blood, becoming more powerful than normal people could imagine.¡±


    The chest section of the golem opened up, revealing the glowing demon heart inside. Red light fell on the nearby grass, causing it to wither away.


    ¡°When refined in a certain way, it could cause automatons to move, but that¡¯s not all! Do you know the best property the ore provides?¡± Lord Mandrake took a step forward. ¡°It nullifies all magic. Some would have used it to create anti-mage armors or trinkets, or some such nonsense. However, I saw where real power lies: to use them for airships! A mighty fleet that cannot be affected by stones or magic. With that, I could take over the world.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like they¡¯re doing so well,¡± the avatar said.


    Deep inside, Theo was more than a bit worried, though. Despite all the damage Lord Mandrake had sustained, it still looked like he was going to win. If the dungeon¡¯s avatar was to be destroyed, the only person who stood a chance was Liandra. But that too wasn¡¯t a given.


    The light of the demon heart had started melting the massive ice wall. When it did, it would fall upon the army, including whatever armored demons remained. As strong as Liandra was, she¡¯d have difficulty fighting several winged demons who had the ability to constantly regenerate.


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. The thing is, they really are prototypes. Maybe I became a bit too obsessed with building them. At first, I wanted a dozen to get villagers to get more ore. Then, I improved them, I wanted the number of both to be the same¡­ I just didn¡¯t have the heart to destroy the old ones, so I kept them and just made more and more. As painful as it is watching them get destroyed, that¡¯s a harsh necessity of life. They will be replaced with far better models¡ªairships that will withstand blessed weapons and heroic blades. And once they do, I¡¯ll take care of the final stumbling block. Dungeons,¡± the gnome said in a marginally deeper voice. ¡°Then there will be no loopholes left. And the world will be mine!¡±


    For the first time since its reincarnation, the dungeon felt afraid. In the past, fear was in the form of an annoyance. Now, though, there was a very real danger of his core being destroyed. And unless he found a way to deal with Lord Mandrake, that¡¯s what was going to happen.


    Ice pebbles! Theo cast his new spell.


    Small chunks of ice appeared in the hand of his avatar. Once there, they were hastily blessed and thrown at the demon heart. Unfortunately, all of them melted away before they reached their target.


    ¡°Nice try, dungeon, but it won¡¯t work! After the last encounter, I¡¯ve made a few modifications. I told you that the ore in the Mandrake Mountains had virtually the same properties as the demon heart? This way I get to coat the heart in a layer of magic-proof metal, just like you covered the walls! Nothing will be able to pierce it now and¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish, the ground beneath Lord Mandrake disappeared, causing the whole golem to fall down a very deep shaft into a pool of acid. Creating this had cost Theo quite a lot of core points, but it was the only thing he could think of at such short notice.


    ¡°Will that hold him for long, Spok?¡± he asked back in his main building.


    ¡°It¡¯s most unlikely, sir. If it were a normal knight, or even a low level hero, I¡¯d say there was a high chance, but considering you¡¯re dealing with an obsessed gnome, I¡¯d say that you¡¯ve just gained some time.¡±


    ¡°Great. Any advice you can give me?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, no, sir. You don¡¯t have the core points to flee, and it doesn¡¯t look like the walls will hold out for long. The only hope you have is to kill enough minions and gain a skill that would prove useful against your enemy.¡±


    ¡°He said that heroic weapons are useless. What¡¯s left?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have any solution, sir.¡± Spok sighed.


    ¡°What about the rank increase? Did that gem get filled up with energy yet?¡±


    ¡°No, sadly, not yet.¡±


    Damn it! That explained why the mage tower hadn¡¯t sent it full. The thing drained more energy than a million magic orchards. Theo almost had a mind to give up and consume the thing now. It was only the stinginess in him that kept him from doing so. After so many sacrifices, he could at least attempt to rank up.


    ¡°Level up, you say?¡±


    The dungeon aimed several balliastas at the wall of ice, then fired. Bolts flew above the enemy troops, shattering the already weakened wall of ice. Now the avatar could join in the action. Just to be on the safe side, he went to the hole and created a solid room of metal. That was going to slow the gnome.


    Casting several dozen swiftnesses on himself, the avatar flew towards the back of the hordes. He didn¡¯t have much time, so he had to make every second count.

 30. Plans, Plans, and Peris

    AVATAR LEVEL INCREASE


    Your Avatar has become Level 19


    +1 Mind, ENTANGLE skill obtained


    1420 Core Points required for next Avatar Level


    ¡°Finally, something good,¡± the avatar grumbled beneath his breath.


    Through the current slaughter, he had gained five levels, and all the skills had been utterly useless. At first, he had acquired the mocking spell ¡°Create Rain,¡± which granted him the power to summon a small cloud in all circumstances. Trying as hard as he could, Theo wasn¡¯t able to find a practical reason for that spell, even if he was a normal person. Next was the Unlock ability. Arguably, that could have been good in certain circumstances, but as a dungeon, Theo was the entity that was broken into at the hands of thieves, and potentially adventurers and heroes. Both those spells, however, paled in comparison to what he had been given next: Locate Dungeon. If there was any doubt that the deities were having a laugh at his expense, it had long gone. For starters the spell wasn¡¯t something that Theo would ever use in practice. However, when he tried doing so merely out of curiosity it turned out that the spell only had the power to locate the nearest dungeon. As Spok had said, at ¡°least he¡¯d know where he was at any point in time.¡±


    Adding insult to injury, the avatar was considered part of the dungeon, so even in theory it wasn¡¯t possible for him to find anything. The only theoretical possibility to salvage the ability was to cast it enough times to obtain the ultra version. However, that wasn¡¯t a humiliation that Theo was willing to subject himself to.


    The final skill the avatar had received, prior to the current one, was Aether Dagger: the ability to create a dagger out of mana. Initially, that had sounded quite impressive until Theo had realized that he could do much better both with his dimensional ring and ice magic ability.


    ENTANGLE - 1


    Allows your avatar to entangle a creature using aether threads, by using 10 energy. The threads have the strength of common rope and cannot be sliced, but could be snapped if enough force is exerted.


    Using the kill will increase its rank, increasing the strength of the strands.


    That could pass as good, although not particularly useful in the current situation. As things stood, anything other than a mass destruction spell would be useless. At present, Theo felt like he was fighting a copy of himself¡­ a very chaotic and disorganized copy, but one a lot stronger. Thanks to his quick thinking he had managed to separate Lord Mandrake from his troops. Quite a good move, since without further instructions the massive army had been reduced to a mob of creatures. They were still a force to be reckoned with, as they had proved by destroying both the outer and inner wall in several sections, but they couldn¡¯t compare to the time when the gnome was there to direct them.


    Meanwhile, Lord Mandrake himself was going through the labyrinth of chambers, shoots, and tunnels that the dungeon kept creating. The gnome¡¯s goal was to use the tunnels to make its way to the core; Theo¡¯s¡ªto prevent him from doing so. And since there was no trap, door, or minion capable of stopping the gnome in its golem, the dungeon had settled on slowing him down for the moment. The only issue was that even the creation of chambers required energy, and when combined with the constant repairs above ground, that energy was starting to run low.


    ¡°All back!¡± the avatar cast a wall of ice that thrust forward, scooping several hundred goblins and squishing them into part of the town wall which remained standing. Such an amount of cores could probably have been enough to boost him by a level at least. Sadly, the cores were more important for Theo¡¯s main body.


    The wall consumed them on the spot, then were instantly used up to fix another section of the wall. No sooner had that happened than an airship ripped through the air, crashing into it. Part of a hull section fell off, letting goblins pour out and join the battle.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Theo grumbled. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have hit it ten seconds sooner?¡±


    Using a small amount of core points, he erected the section of the wall back up, tossing what was left of the airship away, and killing a fair number of goblins in the process.


    ¡°The core points you gained were half the ones you used, sir,¡± Spok said in disapproving fashion.


    ¡°Quiet, Spok,¡± the dungeon snapped in its main building. ¡°Don¡¯t you know any sleeping spells that will stop him?¡±


    ¡°Such magic is unlikely to work. Gnomes don¡¯t require a lot of sleep by nature. Adding the fact that this one is under the influence of a demon heart and also inside a construct that negates magic, I would doubt it would work.¡±


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s try getting rid of the coating.¡±


    A new chamber appeared beneath the gnome, a chamber with a pool of acid on the bottom. Creating it was on the pricey side, but it was very much worth it.


    The gnome screamed like a child as its golem splashed into the pool.


    Was that it? Theo wondered. Not that he wasn¡¯t glad, but one had to admit it was more than a little anticlimactic. Sadly, moments later, the golem emerged from the acid once more. This time, he wasn¡¯t screaming.


    ¡°Did you think I wouldn¡¯t protect it against something as simple as this?¡± Lord Mandrake shouted. ¡°Acid resistance was the first thing I made for my airships! They were acid resistant before they were magic-resistant! Every idiot uses acid. I guess that explains why you used so much of it! If that¡¯s all you¡¯ve got, you better surrender your core right now!¡±


    The snarky comments continued for a while longer, only ending because Theo cast a silence spell in the chamber. Thankfully, the magic-negating properties of the golem had no effect on that spell.


    ¡°Was that a good idea, sir?¡± Spok sighed.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter.¡± The pool made him feel better. Plus, it was going to be a while before Lord Mandrake managed to get out of it.


    The moment of spiteful joy, though, was short-lived. Despite all his efforts, and the assistance from Liandra and the hidden dozen, the enemy armies were pouring within Rosewind. Only the earl¡¯s castle and a few other massive buildings were intact at this point, and most of them didn¡¯t belong to the dungeon.


    ¡°I would recommend converting everything to energy and perform a spatial displacement spell,¡± Spok said. ¡°A lot of energy would be wasted, but you should be able to move your core a few dozen miles away. Enough to survive the attack, in any event. The space will probably consist of a single chamber, but it¡¯ll allow you to start over.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Thew knew where this was getting at and he didn¡¯t like it. For all his stressing and grumbling, he had gotten used to most of the quirks of Rosewind. Maybe that was partially due to the heroic trait he had obtained. It had definitely made him more adventurous, allowing him to go out and see the world if he wanted to¡ªnot that he would if given a choice.


    ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll have to convert my avatar as well?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°So, it¡¯ll be you, me and Cmyk starting from scratch again.¡±


    ¡°Not exactly, sir. You¡¯ll have to convert your minions as well, and that includes my own avatar.¡±


    It must have hurt a lot for the spirit guide to make such a suggestion. She liked her avatar more than even the dungeon liked his. In order to go for such an option suggested that there was no other choice.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to make a decision right away,¡± the spirit guide continued. ¡°There¡¯s still enough time for you to¡ª¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think I can win, do you?¡±


    Spok looked back at the crystal ball on the table, then leaned back in her seat.


    ¡°No, sir. I don¡¯t think the town will survive either. Maybe the heroine will make it, since she¡¯s not the focus of attention, but I believe everyone here is doomed.¡±


    This was the first time that Theo had heard Spok sound so pessimistic.


    ¡°Of course, I might be wrong,¡± she added. ¡°With you, anything is possible. Regardless, I¡¯d suggest that you keep that in mind. You don¡¯t have to do anything extravagant, just move sufficiently far away so as not to be caught in the crossfire. If it¡¯s any comfort, I doubt that Lord Mandrake will survive either. He has caused a mess in several kingdoms. When he destroys an entire town, heroes and armies are likely to make their way here to put an end to him.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t a comfort at all. He had grown attached to his new body and his avatar. Having to lose them all and start again almost sounded like a semi-reincarnation. It seemed that all the marketing presentations about personal investment leading to attachment¡ªthat Theo had been bombarded with in his previous life¡ªwere actually true. The first time he had teleported to this town, he hadn¡¯t even considered the amount of core points that he had used in the process. It was undoubtedly many times more than he had used since. Of course, back then, he had nothing more than a bodiless spirit guide and a lazy skeletal minion.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll stay around a bit longer,¡± he said. He had one thing left to try.


    Meanwhile, a short distance away, in the sky, Theo¡¯s goblin carrier was having trouble. While the airship was significantly larger and sturdier than most of the ones at Lord Mandrake¡¯s disposal, it was only one single vessel. If there had ever been any serious weapons, they had been removed long before it had come into Theo¡¯s possession. As a result, the only thing that it could do was ram into enemy airships and hope that eleven skilled warriors were enough to defeat all enemies there. At least that would have been the case if there weren¡¯t people inside. The only alternative was for Wolf to get close enough for the rest of his team to board the ship.


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    Initially, the approach had been somewhat successful. Lord Mandrake''s airships were focusing on the town and¡ªto a lesser degree¡ªon the heroine Liandra. The woman had already managed to singlehandedly destroy a dozen vessels until the others had caught on and disrupted their ring formation. Unfortunately, upon doing so they had also fired a few bolts at Theo¡¯s goblin carrier. Thankfully, it hadn¡¯t been enough to destroy it, but it had caused significant damage in the levitation generator, keeping it up. Since then, the whole thing had zig-zagged like a half-deflated balloon in an attempt to avoid enemy projectiles.


    ¡°Two more are heading for us,¡± Nauska ran into the control room. ¡°The old guys think we can take one of them, but not both.¡±


    ¡°What do you expect me to do?¡± Wolf snapped at her. ¡°I said I can fly this, not that I can make miracles. I¡¯m not the baron.¡±


    ¡°That much is clear.¡± The assassin agreed in a cold tone. ¡°Pick one and go for it. We¡¯ll hope for the best.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a terrible idea! No matter which one I pick, the other one will tear up the hull. Our only solution is to run away.¡±


    ¡°Like cowardly sea rats.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like you did anything when we were in the mines. I don¡¯t remember you freeing us from there.¡±


    A dagger appeared in Nauska¡¯s hand. It would be so easy for her to just kill Wolf here and now, but that wasn¡¯t going to help even a little bit. Also, there was no denying he was right. For all his faults, the man was an expert at survival and one of two people aboard who could fly the airship.


    The entire airship shook as another projectile hit it. Moments later the sound of running steps echoed in the corridor outside the room.


    ¡°More airships are heading towards us!¡± The prodigy child ran in. ¡°One is of the explosive type. If it hits us, we¡¯ll go up in flames.¡±


    ¡°Shit!¡± Wolf punched the first thing he found in the immediate vicinity. ¡°Was nice knowing you. There¡¯s no way to survive that. Even if I land that thing, we''ll be sitting ducks.¡±


    Silence attempted to fill the room, but was instantly broken by the explosions coming from outside. The battle for the two was heating up in more senses than one.


    ¡°What about the gliders?¡± the prodigy child asked. ¡°We have a lot of those?¡±


    ¡°Kid, I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve realized, but none of us can hurt any of those at airships. And even if we managed that, a goblin glider will do nothing to a carrier. It¡¯ll be like throwing grapes at a knight in armor.¡±


    ¡°Not throwing.¡± The boy grinned. ¡°Flying?¡±


    ¡°Flying?¡± Both Wolf and Nauska asked in unison.


    ¡°Well, since everyone kept yelling at me to get back inside, I went to check out the gliders. We can fly them. It¡¯s quite easy, actually.¡±


    There was no way it wouldn¡¯t be¡ªthe devices were designed for goblins. Normally, no sane person would agree to such an outlandish suggestion. Goblin gliders were flimsy, high risk flying devices that weren¡¯t expected to last for long. Lord Mandrake had been using them for cannon fodder ever since the group had escaped from the mountains. And yet, there was no other option that came to mind. When the ship shook again, it was all but decided.


    ¡°Get everyone,¡± Wolf said to Nauska. ¡°You go to the gliders and figure out a way to explain everything.¡±


    ¡°And you?¡± the assassin asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to keep us from getting hit till then.¡±


    When it came to speed, the dozen were second only to Theo¡¯s avatar. Like a flash, the boy and the woman dashed out of the room, each heading to the part of the ship they were supposed to. In the time it took for the pursuing airships to shoot two more metal bolts, all but one had gathered to where the gliders were. Not too long after, Wolf joined them as well. The pirate had set a course for the ship to gently go towards the ground and hopefully land without too much of a bump.


    ¡°It¡¯s mostly magic, so it flies on its own,¡± the prodigy child explained as he helped Flail get strapped into one of the devices. ¡°Use your arms to choose the direction. Arms, not hands.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± the man grumbled. ¡°What about speed? How do I get to fly faster?¡±


    ¡°Speed isn¡¯t the problem. It¡¯s slowing down. That¡¯s tricky.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The gliders have one speed. The only way to stop it is to fold the wings completely. You do that by stretching both arms back and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait. I don¡¯t remember goblins slowing down when we fought them,¡± the adventurer said.


    ¡°Oh, they didn''t. I don''t think Lord Mandrake expected them to return.¡±


    Before Flail could protest, the gladiator of the twelve, slid the section of the floor that allowed the gliders to drop out. There was a single moment of hesitation, quickly disrupted by another metal bolt hitting the back of the airship. Once that happened, Flail jumped off.


    Seeing that he didn¡¯t crash into the ground, the rest of the dozen joined in, putting on the large contraptions and leaping off the airship. One had to admire the engineering ingenuity that had gone into creating the gliders. They didn¡¯t require any particular preparation or even a running start. The only requirement seemed to be that there were over fifty feet of space to keep them from splatting into the ground.


    In twos and threes, the fighters filled the air, gliding towards the enemy airships. Two groups of five made their way to the direct pursuers, while the assassin sisters changed direction, preferring to head to the dangerous airship, instead¡ªwith Wolf no longer aboard to maintain the carrier¡¯s zigzags, it was going to be a much easier target. Thankfully, they managed to reach it before the goblins aboard had decided to fire.


    All three teams acted in a completely different fashion. The group in which Wolf and Flail were in went directly for the control section of the airship. Having more knowledge than anyone of its location, they were eager to gain control as quickly as possible and then send it flying into the enemy army on the ground. The shield bearers and their group, on their hand, went for the classical approach of dropping on the top of the airship and fighting their way inside, the same as they had done with the original goblin carrier. As for the assassins¡ªthey attacked the airship''s weapons itself, which quickly resulted in an explosion from the side of the vessel. Unable to destroy the airship itself, the force of the blast sent it flying to the side, slamming into a surviving section of the wall a fair distance away.


    ¡°Stupid idiots,¡± Theo grumbled to himself as a second explosion followed, this time destroying both what was left of the airship and the segment of the wall. If he was paying his fighters he¡¯d subtract the amount of damages from their pay. However, by the looks of things, it wasn¡¯t going to make any particular difference.


    A squad of fifteen goblins in crude metal charged towards him through the city streets. The avatar barely paid any notice, tossing a few fireballs in their direction. That had earned him a certain amount of points, though nowhere enough to reach the next level. War Ogres were far better targets. They were slow, not too difficult to kill, and provided considerably more experience. Sadly, most of them had focused on the pockets of resistance about the town, the most prominent of which¡ªironically enough¡ªwas led by Cmyk. For reasons that defied logic, the minion had turned into a local source of inspiration, making guards, adventurers, and pretty much everyone else who could fight flock to him. To a degree, it helped that with all the energy invested in him by the dungeon, Cmyk had turned out to be quite a powerful minion. In a normal dungeon, he could have passed as a mid-boss, at least. Furthermore, all the time spent reaping straw with a sword had made him get accustomed to the action, allowing him to slice whole rows of enemies as if they were grass.


    I bet he has cleave as well, Theo grumbled to himself as he ran towards the Peris¡¯ temple.


    Despite the chaos and Spok¡¯s dire warnings, he had thought of something. Technically, it was half a something, but if all went well, it could just maybe work.


    Quite surprisingly, the temple had suffered quite a lot compared to the rest of the city. One could almost say that Lord Mandrake hated it as much as he hated the dungeon. Then again, it was thanks to Theo¡¯s clever use of blessings that he had slayed most of the demons, so there was something for the gnome to be angry about.


    ¡°Goddess!¡± the avatar shouted as made his way into the temple. With an entire wall missing, there was no need for him to go around to the entrance. ¡°Goddess!¡±


    ¡°Welcome, dungeon,¡± the half-broken statue in the temple said, turning its head towards the avatar. ¡°I¡¯m glad that you got your avatar back, but staying here isn¡¯t a good idea.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not worse than anywhere else. At least there aren¡¯t any goblins nearby.¡± Out of habit, he looked around, checking whether another group wasn¡¯t making its way towards him.


    ¡°No, I think here¡¯s the most dangerous place to be. In fact, I¡¯d appreciate it if you made an ice shield above what¡¯s left of my temple.¡±


    The avatar stared at her.


    ¡°Just to be on the same side.¡±


    The amount of energy required for something so small was far less than most of the spells he had cast all day, so Theo did it. Raising the hand of his avatar upwards, he created a dome of ice. For a moment, the dungeon almost expected something to hit just now, but nothing did.


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem with demon parts,¡± the statue said. ¡°They affect the people who seek them, even gnomes.¡±


    ¡°Not this one. I¡¯ve seen him twice so far. The pesky little creature just wants to take over the world and transform it into a lab for tinkering.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how it works. The demon heart builds up his obsession. He wouldn¡¯t be the first creature affected. You¡¯re a dungeon, so you can¡¯t feel the same when in its vicinity. I¡¯m certain that before it found the heart, the gnome just wanted to build a small lab in the mountain far from everyone. At first he probably thought that¡¯s what he was doing: making better tools, a better lab, gathering more people to make better tools, and so on.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that sounds like him. Not the first case you¡¯ve seen?¡±


    ¡°Dungeon, I¡¯m a goddess. I¡¯ve seen a lot of things. Other than you, very few of them are new. Although, I have to admit, I¡¯ve never seen an affected gnome before. Usually, they are the minions. That¡¯s why demon lord hearts are so dangerous. They grab a hold of people even long after the demon was banished from this world. Many who attempted to conquer the world were due to the archdemon''s hearts.¡±


    That was a slightly alarming turn of events.


    ¡°How long will it take for my avatar to learn all skills I know?¡± Theo asked.


    ¡°I thought I told you.¡± The statue seemed confused. ¡°It¡¯ll be instant.¡±


    ¡°Instant,¡± the avatar repeated. ¡°And without any side effects?¡±


    ¡°What side effects could there be? The avatar is your physical embodiment. You can think move it, can¡¯t you? Then everything will be fine.¡±


    Now, that was more like it. Gaining a vast number of new abilities was everything Theo needed. Or, at least, it was the first step of everything he needed. As things stood, he was only interested in one ability.


    ¡°And it doesn¡¯t matter where my avatar is?¡±


    ¡°As long as it¡¯s in your main body, everywhere will work. Why?¡±


    ¡°I might have a way to end this war, but I¡¯ll need your help. Can you grant me a blessing?¡±


    ¡°Of course. What would you like it to be? The gift to slice through metal? To be shielded from the effects of the demonic influence? Or maybe¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about the avatar,¡± Theo¡¯s avatar interrupted. ¡°I want you to bless me.¡±


    If the statue wasn¡¯t made out of stone already, everyone would have noticed it had frozen for over half a minute. The amusing aspect of the request had become alarming. Never in her entire existence had Peris heard of such a thing happening. While people, and other races, had prayed for centuries for this or that building to be blessed by her, this would be the first time a dungeon had done so.


    ¡°It¡¯ll just be temporary,¡± Theo clarified. ¡°I won¡¯t assimilate your temple. I mean, I will, but just so that you can bless me for a while.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re asking that I allow you to assimilate my temple, so I might bless you?¡±


    ¡°You told me that sacred ground is required. Your temple is sacred, so you¡¯ll be able to do so.¡±


    ¡°Technically, you¡¯re correct, but this isn¡¯t something I have done before. It isn¡¯t something anyone has done before. There¡¯s no telling what might happen. For all we know, you might explode in a thousand pieces.¡±


    ¡°If we don¡¯t do this, I¡¯ll be blasted to a thousand pieces for certain.¡±


    ¡°I see your point.¡± The goddess agreed.


    ¡°It¡¯s very simple, goddess. I assimilate your temple, you cast your blessing, and then I defeat Lord Mandrake and his remaining armies. Pretty simple.¡±


    It was anything but simple. With so many unknowns and even more uncertainties, it was a lot safer for Peris just to forget about that particular temple and focus on one of her other temples in the world. As much as she didn¡¯t want to admit it, however, things hadn¡¯t been going too well for her. Being a minor deity was a lot more difficult than she like to put on. Her temples were decreasing by the month, abandoned or transformed into shrines of a higher deity. The truth was that Rosewind had become the spot with the greatest concentration of followers in the world.


    ¡°Very well,¡± Peris said. ¡°Just tell me exactly what you have in mind.¡±


    A split second later, an explosive projectile hit the ice dome, shattering it to bits.

 31. Earl Rosewinds Treasure

    Earl Rosewind paced throughout the room. Ever since his father had passed away, he had been the one overseeing the town, nudging it forward to what it had become today. Few of the people alive now remembered that two generations ago Rosewind was nothing more than a measly hamlet in the middle of nowhere. The only thing of significance was the noble¡¯s castle, though even that had been dubbed Rosewind¡¯s Folly. There was a single tavern, which doubled as an inn, a small temple, and a blacksmith¡¯s. Everything else was small houses and farmland. Even criminals running from the law skipped this place; for one thing they would stand out like a sore thumb, and for another, there was nothing they could do there. It was the Rosewind¡¯s ability to see a good bargain that had slowly transformed the place from a hamlet to the town it was today.


    The first visionary decision made by sir Elric Rosewind¡ªa mere knight allowed to build his own keep. The man had sunk his entire fortune into making a castle fit for a duke, which he had the right to do, despite the envy and ridicule of other nobles. Even back then, he knew that a settlement had to be attractive in order to attract people. The castle had brought in masons and artisans. Many had been paid with land in the vicinity of the castle and promises of squirehood. Part had refused, preferring to take their wages and leave. However, an even greater part had remained and had put in every ounce of skill and effort into the building, and then in their own homes. That was the founding of Rosewind.


    The knight had died a few years after seeing his dream fulfilled, leaving two sons and a village of several hundred people. His eldest son had inherited the Rosewind title and ambitions. Knowing that trade and belief were the main driving forces of man, he had used what was left of his treasury to build a sanctified temple of the goddess of journeys and five inns. The town¡¯s first marketplace area was his invention, for he wanted to transform Rosewind into a trading center. Unfortunately, an untimely hunting accident prevented that. His brother, who took over, decided to focus more on the base essentials and pause the plans of expansion. With money being tight, he sent messengers to the kingdom¡¯s cities, inviting guilds to create a branch in town for virtually free. Hearing where the town was, none of the large guilds agreed. However, a few adventure parties banded together to form their own. The only condition was that sir Rosewind acknowledge them as an official guild, which he promptly did.


    The money spent by the adventurers¡ªmostly on food and drink in the local inns¡ªbrought enough prosperity to the settlement that more people came seeking a new start. It was a trickle, but a steady one. Every decade a new row of houses would form, gradually increasing the size of the village to the point that it was acknowledged as a town. Respectively, the knight ruling it was elevated to a baron. However, it was Baroness Elly Rosewind that brought the greatest improvement to all.


    In tune with her grandfather¡¯s promise, the baroness elevated the local squires to knights and also shifted the focus and outlook of the city. While the town had become quite prosperous, it lacked the ¡°glamor¡± of a real town. Her focus was on high quality crafted products. She bought out all the farmland around the castle and offered to give the lots for free to craftsmen provided they could prove their craft. Everyone laughed that it wouldn¡¯t be enough to attract any exceptional talents, and as such, it was bound to fail. However, using the Rosewind skill to assess people, the baroness managed to find over a dozen diamonds in the rough. Thus, a new craftsman class was born, and in half a generation the town increased from a few thousand to fifteen, earning its ruler the title Viscount.


    As time passed, each next generation of Rosewinds transformed the city, making it more and more prosperous. Some did so through money and ingenuity, others took part in the wars of the kingdom, earning favor and increasing their noble rank. And that continued to this very day¡­ almost to this very day. Unfortunately, it was the grandfather of the present-day earl who had dropped the ball. Far too eager to become a duke he had stirred too many feathers and created too many enemies. It was little surprise that instead of his merited prize, he was betrayed, losing vast amounts of wealth, and a handful of villages of his domain. Sadly, the town¡¯s foes didn¡¯t end there. Seeing the direction things were going, close to a third of the local inhabitants left for more prosperous cities. For the first time since its existence, the town of Rosewind had stopped growing.


    The father of the current earl had attempted to change that by building up his domain¡¯s army. Walls were erected, a garrison formed, but that only marginally improved matters. And while he managed to attract quite a few experienced veterans, that had only slowed the decline.


    The current earl had wanted to change this by improving relations with other nobles of the realm. Favors were earned, trust was slowly regained. Then the greatest thing for the city in generations occurred: a mysterious high-ranking mage had appeared in the town unannounced. Nothing was known about the person, other than him being a recluse with a lot of money and magical abilities. The earl had instantly grasped the opportunity, involving the mage into the town¡¯s affairs. Within days the gamble seemed to have paid off. Not only was gold plentiful again, but local morale was on the rise, and the mage had used his magic to repair several decrepit buildings, including the entire town wall. It seemed that the good times were here to stay¡­ until the Lord Mandrake had arrived with a fleet of airships, intent on flattening the city to the ground.


    ¡°Eleven generations,¡± the earl sighed, looking out of the window. ¡°And now it has come to this¡­¡±


    ¡°Earl Rosewind!¡± a loud yell made its way through the closed door and into the noble¡¯s study.


    The door swung open, and a heavily bleeding lieutenant Ribbons rushed in.


    ¡°My lord,¡± the man said, breathing heavily. The man had sustained a number of wounds, although all of them minor.


    ¡°Yes, Ribbons?¡± The noble turned around, shifting to his usual calm self. ¡°I take it that we are still fighting?¡±


    ¡°Err¡­ yes, my lord?¡± The lieutenant wasn¡¯t too sure how to respond. ¡°The inner walls are holding.¡±


    ¡°Good, good.¡± The earl nodded a few times. ¡°My father used to say that we were growing soft. If he were alive now, he¡¯d probably charge at the goblin hordes ahead of everyone else. But I expect that isn¡¯t why you wanted to see me so urgently.¡±


    ¡°Yes, no, my lord. Baron d¡¯Argent wishes to speak to you, my lord.¡±


    ¡°The baron?¡± Earl Rosewind looked through the open door. There was no sign of the baron, just a handful of ceremonial guards gripping their halberds. ¡°Where is he?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s holding off the goblin waves at the castle entrance.¡±


    ¡°Quite admirable. It was a splendid decision to make him Protector of Rosewind. Absolutely smashing idea.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord. The baron has asked to speak with you in confidence. He healed my wounds and requested that I obtain your approval for such a meeting.¡±


    ¡°In confidence, you say.¡± The earl scratched his chin. ¡°That was all he said?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡±


    ¡°Well, in that case, I guess all I can do is agree.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, my lord. With your permission, I¡¯ll go and tell¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very much appreciated, lieutenant,¡± a very annoyed avatar said from outside the window. ¡°When I happened to mention that I wanted to have a private chat with the earl, I meant that I wanted to have a private chat. Not for you to drop everything behind and rush here and ask for permission.¡±


    The room was located at least fifty feet high, making it impossible for most people to climb that far up. Theo¡¯s avatar, though, didn¡¯t need to climb¡ªhe had the ability to fly. Standing on the edge of the window, he bowed slightly, sending a quick glare at sir Ribbons.


    ¡°Please excuse him. He tends to go a bit overboard when it comes to rules,¡± the earl said. ¡°I understand you were engaged in combat?¡±


    ¡°I was. That particular group of goblins won¡¯t bother you anymore.¡±


    If it wasn¡¯t for lieutenant Ribbons, the avatar would have managed to claim their cores as well. Instead, he was forced to freeze them in place.


    ¡°Since you have already agreed to my visit, my lord, maybe¡­¡± he glanced once more at the Ribbons, who didn¡¯t seem to get the hint.


    ¡°Oh, yes, of course. Lieutenant, could you kindly leave and close the door behind you?¡±


    The soldier instantly did so, marching out of the room and then carefully closing the door behind him. For several seconds, both the earl and Theo¡¯s avatar stared at the door.


    ¡°He¡¯s not coming back, is he?¡± the avatar asked.


    ¡°No, I believe he won¡¯t. Unless here¡¯s some new urgent news he has to bring to me. He¡¯s quite a good boy. Very skilled, but a bit simplistic in nature, and very literal. His father was the same. He told me you healed his wounds.¡± He looked back at the avatar.


    ¡°I definitely tried to,¡± the baron grumbled. ¡°Midway he just jumped up and ran into the castle.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sounds like him. So, what is this private matter you wanted to discuss? Oh, and please come in. Having a conversation with someone floating outside the window might be considered a bit uncivilized.¡±


    For a fraction of a second, Theo felt ashamed, as if he¡¯d made a fool of himself at an important event. Then he remembered; there was nothing to be ashamed about. They were in the middle of a war for survival, and etiquette could crawl off and die somewhere.


    ¡°I need some of your heirlooms,¡± the avatar said as he stepped in through the window.


    ¡°My heirlooms?¡± the earl asked.


    ¡°Something with a powerful demon or monster core¡ªthe bigger, the better.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Something with a powerful monster core,¡± Earl Rosewind repeated. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, my son already sold you a vast number of trinkets. In fact, he sold virtually everything.¡±


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    ¡°I know. Just as I know that he didn¡¯t sell me everything, my lord.¡± Theo did his best not to have his avatar sigh. While he didn¡¯t have any time for this, he also knew that if he didn¡¯t play along, things would move twice as slow. ¡°I¡¯m certain¡­ I mean, I¡¯m hopeful that you¡¯ll still have something that might help us win this war.¡±


    Spok was so much better at this. If she were here, everything would have been agreed upon already. Alas, the dungeon restrictions prevented her from accompanying him, and the earl had some sort of magic interference spell in his room, stopping any spying and scrying.


    ¡°And what do you plan on doing with these heirlooms? Should I give them to you?¡± The earl tilted his head.


    ¡°I plan to destroy them for their magic.¡± It was a horrible thing to say, but honesty in this case was the best policy. This was if the earl refused, Theo would know immediately and proceed with the rest of his plan. Things were going to be a lot riskier, and the outcome a lot more doubtful, but it remained a possibility.¡±


    ¡°At least you¡¯re honest, I give you that. Oh well, the heck with it. If the castle falls, it wouldn¡¯t matter if the items exist or not. Follow me.¡±


    Instinctively, the avatar made a few steps towards the door. As he did, the sound of stone scraping against stone made him stop and turn around. The earl was standing next to one of the stone gargoyles by the fireplace. The entire back section had slid away, revealing a passage into darkness.


    ¡°Yes, I know.¡± The earl sighed. ¡°It used to be all the rage when the castle was built. It was needlessly expensive, but every proper castle had to come with its secret passages. A complete waste of space. I considered remodeling at several points, but it was never a good time. Now, I¡¯m glad that I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Err, do any of the secret passages lead to the outside?¡±


    ¡°Oh, dear me, of course not,¡± the noble chuckled. ¡°That would be ludicrous. They only connect rooms of the castle to other rooms of the castle. Some used to lead to treasure rooms, but those have long been empty. Frankly, I¡¯m not sure they were ever full to begin with. My ancestors clearly believed better times were in store for our fair town.¡±


    Theo was tempted to say that half of the ¡°fair town¡± was no more, but he decided to keep it civil. With a smile and a nod, he followed Earl Rosewind into the secret passage.


    As far as secret passages went, one Theo had to admit that these were quite well built. Not only that, but judging by their current state, the earl¡ªor someone on his command¡ªhad done a good job keeping them clean. The only thing missing was light, which Theo had provided by encasing a fireball in an aether shield bubble. The only thing he had to be mindful of was not to break it.


    For several minutes, the two walked in silence, walking downstairs, along passageways, then back up again, on their way to what Theo assumed would turn out to be the treasury. Strangely enough, the silence was starting to get to him. Ever since his reincarnation as a dungeon, he had dreamed of calm and quiet, but there was something about walking in silence that bothered him.


    ¡°How is your son?¡± Theo asked. ¡°He¡¯s fine, I hope?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. Very much so. He and the other nobles are protecting the inside of a very fortified room surrounded by guards. Not that it would help much. If the rest of the defense forces fall, they won¡¯t hold out for long. Then again, he is my son, so I decided to give him that much of a chance, at least. Do you have any children?¡±


    ¡°Err¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, of course. You don¡¯t like to discuss your past. I understand. Someone like you must have gone through a lot and not all of it pleasant. If you did, though, I¡¯m sure they turned out splendidly. With someone like Spok as their governess, how could it be any different?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Theo narrowed the eyes at his avatar. ¡°With someone with Spok, how could it be different?¡±


    It probably wasn¡¯t wise to tell the earl that Theo was less than a year old, without any family, and¡ªmost important¡ªa dungeon.


    ¡°You know. If we somehow survive this, I was thinking of making your man my official instructor. The boy seems to look up to him, as do most of the people in town. You¡¯ve definitely surrounded yourself with extremely qualified people.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the avatar grumbled, already regretting starting the conversation. ¡°It seems I have.¡±


    ¡°Such a shame that no one will see you for who you are.¡±


    Even with the fighting continuing through the town, Theo and his avatar froze for a full second.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked with a guilty smile. Was it possible that despite all his efforts, the earl knew exactly what he was? If so, things just became much more complicated.


    ¡°The man behind the curtain,¡± Earl Rosewind continued. ¡°You¡¯ve spent so much magic and resources on improving the town and its defenses, but since you aren¡¯t here, all the glory goes to others.¡±


    That was a huge relief. Or, at the very least, it was good enough for Theo to put it in the worry-later part of his mind.


    ¡°Oh, I prefer to remain incognito. Are we close to your vault, my lord?¡±


    ¡°Almost there, my friend. Almost there.¡±


    The ¡°almost there¡± turned out to be another ten minutes of walking about. The issue, as Theo found out, with secret passages, was that since they utilized spaces between the walls, they were notoriously inefficient in getting from one place to the next. It was just like walking along the end of a corkscrew. In the end, Theo¡¯s avatar found himself in front of a large metal door. Pausing for a moment, the earl pulled it open, revealing a surprisingly small room. It was no larger than a supplies closet, with the exception that the ¡°supplies¡± here were several valuable sets of regalia. Swords, rings, bracelets, orbs, and even a crownlet filled the area. Each was spotless and meticulously cleaned, but Theo could tell that none of them had been used in a very long time.


    ¡°Here we are,¡± the earl said. ¡°The Rosewind heirlooms, as you put it. Most of them are from the time my ancestors were elevated to the rank of marquise. Some of the swords are older, but I doubt they¡¯d interest you.¡±


    The dungeon didn¡¯t know what to say. All the pieces had gems and valuable metals on them, several had monster cores the size of marbles. One, however, had an item that he had only seen once before.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± he asked, pointing at a bracelet.


    ¡°Oh? That was a gift from King Keonard the second. Apparently, one of my ancestors saved his son in battle and was given a royal bracelet as a sign of gratitude. It was considered quite an honor at the time, but nowadays, its importance has faded. Now it¡¯s nothing more than an expensive and somewhat curious trinket.¡±


    A trinket with a mana gem, the dungeon thought. Those were supposed to be difficult to obtain, as he had seen, even with large sums of money. More importantly, it seemed to have some unknown attraction, as if part of Theo yearned to have it.


    ¡°So, which one will you be taking?¡± the earl looked at the avatar.


    ¡°Everything,¡± the avatar replied, eyes glued to the mana gem.


    ¡°Everything?¡±


    ¡°Everything.¡±


    There was a long moment of uninterrupted silence.


    ¡°Well, I guess there¡¯s no helping it.¡± The earl took a step back. ¡°Everything it is. Will you need any help carrying them?¡±


    ¡°No, thanks.¡± The avatar reached out, activating his dimensional ring.


    Everything that was touched by it instantly disappeared, transported in the inner dimension of the item. Piece by piece, every single treasure disappeared, leaving nothing but an empty room. Then, when everything was done, the earl closed the metal door, as if that would maintain the illusion that the heirlooms were still safely locked behind.


    ¡°Good thing I didn¡¯t get to show this to my son. He might have been somewhat upset. It¡¯s his birthright, after all. At least now he¡¯ll have something to look forward to.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to pay you back once things calm down.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no need for that, my dear baron.¡± The earl smiled, giving him a hearty tap on the back. ¡°As long as you save the town, you¡¯re welcome to consider them a gift. Naturally, there will be the small matter of rebuilding what was destroyed. A trifle for you, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ A trifle.¡± Even in extreme circumstances, the earl had the annoying habit of making casual requests that complicated Theo¡¯s life.


    The way out was much faster than the way in. Familiar with the layout, the avatar flew through the passageways and stairs, dragging the earl along through telekinesis. Once back in the study, the avatar flew out of the window with as little as a goodbye. There, he finally tossed the fireball at the first group of goblins he saw. Unfortunately, that didn¡¯t prove too difficult. The goblins had almost completely filled the town, with the few defended areas remaining like islands in a raging sea.


    This had better work, Theo thought, then flew to the nearest standing segment of the town wall and dropped all regalia, with the exception of the bracelet with the mana gem, there. Within seconds, the cores were consumed, providing the dungeon with a healthy amount of core points.


    ¡°Spok,¡± he said in his main building. ¡°How long do you think you can keep the house safe?¡±


    ¡°At the current rate, probably twenty minutes. Maybe half an hour.¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m not done in fifteen minutes, let me know. I¡¯ll be moving out of Rosewind.¡±


    ¡°I understand, sir.¡± There was a hint of sadness in her voice. ¡°If it comes to it, sir, you¡¯re welcome to convert my avatar into energy first. It¡¯s not much, but it might help you in battle.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Spok. Let¡¯s hope it doesn¡¯t come to that.¡±


    Using part of the little energy he had left, the dungeon opened a tunnel directly to the underground section of himself. Preparing mentally, he jumped in with his avatar. Now that all the preparations were in place, nothing remained but the final battle against Lord Mandrake. The gnome had successfully managed to claw himself out of the acid pool that Theo had constructed. The golem construct remained intact, not even the slightest scratch on its surface. Hopefully, that was going to change soon.


    The avatar flew through tunnels, and newly constructed rooms, heading towards what had become his first arch enemy, which happened to be a gnome. It was a good thing that Theo didn¡¯t know any other dungeons or he would become a laughingstock.


    When the distance between the two was less than twenty feet, the dungeon constructed a new chamber. This was much later than anything he had constructed before. A fifty-foot radius dome came into being, its walls reinforced with iron.


    ¡°Switches!¡± the avatar shouted, landing on the smooth floor. ¡°Vlyan Switches, I¡¯ve come to end this.¡±


    On the other side of the chamber, still dripping with acid, stood the golem construct. Testing the floor carefully, to make sure that here was no new pool underneath, the massive entity took a step forward.


    ¡°No snarky comments?¡± the avatar asked, somewhat concerned.


    ¡°There¡¯s no Switches,¡± the gnome said. ¡°I¡¯m Lord Mandrake, the future overlord of all that is!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a gnome who¡¯s fallen under the influence of the demon heart. If you surrender now, I¡¯ll¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ha! You think I¡¯m under the influence of the heart? That¡¯s what I want it to think! In fact, it¡¯s the heart that¡¯s influenced by me! Did you think about that? All the alloys I coated it with, the tools I used to convert its power into energy, even the shielding panels, all of them are affecting the heart, transforming it into something¡­ that¡¯s different from what it was before.¡±


    ¡°Be it your way.¡±


    ¡°You can never defeat me, so it¡¯s better that you surrender!¡± Lord Mandrake took another step forward, this one a lot more confident. ¡°If you do, I promise I won¡¯t destroy or consume your core.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like you¡¯ll be letting me go.¡±


    ¡°Of course not. You¡¯re a dungeon. Dungeons are evil parasites whose only goal is to grow until they consume the entire world. If you¡¯re not kept in check, all sorts of terrible things might happen.¡±


    It was just as Theo suspected. The gnome had no intention of surrendering or letting him live. There was only one thing left to do.


    ¡°Now, goddess!¡± he shouted.


    Golden light spread throughout the floor, running up the walls and ceiling, until the entire chamber seemed to be made of it. A side observer would almost believe that everyone had been transported to the domain of deities. The sad truth was that even with the help of Peris, the blessed area was no thicker than a layer of paint. Hopefully, that much was going to be enough to diminish the power of the demon heart and the golem construct itself. Soon enough, Theo was going to find out.

 32. Reinforcements vs Reinforcements

    Ice blades and aether firebombs flew through the chamber, aimed at both sides of Lord Mandrake''s golem. Theo knew from his previous life that subjecting an object to a large temperature contrast was supposed to do bad things to the object. He¡¯d also heard the same from one of the local blacksmiths. The man had the annoying habit of explaining it over and over to his apprentices among all the other thirty-three rules of blacksmithing.


    Explosions followed. The entire right side was covered with frost while the other was momentarily surrounded by flames. Sadly, no cracks appeared. On the bright side, none of the spells were consumed, either.


    ¡°Ha!¡± The gnome squeaked. ¡°A dungeon that thinks it can think? I told you I constructed this metal to be the most durable thing in the world. Do you think that a little magic will manage to do anything?¡±


    The golem made a few steps forward, shifting to a jog, then a run. Halfway through the chamber a tile from the floor rose, tripping the construct and the gnome inside. In one glorious moment, the great and powerful Lord Mandrake hit the floor, face first, like a fallen stump. A cloud clang echoed throughout the chamber. Taking full advantage of the situation, Theo¡¯s avatar charged forward. The legendary hero sword he held swung at the enemy, but all it managed to hit was the ground itself. The golem rolled to the side, faster than Theo thought possible, escaping the blow and kicking the avatar into the opposite wall of the room.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Theo asked, confused by what had just happened. He wasn¡¯t wounded in the least, and didn¡¯t even feel particular pain, but this defied his expectations.


    ¡°Gnomes are particularly nimble, sir,¡± Spok said in the dungeon¡¯s main building. ¡°And with rather fast reactions.¡±


    That was an understatement, if there was any. The avatar had cast over a dozen swifts on himself and still he had failed to land a blow. Even after all the preparations that he had gone through, it seemed that this fight wasn¡¯t going to be as easy as he expected.


    ¡°Ha, ha!¡± Lord Mandrake changed at him, slamming the avatar¡¯s chest with the golem¡¯s massive fist. The blow was so strong that it cracked the chamber wall itself. ¡°You let your guard down!¡± He hit the avatar again with his second fist. ¡°You thought I was just a weak, stupid gnome!¡± He hit him again. ¡°Dungeons always do that.¡± And again. ¡°They compare might to size.¡± And again. ¡°What do you think now, puny avatar?¡±


    More blows followed, driving the avatar further and further into the wall. It looked extremely devastating, painful even. Most astoundingly, it was neither. All in all, there were two things that annoyed Theo: one, the gnome was ruining the blessed coating of the chamber; and two¡ªthe attacks prevented the avatar from getting in a word edgewise. The moment he opened his mouth to respond to the gnome, he would be hit, causing even the partial response to be drowned by the sound of the slam. After a few moments, Theo had enough. Annoyed, he cast an invulnerable aether shield in front of the avatar. Unaware, the golem construct struck again, but this time, the massive fist stopped five inches from the avatar.


    ¡°For your information,¡± the avatar began. ¡°I happen to be highly intelligent.¡± Theo readjusted the wall, pushing out his avatar like a cork. Thankfully, the aether shield moved along as well.


    ¡°You could have fooled me.¡± Even in the current situation, Lord Mandrake made the effort to cross his arms.


    ¡°Your fleet is in ruins, your army destroyed, and you are in a trap. The best thing you could do now is surrender and give me the demon heart. If you do, I promise to let you go.¡±


    ¡°Ha, as if I¡¯d believe you!¡± the gnome instantly replied.


    Once he did, he glanced at the spying crystals installed in his small control cabin. As any chief engineer dealing with a low intelligence workforce, he had made it a habit to monitor his workers at all times¡ªor at the very least, at the important times. At all times, he could see exactly how the battle outside was developing. It was true that the hero and the defending forces had managed to destroy or damage a large part of his fleet, though not before they had done their tasks. The town walls were practically gone, and while the army of goblins and supporting gnomework armor hadn¡¯t completely taken over everything, they were almost there. By Lord Mandrake¡¯s estimation, there was no possible way for the town to survive. The hero¡ªmaybe, but even that was temporary. Once the fight here was over and the dungeon core smashed, Lord Mandrake would return to the surface with his construct and mop up what¡¯s left. Then, he¡¯d finally be able to continue with his plans and¡ª


    The legendary hero sword pierced the back of the golem to the hilt. Due to the entity¡¯s massive size, the weapon wasn¡¯t able to reach the other side, but it got at least halfway there.


    ¡°What do you think now?¡± The dungeon¡¯s avatar smirked. ¡°And you thought I was the stupid one. You were so focused on my avatar that you didn¡¯t even think that I pretended to drop the sword on purpose!¡±


    That was a lie, of course. Theo had no idea that the gnome would end up being so fast. The original part of the plan involved him breaking the armored shell of the golem enough so that the blessed light of the chamber fell upon the exposed demon heart, causing it to shrivel, or whatever happened when a demon heart was exposed to divine power. In fact, he himself had completely forgotten about the weapon or the fact that he was a dungeon. Having the avatar apart from his main self had made him think of each separately, even when they were in the same spot, it seemed. Using telekinesis was an afterthought, though apparently things worked out quite well. And just to be certain, Theo shot a bolt of sacred lightning at the tip of the blade. Moving along the blade, the electricity entered the golem, giving it an impressive jolt.


    ¡°What do you think of now, Switches?¡± the avatar asked just as the aether shield vanished. ¡°Regret anything you¡¯ve done lately?¡±


    For several seconds, the golem remained motionless. Then, a strong punch sent the avatar back into the wall behind again.


    ¡°Nope. Can¡¯t think of a thing!¡± Flames shot out of its hand, reducing the front of the avatar¡¯s clothes to cinders. The avatar itself remained undamaged, but the energy drain to maintain it was considerable.


    Finding himself in a desperate situation, Theo created a wall of ice between his avatar and Lord Mandrake. The moment the two forces of magic came into contact, a vast explosion of steam pushed both sides back. The avatar, who was already buried in the wall, didn¡¯t move particularly much. The golem, on the other hand, was thrown all the way to the center of the room, almost to the spot he had tripped a short while ago.


    ¡°That exhausted a considerable amount of energy,¡± Spok reminded from the safety of Theo¡¯s living room. ¡°Please avoid doing any more of that in the future.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it because I wanted to!¡± Theo snapped, slapping several doors in her vicinity. ¡°Why didn¡¯t the sword have any effect? Or the lightning? Both of them are supposed to be blessed, right?¡±


    ¡°Yep, it¡¯s blessed alright,¡± Peris said, looking into the crystal ball from over Spok¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Should have worked.¡±


    Since the destruction of her temple, Peris had decided to ¡°drop in¡± Theo¡¯s main house. Her appearance was identical to that of the statue, only her current clothes were more modern¡ªbased on local fashions. It was a strange experience that kept Spok on edge. As Theo had found out, Spirit Guides were originally created by deities to whom they often reported. The relation didn¡¯t make too much sense, since dungeons were regarded as autonomous, but from what Theo could make out, it was a pretty big deal.


    ¡°Just try a few more times. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get it, eventually.¡±


    Theo was just about to argue when he considered the idea actually quite good. Several more bolts of lightning filled the chamber, hitting the golem. However, even after a dozen attempts, the annoying creature kept standing.


    Curious, the dungeon took a few steps forward with his avatar. After a prolonged pause, he took a few steps further still. While there was no way to say for certain, it seemed that the lightning had fried the golem from the inside, transforming it into a statue. The bigger question was whether the gnome inside had been killed as well. Since there hadn¡¯t been any announcement, Theo was inclined to think that the fight hadn¡¯t ended. Still, he took one more step forward. It was at that point that the golem reacted.


    Reaching out for the avatar, Lord Mandrake tried to grab him with both of the golem¡¯s hands. Unsure how to react, the avatar cast an entangle spell. However, instead of aiming for the golem¡¯s legs, he targeted the arms. Initially, it didn¡¯t seem to have worked, but the instant the gnome attempted to actually grab his target, it turned out that all ten fingers of the golem¡¯s hands were tied together in a way that prevented them from grabbing anything, or even moving apart for that matter.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± the gnome asked, trying to unbind the golem¡¯s hands.


    Instead of an answer, Theo just cast another bolt of lightning at the gnome¡¯s head.


    ¡°Hey!¡± The construct took several steps back. ¡°Stop that!¡±


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t blessed spells affecting you?¡± Theo asked.


    ¡°You think I¡¯d be stupid enough to leave the heart in the same place where it was last time? Ha! Well played for sticking the sword in. It wasn¡¯t something I was expecting. Still, all your effort was wasted. I¡¯ll still crush your core¡­ just as soon as I get¡­¡± He attempted to wave his arms about. Thanks to the blessed light of the chamber, the entangle spell was holding.


    ¡°Where did you put it? In your ass?¡± Theo asked.


    ¡°As if I¡¯d tell you!¡±


    An award silence followed.


    ¡°You really did, didn¡¯t you?¡± Theo didn¡¯t know whether to gloat or to feel humiliated that such an annoying creature was on the verge of destroying him. Of all the creatures he could encounter in the world, it had to be this. The saddest part was that the gnome might still manage to do so.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    The entire population of Rosewind was hiding in only two fortified locations, and Liandra, as strong as she was, wasn¡¯t able to be everywhere at once. With the entire airship fleet destroyed or fled, she was facing an army of ten thousand or more at the city gates. The issue with that was, that the wall on both sides of the gate was long gone, as were several rows of houses beyond that. The leader of the army¡ªa lone surviving red-armored demon was quite successfully keeping her from joining the other defenders of the town.


    The sound of a snap filled the air. The entangle spell had fizzled, releasing the golem¡¯s fingers. With his energy approaching its mid-point, Theo knew that things were getting serious. With both of them being equally overpowered, the one victor would be the one who used the sneakier tactics.


    Using telekinesis, Theo pulled the sword out of the golem¡¯s back. Realizing what was going on, Lord Mandrake instantly covered the bottom of the golem with his left hand while simultaneously releasing a stream of crimson fire with his right.


    The stream was too large for the avatar to dodge it, which is why it didn¡¯t. Instead, Theo split the chamber in two, letting the flames to fly past his avatar into a long tunnel. It was a highly uncomfortable experience, reminding him of some particularly bad indigestion during his previous life after a rather spicy batch of curry.


    Once the golem had stopped casting the spell, Theo put the chamber back together again. A thin line indicated where the chamber had been split.


    ¡°My turn now,¡± Theo¡¯s voice boomed in the room. Spikes the size of spires emerged from the floor, thrusting upwards towards the golem. Unfortunately, Lord Mandrake was dashed forward before they could deal any damage. The gnome had also realized something: as long as the dungeon¡¯s avatar was alive it wouldn¡¯t let him get to the dungeon¡¯s core. Thus, the optimal thing to do was to destroy it first.


    The fight picked up a notch with either side doing its utmost to destroy the other as fast as possible. The golem still had vastly superior strength and magic, although it was forced to keep one hand behind its back. Theo, on the other hand, while able to attack both with his avatar and the chamber itself, was on a limited energy supply. Already he¡¯d converted several buildings in the city to energy. In the middle of the fighting, it seemed as if they had been destroyed by the goblin army. Sadly, even that wasn¡¯t going to last him for long. Once the energy reserves were depleted, he¡¯d resort to core points and once those were gone, he¡¯d have no choice but to cut and run, sacrificing virtually everything he had created since arriving in Rosewind.


    Rows of stone spikes kept shooting up, forming trails behind the golem in an attempt to pierce his behind. Meanwhile, the avatar, maintaining a dozen swiftness spells on itself at least, was continuously running from the golem. Every now and again, Lord Mandrake would catch up landing a heavy punch, but Theo had learned to protect his avatar by casting an ice shield and ultra aether shield that would only send him flying to the other side of the chamber virtually unharmed.


    The fight dragged on a minute, then five, then ten, then thirty. In their eagerness to bring to a quick resolution, both sides had reached a stalemate, prolonging the encounter even more. The chamber had split, turned, and reassembled more times than a Rubik¡¯s cube. Flames, ice, and other spells were tossed freely around, generated by two incredibly powerful mana sources. This was a battle between a demon lord heart and an overpowered dungeon core, between magic and technology. In his previous life, Theo would have loved to work on such a project. In his limited capacity as a middle manager, he had pitched the idea to his superiors dozens of times, only to have it rejected with no explanation whatsoever. Participating in such a fight himself, Theo was starting to agree with their assessment. As cool as everything looked, it was becoming exceedingly difficult.


    ¡°I see you¡¯re getting tired,¡± Lord Mandrake said after a while. ¡°I¡¯ll let you have a rest. Fighting a weakling dungeon won¡¯t be any fun.¡±


    That made no sense whatsoever. However, with the constant energy drain, every second Theo had to restore even a tiny bit was appreciated.


    ¡°You¡¯re one to talk. You can hardly stand on your feet,¡± he shot back.


    Damn it! The dungeon thought. Now he¡¯s gotten me doing it.


    ¡°Why are you so set on conquering the world in the first place? Do you know how much work that is?¡±


    ¡°Maybe for you! When I¡¯m supreme overlord of the world, I¡¯ll have minions to control my minions. All my days will be devoted to creating new and more advanced inventions that will change the world!¡±


    ¡°For the better?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± the gnome hesitated. ¡°Just change the world. There¡¯s no way to tell if it¡¯ll be for better or worse before I actually build them. Dungeons, heroes, and mages will be extinct and everyone¡ª¡±


    ¡°Elves?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°What about elves? Will they be extinct too?¡±


    When Theo asked the question, he was just playing for time. However, the gnome saw in it a riddle. It was well known that elves had powerful magic. Together, they were way stronger than any dungeon, even one as crafty as Theo. Having them freely walk around in the new gnome order wasn¡¯t a good idea. At the same time, taking them on, especially at such an early stage, was going to be difficult. Nearly all of Lord Mandrake¡¯s armies had been wasted in a single dungeon alone. Of course, the gnome could easily rebuild everything. All he needed was to return to the mandrake mountains, and dig up some more demon remains. Then everything was going to be as it should.


    ¡°Of course!¡± The gnome let out a high-pitched laugh. ¡°Elves have been nothing but trouble! Even when they fought dungeons, they were crap at it!¡±


    ¡°Elves fought dungeons?¡± That was new and something to be mindful of in the future. By the sound of it, Theo had dodged a bullet when in Vinewood. Next time, he was going to have to proceed with caution. If there was a next time. Win or lose, he had no intention of venturing into elf territory ever.


    ¡°They tried to. Mostly when the dungeon entered their glens or forests or whatever they were occupying at the time. Very good source of magic, but otherwise really annoying. The dungeon I worked at before had a complicated love-hate relationship with them. He loved their magic, but hated everything else about them.¡±


    ¡°Good to know.¡±


    Without warning, the legendary sword flew out of the avatar¡¯s hand, straight at the golem¡¯s head. Theo¡¯s hope was that he could pierce it and earn a quick victory. Unfortunately, as sharp and sturdy as the weapon was, all it did was bounce off the hard surface.


    ¡°Aha! Sneaky and backstabbing as ever!¡±


    ¡°Come on, it was literally in your face!¡± the avatar grumbled.


    ¡°I did a few modifications there as well. The alloy I used contained ground mana gems, among other things. There¡¯s no known force that will be able to penetrate it, even a sword like that!¡±


    ¡°Pity you didn¡¯t have enough of that metal for your ass,¡± the avatar said beneath its breath.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Within the golem¡¯s head, the gnome narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re done well to keep up with me so far, but there¡¯s one thing you¡¯ve forgotten,¡± Lord Mandrake said, trying to make his voice sound deeper than it was and failing miserably as a result. ¡°While you¡¯re busy fighting me down here, my troops have all but taken control of the town!¡±


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m a dungeon, I know that.¡±


    ¡°Ha! But did you know that some of them are also carrying explosive pots? They¡¯re just like the ones my flying goblins dropped, only much bigger. As we speak, they are burying them throughout what¡¯s left of the town. When they¡¯re done, one small spark and everything will be destroyed, you included.¡±


    ¡°Look, I know you¡¯re bluffing. I¡¯d have noticed if they were doing that.¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Lord Mandrake cursed. ¡°They¡¯re late again!¡±


    It was difficult to say whether the gnome was making things up or not. Personally, Theo didn¡¯t mind either way. Even if there was a group of goblins with explosive pots, it was going to take them considerable time to arrive. By then, the fight would have been resolved one way or another. However, just as he was about to make a sarcastically mocking remark, a portal emerged in the air, a short distance from Rosewind. Slowly, three new airships emerged, along with hundreds of goblin gliders.


    ¡°Aha! There they are!¡± Lord Mandrake said with glee. ¡°I¡¯d shout at them for being late, but they¡¯re goblins, so it won¡¯t matter much. What will matter is that you¡¯ll be destroyed.¡±


    Four new spikes shot out from four sections of the wall, closing in on the golem like a crosshair. Three of them shattered upon hitting the hard metal surface. The fourth one, however, managed to pierce it. Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t in the right spot. While a large hole had opened on the side, the golem was very much functional, which it instantly proved by breaking off the spike and tossing it at Theo¡¯s avatar.


    Normally, Theo would have just had his avatar leap to the side to avoid the projectile. Possibly affected by the theatrical demeanor of his opponent, the dungeon this time chose a different approach. Raising a hand up, he tried using telekinesis to grab the object in the air and toss it back.


    Nothing of the sort happened. The spike continued forward, hitting the avatar in the lower abdomen and piercing it. There was a moment of silence and confusion. Both Theo and Lord Mandrake watched as a bleeding wound formed. It didn¡¯t hurt in the least and it didn¡¯t impede the avatar¡¯s movements or actions, but the mere fact that it was there was more than a bit alarming.


    ¡°Any ideas about this, Spok?¡± Theo asked back to the main building.


    ¡°The spike was blessed by a goddess, sir,¡± the spirit guide replied. ¡°You might be a hero, but you¡¯re still a dungeon. Heroic weapons and blessed items can still hurt you. It will heal on its own, but I¡¯ll advise not to get spiked anymore.¡±


    Quickly, Theo retracted the spikes. Sadly, it was too late. The golem had already grabbed one of them, breaking it off and turning it into a makeshift weapon. Lord Mandrake didn¡¯t know the reasoning of what had happened, but he was more than glad to take advantage. If a stone spike was able to deal with the avatar faster¡ªall the better.


    ¡°Admit it!¡± the gnome said, triumphantly. ¡°You¡¯ve lost! Your town is done, your avatar is bleeding, and the rest of you will be reduced to rubble!¡±


    Using a large amount of his remaining core points, Theo erected a few towers in spots where the wall used to be. Each of them was equipped with a ballista. It wasn¡¯t much, but it was the only defense he could muster against the approaching airships. Two bolts split the air, striking the first of the crafts. The force was enough to send it into a spin. Before he could aim at any of the remaining two, the flying goblins descended on the final bastions of hope, dropping pot bombs like rain. Explosions followed, taking out dozens of goblins on the grounds. Sadly, they also managed to weaken the newly erected towers as well. Theo knew that there was no point in wasting energy to restore them, so he let off one last shot. The second airship was grazed. Though not enough to damage it significantly.


    ¡°I¡¯d congratulate you for the good effort standing up to me,¡± Lord Mandrake began. ¡°But it would be a lie! You¡¯re finished, dungeon!¡±


    Holding the stone spike tightly, the golem took a step forward. Moments after he did, the ground shook. The top of the chamber cracked open as the front of an airship broke through. Large chunks of blessed stone fell to the ground, forcing the golem to protect itself by slamming them away with the stone spike, as if he were at a baseball tournament. While he was doing that, a large section of the airship hull broke off, falling to the ground a dozen steps away.


    ¡°Sorry for being late, boss,¡± Wolf shouted from the side of the vessel. ¡°Hope we didn¡¯t keep you waiting too long.¡±


    Despite his current wretched state, the avatar cracked a smile. The balance of power had shifted once more. Now he stood a real chance.


    ¡°Well, you took your time!¡± the avatar shouted back. ¡°Are all of you in shape?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Nauska emerged. ¡°We¡¯re all fine. All twelve of us.¡±


    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll draw his attacks. You take any chance you have to do what you can. Go for the golem¡¯s ass! That¡¯s the weak point!¡±


    And the fight continued.

 33. Heart Consumption

    Having a team of twelve highly skilled warriors was supposed to be a huge advantage. All of them were battle-hardened, with suitable weapons and a deep desire to destroy Lord Mandrake. By every metric, they were supposed to give Theo a vast advantage over his opponent. However, there was one small detail that had eluded the dungeon¡¯s attention: they were only human. That meant that unlike Theo¡¯s avatar, they didn¡¯t have the luxury of being hit by a torrent of demonic flames or a massive golem fist.


    Another slap of stone rose up from the ground, shielding the prodigy child from Lord Mandrake''s attacks.


    ¡°Thanks, baron!¡± the boy said, then rushed back into the fight.


    Stupid humans, Theo grumbled to himself.


    They had been so useful when facing the goblins, and yet here it was like attacking along with a herd of cats. Each of them was focused on their own thing, occasionally going into loose cooperation with one, possibly two other people, then going back to a wild free for all.


    ¡°Ice blades!¡± the avatar shouted, to warn his own allies.


    On the instant, all of them scattered in different directions. All except the two shield bearers who took the opportunity to do the exact opposite by rushing towards the golem and slamming their now blunt swords in its leg. The effort was pointless¡ªnone other than Theo had the ability to do any damage to Lord Mandrake''s contraption. Sadly, that didn¡¯t keep them from trying.


    ¡°So annoying!¡± Lord Mandrake shouted, moving his right hand in their direction. In nine out of ten cases, that was followed by a blast of flames.


    Not wanting to have any of the people barbecued, the dungeon caused the tile beneath the golem¡¯s left heel to lift up slightly, causing him to momentarily lose balance, messing up his aim. Thus, instead of hitting the area near the golem¡¯s foot, the flame hit its knee. Ice blades flew forward, striking the golem¡¯s head, forcing it to retreat a few steps back.


    ¡°Good one, baron!¡± Wolf shouted across the chamber. ¡°That¡¯s the way to burn off his legs!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not¡­¡± the avatar began. The flame had achieved nothing, mainly because the material the golem had been constructed continued to be immune to flames, including its own. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the plan!¡± The avatar shouted. At least it was better than explaining things.


    A series of smoke bombs exploded in the golem¡¯s head. The assassin sisters were at it again. Thankfully, at least they seemed to know what they were doing.


    ¡°Stupid insects!¡± Lord Mandrake shouted, exceedingly furious. ¡°I¡¯ll roast you like ants!¡±


    Flames burst out from the golem in all directions. The only way the dungeon could partially contain them was to erect a circle of walls around mandrake, which he did. The burning flames scorched the walls, then shot up¡ªtheir only means of escape¡ªand struck the airship in the ceiling. Like a volcano, the torrent of fire drilled through the vessel, making it melt like a wax figure, before erupting above the surface. It was safe to say that the gnome had gotten serious.


    I should have just told them to help Liandra to deal with the armies above, Theo told himself. Having them here turned out to be a real disaster. Then again, things wouldn¡¯t have been very different on the surface. So far, the faint flicker of hope was in the hands of Liandra, who was busy slaughtering goblins in the hundreds, and possibly gaining tons of experience out of it.


    ¡°You think you can defeat me?!¡± Lord Mandrake shouted as drops of molten metal from the former airship dripped onto him. ¡°You¡¯re nothing! So insignificant that ants would stomp if they could find you! You think that just because there¡¯s more of you that you¡¯ll¡ª¡±


    ¡°Focus on the left shoulder!¡± Flail shouted.


    Every person of the dozen, without exception, struck the protective walls the dungeon had built with extreme force, sending chunks of stone at Lord Mandrake. In other circumstances, their plan might have been considered good, now Theo only considered it painful. This was probably what dungeons experienced when adventurer parties ventured within them. Not only was the damage senseless and costly to repair, it also reduced the amount of blessed covering that remained in the chamber. The dungeon had asked Peris to lend a hand, or more specifically another blessing, but she had refused with a vague explanation that she could only do a massive bless once per day per person.


    Rocks hit the golem, causing slight dents all over its body. Alas, other than getting Lord Mandrake extremely furious at ruining the smooth surface, nothing else happened.


    ¡°Ice stars!¡± Theo created several handfuls of small sharp ice fragments, then propelled them at the golem¡¯s head.


    Each of the ice fragments was individually blessed by the avatar. Some even managed to hit their intended target, doing minute amounts of damage. The rest hit the dungeon walls, making him feel unpleasant stinging. That was the last stray.


    ¡°Spok!¡± Theo shouted in his main building. ¡°How much will it cost me to magic everyone out of there?¡±


    ¡°Everyone, sir?¡± the spirit guide asked, concerned.


    ¡°Everyone except the gnome.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± the woman hesitated. It didn¡¯t help that the goddess Peris continued to be in the room. ¡°A bit more than I would advise, sir. Can¡¯t you simply make a tunnel and ask them to leave?¡±


    The dungeon shook. He was facing a dilemma. On the one hand, there was no denying that the hidden dozen were keeping the gnome distracted enough for him to try a thing or two without feeling the constant pressure of protecting his avatar. Initially, that had been the plan. And yet, Theo had found that he couldn¡¯t simply sacrifice them to win. Maybe it was the heroic trait speaking, or maybe he had gotten soft after going on this adventure, but he felt a deep need to keep them from getting killed.


    ¡°Of all the idiotic twists of faith,¡± he grumbled. ¡°If I convert everything but the main building to energy, will I be able to fill up the mana gem?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible, though unlikely. The gem seems to leak a lot, all the more, since you¡¯ve been using your energy for other things. I fear that in order to make it complete, you¡¯ll need more energy than you currently have.¡±


    So much for that. After everything Theo had gone through: the planning, the structures he had bought, the Silvarian elf debacle, and the rush to get his avatar back in time, it had come to this? Death by a maniacal goblin sounded more like the start of a really bad joke. As things stood, there was no point to keep pretending anymore. He might as well reveal to the world¡ªor to what was left of Rosewind¡ªthat he was a dungeon. It wasn¡¯t like things could get any worse.


    ¡°Hey!¡± the avatar shouted. ¡°Lord Mandrake! You know what? I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Got tired of watching your insects buzz about and decided to challenge me to a duel?¡± the gnome asked.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Theo blinked. That wasn¡¯t it at all. He hadn¡¯t even considered such a stupid idea. ¡°No, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°I accept!¡± the gnome shouted, barely even listening.


    A ball of flame emerged in the palm of the golem¡¯s right hand. Slowly, it stretched in size, turning into a massive broadsword.


    ¡°You and me!¡± the golem pointed the tip of the sword at the dungeon¡¯s avatar. ¡°No games, no tricks, no assistance, winner take all, loser¡­¡± there was a momentary pause as the goblin tried to think how to continue. ¡°Loser loses all.¡±


    Several people stifled a chuckle. Several more failed to do so.


    There were a lot of things that could be said, but given that Theo was about to reveal his secret moments ago, he didn¡¯t see any harm in going down in dramatic fashion. If nothing else, some bard might write a ballad about this, provided there were any survivors.


    ¡°Very well, but I have one condition!¡± the avatar said. ¡°Win or lose, I want the twelve people here unharmed.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Lord Mandrake stomped the ground. ¡°Still preoccupied with the insects? Fine! But if any of them interferes, that¡¯s it!¡±


    ¡°You bet we¡¯ll interfere!¡± Wolf shouted in the worst possible moment. ¡°We¡¯ll never¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wolf!¡± Shut up, you stupid idiot! ¡°This is between Lord Mandrake and myself. I don¡¯t want you to interfere. Understood?¡±


    There was no answer. That was good. Come to think of it, it was more than good. The demon heart and the gnome¡¯s hatred towards Theo had made him stupid. A ¡°duel¡± was a perfect opportunity for the dozen to come up with a plan on their own and help the dungeon. Just to ensure they got the hint, Theo created a small bunker-like section in the side of the chamber.


    ¡°All of you, just go there and wait until this is resolved.¡±


    It was no coincidence that the spot that Theo had chosen was directly behind Lord Mandrake, allowing for a sneak attack. There was just one thing missing.


    ¡°Oh, and take care of my sword.¡± Theo levitated the legendary sword to Nauska. ¡°If something happens to me, I want you to keep it and take care of it. It¡¯s a very powerful weapon, given to me by an important friend.¡±


    ¡°But how will you fight?¡± the assassin asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll fight the same way Lord Mandrake fights.¡± Theo cast an ice spell. A sword of ice formed in his hand. The weapon appeared magnificent, even if it wasn¡¯t anything special. In practice, it was probably going to shatter the moment it hit the golem¡¯s body. That wasn¡¯t its purpose, though. It was all smoke and mirrors. ¡°Fire against ice!¡± he rose up in the air, reaching the level of the golem¡¯s head. ¡°Mage versus gnome.¡±


    ¡°Ha! You think you can do anything with that?¡± Lord Mandrake laughed.


    ¡°It might not look like much, but it has the power to cut through steel, stone, and anything else in its way, even magic. I didn¡¯t want to use it until now, because it would give me too great an advantage.¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    As the people made their way to the section that had been created, the dungeon considered the situation. There was no denying that things had worked out quite well for him lately. He had faced things that had caused the downfall of dozens of heroes and somehow had not only survived but grown both in the metaphorical and literal sense of the world. For a moment, he felt as if he was as invincible as his avatar. However, the nagging pessimism that had filled his previous life had reared its ugly head to whisper that nothing good lasted forever. He¡¯d had a good run, but it was time to think of contingencies.


    ¡°Spock, get ready,¡± Theo whispered in his main building. ¡°We¡¯re getting out of here.¡±


    ¡°During the duel? Isn¡¯t that¡­ cowardly?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pragmatic,¡± he corrected. ¡°If the gnome comes close to killing me, I¡¯ll convert everything to energy and move somewhere to start again. Maybe it¡¯ll be quiet there, even.¡±


    Spok didn¡¯t say a word. The spirit guide had feared the prospect, but had hoped it wouldn¡¯t come to it. There always was a chance that he somehow acquired a large amount of core points and energy, enough to give her an avatar again. Sadly, even in a best-case scenario, it would take centuries for him to achieve that. If only he hadn¡¯t wasted all those core points obtained through the unfortunate death of the hero, things would have been a lot different. Then again, it was also quite likely that he¡¯d be hunted down by heroes and destroyed.


    ¡°Very well, sir,¡± the spirit guide said at last. ¡°What about Maximillian and the duke¡¯s daughter?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing that could be done. When I¡¯m gone, so is the town.¡±


    Casting a quick spell to mend his clothes, the avatar floated to the ground. He looked at the sword. Compared to the golem, it looked like a toothpick. Since he had already gone this far, Theo used a bit more energy to triple the sword in size.


    ¡°Ready when you are,¡± he said to Lord Mandrake.


    ¡°Good!¡± Sections of the golem¡¯s torso slid aside, revealing hidden sections. It would have been nice if the demon heart was revealed that way, but instead, a pair of demon wings appeared. Apparently, the gnome had an ace in his sleeve as well.


    ¡°You¡¯ve caused me a lot of problems,¡± Lord Mandrake said in typically theatrical fashion. The wings flapped in an attempt to lift him from the ground, but categorically failed to do so. ¡°Now, witness my full might and ingenuity as I¡ª¡±


    Theo couldn¡¯t stand it any longer. Gripping the sword with both hands, he cast three dozen swiftnesses on himself, then dashed towards the golem. Three steps before reaching it, the avatar stopped. Just in time, as well, for Lord Mandrake acted just as fast, swinging the blade in a horizontal slash.


    The fiery blade passed inches from the avatar¡¯s face. In response, Theo lunged forward, striking the chest of the golem. Ice spread from the tip of the blade, forming a large patch that quickly began to melt.


    The gnome attacked again, but instead of using the sword, both wings bent, shooting forward like scorpion tails. An ice wall was quickly erected, but the wings melted right through it, barely slowing them down. A second wall of rock rose from the floor, finally blocking the attack.


    It was no surprise to see the gnome cheat during the fight. Far more alarming, and simultaneously annoying, was that none of the twelve warriors that were supposed to be on Theo¡¯s side were doing a thing. They just stood there, commenting in whispers how ¡°low¡± Lord Mandrake was to cheat and¡­ that was it. No one charged forward to pierce the golem¡¯s behind, no one used anything to distract him, no one even tossed Theo¡¯s sword to his avatar.


    ¡°Ready, Spok?¡± the dungeon asked reluctantly back in his main building.


    There was little point in fighting on. The next time the golem struck at the avatar, Theo planned to leave everything behind and get out of this part of the world. No longer willing to fight, he tossed the sword in the ground in front of him.


    Seeing that, Lord Mandrake quickly stepped on the front of the blade. However, in his eagerness to deprive Theo of the weapon, he stepped on it too fast. The patch of ice that had formed proved to be too slippery, causing the golem to lose balance and fall backwards. It was a short fall or no significance whatsoever. Yet, upon feeling the sensation, the most basic habit was triggered: the habit very few people could escape¡ªmoving back one¡¯s hands and arms to cushion the fall. The golem¡¯s left arm, which had been consistently protecting his bottom so far, moved away for the first time.


    No conscious thought went through the dungeon¡¯s mind. He was still intent on getting as far away as quickly as possible. However, on a subconscious level, layers of spite piled up during the last week had finally been given an outlet to escape from, and escape they did by creating a stone spike just at the spot on which Lord Mandrake was about to fall on.


    A loud sound of metal ripping echoed throughout the room. An entire section of the golem fell off, revealing the glowing demon heart. The protective skin of the construct was impervious to most damage, but the floor was one of the few places that Peris¡¯ blessing remained intact. Red light mixed with gold, filling the air with a thick smell of ozone.


    The slimmest of windows of opportunity appeared. With the heart revealed, the power of Lord mandrake suddenly evaporated. The construct he had created had undoubtedly extremely destructive power, and the strength to withstand most attacks, but even half a blessed chamber was able to put an end to that very quickly.


    A dozen stone spikes emerged from all sides of the chamber, shooting straight at the golem¡¯s weak spot. The gnome tried to shield itself from part of them. Unfortunately for him, three of the spikes passed through, puncturing the heart like a pincushion.


    Total silence filled the room. No one, not even Theo himself, could believe what just had happened. A few moments ago, he was preoccupied with doing a convincing performance before teleporting away to safety. He had never expected the attack to yield any result.


    The red glow faded, taking the demon wings and the sword of fire. The massive heart thumped twice, then contracted in an implosion of power to the size of a bowling ball¡ªthe demon¡¯s core. Instantly, the dungeon¡¯s greed kicked in. This was precisely what he needed to patch up things within himself. Using telekinesis, he pulled the object to himself, ignoring the rest of the golem. No sooner had he done so than the construct¡¯s head flew off, powered by four jets of green flames.


    ¡°Now you¡¯ve done it!¡± the gnome screeched.


    The head split into two parts, revealing a very annoyed gnome seated on what could only be described as a flaming chariot. Mechanical components dangled from all sides along with magical components, some of which looked vaguely familiar. The rows of crystal balls were especially telling, almost creating the impression that the gnome was a security guard at some magical corporation.


    ¡°Do you have any idea how much it cost to create this? All the time and effort, and ingenuity far beyond the comprehension of your tiny mind¡­¡±


    ¡°Serves you right for trying to take over the world.¡±


    ¡°Ha! You think this¡¯ll stop me? There are more hearts out there! I¡¯ll go find them if it¡¯s the last thing I do! And when I find them, I¡¯ll be back with an army ten times the size of this! And it won¡¯t be predominantly goblins this time. It¡¯ll be trolls!¡±


    Theo considered the option for a moment. His hidden dozen did as well, for simultaneously all came to the same realization: for all his big attitude, the gnome no longer had any advantage whatsoever. With his greatest weapon gone, he was no different from an annoying fly threatening retribution; and there was only one thing to do with annoying flies¡­


    ¡°Get him!¡± the avatar shouted.


    All twelve of his fighters rushed at once. Moderately careful not to hit them, the dungeon created a new series of spikes from the walls, aimed at the gnome¡¯s flying device. With the battle largely over, there was no point in saving energy anymore.


    Stone spikes and pillars emerged from the floor and walls, creating a deadly cat¡¯s cradle. To Theo¡¯s annoyance, the gnome managed to evade them every time. Even the people in the chamber, who leaped through the air, using the stone segments as platforms, proved incapable of catching the pest. Theo tried encasing Lord Mandrake in a block of ice. He tried casting fireballs at him, even imprisoning him in an aether shield bubble.


    The struggle continued for a minute, then two, then five. Each time, it seemed that the gnome managed to escape its fate by inches, if not less. This infuriated the dungeon, but also made him double his efforts. It was identical to playing a highly addictive game.


    ¡°Sir, might I suggest that you consume the demon heart core?¡± Spok said, observing events from the main building. To say that she was relieved was an understatement. Theo¡¯s victory not only meant that there was a greater chance of saving the town, which in turn suggested that she was likely to retain her corporal avatar.


    ¡°Not now, Spok!¡± Theo grumbled. ¡°Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m busy?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s precisely why I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Just give me a minute, alright?!¡±


    The attempts continued, and so did the curses. A complete reversal had taken place. What Lord Mandrake lacked in strength, he made up for in speed and mobility. Neither swiftness nor flying was enough to close the gap. If anything, losing the influence of the demon heart seemed to have entered the gnome in a sort of hyper state, as if he¡¯d consumed a barrel of coffee.


    ¡°Sir¡­¡± Spoke said again.


    ¡°Quiet, Spok!¡±


    Ten seconds of silence followed, after which Theo¡¯s avatar, along with all of his fighters, were moved to the walls of the chamber by an invisible force. All spikes and pillars went back into the walls, then the entire middle section of the floor rose, propelling the gnome out of the hole in the ceiling. When that was done, it returned to its normal state.


    Everyone stared at Theo¡¯s avatar.


    ¡°Wow, you don¡¯t play around¡­¡± Flail said what was on everyone¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Well, I had hoped we could resolve the matter without having to use this,¡± the avatar replied, pushing himself away from the wall and to the center of the chamber.


    Out of instinct, he looked at the sky. If his observatory was still functioning, he would have used it. There was no trace of Lord Mandrake. Given the violent speed of the ejection, it was very likely his flying device had been damaged, ensuring a swift death upon landing. One could only hope that would be the case.


    ¡°I suppose you think you¡¯re so smart,¡± he grumbled to Spok back in his main building.


    ¡°Not at all, sir,¡± the spirit guide lied. ¡°It was just that time still is of the essence. The goblin army is still destroying what is left of the town, and your core points are dangerously low.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­¡± the dungeon creaked all the doors in the building. His spirit guide was correct in her reasoning, but that didn¡¯t make him feel any better. The truth was that he wanted to be the one to crush the gnome, or throw him out in the sky, as it happened. ¡°I better get to it then,¡± he muttered in disappointment.


    The chamber was filled with cheers. Every single person had gone up to the avatar to give him a pat on the shoulder and congratulate him for his quick thinking. Their praises only added insult to injury.


    ¡°You better go help Liandra,¡± the avatar said with a stoic frown. ¡°The fight¡¯s not over.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just like you.¡± Nauska nodded, handing him back the legendary sword. ¡°We¡¯ll do what we can. Gods be with you, baron.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± The avatar waves his hand. The gods were definitely not with him¡­ except for the goddess who was still living in his main building.


    Creating a corridor out of the room, the avatar flew through the tunnels and corridors until he reached the core chamber. On the way, he directed his attention to what was going on outside. The outer section of the earl¡¯s castle had been breached and the only other large pocket of resistance was relying on Cmyk for protection. That was as sad as it was absurd. While the minion could swing a sword, he was otherwise useless.


    ¡°Spok, what can I do with the core points of a demon heart?¡± the dungeon asked.


    ¡°You can restore part of the town¡­ a very large part,¡± the spirit guide replied. ¡°Alternatively, you can fill up the mana gem and increase your rank.¡±


    ¡°No chance for the two?¡±


    ¡°Depending on the effects of the new rank, you might have more¡ª¡±


    ¡°Go for the rank,¡± Peris said. ¡°Trust me on this.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Having a deity give him advice was enough to make Theo skeptical. Although, he had to admit that Peris had been there for him. She had given him the heroic trait, the blessed lightning bolt, not to mention it was thanks to her that he had created the blessed chamber for his fight against the gnome.


    The heck with it! What¡¯s the worst that could happen?


    Arriving at his core chamber, the avatar placed the orb of the demon heart in the core.


    CONGRATULATIONS!


    You have consumed a heart core of the Demon Lord Kayinion!


    Demon Lord Kayinion was known as the Butcher of the Gods, who dispatched over a dozen deities before being banished back into his realm. His presence alone had the power to corrupt even the most noble of heroes.


    90,000,000 Core Points obtained.


    News of your achievement shall be known throughout the entire continent.


    FIRE SCRYING


    Spend 200 energy to see everything that a flame could see. The flame must be no further than a mile. Additional energy will increase the distance.


    The spying was an interesting ability no less, but quite useless right now. With a sigh, Theo converted over ninety percent of his core points into energy for the mana gem. The item lit up in a bright cyan glow. The moment of truth had come.


    ¡°Time to see what the big deal is.¡± Theo consumed the gem.

 34. Blaze of Glory

    ¡°They¡¯re regrouping,¡± Ulf said, leaning on his sword. ¡°That gives us a few minutes before the next charge.¡±


    Half the people on the front lines sat down to get what could pass as a rest. It was a terrible decision from a strategic point of view, but at this point it no longer mattered. After hours of fighting and the number of losses they¡¯d suffered, it was looking like the next large charge would be the last; or if not, the one after that.


    Everyone had celebrated the return of Baron d¡¯Argent, especially seeing that had brought back an airship of reinforcements. There had been a moment of hope during which the defenders of Rosewind believed they could save their town. As it turned out, the hordes of goblins had other things in mind. Even with the baron dealing with the evil Lord Mandrake, and a hero taking on half the enemy horde alone, there was little to stop the advance of the remaining attackers. Most of the buildings had been destroyed and the only remaining defenders were covered in wounds and low on strength.


    ¡°Think they¡¯re doing better at the castle?¡± a soldier asked.


    ¡°Not by much,¡± the adventurer said. ¡°The walls are still standing, but there are more goblins there than here.¡±


    ¡°Never thought it¡¯ll be a goblin that¡¯ll get me.¡± The soldier let out a bitter laugh. ¡°Any last orders, lieutenant?¡± he turned to sir Ribbons.


    The man lay on the floor of the surviving wall tower. Most of his body was wrapped in rags¡ªthe proper bandages had finished ages ago, leaving the fighters to do what they could.


    ¡°The more we kill here the less will get to the castle,¡± the lieutenant said. With the death of the captain of the town guard he had ended up being in charge. ¡°The baron will take care of the rest.¡±


    ¡°You think he could, sir? I know he¡¯s a mage and all, but just look at them? There¡¯s no end to the critters! It¡¯s the same as¡ª¡±


    A large hand relaxed on the soldier¡¯s shoulder. Everyone went quiet. The hand belonged to Cmyk¡ªthe only person who hadn¡¯t wavered. To the people it was a complete mystery how the man could continue fighting as he did, never needing rest. Goblins, gnome-work armor, even a few trolls had attempted taking him on and all of them had failed. Cmyk was the sole reason the patch of wall hadn¡¯t fallen to the enemy. Unfortunately, even he had his limitations. As strong as the man was, he could only be at one place at once.


    ¡°Sorry, sir Myk,¡± the soldier said, looking away. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ you and the baron are strong, but we aren¡¯t.¡±


    Cmyk moved his hand away, then looked at the masses of goblins. Even they were tired, but not as much as the defenders. Already they were prepping their weapons, moving away from the piles of bodies so as to have the space for one big charge.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s right, my friend,¡± Ulf sighed. ¡°The baron is quite a guy to take on Lord Mandrake himself, but he isn¡¯t here. At least we¡¯ll go in a blaze of glory, right?¡±


    The minion looked at the adventurer, his face as stoic as usual.


    ¡°Yeah, I thought you¡¯d say that. Still, it was fun knowing you. See you in another life, okay?¡± He straightened up, lifting his weapon. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡± he shouted, turning around to the people behind him. Several hundred soldiers, guards, and adventurers still remained in the small makeshift fortification. Sadly, they were facing thousands.


    Following suit, Cmyk took a step forward, raising his massive sword in the air. He, too, knew that this was going to be his last stand. The energy the dungeon constantly provided him to restore his health was reduced to a trickle. Despite most people being convinced that he was unwounded, that wasn¡¯t at all the case. Beneath his shiny clothes and armor, the minion had more holes than a centipede had legs. His inability to bleed had created the illusion of him being invincible, yet he wasn¡¯t. Like any dungeon minion he only had a set amount of ¡°health.¡± Once that was gone, he¡¯d be reduced to a pile of bones on the ground. That was alarming, not to mention highly embarrassing. After spending so much time with his adventurer friends, Cmyk definitely didn¡¯t want anyone to see him in such a state.


    ¡°Gashaaaa!¡± one of the goblins yelled. Hundreds of others soon joined in, charging forward.


    This was it¡ªthe final stand of Rosewind. Cmyk gripped the hit of his weapon tightly, preparing for the onslaught. The goblins were five feet away, screaming and waving crudely made sharp objects as goblins tended to do.


    Cmyk swung his weapon. The moment he did, something extraordinary happened. Purple light shone from the ground all over Rosewind, along with dozens of structures. All the missing sections of the wall, along with watchtowers and ballistas, came back to existence, restored from the rubble. But that was far from all. A nest the size of a small castle appeared on the largest section of the wall, near Earl Rosewind¡¯s castle¡ªa nest full of griffins.


    As all these changes were going on, Cmyk felt a sudden surge of strength and energy within him. It wasn¡¯t just a means to heal his wounds, but something a lot more. Faithful to his creator, he finished off the swing of the sword, letting out a bolt of lightning.


    Golden energy mixed with electricity shot out of the sword¡¯s tip, hitting the goblin directly in front of him. Simultaneously, lightning came out from the walls and newly reconstructed buildings, scorching the goblin armies.


    Waves of lightning moved through the creatures with great speed and ferocity, reducing them all to cinders. In a matter of seconds, thousands of goblins were reduced to ash.


    There was silence, there was awe, then a chorus of cheers that filled the air, all chanting Cmyk¡¯s name.


    ¡°Of course, that would happen,¡± Theo grumbled in his main building. ¡°I do all the work and he gets all the glory¡­ again.¡±


    ¡°That might be for the better, sir,¡± Spok said, looking at the re-emerging city from the window. ¡°The earl is more likely to bother him with his requests and leave you alone.¡±


    ¡°I wish,¡± the dungeon grumbled. ¡°With my luck, the king will probably come and send me to conquer some distant land or something.¡±


    It was meant as a joke, but upon saying it Theo considered the possibility. If that happened, he was definitely going to convert most of himself to mana and move elsewhere. Despite his grumbling, however, he had to admire what the town had become. The funny thing was that, for the most part, he was admiring himself. It sounded slightly narcissistic, but after what Theo had been through, he thought he deserved it.


    Lord Mandrake¡¯s armies paused. With the several thousands of those in the city dead, the ones outside were having second thoughts. Alas, for them, it was too late¡ªthey still had a heroine to deal with, not to mention a flock of griffins that flew out of their nest, filling the sky.


    ¡°Not to criticize your achievement, sir, but was it necessary to create a griffin¡¯s nest?¡± Spok asked.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with them?¡±


    ¡°Nothing is wrong, sir. But the amount of core points remaining are¡­ well, you virtually have no core points left.¡±


    ¡°We can always get more core points.¡± One additional thing that the dungeon had done was create roads throughout the city. That way, every monster core that hit the ground instantly became his. The final amount was quite puny compared to the bounty of the demon heart. Even with all the goblins and everything else combined, he had merely gotten over twenty-three thousand. Maybe in a week or two he would regret it, experiencing buyers¡¯ remorse, but for the moment, Theo only wanted to enjoy the moment.


    Left leaderless, and facing a flock of supernatural creatures, the goblin armies were quick to break up as the creatures scattered, fleeing in panic. As a rule, they weren¡¯t brave creatures. The only reason they fought at all was because the threat behind them¡ªwhich used to be Lord Mandrake and his demons¡ªwas greater than the threat in front. With the gnome gone, they had one single course of action.


    Theo¡¯s avatar teleported in the main room of the second floor. That was one more trick he had acquired, among a few others. As it turned out, the goddess had been very correct that the rank increase was worth it. Apart from gaining the ability to construct hundreds of new rooms and minions, he had also received some unexpected bonuses, as a result of all his avatars receiving a boost. Spok, Cmyk, and the dungeon¡¯s own avatar now had access to a lot more spells than they didn¡¯t moments ago.


    ¡°I would also suggest you get rid of the slime pits, sir. They will only slime things up.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ll slaughter them when they get out of hand.¡± Technically, he was going to do it mostly for the sport of it. Now that Lord Mandrake was gone, the dungeon no longer felt the urge to do anything heroic. The best he could hope for was a long break to do absolutely nothing.


    ¡°As you wish, sir. In that case, I insist on adequately remodeling the buildings.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the buildings?¡± the dungeon asked, hurt at the suggestion.


    ¡°They are uninhabitable, sir.¡± The spirit guide frowned. ¡°Having some crude beds and a single table doesn¡¯t constitute living conditions. Now that you¡¯re a rank two dungeon, you have to think of your appearance both on the outside and on the inside.¡±


    ¡°Spok, it¡¯s not like I¡¯ll be going to any dungeon meetings to discuss appearance¡­¡±


    ¡°That might be so, but as steward of your estate, I will not allow it to remain in such a terrible state. As you previously stated, I¡¯m to be in charge of the minor details. Meanwhile, you can focus on doing nothing, or make one of your observatories you¡¯re so fond of.¡±


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    After he had a few moments to think about it, the offer sounded incredibly enticing. Sending his avatar to the study, Theo then finally took a well-deserved nap.


    Meanwhile, the changes kept on happening. True to her word, Spok gave the new houses a distinctly elegant look, giving the town a very different appearance. The dungeon had already done the brute work of it, but the spirit guide polished what had been created to perfection.


    The temple of Peris was the first to be finished. Content with what she had before Lord Mandrake¡¯s siege, she was happy to have everything¡ªincluding her statue¡ªreconstructed as it was. In her view, it wasn¡¯t the size that mattered, but what one did with it, and having a nice small temple was a lot more fitting in Rosewind, not to mention a lot easier to maintain.


    The town walls were also given a coating of gray marble. The towers were also modified so as to allow guards to stay there comfortably and have their weapons at hand in a brand-new armory beneath every tower.


    Strangely enough, it was the dungeon''s main building that had remained completely unchanged. Already close to perfection, Spok had only slightly changed the outside coating, making it blend a lot more with the newly constructed neighborhood. Ironically, with all the changes, the castle and the noble¡¯s mansions ended up looking a lot worse than everything else. Quite a few of them complained. In their view, it was unacceptable that mere commoners flaunted the state of their houses so indiscriminately. Several even went to Theo¡¯s home to complain. One look at Cmyk was enough to make them reconsider, especially since the town guard had elevated him to a local legend.


    As townsfolk emerged from the shelter of the castle, astonished by their new homes, the focus shifted to everything outside the city. While there wasn¡¯t anything that needed repair, the devastation was epic. Airships, bombs, and magic had transformed the once beautiful fields into ditches and mud. Corpses and crashed airships were everywhere, like cranberries in a bowl of milk. Liandra and the hidden dozen helped a bit with some of the cleaning up, mostly gathering as many of the dead goblins in one place so they could be burned and buried. Deprived of their cores, the creatures were nothing more than disease ridden flesh that had to be dealt with as quickly as possible if the town didn¡¯t want a series of diseases on their hands.


    By evening, several pyres of goblins were burning a respectable distance from the city walls. Liandra had done her part to bless the remains before setting them on fire. The rest was going to have to be done by the locals, including the new followers of Peris. After she had done that, and made sure that the villagers from the Mandrake Mountains were well fed and in good condition, Liandra went to Theo¡¯s mansion. Straightening as many wrinkles in her clothes as she could, she then knocked on the door. Within seconds, it opened, and the imposing figure of Spok came into view.


    ¡°Hello?¡± the spirit guide asked, not crossing the threshold.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see Theo,¡± the heroine said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but Baron d¡¯Argent is sleeping?¡± Spok said with a relaxed expression. ¡°He needs to restore his energy after all the excitement. Maybe you could visit again in the morning?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving Rosewind shortly. I¡¯m on my way to have a brief talk with the earl and was hoping to catch Theo before that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry.¡± Spok remained adamant. ¡°Would you like to leave him a message?¡±


    ¡°Just tell him I owe him one. He¡¯ll understand.¡± The heroine turned around and walked away. After a few steps, however, she stopped and turned around. ¡°Do you happen to know where he got his sword?¡±


    ¡°His sword?¡±


    ¡°The legendary sword he carried in his dimensional ring.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that. It was a gift from an old acquaintance. Why would you like to know?¡±


    ¡°The sword belonged to my grandfather,¡± Liandra explained. Although Spok remained a spirit guide, she felt a chill run through her. ¡°He was killed recently. In fact, that¡¯s the reason I came to visit the earl. My grandfather helped his family out several times, so I was hoping he¡¯d have an idea what my grandfather was going before his death.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s unlikely the baron might be of any assistance. As a mage, he doesn¡¯t tend to use weapons for much other than display them in his mansion. I wasn¡¯t aware that the person who gave it to him was a hero,¡± Spok lied. ¡°I just viewed him as a strange visitor.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s grandpa,¡± Liandra chuckled. ¡°Strange to the end. He probably found it too heavy and just dropped it off before continuing on another crazy adventure. Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to burden you with this.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s no issue. You have my condolences for your grandfather. Looking at you, I¡¯m sure he was an extraordinary man.¡±


    ¡°That he was,¡± Liandra smiled. ¡°Tell Theo I hope to see him again sometime.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Watching the heroine leave, various thoughts went through Spok¡¯s mind. As a spirit guide, it was her duty to assist her dungeon in any way possible. The question was, would telling him about this conversation be useful? Theo was prone to overreacting. If he heard that Liandra was hunting down the entity that killed her grandfather¡ªnamely him¡ªhe might do something brash. No, it was far better to keep all this a secret. Hopefully, the heroine would be too busy with her work and her quest for revenge to visit Rosewind again.


    The following day, the trivialities of everyday continued as usual. Waking up from Spok¡¯s spell, the duke¡¯s daughter was quick to notice that everything in the city had changed. Upset that she had missed all ¡°the action¡± she attempted to have a tantrum. One harsh glance from Spok made her reconsider¡ªwhich in practical terms meant going to the earl¡¯s castle and having her tantrum there.


    The clearing of bodies and debris outside the walls continued in full force, now aided by the townspeople and the rescued villagers. Peris also was doing her part, be it indirectly, by opening her temple to heal the wounded. It was a relatively slow process overall, even if it produced instant results for the affected individuals.


    Finally, around noon, Theo woke up. Strictly speaking, it was more appropriate to say that the drunken songs coming from the adventurer¡¯s guild a few houses away made it impossible for him to sleep. Annoyed, his automatic reaction was to go outside with his avatar with the full intention of speaking his mind to the good-for-nothing adventurers. That had proved to be a mistake.


    ¡°Baron d¡¯Argent!¡± a loud voice filled the street. ¡°A moment, my lord.¡±


    The avatar stopped, then slowly turned around, only to see the very familiar figure of the overachieving town guard standing ten feet away.


    ¡°Yes, Lieutenant Ribbons?¡± the avatar asked with a smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been promoted to captain, my lord.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Congratulations. Well deserved, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°I was promoted because the previous captain died during the fight.¡± The man came closer. ¡°You are hereby ordered to accompany me to Earl Rosewind¡¯s castle.¡±


    ¡°Can this wait, captain? I have a rather busy schedule and¡ª¡±


    ¡°It cannot wait, my lord.¡± Ribbons cut him short. ¡°This way, please!¡±


    And if things weren¡¯t suspicious enough, six more guards assembled behind Ribbons, all of them keeping their eyes on the avatar. Left with no choice, Theo could only widen his smile and allow his avatar to be escorted to the earl¡¯s castle. On the way, the thought of zapping them with lightning crossed his mind, but was quickly rejected. For all its benefits, holy lightning couldn¡¯t be used on people, especially those of the non-evil variety.


    The outside of the castle seemed surprisingly well, considering what it had endured. Several sections of it had been damaged, but other than the main entry point, all the damage seemed superficial. With a bit of effort and the money the dungeon had given the earl, the castle could be repaired in half a year, maybe less.


    Unlike before, the halls were mostly empty. The only people present were a few old servants who were doing their best to clean up what they could.


    ¡°Where are we going exactly?¡± the avatar asked.


    ¡°I have been instructed to lead you to the throne room,¡± the captain replied.


    ¡°And the guards?¡±


    ¡°I have been instructed to take them with me.¡±


    That didn¡¯t sound good. Not that Theo wouldn¡¯t survive an attack. After all the skills he had learned, taking care of a few guards would be like child¡¯s play. That is, unless there was some enchantment in the throne room that negated his abilities.


    All the nobles had gathered in the great hall, along with the earl¡¯s son and duke Godon¡¯s daughter.


    ¡°Ah, baron, my good friend,¡± the earl greeted him without standing up. ¡°So nice of you to pass by.¡±


    ¡°The pleasure is mine, my lord.¡± The avatar bowed. It¡¯s not like you gave me any choice, he grumbled mentally.


    ¡°Quite the bit of excitement we had recently, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ excitement.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d never guess how surprised I was to learn that the reason Lord Mandrake attacked us was because of something you did all the way in the Mandrake Mountains.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Theo felt uneasy. He had completely forgotten about the villagers. No doubt one of them had spilled the beans, letting Earl Rosewind know that he was the cause of the attack.


    ¡°Crippling his stronghold, freeing all the villagers he kidnapped, not to mention stealing one of his airships. Do I have everything right?¡±


    ¡°Villagers are prone to exaggerations,¡± the avatar laughed uneasily. ¡°There were many factors involved.¡±


    ¡°And on the way back, you passed through Vinewood forest,¡± the earl continued. ¡°I¡¯m sure you knew that there exist strict rules forbidding people from entering elvish lands unannounced.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that was merely a misunderstanding. You see, I was figuring out how to steer the airship and just happen to crash¡ª¡±


    ¡°There are many more things I could mention, but it would be a waste of time.¡± The earl¡¯s expression became deadly serious. ¡°Liandra told me most of it, and the parts she decided to keep from her were filled by the villagers you brought here. Oh, and let me not forget the griffins.¡± He leaned forward from his throne. ¡°All my nobles, with a single exception, urged me to do something on the matter. Let me tell you, it¡¯s not something I¡¯d do lightly, but given the circumstances, I don¡¯t have any choice. My hands are tied, as it were.¡±


    Theo couldn¡¯t believe his ears. Betrayed by a bunch of backstabbing nobles? He had been so worried about keeping his secret that he didn¡¯t even see this. It looked like he¡¯d have to


    ¡°Starting today, you¡¯ll be given your own hamlet to rule within walking distance of Rosewind,¡± the earl said loudly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure¡­¡± The words trailed off, lost in Theo¡¯s mouth. ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m making you a land noble in charge of a hamlet,¡± the earl winked. ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate that I don¡¯t have the power to grant you a higher title, but give it time, we¡¯ll make a viscount of you yet.¡±


    There was a moment of relief, though it was short-lived. Initially, Theo feared that he might be punished or even killed. Now, after he had a few moments to reflect, it still seemed as if he was being punished.


    ¡°My lord, I¡¯m really not too good at organizing people. A hamlet is a huge responsibility. There must be someone more suited for it.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. I¡¯ve spoken to several of the villagers you rescued and they couldn¡¯t think of anyone better. Not to mention we¡¯ve all seen how fast you could create buildings.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡±


    ¡°Liandra also supported the idea. In fact, she was the one who proposed it. It¡¯s unfortunate that she had to leave last night. I know she would have loved being here to witness the event.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she would,¡± Theo said through the fake smile of his avatar. ¡°What about the food necessary to feed the people of¡­ my hamlet?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve spoken with my tax collectors to grant you a sizable plot of land in my domain. It¡¯s the least I could do after the great deeds that you¡¯ve accomplished. Just let them know where you want the hamlet to be and they¡¯ll take care of all the bureaucratic details.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m eternally grateful, my lord. I¡¯ll¡­ get to it right away.¡±


    Thus ended the first reluctant adventure of Baron d¡¯Argent, heroic dungeon, and protector of Rosewind. His new existence was completely different from the life he¡¯d led in his previous life, and the one he had asked for. Instead of a calm existence in the middle of nowhere, he had ended up becoming the larger part of a town and a noble with his own hamlet. The only thing left was to keep smiling and pickup a new hobby¡­ like creating a new observatory or two.

 Epilogue

    Viskar sat on the golden throne, admiring the mountain of treasure in front of him. The value of the raw materials alone was more than the average count could amass in a lifetime. If the history and artisanal value was taken into consideration, the haul was fit for a king. And the best part of all¡ªthis was only the beginning. In a matter of years, the treasures would double, then triple.


    As deputy leader of the Claw Hook gang, Viskar owned a quarter of everything in front of his eyes. If he played his cards right, soon he might get to own three quarters instead. It had been years since the leader had gone off across the continent on a quest of his own. Details were scarce, but rumors were that the land he was currently plundering was far richer than any in the area. Viskar wasn¡¯t sure that he believed in that, and ultimately, it didn¡¯t matter. He had used his position to go through the treasure, which is when he found them: magical items hidden among the trinkets. There were dimensional rings, gems that sensed living creatures, candles that opened locked doors, and many other pieces of equipment that were ideal for robbing nobles and well-off individuals. Given the condition of the chests the items were in, they had probably been there for decades, snatched from some wealthy merchant, no doubt. That was the problem with the leader¡ªas strong as he was, he lacked any curiosity, leaving such treasures to rot, metaphorically speaking. When Viskar had discovered them, he had immediately distributed them among the gang, as well as bribed a wizard to duplicate as many of them as he could. The cost had been prohibitive, but the Claw Hook gang had made up for it in a matter of months. Since then, things had only gotten better.


    The sound of broken glass was heard from outside. One of the thieves must have gotten drunk again. Viskar had the mind to ignore it, but moments later, the sound was followed by a metal clanking. This was yet to alarm Viskar, but he still paused from admiring the treasure to listen carefully for other disturbances.


    ¡°No! No! No!¡± a scream sounded, followed by silence.


    Now, Viskar was worried. The stronghold was supposed to be impregnable, more than that¡ªit was supposed to be unfindable. The leader of the gang had gone through great pains to find a hidden hollowed out dungeon and transform it into a hidden base. The only people able to get in or out were members of the gang, and thanks to the magic items Viskar had procured, none of them were likely to ever get caught.


    The deputy leader stood up and went to the pile of treasures. From there, he took out a sword with a blade made of pure sapphire. According to the appraisal, this was a legendary weapon capable of slaying through dragon scales.


    ¡°Come, get me,¡± Viskar whispered as he held the sword with both hands, facing the solid metal door to the treasure room. ¡°You¡¯ll regret¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish the sentence, the floor beneath his feet disappeared. Without warning, the man found himself falling down, straight into a pool of ice-cold water. No sooner had he done so than a powerful zap of lightning passed through his entire body, rendering him unconscious.


    ¡°Here¡¯s one more,¡± Liandra said, looking at the wet room from above. The water had subsided, leaving the motionless figure of a thief on the bottom. ¡°I think that¡¯s the last of them.¡±


    ¡°You said that twice before,¡± Theo¡¯s avatar grumbled, then levitated Viskar up, out of the room, back to the treasure chamber. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that after everything, the earl made me finish this stupid quest. Wasn¡¯t defeating a potential evil overlord enough?¡±


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    ¡°Gnome,¡± Liandra corrected as she bent down to tie up Viskar¡¯s hands and feet. ¡°We defeated a gnome. It¡¯s not much to boast about. And how do you think I feel? I got called from a dragon expedition mission for this. By the time I get back, it¡¯ll be all over.¡±


    The unconscious body was telekinetically moved out of the chamber, through the corner of the corridor, where three dozen other thieves lay in wait. All of them had been knocked out and tied up.


    ¡°Those thieves definitely have been busy,¡± the heroine noted, leaping down to get the ruby bladed sword. ¡°Some of these were stolen from neighboring kingdoms.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m filled with joy,¡± the avatar grumbled.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you interested in the reward?¡±


    Theo¡¯s avatar grunted. Gold had next to no value to him, especially since he could produce all the glowing hay he wanted. Still, out of sheer curiosity, he did cast a few dozen identify spells. Nearly all the items were special, although in a very bland way. In the eyes of any person, they would be invaluable. From Theo¡¯s perspective, they were junk he couldn¡¯t give away.


    ¡°Nah, you keep it.¡± He waved a hand dismissively. ¡°There¡¯s nothing here I¡¯d want, anyway. The earl can have fun sorting through all this. With luck, it¡¯ll give me a few months¡¯ peace and quiet.¡±


    Liandra laughed. She knew exactly what Theo had in mind.


    ¡°Better pack this stuff. Do you have a dimensional ring?¡± She looked at him.


    ¡°Nothing that could hold all this. Shouldn¡¯t be a problem, though.¡± The avatar went to the pile of treasure and pulled out a small leather satchel. ¡°Dimensional bag. It should be enough to hold all of this.¡±


    ¡°How did you find that?¡± the heroine arched a brow.


    ¡°Identify spell.¡±


    ¡°Did you check if it¡¯s empty?¡±


    There was a prolonged moment of silence. Theo hadn¡¯t even thought of doing so. For some reason, he had assumed that a found dimensional item would be empty by default.


    ¡°Not yet.¡± The avatar surrounded himself by an aether shield sphere. ¡°I thought I¡¯d check it for¡ª¡±


    The moment he removed the bag¡¯s flap, a torrent of crimson flames shot out, slamming into the inside of the sphere and continuing on the sides. Immediately, the avatar cast another aether sphere, this time indestructible, to hold off the flames. The good news was that he was successful. The bad, that he wasn¡¯t able to save most of his clothes.


    ¡°Every time,¡± the avatar grumbled to himself. At least this time, his avatar had the ability to create a new set of clothes.


    ¡°Theo!¡± Liandra drew her sword. ¡°Careful, it might be a banished dragon!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a dragon,¡± the avatar replied out of habit, then reached into the dimensional satchel to check. As the space attuned to him, he was able to discern that there was no creature or other trap in there. However, there was one item¡ªa single exhausted mana gem.


    The moment the red gem was in the avatar¡¯s hand, Theo felt a deep yearning for it. It was different from the previous gem. This was something he had to have. Taking advantage of the flames and smoke still filling the indestructible sphere, the avatar put the gem in his own dimensional ring. Several seconds later, the aether shield vanished, releasing all the smoke in the chamber.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± the avatar said as Liandra ran to him, sword in hand. ¡°Just a bit of fire. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    The heroine stared at him for several seconds, then shook her head.


    ¡°Next time don¡¯t be in the aether bubble when you check for traps.¡± She glanced at the satchel. ¡°Was anything inside?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± Theo lied. ¡°Just flames. I guess it was to kill anyone who thought of using it for stealing treasure.¡±


    ¡°No honor among thieves, then.¡±


    ¡°Looks like. Anyway, let¡¯s fill it up and get this over with. Hopefully, the earl won¡¯t send us on some other quest.¡±


    Meanwhile, the mana gem in the dimensional ring flickered.

 (Book 2) Prologue

    Mornings always started with griffins. Like every other bird, they rose at first light, letting out a loud screech, then left their nests to soar in the skies of Rosewind in search of food. Some of them¡ªmostly the younger ones¡ªhad acquired the annoying quality of begging the townspeople for treats. Many enjoyed that, petting the majestic creatures, feeding them, even giving them names. That was not the case for Baron Theodor d¡¯Argent, however.


    The whole of Rosewind knew the baron as a charming, though eccentric character, with vast magical powers and who had bought a third of the city. He was quite liked both by the Earl of Rosewind and the populace. After all, he was the one who had saved the city from the goblin airship invasion not too long ago, not to mention he had rebuilt the ruins and even given many people their homes for free. Last, but not least, he had captured the notorious Hook Claw gang and returned everything they had stolen to the kingdom. What most didn¡¯t know, what they couldn¡¯t know, was that Theo was actually a dungeon.


    Two massive telescopes moved in unison, looking at the sky from the two observatory towers on the east wall. A significant amount of time and effort had gone into creating them. Each lens had been meticulously crafted by the town¡¯s alchemist with rare sand purchased from abroad. Once completed, they had the ability to see further than any spyglass could see, or¡ªwith a bit of magic¡ªfar beyond what a normal person would consider possible. Lately, the only thing the dungeon used them for was to look at the stars. It had a calming effect and was far better than counting sheep to fall asleep.


    As Theo was looking at the horizon, a splat obscured half the view.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Theo shouted. ¡°Spok, isn¡¯t there a way to house train the creatures?¡± He had endured a lot of things, but griffin droppings on the lens of his telescopes crossed the line.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s an accident, sir,¡± Spok d¡¯Esprit, the spirit guide and steward of the dungeon, said. Most people knew her as the power behind the power, or the person who did all the work for the baron. In reality, she was a discorporate sprite whose original purpose was to advise Theo in his existence as a dungeon. That was before Theo had granted Spok her own physical avatar.


    ¡°Hah!¡±


    ¡°Griffins are free spirited by nature, sir. I¡¯m sure they have no ill intent.¡±


    The dungeon wasn¡¯t sure he agreed. For some reason, they preferred to do that specifically on the observatories. Most likely trying to blackmail him into giving them food. One thing was for certain¡ªthey didn¡¯t do it anywhere else in town.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell Cmyk to have a word with them.¡±


    ¡°Do that! And tell that lazy minion he¡¯s due to get more hay. There¡¯s a merchant with a cargo of iron ingots who¡¯s willing to part with them.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Didn¡¯t you buy a whole shipment of ore last week, sir?¡± the spirit guide asked.


    Lately, the dungeon had been buying way more materials than were necessary. At first Spok had approved the initiative¡ªTheo had finally started acting like a proper dungeon and not the human he had been in his previous life. However, lately things were starting to get out of control.


    ¡°Your point?¡±


    ¡°Well, why do you need so many materials, sir? All of your corridors have been reinforced and¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of creating another ring,¡± Theo interrupted. ¡°I¡¯ve done the calculations, and for that I need a whole lot of iron. Stone¡¯s easy. I found some stone while digging lower, so all I need is ore.¡±


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    That had Spok even more concerned. As a spirit guide, she knew most things that had happened to dungeons in the past. Normally, it was a dungeon¡¯s initial desire to expand and assimilate lots of ores in the process. Usually, this was accompanied by creating a host of traps and minions to procure said minerals or protect the dungeon from adventurers and heroes. Theo, though, had been a very atypical dungeon. All he had wanted to do was lead a calm and quiet existence, complaining about the fact that he never got it.


    ¡°Is there any reason for wanting to grow, sir?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I just feel like it.¡±


    ¡°But you don¡¯t feel a sudden desire to take over the world?¡±


    ¡°Why would I want to do that?¡± All the doors in the main building creaked in surprise. ¡°All I want is a bit of resources, a bit of core points, and for the griffins to start behaving as they should!¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, sir, I¡¯ll tell Cmyk to get more hay and spin it into gold. How much iron will you be buying this time?¡±


    ¡°As much as the merchant has. You deal with the details. I¡¯ll go check on the mana gem.¡±


    When a dungeon said that it¡¯ll go somewhere, that was almost exclusively a figure of speech indicating they would focus their efforts on their rooms or tunnels. In Theo¡¯s case, though, he literally used his avatar to go from the bedroom in the main building, along the corridors beneath the town, to the main aether generation chamber where a crimson mana gem was charged up.


    Mana gems, as he had learned, when fully charged and consumed by a dungeon core, had the ability to increase the rank of the dungeon and, with that, increase the number of abilities, chamber blueprints, and knowledge available to it. It was a slow process¡ªmana gems were notoriously difficult to charge up to their functional state. Yet, that was something the dungeon felt he had to do, almost as if he had a craving.


    Walking past the traps, through the locked doors, and across the slime pools that filled the middle ring of chambers, the avatar arrived at the location of the coveted gem. Red light pulsed throughout the pyramidal jewel, almost like a beating heart.


    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s filled up,¡± Theo said, rather surprised by the fact. ¡°I thought it would be a few weeks more, at least.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes one gets lucky, sir,¡± Spok said. She didn¡¯t have any rational explanation either.


    Carefully, the avatar used telekinesis to get the ruby red crystal out of the generator. The gem felt warm to the touch. It was almost a pity that he¡¯d have to consume it. Not that it was going to stop him.


    Using a flight spell, Theo¡¯s avatar zipped back through the corridors to the core chamber. There, he put the gem into the large glowing orb that represented his very essence. Golden light merged with the red for several seconds, as the gem melted like ice-cream in the sun, disappearing from view.


    A second passed, then five, and still Theo didn¡¯t feel any change whatsoever.


    ¡°Spok,¡± he said. ¡°You saw me consume the gem, right?¡±


    ¡°That you did, sir,¡± the spirit guide agreed.


    ¡°In that case, why didn¡¯t I increase my dungeon rank?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea. Normally, the mana gem should be enough for that. There doesn¡¯t seem to be an increase in energy or core points either. It¡¯s almost as if the gem never existed.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on!¡±


    ¡°Where did you find that gem exactly, sir?¡±


    ¡°Well, I must have taken it from Lord Mandrake,¡± Theo replied evasively. ¡°Probably back in his stronghold, where you couldn¡¯t scry on me.¡±


    The truth was that he had stolen it from the thieves¡¯ stronghold. Earl Rosewind had sent him to put an end to the Hook Claw gang, and that¡¯s what Theo had done. The gem was just a small trinket he had taken for¡­ sentimental reasons. No one had said anything about it missing, when Theo had brought the treasure to the earl, so there was no reason not to keep it.


    ¡°Maybe it was defective, sir? It¡¯s rare, but it happens occasionally.¡±


    The dungeon was just about to make a sarcastic remark, when a sudden sense of hunger possessed it, making it tremble and the entire town with it.


    YOU FEEL DEVASTATING HUNGER!


    A message appeared in the air.


    ¡°Are you alright, sir?¡± Spok asked.


    ¡°That depends. Do you see this?¡±


    ¡°See what precisely, sir?¡±


    That wasn¡¯t good. Not good at all.

 (Book 2) 1. Devastating Hunger and Other Dungeon Conditions

    The first day was filled with calm panic. Theo had no idea what devastating hunger meant, but he was certain he didn¡¯t like it. For hours, he contemplated his life¡¯s choices, namely his decision to consume the gem and increase his size, despite having no practical need for it. When it came down to things, the dungeon continued to devote most of its attention to the small building in which he had arrived in Rosewind. That was where his avatar lived, as well as his skeletal minion and his spirit guide. And yet, something had urged him to keep on growing. Maybe there was something wrong with him?


    A long period of source searching began, as Theo expected the effects of the ¡°devastating hunger¡± to manifest. Images of him consuming every person in town flashed through his mind. It was a terrifying thought, though at the same time the dungeon was slightly curious how humans would taste. Back in his previous life, the joke was that everything tasted like chicken. Here, it was aether that determined taste, which made food rations utterly tasteless and unnecessary.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that it¡¯s alright, sir.¡± Spok attempted to reassure him for the tenth time.


    ¡°Have you heard of such an affliction?¡± Theo snapped while his avatar remained in bed, covering himself in a large blanket.


    ¡°No, sir, it is something new for me. Though in all honesty, dungeons aren¡¯t affected by too many things.¡±


    ¡°So, dungeons never get ill?¡±


    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t say that exactly. It does occasionally happen. Consuming too many demonic cores has shown dungeons to acquire marginally cursed tendencies.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve consumed a lot of demon cores¡­¡± The doors of the building creaked in dread. So far Theo had consumed two demon lord heart cores, not to mention all the goblin, troll, and demon cores that his avatar had used to reach his current level. At the time, the dungeon had complained that he couldn¡¯t consume cores fast enough. Now he was paying the price for his gluttony.


    ¡°You have also consumed the energy of a legendary hero and a divine temple,¡± Spok said with the slightest hint of annoyance creeping into her voice. ¡°You have a surprisingly balanced diet, sir. Many would say you¡¯re the epitome of health. Some would even call you fitness obsessed.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Windows opened and closed in a blink. ¡°How¡¯d you figure that?¡±


    ¡°Mostly due to the extraordinary amount of core points that you acquired early on, you had the energy to reform yourself several times. That¡¯s a rare occurrence as far as dungeons are concerned. Most grow in the direction of the area¡¯s natural resources, creating abysmally terrible structures. Not to speak ill of others, but there have been dungeons over a mile long and only ten feet in width. Others twist and turn like a corkscrew. You could see how that might cause issues.¡±


    The thought made Theo wince. When Spok put it that way, he was extremely thankful for having acquired his core points early on. Being a mess and not having the core points and energy to do anything about it was terrifying, especially considering his early mess ups. If he had known what he was doing the first time around, the dungeon would have been about a fifth larger, by his own estimates.


    ¡°And while the slimes could be considered annoying, you¡¯re far from suffering from minion congestion.¡±


    ¡°Minion congestion?¡± Theo repeated. ¡°That¡¯s a thing?¡±


    ¡°Very much so, sir. In fact, it¡¯s the leading ailment that plagues dungeons. Having scores of minions roam about causes all sorts of issues, especially when different minions do different things. As you¡¯ve experienced with Cmyk, minions have a certain degree of autonomy. Constantly giving orders to every single one of them is usually impossible, so dungeons rely that the minions would do a good job on their own and only interfere when things go terribly wrong. Imagine what would happen if there were dozens of types of minions walking around narrow corridors?¡±


    ¡°Ouch.¡±


    ¡°And don¡¯t get me started about the complications arising from digger minions mixing with worker minions, or even worse with guard minions. Often the result is hybrid minions that are shunned by all and accepted by none. You have no idea how fortunate you are to never know such problems.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to agree with you.¡± Theo had found having a single minion annoying. Having to deal with hundreds or even thousands would have been a real nightmare. ¡°What about¡­¡±


    The dungeon¡¯s words trailed off. Having never experienced such afflictions, he had a dark, morbid curiosity on the topic. At the same time, he didn¡¯t want to find out that he was suffering from something far worse. An internal battle took place, ending in a resounding victory for curiosity.


    ¡°Alright, anything else I should know?¡±


    ¡°Decay is another issue, mostly for waning dungeons.¡±


    ¡°Decay?¡± The town trembled.


    ¡°It¡¯s not nearly as serious as it sounds, sir, especially according to those afflicted. Decay is the result of dungeons living beyond their means. As I mentioned before, sometimes that isn¡¯t due to choice. Having created a rigid structure while growing up, it¡¯s not always possible to transform sections into energy. An alternative is to reduce the amount of energy, resulting in certain sections becoming run down. A few cracks, some roots here and there. It¡¯s not a pretty sight, but in most cases, not particularly harmful either.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t a problem that Theo had to deal with, either. He had too much OCD to let himself fall into ruin. If anything, he spent ludicrous amounts of energy on the walls and inhabited portions of himself. That was the annoying thing about people: they had this annoying desire to mess up things. Children and teenagers were the worst of all, drawing on walls or carving hearts in a sign of devotion. And one could not forget their obsession with rearranging everything at least several times per month.


    ¡°Anything else?¡± he asked.


    ¡°There are psychological issues,¡± the spirit guide said cautiously. ¡°Hoarding, vanity, growth obsession¡­¡±


    ¡°Growth obsession?¡± The building shook again. ¡°That¡¯s what I have!¡±


    ¡°No, sir. Growth obsession is a condition in which a dungeon expands regardless of current energy and core point reserves. Nearly always, it¡¯s accompanied by decay since the dungeon¡¯s obsession is stronger than the need of maintaining what it already has. While you have questionable taste, you are not suffering from growth obsession, at least not in the way you think you are.¡±


    ¡°In that case, what is it? You saw the message black on white! Devastating hunger!¡±


    ¡°Do you feel devastating hunger, sir?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡­¡± Theo thought for a moment. Other than paying for the resources he had previously ordered, he hadn¡¯t done anything new since seeing the message. If this had been any other day, he¡¯d probably be snoozing, thinking of ways to make the people of Rosewind less annoying and the griffins cleaner. ¡°Not at the moment.¡±


    ¡°If you want my advice, don¡¯t think about it. Just spend a few weeks sleeping, or go out with your avatar and admire the town. As vain as it sounds, it might do you some good admiring yourself.¡±


    It was difficult to say whether she was being serious or sarcastic. Normally, a spirit guide wouldn¡¯t be able to set foot outside the dungeon it was assigned to. The rule was firm, with no exceptions. However, with Spok being delegated to maintain Theo¡¯s ¡°estate¡± after Lord Mandrake¡¯s attempt to raze Rosewind, she had made it a point to create a lot of cobbled streets with large pavements. The reason for this extravagance was so that she could walk freely throughout the streets at will. It made her feel part of the town, something she thoroughly enjoyed.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯re done with that, there are a few matters that require your attention,¡± Spok changed the topic. ¡°Lady Aleria has let us know that she¡¯ll be dropping by next month.¡±


    ¡°Great¡­¡± Theo grumbled. The lady in question was the daughter of a powerful neighboring duke. During Lord Mandrake¡¯s attack, the dungeon had apparently saved her from certain death. The truth was that he had manipulated things so as to keep her in his main building in case the Earl decided to make a deal with the invaders and sell out Theo. Thankfully, that hadn¡¯t occurred, though it had created the belief that Baron d¡¯Argent had purposefully put himself at risk to protect the noblewoman.


    ¡°She¡¯s requested to stay in your mansion.¡±


    ¡°Of course she has,¡± the dungeon grumbled.


    ¡°She claims that she¡¯d feel safer here, given what happened during her last visit.¡±


    ¡°Naturally.¡±


    It appeared that the spirit guide had taken the approach of making Theo¡¯s present so cumbersome that he wouldn¡¯t have the energy to worry about the future.


    ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°No, sir, not for the moment.¡± It was the last part of the sentence that Theo was worried about. Knowing his spirit guide, that meant that there was in fact something, but she preferred to let him know at a later time.


    With a grumble, the dungeon¡¯s avatar tossed off the blanket and stood up. Normally, Theo would just use a quick spell to get him dressed, but since there was time to waste, he went through all the clothes in the room, carefully examining each before choosing the appropriate set to wear. With autumn nearing, it was a sound decision to go with something warm and elegant: a deep green vest on an aristocratic white shirt, and a beige wool coat, matching the material of the trousers. A pair of elegant but sturdy leather shoes completed the outfit, very much in tone with the rest of his attire. Spok had insisted on wearing boots as most nobles in town did, but after seeing how easy it was to get boots ruined in combat, Theo had opted for something simple and easier to put on.


    A chilly breeze swept through the town. Even with winter months away, it was obvious that people were preparing in earnest. For the most part, that involved gathering the harvest or constructing tools and devices to do so. So far, everything seemed to be going rather well, not without the generous support of the local earl. Of course, nowhere was it said that the reason Earl Rosewind could afford to be so generous was because his coffers were overflowing with the gold Theo had given him. It had seemed as a good deal: gold for monster cores, though the dungeon would have appreciated some additional support when it came to the local tax collectors. The issue wasn¡¯t the tax, but the paperwork that accompanied it.


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Good morning, Baron!¡± A bulky man approached the avatar. He was one of the local adventurers who was also friends with Theo¡¯s minion, which automatically made him annoying. ¡°Off to some grand adventure again?¡±


    ¡°No, not at the moment.¡± Not ever, if Theo had a say in the matter.


    ¡°Did Cmyk happen to talk to you?¡±


    The question was as loaded as they came. Whenever someone began in such fashion, it was to ask for one thing: money.


    ¡°No, he¡¯s been quite silent lately.¡±


    ¡°Typical Cmyk.¡± The adventurer laughed. ¡°Well, it¡¯s regarding the Lionmane adventurer¡¯s guild. You¡¯re probably not aware, but we¡¯ve been trying to get Cmyk to join us. In fact, all the guilds are trying to do that.¡±


    ¡°All three?¡± Theo couldn¡¯t help himself. ¡°Cmyk must be quite popular.¡±


    ¡°You can say that again. Ever since he saved Rosewind, everyone¡¯s been flocking to get his favor.¡±


    ¡°As opposed to before?¡±


    Back when the dungeon had first arrived, before he had created his own avatar, Cmyk had been tasked with the small things, such as buying everything necessary for Theo to maintain his cover. Since gold never was an issue, he had quickly become the local star. People would talk about his generosity, humbleness, and dark past as they enjoyed his coin. Lately, things had gotten even worse with the minion being considered a hero candidate.


    I should never have given him flesh, Theo grumbled to himself.


    ¡°You won¡¯t believe the lengths people go to,¡± the adventurer continued indignantly. ¡°One person, without naming names or guilds, bought a whole barrel of wine to bribe him.¡±


    ¡°A whole barrel of wine?¡±


    ¡°I know, right? It wasn¡¯t even good wine. I bet it¡¯s something that his guild was trying to get rid of.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like you still drank it.¡±


    ¡°Of course we did. It¡¯s free wine. It¡¯s the principle that counts. There¡¯s a right and wrong way about things, and that was the wrong way.¡±


    Theo was fortunate that his avatar wasn¡¯t subject to headaches, or he would have had a splitting migraine by now.


    ¡°So you want me to tell him to join your guild?¡± the avatar asked.


    ¡°No, of course not.¡± The adventurer straightened up indignantly. ¡°Not directly. We were just thinking that if you become the sponsor of our guild, that might send a message and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sure, fine.¡± The avatar waved his hand, willing to do anything to end the conversation. ¡°Tell Spok to deal with it.¡± He walked on, ignoring the wave of thanks behind him. Sadly, the way was just beginning.


    In the scope of fifteen minutes, he was approached by members of the other two guilds. Several families wanted to have their sons join the town guard, not to mention the measured insults coming from the local nobles.


    By noon, Theo utterly regretted ever setting foot outside. Each time he tried to get back to his mansion, someone would ambush him with a new series of requests.


    ¡°My lord,¡± the harsh voice of Captain Ribbons filled the air.


    Not him too, Theo groaned on the inside.


    ¡°Captain,¡± he said with a measured smile. ¡°What might I do for you today?¡±


    ¡°The earl has requested your presence,¡± the head of the town guards said.


    This was nothing new. The earl would often call Theo, or rather his avatar, for one thing or another. Most of the time the avatar ended up simply sitting there while a pack of nobles squabbled about something that was of no importance whatsoever. It was no secret that Earl Rosewind wanted to become a duke and for that he was doing the equivalent of odd jobs within the kingdom. Only last month, he had asked Theo to set out and catch a golden stag¡ªa request that the dungeon had vehemently refused.


    ¡°I take it this is an urgent matter?¡± the baron asked.


    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± The captain nodded. ¡°I have been instructed to escort you directly to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡± The avatar cut him off, heading towards the castle on his own accord. By now, he had gotten used to the earl¡¯s antics, which was sort of sad.


    Guards stood to attention as the avatar crossed the drawbridge, entering the inner section of the castle. They had several reasons to do so. On the one hand, the baron had been a designated Protector of Rosewind¡ªan obscure rank that came along with no benefits whatsoever. On the other, he was the employer of ¡°Sir Myk,¡± the local legend.


    Doubling his pace, the baron strode through the inner courtyard into the castle itself, where he went to the throne room. To no surprise, the Earl was already there expecting him. What was surprising, though, was the presence of three other figures: Count Alvare, Baroness Eledrion, and Marquis Dott. Unlike all the other nobles, these ones held real power. It could be said that most of the political power in the town and its surroundings were in the hands of the people in this room.


    ¡°Baron,¡± the baroness greeted him first, as etiquette demanded.


    ¡°Baroness.¡± The avatar bowed politely. ¡°Marquis,¡± he bowed again. ¡°Count. Earl.¡±


    ¡°Baron,¡± the marquis responded.


    A mutual exchange of titles ensued, continuing for a quarter of a minute, as the doors to the throne room were closed.


    ¡°Hello, my good friend,¡± the earl began in his typical fashion. ¡°So glad that you found the time. I¡¯m aware that you have a lot on your mind, but we thought that it was high time that we welcome you to one of our meetings. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Not at all, my lord.¡± Theo was fully aware of what this meant. The earl had frequently hinted that he wished the baron to take a more active role in the town¡¯s politics. The dungeon had resisted, of course, but clearly that hadn¡¯t dissuaded the noble.


    ¡°Oh, no need to use titles when we¡¯re alone. Consider us as a group of likeminded people.¡±


    ¡°With considerable power and influence,¡± the marquis added. He was the oldest person of the group and, as such, had difficulty filtering his cynicism. Not that he was wrong. Given that all of them had more land than Theo himself, it was difficult to think any differently.


    Two of the members had been absent during Lord Mandrake¡¯s attack. The baroness had been away focusing on her business interests abroad, and Count Alvare had happened to be in the kingdom¡¯s capital. Only the marquis had witnessed how close the town was to falling, though now that the danger was over, he wasn¡¯t in the least bit impressed.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Earl Rosewind cleared his throat. ¡°Quite. In any event, as someone who owns most of the city and has proved to have the qualities to defend Rosewind¡­¡±


    ¡°And the means to provide financial stability,¡± the marquis added.


    ¡°Is it true that you¡¯re a high-level mage, baron?¡± the baroness interrupted.


    If this had been a casual person asking, Theo wouldn¡¯t have thought much of it. However, given that none of the people were in this room by accident, he decided to be careful with his response.


    ¡°Something like that,¡± he replied.


    ¡°And part of a brand new tower,¡± the woman continued. ¡°I¡¯m glad that you were fortunate in your choice. Most new towers crumble a few years after being established. The established ones don¡¯t wish to relinquish their grip, so unpleasantries are known to happen.¡±


    ¡°Please, my dear. I¡¯m sure that the good baron knows what he¡¯s doing,¡± the earl said. ¡°One doesn¡¯t reach his level through luck alone. As I¡¯ve already mentioned, I¡¯ve witnessed his abilities first hand and think it¡¯s long overdue that he joins the council. But where are my manners? I think we should continue this conversation in more comfortable surroundings.¡± He clapped his hands.


    The more comfortable surroundings ended up being a small, though highly decorated, room with a marble table in the middle. Six masterfully crafted chairs of oak were around it, each with its own name, it seemed.


    All the nobles took their seats. Theo was seated, facing the earl directly.


    ¡°We could do with some refreshments, couldn¡¯t we?¡± The earl rang a small bell.


    Everyone but the marquis let out a sigh. None of them appreciated having their time wasted unless it was necessary. In this aspect, they were people after Theo¡¯s heart. He was just about to add his sigh to the chorus when a message appeared back in his main body.


    YOU FEEL DEVASTATING HUNGER!


    This startled the dungeon, making his avatar jump up from his chair.


    ¡°Theo?¡± the earl asked. ¡°Is everything alright?¡±


    All eyes were on the avatar. Already alarmed by the message and not sure what excuse to come up with, he did what Spok would in such circumstances.


    ¡°Magic discharge,¡± he said with a forced smile. ¡°There must have been some residual magic left in the chair.¡±


    There was a long moment of silence.


    ¡°I guess you weren¡¯t lying after all.¡± The baroness turned to the earl. ¡°The chairs really were made through magical means. I wonder why my grandmother didn¡¯t tell me, given that she was here when they were purchased.¡±


    ¡°The past is always full of mysteries.¡± Earl Rosewind smiled with a smug expression. ¡°Let¡¯s begin the discussion.¡±


    The topics of discussion were as important as they were boring. Theo caught bits and pieces, but his mind wandered. All the time he was expecting for the message to appear again somewhere. Unfortunately for him, he was right.


    An hour into the meeting, during a discussion of potential trade routes that could be created through Rosewind, the message appeared again. Similar to before, the message wasn¡¯t accompanied by anything else.


    Spok reassured him that everything was alright, but the message persisted, the intervals between its appearance getting shorter and shorter. Less than fifteen minutes passed since the last time it appeared, then five, then¡­


    YOU NEED TO CONSUME A MONSTER CORE!


    FAILING TO DO SO IN ONE HOUR WILL HALVE YOUR CURRENT ENERGY!


    ¡°What?¡± The town trembled for a full second. ¡°And what do you say about that, Spok?¡± the dungeon shouted in its main building.


    On the one hand, he was relieved. Losing half his energy wasn¡¯t such a big deal, especially since he was producing ludicrously large amounts. However, this still presented a considerable inconvenience.


    ¡°It seems you¡¯re correct, sir. This is a sort of ailment. Yet, it¡¯s not one I¡¯m familiar with. I would recommend that you inquire at the temple.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    Having the ability to converse with a goddess was something millions of people throughout the land would be envious of. There was a good reason for that. The local goddess had helped Theo in several tough spots. Asking her was the logical choice. Unfortunately, recent events had caused the goddess to ¡°take a short vacation¡± in another part of the continent. Thus, Theo was left tending her temple without the ability to contact her. As Peris had said, ¡°don¡¯t call me, I¡¯ll get in touch once I get back.¡± The chances of her doing so in the next hour were slim to none. It was clear that the dungeon would have to take matters into his own hands.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± his avatar said, interrupting a ¡°riveting¡± conversation about roads. ¡°How long does this usually last?¡±


    ¡°Oh, not long usually,¡± the earl replied. ¡°Except for times of crisis, we only gather a few times for tea. There aren¡¯t that many topics to discuss normally.¡±


    ¡°He means we don¡¯t have the money to do anything,¡± the marquis explained.


    ¡°Yes, quite. Now that we have the opportunity to put our plans into action, it¡¯s worthwhile to decide what plans have a priority over others. I don¡¯t expect it¡¯ll take much longer. Probably three or four hours more. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll have food brought in. We¡¯re not savages, after all.¡±


    Three hours were two too many. In fact, they were three hours too many. Theo had spent half his previous life being in similar meetings to know fully well that his input alone wouldn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°I¡¯m deeply honored for the invitation, but I really have some urgent matters to discuss with my steward.¡±


    ¡°More important than this?¡± The count arched his brow.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not forget that, unlike us, Theo actually has a life outside of town,¡± the earl said in diplomatic fashion. ¡°I¡¯m sure we could hurry things up. We¡¯ve already established the direction. It shouldn¡¯t be more than ten minutes at this point.¡±


    The ten minutes became twenty, then thirty. Each time it seemed like the meeting would end, the earl would raise a new concern. It was like watching a fight against a verbal hydra: for each question answered, two more appeared.


    ¡°Earl, I really have to¡ª¡±


    The hunger hit Theo like an avalanche. In a single second, half of his energy vanished, as if something had ripped it out of him in extremely painful fashion. Up to now, he didn¡¯t know that dungeons could experience pain. It wasn¡¯t too serious, more like getting a tooth pulled. In his past life, Theo would hardly have noticed. This life wasn¡¯t the last, though.


    ¡°I know, Baron, I know,¡± the earl sighed. ¡°I will try to hurry things up. Just try to endure a little longer.¡±


    YOU FEEL DEVASTATING HUNGER!


    A new message appeared in the dungeon¡¯s main building. Things had just gone from bad to worse.

 (Book 2) 2. Cursed to Adventure

    Two dozen royal slimes rolled along the underground tunnel. Each of them was the size of a small shed, full of goblin bones and old rusty weapons. It wasn¡¯t rare for an overconfident, novice adventurer to overestimate themselves and charge alone at such a creature, perishing as a result.


    The slimes slowed down, arriving at a complete stop. They had sensed a presence in their domain and now were preparing to pounce. The sound of careless footsteps echoed throughout the tunnel, coming from a side corridor. As the steps approached, the surface of the slimes changed color, blending with their surroundings. Then, when the figure emerged, all of them dashed towards it.


    ¡°Ice blades,¡± Theo¡¯s avatar said in the most bored voice possible. Dozens of sharp chunks of ice appeared around him, flying into his attackers. Like a hailstorm they pierced through the gelatinous surface, causing the slimes to splat out of existence mid-air.


    CORE CONSUMPTION


    13 royal slime core fragments converted into 650 Avatar Core Points.


    Throughout the town, Theo sighed. Back when he was fighting Lord Mandrake, he couldn¡¯t get enough of the thrill of adventuring. That was one of the reasons he had constructed a ridiculous number of slime pools. The moment the threat subsided, harvesting the minions for core points had become like going to the gym: something left for later.


    With a sigh and a grumble, the avatar continued along the corridor to the next cluster of slimes. So far, he had killed quite a lot of them already¡ªor at least they seemed like a lot¡ªand had yet to reach level twenty. That was one of the issues dealing with monsters he had himself created.


    ¡°Do you feel any better, sir?¡± Spok appeared in the corridor a few steps away. With everything going on, the woman was concerned. A day had passed since the strange condition had occurred and since then the dungeon had lost half of his current energy twice. With the large amount of aether generators, Theo was still able to function; to an outside observer, nothing seemed wrong. However, such a condition was far from normal.


    YOU FEEL DEVASTATING HUNGER!


    A message appeared in the tunnel.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± both Theo and his avatar asked. ¡°Were you able to find anything?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± the woman adjusted the collar of her shirt. ¡°The tower is looking into it, sir.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°And they are looking into it, sir. It¡¯s not a human condition, that¡¯s for certain, and they are convinced that it¡¯s not related to the demon hearts.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it takes time for the hearts to have an effect? Didn¡¯t the gnome go all crazy after a few months of hanging around them?¡±


    ¡°That is not the case, sir. Most likely it¡¯s nothing to be alarmed about, merely a minor annoyance that will sort itself out with time.¡±


    The explanation wasn¡¯t what the dungeon wanted to hear, but since there was nothing he could do, he decided to try to sleep through it. Unfortunately, that turned out not to be possible. At noon each day the message would first appear, then continue doing so with increasing frequency. By evening, the warning of the monster core would emerge, leading to the marginally painful energy halving. It didn¡¯t matter what Theo was doing or what measures he took. Killing slimes didn¡¯t help in the least. As had become apparent, neither was buying monster cores to consume.


    It seemed that Theo was stuck with this. The messages and energy drain had become part of his everyday routine. And still with each day, the dungeon grew more and more cranky until one day he had had enough.


    ¡°I can¡¯t take this anymore!¡± Theo shouted as the avatar jumped out of bed. Stomping his way out of the room, he went down his stairs towards the door.


    ¡°Sir?¡± Spok asked. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°To the damned adventurer¡¯s guild!¡± the avatar snapped, sliding on his dimensional ring and the gear contained within.


    ¡°The¡­ the adventurer¡¯s guild, sir?¡±


    ¡°They have been pestering me for days to convince Cmyk to become a member. Well, now they¡¯ll have their wish!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see how that will help, sir.¡± The spirit guide appeared next to him. ¡°I¡¯ve already asked, and no one in Rosewind has any idea regarding your condition.¡±


    ¡°Cmyk won¡¯t be joining the guild.¡± The avatar opened the door. ¡°I am.¡± He stepped outside, the door slamming behind him.


    The weather was mild for the season. Most of the locals were still wearing their summer clothes, which annoyed Theo, although there wasn¡¯t a reason it should. The chirping of birds had been long replaced by the screeching of griffins, although thanks to the constant feeding they got from the townspeople, the creatures had toned it down while in the vicinity.


    The trip to Ulf¡¯s adventurer guild lasted less than a minute. It was a pleasant building; at one point it probably had been one of the gems in Rosewind, but since then had gone through hard times. The people in charge had done their best to keep the first floor in good condition, adding a lot of well-crafted boards and banners. Looking above them, though, showed a crumbling fa?ade, abundant with cracks and riddled with holes. Some were caused by the invasion, though some were visibly older. A large bronze plaque depicting a lion in profile was right next to the door, in stark contrast with the small wooden board underneath which read ¡°Join for free!¡± If all local adventurer guilds were like this, no wonder they were trying to bribe Cmyk with cheap wine.


    Straightening some wrinkles on his clothes, Theo took a deep breath and walked inside.


    In his previous life, Theo had gone through many disappointments, making him quickly distinguish between the fantasy of commercials and the reality that was the actual product. Dozens of times he had ordered fast food only to receive a smudge of the food shown on the takeout menus. All those experiences paled in comparison to what the avatar had walked into right now. It wasn¡¯t that the inside of the guildhall was run down or filthy. Objectively, it looked like a rather well-kept cross between a tavern and a library. That was precisely the source of disappointment. Nothing screamed adventure less than a library that served tea and warm soup to everyone inside. All that was missing was a silence sign to make the boredom complete.


    ¡°Can I help you?¡± an old man asked. He looked like someone who had achieved a great deal in his day, which looked to be half a century ago. The scars were still there, but the muscles were long gone, making him look like an aged bureaucrat.


    ¡°I¡¯m Baron Theodor d¡¯Argent,¡± the avatar said, then waited for his words to have the expected effect.


    They didn¡¯t. The old man stood there, a dull smile on his face, pristinely waiting.


    ¡°You must have heard of me.¡±


    ¡°I am familiar, yes. You helped in the battle against Lord Mandrake.¡±


    Helped?! Theo wanted to yell. He had won the whole thing! Not to mention everything he had done afterwards. Normally, people would acknowledge at least that. This guy seemed absolutely unimpressed.


    ¡°My apologies, but what is a noble mage such as yourself doing here? Do you wish to hire us for some task?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m here to join your guild.¡±


    If a dragon had ripped the roof off, it would hardly have caused greater shock than the words that Theo had just said. It was common for the children of nobles to run off to an adventurer guild to escape the boredom they were subjected to. Often, their parents would even pay the guild master to orchestrate a pretend mission for the kids to get the notion out of their system. Having a full-grown man, a mage at that, request to join was unheard of.


    ¡°Err, are you experiencing financial difficulties?¡± the old man whispered.


    ¡°What?¡± the dungeon¡¯s avatar snapped. ¡°Do I look like someone who has financial difficulties?¡± he asked, and just to stress on the fact that he didn¡¯t, he took out a handful of gold coins from his dimensional ring and slammed them on the counter.


    ¡°Did you lose a bet by chance?¡±


    ¡°Look, I came to join. If you don¡¯t want me, just say so that I can go to one of the other two shacks that pass for guilds and do the same.¡±


    ¡°My apologies, but having someone of your caliber is¡­ unusual. With what you¡¯ve done, you could easily apply to the heroes guild. It¡¯s not that we wouldn¡¯t want you, but I¡¯m not sure what the guild has to offer. Especially since you¡¯re part of the town¡¯s counsel.¡±


    The last point made Theo look at the man with a hint of respect.


    ¡°You know about that?¡±


    ¡°All local adventurer guilds only function with the approval of the council. To be honest, when I saw you, I thought you were here to increase our license fee. It¡¯s not like there has been much work lately.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Theo could empathize. He felt the same each time the tax collector came by, even if it was only to drop off some documents sent from the earl. ¡°No, I¡¯m really here to join. Things have been a bit too calm lately, so I thought I might add some spice to my life.¡±


    Theo felt bad lying in such fashion. Adventure was the exact opposite of what he wanted. Yet, if he didn¡¯t resort to it he¡¯d¡ª


    YOU FEEL DEVASTATING HUNGER!


    The message popped up back in the dungeon¡¯s core chamber. This was getting annoying.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± the old man scratched his chin. ¡°I guess there¡¯s no harm in starting your application.¡± He reached to the back and took a piece of parchment.


    Certain sections on it were already filled in black ink. A few lines indicated the sections that had to be filled in. Most were the familiar things such as name, class, and adventurer rank. There was one section, which was a bit more alarming.


    ¡°What¡¯s nature?¡± The avatar pointed at the parchment.


    ¡°That¡ª¡± the old man pulled the parchment back, making sure that it wouldn¡¯t be ruined by someone who didn¡¯t have any idea what he was doing ¡°¡ªis filled in once we do your attunement check, Baron. It¡¯s ensuring that the personalities of party-members are compatible.¡±


    It sounded innocuous, but Theo was more than a bit concerned. Having his avatar checked out could reveal things that he wished to remain hidden¡ªhim being a dungeon, for instance.


    ¡°Is that necessary?¡± he asked with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll be doing solo missions either way. There¡¯s no point in wasting time on something that won¡¯t be needed.¡±


    The old man¡¯s eyes narrowed. As an adventurer, he knew how vital it was to know every guild member¡¯s nature. As an adventurer of a guild strapped for money, he also knew that some exceptions were permissible. The Lionmane Guild hadn¡¯t been doing particularly well in the last century. The recent attack had only made the situation worse. While adventurers from the guild had taken part in the defense of the town, that hadn¡¯t done much for their finances. True, Earl Rosewind had paid to have all buildings restored¡ªall that weren¡¯t repaired by Baron d¡¯Argent, that is¡ªbut he hadn¡¯t solved the underlying problem. The truth was that adventuring was a seasonal occupation. Goblins and other monsters appeared in spring, remained active throughout the summer, then stopped being a nuisance. The guild expenses and license fees remained.


    ¡°Very well.¡± The old man scribbled a large question mark in the respective section. ¡°I would suggest going through the attunement check regardless, but after such a generous donation, who am I to judge? Anything else you¡¯d like omitted?¡±


    ¡°Could you put classless under class?¡± the avatar asked.


    ¡°Sure,¡± the old man scribbled it in, along with Theo¡¯s full name. ¡°Level?¡±


    ¡°Put a twenty.¡±


    This raised the man¡¯s eyebrows, but he did it nonetheless. The ease with which he filled out the piece or parchment, without doing any of the required checks, confirmed Theo¡¯s notion that this wasn¡¯t a guild he wanted to be part of. If he didn¡¯t know better, he¡¯d say that the place was a club for criminals and good-for-nothings.


    ¡°Looks good,¡± the old man said, putting his quill aside. ¡°You¡¯re almost set to go, baron.¡±


    ¡°Finally,¡± the avatar said beneath his breath.


    ¡°Right after your status check.¡± Reaching into a drawer beneath the counter, the man took out a small green gem. It was barely the size of a pea, rough and jagged. The greenish-cyan glow clearly showed that there was something magical about the item.


    Before Theo could protest, the old man grabbed the hand of his avatar and pressed the gen against his palm. A large golden rectangle of light emerged.


    BARON THEODOR d¡¯ARGENT - Heroic


    Level 19


    Strength: 54


    Speed: 40


    Mind: 75


    SKILLS


    Ranged Attack - MAX


    Aether shield - MAX


    Aether shield - ULTRA


    Swiftness - MAX


    Arcane Identify - MAX


    Arcane Identify - ULTRA


    Wound Heal - 5


    Minor Bless - MAX


    Cleave Attack - MAX


    Sword Chop ¨C MAX


    Tracking - 1


    Zap - 1


    Long Weapons - MAX


    Flight - MAX


    ICE MAGIC - MAX


    Create Rain - 1


    Unlock - 1


    Locate Dungeon - 1


    Aether Dagger - 2


    Entangle - 2


    Quickly, Theo pulled his hand back, but it was already too late. Everything about him had already been seen.


    ¡°Interesting.¡± The old man said, picking up the gem from the counter. ¡°I understand why you¡¯d want to hide your nature.¡±


    Throughout the city, doors and windows creaked slightly in unison, then froze up.


    ¡°Being a hero could be a burden, especially for a mage.¡±


    That was it? Had the man been swayed by the gold Theo had left? Or maybe there was a different reason? Thinking back, it only said ¡°heroic¡± on the identify rectangle, not ¡°heroic dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Your skills are all over the place, though. I¡¯ve no idea how you acquired them, but it pays to be a bit more focused in future, baron.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± the avatar grumbled. ¡°Now that that¡¯s done, is the process over? Or is there some other trial I need to perform?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll skip that.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± the avatar smirked.


    ¡°You defeated waves of goblins during the defense of the city, which is at the very least hundreds of times more difficult than any guild trial. Besides, in your current position, you can just give a letter of reference to yourself, being part of the council and all.¡±


    Some things never changed. Even in this life, Theo could see that connections went a long way. Now he understood how Duke Godon¡¯s daughter had managed to become an adventurer. A simple letter to a chosen adventurer guild and the unfortunate guild master was left with no choice but to accept her.


    With the bored calm of someone who had seen everything the world had to offer, the old man took a triple silver ring, then shoved the gem onto the bezel. The glow changed color to amber, then slowly faded away until it was nothing more than a common chunk of quartz.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± the old man said. ¡°This marks you as a third-class adventurer. The guild and all your information is within the stone, so don¡¯t lose it. You¡¯ll have to pay to have another one made.¡±


    I already paid for this one as well, Theo thought as he took the ring. It was stylish in its simplicity and rather small. Most adventurers probably held it on a chain round their neck or in a pouch. The dungeon, though, decided to wear it openly, placing it on the left pinky finger of his avatar.


    ¡°Welcome to the Lionmane Guild.¡± The old man extended his hand. ¡°I¡¯m Karlton Gerard, guild master.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the guild master?!¡± Theo asked in shock.


    ¡°You think I¡¯m too old?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­ why are you dealing with adventurer registration? Don¡¯t you have people to do that for you?¡±


    ¡°Hah,¡± the man let out a sad chuckle. ¡°My nephew¡¯s supposed to do that, but he¡¯s busy drinking and wasting his time around town. Sometimes I think that the idea of duty and responsibility is lost on the new generation.¡±


    ¡°I know exactly how you feel.¡± The avatar nodded. He had the same problem with Cmyk.


    ¡°With membership being low and money being tight, there¡¯s no one outside the family I could pay to do this for me. I have to deal with all the administration, cleaning, cooking, and repairs when I find the time. Thanks to your generous donation, I¡¯ll finally be able to hire someone to fix up the building. It¡¯s a real mess.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    For some reason, Theo felt guilty not having done it himself. However, a brief moment of guilt wasn¡¯t enough to get over the aversion he felt towards adventurers. Dungeons universally did everything in their power to keep adventurers out of them. There was no way he¡¯d make an adventurer¡¯s guild part of himself.


    ¡°So, now that I¡¯m a guild member, I¡¯d like to see all the jobs you have.¡± He looked around. ¡°Where¡¯s the notice board?¡±


    ¡°Does this look like one of the fancy guilds in the big cities? If I could afford to buy all that paper needed to maintain a notice board, I wouldn¡¯t be doing this myself.¡±


    The man bent down, reaching for something beneath the counter, then emerged again with a large tome. Just like the guild itself, it had been quite luxurious at some point, but aged with time. Opening it at the bookmark, the guild master flipped a few pages and started reading.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what we have¡­ There are a few farms that have dog issues.¡±


    ¡°Dog issues?¡±


    ¡°Troll dogs,¡± Karlton clarified. ¡°They are a nuisance this time of year. With a lot of animals migrating south, troll dogs start attacking farms. Usually, the farmers could deal with them, but now and again they manage to snatch a cow or two. Fancy having a go?¡±


    The avatar shook its head.


    ¡°Thought so.¡± The guild master flipped the page. ¡°There are a few goblin sightings, but after what Rosewind has been through, I doubt anyone would want to waste time with that.¡±


    ¡°Put that as a maybe,¡± the avatar said. Goblins wasn¡¯t his first choice, but it was better than nothing.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s what you got.¡± The man closed the book.


    ¡°Wait. That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re a small guild in the middle of nowhere. Now do you understand why money is so difficult to come by? With the griffin nest you summoned, things are only going to get worse. No offense.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡±


    ¡°There never were powerful creatures in the area to begin with. The few that existed were killed off by the initial adventurers that created the guild. The minor monsters are too weak and cowardly to stand against griffins. Not that I have anything against them. Magnificent creatures. My nephew has practically adopted one. Feeds it every morning. Between you and me, I also toss it some leftovers when I can.¡±


    ¡°There are no threats in the entire region?¡± Theo couldn¡¯t believe the irony. Through luck he had found a place that was calm as could be and now that was preventing him from enjoying the quiet he so much longed for. ¡°What about the surrounding ones? The earl sent me on a quest to deal with some thieves a while back. Isn¡¯t there anything similar?¡±


    ¡°Those are tasks, kingdom jobs. Sure, there are a few in the area, but they are a tad more difficult than adventurers could handle.¡±


    ¡°More difficult than surviving an evil overlord invasion?¡± The avatar crossed its arms.


    ¡°It¡¯s your life.¡± The guild master shrugged, then opened the tome to the very back, where a series of separate pages were stacked in. ¡°There was a swamp monster that was terrorizing the region, but I heard it was dealt with last month. Apparently, some hero returned to the scene after being gone for thirty years.¡±


    ¡°Drat!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a cursed estate inhabited by bloodthirsty phantoms. The current owners have been trying to get rid of the buildings for generations. A hero attempt failed. The hero managed to survive, but failed in getting rid of the curse, or the being that caused it.¡±


    ¡°Next.¡± Theo had no intention of dealing with anything that heroes couldn¡¯t deal with.


    ¡°A call for a mage tower attack. This one is relatively new. Usually when two mage towers fight, each tries to hire as many mercenaries and adventurers as possible to defeat the other. Might be interesting, but I¡¯d suggest against it. Things always get messy when magic is involved, especially if you¡¯re a mage.¡±


    Point taken. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s some brigand leader causing trouble in a neighboring region, but details are scarce.¡±


    So, this was what it came down to: hunting goblins, a haunted estate, or some brigand. As tempting as it was to deal with the curse, Theo didn¡¯t want to catch any other affliction. He could, of course, deal with the goblins, though there was no way they¡¯d provide anything more than the slimes in his corridors. Thus, the options were two: wait or check out the brigand.


    ¡°When you say scarce, what does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Extremely powerful and in the possession of magical items of unspecified power,¡± the guild master read out. ¡°It¡¯s the same as saying that he¡¯s a big guy with magic.¡±


    ¡°Anything about his gang?¡±


    ¡°It exists.¡±


    Faced with the prospect of doing nothing or going on a wild goose chase, Theo decided to try for the wild goose chase. Even if it turned out to be a colossal waste of time, there was a significant chance that he might find something interesting in the region.


    ¡°This ring,¡± the avatar said, looking at it. ¡°Does it allow me to take jobs from anywhere?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much. You¡¯ll have to pay an additional fee in other guilds. Of course, they don¡¯t have to show you any of the good jobs. Most often people will take you as filler or cannon fodder, but hey, you know best.¡±


    Normally, that would be a cause for concern. Being a dungeon avatar, though, Theo saw no downsides. Between that and an elusive brigand leader with magic items, it seemed he might actually find a way to deal with his hunger.


    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with the brigand,¡± the avatar said firmly. ¡°What do I have to do?¡±


    ¡°Get equipped, for one thing.¡±


    The avatar narrowed his eyes. He was well versed in sarcasm and had developed several methods of dealing with it. In this case, still silence was seen as the best approach.


    ¡°If you really want the task, you¡¯ll have to ask the earl,¡± the man said after several seconds. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be difficult for you.¡±


    ¡°Why? What¡¯s he got to do with it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a noble quest, so you¡¯ll have to petition for our guild to take it on. Do that, and I¡¯ll let you be the party leader for the quest.¡±


    ¡°And there¡¯s no way around it?¡±


    ¡°Nope. Not unless I want to lose my license.¡±


    Great, Theo said to himself. Everything in this town seemed to go through Earl Rosewind. This time, though, he wasn¡¯t going to give him the satisfaction of being tricked in a useless quest. Oh, no! this time, the dungeon was going to do things its way!

 (Book 2) 3. Noble Quest plus Three Adventurers

    The throne room was packed with people¡ªnot just the usual nobles and soldiers, but also everyone who could physically squeeze in. The whole thing was a grand event: a noble quest given to the protector of Rosewind, and something Theo had desperately tried to avoid. It was clear that he¡¯d have to go through such a humiliation the moment the Lionmane guild told him the details surrounding the job. Yet, even in his worst nightmare he hadn¡¯t imagined all this.


    ¡°Friends,¡± Earl Rosewind began, a large smile on his face. ¡°We have seen many perils in the last few months. Although it¡¯s difficult to tell now, months ago our beautiful city was almost lost to goblin armies.¡±


    A deliberate pause followed. The earl was a master orator, which he used to the fullest advantage. Anyone listening would almost think that he was the one who saved the city. Some of them already did.


    ¡°And today, my good friend, the Protector of Rosewind, Baron d¡¯Argent, has volunteered to do another great service, not only to us, but for the kingdom itself.¡±


    Theo grumbled internally. When he had gone to talk to the earl about it, he was promised that everything would be kept low key. The town¡¯s ruler had clearly lied, no doubt taking advantage of the circumstances to pressure the king to make him a duke. A few more noble quests achieved¡ªby Theo or someone like him¡ªand it could well happen. All that was fine. What Theo wanted was just to get rid of his affliction.


    ¡°A group of despicable brigands have been causing trouble as of late,¡± Earl Rosewind said. ¡°Their leader seems to be quite skilled, evading capture from local troops and paid adventurers. With Evil rearing its ugly head in the continent once more, heroes are in high demand and too expensive to deal with such a minor problem. Strictly speaking, even a nobleman and adventurer would rarely choose to do so, but our baron isn¡¯t just any noble, he¡¯s a rare breed that personally asked me to grant him this quest purely on his own accord!¡±


    Clapping and whispers filled the throne room. Theo felt sick. Even so, his avatar remained smiling, still on one knee.


    ¡°Naturally, I didn¡¯t have the heart to turn him down.¡± The earl smiled.


    That good for nothing liar, Theo thought. Once again, he was twisting everything around. Technically, Earl Rosewind wasn¡¯t wrong; Theo had gone to see him with his avatar, asking for the quest in the hope it would solve his current issue. There was no need to make that public, though.


    ¡°I am honored and flattered that you¡¯ve put so much trust in me, Earl Rosewind,¡± Theo¡¯s avatar said. ¡°I will do my best not to let you and the town down.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ll make us proud.¡± The earl waved his wrist in the air several times. ¡°Not only will you go on this dangerous quest, but you have also agreed to help shape up a few people in the process.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Theo blinked. He had never done anything of the sort. For one thing, he distinctly remembered asking the earl that he go alone on this mission. It was difficult enough to be stuck with a hero last time.


    ¡°The guild master of the Lionmane guild, the very guild the Baron has become a member and sponsor of, has informed me that you¡¯ll be taking his nephew along.¡±


    ¡°He did?¡± The smile remained on Theo¡¯s avatar. The dungeon, however, was shaking creating a minor tremor throughout the town.


    Traitor! Theo thought.


    ¡°Ulfang von Gregor,¡± the earl said loudly. ¡°Please stand behind the baron.¡±


    The expression of surprise on the adventurer¡¯s face was so great that it eclipsed everyone else¡¯s. There was hardly a person in the surrounding area that didn¡¯t know Ulf. Most would describe him as a competent adventurer, who preferred to spend most of his time having fun in the local taverns. Some even went so far as to say that his strength and skill were only surpassed by his laziness. Theo especially considered the man useless, since he¡¯d spend most of his time hanging with Cmyk.


    ¡°Did you know?¡± the dungeon asked back in his main body.


    ¡°It¡¯s never been a secret,¡± Spok said calmly. ¡°The adventurer didn¡¯t hide the fact, he just didn¡¯t particularly advertise it.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s that any different?!¡± Theo snapped, slamming a few doors as he did. ¡°Having an adventurer is almost as bad as having a hero. Now I¡¯m stuck with him.¡±


    ¡°Adventurers commonly move about in parties. When you joined the guild, it was optimistic to assume that you wouldn¡¯t be asked to join one.¡±


    Theo didn¡¯t respond. The spirit guide was absolutely right¡ªit was a valid possibility, he just hoped that he¡¯d be able to use his money and influence to go on a solo mission.


    Back in the throne room, Ulf silently made his way towards the earl. A step away from Theo¡¯s avatar he fell down on one knee.


    ¡°Ulfang, I know this is an important step for you,¡± the earl said in his wise man¡¯s tone. ¡°Normally I wouldn¡¯t have sent you out on something so dangerous, but I¡¯ve known your uncle for quite a while, so I agreed to his request. Also, having a hero¡ªin nature if not in name¡ªguide you will ensure that nothing bad happens. Isn¡¯t that right, baron?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Great, now I¡¯m a babysitter too.


    ¡°Splendid.¡± The earl rubbed the palms of his hands together. ¡°And since it would be a sin to waste such a splendid opportunity, I¡¯ve selfishly decided to send my son along as well.¡±


    If reality were to mirror what was going through Theo¡¯s mind, a swamp would have swallowed the town whole. The earl¡¯s son was no better than Ulf!


    ¡°Are you sure, Earl?¡± Theo asked in hope. ¡°Your son isn¡¯t even an adventurer, not to mention¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, Karlton made him a member a few hours ago. That makes him perfectly eligible to join your party.¡±


    One glance at the young man made it clear that it had been done without his knowledge.


    ¡°It¡¯ll also give him a chance to actually see the world and not just read about it.¡± Polite laughter filled the hall. ¡°Not to mention that he¡¯ll finally get to ride a griffin in combat, isn¡¯t that right, Avid?¡±


    ¡°Yes, father.¡± The young noble bowed, then took his place next to Ulf, behind Theo.


    The dungeon was already in a terrible mood, but suddenly all its annoyance changed to horror. The experience of his current and past life had taught him that just when one thinks that things can¡¯t get worse, they usually do.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that splendid?¡± the avatar asked, trying to keep his tone sarcasm-free. ¡°Is there any other fine lad that will be joining me on this quest?¡±


    ¡°Baron, you¡¯re such a joker.¡± The earl chuckled. ¡°Of course not, my good friend.¡±


    Thank the heavens. Theo thought.


    ¡°The only other member of your party will be Lady Amelia Godon.¡±


    In Theo¡¯s mind, the sky shattered. He felt as if he was being punished for all the lucky breaks he¡¯d recently gotten. There was no arguing that he had earned way more Core Points than any dungeon should have, entirely by accident. Karma was bound to catch up to him sooner or later. Apparently, the moment had arrived. And just to rub it in, the universe had Lady Amelia make her grand entrance dressed in the most expensive set of armor Theo had seen.


    Familiar with a number of ores and minerals after his rank increase, he could tell that the woman¡¯s breastplate was made entirely of lightning ore¡ªa metal light as air, hard as diamond, and guaranteed to zap anything attempting to break it. At one point, the dungeon had seriously considered covering his corridors with the metal, but quickly decided against it upon learning how rare and expensive the material was. The ore itself couldn¡¯t be found on the continent, and only mid-level mages were able to refine it to a usable state. Gold and platinum alloys completed the rest of the armor, making it as practical as a night scope flashlight. If Amelia¡¯s goal was to attract attention, she had definitely succeeded, and would succeed even more once they went near to where the brigands were.


    ¡°Earl Rosewind,¡± the woman said. ¡°You have my thanks for accepting my request. My father was particularly pleased.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m sure.¡± The earl nodded, waiting for the woman to join the rest of the group. ¡°Naturally, Lady Amelia was also made a member of the Lionmane Adventurer guild, for the purposes of this noble quest, at least.¡±


    ¡°Naturally,¡± the dungeon¡¯s avatar whispered beneath his breath.


    ¡°Baron, I officially give you the noble task of finding these despicable brigands and putting an end to their rampage. Godspeed and good luck!¡±


    All three junior members of the party stood up, reminding Theo to do the same. Cheers filled the hall. The cynical part of the dungeon grumbled that they were only doing so because they were getting rid of him. However, it was difficult to ignore the unadulterated cheer. In their eyes, this wasn¡¯t just a bunch of adventurers setting off. The group held the hopes of the entire town¡ªthe belief that they were more than just an insignificant speck of land in the middle of nowhere.


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    ¡°We should leave right away,¡± Amelia said. ¡°Don¡¯t you agree, baron?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± the avatar replied instantly. It wasn¡¯t that he had an opinion on the matter, but he just disliked being told what to do, especially by a troublemaker such as her. ¡°Before that, we must prepare. This isn¡¯t a sprint, it¡¯s a marathon.¡± He used one of the cliches frequently used in his previous life. ¡°Go home, pack up. Only what¡¯s vital.¡± He glanced at all of them in turn. ¡°Then we meet at the city gate and set off.¡±


    The dungeon expected everyone to rush hastily and start preparing for the trip. The suggestion was aimed at giving him a few hours of peace and quiet before the long annoyance that would inevitably follow. Surprisingly, no such thing occurred. The trio continued walking behind him as they had done before. At first, Theo didn¡¯t react. After they left the castle, though, he stopped in place. Everyone else did the same.


    ¡°Is there a reason you¡¯re not doing what I said?¡± The avatar crossed its arms.


    ¡°My home is your home,¡± Amelia said. ¡°At least while I¡¯m in Rosewind.¡±


    ¡°I already packed everything,¡± Avid replied, pointing at the dimensional ring on his left pinky finger.


    ¡°Uncle has my horse ready at the town gates,¡± Ulf said with a sigh. ¡°Everything¡¯s there.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ That¡¯s good. In that case, go to the town gates and wait for me. I need to prepare.¡±


    The remark earned the avatar a few weird glances, but ultimately the trio continued on. Theo waited for half a minute, then continued with his avatar towards his main building. Griffins filled the air with screeches as he did.


    ¡°Annoying creatures,¡± Theo grumbled in his main body, while various items were being levitated into his dimensional satchel. ¡°Try taming them while I¡¯m gone.¡±


    ¡°I fear that would be impossible, sir,¡± Spok replied, strictly observing the items packed, and moving away those that she considered unnecessary for the trip. ¡°Royal griffins are by nature wild. They are just extremely intelligent and loyal, creating the impression that they can be tamed.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re pesky and bribable is what they are. Bribable with¡­ anyway, what can you tell me about the brigands I must deal with?¡±


    ¡°Nothing of significance, sir. They appear to be rather strong, but given what you have dealt with so far, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be an issue for you.¡±


    ¡°Even with a bunch of pesky kids coming along for the ride?¡±


    ¡°I doubt they¡¯ll uncover your secret, sir.¡±


    ¡°I know they won¡¯t. It¡¯s them I¡¯m worried about. I¡¯m still clueless how they survived Lord Mandrake¡¯s attack. Having them get less than a hundred miles from a group of brigands is a terrible idea.¡±


    ¡°That might be so, but since you¡¯re already an established mage, you have an excuse to keep them protected. All you have to do is make sure they don¡¯t take any magical devices before you consume them. That shouldn¡¯t be too difficult.¡±


    The conversation continued for another few minutes. In the end, it was decided that Spok would take care of all the day-to-day trivialities¡ªas she currently did¡ªwhile Theo¡¯s avatar was away. The dungeon, on its part, was going to make a serious effort to stop needlessly consuming resources or growing without need. It sounded quite simple in theory, but even now, Theo felt the irrational desire to grow. To trick his senses, the dungeon created a few new rooms, then negated them again.


    After everything was said, and the domestic rabbit fed, the dungeon¡¯s avatar took the dimensional satchel and left. There was no sign of Cmyk, of course. The minion was underground, tending to the magic orchard as he did every day. One would call it an honorable endeavor; not Theo, though. The dungeon knew better than anyone that Cmyk was just wasting time until he could go out and have fun in some tavern. If there was any justice, he would be accompanying the party, but as a skeletal minion, he couldn¡¯t wander too far from the town.


    Ulf, Avid, and Amelia were patiently waiting outside the city gates. Four horses and a griffin stood ready for the voyage. One was a majestic gray purebred that more than likely had a touch of unicorn blood in its veins. The other three were well tended brownish beasts that could pass great distances before needing a rest. And then, there was the griffin, which was currently being petted by the earl¡¯s son.


    ¡°What¡¯s all this?¡± the avatar asked, giving the creatures a critical glance.


    ¡°Horses?¡± Ulf asked, uncertain what the question was about.


    ¡°Of course they are horses. Why are they here? We won¡¯t be needing them.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be flying?¡± Amelia asked, also slightly confused.


    ¡°No.¡± The avatar sighed. ¡°We¡¯ll be using a portal.¡± He snapped his fingers at which point a purple vortex of magic appeared within a section of the wall.


    The finger snapping was just for show. Theo had acquired the ability to create portals by consuming a demon lord¡¯s heart, allowing him to create it anywhere within himself. So far, this was the first time he would actually use the ability. Spok had been against it. Even if it didn¡¯t require too much energy considering the distance involved, it was going to be a slight drain which when combined with his hunger affliction would make his aether reserves somewhat low. Normally, the dungeon would agree. However, faced with the prospect of enduring three gaggling adventure wannabes, he preferred just to pay the energy cost and be done with it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± the avatar urged.


    ¡°I can¡¯t go without Octavian,¡± Avid Rosewind said.


    ¡°Octavian?¡± The avatar arched a brow.


    ¡°He¡¯s more than a mount. Besides, what if we need to chase the brigands? Or search for them?¡±


    ¡°I have spells that will achieve both without needing¡ª¡±


    ¡°If he can bring his mount, I¡¯ll bring mine!¡± Amelia Godon interrupted. ¡°Just because he¡¯s got a griffin doesn¡¯t mean I must walk. Sunrise is a lot faster!¡±


    Theo was about to note that he hadn¡¯t allowed anyone to bring a mount before Ulf also joined in. Apparently, he too considered it advantageous having a mount. A long argument began in which each of the three adventurers kept on piling up reasons why their beasts were not only necessary, but vital for the success of the quest. It was a whole lot of crap, of course. There was nothing that any of the creatures could do that Theo couldn¡¯t match. After several minutes, he¡¯d had enough.


    ¡°Quiet!¡± the avatar snapped, casting a multi-spell.


    An aether shield sphere formed around each of the adventurers and their mounts,who then proceeded to go through the portal.


    ¡°Worse than herding cats,¡± Theo grumbled in his main body as his avatar stepped through the portal as well. Now he knew there was a reason he didn¡¯t create lots of minions.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine, sir. Do you want me to find out more about the brigands?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother. As you said, they won¡¯t present a significant challenge. I just want to get done with this so I get rid of the hunger and¡ª¡±


    YOU FEEL DEVASTATING HUNGER!


    ¡°¡ªget to rest a bit.¡±


    Half the buildings in the town creaked in a sigh. In his previous life, Theo felt like crap being forced to work ten hours per day, six days per week. Here, there were things that needed his attention twenty-four seven.


    The spot where the dungeon¡¯s party appeared was a few miles from a small town in which the brigands¡¯ activities had been reported. The region wasn¡¯t all that significant, although more central than Rosewind. The reason for this was a silver mine that still produced enough ore to be left open, and a large number of vineyards of average quality. The one vast advantage the area provided was the large trade road connecting the kingdom to its northern neighbor. It was precisely there that most of the robberies had taken place. So far, several merchant caravans had been attacked and robbed, leading to a lot of displeased people quite a few nobles. The annoyance wasn¡¯t significant enough to have the king send a massive army, but every week more members of a noble family would complain about losing a shipment from foreign lands.


    ¡°Ready to behave?¡± Theo¡¯s avatar asked, pulling the aether spheres closer to him. Everyone, including the animals, nodded. ¡°Good!¡±


    The spheres disappeared like popped bubbles, dropping their contents to the ground. Meanwhile, the portal slowly faded away until it completely disappeared.


    ¡°Here¡¯s how it¡¯ll go.¡± The avatar glared at each of the adventurers in turn. ¡°We go to town, we go to the largest guild we find, and ask about the job. That¡¯s it. No chatting, no drinking, no¡ª¡±


    ¡°What about an inn?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°We¡¯ll need a place to stay while here.¡±


    ¡°With a large stable,¡± Ulf added. ¡°Not sure how they¡¯ll react to the griffin, though.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll be fine out here.¡± Avid moved to the creature. The griffin spread its wings, free of the artificial encapsulation Theo had put it in, then stretched its neck, expecting to be petted.


    Cats, Theo said to himself. The griffins are nothing but annoying cats.


    ¡°What about drinks?¡± Ulf asked. ¡°Can we pass by a tavern after we get rooms at an inn?¡±


    ¡°And a bath.¡± Amelia nodded. ¡°Rooms with baths.¡±


    Soon enough, Theo had had enough.


    ¡°Just¡­¡± the avatar said loudly, raising a finger. Everyone stopped talking. This was a new side they¡¯d seen of him¡ªa far harsher and scarier side that demanded full obedience. ¡°There will be no inns, no baths, no taverns! All that we¡¯ll do is go to town, find where the brigands are hiding, then capture them. That¡¯s it! Nothing more!¡±


    Cautiously, Avid raised a hand.


    ¡°Yes?¡± The avatar crossed its arms.


    ¡°Won¡¯t we get paid?¡± the young Rosewind asked. ¡°With this being a local mission, we¡¯ll need to register the kill in a local adventurer''s guild.¡±


    The suggestion was rather smart, creating a moment of internal conflict within the dungeon. On the one hand, Avid was correct; on the other¡ªTheo really didn¡¯t want to admit it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll worry about that,¡± he said at last. ¡°All you have to do is watch, learn, and not get yourselves killed. Think you can manage that?¡±


    Everyone nodded in near unison.


    ¡°Good. Now, let¡¯s¡ª¡±


    Before the avatar could finish, a flaming ball of fire appeared in the sky. It started off small like a dot, quickly increasing in size as it flew in the direction of the adventure party. Within moments it was as large as a sun, aiming to scorch the group along with their mounts. Fortunately, Theo was faster.


    ¡°Ice wall,¡± he said without a moment¡¯s hesitation.


    A dome of ice formed above.


    ¡°Get ready!¡± the avatar shouted, casting swiftness on himself. Past experience had taught him that powerful fire spells could easily melt through ice defenses. A loud clunk later, he found this wasn¡¯t the case.


    Burning remains rolled off the ice dome, falling to the ground. Then there was silence. Everyone remained motionless. Seconds passed.


    ¡°Should we just stay here?¡± Amelia whispered.


    ¡°It¡¯s a trick,¡± Ulf explained. ¡°They¡¯re just waiting for us to drop the shield so they can throw something else.¡±


    Drawing a sword from his dimensional ring, the avatar went to the side of the dome. As he approached, an archway formed, letting him see the field outside.


    ¡°Stay here,¡± he stepped out.


    Remnants were still smoldering all about. Looking closer, Theo saw what was left of half a wagon wheel, charred to black. This wasn¡¯t a fireball that was cast at them. Instead, someone had just thrown what was left of a burning wagon. It was a safe bet to say that the brigands were aware of the adventurers¡¯ presence. That complicated things a bit.


    ¡°New plan,¡± Theo¡¯s avatar said. ¡°We find an inn with a stable, take all the mounts there, then start asking about the brigands.¡±

 (Book 2) 4. The Crystal Coronets Assistance

    ¡°Four rooms,¡± Theo¡¯s avatar said, slamming a gold coin on the counter. ¡°A full floor if you have it.¡±


    Silence filled the air, as all eyes of the half-empty room focused on them. This was supposed to be the town¡¯s best inn, though by the looks of things, it too had seen better times. The innkeeper had done his best to keep appearances: the floors were clean, the tables well kept, even the aroma of food suggested it was of a fine quality. Yet, there were signs that things were starting to take a downturn. The rack of shelves behind the bar counter were almost completely empty. Attempts were made to cover up the lack of alcohol by having flower pots fill the space. Sadly, that only confirmed the suspicion that due to the brigand activity, fewer people were passing through.


    ¡°We have a floor,¡± the innkeeper¡ªa large burly man with a bushy, though well-kept mustache¡ªgrabbed the coin. ¡°It¡¯s only one room, but it has eight beds.¡±


    ¡°A single room?¡± Amelia let out a squeak of discontent. One annoyed glance from the avatar made her quickly fall silent.


    ¡°We have four horses.¡±


    ¡°Stable¡¯s empty. I¡¯ll see that they¡¯re taken care of.¡±


    Another gold coin was placed on the counter, and disappeared just as quickly as the last.


    ¡°You hungry? Food¡¯s good, but drink¡­¡± The man sighed. ¡°Honey water¡¯s all I have.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. We¡¯ll eat first, then go to our rooms.¡±


    A barmaid rushed out from the room behind¡ªthe kitchen by the smell of it¡ªand quickly set up a table, adding an additional chair to it.


    Without a word, Ulf, Avid, and Amelia took their seats. The dungeon¡¯s avatar, though, remained at the counter.


    ¡°How many are you?¡± the innkeeper asked.


    ¡°What you see here.¡±


    ¡°No one¡¯s tending to your horses?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re well behaved,¡± the avatar said. Never did he think that his heroic specialization would come in useful. The animal specialization allowed him to pretty much have the horses obey his every instruction. It didn¡¯t work on the griffin, of course. The annoying creature only did what the young Rosewind asked it to do, completely ignoring everyone else. At present, it was supposed to ¡°keep a low profile¡± outside the town¡ªa big ask as far as Theo was concerned.


    The innkeeper shrugged.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have my stableboys deal with them. Hay¡¯s included for the night.¡±


    ¡°Quite generous.¡±


    ¡°Was it a shed?¡± someone yelled in the room.


    The avatar turned around. There was no telling who had asked the question, but it was clear that everyone was staring at him intently, expecting the answer.


    ¡°A shed?¡± The avatar crossed his arms.


    ¡°The thing that hit you, was it a shed?¡± a scrawny man in his thirties clarified.


    ¡°No¡­ it was a wagon. A flaming wagon.¡±


    Laughter erupted.


    ¡°They¡¯re back to wagons,¡± one of the locals said with a grin. ¡°Must have run out of houses.¡±


    ¡°Could have been worse. At least it¡¯s not an outhouse like last time.¡±


    Based on the conversations peppered throughout the bouts of laughter, it turned out that being attacked upon arrival wasn¡¯t an isolated event. In fact, everyone from merchants to armies were greeted in exactly the same fashion: targeted by a large flaming projectile. The injuries far outweighed the dead¡ªin fact, it wasn¡¯t clear that there had been any deaths¡ªthough that didn¡¯t stop wild rumors from spreading throughout the region. Theo was actually sympathetic: being bombarded by flaming outhouses was enough to instill fear in anyone, making them prone to exaggeration.


    Among the laughter and conversations, the innkeeper pulled the avatar to the side, then, making sure they couldn¡¯t be overheard, whispered in a low voice.


    ¡°You¡¯re mercenaries?¡±


    ¡°Adventurers,¡± Theo sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a noble quest, so¡­ you know how it goes.¡±


    ¡°The pups don¡¯t look it.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t say.¡± The avatar rolled his eyes.


    ¡°I can see you¡¯re stuck with them. Their parents must be pretty important.¡±


    ¡°A duke, an earl, and the guild master of my guild. Although the guild master is just an uncle.¡±


    ¡°Ouch. You can always tell. Lots of flashy armor, but no skills. If you want my advice, have them run about the area for a few days, then go back. Nothing good will come from having them here. It¡¯s not worth the headaches.¡±


    ¡°Their parents already gave me a headache¡­¡±


    ¡°Trust me, it¡¯s nothing compared to what you¡¯ll get if you come across the brigands.¡± The innkeeper looked about in a shifty fashion, then continued in an even more hushed voice. ¡°The brigands don¡¯t steal from the town; they steal from those who come to stop them. My family has had this place for seven generations. Getting customers to return is in my blood, so I know what I¡¯m talking about. As long as people like you bring rich kids, they¡¯ll remain, stealing everything you brought.¡±


    Theo could see the logic. The brigand leader had definitely made a name for himself, to the point that a noble quest had been circulated. And still there were too many flaws in that plan. Even if one were to assume that he had initially survived by robbing the merchants passing through, there was no way he could be sure that well-equipped mercenaries would come to capture him. Before he became ¡°big,¡± he¡¯d probably had to deal with all the local riff-raff adventurers and mercenaries wanting to make some coin. Furthermore, there was no guarantee that someone really powerful¡ªlike a starting hero¡ªwould come to the scene. No matter how one looked at it, there were too many unknowns regarding the matter.


    ¡°Thanks¡­ but I don¡¯t have a choice.¡±


    The innkeeper looked at Theo, his expression full of sadness and understanding, then tapped him on the shoulder a few times.


    ¡°I¡¯ll find you something to drink.¡± The man winked. ¡°On the house.¡±


    The avatar made an attempt to explain there was no need, but before he could, the man had already rushed off into the kitchen. At this point, there was nothing left for the avatar to do than join the reluctant trio at their table.


    Unlike everyone else, the trio was remarkably quiet. Ulf was the only one remotely relaxed, though not in the best moods since he wasn¡¯t used to not having beer for so long. Avid and Amelia, on the other hand, were visibly uncomfortable being in the inn, unused to the crudeness of the people there. In his previous life, Theo had been pretty much the same. Since awakening as a dungeon, though, he had seen more than his fair share of crude things, especially now that he was half a town.


    ¡°Relax,¡± he told them. ¡°Enjoy the food and calm while it¡¯s here. Tonight, we¡¯ll get a good night¡¯s sleep, then tomorrow we set off to hunt brigands.¡±


    None of them said a word.


    ¡°Okay.¡± The avatar sighed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong¡­¡± Amelia began. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ can¡¯t we spend the night in the local earl¡¯s castle? I¡¯m sure that he¡¯ll agree to it once he finds out who we are. Not to mention that the griffin will be able to curl up there.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re here as adventurers,¡± Theo¡¯s avatar reminded. ¡°So, more adventuring and less acting like spoiled nobles!¡±


    This was one of the few instances he could say this without repercussions, so he intended to take full advantage. Also, if he were overly mean to them on this quest, maybe they¡¯ll think twice before agreeing to join him on the next.


    Meanwhile, back in his main body, the hunger depleted half of the dungeon¡¯s energy. It was a familiar experience, but one that felt increasingly uncomfortable.


    The food was rather nice, although Theo couldn¡¯t enjoy a bite. Unable to fully appreciate the taste, his avatar was forced to swallow a few bites in order to keep the pretense of being human. It didn¡¯t help that the innkeeper arrived with a rather large bottle of alcohol and remained there until Theo had gulped down most of it. What was left was shared with the rest of the group¡ªwhich mostly meant Ulf.


    As evening turned into night, the locals became more talkative. Seeing that the avatar was an adequate guy, or maybe due to pity that he had to babysit three adventurer-wannabes, they started sharing stories about the brigands. Apparently, the gang had emerged not too long ago, appearing out of nowhere. The description varied depending on the person, but the one thing everyone could agree on was the massive size of the leader. Seven feet tall of solid muscles, he had the strength to lift a cow and throw it a mile away. His subordinates¡ªa ragtag group of criminals in torn clothes and worn-out armor¡ªwould often accompany him, ready to draw their swords at the smallest provocation.


    Theo didn¡¯t know much about brigands, in all honesty, but according to Spok, it was normal behavior. The strongest person became the leader and everyone else strived to impress him enough to be put higher up in the gang hierarchy. The interesting thing was, in the case of these brigands, that while they did a good job of displaying their power¡ªby throwing flaming buildings and wagons at new arrivals¡ªthey were considerably tamer when executing their robberies.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Once all the food was finished, and the adventurers under Theo¡¯s care got to relax somewhat, it was time to go up to their floor for some rest. The space was at the very top of the inn. One single door led to a vast room full of beds. There were no washing amenities, although the innkeeper boasted of an external bathhouse. Each bed had a chest nearby for personal possessions, as well as a bedpan, should someone wish to urgently do their business instead of going to the outhouse.


    ¡°Not too bad,¡± Ulf said, checking the quality of the bed linens. ¡°I still think we could have gone with separate rooms¡­ not that I¡¯m complaining,¡± he quickly added, noticing the avatar¡¯s sideways glance. ¡°It might be a bit tricky with her ladyship here, though. Just saying.¡±


    ¡°Obviously you¡¯ll have to wait outside while I get dressed,¡± the woman humphed.


    ¡°Maybe we can use some of the blankets to section the room in two parts,¡± Avid began. ¡°That way¡ª¡±


    ¡°The three of you are supposed to be adventurers,¡± the dungeon avatar interrupted. ¡°Figure it out! I¡¯ll be back in the morning.¡± He headed towards the door.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Amelia asked.


    The truth was that Theo didn¡¯t want to remain anywhere close to the trio. He had no intention of submitting himself to pseudo-deep conversations as the group coped with being outside their comfort zone. Additionally, pretending to sleep for long periods of time was rather annoying.


    ¡°I need to check on a few things,¡± he said. ¡°Nothing to concern yourself with. Just get some rest. I¡¯ll need you fresh. Tomorrow¡¯s going to be a long day.¡±


    Before any of the ¡°adventurers¡± could say a word, the avatar cast half a dozen swiftness spells on himself and escaped into the corridor, closing the door behind him. A small part of him felt bad leaving the kids in such a state of confusion, but that was quickly pushed aside by his own problems. After all, the kids weren¡¯t the reason he had sent his avatar here¡ªit was to hopefully find a solution to his hunger problem. The hope was that whatever magic item the brigand had would be enough to satiate Theo¡¯s hunger.


    The main room of the tavern was almost empty by the time he got down. Most of the locals had gone, with the exception of a few who had fallen asleep on the tables. Apparently, alcohol wasn¡¯t required for some to get unconscious.


    Sneaking out into the street, the avatar passed by the stables to check on the horses. The animals seemed a lot more relaxed, now that flaming wagons were no longer exploding above them. That was also a good sign; it also made Theo sigh that griffins couldn¡¯t be as well behaved as horses. Back in Rosewind, the feathered beasts had become extremely agitated, mostly because all of the town nobles had simultaneously started constructions to improve their own houses. Now that things had calmed down, the petty everyday rivalries had made a return and none were willing to let an upstart Baron¡ªin this case Theo¡ªhave a better mansion than them. All the noise, in turn, had agitated the griffins, making them less than agreeable.


    Karlston was very different from Rosewind. It was one of three towns in the area, ruled over by Earl Karlston¡¯s brother. Inns and taverns were an integral part of it, built to accommodate any and every type of clientele from the well-off to the not-so-much. The people were quite open, probably because they were used to visitors, and rather pleasant despite the current circumstances. However, there was one thing that was markedly absent: thieves. Even Rosewind had had its problems in that regard, even before the Claw Hook gang. It was only after Theo had flooded the place with gold and rebuilt a large part of the town that petty crime had almost vanished. Here, there was no reason for that. If anything, the decrease of merchants and travelers should have made the situation worse.


    Walking about, the avatar shifted from the streets to the small roads and alleyways. Nothing happened. Everyone seemed to stay in their homes, turning the place into a ghost town. After about half an hour, Theo decided to check out some of the local adventure guilds.


    The Crystal Coronet was the first guild that the avatar came across. Their guildhall was a lot more impressive than any of the ones in Rosewind. Built like a mansion in the center of town, the massive building was well kept, with multiple signs and banners displaying its high status. Not in the least impressed, though, the dungeon¡¯s avatar went to the door and entered.


    ¡°How may I help you?¡± a young man asked the moment the avatar set foot inside. Apparently, even at this time, there were people tending the guild.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see the guild master.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s impossible. If you¡¯d like, I could schedule a meeting in a few days. Our guild master is very busy, you see.¡±


    The words sounded sincere, but Theo had spent half his previous life working in corporate environments and as such had developed a sense when it came to bullshitting.


    ¡°I¡¯m Baron Theodor d¡¯Argent,¡± he said with as much snobbishness as he could muster. ¡°Sent here to complete a noble quest, one that your guild has failed. So, don¡¯t give me the standard answers and tell your guild master, or whoever¡¯s here, that I must meet them right now.¡± And just to make his point, Theo cast an ice magic spell, creating an ice crystal in his hand.


    The smile never left the man¡¯s head. He looked right back at the baron, nodded, then stepped out from behind the counter, and went up the nearest staircase. A few moments later, he returned back down, accompanied by a tall woman with long crimson hair.


    The woman would definitely pass for attractive, her athletic muscles visible even under all the silk and furs she was wearing. To some degree, she reminded Theo of Liandra¡ªthe heroine with whom he¡¯d saved Rosewind.


    ¡°I¡¯m vice guild master Orchid,¡± the woman introduced herself, the intensity of her stare indicating that she wasn¡¯t to be trifled with. ¡°Although my friends call me Red.¡±


    ¡°Theo,¡± the avatar introduced himself. ¡°Would you prefer we talk here?¡±


    ¡°It depends. What do you wish to talk about?¡±


    ¡°The brigand leader.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± the woman said, tapping her chin with her right index finger. ¡°The brigand leader. A lot of people have been asking about him lately, but only you¡¯ve demonstrated enough intelligence to come ask at the source. Well played.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± The avatar kept a straight face. He had no idea what the woman was talking about. The reason he had come to this guild was that it was the first he had come across. Frankly, Theo had intended to go through all the guilds in town in order to pass time and gather as much information as possible.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s better if we continued in our quest room.¡± The vice guild master led the way.


    Following her, the avatar was led to a somewhat small, but rather comfortable study. Large padded chairs were placed around a small round table. Candelabras with dozens of candles each provided light from all four corners.


    ¡°Do you want anything to drink?¡± Red asked as she took her seat.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Straight to business? I appreciate that. So, you¡¯re another mercenary who¡¯s come here to try your luck with the brigands?¡±


    ¡°Something like that. I¡¯m an adventurer, actually.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not. You don¡¯t look like a person who has something to prove, and only nobles with something to prove become adventurers. Are you hiding from someone?¡±


    That wasn¡¯t a conversation the dungeon was willing to have. Quickly, he took a pouch from his belt and tossed it onto the table.


    ¡°I just want to know everything there is about the brigands,¡± he said, changing the subject. ¡°You guessed right. It¡¯s not about proving a point or the money.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that,¡± the woman said without even picking up the pouch. ¡°We¡¯re both adventurers, after all. I¡¯d guess you¡¯re doing this as a favor to a noble friend. Whatever the case, that¡¯s your business. What¡¯s my business is for the situation to get resolved soon. You¡¯ve seen the effects the brigands have had in the area?¡±


    ¡°Some. How exactly did they appear? I asked about it at the inn I¡¯m staying at, but¡­¡± He left the sentence unfinished.


    ¡°I can guess what you were told. Sadly, half of what they say is right. No one knows where the brigands came from. One day, they were just here. No other settlements had been affected, no merchant had seen them, even the local mages couldn¡¯t track them back to anywhere specific. As far as the world is concerned, the brigands fell out of the sky.¡±


    ¡°And you weren¡¯t able to take them.¡±


    ¡°At first, we didn¡¯t want to. They targeted thieves and lowlifes¡ªpeople that wouldn¡¯t be missed one way or the other. They never killed, just robbed. They¡¯d beat up anyone who¡¯d try to resist, of course. Then, when they finished with the thieves, they shifted their focus to merchants and travelers. Now, they go after everyone sent to capture them.¡±


    ¡°And not the local ruler?¡±


    The woman shook her head.


    That rendered the dungeon completely clueless. Anywhere else, he¡¯d be commenting on how ludicrous it all sounded. Here, though, he had to keep his composure.


    ¡°What about the leader? Anything I should know about him?¡±


    ¡°Plenty. For one thing, he had an anti-magic necklace. Low-level spells are utterly useless. Some magic items as well. Some of our adventurers tried snatching it, but he¡¯s too fast, and definitely too strong.¡±


    ¡°How strong exactly?¡±


    ¡°Strong enough to uproot a small building and throw it half a mile away. It was at that point that the people stopped messing with him. Having to fight with an overpowered barbarian was one thing. Knowing that he could hit your home with a burning building¡­ that helps achieve some leniency.¡±


    That sounded like a good reason why the locals had no desire to deal with their brigand problem, at least not in the immediate future. If things remained as they were, the town would be in pretty bad shape in a few seasons. Red Orchid knew that, which was why she was helping Theo free of charge. If someone from town were to try to take on the brigands, there would be consequences. If it was someone from the outside¡ªthat was a different matter entirely.


    ¡°What else?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a chance that the brigand is a necromancer.¡±


    Back in Rosewind, Theo¡¯s main building trembled. ¡°Spok, anything you can say on the matter?¡±


    ¡°Nothing that you don¡¯t know, sir,¡± the spirit guide replied. ¡°Such an army would be difficult to destroy, unless one has bless spell, and you do. Just be sure not to use up all your energy.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just hope it doesn¡¯t end up being a lich,¡± the dungeon grumbled.


    Theo didn¡¯t like liches. They were strong, troublesome, and spent a lot of time talking. The dungeon had only faced one such entity so far¡ªa fallen soul who had taken on the hobby of collecting heroes and encasing them in ice, as if they were a set of action figures.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± the avatar asked the vice guild master.


    ¡°Several of his subordinates were chopped into two with a special attack from one of our rising stars. The parts of the disgusting things crawled back together, then stood up and continued fighting. At that point, the count and the guilds decided it was enough. A silent agreement was reached: we don¡¯t meddle with the brigands, and they don¡¯t meddle with us.¡±


    The woman pushed the pouch along the table to the avatar¡¯s side.


    ¡°I expect the situation is now clear?¡±


    ¡°Yes, very clear.¡± The avatar took his pouch, then stood up. ¡°I have one final question. Where is the brigand¡¯s base?¡±


    ¡°Why do you think I¡¯d know? Didn¡¯t I say that we don¡¯t meddle with them?¡±


    ¡°You did, but in order not to do that, you need to know exactly where not to go, so as not to meddle by accident.¡±


    The avatar smiled. He was rather proud of his reasoning. Now he only hoped that his conclusion was correct, otherwise he¡¯d end up looking like a fool. Fortunately, Red Orchid smiled as well. Reaching into the air, she summoned a scroll, then unrolled it on the table. It was a map of the area.


    ¡°Forest Marsh.¡± She tapped the spot on the map west of the town. ¡°It¡¯s always been a nasty place. Horses get easily lost and when something gets stuck in the muck, it¡¯s almost impossible to get it out. Other than a few thieves who liked to stash their loot there, no one frequented the area. That was why it was seen as no loss when we were warned not to go there. If the brigands have a stronghold nearby, it¡¯s a pretty good bet it¡¯s there.¡±


    ¡°Forest Marsh,¡± Theo repeated. ¡°Sounds like a fun place. How long to get there?¡±


    ¡°About a day. A few hours on horseback.¡±


    The map rolled up, then disappeared once again.


    ¡°I¡¯m not one to tell you your craft, but I¡¯d be careful. There¡¯s nothing but fields and meadows between here and the marsh. The brigands will see you coming from miles away. They¡¯re likely to greet you with another burning shed or two.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with that. What proof do you need to acknowledge the quest as complete?¡±


    ¡°The necklace would be acceptable, although I¡¯d prefer the lead brigand¡¯s head. I¡¯m aware that it might be difficult to get since it¡¯s a necromancer. Just don¡¯t bring a bag of ash. The guild master really doesn¡¯t like to deal with such remains.¡±


    ¡°Head it is.¡± Theo needed the necklace to consume, anyway. If the item was as magical as described, it ought to be enough to deal with his ailment. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t take me more than a day. See you then.¡±


    The woman let out a dry laugh.


    ¡°Quite confident. In that case, I¡¯ll tell you the same thing I told all the mercenaries before you: good luck, and make it back alive.¡±

 (Book 2) 5. Forest Marsh and the Brigand Army

    Morning came with a chill and with the sweet smells of freshly baked bread and sour beer. For a place that lacked alcohol, the inn seemed to have found quite an efficient workaround. Given Theo¡¯s generosity, it was natural for the innkeeper to show some initiative. Furthermore, the rumors that the baron would deal with the brigands once and for all had already spread throughout the entire town. Officially, no one approved of this measure. The local earl, and all other nobles, continued to pretend that Theo and his party didn¡¯t exist. Shopkeepers even refused to let them in their shops, despite being awake hours before dawn. Not that it mattered, since the innkeeper was more than willing to sell the group anything they wanted, at a slight premium, of course. Unfortunately for Theo, it appeared that Amelia was easily affected by the fear of missing out.


    ¡°Are you sure this would be enough rope?¡± she asked the innkeeper. ¡°Maybe we need some more, just in case?¡±


    These were words capable of bringing joy to the heart of every merchant. However, there was a point beyond which even the most conniving swindler would feel guilty.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be fine, your ladyship,¡± the man said, with a forced smile on his face. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that you have a seasoned adventurer in your midst.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I suppose you¡¯re right.¡± The woman nodded. ¡°Baron d¡¯Argent will manage even if our equipment is lacking.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve bought enough rope to build a bridge between here and Rosewind,¡± Ulf grumbled. As the only adventurer with some experience, he could see the waste but didn¡¯t want to get involved in the potential argument that would result from telling Amelia otherwise. ¡°If there¡¯s anything we need, it¡¯s more alcohol.¡±


    Amelia gave him a glance that could wither flowers. Now that they had spent a rather uncomfortable night at the inn¡ªat least as far as Amelia was concerned¡ªthey had calmed down enough to get back to their standard behavior.


    ¡°For wounds,¡± Ulf added. ¡°Nerves... Courage. Maybe a bit of energy.¡± The man glanced at the cup of liquid in front of him. It was heavily watered down, but even so, he preferred it to water. As he frequently liked to tell Cmyk, the purpose of ale, mead, and beer wasn¡¯t to get drunk; it was just a way of life. Right now, his way of life was less than fifty percent fulfilled.


    ¡°Think Octavian is alright?¡± Avid asked. ¡°It¡¯s the first time he¡¯s been alone for so long in a new environment.¡± He glanced at the window. It remained closed and shuttered. ¡°We should have brought him here.¡±


    ¡°Keep a griffin in a stable?¡± Amelia asked, looking at Ulf for support.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me involved.¡± The adventurer leaned away from the table. ¡°I¡¯m just here because my uncle sent me.¡±


    ¡°All of you are here because your parents sent you,¡± Theo¡¯s avatar grumbled. ¡°Or relatives. That¡¯s why we¡¯ll do this as quickly as possible. Eat up, gear up, then we head out.¡±


    Amelia opened her mouth to say something.


    ¡°No washing up!¡± the avatar said preemptively. ¡°You¡¯ll do that when we get back to Rosewind.¡±


    Silence surrounded the table. The trio of adventurers looked at each other, then quietly finished their food.


    YOU FEEL DEVASTATING HUNGER!


    The annoying message appeared back in the dungeon¡¯s main building. If it wasn¡¯t for that, Theo would never have sent his avatar on this stupid quest. It wasn¡¯t even certain that the brigand¡¯s items would satiate his hunger. Then again, it gave him something to do.


    As the group prepared for their hunt, the innkeeper subtly slid another bottle of alcohol to the avatar, on the house. Theo had absolutely no use for it whatsoever, but seeing the enthusiasm in the man¡¯s eyes, he could only thank him and put it away in his dimension ring. Then, finally, the group set off.


    According to the map that Theo had procured, the Forest Marsh was relatively close to town. Red Orchid had insisted that it was a day¡¯s journey on foot, but by flying¡ªTheo¡¯s preferred mode of transport¡ªthey were there in less than an hour. That gave them more than enough time to deal with the matter and return. With luck, they¡¯d be back in Rosewind by evening and wouldn¡¯t have to spend another night at the local inn.


    The Forest Marsh was exactly what the name suggested it would be: bare trees sticking out of a shallow swamp. The smell of rot filled the air, along with sounds of mosquitoes, frogs, and other annoying creatures. No wonder no one liked to visit.


    The map didn¡¯t give any details as to the exact location of the brigand¡¯s base. The only clue Theo was given was a dotted line venturing forward with several question marks surrounding it. Clearly, from here on, it was all up to him.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he said, putting the map in his dimension ring. ¡°This is it. From here on things get serious. Be on guard. I¡¯ll take the lead, but I want you to keep your eyes open at all times. If you see anything suspicious, let me know. And have your weapons ready.¡±


    ¡°Err¡­¡± Amelia ventured.


    ¡°Yesss?¡± The avatar glared at her. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t our weapons harm the floating bubbles?¡±


    That was actually a good question. Theo had enveloped them in an aether shield sphere to protect them and also to keep them in one place. He had only said the thing about the weapons to create the illusion that they were useful. Truth was that if he could¡¯ve gotten away with leaving them at the inn, he would have done so. The reason he didn¡¯t was that he didn¡¯t trust them not to cause any trouble while his avatar was away.


    ¡°They will,¡± Theo¡¯s avatar said. ¡°And that goes for enemies as well. The aether bubbles aren¡¯t invulnerable. They¡¯ll save you from one strike, after which you have to act. That¡¯s why you have to be ready to enter battle the moment the shield shatters.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Amelia nodded.


    Good thing they¡¯re stupid, Theo thought.


    ¡°Any other questions?¡± He looked at each of them in turn. All three shook their heads. ¡°Good. So let¡¯s go.¡±


    Floating through a forested swamp turned out a lot more difficult than originally thought. While Theo had eliminated the danger of having anyone get stuck in the muck, the forest was just dense enough to prevent the spheres from passing between most trees. The avatar felt like he was walking through a maze, and not one of the cool mazes, but those on the back pages of magazines he¡¯d try to solve as a child in his previous life. The issue was that back then, Theo was terrible at it. Now, thanks to his dungeon sense, he was only moderately bad.


    ¡°I¡¯m stuck again,¡± Avid said, fifty feet behind the avatar.


    Why couldn¡¯t it have been tunnels? Theo asked himself. All this would have been so much easier. Trees and swamp, however, made it a lot more difficult to create a mental map of the area.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you squeeze the sides of the bubble a bit?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± This isn¡¯t a balloon.


    Initially, Theo had aimed to catch the brigands by surprise. The trio with him had made it impossible.


    ¡°Ice blades,¡± he whispered.


    Massive ice blades emerged all around him, then dispersed in all directions. With deadly precision, they flew through the trees in the area, slicing them down like straw. It wasn¡¯t particularly difficult¡ªmost of the trees were half rotten, standing up only through habit. Within seconds, a small clearing had formed, a very swampy clearing.


    Done, Theo¡¯s avatar continued forward.


    ¡°That was stupid,¡± Amelia whispered behind. ¡°The brigands know we¡¯re coming.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the point,¡± Ulf whispered back. ¡°He set up the battlefield to get them to come to us. This way, they won¡¯t have the ground advantage.¡±


    ¡°I still think¡ª¡±


    An arrow split the air, shattering Amelia¡¯s aether shield. The surprise attack was followed by loud splashing as a dozen brigands ran through the marsh, weapons drawn.


    What the heck?! Theo thought. They definitely hadn¡¯t been here moments ago. As difficult as it was to see, he would have at least noticed twelve people in full armor. Even more confusing, the life crystal he was wearing indicated the presence of only three living beings.


    ¡°Stay together!¡± the avatar shouted as he summoned the heroic sword from his ring.


    His yell attracted enough attention, causing the next half a dozen arrows to fly in his direction. Half of them missed by a hair. The rest hit spot-on.


    ¡°There goes another set of clothes,¡± the avatar grumbled beneath his breath, while casting swiftness on himself.


    With a series of quick actions, the avatar pulled out the arrows from his leg and chest, while darting at the nearest brigand. The man didn¡¯t react, continuing his charge towards the startled trio of youngsters. At that point, the avatar swung his sword.


    This was the first time that Theo had attacked a human. Back during his previous adventure, he¡¯d faced goblins, trolls, demons, suits of armor brought to life, and even a golem. Each had provided cores, increasing his hero level and acquiring new skills. He knew that fighting brigands would be different. Yet, he didn¡¯t expect the attack to result in a complete lack of blood.


    The upper half of the brigand flew off his legs, landing in the marsh with a splash. Normally, this would be enough to cause anyone to pause. In this case, no one did. The brigands kept charging, and so did the dungeon¡¯s avatar. A second cleave attack followed, slicing the next attacker diagonally. The parts of this one continued forward, splitting apart ten feet from the group of adventurers passing by on either side.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Faced with the prospect of a bloody death, the trio joined in the fight. Ulf was first to swing, chopping off the head of a brigand with one strike. As fancy as that looked, it didn¡¯t stop the enemy from continuing his attack. Thankfully, Avid reacted by kicking the headless brigand back.


    ¡°They¡¯re undead!¡± the avatar shouted as he dismembered his third enemy. ¡°Low level goons, so you¡¯ll be fine. Just don¡¯t use¡ª¡±


    Amelia thrust her sword through a brigand¡¯s chest. The creature paused, looked down at the hilt sticking from his rusty breast plate, then looked back at the woman.


    ¡°¡ªpiercing attacks,¡± the avatar finished.


    If there was any lingering doubt that taking these three misfits on an adventure was a bad idea, it had just evaporated. Bringing them wasn¡¯t just a bad idea, it was a complete disaster! Using telekinesis, the avatar pulled the brigand backwards, sword and all. It was fortunate that Amelia let go as he did so, else she would have fallen face down in the swamp.


    Several more arrows struck the avatar from behind. The archers were nowhere to be seen but had still managed to hit their target quite effectively. Anyone else would have perished by now. Theo, though, only had to suffer a few more holes in his avatar¡¯s clothes.


    ¡°Ice wall!¡± he shouted.


    A thick wall of blue ice shot up from the swamp, completely surrounding Ulf, Avid, and Amelia. On cue, the brigands switched their target, rushing towards the avatar instead. This was precisely what Theo was hoping for. Now it was all between him and them. There were many ways he could deal with them: he could cast a fireball, launch ice blades, or use blessed lightning. The latter was a bit risky since there was no telling whether it would harm the adventurers as well. To be on the safe side, and because he didn¡¯t want to spend too long thinking about it, Theo used more ice magic.


    The visible brigands were the first to fall, sliced and diced by ice blades. The archers followed soon after. Technically, Theo only assumed they followed. Despite his best efforts, he still wasn¡¯t able to actually see them, forcing him to launch clusters of ice blades in the direction from which each of the arrows was coming. When the arrows stopped, he assumed that the archers had been dealt with.


    ¡°Excuse me, sir,¡± Spok said back into the dungeon¡¯s main body. ¡°Might I ask what you¡¯re doing?¡±


    ¡°Fighting brigands, what do you think I¡¯m doing?¡± the dungeon snapped, several doors in the house slamming as he did.


    ¡°You¡¯re using a rather large amount of energy. Normally I wouldn¡¯t make a point of it, but with your current ailment, maybe be a bit more conservative?¡±


    Before the dungeon could slam the doors where Spok was located, the spirit guide disappeared, emerging in another part of the city. This was all part of her routine¡ªsince the avatar¡¯s departure she was dealing with the day-to-day stuff, and that included making a point of being seen by the townspeople. Up till now, Theo hadn¡¯t complained since it left him more time to act depressed¡ªwhich for a dungeon meant to do nothing whatsoever. Of course, that made it more difficult for him to lead a proper conversation with her.


    Today, Spok was making her way along the main road of Rosewind¡ªwhich was also part of the dungeon. Quite a few people greeted her along the way, and she returned the greeting in kind. Patiently biding his time, Theo waited until she turned a corner to a spot in town that was currently void of people, then created a statue around her.


    ¡°Is that necessary, sir?¡± Spok sighed, arms crossed as she stood in the hollow base of the statue. ¡°Until you deal with your problem, I¡¯d advise against using magic for frivolities.¡±


    ¡°What do you think I¡¯m doing?¡± the dungeon asked. ¡°I want you to give me some answers, not go running about town!¡±


    ¡°If you had questions, you could have simply asked within the main building. As your spirit guide, I¡¯m aware of what¡¯s going on within you. There¡¯s no need for my avatar to be there to respond.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    All of a sudden, Theo felt a bit silly. Having to focus on his avatar had made him forget that simple fact. Now there was a perfect statue of Earl Rosewind erected in a random part of town.


    ¡°Anyway, what can you tell me about necromancers?¡±


    ¡°Other than the obvious?¡± The spirit guide arched a brow. ¡°They are exceptionally good groundskeepers. Powerful dungeons would create necromantic minions to tend the surrounding area. There even have been instances in which they would invite natural necromancers. Unless the individual in question has been affected by demon cores, it¡¯s a win-win situation. Necromancers prefer to be alone, the same as dungeons. Both groups dislike people, and especially adventurers.¡±


    That was rather interesting. It meant that there was a chance that Theo could come to some sort of an arrangement with the brigand leader. Inviting him to the town could be a bit too much. On the other hand, Rosewind¡¯s cemetery could use some more people to tend to it.


    ¡°Thanks for the info, Spok,¡± the dungeon said.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, sir. Now I¡¯ll have to think of some excuse regarding the statue¡­¡±


    Theo, however, was no longer focusing on the events in Rosewind. His entire attention shifted to his avatar once more. After he removed all arrows from his body, and created a new set of clothes to change into, he searched the area for brigand remains. To no surprise, he didn¡¯t find any. Quite likely the necromancer had summoned them back to his hideout¡ªbones, armor, and all.


    ¡°Baron?¡± Avid asked from within the icy encirclement. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    With a sigh reserved to a babysitter at the start of work, the avatar undid his spell. The wall melted away, sinking into the marsh.


    ¡°It¡¯s over. They¡¯re gone.¡±


    He waited for a few more moments, mostly to hear some praise, but none followed.


    ¡°Okay, what¡¯s wrong?¡± He frowned.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­ I was hoping you¡¯d let us get some experience,¡± Ulf said. ¡°We know you can handle them. You¡¯ve defeated armies. We, though, are just starting out and¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re afraid your uncle will scold you, aren¡¯t you?¡± The avatar narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°Well¡­ something like that. He¡¯s already got a low opinion of me and if I don¡¯t show some adventuring spirit, he might get mad.¡±


    That wouldn¡¯t be such a bad thing, Theo thought. In his eyes, Ulf was just as useless as Cmyk. The other two weren¡¯t much better. A partier, a bookworm, and a spoilt princess. That was what he had been given. The mere thought of relying on them in battle sent shivers throughout the dungeon.


    ¡°Next time,¡± he lied. ¡°This was just the greeting party. The real force is probably at their stronghold. That¡¯s our goal. You¡¯ll get plenty of experience there.¡±


    Lady Amelia started verbalizing a question, but was instantly cut off by the dungeon¡¯s avatar, who briskly turned around.


    ¡°We¡¯re continuing on foot,¡± he said. If they wanted experience so badly, he was definitely going to give them some, just not in the way they thought. When this was over, they¡¯d be begging their parents not to go on adventures with him.


    Thus, the group continued, making their way through the thick, stinky muck on foot. Theo still had no idea where exactly he was going. If there was a path through the marsh, it wasn¡¯t visible. In his mind, he drew a theoretical line between the group and the invisible archers and went on in that direction.


    Nothing of interest happened in the next half hour. The adventurer wannabes got stuck a few times in the marsh, only to be pulled out by the avatar using a spell or two. It was more annoying than anything else, though thankfully, it didn¡¯t slow the progress by too much.


    After approximately half an hour, another group of brigands appeared, charging very much like the first. They were wearing the same sets of rusty armor and wielding substandard weapons. Now that no one was caught off guard, they could see the wretched state of the attackers. It wasn¡¯t only a matter of pitiful equipment. The actions of the enemies seemed slow, almost sloth-like, and very predictable. It made sense given that they were likely simple undead following orders. Theo remembered how incompetent Cmyk had been when he had first been created. The skeleton minion could barely open the door without additional instruction. Then again, maybe that wasn¡¯t the best example, since even now Cmyk remained quite useless.


    One after the other, the metallic monstrosities were chopped up. It couldn¡¯t be said that they were killed, since once again there was no trace of their remains once they sunk beneath the swampy marsh. Theo attempted to hold on to some using the spells of his avatar, but as he did, an arrow freed it from his grasp. The avatar turned around, ready to cast a spell at another invisible archer, when he saw a large figure with a composite bow a hundred feet away. The figure was massive, probably six and a half feet tall, with enormous bulging muscles, long hair, and a full metal helmet. This didn¡¯t look like any type of necromancer Theo was aware of.


    ¡°What do we have here?¡± a deep voice asked. ¡°A new set of mercenaries coming to try their luck. That¡¯s what happens when I try to be a nice guy.¡±


    ¡°Careful,¡± the avatar whispered to his group, gesturing with his left hand for them to keep back. ¡°Did you throw a flaming wagon at us?¡± he asked, taking a step forward.


    ¡°I was already dealing with another group of mercenaries and decided to combine tasks. They¡¯ll be quite disappointed to find that their sacrifice was for nothing.¡±


    ¡°You killed them?


    ¡°Ha! They were so terrified that chasing after them would have been a waste of time. I just set their stuff on fire and tossed it at you. That was supposed to serve as a warning, in case you missed it.¡±


    ¡°Well, it didn¡¯t work,¡± the avatar stated the obvious.


    The large figure put the bow round his left shoulder and started slowly making his way through the marsh. The ease with which he walked through the muck was a clear indication of his strength.


    ¡°The entire town will suffer because of that.¡± The mountain of muscles kept on walking. ¡°There was one simple rule, an arrangement if you will: the town doesn¡¯t bother us, and we don¡¯t bother it. Mercenaries and adventurers¡ªsure. The only people we¡¯ve laid a hand on here were thieves and robbers. Never could stand those types.¡±


    A brigand that didn¡¯t like thieves? That was unusual, although Theo could empathize. He too detested thieves, though he¡¯d never gone out of his way to beat them up.


    ¡°And now, look at what you¡¯ve done.¡±


    Without warning, the man grabbed a nearby tree with both hands and tore it out from the ground. Flames covered his arms, setting it ablaze. Theo didn¡¯t have to be a genius to know what would follow. As fast as the brigand leader, he cast his ice spell, sending a multitude of ice daggers at his opponent. Both collided, causing the burning tree to explode in splinters.


    Fortunately, none of the tag-along adventurers were hurt. Unfortunately, the avatar¡¯s new set of clothes hadn¡¯t escaped that fate.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± the brigand leader said, striking at the dungeon¡¯s avatar. As he did, a sword appeared in his hand. It was no mystery that he had a dimension ring as well.


    Thanks to the swiftness effects, Theo¡¯s avatar was able to summon his heroic sword just in the nick of time and parry the attack. A loud sound, like thunder, resounded, shaking the branches of the nearby trees. One glance was enough to tell that both swords were legendary.


    ¡°Where did you get a legendary sword?¡± Theo asked. Usually, his strength was enough to deal with nearly any threat. This time, though, he wasn¡¯t sure.


    ¡°Funny.¡± The brigand pushed on forward, causing the avatar to slide backwards through the marsh. ¡°That¡¯s my question too. You¡¯re not a hero.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Technically, Theo was just that. The heroic trait of his avatar granted him the abilities of a hero, even if it was a very low-level hero. ¡°Neither are you.¡±


    Energy flowed through Theo¡¯s sword, causing flickers of electricity to flow through. The brigand sensed that something was up and quickly leaped ten feet back. Theo expected for his enemy¡¯s sword also to light up with some heroic energy, possibly even catch flame. To his surprise, no such thing occurred.


    ¡°Your weapon isn¡¯t magic?¡± the avatar asked.


    ¡°Not all legendary weapons are magic,¡± the brigand leader replied defensively. ¡°Some are just sharp and durable. Besides, it¡¯s not about the magic of the sword, but how you use it.¡±


    As if to prove his point, the brigand performed a vertical slash, splitting the marsh for several feet in front of him. The strike was no doubt impressive, but didn¡¯t pose any danger to Theo¡¯s avatar.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± he asked after several seconds of anticipation.


    ¡°What did you expect?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe something a bit more¡ª¡±


    ¡°Baron!¡± Amelia¡¯s yell filled the air. ¡°Look around you!¡±


    It was terrible advice, but Theo couldn¡¯t help himself, glancing over his shoulder to see what the commotion was. He didn¡¯t have to look for long. The entire area behind him was filled with low-level brigands. There had to be over a hundred of them, holding rusty swords, axes, and maces. None of them had an inch of flesh visible, clad entirely in their usual suits of armor.


    ¡°Something like that?¡± The brigand leader laughed.


    Damn it! Theo thought. This was going to cost him more than a bit of energy.

 (Book 2) 6. Old Friends and Heroic Specializations

    Only three types of entities had the power to spontaneously create armies, according to Spok. The first group were forest druids. Being one with nature, they had the power to call upon all creatures of the forest and command them to charge at any intruder, village, or entire kingdoms. For the most part they kept to themselves, living far from civilization, surrounded by pristine nature.


    Dungeons were the second type. They had the power to create loads of minions, provided they had enough energy and resources. Most often the minions were limited to the dungeon itself, although some ancient powerful dungeons were known to create armies which would preemptively attack heroes and adventurers. Given that there was nothing dungeon-related in Forest Marsh, other than Theo, that wasn¡¯t the case either. The only remaining possibility was the third group: necromancers.


    They had the power to raise armies multiple times ready for combat. Normally, that wouldn¡¯t be a huge issue; while occasionally devastating, necromantic armies had considerable drawbacks, the greatest of which was that even when covered in armor, they remained brittle. The necromancer¡¯s greatest strength was in an area surrounded by corpses. Battlefields and graveyards would be perfect locations, as would a marsh. It had probably taken centuries for the bones to stack up. Even if only a handful of people died here every year, after enough time the numbers would be massive, not to mention that the marsh would hide them. All it took was someone with enough mana and they¡¯d be able to establish a perfect stronghold in the forest, occasionally sending small groups on skirmishes outside.


    ¡°Charge!¡± the brigand leader shouted.


    Everyone dashed towards Theo¡¯s avatar from all sides.


    ¡°Ice daggers!¡± the avatar yelled.


    Small blades filled the air, flying indiscriminately at everything around. No doubt Spok would criticize his wastefulness, but the alternatives were worse. Right now, there were two enemies he was facing: the army of minions, as well as the necromancer. It didn¡¯t help that the necromancer was as strong as a gorilla and had magic to boot.


    While the icicles pierced the brigand minions, Theo flew straight at the brigand leader.


    The enemy¡¯s action was faster than expected. Still holding his sword, the brute managed to grab the bow off his shoulder and simultaneously shoot three arrows at the approaching avatar. All of them hit their target, one landing right on his forehead.


    Damnit! The avatar lowered his head. The last thing he wanted was any of the adventurers to find out that he wasn¡¯t remotely human. It was bad enough that his enemy probably knew.


    Spending a bit more energy, Theo increased the flight speed of his avatar, then swung at his enemy with full strength. The sword snapped the bow in two, hitting the brigand¡¯s arm. Much to Theo¡¯s surprise, there it stopped. What was more, the strike had a rather peculiar metallic ring to it.


    ¡°Your arm¡¯s made of metal?¡± the avatar asked.


    ¡°Look who¡¯s talking.¡± The brigand leader kicked the avatar in the stomach, yet all he managed to achieve was to push himself five feet back.


    Theo took the opportunity to charge his sword with blessed lightning and struck again. Both legendary swords met. Unlike before, the lightning charge ran along the metal blade and hopped onto the brigand¡¯s arm, engulfing him entirely.


    Any normal person would have certainly died as a result. The brigand leader, apparently, had different plans. Shaken by lightning, he took a step back in the marsh. His long hair caught fire, quickly culminating with the explosion of his head.


    Instinctively, Theo pulled back his avatar. There were a lot of things he¡¯d expected. Witnessing what had just happened definitely wasn¡¯t one of them. Watching the massive brigand stand a few feet away, headless, with a small fire burning where his neck used to be, was concerning. Even worse, without a head, there was no way that Theo could prove he had dealt with the brigand issue.


    ¡°You stupid brigand!¡± the avatar said to himself.


    A few dozen of the remaining brigands remained in the area. Uncertain how to act after the current turn of events, they were less driven than they had been, making them easy pickings for Ulf, Amelia, and Avid. Now that their initial shock was gone, and Theo was dealing with the big fry, they were doing rather well. It was expected that Ulf did a good job. Despite wasting three-quarters of his time in taverns, he had actual experience and had done a few jobs for his uncle¡¯s guild. Far less flashy, Avid was also pulling his own. Despite belief, the training sessions with Cmyk had managed to achieve something. The greatest surprise, however, was Lady Amelia. Theo, like most others in Rosewind, had only seen her annoying side and never expected she¡¯d be particularly good at actual fighting. As it turned out, her swordsmanship was rather exceptional, even if it was closer to fencing.


    ¡°Wrap this up!¡± the avatar shouted. ¡°It¡¯ll be a long day searching the swamp and the sooner we start¡ª¡±


    A sword sliced through his left shoulder, continuing until it went down below the arm. The effect was negligible; back in the dungeon¡¯s main body, a bit of energy was lost¡ªfar less than Theo usually used for spells. Turning around, he saw the headless bulk of the brigand leader standing a step away.


    That sword really is sharp, the dungeon thought. While it didn¡¯t have the gimmicks of his current sword, it definitely earned its title as a legendary weapon.


    ¡°You¡¯re not human,¡± the headless brigand said.


    ¡°Look who¡¯s talking.¡± Theo¡¯s avatar struck the brigand in the stomach. ¡°Ice blades.¡±


    Spikes of ice emerged from the brigand¡¯s back, sides, top, and bottom.


    CORE CONSUMPTION


    1 arcane core fragment converted into 500 Avatar Core Points.


    ¡°No!¡± Theo shouted in his main building, causing the entire town in Rosewind to tremble. ¡°Not that again!¡±


    AVATAR LEVEL INCREASE


    Your Avatar has become Level 20


    +1 MIND, SLEIGHT OF HAND skill obtained


    2620 Core Points required for next Avatar Level


    SLIGHT OF HAND - 1


    Allows your avatar to snatch, hide, and pickpocket items without anyone seeing.


    Using the skill increases its rank, making it more effective.


    HEROIC SPECIALIZATION


    (Level 20 requirements met)


    Based on the life you have led so far, the deities have granted you the opportunity to select a secondary specialization complementing your heroic trait. Further specializations are also possible based on your future development.


    The choices provided to you are as follow: PALADIN, MAGIC KNIGHT, and ARCHITECT.


    Back in Rosewind, the dungeon had spent days killing royal slimes with his avatar with the goal of finally reaching level twenty. There were times Theo did little else. Gradually the urges had vanished, replaced by the urge to expand and better himself. Now that he¡¯d achieved what he wanted with relatively little effort, he wished he hadn¡¯t.


    PALADIN


    (Offered due to combined use of magic and combat skills)


    Allows detection and smiting of evil, such as demons, dungeons, and corrupted animals, plants, and objects.


    That was a hard pass.


    MAGIC KNIGHT


    (Offered due to combined use of magic and combat skills)


    Combining magic and combat techniques results in a 50% efficiency boost. Spells require 20% less mana. Attacks require 20% less stamina.


    Normally, Theo wouldn¡¯t even consider that, but the energy reduction was a boost he could really use right now. No doubt he was going to regret it in the future. Just to be on the safe side, he waited to see the final specialization.


    ARCHITECT


    (Offered due to abundant building)


    Allows construction of bigger, better, and more complex buildings.


    Doors creaked and gnashed through Rosewind. It wasn¡¯t because the options offered were bad¡ªthe dungeon had gotten used to amassing useless skills¡ªbut because his avatar had reached level twenty in the first place. Rather, it was due to the way he had achieved it. Killing the brigand wasn¡¯t supposed to give him any heroic experience. As it turned out, the brigand wasn¡¯t a person¡­ he was something Theo had faced before.


    Choosing the Magic Knight specialization, the avatar then looked around. His sidekicks had successfully dispatched the last of the remaining ¡°brigands¡± and were ready for more. One could almost smell the adrenalin flowing through their veins.


    ¡°We¡¯re going back,¡± the avatar said, while discreetly pulling out the arrow from his forehead.


    ¡°Don¡¯t we have to find the stronghold?¡± Amelia asked.


    ¡°No need for that. We killed the brigand leader. Going to the stronghold is a waste of time.¡±


    ¡°But what if there¡¯s more of them there? Won¡¯t someone else just take his place? The noble quest said¡ª¡±


    ¡°I said we¡¯re done. Now, stick together and¡ª¡±


    Ripples appeared on the surface of the marsh, interrupting the dungeon¡¯s avatar.


    Not good! Theo thought.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    A huge figure emerged from the marsh, less than twenty feet from him. Seven feet tall, covered in massive armor, a knight stood holding an impressive double ax. Though rusty, the armor was leagues better than anything the group had faced before. Even from a distance, it was clear that it was at least an inch thick. Any attack, even a powerful one, would simply bounce off like a pea.


    ¡°Who dares venture into my domain?¡± the knight¡¯s voice boomed, causing the branches of nearby trees to rustle. ¡°Were you not warned of the fate that awaits all who trespass in brigand territory?¡±


    The knight took a giant step forward. The resulting splash was powerful enough to hit the avatar¡¯s trousers.


    ¡°I suppose you think that just because you managed to defeat my lieutenant, you have what it takes to face me? Well, you¡¯re wrong! There isn¡¯t a being born in this world who has the strength or cunning to best me in combat, especially¡­¡± The knight paused, the massive helmet looking in the direction of Theo. ¡°You?!¡± the knight asked in surprise.


    ¡°Aether shield! Icewall!¡± Theo quickly cast an indestructible aether bubble around each of the adventures, then surrounded them by an opaque ice wall. And just for good measure, wrapped them in a silence spell, ensuring that they wouldn¡¯t hear anything.


    Meanwhile, the knight went through an unexpected transformation of his own. The large breastplate opened up, splitting into two parts, and revealed a small, though comfortable, control room occupied by a gnome.


    ¡°I never thought I¡¯d run into you here!¡± The gnome almost jumped out. He seemed pretty harmless. His clothes were surprisingly well kept, considering the contraption he was in and the location itself. Large goggle-like glasses were strapped to his head, making his eyes the size of apples. ¡°It¡¯s me¡ªSwitches! Vlyan Switches!¡±


    Vlyan Switches¡­ Not too long ago, the gnome had somehow managed to find two demon hearts buried in the Mandrake Mountains, then set off with a fleet of airships to conquer the world. Taking the name Lord Mandrake, the gnome had snatched several villages whole, transporting and then hypnotizing them to mine ore with which to build more and better weapons for his goblin army. The scary thing was that he and Theo had met. More than that¡ªwhen the gnome had learned the nature of the dungeon¡¯s avatar, he had set out for Rosewind with his entire army for the sole purpose of destroying Theo¡¯s core. He had nearly succeeded, razing most of the town to the ground.


    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be dead,¡± the avatar said, gripping the heroic sword. ¡°I sent you flying into the sky.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that.¡± Switches waved a hand. ¡°I had a few gadgets that slowed down my fall. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    The manner in which the gnome responded was most peculiar, making Theo all the more suspicious. Keeping his avatar perfectly still, he tried to analyze the situation. If he were in the gnome¡¯s shoes, he¡¯d be utterly pissed, set on a path of vengeance. That could explain the band of ¡°brigands.¡± At the same time, it failed to find a reason why he¡¯d remain in a swamp instead of taking over the local town. Judging by the constructs he had created, he definitely had the strength to do so.


    ¡°Spok,¡± Theo whispered back in his main body. ¡°Do you have a moment?¡±


    The spirit guide froze. Up till now, the dungeon had always asked directly when he¡¯d wanted to know something. Having him inquire for permission beforehand gave her a bad feeling.


    ¡°Yes?¡± She hesitated. ¡°Is anything the matter?¡±


    ¡°Just came across Switches.¡±


    ¡°Switches?¡±


    ¡°Lord Mandrake.¡±


    While Spok didn¡¯t share the dungeon¡¯s experience of fighting the gnome, she had experienced the attack of the town. The gravity of the situation wasn¡¯t lost on her. Appearing in the guestroom of the main building, she activated the scrying crystal and looked in it. An image of the scene appeared, clearly showing her the dungeon¡¯s avatar, as well as the gnome, seated within his knight construct.


    ¡°Has he made any demands, sir?¡± The spirit guide decided to approach the subject from afar.


    ¡°Forget demands. How come he¡¯s still alive?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re correct. That is an intriguing question. Maybe focus on something more practical, though?¡±


    Theo slammed the door of the guestroom.


    ¡°How have you been?¡± the gnome asked in a cheerful manner back in the marsh. ¡°I¡¯ve heard stories about how the town¡¯s made a comeback. I bet that¡¯s your doing.¡± He winked.


    ¡°In part.¡± Theo wasn¡¯t sure how to respond to that. Until he did, he planned to keep his guard up. The gnome had proved to have an abundance of gadgets and cunning and didn¡¯t hesitate to use them.


    ¡°I thought it might be something like that. Dungeons are always good at fixing up things. Nice touch with the avatar. Not many use them that way.¡±


    Huh? Theo wondered. As far as he was aware, no other dungeon had done what he had. Spok had been adamant about it. More than likely Switches was lying. As an ex-world conqueror, he wasn¡¯t anywhere close to be trusted.


    ¡°Is that true, Spok?¡± Theo asked back to his main building, just to be sure.


    ¡°Not to my knowledge, sir,¡± the spirit guide replied. ¡°You are the only dungeon who¡¯s thought of such an idea. As you¡¯d recall, the goddess herself was astonished.¡±


    As much as Theo was inclined to believe that, Peris wasn¡¯t exactly a reliable deity. True, she had helped him in several difficult situations, but she couldn¡¯t even take care of her temples.


    ¡°I strongly suggest you ask him what he wants, sir.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I just attack and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Your energy level is low, sir. I would recommend you abstain from needless spells until tomorrow. Are you confident you could win using your combat skills alone?¡±


    Doors and windows creaked. Spok sounded painfully close to Theo¡¯s doctor back in his previous life. There, he¡¯d frequently been told to watch his blood pressure and not subject himself to needless stress. The absurdity of the situation was that Theo¡¯s entire job was needless stress, and the doctor was fully aware of that.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± the dungeon¡¯s avatar asked.


    ¡°I knew you¡¯d ask that,¡± the gnome giggled, shaking a finger at the avatar as he did so. ¡°It¡¯s a funny story, actually. After you ejected me from our arena, I spent a short while stuck in the sky.¡±


    Theo¡¯s avatar frowned.


    ¡°No, seriously! The new safety device I had with me expanded, filling up with helium, ensuring that I wouldn¡¯t splat to my death. The only problem was that I hadn¡¯t added a way to deflate it, even a little bit.¡± The gnome looked to the side for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s not like I ever expected to actually use it. The theory was sound, and it was too expensive to waste on flying goblins.¡±


    ¡°I get the idea.¡± And that¡¯s where you plotted your plan for revenge.


    With nothing left but time on his hands, the gnome no doubt had come up with the most intricate and convoluted plan to settle the score, or so Theo thought. If he had a pencil and a pad of paper, no doubt he would have written hundreds of notes revealing Theo¡¯s secret and scattered them for people to find.


    ¡°So, there I was, stuck among the clouds. The first few days, I was furious at you. I couldn¡¯t believe I had lost the battle after all my planning. I was ready to get right back at it, but then something happened.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± the avatar asked, despite himself.


    ¡°The sun!¡± Switches said triumphantly. ¡°Did you know prolonged exposure to sunlight reduces demonic influences?¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t remotely true,¡± Spok interrupted back in Rosewind. ¡°Sunlight doesn¡¯t have the effect that he believed it to have. Time spent away from any corruptive influences, however, did. Normally, a person would take decades to escape the demonic influence. Gnomes, because of their natural obsessions, have a tendency to push them out. There¡¯s no guarantee that he¡¯s telling the truth, of course. He¡¯s been in the proximity of a demon lord¡¯s heart for quite a while.¡±


    The dungeon doubted the veracity of the gnome as well and had a plan on how to prove it and deal with Switches in the process.


    ¡°After two weeks I managed to catch a passing bird and used its beak to puncture my safety device,¡± Switches continued. ¡°Then, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hold on! How exactly did you use the beak?¡± The avatar took a step forward.


    ¡°After I finished eating the bird, I broke it off and stabbed the device. The other bones were too brittle and too small. The beak was the best option.¡±


    The avatar nodded. The explanation made sense in a gruesome sort of way. It was more important to get as close to the gnome as possible, and before the aether bubbles shattered. Theo had made sure to cast the indestructible kind. They prevented the adventurers from meddling, though not for long.


    ¡°Like a feather, I floated down, ending up here.¡± The gnome extended both arms. ¡°Not the best place for a new start, though I¡¯d been in worse.¡± There was a momentary pause. ¡°Or at least anyone else would say that. This place was a gold mine! Probably thousands of people have tried to go through here: thieves, warriors, merchants.¡±


    There was no need for the gnome to continue. The rest of the story was pretty clear. Using some of his devices, he managed to create a number of constructs and start his small operation. From there on, it was all a matter of time before he amassed a large enough army to take over the town and rekindle his plans for world domination. This time, Theo planned to snip the threat to its roots.


    Still under the effect of the series of swiftness spells, the avatar tore off a button from his shirt and blessed it. A fine glow covered the wooden surface on all sides. Next, the avatar aimed for Switches¡¯ head and threw the button.


    The small item passed the distance between them in the blink of an eye, hitting the gnome right above the goggles. Back when Theo fought demons, that had been enough to burn through them, banishing the creatures off to where they¡¯d come from. In this case, the button bounced off the gnome with as little as a smack.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Switches grabbed his forehead with both hands. ¡°What was that for?¡±


    Theo¡¯s avatar blinked.


    ¡°You¡¯re alive?¡± he asked. Things had just become slightly more confusing and a lot more embarrassing.


    ¡°No thanks to you! Seriously, who does that?¡± The gnome kept on rubbing the area with his right hand. The item, still glowing, had landed on the marsh surface several feet away. ¡°A button?¡± Switches shouted in disbelief. ¡°You hit me on the head with a button?!¡±


    ¡°Blessed button.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to check if you were still affected by the demon heart.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    An uncomfortable silence formed. On his part, the dungeon was expecting the attack to kill the gnome, and he felt slightly guilty about it. Fortunately, in addition to being demon-free, the creature had a rather thick skull. At the same time, the gnome also hadn¡¯t revealed himself out of the goodness of his heart. There was something Switches wanted to ask as well.


    ¡°So, now that¡¯s all over, are we good?¡± the gnome asked with a toothy grin. ¡°You can see I¡¯m no threat, right?¡±


    The massive knight construct said otherwise, but Theo chose to ignore it, at least for the moment.


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re no threat.¡±


    ¡°Great, because I was thinking you could use a genius engineer-inventor.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡±


    The dungeon¡¯s avatar took a step back. If the dungeon itself could have done the same, it would have. The question had caught him completely off guard. So far, he had acted under the assumption that the gnome might try a sneak attack of some sort. Being spontaneously asked for a job was a wholly new experience.


    ¡°You won¡¯t find any better than me. I¡¯d give you references, but the last dungeon I was in got invaded by another dungeon, and I slipped away during the merger.¡±


    ¡°You want to work for me?¡±


    ¡°Of course! You seem like an honest sort, which is more than I can say for most dungeons, and you have the spark of ingenuity within you. We¡¯ll make a perfect team!¡±


    ¡°Team?¡±


    ¡°Well, alright, not exactly team.¡± The gnome waved the concern away, missing the point entirely. ¡°I¡¯ll be working for you, but I demand a degree of autonomy. In short, I decide what goes on in my lab. You¡¯re free to make requests and I¡¯ll be more than glad to accommodate you, but no micromanagement!¡±


    Theo kept on listening as the gnome continued pouring his demands. In short, he was willing to indenture himself, but only on the condition that the dungeon create a fully equipped engineering laboratory, complete with a forge. Theo was going to be responsible for procuring materials with little say on the products and the method of working. In short, the gnome was trying to get himself a new lab and was doing so in a brazen fashion.


    ¡°How much energy do I have to spare?¡± Theo asked back into his main body.


    ¡°Not enough, sir,¡± Spok replied. ¡°However, I do empathize.¡±


    For several more minutes, Switches kept on listing demands and potential benefits¡ªwhich could be summed up as ¡°having a genius gnome in Theo¡¯s employ.¡± Once all the arguments were made and all logic exhausted. The gnome finally stopped.


    ¡°So, what do you say?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to think about it,¡± the avatar replied, which was the universal code for ¡°no.¡±


    ¡°Come on! What¡¯s there to think about? You¡¯re getting a great deal and you know it. Dungeons would kill each other to be able to get me.¡±


    ¡°I doubt that,¡± the avatar whispered beneath its breath. ¡°Look, Switches, this isn¡¯t a decision I can make on my own. The main reason I came here was to complete my noble quest and get some magical items as loot. I never planned on¡­ hiring anyone.¡±


    ¡°You can do both! When I go with you there¡¯ll be no one left to operate the brigands, so for all practical purposes, you can justly say that you dealt with the problem.¡±


    ¡°And the loot?


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome to it. There are a few magic items, some gold¡­ I¡¯ll even throw in the fragment I used to operate the knight. Not as good as my golem construct, but quite impressive nonetheless.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, tempting¡­ but I still need to present the head of the brigand to one of the local adventurer guilds. No head, no reward.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± The gnome scratched his chin. ¡°That¡¯s a tough one. After what you did, it¡¯ll be a wonder to find a fragment in this swamp. Is there an alternative?¡±


    ¡°They say you have an anti-magic necklace¡­¡±


    ¡°Who comes up with those stories? It¡¯s¡­ well, okay, I have something of the sort. Are you sure you need it, though? It took me quite a while to make, not to mention every bit of magic I had.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the only way I¡¯ll consider hiring you.¡±


    The gnome¡¯s ears perked up.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying we can come to an arrangement?¡± Switches¡¯ voice trembled with hope.


    ¡°Maybe.¡± The avatar nodded. ¡°Maybe.¡±

 (Book 2) 7. All Good Quests Come to an End... Curses Dont

    Many things were difficult in life: relationships, bureaucracy, city planning, resource management¡­ and being forced to cooperate with someone who had tried to destroy an entire town. There were so many holes in the gnome¡¯s story that it would make a sieve seem solid. The whole idea that the creature had spent a few weeks floating in the sky and miraculously transformed from an obsessed world conqueror to mild-mannered tinkerer was absurd. Not only that, but it went against all existing proof. While it was true that the gnome hadn¡¯t ransacked the nearby town, it might not have been due to lack of trying. As it turned out, creating mechanical constructs was quite difficult with the limited resources at Switches¡¯ disposal. Of all the things he had initially managed to assemble from the junk scavenged from Forest Marsh, all he had was the brigand leader and a handful of rickety scarecrows. It was no accident that the first brigand attacks occurred after dark, heavily relying on the victims¡¯ imagination. After that, it was simple. The gnome used the materials he snatched to increase the gang¡¯s size and made use of any magic trinkets he found in the process.


    One could only admire the gnome¡¯s ingenuity. He had managed to transform an old thief hideout into a workshop from where all his armies were controlled. The leader was the only one who had any semblance of actual intelligence, brought to life through the only remaining demon core fragment that Switches had kept on himself. For all practical purposes, he was no different from an advanced version of the sentient armor constructs that ¡°Lord Mandrake¡± used as elite forces.


    How the mighty have fallen, Theo thought as he looked at the chaos of the gnome¡¯s workshop. There were flooded cellars in better condition than this.


    ¡°Take a seat somewhere,¡± the gnome said, while going through the piles of devices.


    The avatar looked around. The room was made infinitely smaller due to a combination of creature carcasses, sacks of coins and looted items, rusty component parts, and large complex devices of questionable function and quality.


    ¡°And people complain dungeons are messy,¡± Theo¡¯s avatar whispered.


    ¡°Help yourself to anything you like. I won¡¯t be needing all this once I start working for you.¡±


    ¡°How convenient¡­¡± The avatar sighed, but still skimmed through a few piles of loot, using telekinesis.


    Most of the contents could be considered valuable for the average person, but were of no significance for a dungeon. Even the magical items were vastly disappointing. Every now and again, Theo would come across something that had a bit more magic in it. When in doubt, though, the dungeon decided to have his avatar pick them up and worry about their usefulness later.


    Meanwhile, the trio of adventurers had the thankless job of rounding up the remaining brigands. Their adrenalin levels were so high that they rushed to do it without even fully hearing out Theo¡¯s crafty explanation. Naturally, the ¡°brigands¡± had switched from attacking to retreating, leading the adventurers in circles and safely away from the gnome¡¯s workshop.


    ¡°Ah, found it!¡± Switches shouted triumphantly, holding a magic gem necklace. ¡°This should do it, right?¡±


    The dungeon avatar looked at it, casting an identify spell. The necklace indeed had significant anti-magic properties. An ordinary wizard would be significantly hindered when facing someone with it. Not Theo, though.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± the avatar asked. ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like much.¡±


    ¡°It has sentimental value. One of the few trinkets I had from my Mandrake days. Well, actually, it was something else from which I made the necklace, but it still counts. It was useful the first few times, back when I had only Annie and a few clanks. It managed to impress the locals, I can tell you that. Afterwards, it became more bothersome than it was worth, so I stashed it here to keep it safe.¡±


    ¡°Safe must mean something very different in your world.¡± The avatar took a few steps forward and took the necklace.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan?¡± Switches rubbed his hands. ¡°We go with the story that you saved me from the evil brigands?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not a bad idea, but I¡¯m not sure it¡¯ll fly. The brigands are supposed to be ruthless and merciless, remember?¡±


    The avatar tucked the necklace in his belt. He had been pondering ways to get rid of Switches for the last twenty minutes. Killing him was one option, yet even after everything that had occurred. there was a lingering shred of doubt that Switches had indeed turned a new leaf. Neither Theo nor his spirit guide could convince themselves to go through with it, and there was no one else who¡¯d believe the story. That said, the dungeon still didn¡¯t want anything to do with him.


    ¡°Look, thanks for the help and all, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Baron!¡± a voice came from outside the building. ¡°I think we got all of them!¡±


    Huh? The avatar almost jumped. He was certain that the heroes would need hours to finish the brainless task he had given them. Apparently, they were much better than he gave them credit for. This caused a serious problem. If they were to find out that the brigands¡¯ stronghold was, in fact, a gnome¡¯s workshop, there would be a lot of uncomfortable questions. Theo had planned to destroy the whole thing long before they arrived, then think up a convincing lie to cover everything up. Now that this was impossible, he had to act fast.


    Turning around, he cast an indestructible aether sphere round Switches. The anti-magic necklace attempted to interfere with the spell, requiring him to use five times the normal amount of energy. It was a bad waste at the worst possible time, but there was no choice.


    Without a word of apology, the avatar then cast as powerful a fireball as he could afford.


    Fire burst through the wooden building, bursting out of walls and windows. That was not all. In his haste to get rid of the incriminating evidence, the dungeon had forgotten a few minor details: one was that large explosions tended to displace everything that wasn¡¯t very firmly nailed down, and two¡ªthe contraptions Switches had created helped increase the force of the explosion by a factor of ten.


    Unable to withstand the force within, the wooden structure popped like a popcorn kernel, sending a circle of fire and debris, including Theo¡¯s avatar, in all directions.


    ¡°Ice wall!¡± the avatar shouted, raising a barrier to prevent the wave of fire harming his companions.


    A thick block of ice rose up, then almost instantly melted just as the avatar crashed into it. It might have managed to save three people, but even his ice wall couldn¡¯t withstand the raw power of the blast that had instantly transformed that section of the forest into a bog.


    ¡°Baron!¡± Amelia shouted. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    The question managed to make the dungeon feel even worse. This wasn¡¯t something that anyone hit by a wave of fire should be forced to answer. Quickly, the avatar checked that the necklace was still with him. Thankfully, it was. Surprisingly, the clothes hadn¡¯t suffered as badly as one could have feared. Although slightly singed, they were still wearable, at least until the avatar got back to the tavern. There, he¡¯d conjure a new set.


    ¡°Baron?¡± Ulf rushed through the ice remnants. ¡°Can you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stop!¡± Theo¡¯s avatar said sharply. ¡°If anyone asks one more stupid question, I¡¯ll leave you here to walk the way back to Rosewind.¡±


    All three adventures froze silent. Brigands were one thing. Having to walk through a marsh, then miles without food, water, or proper amenities was more than they were ready to handle.


    ¡°You got all the brigands?¡± The avatar looked at Avid.


    ¡°Err, yes?¡± The young man hesitated. ¡°I think we did. At least I didn¡¯t see any more of them.¡±


    ¡°Good enough. We¡¯re heading back to town.¡± Straightening up, he then walked right past the trio and back in the direction they had originally come from.


    ¡°I think he¡¯s mad,¡± Amelia whispered from behind him.


    ¡°You think?¡± Ulf replied in a whisper. ¡°What gave you that idea, your ladyship?¡±


    ¡°Shut up, you idiot! It¡¯s serious! He¡¯s not even using magic. You know how much he likes to use magic. All this must be to teach us a lesson.¡±


    ¡°Either that or the final fight must have been quite difficult,¡± Avid added. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen him use such powerful fire spells, even back when the goblins were attacking.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a well-known fact that fire¡¯s the best way to destroy an undead necromancer.¡± Ulf tapped Avid on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sort of sad I didn¡¯t get to see him. To need such a blast to die¡­ he must have been something extraordinary.¡±


    ¡°What did you expect?¡± Amelia humphed. ¡°For the Baron to be sent, he had to be this powerful, at least. Noble quests don¡¯t just happen.¡±


    The whispers of speculation continued all the way out of the forest. Every few minutes, Theo was almost about to turn around and shush them when he¡¯d hear something flattering and decide to allow the conversation to continue for a while longer. By the time the group reached the village, the story had grown to such an extent that Theo himself had difficulty distinguishing between truth and fiction.


    Just as before, all conversations stopped the moment the door creaked open. Upon seeing the Baron and all the rest, whispers emerged.


    ¡°Tough first day?¡± the innkeeper asked. ¡°Looks like you had quite the thrilling experience. We¡¯ve had groups ten times the size vanish without a trace.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re all fine.¡± As you can clearly see.


    The dungeon¡¯s avatar took a few steps forward, at which point the people at the nearest table quickly stood up, freeing the space. Since Theo wasn¡¯t human, this wasn¡¯t needed, but he did appreciate the gesture, as well as the option to partially hide the wretched state of his clothes.


    A tavern boy rushed to the table carrying a large pitcher. Food soon followed, transforming the barren surface into a banquet.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°What did they throw at you this time?¡± someone asked.


    ¡°Nothing much.¡± The avatar sat leaned back. ¡°We¡ª¡±


    ¡°Killed over a hundred brigands!¡± Amelia proclaimed proudly. ¡°Mostly the baron, but we helped as well. The baron decapitated the brigand leader, then used a fireball to destroy the entire brigands¡¯ stronghold!¡±


    Murmurs filled the room as the patrons nodded in agreement.


    ¡°It was quite a fight. Half the forest got burned up. If there was a bard there, we¡¯d be listening to songs of the feat for centuries! On that note, is there a bard in town? I¡¯d like to hire his services.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Amelia,¡± the avatar growled. ¡°Just sit down and eat your food.¡±


    The action was mistaken for modesty. In reality, Theo just wanted a bit of quiet. The faster that they finished their dinner, the faster that could happen.


    ¡°Is it true?¡± someone asked. ¡°Did you kill the brigand leader?¡±


    Here we go¡­ Theo sighed internally.


    ¡°Yes, we did,¡± he replied with somber annoyance.


    ¡°You got his head?¡± another inquired.


    Instead of an answer, the avatar took the anti-magic necklace from his belt and raised it high in the air. Seeing it was all the proof needed. Few of the people had seen the brigand leader in person. However, they had heard descriptions of the necklace: a crude piece of jewelry composed of cursed gems that glowed in an eerie light. While all that could hold true for any trinket, its ability to drain light, making its surroundings dimmer, was quite distinguishable.


    There was a moment of calm, followed immediately by an eruption of cheers. Everyone shouted, glad to witness the end of the brigands, as if they had had an actual part in it. People congratulated each other, then raised their glasses at the baron, grateful to him for the monumental achievement. Things didn¡¯t end there. More food appeared, as well as alcohol that just moments ago couldn¡¯t be found. Convinced that the good times were about to return, the inn wasted no time in starting the celebration.


    People rushed out, eager to spread the news to other parts of town, yelling in the streets about the end of the brigand nightmare. Soon enough, everyone in town was celebrating, filling the air with shouts of joy.


    ¡°Just what I needed¡­¡± Theo grumbled. If he hadn¡¯t lacked the energy, he¡¯d have cast a portal to get his avatar back to Rosewind. Unfortunately, the battle, as well as the daily halving due to his condition, had all but exhausted the dungeon¡¯s reserves. That left him with no choice but to remain and endure.


    The celebration turned into two, then ten, then more. Locals would enter the tavern, only to give Theo a tap on the back, and possibly listen to the ridiculous stories the junior adventurers were telling. Just when things started to calm down, a new keg of wine or beer would be rolled in, starting everything from the beginning.


    The partying kept on until the early hours of the morning. Around five o¡¯clock, finally the people were left with no more strength to continue. This time Theo didn¡¯t hesitate, flying out of the inn before anything else unexpected happened.


    Relaxing on a nearby roof, the avatar leaned back and relaxed. Strictly speaking, the quest was a disaster. The trinkets he¡¯d earned were nowhere enough to satiate his hunger. At best, they¡¯d provide a few days¡ªa week at most¡ªof peace, after which the annoying messages would emerge again. The celebration of the local people was the only good thing that had come from it all. Thinking about it, though, maybe that wasn¡¯t so bad.


    The avatar lay back and closed his eyes. After a while, he opened them up again, only to see a rather large beaked head above him. For several moments, each looked at the other, not daring to blink.


    ¡°Octavian?¡± the avatar asked.


    The creature squawked loudly.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m not the only one who didn¡¯t enjoy the party?¡± The baron sat up.


    The large griffin clumsily made his way along the roof and sat next to him. It was a weird sight to be sure: a slightly singed adventurer and a large royal griffin sitting on the roof in silence.


    ¡°Managed to find any food while we were gone?¡±


    The griffin didn¡¯t reply.


    ¡°Yeah, I thought not. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get you something tomorrow. If there¡¯s anyone awake.¡±


    The way people celebrated, one would think there wouldn¡¯t be any tomorrow. It was a bit different back in Rosewind. Of course, in that case, there was a lot of cleaning to do, even with the dungeon rebuilding most of the town.


    Theo took the necklace again and looked at it. The only real use it had was to prove his achievement. While it would make his spells a bit most costly, it didn¡¯t negate their effect. If he could trade it for a creature core rich in energy and action points, he¡¯d do it. For a moment, he had even been tempted to try to consume it just to see what would happen. Spok had dissuaded this with somewhat graphic explanations of what effects might befall him should he do so. Temporary loss of structure didn¡¯t sound at all good, especially since it was often accompanied by sections of his body crumbling.


    ¡°The hero and the griffin,¡± a female voice said. ¡°I should have guessed it would be yours.¡±


    Looking down, the avatar saw the familiar figure of Red Orchid. The woman seemed very much sober.


    ¡°No partying for you?¡± the avatar asked.


    ¡°I tend not to. That¡¯s why I deal with the guild¡¯s business matters.¡±


    The avatar nodded.


    ¡°See you tomorrow, Octavian.¡± He patted the griffin on the side, then elegantly floated down off the roof. ¡°Do we need to go to your guild?¡±


    ¡°That would be preferable. I don¡¯t particularly like to discuss business in the open. Besides, it seems like you could use some new clothes. Tough fight, from what I hear.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t believe all that. It¡¯s a lot more boring than you¡¯d think.¡±


    ¡°I am sure,¡± the woman said with a sly smile, suggesting she didn¡¯t believe him one bit.


    The way they entered the Crystal Coronet was different from last time. Instead of walking through the main entrance, Orchid took the avatar down an alley and along a secret passage that ¡°only a few of the guild members knew.¡± Quite a convenient way for people to enter and leave unnoticed, one had to admit. The importance was lost on Theo, who only wanted to get everything done as fast as possible.


    ¡°You¡¯ll find some clothes in there.¡± Red pointed to a room along the small corridor. ¡°Once you¡¯re done, just go on forward. I¡¯ll be waiting for you in the work study.¡±


    Grumbling a thank you, the avatar stepped inside. Finding it suspicious that he was left unguarded, the avatar cast a mass identify spell on everything in the room. After a while, it became clear that the clothes were in fact just clothes, even if they were on the expensive side. If nothing else, the guild seemed true to their word, at least so far.


    ¡°What do you think, Spok?¡± the dungeon asked back in his main body. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s a trap?¡±


    ¡°The possibility exists, sir. Personally, I think they¡¯re more concerned with being seen having relations with you than anything else.¡±


    ¡°And why would that be?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s just a guess, but you¡¯d notice that among the dozens of people who came to congratulate you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hundreds...¡± Theo corrected.


    ¡°Of the hundreds of people that came to congratulate you, there wasn¡¯t a single noble or member of the guard.¡±


    The dungeon was just about to argue when he realized that Spok was right. There hadn¡¯t been a single noble in sight, not to mention that the local castle had been the only place not to join in the cheer. Back in Rosewind, he couldn¡¯t keep the nobles away; they were constantly approaching him with one deal or another.


    ¡°You think they suspect?¡±


    ¡°Not at all, sir. I just think they don¡¯t appreciate outside nobles meddling in their business. I wouldn''t be surprised if some of them had already made some sort of arrangement with the so-called brigands, which suited them quite well. You coming in and succeeding where many others had failed is bound to make them appear silly.¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    ¡°Not to the point that they¡¯d try anything against you. Nonetheless, I would recommend that you leave as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me twice.¡±


    Discarding the singed rags he had been wearing since the fight, the avatar put on the new set of clothes. He had no idea whether they were comfortable. What mattered was that they appeared presentable. After a final quick check to make sure he hadn¡¯t forgotten any of his other belongings, the baron left the room, carrying the necklace in his left hand.


    One quick glance showed him that no guards, or anyone else for that matter, had appeared in the corridor. Taking that as a good sign, the avatar made his way to the door at the very end and stepped inside. The study was identical to what it had been a day ago, with the sole difference that a small chest had been placed on the table this time.


    ¡°I¡¯d offer you something to drink, but I assume you¡¯ve had more than enough already.¡± Red Orchid welcomed him.


    ¡°How kind.¡± The avatar sat down, placing the necklace on the table as he did so. ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Your reward, of course.¡± The woman reached out and took the necklace. ¡°Such a small thing, but enough to create such a ruckus. You might be surprised, but only a handful of people thought you¡¯d succeed. I¡¯m sad to say I wasn¡¯t among them.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Theo¡¯s ego got the better of him.


    ¡°As I mentioned last time, you aren¡¯t the first that¡¯s come here with grand plans. Usually, the greater the celebrity, the more spectacular the failure. There was talk that the heroine Liandra did most of the work during your previous noble quest and while fighting Lord Mandrake¡¯s armies. Given that she¡¯s a hero of considerable lineage, I¡¯m sure you¡¯d understand.¡±


    Theo did, but wasn¡¯t willing to admit it openly. Instead, he had his avatar cross his arms.


    ¡°Once I found who you were sent to babysit, I had no doubt that you¡¯d avoid any serious fight and pull back at the first sign of danger. I¡¯m glad to see that I was mistaken.¡±


    ¡°After what you said last time, how can I believe you¡¯re telling me the truth?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯ve nothing to gain by lying. It¡¯s all up to you, of course. In this chest,¡± she said, placing her hand on it, ¡°is a letter with the official guild seal, confirming that you have completed the noble quest. There¡¯s also a reward I hope you find adequate.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not particularly interested in gold.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m perfectly aware of the funds you have.¡±


    I doubt it, Theo thought. For all practical purposes, he possessed an infinite amount of gold. In fact, he had so much gold that lately he was forced to restrain himself from spending it.


    ¡°That is why I thought that you might appreciate something slightly different.¡±


    Intrigued, Theo¡¯s avatar pulled the chest towards him, then opened it. A large yellow parchment was visible on top, sealed with green wax. Beneath lay a single silver key, decorated with diamonds. Uncertain of the key¡¯s significance, Theo cast an identify spell on it.


    OPEN-ALL (Rare Artifact)


    Has the ability to open any standard and minor-magic lock.


    ¡°That¡¯s...¡± the baron began.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t thank me,¡± Red interrupted. ¡°You¡¯ve done a service to the town and my guild in particular. They may have been just a bunch of brigands to you, but they had cut off the lifeblood of this town.¡±


    Theo wanted to say that the item was trash, but given the speech just now decided against it. He had no need to unlock anything, and even if he did, there was a wide variety of spells that did just that. Having something clunky as a key to do the same was pointless.


    ¡°I do what I can.¡± He closed the chest. ¡°I get the feeling that the local nobles don¡¯t share your enthusiasm.¡±


    ¡°So, you noticed? I shouldn¡¯t have expected anything less. You already know that the Earl of Rosewind isn¡¯t particularly liked. His desire to become a duke has ruffled a lot of feathers. It wasn¡¯t by chance that no help was sent when you faced Lord Mandrake.¡±


    I¡¯m really not interested in all that, Theo wanted to say. All he cared about was getting rid of his hunger effect. The nobles were welcome to keep on playing their games for as long as they liked.


    ¡°You are even more disliked. For one, you¡¯re a fresh face, for another you saved the town of Rosewind and even established a... close relation with the heroine Liandra, according to rumors.¡±


    What?! Several doors in Rosewind slammed in anger and surprise.


    ¡°Having you score another win here for your town won¡¯t go down well.¡±


    ¡°In that case,¡± the avatar said, standing up, ¡°I better get going. Thank you for the key... and the letter.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± Red Orchid replied with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll be keeping an eye on you. If you need any assistance in the future, don¡¯t hesitate to let me know. The Crystal Coronet will do its best to oblige.¡±

 (Book 2) 8. A Very Persistent Gnome

    The sun rose to find a very quiet and hungover Karlston. The only people who hadn¡¯t taken part in the night long celebrations were those who weren¡¯t thrilled by the end of the brigands to begin with. Yet even the cool breeze did little to hide the smell of alcohol that came from every house, inn, and tavern. The few people awake desperately wished they weren¡¯t, finding themselves in a whole new realm of massive headaches and thundering noises. This was perfect for Theo, who could get his avatar back without making any fuss. Two-thirds of his companions, however, couldn¡¯t disagree more. Things had started quite calm initially, until they had reluctantly accepted a glass of wine, mead, or possibly something slightly stronger. Next thing they knew there was this long blur that continued throughout the night and into the morning. At present, they were being tortured by Baron d¡¯Argent into the completely unfeasible task of getting ready for travel.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a spell that could help?¡± Amelia groaned, holding her head. Somehow she had managed to wrap all the rope she¡¯d bought round her armor, making her look like a mix between a caterpillar and a fly in a spiderweb.


    ¡°Who do you think I am?¡± the avatar asked, deliberately raising his voice a bit. ¡°I told you not to go overboard. This is what you get for not listening!¡±


    Beside her, struggling to keep his eyes open, Avid stood tilted to the side. He hadn¡¯t done much better, standing there with a bucket on his head instead of a helmet. This was his first time getting drunk, and in all likelihood the last.


    Ulf, in contrast, was the same as he had always been. As one used to partying and alcohol, last night had been little more than a slightly more lively evening. With a smile of sympathy, he removed the bucket from Avid¡¯s head. Yet even he didn¡¯t dare untangle Amelia.


    Theo¡¯s avatar raised a finger, about to go on a tirade, but one look at Avid and Amelia¡¯s pitiful expressions made him reconsider. There was no point in criticizing them, anyway. He wasn¡¯t their mentor or anything. Besides, the faster they all returned to Rosewind, the better.


    Using telekinesis, the avatar removed the ropes, placing them neatly on the ground, then enveloped both Avid and Amelia in aether shield bubbles.


    ¡°Is the innkeeper awake?¡± he asked Ulf, dragging the bubbled adventurers behind him.


    ¡°Not sure. He drank quite a lot last night.¡±


    The avatar summoned a few gold coins from his dimensional ring. ¡°Let¡¯s go check.¡±


    The room downstairs was full of people¡ªmost of them snoring on the floor. The innkeeper was awake, as well as the bar hands. By the looks of things, dealing with drunk visitors had been quite common, at least before the brigands had shown up. Now, with everything back to normal, they had gone back to their daily activities of putting the more affluent patrons to rest at a table, and toss the rest out.


    Theo placed a handful of gold coins on the counter in front of the innkeeper. The man was obviously grateful to the point that he handed the avatar a rather large bottle of alcohol. Supposedly, the concoction was extremely rare and had a drop of ¡°dragon blood,¡± whatever that was, to raise the potency a bit. Accepting it with the sincerity of a shifty merchant, the dungeon¡¯s avatar put it in the ring, then followed the stable boy to get their horses.


    The animals had been well fed and tended to, so much so that they were reluctant to leave the comfortable stable. A few nudges, along with their owners being tossed on their saddles like sacks of potatoes, convinced them it was time to go.


    It was a long trip out of town, accompanied by groaning and frequent vomiting. If there was such a thing as a sobering spell, Theo would have learned it. Sadly, healing magic didn¡¯t affect alcohol.


    About a mile from the town walls, Avid¡¯s griffin swooped down, landing beside the rest of the horses.


    ¡°Finally,¡± the avatar said with a grumble. ¡°Everyone ready to head back?¡±


    Before anyone could say a word, he created a portal leading back to Rosewind and shoved everyone through. Making sure he hadn¡¯t missed anyone, the avatar then stepped through himself.


    Instantly, the group was greeted by a wave of screeching that was usual for this time in the morning. The royal griffins had set off in search of food, which included begging from the townspeople. It was the inherently catlike part of the creatures that made them so capricious. Sadly, it was also that which made people like them so much.


    ¡°Take them to the castle,¡± the avatar said with a sigh.


    ¡°What about you, Baron?¡± Ulf asked. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to tell the earl about¡ª¡±


    ¡°Later. Just drop them off and go see your uncle.¡±


    The avatar marched in the direction of his main building.


    ¡°Wait, wait! Can you tell Cmyk to come celebrate? I¡¯ll gather the usual crowd and¡­ you can come as well, of course.¡±


    Theo wasn¡¯t listening. The only thing on his mind was to consume the trinkets before today¡¯s annoying message.


    The door opened as the avatar neared it. Normally, he¡¯d avoid such an open display of his powers, but since everyone already considered him a mage, he didn¡¯t bother. Instantly, he rushed down to his core.


    ¡°Welcome back, of sorts, sir.¡± Spok appeared a few steps behind to welcome him.


    The spirit guide was wearing a new set of clothes¡ªwhich the dungeon found annoying, since there was no need for it. The only reason Theo went through tons of clothes was because having his avatar go into the open tended to be devastative for fabrics one way or another. Spok, on the other hand, enjoyed the safety, and cleanliness, of Rosewind.


    ¡°Flaunting your clothes again?¡± Both Theo and his avatar grumbled simultaneously. Compared to her, the avatar looked like a pauper.


    ¡°As the person overseeing your affairs on the council, it¡¯s mandatory that I keep up appropriate appearances. Unless you¡¯d prefer to deal with them in person now that your avatar is here?¡±


    The avatar turned around, pretending not to have heard the comment. The spirit guide¡¯s explanation trumped any argument he might have. Worse, it made Theo feel a certain degree of sympathy towards her. Being seen as an eccentric mage had its unexpected benefits, shabby dressing being one of them.


    Summoning the trinkets from his ring, Theo tossed them one by one into his core. Each time an item was consumed, his core points jumped by a small amount. Even by local standards, the items would pass for mediocre at best. Clearly, Switches hadn¡¯t been in it for the money.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± the dungeon asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s better than collecting slime cores,¡± the woman replied, indicating that she didn¡¯t believe the loot was worth a lot either. ¡°Maybe it¡¯ll stop your cravings for a few days, maybe a week. It seems that noble quests alone won¡¯t be enough to sustain it in the long run, unless, of course, your condition ends up being temporary.¡±


    ¡°Maybe if you¡¯d do some research and find what the condition actually is, I¡¯d know what to do,¡± Theo snapped back.


    He had gone through all the gathered items and was only left with the gift from Red Orchid. Initially, he planned on having that consumed as well, but the miser in him prevented Theo from outright doing so. The artifact was supposed to be rare, so maybe it was better to keep it as a sort of trophy.


    ¡°Spok, what do you know about artifacts?¡± Theo asked.


    A pleasing glint covered the edges of the silver key. In his mind, he could imagine it hanging on the wall of his main building, next to his land deed and magic certificate. A nice expensive frame and a plaque indicating just how rare it was would definitely make it a lot more special.


    ¡°Oh, a rare one.¡± The spirit guide approached, glancing at the item over the avatar¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Not bad. I¡¯d say it would make a splendid souvenir.¡±


    ¡°Right? I mean, what happens to its abilities if I consume it?¡± The dungeon quickly corrected itself. ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be able to open any lock, which is a useless ability anyway, so I was wondering¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s actually a good idea,¡± Spok interrupted. ¡°There¡¯s a high chance you obtain the skill as well as a large amount of core points. Where did you get this item, exactly?¡±


    ¡°Some guild gave it to me for dealing with the brigand problem.¡±


    This was a good stroke of luck, almost too good to be true. Granted, ¡°artifacts¡± were different from common magic items. Supposedly, divine or cursed magic went into their creation. Possibly that was why Theo had been handed the key so easily. However, thanks to the hero dying within him, he didn¡¯t have to worry about becoming corrupted by demonic influences any time soon.


    ¡°Spok, I want artifact creation!¡± Theo said all of a sudden.


    ¡°Artifact creation?¡± The spirit guide got flashbacks of the time when the dungeon was demanding to learn all sorts of skills and using them in the worst possible fashion. Of course, back then, Theo only had three rooms. Now, he was as large as a town and hopefully grown mentally as well. ¡°Why would you need that?¡±


    ¡°I want to recreate the artifact after I consume it.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ that will defeat the purpose of¡­¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t create it now. I¡¯ll do it later so I can frame it and hang it in my study. It¡¯ll have the same properties, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes, as long as you acquire the skill it¡ª¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯ll look the same.¡±


    ¡°Well, silver and diamonds aren¡¯t the most difficult materials to create, but¡ª¡±


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    ¡°So, it¡¯s settled. I¡¯ll consume this, learn the skills, and create a copy. No one will be able to tell the difference.¡±


    There were many things wrong in that statement. Spok, however, knew better than to enter into a losing argument. Left with little alternative, the spirit guide did as was requested of her.


    ARTIFACT CREATION


    Convert 500 core points to create a small magic item of chosen appearance.


    Additional energy cost required depending on the number and strength of magic abilities the artifact possesses.


    The costs were no joke. Since it required core points instead of energy, the results had to be impressive as well. This granted Theo the ability to create any sort of magical item he chose for no other reason but to have it.


    ¡°You are aware, sir, that you could have just as well created an ordinary item and framed it?¡±


    Theo ignored the comment, tossing the silver key at his core.


    CONGRATULATIONS!


    You have consumed the second key of the Legendary Archmage Gregord!


    Archmage Gregord was known for creating hundreds of rare artifacts during his lifetime, though most of them became cursed after his death.


    20,000 Core Points obtained.


    OPEN (MINOR) - 1


    Spend 10 energy to open a standard or minor-magic lock.


    The message confirmed the dungeon¡¯s suspicion regarding the cursed nature of the artifact. However, the unexpectedly high amount of core points obtained quickly made him forget any potential issues he might have with the guild. In fact, things turned out rather well. Now, not only had he learned a new spell, but he had also acquired enough core points to put an end to¡ª


    YOU FEEL DEVASTATING HUNGER!


    ¡°You must be kidding me!¡± Theo¡¯s yell echoed throughout all his underground halls. Above, the whole town shook¡ªsomething that the local inhabitants had become used to. ¡°All that wasn¡¯t enough?! Spok, how many points do I need to get rid of this?!¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± The spirit guide wasn¡¯t sure. Normally, she¡¯d have a reference, or at the very least be aware of some other dungeon experiencing that in the past. Yet, for whatever reason, new knowledge on the matter remained non-existent. ¡°Maybe over a hundred thousand?¡±


    Returning his avatar to the ¡°bedroom,¡± Theo used some of the core points to create several more aether generators. The goal was to limit the daily magic reduction by increasing the overall amount. Unfortunately, as night came, it turned out that things were a bit more complicated. While he had undoubtedly increased the overall energy produced, the ¡°hunger¡± still halved it in an instant. Item consumption didn¡¯t seem to work, dungeon improvements didn¡¯t seem to work, and it appeared that Theo was condemned to suffer the effects for the rest of his existence, which also meant that he couldn¡¯t grow either. In theory, he could convert core points to energy directly, using them as a hidden stash, but that was a temporary and cumbersome manner to do it. The option to have Cmyk go adventuring and bring back the loot also backfired. While acquiring a taste for fun and hobbies, the minion remained just as lazy as far as work was concerned. Tending to the underground gardens was one thing. Yet the mere suggestion of adventuring had made the minion rush out, sticking to the parts of town that weren¡¯t replaced by Theo. The following morning, things got even worse.


    At dawn, the ever-diligent Captain Ribbons knocked at the door, informing Baron d¡¯Argent that he had been invited by the earl to his castle. As expected, the invitation was nothing more than an excuse to hold a massive event for the entire town. There were a lot of speeches, a lot of thanking, and a few completely useless trinkets given to the avatar and the rest of the three adventurers. Then came the worst part¡ªthe baron being asked to give a speech as well.


    There were several ways that Theo could cheat. For one thing, Spok had prepared a speech in anticipation of this and was prepared to read it back in the main building. Repeating her words was the easiest and most practical thing to do, and yet Theo felt he had a statement to make.


    ¡°What can I say?¡± the avatar began. ¡°It was an honor to be allowed to go on two noble quests in the span of a year. Three if we include the royal request of saving Rosewind.¡±


    Polite laughter filled the throne room.


    ¡°During this latest quest, short as it was, I learned quite a number of things. For starters, I found that the adventure guilds here are woefully unprepared. Not only are they insignificant compared to other towns, let alone anything larger, they¡¯re lacking in everything.¡±


    The laughter quickly vanished, replaced by shocked silence. Everyone stared at the baron, hardly believing their ears. Back in Theo¡¯s main building, Spok facepalmed with a sigh.


    ¡°Even after the fight for the city, the three¡­¡± The avatar glared at Avid, Amelia, and Ulf. ¡°Adventurers didn¡¯t learn a thing. It was embarrassing to the point that I would have gotten more done if I¡¯d just left them in the inn and did the whole thing by myself.¡±


    The moment he said it, Theo wondered why he hadn¡¯t done precisely that. It would have been so much less trouble and they wouldn¡¯t even have noticed the difference. Next time, not that there was going to be a next time, the dungeon planned to learn a sleep spell to keep any meddling companions out of the way. It¡¯s not as if they were like Liandra. Now there was someone who could pull her weight. During the previous noble quest, she had been the driving force that metaphorically dragged the dungeon¡¯s avatar all the way to Lord Mandrake¡¯s hidden stronghold. Not that things had gone well afterwards. On further reflection, being with a bunch of incompetents was better in the long run.


    ¡°So, yes, I¡¯d like to thank Earl Rosewind, my good friend, for giving me the opportunity to show the futility of adventuring. Adventuring isn¡¯t a hobby, and it¡¯s better for everyone if all those who think it is to just stay at home and continue with their make-believe games. That way, at least, no one will get hurt.¡±


    Nobles, guards, and people alike were speechless. They could only watch the baron casually make his way out of the earl¡¯s throne room. There was a time when things could have gone poorly after such an outburst, but that was before Theo had become protector of Rosewind. More importantly, everyone knew it was true. Adventuring had always been a mess even before the dungeon had moved here, which is why all good adventurers had left for other, more exciting places.


    ¡°That could have been a bit more diplomatic, sir,¡± Spok said as the avatar made his way to the main building. ¡°I fear that the earl might not be particularly happy.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯ll he do? Stop sending me on noble quests? This whole protector of the town is overrated, not to mention a bad choice. Maybe that¡¯s why I got this affliction? Too close contact with people?¡±


    ¡°That is highly unlikely, sir. There¡¯ve been dungeons who¡¯ve had whole villages in them and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I know the story.¡±


    Reaching the mansion, the avatar walked in and slammed the door behind him. Several dozen other doors also slammed in solidarity.


    ¡°I guess this is my life now¡­ a miserable existence of dieting and daily hiccups that steal half my magical energy.¡±


    ¡°I did warn you you were growing a bit too fast, sir. There¡¯s still a good chance that this is temporary and will get resolved in a matter of months.¡±


    At that point, there was a knock on the door. Normally, that wouldn¡¯t be an issue. People came to the baron¡¯s mansion every day, yet nearly always they made sure he was out before doing so. The baron¡¯s short temper was well known, plus everyone preferred dealing with his steward considerably more.


    The person knocking was also a mystery. Theo had seen him ever since the man had approached the town gate¡ªone of the advantages of being a dungeon encompassing the entire town wall.


    The person appeared to be, for all intents and purposes, a peddler of some sorts. Thin, tall, and scruffy, he looked like a handkerchief hanging over a long nail. A large basket of junk was attached to his back, like a quickly made backpack. No doubt the man was here in the hopes of selling his junk to Theo for some money.


    ¡°Any idea who that is?¡± the dungeon asked Spok.


    ¡°I am not familiar, sir. It¡¯s the first time he¡¯s been here.¡±


    More than likely, the stranger had heard that the baron had money to spare and was willing to try his luck.


    After several seconds of silence, the man knocked again. Clearly, he wasn¡¯t willing to take no as an answer.


    ¡°Have any silver coins, Spok?¡±


    ¡°I believe so. Why?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not giving him a gold coin for that junk! It¡¯ll give him ideas. Besides, I don¡¯t want to encourage more like him.¡±


    ¡°That hasn¡¯t stopped you before,¡± the spirit guide said beneath her breath as she went up the stairs to her room. Moments later, she came back down, holding two silver coins. ¡°This is all I have. Will it be enough?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Theo opened the door, then went to it with his avatar. ¡°Here you go,¡± he said, shoving the silver coins into the man¡¯s large gloved hands. The grip was a lot tighter than the dungeon expected. It was almost as if¡ª


    ¡°Found you at last!¡± a familiar high-pitched voice said. However, it didn¡¯t seem to come from the man¡¯s head, but rather from his stomach. ¡°You rushed out of Karlston in quite a hurry, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    The long overcoat opened up, revealing a gnome sitting in a crudely built construct.


    ¡°Switches?¡± All of the building¡¯s windows opened in surprise.


    ¡°You could have dug me out, at least.¡± The gnome climbed out of the ¡°peddler¡± and into Theo¡¯s main body. ¡°Took me ages to dig myself out of that muck. Good thing I had a few devices lying about.¡±


    ¡°How did you get here?¡±


    ¡°Used this thing.¡± Switches tapped proudly on the construct. The peddler lost its balance then fell to the side, spilling junk in all directions. ¡°Hmm. Needs some work on the balance. Well, maybe it¡¯s not my greatest work, but that¡¯s all I had when you left me there. In future, I¡¯d suggest you invest in a notebook. Does wonders for the memory.¡±


    ¡°Memory?¡±


    ¡°Hello? You forgot me in the middle of Marsh Forest. Not to worry, though.¡±


    Of all the things that had happened the last day, this could definitely be categorized as the worst. The dungeon had completely forgotten about the gnome¡¯s existence. As far as he was concerned, Switches was supposed to be dead and buried in the marsh. Considering everything the creature had gone through, it was safe to say that the gnomes were close to indestructible.


    Using a multitude of telekinesis spells, Theo pulled the gnome, the construct, and every other piece of junk into the building, then slammed the door.


    ¡°Are you crazy? You can¡¯t walk in the open like this!¡± both the dungeon and his avatar shouted.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t in the open.¡± Switches protested. ¡°Besides, who will recognize me? It¡¯s not like anyone here has seen me in person.¡±


    ¡°You almost caused the destruction of the entire town. People tend to remember that.¡±


    ¡°Says you.¡± The gnome crossed his arms. ¡°And that wasn¡¯t me. It was Lord Mandrake. I¡¯m different now¡ªfree of demonic influence. And I bet people don¡¯t know what you are, right?¡± He glanced at Spok.


    ¡°He looks a lot shorter in person, sir.¡± The spirit guide glared down indignantly. ¡°I would suggest placing him in a small cell.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a minion?¡± the gnome asked.


    ¡°Or maybe outright kill him.¡± Spok narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°Boss minion?¡±


    ¡°Spirit guide.¡± Theo sighed.


    ¡°Oh. Never seen one with her own avatar. Looks rather nice. Then again, you¡¯ve always been on the eccentric side, right?¡± The gnome grinned.


    ¡°I¡¯m not on the¡­ Why are you here, Switches?¡±


    ¡°Because of the promise. Why else?¡±


    Suddenly, Theo¡¯s headache just became ten times worse. Of course, the small tinkerer would remember that. When Theo had promised to ¡°hire¡± the gnome, he didn¡¯t actually think it would come to that. The plan had been to abandon the little critter once he¡¯d dealt with the ¡°brigand¡± problem, which he had. Having Switches make it all the way here and in a single day wasn¡¯t something he had expected.


    ¡°So, where¡¯s the lab?¡± The gnome looked about the room. ¡°I prefer something more practical. Not that there¡¯s anything bad about this place. Taste is subjective and all that, but when it comes to labs, more is less.¡±


    That was the final straw. Suddenly, all the stress, anxiety, and annoyance melted away, replaced by pure, unadulterated rage. Several sections of the roof slid to the side as the entire building split in two. A clear sky emerged above the gnome¡¯s head, after which the floor suddenly rose up, thrusting him into the sky like a catapult. In a single second, Switches flew through the air, leaving a trail of junk parts behind him like a falling star disappearing beyond the horizon. Once the deed was done, the main building went back to its usual state.


    ¡°That was rather abrupt, sir.¡± Spok said, making her way to the spot the gnome had been.


    ¡°I hope so. Do you think he¡¯s gone this time?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult to say. Gnomes tend to be quite resilient. Hopefully, he¡¯d have gotten the hint either way.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully¡­¡±

 (Book 2) 9. The Gnome of a Thousand Faces

    Taxes, bureaucracy, and gnomes turned out to be the greatest scourges Theo had faced. The first two could be handled by Spok. The third proved to be a real nightmare. It seemed that the universe had a way of balancing things out. Since Theo had been given¡ªor earned, as he preferred to think¡ªan overwhelming amount of power, he had been given an annoyance of equal strength in the form of a gnome that once tried to take over the world. Looking at his ingenuity and endurance, it was starting to make sense how he had come so close to succeeding.


    A mere few days since Switches was ejected from the city, the slow torture of the dungeon resumed with a knock on the door.


    Theo, who had eyes and ears throughout the city and beyond, wondered why a mercenary knight would come to visit him. Rosewind was so out of the way enough for freelancers to avoid it, but given the recent fame of his avatar, decided to let the man in for a chat. That proved to be a costly mistake.


    ¡°Greetings, dungeon!¡± The ¡°knight¡± removed the front of his breastplate, revealing the gnome inside. ¡°What do you think of my new creation?¡±


    ¡°You?!¡± Theo quickly closed the door and all windows, so no one would see the gnome. ¡°How did you get here?¡±


    ¡°I asked for directions at the town gate. The guards were quite pleased to hear that a freelancer wanted to serve their ¡®baron.¡¯¡± Both the gnome and the suit of armor made air quotes. ¡°So they were all too glad to give me directions. Quite nice people. I see why you decided to stay here.¡±


    That was unfortunate. Theo was tempted to have Spok have a word or two with the guards. On the other hand, doing so risked inviting questions, which he very much wanted to avoid.


    ¡°Where the heck did you find that armor?¡±


    ¡°Like it?¡± The gnome turned around as if he were at a fashion show. ¡°It¡¯s quite legitimate. I happened to fall on the barn of an old retired knight. Poor soul had definitely seen better days. I constructed a few devices to help him with work at the farm, so he paid me with this. Fancy, right?¡±


    In the bedroom, the dungeon¡¯s avatar facepalmed. Of all the places to land, why did it have to be a knight¡¯s barn? The odds had to be astronomically low.


    ¡°So, about the lab,¡± Switches said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be overly fancy. No huge mountain like I had before. A hill would work just fine. Oh, and lots of windows. Thanks to you, I¡¯ve seen the importance of sunlight and fresh air. Most of the work will be done underground, of course, I wouldn¡¯t want to scare the locals, but¡ª¡±


    All furniture and other items in the room moved briskly to the walls. The ceiling opened up, as did the ceiling of all the rooms above, up to and including the roof itself. One strong push from the floor, and the gnome found himself flying through the air again.


    Several dozen griffins rose up, screeching at the unexpected disturbance that went through their airspace. A few people looked up, curious to see what had caused the disturbance. Thankfully, by then, there was no trace of Switches left.


    ¡°Was that wise, sir?¡± Spok asked. ¡°Gnomes are rather good inventors and¡ª¡±


    ¡°No way! I¡¯m not having that maniac anywhere near me! Especially if he has a lab! The tricky critter will probably try to take me down from the inside.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s highly unlikely.¡± The spirit guide let out a subdued chuckle. ¡°A solid magic contract is certain¡ª¡±


    ¡°No! I¡¯m not having it! If he wants a lab, he can build his own, or pester another sucker to take him in.¡±


    The conversation came to an end, though not the fear of the gnome¡¯s return. Half a week of tense calm followed, during which Theo¡¯s time was split between dealing with the effects of his affliction, avoiding Earl Rosewind and the council nobles, and keeping a watchful eye out for Switches.


    Each day, the dungeon would use his observatory to watch for anything that could be the gnome. Surely enough, he came one day in the guise of a farmer. The disguise was a lot more sophisticated, fooling the dungeon and everyone to the point that the town guards once again assisted Switches with directions to the baron¡¯s mansion.


    The moment there was a knock on the door, Theo had a bad feeling. One close look proved enough to figure out that this wasn¡¯t a person. It also helped that the gnome had poked a small hole in the front of the disguise, making it obvious who he was.


    Unfortunately, with two guards being present, he had no choice but to let the ¡°farmer¡± inside for a chat.


    ¡°Hello, good farmer,¡± Theo¡¯s avatar said with a fake smile that would sink ships. ¡°Why don¡¯t you come in so we can have a chat?¡±


    ¡°Oh, such an honor, me lord.¡± The farmer bowed. ¡°Thank you, good people, for guiding me to the baron. You have done a good deed today.¡±


    Good deed, my ass! Theo closed the door.


    ¡°Just hear me out!¡± the gnome pleaded. ¡°I can be useful to you! You¡¯ve seen my work. The things we can achieve working together will be¡­¡± He waved both arms as he spoke. ¡°¡­mind-boggling! Just yesterday, I came up with a device that would make flying possible for the masses. Even livestock. All we need to do is¡ª¡±


    ¡°No!¡± The avatar cut him short. ¡°There¡¯ll be no labs, no deals, no flying livestock!¡±


    That last bit sounded worse than it was supposed to. Even Cmyk¡ªwho was making his way through the room for his daily get together with the adventurers¡ªpaused for a moment to listen in to the conversation.


    The avatar closed his eyes and massaged his temples out of habit. It was said that a dungeon couldn¡¯t get a migraine, but Theo had a good memory of his previous life and a vivid enough imagination to picture it, even in his current form.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you just make a lab somewhere else?¡± he asked. ¡°There are plenty of places. As long as you don¡¯t kidnap villages or try to take over the world, it¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah, but it won¡¯t be the same.¡±


    The avatar went to the nearest wall and slammed his head into it multiple times. Cmyk took the opportunity to discreetly tiptoe outside, shutting the door behind him.


    ¡°It¡¯ll take me ages to create a good lab on my own,¡± the gnome explained. ¡°It won¡¯t be nearly as good as anything you could offer. Besides, we won¡¯t get to enjoy our mutual company. Think of all the new discoveries we might make. You have to admit, you¡¯re pretty good at coming up with unusual solutions to problems. If half the gnomes working with me while I was Lord Mandrake put in a tenth of the effort to reach a hundredth of the inspiration you showed, do you have any idea where I would be now?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Theo and his avatar paused, lost in the unusual math riddle.


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking for much. I won¡¯t even ask to be paid.¡±


    Just as the dungeon was in the process of composing an answer, Spok appeared in the room.


    ¡°Sorry to disrupt your conversation, but the earl has asked for your advice. The council seems split regarding planning rights, so he¡¯d like to hear your side before coming to a decision.¡±


    ¡°Just what I need¡­ Is it something you can deal with on your own?¡± Theo asked.


    ¡°Technically yes, although I would recommend that you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Just take care of it. I have my own problems right now.¡±


    The spirit guide shrugged, glanced at the ¡°farmer,¡± then vanished once more. Moments later, the central part of the floor thrust up, ejecting the gnome through the roof again.


    This time, the dungeon didn¡¯t bother creating an opening. The damages incurred cost considerably more energy to fix than had he merely used the usual method, but he wanted to make a point. Alas, the attempt missed its mark for a week later, a rather unusual carriage made its way right to the baron¡¯s mansion.


    The carriage was, without doubt, a wonder of engineering. From the moment it passed through the gates, a crowd gathered to admire the finely constructed mechanical horses that pulled the magnificently crafted coach. There was no doubt in anyone¡¯s mind that this had to belong to someone of significant importance¡ªlikely a mage or a high noble.


    Everyone watched in wonder, cheering the mechanical carriage; all except Theo.


    ¡°One has to admit, sir, he¡¯s definitely good at what he does.¡±


    ¡°How is everyone getting fooled so easily?!¡± Theo¡¯s avatar shouted in place of his main body. ¡°One look inside is all it takes!¡±


    Theo was in a rather difficult situation. Not only did he know that the carriage was the work of Switches, but he had confirmed it by peering into the coach as it made its way through the town. The townspeople, though, were convinced that this was a special guest coming specifically to have a chat with him. Shattering the illusion publicly risked, if not exposing him outright, then becoming a source of bad rumors. In the past, that wouldn¡¯t have been an issue, but ever since the dungeon had saved Rosewind, he had enjoyed taking on the role as the city¡¯s greatest benefactor.


    ¡°You could always promise to build a lab in the indefinite future,¡± Spok suggested.


    ¡°And just postpone my headache for a few months?¡± Theo snapped. ¡°No. I need to make it clear that he won¡¯t be getting anything from me.¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°And how would you achieve that, sir? Short of killing him?¡±


    The question was rather well-placed. While during the battle, Theo had ejected the gnome into the air with the very intent of killing him, that desire had since gone. The last few times, he¡¯d only hoped that the creature would break a bone or two¡ªenough to get the hint and move on. Outright killing Switches, or imprisoning him, would solve the issue once and for all, but the memory would haunt the dungeon forever. Also, with Theo¡¯s luck as of late, he might end up with the spirit of Switches haunting him for all eternity.


    The carriage stopped in front of Theo¡¯s mansion. The door opened, triggering a minor fireworks display, after which a red carpet rolled out, making it almost all the way to Theo¡¯s door.


    You must be kidding me! The dungeon thought.


    The gnome¡¯s display was beyond parody, and yet the crowd couldn¡¯t get enough. A mechanical governess¡ªbearing a striking resemblance to Spok in an unsophisticated mechanical way¡ªemerged and made her way to the door. Then the dreaded knock followed.


    With a sigh and a grumble, Theo¡¯s avatar went to the door and opened it.


    Thankfully, the gnome didn¡¯t say a word in public. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have to. Cheers erupted, continuing for a full minute after the door was closed again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me,¡± Theo grumbled. ¡°You landed in the barn of a retired stable master.¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± The front section of the construct moved aside, revealing Switches again. ¡°Carriage graveyard.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a carriage graveyard in the area?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not exactly in the area. You used quite a bit of force last time. Don¡¯t know your own strength, eh?¡± the gnome laughed. ¡°You''ll be surprised at the things people just throw out. Half of them were even fully functional. Didn¡¯t take me long at all to make this beauty.¡±


    As much as the dungeon wanted to disagree, that sounded like something a bunch of high nobles would do.


    ¡°I thought you could use it as a gift. Being a baron, you can¡¯t be seen walking the streets on foot.¡±


    ¡°Err¡­¡± In a town this small, everyone, even the earl, walked about on foot. The only exceptions were when he set out hunting, or he went to visit some more important noble. ¡°Thanks. I mean, no thanks! I don¡¯t need it.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Switches¡¯ ears flopped in disappointment. ¡°It¡¯s very reliable. Did I mention that the horses could protect you against a group of bandits? You¡¯ll need to charge their mechanical hearts every now and again¡­ Oh,¡± he said, suddenly changing the topic. ¡°There¡¯s no demonic nonsense involved, don¡¯t you worry. Just ingenuity and magic. I used what I had on me, so it should be fine for a week, but¡­¡±


    ¡°I. Don¡¯t. Need. Your. Horses,¡± Theo said slowly, stressing every word. ¡°I don¡¯t need the carriage, your contraptions, your constructs, your non-demonic, mechanical hearts¡­ I don¡¯t need you!¡±


    ¡°Of course you don¡¯t need me.¡± The gnome said with a snicker. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m offering a collaboration. A meeting of the minds. You provide the lab, I provide the smarts, and together we come up with exciting new ideas. How does that sound?¡±


    There was a moment of silence. Theo¡¯s avatar went to the door, turned around, then pushed the gnome and his construct to the middle of the room. From there, things continued in the standard fashion: the gnome was thrown high in the sky, and the dungeon was left to contemplate what to do next time.


    ¡°Maybe consider an alternative welcome, sir?¡± Spok said from the neighboring room. ¡°He¡¯s bound to catch on at some point.¡±


    ¡°Argh!¡± Theo¡¯s avatar groaned. ¡°Are you sure there aren¡¯t any gnome repellant spells?¡±


    ¡°I''m certain, sir. I¡¯ve gone through all the spells I know, as well as held a long correspondence with the mage tower you are associated with. There¡¯s nothing that could solve your issue.¡±


    ¡°Are there any creatures capable of scaring off gnomes?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s difficult to say.¡± The spirit guide adjusted a stray lock of hair on her forehead. ¡°You could go ask the Silvarian elves. They do owe you, after all.¡±


    The thought of going all the way to the wretched elf underground made the entire dungeon tremble. While his avatar had gained a fair number of abilities there, once was more than enough.


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°In that case, there¡¯s nothing left but to be on the lookout and hope that the gnome will get tired of it sooner or later.¡±


    That didn¡¯t sound at all optimistic, but there was nothing that could be done. Sadly, that wasn¡¯t the only of his worries. As time passed, it was starting to become obvious that the hunger affliction was there to stay. At first, Theo tried to ignore it, doing minor improvements here and there. Occasionally, even a small building would pop up, increasing the dungeon¡¯s overall size. However, soon enough, a sense of futility kicked in.


    ¡°Earl Rosewind has requested your presence,¡± Spok said.


    ¡°Tell him I¡¯m ill,¡± Theo sighed.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already used that excuse a few times, sir. This appears to be rather important. It¡¯s council matters, so I¡¯m not in a position to go in your stead.¡±


    ¡°Think of something.¡± Theo closed all shutters to his main building. He would have done the same for all the other buildings in town, but that would have attracted too much attention.


    There was a knock at the door. The dungeon didn¡¯t react. The knocking, however, persisted, continuing for several minutes with no indication it had the intention of stopping.


    ¡°I believe it¡¯s your weekly gnome visit, sir,¡± the spirit guide said. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of¡ª¡±


    ¡°Just let him in,¡± the dungeon grumbled. At this point, he couldn¡¯t see how things could get worse. Maybe a few minutes of listening to Switches¡¯ incessant chatter might force Theo out of his current depression.


    The door opened, revealing¡­ a standard gnome with a backpack. After all his attempts, Switches had clearly run low on resources, resorting to less subtle means of infiltration. The brightly colored clothes and rose-tinted glasses gave the impression that this was a traveling musician or artist of some sort, thus presenting no threat to the town.


    ¡°It is I!¡± the gnome said in dramatic fashion, as he fell on one knee, extending his arms forward. ¡°The great artist Paintro! I have come to create the most magnificent portraits that¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s you, Switches.¡± Theo slammed the entrance door. ¡°So, let¡¯s get it over with.¡±


    Upon hearing that, the gnome quickly hit the backpack with his elbow. Eight large chained arrows bust through the fabric, burying themselves in the walls.


    What the heck? Theo wondered. The damages were insignificant. After previous mishaps, everything valuable was moved out of the foyer, and as for the holes in the walls, it would take a measly amount of energy to fix things as new.


    There were a few seconds of concern, during which the dungeon feared the arrows might explode or something, but once the moment was gone, he relaxed and went back to being annoyed.


    ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡± Theo asked in an icy cold voice.


    ¡°My new anti-ejection device!¡± The gnome grinned. ¡°Now you won¡¯t be able to shoot me into the sky before we¡¯ve finished our conversation.¡±


    ¡°I was going to listen to your conversation anyway!¡± Theo snapped. ¡°Why did you have to wreck the room?¡±


    ¡°Ha, ha! I¡¯m not letting my guard down so easily. You¡¯ve tried to trick me before!¡±


    Tried? ¡°Look, I can¡¯t give you a lab even if I wanted to!¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯ve agreed to the idea in principle? Wonderful! It¡¯s no issue if I start small. A simple workshop would do for now. A moderately advanced workshop. I¡¯ll draw a few blueprints which you could¡ª¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t give you anything!¡± Theo shouted with such ferocity that even a few of his shutters opened and closed, causing a number of people at the nearby market square to glance in his direction. There was a time when such actions would have generated a lot of undue interest. Now, everyone was used to a certain degree of oddities. ¡°Even if I create a lab, I don¡¯t have the energy to maintain it! It¡¯ll be all gone by the morning and you¡¯ll find yourself in a hole in the ground.¡±


    The gnome¡¯s ears perked up.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m afflicted by hunger! And don¡¯t ask me what that is because I don¡¯t have the slightest¡ª¡±


    ¡°Half your energy vanishes every day?¡± the gnome asked. ¡°You get constant warnings, slow at first, then faster and faster, until the moment your energy is halved.¡±


    Silence filled the room. Not only Theo had nothing to say, but Spok was at a loss as well. As a spirit guide, she was supposed to know everything relating to dungeons.


    ¡°More or less.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s why you went to find me?¡± The gnome grinned. ¡°You should have just said you needed my help. And here I thought you were trying to ignore me. Seriously. There¡¯s no shame in seeking help, and I already told you there are no hard feelings about that whole Lord Mandrake business.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no hard feelings¡­¡±


    It was difficult to determine whether to be thankful or insulted by the sudden turn of events. One had to admit that despite the size difference, the gnome was older than Theo¡ªat least as far as his current life went¡ªas well as Spok. There was a slight possibility that he knew what he was talking about. Yet, even if he did, Theo was uncertain whether he should rely on him for a cure.


    ¡°You know what this is?¡± the dungeon probed.


    ¡°Oh, certainly. Tell me, have you consumed any mana gems lately?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I have. A red and a blue.¡± I knew I shouldn¡¯t have consumed that red gem!


    ¡°Two?¡± The gnome blinked.


    ¡°Yes, two. Does that matter? Should I have stopped at one?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. The more gems you consume, the better. There¡¯s only a small detail¡­ What¡¯s your rank?¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t an appropriate question!¡± Spok stepped in, making her way until she was directly in front of the gnome. She appeared rather calm on the outside, yet deep inside she was seething, and the dungeon could feel it.


    ¡°Two,¡± Theo quickly said, to avoid having the gnome killed. Switches had proved to be resilient, but Spok could be very determined when she chose. ¡°I¡¯m rank two.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where the problem lies.¡±


    The gnome unbuckled his belt, allowing him to step onto the floor again. The belt and backpack¡ªalong with the chained arrows¡ªremained suspended in the air.


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad. Everyone makes mistakes. Mana gems help you gain ranks, but sometimes they get, err, stuck halfway. When that happens, there are side effects. The hunger is the most common, but there are others. The dungeon I was serving¡­ well, there were a few cases which weren¡¯t optimal.¡± Switches winced as he spoke. ¡°Anyway, the important thing is that you need to consume another mana gem.¡±


    ¡°Spok, did you know of this?¡±


    The spirit guide shook her head.


    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t know. Rank is the one thing that spirit guides can¡¯t see beyond. No offense,¡± Switches added quickly.


    ¡°All this is because I have mana gem indigestion? How come that¡¯s even a thing!?¡± Theo shouted, slamming a few doors in the building.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t look at me. Probably some divine safeguard to prevent dungeons from taking over the world. Trust me, most aren¡¯t as nice as you. If dungeons were allowed to roam and grow freely, there would be nothing left. It would be a dungeon eat dungeon world until there was only one left. And even then, it¡¯d probably eat itself. That¡¯s the nature of the beast.¡± He paused. ¡°No offense, of course.¡±


    There was a lot wrong with that, but for the moment, Theo wanted to focus on the most immediate problem¡ªnamely getting another mana gem. So far, with all his money and influence, he had only managed to find two, one of which had come only partially charged.


    ¡°All I need to stop the hunger is to consume another mana gem?¡±


    ¡°A fully charged mana gem,¡± Switched clarified. ¡°That¡¯s only half of it, though. You also need to build two buildings of special significance. Like the griffin nest you built.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Is that part of the requirement, too?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it just so happens that a research laboratory is just the type of building you need for this sort of situation.¡±


    If Theo had eyes, he would have narrowed them in disbelief. For a moment, he contemplated having his avatar go down and do just that, but decided he was above such petty things, at least for now.


    Another mana gem. Finding one wasn¡¯t going to be easy¡­ and neither was building a gnome lab within the town, at least not one to Switches¡¯ specifications. The worst of all was that both required help on the part of the earl.


    ¡°Spok¡­¡± Theo grumbled. ¡°Tell the earl that I¡¯ll be there shortly.¡±

 (Book 2) 10. A Noble Quest of Cursed Proportions

    Choosing clothes had never been Theo¡¯s strong suit. His main body didn¡¯t need any, and his avatar went through them like handkerchiefs. More often than not, the dungeon relied on Spok to choose something appropriate for the occasion. In this case¡ªgiven his public outburst¡ªthe occasion could only be described as high-society groveling.


    On the surface, the earl¡¯s summons had nothing to do with the outburst whatsoever. The council simply needed his input on the mundanely tedious topic of planning rights. Yet, deep inside, Theo suspected there might be additional consequences. It felt ominously like an HR meeting back in his previous life¡ªeverything started well, amicable even, and quickly turned into a serious talk regarding his position in the company.


    With an internal sigh, the dungeon looked at his avatar from all sides. The clothes Spok had selected for him were all along the dark red and dull gray spectrum. The shirt had an exceedingly high collar buttoned all the way to the top, and his footwear was composed of knee-length boots of worn brown leather.


    ¡°Why must I look like a hunter?¡± Theo asked as his avatar put on a long brown coat.


    ¡°Etiquette dictates that nobles who wish to repent wear these clothes,¡± the spirit guide explained. ¡°It would present you in a better light. It might also be a good idea to put on a brooch with Peris¡¯ symbol. It would have been better if Cmyk were to accompany you, of course, given how pious people believe him to be.¡±


    Several sets of furniture trembled in anger. It was bad enough that Theo had to subject himself to this humiliation; relying on Cmyk to present him in a better light was the line he¡¯d firmly established not to cross. Abandoning the city and starting over elsewhere in the world was preferable to that.


    ¡°I still say you should use the mechanical carriage to get there,¡± Switches said, yet again.


    The gnome was dead set on having Theo show off some of his creations for ¡°marketing purposes.¡± As he put it, if the people got a taste of what his lab-slash-workshop produced, they would have a far better opinion of it, and of Theo by proxy. And just because the idea had been profoundly rejected half a dozen times by both Spok and Theo was no reason he shouldn¡¯t suggest it again.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been through this¡­¡± the avatar grumbled through his teeth.


    ¡°Wait!¡± The gnome lifted a finger in the air. ¡°This is different. Instead of just arriving there, you then give the carriage to the earl as a gift!¡±


    There was a long moment of silence during which Theo¡¯s avatar turned around, maintaining an annoyed stare for over ten seconds. The hint went way over Switches¡¯ head, who maintained his current pose, expecting a positive reaction.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take some of the shiny gold,¡± the dungeon said. ¡°Just in case.¡±


    ¡°That might not be a bad idea, sir,¡± Spok agreed.


    ¡°Bribery also works,¡± the gnome said, his ears flopping down. ¡°It won¡¯t be as good as¡ª¡±


    ¡°Switches!¡± Theo said sharply.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s your town.¡± The gnome shrugged. ¡°And talking about town. Have you decided on a location for my lab? Anywhere near the wall is fine. Just not too close to the castle. Wouldn¡¯t want to rush in there each time a contraption goes loose. Oh, and far from the temple. Divine magic tends to affect delicate devices. And a reasonable distance from any food sellers and sources of drinking water¡­ I¡¯m generally careful, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Spok, find him a shack to start with.¡± The dungeon was glad that that, at least, was something he didn¡¯t have to deal with.


    ¡°Does it have to be above ground, sir?¡± Spok asked in the tone of voice that maintained her opposition to creating the lab.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want any suspicious fumes filling me,¡± Theo said adamantly. ¡°Get a map of the town, come to an agreement, and let me know.¡± His avatar took a deep breath and went to the door. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with it once I¡¯m done groveling to the earl.¡±


    No escort awaited Theo¡¯s once he left his main building. Most of the guards were at the castle or near the town wall. Even the ever-annoying Captain Ribbons seemed to be off somewhere.


    Taking this as a bad omen, the avatar briskly made his way towards the earl¡¯s castle. On the way, he caught a glimpse of several buildings going through serious renovations. The local nobles had spared no expense, importing foreign materials in an effort not to be outdone. As a rule, no one dared build anything higher than the castle, but they were inventive in other ways, making the higher floors wider than the ones below.


    Barely making any sarcastic comments, the avatar entered the castle. Any guards instantly stood to attention, opening all doors for him to pass by. The scene was repeated several times until the avatar reached the ante-chamber of the council room. That, he had to open himself.


    Straightening, like a junior manager did before entering a meeting of higher management, the avatar took hold of the handle firmly, turned it, then entered the room.


    ¡°Ah, Baron,¡± Earl Rosewind instantly greeted him. He had already taken his place round the table, as had everyone else. ¡°Please, take a seat.¡±


    This was the worst way to start. Fighting the flashbacks of his previous life, Theo had his avatar do so.


    ¡°We were just talking about you,¡± the earl continued.


    YOU FEEL DEVASTATING HUNGER!


    The all too familiar warning popped up just at the most dramatic moment.


    ¡°I must admit, you said some quite bitter truths after your last noble quest.¡± The only thing darker than the earl¡¯s tone was the expression of the other nobles present. ¡°Initially, we were considering sharing our opinion on the matter.¡±


    ¡°By that, he means we wanted to kick you out of town,¡± Marquis Dott clarified in his blunt manner.


    ¡°Yes, thank you, Earvyn.¡± The earl gave the noble a brief glance. ¡°However, we soon came to the conclusion that you only did that because you had the town¡¯s best interests at heart.¡±


    Huh? Shutters swung throughout town, as both Theo and his avatar blinked.


    ¡°I was coddling my child far too much,¡± the earl went on. ¡°We all were. And by that, I don¡¯t only mean the people who sent the trio on your noble quest. As you said, adventuring isn¡¯t a hobby, and I¡¯m ashamed to admit that I had allowed it to be treated as such. Even since I was a child, the guilds had turned into clubs for people to gather and drink rather than actually doing the town any good. Even the few who actually set off to follow the spirit of adventuring fell into despair.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re little more than an expensive way to deal with children¡¯s rebellious phases,¡± Baroness Elderion agreed. ¡°I¡¯d know. I¡¯ve had all three of them spend a year there, which they keep reminding me of.¡±


    ¡°Bottom line, we have come to the conclusion that there¡¯s no point clinging to appearances. The adventure guilds played an important part in our town¡¯s past, but their usefulness is over. At this point, the best course of action is to accept that and move on.¡±


    ¡°And use the land for a much more beneficial purpose,¡± the marquis said, impatiently. ¡°It¡¯s about time we took advantage of the prime real estate and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Earvyn,¡± the earl interrupted. ¡°I¡¯m sure my good friend gets the point.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± the avatar said, surprising everyone. Deep inside, Theo hated himself for it. With the exception of house training the local griffins, there was nothing he¡¯d like better than getting rid of all the local adventurer guilds. Unfortunately, the universe had conspired to create a very specific set of events in which he needed at least one to keep functioning. ¡°We can¡¯t shut them down.¡±


    All glances fell on the avatar.


    ¡°No? Mind explaining that, old friend?¡± the earl asked.


    Theo didn¡¯t consider himself a manager. In his previous life, he could merely describe himself as manager-adjacent. However, time and experience had allowed him to observe more than the common share of bullshit.


    ¡°I gave the matter a lot of thought as well,¡± he lied. ¡°In fact, that¡¯s the reason I¡¯ve been secluding myself ever since the¡­ noble quest ceremony.¡± That was pushing it a bit, but since he¡¯d already gone so far, he might as well try and go for everything. ¡°We all agree that there¡¯s a problem when it comes to local adventuring.¡±


    ¡°Good for nothing kids, spending all their time wasting our money on drink and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Earvyn,¡± the earl said, reflectively. ¡°Please, go on, Baron.¡±


    ¡°The thing is that closing the adventure guilds will only deal with the symptoms, not the underlying problems. Yes, the kids you forced on me were green, ill-prepared, going through a rebellious phase, or imagining themselves as literary characters. They need to grow up, and the only way they can do that is through hardship and experience.¡±


    No one budged a muscle. There was no way for the dungeon to tell whether they were falling for his speech or going through a calm-before-the-storm phase. If anyone had come babbling like that in Theo¡¯s main body, he¡¯d have thrown him out as if he were a gnome. The key now was to quickly provide a possible solution before they could do so and make it sound as impressive as possible.


    ¡°The experience they went through woke them up,¡± the avatar continued. ¡°My speech shook them up. In order to take the next step, they need to face hardship on their own.¡±


    ¡°Are you suggesting having them go on another noble quest?¡± the count asked, scratching his ear.


    ¡°Precisely!¡± the avatar eagerly agreed. ¡°Only one that¡¯s a lot more difficult.¡±


    All nobles leaned forward on the table, listening with increased interest.


    ¡°An adventure that will make them realize what adventuring is all about and make them proud of having the title.¡±


    In truth, the dungeon didn¡¯t care one bit whether they¡¯d quit after that or not. The point was for him to be allowed to go on a quest that would eventually lead him to a mana gem. In a best-case scenario, he¡¯d stumble upon a proper quest¡ªand not the false brigands one, like last time¡ªwith a proper reward. If it turned out there was no mana gem among the loot, Theo intended on trading his favor earned by making the earl procure him one. Either way, the so-called junior adventurers didn¡¯t matter one bit.


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°An adventurer apprenticeship program.¡± The earl nodded. ¡°It could work¡­¡±


    ¡°What about the real estate?¡± Marquis Dott protested. ¡°That¡¯s some prime land going to waste. Can¡¯t we at least close two of them? It¡¯s not like we need three.¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s only one, there won¡¯t be any competition,¡± Count Alvare countered. ¡°The point isn¡¯t just to make three adequate adventurers. It¡¯s to transform Rosewind into an adventurer farm.¡± He paused for a few moments, realizing that the image was anything but appealing. ¡°Or an adventurer resort, of sorts.¡±


    ¡°An adventurer academy,¡± the baroness nodded. ¡°All the big cities out north have them. People pay ludicrous amounts of money just to prepare their children for admission, and even then, there¡¯s no guarantee they make the cut.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the avatar began, but suddenly stopped. ¡°Err, n¡ª¡± he tried to say, but it was already too late.


    ¡°An adventurer academy in the countryside, away from the bustle of the big cities,¡± the count said, building onto the idea. ¡°That definitely could work. And with several noble quests achieved in record time, people are likely to notice and send their children here.¡±


    ¡°I know I would,¡± the baroness agreed. ¡°The peace and quiet I¡¯d have gotten would have been priceless.¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Theo shouted back in his main body.


    There was such a thing as overplaying his hand. The goal was only to keep one adventure guild open for a few more months. While that had been achieved, everyone was already discussing how to transform Rosewind into the next hero university town, cursing him to a consistent flow of adventurer cannabis for generations to come.


    ¡°Not going well, sir?¡± Spok asked.


    The dungeon didn¡¯t have the strength to answer. Slumping his avatar back in his chair, he could only bear witness to the monster he had created.


    ¡°Once again, you¡¯ve outdone yourself, old friend,¡± the earl said while the remaining trio were discussing details. ¡°And to think I was almost ready to deprive the town of adventurers!¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± the avatar sighed. ¡°To think¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send our brave trio to the Lionmane guild first thing tomorrow. From this point on, they¡¯re nothing more than your apprentices.¡±


    ¡°Apprentices¡­¡± the avatar repeated in a devastated state.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell Karlton to make you vice guildmaster.¡±


    ¡°Vice guildmaster¡­¡± Theo didn¡¯t have the energy to think or argue. At this point, the earl could have sent him to the hero guild and there would be no difference.


    ¡°Just an honorary title, of course. We can¡¯t have you bogged down doing bureaucratic chores, can we?¡±


    Many other things were said during the meeting, but at that point the dungeon had already blanked out. The rest of the day passed as a blur. Theo vaguely remembered transforming some of his structures, agreeing with Spok about something, not to mention having a serious conversation with each of the nobles of the council, especially the earl. It was only when night fell, and most of the town went to sleep, that the effects of the shock slowly started to thaw away.


    What have I done to deserve this? the dungeon asked itself.


    Once again, it was all the earl¡¯s fault! If the pesky noble hadn¡¯t sent him off to capture the band of thieves, Theo would have never come across the red gem, let alone consume it. In turn, he¡¯d never have been afflicted by his current condition, forcing him to depend on the assistance of a maniacal gnome and three kid adventurers.


    Stars twinkled in the sky, as if laughing at everything that occurred beneath them. Maybe in his next incarnation, Theo would request to become a star. That seemed idyllically simple. As a star, he¡¯d just float in the vast calmness of space, occasionally glancing at planets that interested him. Several major disciplines back on Earth would severely oppose his way of reasoning, but they were part of his previous life. If he could be reincarnated as a dungeon, there was no reason for him to not become a star.


    ¡°A star¡­¡± he said, dreamily. ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll become a star¡­¡±


    Maybe somewhere, some starting civilization would worship him as a deity. They¡¯d give him weird names, make up powers associated with him, even look up and address him when they were in need of advice¡­


    ¡°Sir,¡± a voice echoed from the distance.


    Yes, the dungeon thought. Just like that.


    ¡°Sir, it¡¯s morning,¡± the voice said, a bit sharper than was comfortable.


    The sudden change in tone woke the dungeon up, returning him to reality.


    ¡°Spok?¡± he asked. It took a few seconds for Theo to find his avatar. To his surprise, it was safely tucked away in a wardrobe. ¡°What am I doing there?¡± The dungeon opened the wardrobe doors with telekinesis.


    ¡°It was most convenient at the time,¡± the spirit guide replied, without getting into details. ¡°You better hurry up or you¡¯ll be late.¡±


    ¡°Late?¡± Theo tried to remember what had happened the previous day. Despite any attempts, everything after the start of the council meeting remained blurry.


    ¡°You told me you had to be at the guildhall at first light,¡± Spok patiently explained. ¡°Something about babysitting good-for-nothing adventurers again.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right.¡±


    It was all coming back to him now. In exchange for going on noble quests, Theo had agreed to babysit¡ªor ¡°train,¡± as it had been officially defined¡ªthe trio of adventurers yet again. This time, however, he was doing it in the role of vice guildmaster.


    ¡°Also, you promised the gnome to pass by his workshop once you were done, so he¡¯d gear you up.¡±


    That, the dungeon had no recollection of. His conscience had probably given in by that time. Strange, though. This wasn¡¯t the first traumatic clash with reality he¡¯d had since becoming a dungeon, and he¡¯d always handled them pretty well until now. For one thing, he had never blanked an entire day¡ªor a half-day, for that matter.


    Carefully examining himself, Theo tried to find the structure that he had transformed into the gnome¡¯s laboratory, but wasn¡¯t able to locate it.


    ¡°Spok,¡± the dungeon began. ¡°Where exactly is Switches?¡±


    ¡°You really don¡¯t remember, sir?¡± the woman asked with slight concern.


    ¡°Refresh my memory.¡±


    ¡°Very well, sir. You reached a compromise. He¡¯d only get his workshop once he helped you procure another mana gem. Until then, he¡¯d make do with a building that wasn¡¯t part of you, outside town.¡±


    That sounded suspiciously reasonable.


    ¡°What¡¯s the catch?¡± Several doors in the main building creaked with suspicion.


    ¡°There¡¯s no catch, sir. At least, none I could think of.¡±


    Not being one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Theo decided to leave it at that for the moment. There were far more urgent matters he had to deal with right now.


    As the screeches of griffins filled the skies above Rosewind, Theo received his first hunger message of the day. Ignoring it, he packed his dimensional ring with everything necessary for another adventure, including a large amount of gold coins, and left for the Lionmane guildhall.


    All three of his ¡°apprentices¡± were already there by the time he arrived, along with the guild master. The eyes of all of them were filled with the annoying spark of determination. At the same time, something else was missing.


    ¡°Err, where¡¯s your gear?¡± the avatar asked.


    While Ulf wore the same clothes he always did, the other two seemed almost out of place dressed in expensive, though otherwise common, traveling clothes. Gone were the special sets of armor, overpowered weapons, and even the common magic trinkets, by the looks of things.


    ¡°Earl Rosewind said that you will take care of our equipment,¡± Amelia said.


    ¡°Did he now?¡± The surprise gone, Theo was back to his standard grumpy demeanor. ¡°I was hoping that after what we¡¯d been through, you¡¯d have learned to take care of that on your own. Clearly, you¡¯re still too green for that.¡±


    All three of the adventurers looked at the floor. Unfortunately, the guild master didn¡¯t seem to be buying it. Standing there with the look of someone who disliked what he was doing, but knew that the future of his guild depended on this, the man extended his hand, palm facing upwards.


    The avatar looked down, then up at the man¡¯s face, then took out a few gold coins from his dimension ring and placed them in the guildmaster¡¯s open hand.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need your adventurer ring,¡± the old man said. ¡°After your last quest, I¡¯ll need to increase your rank.¡± Despite that, he still pocketed the coins before Theo could claim them back.


    Why you greedy old man. The avatar narrowed his eyes, but chose not to say anything.


    Removing his ring, he gave it to Karlton. The man brushed it over a larger crystal he took from the counter, changing the gem¡¯s color from amberish to green.


    ¡°Here,¡± the guildmaster said. ¡°You¡¯re a second-class adventurer. Congratulations.¡±


    ¡°Second class?¡± The avatar expected to be made first-class at the very least. ¡°Why so low?¡±


    ¡°One quest, one rank.¡±


    ¡°Even a noble quest?¡± The avatar narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°One quest.¡± The guildmaster narrowed his in return. ¡°One rank.¡±


    It was clear that things weren¡¯t going well. The dungeon had no idea what the earl had told the old man, but it couldn¡¯t have been good for him to act in such fashion. Maybe Karlton was hoping for some calm and relaxation in his old age as well? To be honest, Theo couldn¡¯t blame him.


    ¡°Fine. What¡¯s available?¡± the avatar asked, playing down the humiliation.


    ¡°Same as last time.¡±


    ¡°They weren¡¯t here last time,¡± Theo said through gritted teeth as he got flashbacks of corporate meetings from his previous life.


    Sensing the invisible aura of anger surrounding the avatar, Karlton took out the job tome and placed it on the counter with a slam. All three of the junior adventurers jumped slightly at the sound.


    ¡°The troll dogs are gone,¡± the man said. ¡°Someone dealt with that a day ago.¡± He then went through a few pages, going straight to the noble quest section. ¡°Remove the curse of an abandoned estate full of bloodthirsty phantoms,¡± he read out. ¡°No further details provided.¡±


    Both Avid and Amelia turned a few shades paler.


    ¡°Assist in a mage tower attack,¡± the guildmaster continued. ¡°They¡¯ve doubled the reward, but everyone¡¯s keeping away from that one. Apparently, a hero has already died trying to achieve it.¡±


    The expressions on all three junior heroes soured. That didn¡¯t seem particularly appealing, either. In all honesty, Theo preferred phantoms to mages. In both cases, there was the risk that someone would discover his true nature, but mages had more ways of dealing with him. Besides, he was already blessed, so he could deal with demonic entities and the sort without issue.


    ¡°And finally, there¡¯s the brigand quest that you completed a few days ago.¡± Karlton looked at the avatar. ¡°Pick your poison.¡±


    ¡°Spok,¡± Theo asked in his main body. ¡°What can you tell me about phantoms?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a classification of discorporate entities, sir,¡± the spirit guide said. ¡°Could you be a bit more specific?¡±


    ¡°They are bloodthirsty,¡± the dungeon said.


    ¡°That¡¯s a contradiction in terms, sir. Phantoms aren¡¯t capable of being bloodthirsty. Either the descriptor is incorrect or they aren¡¯t phantoms to begin with.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve cursed a mansion.¡±


    ¡°The existence of all phantoms is linked to a curse of some sort. That would be like telling me they are discorporate.¡±


    In other words, the quest description provided no information whatsoever. Even the term ¡°estate¡± was vague, ranging from a plot of land to a large manor house.


    ¡°Do you have any thoughts?¡± the avatar asked the trio of adventurers.


    They looked at each other, hoping the other would voice an opinion, yet no one did. For the standard human, the choice was between getting cursed¡ªand possibly poisoned¡ªto death and blasted to smithereens.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take the cursed estate.¡± The avatar sighed. ¡°I suppose I need to go through the whole song and dance routine at the castle?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± The guildmaster ripped off the page from the tome and handed it to Theo. ¡°New rules. I¡¯ve been given full authority to hand out all but royal quests. You want it, you got it.¡± A conceited grin formed on his face. ¡°The celebration will take place if you complete it.¡±


    ¡°Right, right.¡± The avatar skimmed through the sheet of paper as if he were reading through a contract. With so little said, there was nothing that could be regarded as suspicious other than the quest itself. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± He turned around, starting his way to the door.


    ¡°Like this?¡± Amelia protested. ¡°What about our gear? You can¡¯t expect us to head out on a noble quest like this!¡±


    Crap! Theo had completely forgotten about that.


    ¡°Pfft. Of course not,¡± the avatar lied. ¡°Where do you think we¡¯re going? I¡¯ve had a workshop specially constructed just for the task. We¡¯ll pass by there to gear you up, then we¡¯ll head to¡ª¡± He looked at the page. ¡°¡ªthe town of Wallach, and¡ª¡±


    As the avatar spoke the name, a sudden torrent of blue mist exploded from the piece of paper, spreading in all directions. Faster than a smoke bomb, it filled the space of the room, obscuring all light sources.


    Initially, the dungeon thought this to be a practical joke from the guildmaster. He, clearly, wasn¡¯t pleased with the arrangement, so it would be understandable if he were to give the baron a hard time. Within moments, however, Theo knew that wasn¡¯t the case.


    ¡°Spok,¡± he said in his main body. ¡°Drop anything you¡¯re doing. I¡¯ll need your assistance.¡±


    ¡°You always require my assistance, sir,¡± the spirit guide replied indignantly. ¡°What appears to be the matter?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea where I am,¡± Theo said as the mist around his avatar began to clear. ¡°I just know it¡¯s a long way from Rosewind.¡±


    This was enough to cause more than the usual degree of alarm.


    ¡°How could you be certain, sir?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± The avatar stared at the dark outline of an impressive castle with multiple towers. ¡°It¡¯s dark here.¡±

 (Book 2) 11. A Zombie Letter Debacle

    In every person¡¯s life, there were times when it felt as if nothing more could go wrong. That was a defense mechanism the psyche played to find the silver lining of every cloud. Sadly, more times than not, it was untrue. Theo¡¯s previous life could be described as a chain of such events. Now was certainly no different.


    Upon finding his avatar transported to a damp, cold, misty recreation of a horror movie, he noticed three silhouettes emerge from the mist. For a split second, he held on hope that these were merely bandits in an attempt to mug him. Unfortunately, that proved too much to ask.


    ¡°That was sudden,¡± Ulf said, looking around. ¡°Maybe a warning next time, Baron?¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯d known I¡¯d come to such a place, I¡¯d have taken better attire,¡± Amelia said, every word filled with scorn. ¡°You could have at least let us take some gear?¡±


    ¡°Adventuring is facing the unexpected,¡± the avatar lied. ¡°What would you learn if you¡¯re constantly coddled and never get to experience real hardships? The world is a cruel place.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that we must always be prepared?¡± Ulf countered. ¡°Heading on a mission without gear is¡ª¡±


    ¡°A perfect way to teach you how valuable gear really is!¡± Theo quickly finished the sentence. He was talking crap, of course. The truth was that he knew as little as them, but allowing them to learn that would cause panic, not to mention he¡¯d lose his avatar before admitting he was on the same level as the adventurer trio. ¡°So, tell me, what do you see?¡±


    ¡°Mist,¡± Ulf and Amelia replied simultaneously.


    ¡°Yes, but what¡¯s beyond the mist? Think, people! Is there anything that might provide a clue where we are? A unique fragrance in the air, a local plant that grows in specific regions? As I said, being an adventurer is making quick decisions in the most efficient way possible.¡±


    That had to be the third definition of what it was like to be an adventurer, yet it also made sense in a very superficial way. At the very least, it was enough for the pair to start looking around in an attempt to come to some conclusion. It wasn¡¯t that the dungeon expected them to do anything right, but rather that would give him enough time to discuss the matter with Spok back in his main body.


    On her part, the spirit guide went through an expedited worrying spree on her own. She had checked and double-checked the dungeon¡¯s energy reserves. There was no way he could send his avatar to distant lands¡ªor anywhere, for that matter¡ªwithout a substantial spike in energy usage. A portal was also out of the question.


    ¡°Are you absolutely certain, sir?¡± she asked. ¡°Might it be that your avatar is suffering from hallucinations?¡±


    ¡°Hallucinations?¡± All the internal doors of the Baron¡¯s mansion opened halfway¡ªthe dungeon¡¯s equivalent of frowning. ¡°The terrible trio are here with me. Are they experiencing hallucinations as well?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Spok replied in a tone of voice that suggested that she hadn¡¯t come to any conclusion, either.


    This left Theo with two options: send eyeballs throughout Rosewind to ask more people, or to explore with his avatar. After a brief period of consideration, he decided to do both.


    ¡°Well?¡± His avatar went to the junior adventurers. ¡°Anything?¡±


    ¡°Lots of plants have died out,¡± Ulf began. ¡°They mustn¡¯t have been getting enough sunlight. Because they haven¡¯t rotted completely, I¡¯d guess that whatever happened here must have occurred a few months ago at most.¡±


    ¡°Based on the design of the castle, even a child can tell that we¡¯re in Cimich Kingdom, just as we were supposed to be. My guess is that would be the cursed estate,¡± said Amelia.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± the avatar admitted. Internally, he still considered it a lucky guess on their part. ¡°Anything to add, Avid?¡±


    To the dungeon¡¯s horror, the third of the adventurers was nowhere to be found. There were no signs of blood on the ground where he had been, which was a good thing, but the sudden disappearance didn¡¯t bode well.


    Immediately, the avatar created a basic armory.


    ¡°Lesson¡¯s over,¡± he said in a stern voice. ¡°Gear up.¡±


    Theo then took out the life sensing gem from his dimensional ring and put it on. There were four living entities in the immediate area which, for all intents and purposes, was at least one too many.


    The legendary hero¡¯s sword also found its way into the avatar¡¯s hand. Although it could be considered overkill, there was something about limited vision that made things appear a lot scarier than they were. Having the blade glow with a faint white light only added to his concern.


    ¡°Spok,¡± he began in his main body. ¡°Any chance you could scry here?¡±


    ¡°That might be possible, if I knew¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wallach!¡± he shouted in annoyance. ¡°The town of Wallach!¡±


    ¡°Very well, sir.¡± Pushing back a lock of hair from her forehead, the spirit guide went to the guest room and peered into the large crystal ball there. ¡°Technically, I¡¯m able to see the spot. Unfortunately, it¡¯s surrounded by black mist, making it impossible to see through.¡±


    ¡°Some use you are! Isn¡¯t there a spell to break through it or something?¡±


    ¡°There are many, I believe, sir, but all of them uniquely belong to heroes.¡±


    That was beyond unfortunate. Adding insult to injury, while the avatar could be considered a hero, he hadn¡¯t obtained what was needed.


    Casting a dozen swiftnesses and a flight spell on himself, the dungeon¡¯s avatar floated up. Ten feet from the ground, the mist thickened, hiding the castle and even his companions from view. There could be no longer any doubt that this was one more supernatural inconvenience.


    The things I do for mana gems, Theo thought as his avatar cast a fireball, instantly encapsulating it in an aether bubble. Glowing lights emerged one by one like lanterns, revealing more and more of the area. Each time one was created, the mist would move, fleeing away from the light.


    Soon, it became apparent that they had ended up on a former meadow right in front of the estate¡¯s wall. Whoever had described the estate as cursed was definitely playing things down the same way someone might describe the Titanic¡¯s crash as ¡°springing a leak.¡± No wonder the quest had remained uncompleted.


    Theo was just about to ask whether beings such as ¡°vampires¡± existed in the world when a black shape composed of wings and talons flew by him, shattering several bubbled fireballs in the process. Released from their cages, the clusters of fire exploded, commencing a chain reaction that filled the air with flames.


    Not again. Theo sighed internally. Even in the damp, dark middle of nowhere, fate would still find a way to singe his clothes.


    Pointing both hands in different directions, he went on an ice dagger spree, launching thick icicles in all directions around him. After ten seconds, he stopped. Everything seemed still and quiet. Waiting for another ten seconds, Theo cautiously created a few encapsulated fireballs, keeping them close.


    ¡°What was that?!¡± Amelia asked in a somewhat unnerved voice.


    Oh, they¡¯re alive, the dungeon thought. Lowering a bubble of fire revealed the two standing back to back, gripping their weapons. No one had managed to fully put on their protective gear. In the case of Ulf, the man had a leather vest hanging from his left arm. As for Amelia, she had merely been able to place an ill-suited helmet on her head. The issue was Avid. His demise would cause serious troubles for Theo back in Rosewind, not to mention that despite everything, the dungeon felt a trace of guilt for the predicament he had put them in.


    ¡°You¡¯re unhurt, right?¡± The avatar flew down to the ground.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Ulf nodded. ¡°Just a slight scare.¡± He forced a smile.


    ¡°Good.¡± Theo¡¯s avatar bent down and touched the ground. Instantly four thick walls rose up around them. ¡°Stay in there while I deal with this.¡±


    The fog creatures were obviously fast and well-concealed. In all probability, they had to be demons similar to the ones under Lord Mandrake¡¯s employ. Defeating them would be impossible for most heroes. In the case of Theo, all he needed was a clear line of sight to throw a blessed button or pebble at the target, and that was simple to arrange.


    A host of fireballs flew in all directions. They were followed by a series of bubbled fireballs. The mist quickly receded, vastly increasing the visibility of the area. At that precise moment, the attacker swooped down directly from above.


    ¡°Careful!¡± a young male voice said as a large mounted griffin landed a foot away from the avatar. ¡°Easy, easy¡­¡±


    ¡°Octavian?¡± The avatar narrowed his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s he doing here?¡±


    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± Avid said, petting the large creature¡¯s neck in an attempt to calm it down. ¡°I guess he wasn¡¯t used to your way of transport. The first time was a lot calmer, so he got a bit excited.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really¡­¡± The avatar¡¯s tone was capable of shattering glass. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that it wasn¡¯t more than ¡®a bit¡¯ then.¡±


    A faint breeze of relief swept through the dungeon in confirmation that his relations with the earl wouldn¡¯t worsen. It was quickly followed by several waves of regret.


    ¡°Now, if everyone¡¯s had their fun¡ª¡± The avatar lowered the protective walls around Ulf and Amelia back into the ground ¡°¡ªlet¡¯s get on with this.¡± He turned to the castle. ¡°I expect us to be done by dinner. Do I make myself clear?¡± He glanced over his shoulder.


    The silence was accompanied by a series of nods. Even the griffin got the hint and acted as dignified as a creature with the personality of a cat could.


    Leaving the trio to hurriedly find and put on any gear they could from the offered selection, Theo went to the gate of the estate. At one point, the tall metal gate must have been rather remarkable, depicting numerous creatures and possibly a crest among the iron bars. The splendor had long faded away, as moss, rust, and corrosion had eaten into the design.


    Most people would have tried to push their way in, but Theo didn¡¯t want to risk anything else ruining the clothes of his avatar, so he cast an arcane identify instead.


    DEATH GATE Level 5


    Radius: 10 miles


    A protective death curse created by a high-level demon or abomination, that instantly marks the person who crosses it for death.


    The Death Mark consistently decreases the life of any living entity it¡¯s put on, resulting in death within seven days unless removed by a blessing or holy prayer.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    In order for the death curse not to have an effect, the Death Gate must be unlocked before its threshold.


    What sort of curses are these!? The dungeon thought.


    This was extreme by any stretch of the imagination. Theo already suspected that his arrival there was somehow linked with the curse. Now, even before setting foot in the estate itself, he was confronted with a death curse.


    ¡°Spok!¡± the dungeon shouted back in his main body. ¡°What¡¯s an abomination?¡±


    ¡°I hope you haven¡¯t come across one of those, sir,¡± the spirit guide said with the tone of a teacher who had caught her students doing something they weren¡¯t supposed to. ¡°They are the second major classification of evil entities within the world. If demons have the goal of destroying all deities in their effort to subject the world to their rule, abominations have less idealized motivations. They merely wish to conquer the world for their personal reasons.¡±


    ¡°So, something like Switches?¡±


    For the first time in her life, Spok felt the sensation of choking, forcing her to cough ever so slightly in an attempt to clear her throat.


    ¡°No, sir. Nothing of the sort. Imagine if the demon hearts had developed a mind of their own,¡± she tried to explain. ¡°They don¡¯t follow demon hierarchies, aren¡¯t interested in global conflicts or politics, but merely want to subjugate everything to their nature, which in all cases involves torture of some sort.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± That didn¡¯t sound at all good. ¡°Rogue demons.¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡± Spok paused for a few moments. ¡°That would be a valid description, sir. The only difference is that their powers are different from those of demons. They don¡¯t so much seek to corrupt than to decay.¡±


    ¡°Undead rogue demons.¡± Theo had no mind of backing down from his analogy. There was no denying that they sounded more and more like vampires, though.


    ¡°Please tell me you haven¡¯t come across one, sir.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t yet. The blasted critter has surrounded the estate with a death gate. How come I don¡¯t have access to such spells?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a dungeon, sir.¡± Spok sighed. ¡°Besides, such spells have no effect on heroes and high-level adventurers.¡±


    That was good to know, although it still wouldn¡¯t save the trio accompanying the dungeon¡¯s avatar. Taking a step back, Theo cast blessed lightning on the gate. Bolts hit the metal bars, sending sparks all over them. The jolt was enough to fry anything demonic. Sadly, in this case, all that happened was for a bit of moss to fall off part of the gate.


    Naturally, this wouldn¡¯t work. Although cursed, the gate wasn¡¯t alive, and unless Theo wanted to have his avatar spend several hours continuously zapping it, another way had to be found.


    ¡°Spok, one final question.¡±


    ¡°I could only pray for that to be true, sir,¡± the avatar said beneath her breath.


    ¡°Are curses magic?¡±


    ¡°No, sir. Curses aren¡¯t considered magic.¡± The woman managed not to shake her head. ¡°They are curses and as such, couldn¡¯t be dispelled.¡± There was a momentary pause. Every instinct within the spirit guide yelled for her to stop while she was ahead. Yet, after being so long in Theo¡¯s service, she found herself unable not to utter the fateful word. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no reason,¡± the dungeon replied, making matters even worse.


    While his spirit guide was fretting over what he was up to, the dungeon beamed, having found a significant loophole in the abomination¡¯s defenses. Even better, that had helped him transform a useless spell into something actually useful.


    Placing his hand on the center of the massive gate, the avatar cast ¡°open¡±.


    CURSE BROKEN


    You have opened the Death Gate, breaking its curse.


    The curse is no longer in effect.


    1000 Avatar Core Points obtained.


    A thousand points? Breaking curses was rather profitable. No wonder heroes roamed the land, helping all sorts of cursed people and animals. A lich had earned him half that much.


    With a loud creak, the gates swung open, promptly slamming onto the ground as the rusty hinges no longer had the strength to hold their weight.


    ¡°Umm,¡± Amelia said, a short distance behind. ¡°Should we be making so much noise?¡± she asked.


    The avatar turned around. The duke¡¯s daughter had somehow managed to take a selection of common armor elements and combine them into something that looked both functional and fashionably suitable. Beside her, Avid had attempted to do the same, combining an iron breastplate with leather elements. And as for Ulf, the muscular adventurer had chosen to wear nothing but a vest of hardened leather and a pair of gloves.


    ¡°There¡¯s a time to sneak and a time not to sneak,¡± the avatar explained. ¡°The time not to sneak is first.¡± He crossed the invisible threshold of the death gate. Nothing happened. ¡°Stay close and stay quiet.¡± He shushed them and continued towards the main building of the castle.


    A large open plot of ground divided the gate from the main building. At some point in the past, it had probably been a sophisticated garden. Now, only rotting twigs remained in spots that once must have been rows of bushes. Once majestic statues were reduced to examples of postmodern art.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too close to the statues,¡± the avatar warned.


    It wasn¡¯t so much that he expected them to attack, but he didn¡¯t want to miss the chance of breaking another curse or two for the core points. Thus, the dungeon was moderately surprised when, upon casting an arcane identity on the nearest statue, it actually sprung to life.


    GUARDIAN GARGOYLE


    A statue cursed to protect the domain of its creator.


    Unliving, the statue is immune to mind control, poison, and other status ailments. The only way to destroy it is to shatter it to pieces.


    A massive cluster of ice spikes emerged from the avatar¡¯s hand, shattering the corroded marble, spreading fragments like dust.


    CURSE BROKEN


    You have destroyed a Guardian Gargoyle.


    200 Avatar Core Points obtained.


    Two hundred wasn¡¯t particularly high, but it was better than nothing. Theo was about to proceed to the next statue when the sound of crumbling stone sounded behind him. Inspired by his example, the trio of adventurers, and the gargoyle, had killed off a lion statue that had approached them and were now charging at more.


    ¡°Careful!¡± the avatar shouted. ¡°Don¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°As you said, we can¡¯t be coddled forever!¡± Ulf shouted as he decapitated a slab that, at some point, must have been an eagle. ¡°What kind of adventurers are we if we can¡¯t handle a few statues?¡±


    That wasn¡¯t in the least what Theo was concerned with, yet he didn¡¯t have the will to argue. A few hundred core points lost wasn¡¯t the end of the world, although it remained annoying.


    Just as he was voicing a sarcastic comment in response, a dozen stone statues¡ªtwice as large as the previous ones¡ªslammed onto the ground from above. Curiosity made the avatar look up, seeing tens more perched on roof edges and upper floors of the castle.


    Ah, right. Theo thought. They were gargoyles, after all.


    Meanwhile, back in Rosewind, the Lionmane guild master was having problems of his own. The man had never appreciated the idea of a ¡°grand adventurer resurgence.¡± The town simply wasn¡¯t at a location which attracted real adventurers. Transforming it into a tourist resort was merely going to get all the lazy good-for-nothings to move out of every part of the kingdom and stack here. The council clearly wasn¡¯t thinking straight when they had come up with the plan, Baron d¡¯Argent least of all.


    Given no choice but to play along, Karlton had done so, resorting to the last and only means to let his feelings known¡ªsarcastic passive-aggressiveness. However, even to him, it had come as a shock seeing the entire adventure party disappear in a cloud of mist upon formally accepting the noble quest.


    The first few seconds had passed in disbelief, the second ten in denial. Anger, bargaining, and concern quickly followed, until his emotions reached the bedrock of every adventurer¡¯s soul: unacceptance. The gears in the man¡¯s mind, rusty after decades of calm life, creaked into motion, bringing memories of the time he had gone monster hunting and dungeon exploring.


    Flushing all speculation from his mind, a small number of facts remained. One, the entire group¡ªgriffin included¡ªhad vanished upon accepting the noble quest. Two, the baron was still reading the quest when it had happened. Three, the quest was described as cursed.


    There always was the slight chance that the baron had done all this to prove a point. He was a highly eccentric mage, after all. However, Karlton couldn¡¯t imagine him doing so mid-sentence. Thus, only one option remained¡ªit had to be linked with the curse of the quest. And getting to the bottom of this required research.


    The man took a large key from one of the drawers beneath the counter, then went to an unassuming cabinet and opened it. Back when the guild had seen better days, this had been nothing more than a simple storage closet. As times had gotten tougher, Karlton had been forced to store more and more of the guild¡¯s valuables there. Books, maps, and adventure journals that no one saw any value in were stacked one upon the other amid all the dust. Several enchanted necklaces hung on the wall, protecting the space from thieves, rot, and decay, as well as rats and other insects that could damage the contents of the closet.


    Taking one long look at the guild¡¯s past, the man sighed. He never thought he¡¯d be forced to go down memory lane, especially due to such circumstances, but here he was.


    It took several hours for everything to be taken out and twice as long for the man to arrange them by category. Maps of all sorts covered the floor, creating a pretty good picture of the known world. If there was something that adventurers were good at, it was mapping and exploring.


    ¡°Where are you?¡± the man crossed his arms, looking pensively at the ¡°world¡± at his feet.


    ¡°Quite impressive,¡± a voice said, coming from above his shoulder.


    The old man acted instantly, grabbing a letter opener from his belt and sticking it in the source of the voice. A loud pop followed.


    ¡°What the hell was that for?!¡± the voice asked, this time coming from a floating eyeball at the open window.


    ¡°Baron?¡± The guild master narrowed his eyes, still gripping the letter opener.


    ¡°Who did you think it was?!¡± The eyeball floated up to his face. Despite the eye¡¯s lack of eyelids, it created the distinct impression in Karlton that it was frowning at him. ¡°What the hell did you do to us?!¡±


    ¡°Sent you on a cursed quest, it seems.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know! It was in the description!¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± The man put the letter opened away. ¡°I sent you on a cursed quest. Not a quest dealing with something cursed.¡±


    ¡°Explain,¡± Theo ordered. Clearly, his idea to send eyeballs around had paid off. It was still strange that Spok wasn¡¯t able to be of much assistance. The spirit guide was a walking encyclopedia by definition. Sadly, it seemed that she too had her limits, and adventuring stuff, curses, and abominations were part of it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say that it¡¯s not only nobles in need that send out quest requests,¡± Karlton said in a deep, pensive tone.


    ¡°You mean I was scammed?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Usually, there are ways of detecting this, but one or two requests always manage to sneak through the cracks.¡±


    ¡°But the estate is real. I¡¯m looking at it.¡± Fighting in it, even. ¡°Are you saying I was catfished?¡±


    ¡°You were what?¡± Karlton looked confused.


    ¡°Sent to a place that wasn¡¯t what it claimed to be.¡±


    ¡°Oh, lured.¡± The man nodded as he spoke. ¡°You wizards have strange terms for everything. Catfished,¡± he chuckled. ¡°Well, I¡¯m still not sure. That¡¯s also a common occurrence, done a lot by dungeons, but this doesn¡¯t seem their style.¡±


    ¡°Why are you so sure only dungeons do it?¡± Theo felt a certain degree of indignation in the comment.


    ¡°It started with them. One dungeon used to spam requests to adventure guilds claiming to be an imprisoned princess. She would offer anyone who saved her a chance of marriage and a substantial reward. That¡¯s how it became known as the ¡°imprisoned princess quest.¡± Less than a decade later, every guild was flooded by quests coming from ¡°real¡± princes and princesses. What¡¯s different here is that you were actually transported there.¡±


    ¡°So, a dungeon isn¡¯t behind it.¡±


    ¡°Not unless it¡¯s a very powerful dungeon with a sick sense of humor,¡± the guild master grunted, making Theo feel even more uneasy. ¡°That¡¯s why I believe you¡¯ve fallen victim to a zombie cursed quest.¡±


    ¡°A what?¡±


    ¡°An evil entity, usually an abomination, infests the domain of an actual noble and slowly curses it.¡±


    That seemed to confirm what Theo had seen so far.


    ¡°Yet, that¡¯s only the start,¡± the man continued. ¡°Having a constant desire to grow, the abomination quickly infests the lands of neighboring nobles, adding them to the curse. There have been cases in which entire kingdoms have fallen into decay before the rest of the world found out. In the last few centuries, abominations have become a lot more sophisticated. Rather than relying on standard methods, they also use the original nobles under their control to send out cursed letters in need of help. All it takes is for the recipients of the request to agree and they are sent straight to the source of the curse, where they are cursed and returned to their own homes, zombies of their former selves.¡±


    ¡°Just great¡­¡±


    This was terrible in more ways than one. Not only did it open the prospect of another confrontation, similar to the goblin war, but there was no doubt that it would attract the attention of all hero guilds. By the sound of it, the fastest way to deal with the situation was to stomp out the cursed areas before they had a chance to spread¡ªin this case, the entire town of Rosewind, if Theo wasn¡¯t careful. And even if he was, the knowledge that an adventurer¡¯s guild there had accepted a cursed quest would be reason enough to have him carefully examined, revealing his true nature.


    ¡°So I just have to break the curse,¡± the eyeball said.


    ¡°Technically true, but there¡¯s a catch.¡±


    ¡°There always is¡­¡±


    ¡°Abominations are different. Killing them might not always get rid of the curse. There might be additional conditions that have to be met. Otherwise, the entity would be reconstituted within one of its victims.¡±


    ¡°Like a zombie.¡±


    ¡°Like a zombie.¡± Karlton nodded. ¡°The best way is to learn what you¡¯re facing before taking any action. The moment you set foot in the domain of the abomination, you¡¯re already caught in its web and it¡¯ll be a heck of a lot more difficult to get out.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Shutters throughout the town slammed as the dungeon cursed internally. ¡°That¡¯s good to know.¡±

 (Book 2) 12. Guests and Gnome Entrepreneurship

    ¡°Third one,¡± Ulf said in a smug tone. ¡°What about you two?¡±


    Left with no immediate enemy, the large man paused for a few moments to check out how his companions were doing. Amelia was still having trouble with her first statue. It wasn¡¯t that she was a poor fighter, or that her stone opponent was particularly skilled or crafty. The issue came from her relying on fencing above everything else. Against a flesh and blood enemy, she would have julienned it several times by now. When dealing with stone, even an invincible blade would bounce off, causing minute damage at best.


    Meanwhile, Avid had teamed up with his griffin and was on the way to catch up. Ulf considered that cheating. The two had known each other since childhood, although even back then it could be said that they ran in different crowds. Avid was the more bookish type, spending most of his time alone, while Ulf was part of the wilder crowd that always got in trouble. The only thing that united them was the desire to make a name for themselves¡ªsomething that, sadly, both of them had failed in so far.


    The griffin released a squirming statue, making it shatter on the estate¡¯s wall.


    ¡°That¡¯s three for me,¡± he replied, directing Octavian to another target with a pat on the side.


    ¡°That¡¯s one and a half!¡± Ulf couldn¡¯t keep himself. ¡°There¡¯s two of you!¡±


    The conversation quickly came to a pause as a stone statue of a sea lion was spotted a short distance away. There was no telling whether it was a gargoyle or just a standard decoration, but neither of the two was willing to take the chance.


    All this time, Theo¡¯s avatar sat on the flight of steps in front of the main entrance, thinking heavy thoughts. He had long defeated the three waves of gargoyles that had descended from upper floors and rooftops. Destroying them had been elementary, bringing him nearer to the next avatar level. Then, he learned about the curse. While he was certain that he hadn¡¯t been affected, there was no telling whether the same could be said about his companions. Now, not only did he have to defeat the abomination, but he had to keep a closer eye on the trio as well.


    ¡°I got it!¡± Avid yelled. ¡°That¡¯s four!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s two of you, so it¡¯s two for you and two for the griffin,¡± Ulf protested.


    A short distance away, Amelia said nothing. Through skill and effort, she had managed to chip her way through the statue¡¯s neck, ultimately destroying it. There could be no doubt that her results were the worst of the group.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there are any more.¡± Avid made a circle in the air. ¡°We can check the other areas of the estate.¡±


    One look at Theo¡¯s avatar and all three quickly changed their minds.


    ¡°Or maybe not,¡± the earl¡¯s son said, in an attempt to remedy the situation. The brief time he had spent with the baron had taught him that whenever the noble was in a bad mood, it was usually them to blame.


    Directing the griffin to the ground, Avid joined his companions as they approached Baron d¡¯Argent.


    ¡°I think we should have been faster,¡± Ulf whispered to the other two.


    The whisper caught Theo¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re done.¡± The avatar looked up. ¡°Any issues?¡±


    Fearing this to be a loaded question all here shook their heads.


    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s continue.¡± The avatar turned around and used his open spell on the door.


    There was a loud click, after which the door creaked open.


    A thick purple carpet covered the inside floor, making the atmosphere even more dreary. Ironically, it was the lack of tears, insects, and rat droppings that gave the ominous feeling. No sooner had the avatar set foot inside than the energy consumption back in his main body spiked.


    ¡°Ahem,¡± Spok coughed as she proceeded to feed the rabbit within the dungeon.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it,¡± Theo grumbled. ¡°Okay, say it. How bad are things?¡±


    ¡°Normally they would be negligible, but due to your condition, I¡¯d advise being a bit more conservative.¡±


    Internally, Theo felt like yelling. This was so annoying. It had to be a curse or trap of some sort, but who in their right mind cursed a carpet. The abomination clearly didn¡¯t have better things to do! Cursed letters, cursed gates, cursed statues, and now cursed carpets.


    A minute later than needed, the dungeon¡¯s avatar cast an identify spell on the carpet.


    BLOOD CARPET Level 5


    A cursed carpet that saps the blood of anyone who steps on it, increases its strength in the process.


    Depending on its level, the carpet can sap blood through leather, wood, steel, and stone up to a distance of 5 inches while contact is maintained.


    In order to be destroyed. the link between the BLOOD CARPET and its creator must be severed.


    Blood and curses. It was looking more and more that vampires were actually a thing.


    ¡°Stop!¡± the avatar said, as Ulf approached to enter. ¡°Let me see your shoes.¡±


    ¡°My shoes?¡±


    Everyone immediately looked down.


    ¡°Did I step in something?¡± The large adventurer looked at the sole of his left boot.


    It was a sturdy traveler¡¯s boot, well made, comfortable and suited to use in an urban, river and mountainous terrain. Even so, there was no way that the soles were more than an inch thick. In theory, it was possible for the dungeon to create platform shoes and force the adventurers to wear them, but while he could use a laugh, that would only make them even worse at fighting than they currently were.


    ¡°Hold still.¡± The avatar sighed, then went to bless each sole of Ulf¡¯s shoes. ¡°The carpet¡¯s cursed,¡± he added as Amelia and Avid got the same treatment.


    Upon reaching the griffin, Theo paused. There was no way he could bless all that.


    ¡°You stay outside,¡± he said in a firm tone.


    The griffin let out a loud coo of disappointment.


    ¡°You stay here or I¡¯m sending you home!¡± the avatar grumbled. ¡°And you can forget about snacks!¡±


    In this world, the dungeon had never given the griffin any snacks. In fact, he would often make it a point how much he disapproved of the practice. In his previous life, he had the displeasure of being invited by people with pets and would often witness the conversation. In more cases than not, the threat seemed to work and moderate the pet¡¯s behavior for an hour or so. Judging by the lack of further protests, he could only hope that he¡¯d achieved the same effect here.


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯re going in.¡± The avatar turned around again. ¡°Be on your guard.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± Amelia said.


    The avatar paused, his foot still in the air. Slowly, he turned his head, glancing at her over her shoulder.


    ¡°Won¡¯t you bless your shoes?¡± she asked in a somewhat fearful voice.


    ¡°My shoes?¡± Theo had completely forgotten about it, but there was no way he¡¯d admit it in public. ¡°You think I can¡¯t handle a cursed carpet?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Alright, if it makes you feel better.¡± He cast a quick blessing. ¡°Now, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Based on the width of the corridors and the general size of the estate, it was safe to assume that it fell into the ¡°small¡± category. In dungeon terms, that meant it probably had less than fifty rooms in total. Of course, that was only true provided it didn¡¯t extend further below ground.


    Paintings and sets of armor decorated the long hallway. Each of them was diligently examined by Theo¡¯s avatar to ensure no further surprises. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on the point of view, everything so far was nothing that old, normal, decorations that had seen better days. The only thing missing was light, which Theo provided on his own.


    For close to ten minutes the group kept on walking and walking until they suddenly ended right back where they started. The door remained wide open, granting a glimpse at the gloom outside.


    ¡°A moebius curse,¡± Avid muttered.


    Everyone turned towards him.


    ¡°I read it in a book,¡± he said defensively. ¡°It¡¯s a curse used to exhaust travelers to the point that they are too weak to fight anything off.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense with the blood carpet.¡± Ulf nodded.


    ¡°We can still get out, though.¡± Amelia looked at the entrance. ¡°Maybe we go out and find another way in?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± The avatar said. Theo was tired, tired of walking around in circles, tired of constantly dealing with curses, tired of this whole adventure thing. There was a reason that dungeons didn¡¯t become adventurers. Now, he had had enough. ¡°We go straight in!¡±


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    He placed his hand on the wall, then created a room. In this instance, the room happened to be a corridor leading to another section of the castle. The new area was immense, ending in a massive staircase¡ªsplit into three¡ªthat led up to the second floor. Massive chandeliers of rubies hung from the ceiling, illuminating the richly decorated area with warm crimson light. Portraits the height of buildings covered the walls, overlooking statues of white marble and potted rose bushes. Also, there were close to a hundred skeletons in flashy armor looking in at the people who had interrupted their serenity.


    ¡°Oh, crap.¡±


    The avatar instantly cast a wall barrier in an attempt to block the opening he had created. No sooner had he done so, streaks of blood were seen seeping into it, forming cracks as they ate through.


    ¡°Arm up!¡± he shouted, summoning his legendary sword. ¡°Things might get rough.¡±


    The instant he said that, blood red walls rose up from the ground outside the castle, creating an entirely new building section. The only escape was quickly blocked off.


    At this point, there could be no doubt that things had indeed gotten a lot worse.


    ¡°Octavian!¡± Avid shouted, worried that something might have happened to his griffin.


    ¡°Forget the stupid bird!¡± Theo shouted as the ice block disintegrated in front of him. Unwilling to risk anything happening to the adventurers he charged forward, swinging his sword with as much strength as he could.


    The display was magnificent, and suspiciously effective, destroying five skeletons at once.


    CORE CONSUMPTION


    4 Skeletal Soldier Minion core fragments converted into 400 Avatar Core Points.


    AVATAR LEVEL INCREASE


    Your Avatar has become Level 20


    +1 STRENGTH, SHIELDS skill obtained


    3900 Core Points required for next Avatar Level


    ¡°Shields?!¡± Theo shouted as he struck down two more skeletons¡ªthese dressed in servants¡¯ outfits. ¡°Why¡¯s that even a skill?!?¡±


    SHIELDS - 1


    Grants shield proficiency, allowing you to masterfully use bucklers, tower shields, riding shields, and other shields.


    The dungeon¡¯s mind couldn¡¯t fathom why such a useless thing even existed. Surely anyone could use a shield¡ªall they had to do is hold it and hide behind it. There was nothing complicated in that. It was a miracle that heroes managed to get out of bed, if they required skills for the simplest of things.


    As misfortunate would have it, while his avatar had kicked a skeleton bee hive in the cursed estate, the dungeon¡¯s main body had troubles of its own. Today they came in the form of Count Alvare. The annoying noble knew full well that the baron was dealing with noble quests, and yet that hadn¡¯t stopped him from going to the baron¡¯s mansion and insistently knocking on the door.


    On the fifth knock, the door opened.


    ¡°Good morning, Count,¡± Spok said with a polite curtsy. ¡°How may I be of assistance?¡±


    ¡°Where is he?¡± The old goat barged right in as if he owned the place.


    ¡°The baron is off teaching the town¡¯s hopefuls in the ways of adventuring, sir.¡± The spirit guide said, maintaining her dignity. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, it was the council¡¯s decision that he do so.¡±


    ¡°Blast!¡± Holding a rolled piece of parchment, the count instinctively made his way to the most expensive bottle of alcohol within sight and poured himself a glass. ¡°He¡¯s already out on that adventurer rubbish.¡± He gulped down the glass in one go, then poured himself another. ¡°Can¡¯t he pop up like one of those eye things he¡¯s been using all over town?¡±


    Up in the attic, Theo whispered a definitive ¡°no.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, it will be a few hours before he could make use of that spell, Count,¡± Spok said in apologetic fashion. ¡°Is there anything I might assist with?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± The count looked at her with the distrust he¡¯d give an apprentice claiming to do their master¡¯s job, then downed a second glass. ¡°Now, I consider myself a very reasonable person.¡±


    Internally, Theo braced himself. Each time someone led with that phrase, it meant that he most certainly wasn¡¯t. In fact, if there was one universal principle. it was that anyone who began claiming to be something, it was the last person they were.


    ¡°I¡¯m all for local entrepreneurship,¡± the count continued as he poured himself yet a third glass. ¡°Not many know this, but I was one of the few that were glad when the baron bought the lot. Mind you, I¡¯d been eyeing it as well, but only a fool would buy it at such a price.¡± He snorted in what was supposed to be polite laughter.


    ¡°The baron is most grateful, sir,¡± Spok nodded.


    ¡°He damned should be!¡± He took a gulp from his third glass, this time only managing to consume half of it. ¡°As I was saying, I¡¯m not one to stand in the face of profit, but there are things that go too far.¡±


    ¡°Too far, sir?¡±


    ¡°This.¡± The count shoved the piece of parchment into the woman¡¯s hands.


    The quality of the paper was middling at best, though it couldn¡¯t be called dead cheap. Upon unrolling it, several windows within the mansion creaked in horror.


    ¡°Switches¡¯ Scientific Workshop,¡± Spok read out loud. ¡°Backed by Baron d¡¯Argent. Find any contraption at a reasonable price. All contraptions made with materials of the client are eligible for a twenty percent discount.¡± For the first time since her creation, the woman¡¯s left eye twitched. ¡°How did you happen to get that, sir?¡± She calmly rolled the parchment back up. It didn¡¯t help that there was a crude picture of the gnome, standing proud with a contraption of some sort in his hand.


    ¡°Something stuck it to the window.¡± The count finished his glass. ¡°At first, I thought it was one of the griffins.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure it doesn¡¯t happen again.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± the man blinked.


    ¡°Having things stuck to your window, sir? I thought that was the reason you came here.¡±


    ¡°Why would I walk all the way here for that?¡± The confused expression shifted to annoyance. ¡°I¡¯m here because the baron never asked for a permit.¡±


    ¡°Permit?¡± the dungeon asked on the top floor of the building.


    ¡°Permit, sir?¡± Spok repeated the question.


    ¡°Just because he¡¯s part of the council, with my support I must add, doesn¡¯t mean that he could start things without asking permits. In order to have a¡ª¡± He glanced at the scroll in Spok¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Scientific Workshop,¡± the spirit guide repeated.


    ¡°Scientific Workshop, he needs to apply for a permit and pay the respective fee. Since the workshop is located on his personal land outside the city, a minor monthly fee would have to be paid. Not that he¡¯ll have any issues, of course.¡±


    ¡°Of course, sir.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± The count took one step to leave, but then stopped. His head quickly turned, focusing on the bottle as he calculated whether he could down another one before leaving.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome to the bottle, sir.¡± Spok put a quick end to his hesitation. ¡°I¡¯m sure the baron would be delighted.¡±


    With a grunt of approval, the man snatched the now half-full bottle and headed out.


    ¡°Just one question if I may, sir.¡± Spok added. ¡°Do you happen to be related to the tax collector, by chance?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s my nephew,¡± the man replied, then left without further explanation.


    That certainly explained a few things.


    Sensing that the coast was clear, Cmyk appeared from the gardens below. Having done his job, the minion-turned-town champion was about to head to town to get for a long day of doing nothing, when the door suddenly slammed.


    ¡°Damned gnome!¡± Theo shouted.


    ¡°You did make a promise, sir¡­¡± Spok said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what I said. You two are dealing with this! I¡¯m a bit occupied at the moment.¡±


    ¡°Of course you are.¡± The spirit guide wasn¡¯t one to put every word of the dungeon to doubt, but when it came to work, he had a tendency to delegate it to others.


    ¡°Cmyk, go to Switches and tell him to stop whatever mess he¡¯s gotten me into,¡± Theo ordered. ¡°Meanwhile, Spok, you deal with the permit thing.¡±


    The spirit guide didn¡¯t want to argue that if Cmyk was going to stop whatever the gnome was going, there was no point in getting a permit, but decided it was faster not to argue. After all, money wasn¡¯t an issue, and with a large part of the town being part of the dungeon, she could venture to most places.


    ¡°How is your quest going, sir?¡± she said, feigning interest.


    There was a lot that could be said on the topic. Theo, on his part, preferred not to go into details, at least not until the fight was over. So far, things had gone from bad to worse.


    After dispatching a few of the skeletons, the rest had ceased with brainless attacks, but retreated further in. That, for some reason, had encouraged the trio of adventurers to charge forward in an attempt to help.


    The moment all three had joined the dungeon¡¯s avatar in the new section of the castle several transformations had taken place. The walls on both sides of the opening had slammed together trapping them inside. That was to be expected. Even rookie adventurers knew that dungeons, demons, and rogue mages had a habit of blocking the exit the first chance they got. The unexpected bit came when the remaining dozens of skeletons merged together.


    Like mechanical fragments, they bent into various shapes that merged together, forming one massive mountain of bone that went all the way up to the chandeliers. Arms the width of barrels stretched as knuckles adjusted into place.


    ¡°You!¡± the bone amalgamation said, its voice booming throughout the room. ¡°You ruined the mistress¡¯ carpet!¡±


    Immediately, everyone looked down. The bright red carpet had dozens of footprints, only instead of mud, it seemed like the spots had been thoroughly burned. Out of curiosity, the avatar lifted his left foot. A new burned mark lay beneath.


    ¡°Good thinking, Baron!¡± Ulf said with a grin. ¡°Leave it to you to find a way to ruin a cursed carpet!¡±


    In truth, that was the last thing on the dungeon¡¯s mind. The reason he had blessed everyone¡¯s souls was to keep them from having their blood sapped. In the darkness of the corridor, he hadn¡¯t even noticed the effect their shoes had on the carpet.


    ¡°You will pay for it!¡± The skeletal giant charged at him.


    Ice swords flew straight at the construct, shattering as they hit the ten times reinforced ribs. Fireballs followed, wrapping the thing in a layer of fire.


    ¡°Cool!¡± Amellia shouted.


    Sadly, the cheer was premature. The large flaming entity continued forward, then punched Theo¡¯s avatar in the chest, sending it flying across the room. The wall cracked at the impact, creating a cloud of dust. The legendary sword slipped out of his hand, falling to the floor.


    Back in Rosewind, the dungeon felt a large portion of energy diminish. The hit was serious, capable of killing anyone remotely human. Theo attempted to get out of the hole he had created, only to be quickly slammed by another punch in the chest, then another.


    ¡°Sir,¡± Spok said back in his main body. ¡°Should I be reminding you that you haven¡¯t gone through your daily halving yet?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not the one doing it!¡± Several doors slammed.


    No matter how many times he attempted to get out of the wall, the skeletal amalgamation would slam him back in over and over. Aether spheres didn¡¯t work, neither did fireballs or ice magic.


    Seeing the trouble the baron was in, Ulf changed forward, landing a blow on the creature¡¯s ankle. The blade bounced off, as if it were made of rubber.


    ¡°Stay¡ª¡± the avatar shouted just before getting a punch in the head. Even with the constant energy drain, Theo was far more worried what might happen if the skeleton did the same to any of his companions. Then, his fears came true.


    As Ulf struck the ankle for a second time, a series of skulls integrated in the monster¡¯s leg turned his way. A moment later, they were followed by the amalgamation¡¯s head. Pressing against the avatar with one hand, the skeleton raised its other hand.


    The adventurer quickly leaped back, but it was already too late¡ªhe remained well within reach.


    The monster¡¯s bony fist swung in the direction of the human. Just as it was about to hit its target, squishing it into a pool of blood, part of the ceiling exploded. A figure with a glowing two-handed sword fell from above, striking the creature in the shoulder.


    A loud cracking sound followed, similar to a ten-foot piece of chalk cracking. The attack didn¡¯t end there, though. With a swing, the new arrival struck the skeleton¡¯s ribcage, sending it flying all the way to the opposing wall, where it too made an impression on the wall, destroying two portraits in the process.


    Finally! Theo said to himself as he pulled himself out of the wall. Casting a dozen swiftnesses round himself, he was just about to use telekinesis to pick up the legendary sword from where he had dropped it, when someone handed it to him.


    ¡°Here,¡± a female voice said.


    ¡°Thanks, I¡ª¡± The avatar paused. ¡°Liandra? What are you doing here?¡±

 (Book 2) 13. Bill for Damages - Hero Soul (Tip Expected)

    It was well known that heroes were a dungeon¡¯s natural enemies. If adventurers destroyed dungeons mostly for fun, heroes were professionals at it. It was a safe bet that if a hero was dispatched, the outcome was more or less assured. They had the skills and equipment to purge evil, destroy demons, kill monsters, and snatch the core of any dungeon that was deemed to be a serious threat. To Theo¡¯s great misfortune, due to a minor accident, he had made it onto the heroes¡¯ most wanted list. As far as the world knew, he had killed a triple hero of legendary stature, as well as consumed two demon lord hearts. Throughout the world, every heroically inclined individual was itching to have a go at him.


    Baron Theodor d¡¯Argent, on the other hand, was a completely different story. His noble deeds were increasingly well known throughout the lands. It helped that this wasn¡¯t the first time he and Liandra had fought together side by side. One could even go as far as to call them friends. In fact, the only thing that the dungeon feared was Liandra finding out that the baron she knew was nothing more than a dungeon avatar.


    ¡°I¡¯m here on business,¡± the woman replied, holding her two-handed sword with one hand. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Before the avatar could reply, strands of blood shot out from the carpet. Like threads of red silk, they wrapped the fallen skeletal arm, pulling it across the entire floor to its previous owner. There it was, attached to the other part of the skeletal amalgamation.


    ¡°Careful!¡± The avatar cast three aether bubbles, surrounding the three adventurers with indestructibility.


    Using telekinesis, he quickly lifted them into the air and not a moment too soon. Thousands more threads shot up from the floor, attempting to wrap them in a deadly cocoon. A few hundred managed to stick to the bottom of the aether spheres, stretching like melted cheese, until they finally snapped, falling back down to the crimson carpet.


    ¡°Did you bless your shoes?¡± the avatar asked, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly.


    ¡°What?¡± Liandra glanced down for a moment.


    ¡°Blood carpet. Saps strength and all that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a first-class heroine.¡± The woman looked back up with a smile. ¡°Such curses don¡¯t work on me.¡±


    Without another word, Liandra sprinted forward, leaving a trail of smoldering footprints behind her.


    At this precise moment, Theo¡¯s experience-greed kicked in. There was no way he¡¯d let her have the core of that amalgamation. Casting a few more swiftness spells on himself for good measure, he flew through the air, blade forward.


    The skeletal monstrosity didn¡¯t expect this. All the speed in the world wouldn¡¯t be enough to react to a maniac who flew right at him, striking the collarbone like a dart hitting a target. The glow coming from the weapon intensified as it stood there, halfway in.


    ¡°Aha!¡± the avatar said triumphantly, expecting a notification of his victory to emerge any moment now.


    No such thing happened. Instead, the creature unceremoniously grabbed him by the legs, then tossed him across the room once more. This time, though, Theo was prepared and cast an indestructible aether sphere around him, preventing further energy drains.


    Liandra broke off her charge, stopping thirty feet from the creature.


    ¡°Are you still moving?¡± she asked, not looking back.


    ¡°Better than last time,¡± the avatar grumbled. ¡°The annoying thing just won¡¯t die!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a revenant. It¡¯ll be tough to kill.¡±


    Liandra took a deep breath, then exhaled and thrust forward. Her massive sword glowed in a golden white light, heading straight for the skeleton¡¯s neck.


    The revenant punched forward, meeting the weapon with its fist. The weapon sliced through bone like butter, continuing all the way along the arm. Just as it approached the head, the heroine stopped moving. Hundreds of tendrils had managed to shoot up and stick to her legs mid-flight. The power of her heroic trait caused them to quickly melt away, yet with every two that snapped, five more would shoot up.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± the woman said beneath her breath, then slashed the threads beneath her legs. She was just about to proceed with another attack when a sudden force pulled her back away from the skeleton.


    ¡°Stay there!¡± Theo¡¯s avatar said, one hand on the floor.


    A watchtower with a particularly sharp roof emerged. It ripped through the carpet, causing thousands of strands to snap and wriggle like blood-red worms, then slammed the revenant in the chest.


    Given everything the creature had endured so far, there was no way such a weak attack would finish it off. Theo, however, never intended to kill it with the tower he had constructed. His goal was to strike the legendary sword, driving it in like a nail hit by a hammer.


    Chunks of stone flew in all directions as the tower exploded on impact. One of the large chandeliers lost its connection to the ceiling, falling to the floor with a spectacular smash that sent rubies everywhere.


    The skeleton itself had been pushed back all the way into the wall again. Sadly, the sword remained only three-quarters in.


    ¡°Curs¡ª¡± the avatar began, when Liandra¡¯s double blade slashed the space in front of him, slicing a thick cluster of blood strands that had just emerged.


    Not wasting a moment, Theo followed up by casting an ice circle on the floor. Frozen spikes emerged, imprisoning parts of the carpet with it. Beneath, for the first time, the actual floor became visible. Against all expectations, it was a rather nice marble mosaic depicting a cheerful, almost childish, scene of a prancing pony. Whoever the original owners of the estate were, they definitely had strange tastes.


    ¡°You!¡± the revenant groaned, as thousands of threads trickled up its legs, covering it with a layer of glistening blood. If Theo was back in his previous life, he would have sworn that it had the appearance of plastic. ¡°You destroyed the carpet!¡±


    ¡°Look who¡¯s talking!¡± the avatar shouted back. Instinctively, he looked up to make sure that none of the three adventurers had done anything stupid.


    Thankfully, they remained calm, observing the fight from a distance. At this point, it was obvious even to them that they didn¡¯t stand a chance against such an enemy.


    ¡°Nice to see you haven¡¯t lost your touch.¡± Liandra moved a step away, holding her weapon with both hands. ¡°This reminds me of our fight against Lord Mandrake.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± the avatar muttered.


    Back in Rosewind, half the town creaked. The last thing the dungeon wanted was to admit that Lord Mandrake was effectively working for him. Of the entire world, the heroine was the only person who¡¯d had a good look at the gnome in his real form. If the two ever met, it was going to become more than a little awkward. In a best-case scenario, Liandra might kill the creature before it got to provide any explanations. Sadly, Theo had learned that in the real world¡ªthis or the last¡ªthe universe wouldn¡¯t be so benevolent.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this quest a bit beneath you?¡± he asked. ¡°Last time you only agreed because the earl asked you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well¡­¡± Liandra looked to the side for a moment. ¡°I drew the short straw. I already was in hot water for rushing off to avenge my grandfather without approval. The misunderstanding with the elves sealed the deal, so now I¡¯ve been punished to deal with all the annoying quests that no one else wants to take.¡±


    ¡°This definitely seems annoying.¡± The avatar¡¯s words dripped with sarcasm.


    On the other side of the room, the skeleton had almost completely soaked up the carpet, transforming into what Theo could only describe as a demonic, oversized, action figure.


    ¡°It¡¯s a zombie quest.¡± Liandra turned to the avatar. ¡°Who even falls for those nowadays? If the letters hadn¡¯t cluttered up our mail room, no one would have bothered to send me. I must admit that having such a strong revenant is a bit unusual.¡±


    ¡°Unusual how?¡± Theo didn¡¯t like the sound of that.


    ¡°Revenants are rather strong servants. It usually takes a strong abomination or necromancer to create one this powerful. The blood carpet is also a potent spell.¡±


    ¡°Can dungeons make revenants?¡± Theo slipped.


    Originally, the question was intended for Spok back in his main body. A moment¡¯s lapse of concentration had made him voice it with his avatar as well.


    ¡°Sir.¡± Spok sighed in an unmistakably irritated fashion. ¡°When I suggested keeping an eye on your energy usage, I did not mean creating frivolous rooms.¡± She adjusted her glasses. ¡°Yes, you are capable of creating a revenant, but you would need to create a revenant chamber, have at least a hundred skeleton minions, and then invest a large quantity of energy to merge them together.¡±


    ¡°Dungeons?¡± Liandra asked in the cursed estate. ¡°Why would you ask that?¡±


    ¡°No reason.¡± Theo did his best to keep his avatar calm.


    ¡°I suppose dungeons could do that, but I haven¡¯t seen it done. You think there might be a dungeon behind all this?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°That would make sense, come to think about it. This only happened a year after the new monster dungeon killed my grandfather. It has the power, but it wouldn¡¯t be that stupid¡­ unless¡­¡± The woman¡¯s words trailed off, causing Theo to feel an ache in his core.


    On the other side of the hall, the last remains of the carpet hardened, forming a blood red hammer of the size that could destroy houses with one blow. The revenant grabbed the weapon, then took a step forward.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk once this is over.¡± Liandra charged forward.


    The blood hammer swung down in an attempt to hit her, slamming against the marble floor. The attack was far too slow for the heroine, who swerved to the side then, using the momentum of her motion, swung her double-handed sword one full rotation around her before striking the revenant in the neck. Crimson vapor hissed through the wound, melting away at contact with a legendary weapon. Sadly, the wound was far too shallow to cause any serious damage.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°You three.¡± The avatar looked up. ¡°I hope you¡¯re taking notes. That¡¯s what you should be doing in the future.¡±


    The truth was that Theo needed some time to think over a few possibilities. The worries he had just moments ago had vanished, replaced by a far greater concern: what if it really was a dungeon that had lured his avatar here? Spok had explained the abominations were willing to capture and corrupt people and dungeons alike. What if this one had succeeded? A lone estate close to a town was just the place that Theo would have picked to hide if he could redo his choice. The curses, the skeleton minions, the modifiable quality of the walls and carpets¡ªit all pointed to the same thing.


    A short distance away, Liandra and the blood-coated skeleton continued to exchange blows. The revenant seemed to have accumulated a number of scars, but neither of the opponents appeared to be slowing down.


    On the other hand, maybe this wasn¡¯t so bad. If this were a dungeon, that meant that its core would contain a lot of core points and maybe something else.


    ¡°Spok,¡± the dungeon asked in its main body. ¡°What happens if I consume a dungeon core that has consumed a mana gem?¡±


    ¡°The same as if you would have consumed a dungeon core and a mana gem separately, sir,¡± the spirit guide replied. ¡°Nothing is lost in the process of consumption. Well, unless you persist on spending core points for spells.¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to be getting my permits?¡± Theo changed the topic. Internally, he was rather pleased. This could well turn out to be a rather beneficial quest, just as he had initially planned.


    Making his way forward, the avatar cast an ice spell, only this time it wasn¡¯t to launch an attack, but to create an object¡ªa shield to be specific. Theo had put in the effort to make it large to the point that it could almost cover his entire body.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to act as a shield-bearer?¡± Amelia asked from above.


    ¡°Adventuring is a complex thing,¡± the baron said, moving closer and closer to the point of combat. ¡°Sometimes the best thing to do is assist.¡±


    He was less than ten feet away now, carefully following the pattern of blows. In the intensity of battle, neither Liandra nor the revenant paid him any special attention, as if the massive ice shield had rendered him invisible. Then, Theo did what any person with a new skill would¡ªtry it out.


    Spinning the shield around him, as if protecting himself from a torrent of invisible arrows, the avatar threw it straight at the entity. The action was so absurd that both Liandra and the revenant seemed to stop in an effort to see what would happen.


    The skeletal amalgamation¡¯s body had the strength to withstand heroic swords. There was nothing an ice shield could accomplish, let alone a blunt piece of ice.


    The moment the shield got to a foot from the revenant¡¯s torso, its speed increased. The impact was such that it shattered in the red skeleton¡¯s chest. Time seemed to freeze. For several seconds, everyone remained still, evaluating what had happened.


    ¡°Well¡ª¡± The baron knelt down. ¡°¡ªthat was anticlimactic.¡±


    The next second, a row of towers emerged from the floor, all expanding in the direction of the revenant. One after the other, they slammed into its chest, disintegrating in the process. Each tower pushed the sword stuck in the monster slightly further until the last slammed it all the way up to the hilt.


    Initially, nothing seemed to happen. The only thing different was the dust that filled the air after the series of tower attacks. Then a crack formed on the polished red surface. Like a crack on porcelain it quickly grew, spreading and splitting on and on until the entire upper torso of the monster was covered with it. Then the revenant shattered. The entire chest area burst open, spilling dozens of smaller skeleton bones. The arms and legs followed, converting back to the components that created them. What had once been a fierce warrior was now nothing more than a loose pile of bones on the marble floor.


    CORE CONSUMPTION


    1 Skeletal Revenant core converted into 2000 Avatar Core Points


    That was a far higher amount than the dungeon expected, but undoubtedly deserved. Calmly, he moved his avatar to the pile of bones, from which he pulled out the legendary sword and put it back into his dimensional ring.


    ¡°You never change, do you?¡± Liandra shook her head as she put her own weapon away. ¡°If I had known you¡¯d be here, I¡¯d have saved myself the trouble.¡± She laughed.


    Meanwhile, the remaining adventurers decided to make their presence known. Amelia was the first who acted, shattering the aether bubble from the inside. The task was easy now that it was no longer indestructible, letting the woman land on the ground. Ulf and Avid followed. A loud coo marked that they weren¡¯t the only ones.


    Octavian had taken advantage of the opening created by Liandra to fly in from the roof, landing majestically in the center of the hall, much to Avid¡¯s delight and Theo¡¯s annoyance.


    ¡°Lady Liandra!¡± Amelia shouted, rushing towards the heroine.


    ¡°Amelia?¡± The woman blinked as if only noticing them now. ¡°Avid? Why are they here?¡±


    ¡°Long story,¡± the avatar grumbled.


    ¡°The baron is teaching us how to be proper adventurers.¡± The duke¡¯s daughter beamed.


    ¡°Proper adventurers¡­¡± Liandra repeated, giving the baron a skeptical glance.


    ¡°As I said, it¡¯s a long story.¡± He turned away. ¡°For the moment, we¡¯d best make sure there are no further threats about, cursed or other.¡±


    That quickly put an end to the conversation. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t put an end to the heroine¡¯s curiosity. While checking for traps and curses, she kept on pestering the avatar until he told her the entire story. Naturally, certain things were omitted while others¡ªexaggerated. The dungeon¡¯s condition, which had set him off on this quest, was completely ignored along with most events during the brigand¡¯s noble quest.


    ¡°For someone who claims to want to be left alone, you certainly like your town a lot,¡± Liandra noted.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a random sequence of events,¡± the avatar replied.


    ¡°To lead a bunch of kids here on their first adventure is definitely something. Most don¡¯t survive an encounter with a revenant of this strength, and that was only a foot soldier.¡±


    ¡°You think there¡¯ll be more of them?¡±


    ¡°Oh, definitely. If we¡¯re lucky, they won¡¯t be named. They won¡¯t be our greatest issue, though.¡±


    ¡°Taking it down wasn¡¯t that hard.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not for you. Can you see any of them doing it?¡±


    The avatar shook his head. There wasn¡¯t a world in which this trio would be capable of such a thing.


    ¡°And those are just the minions. The real evil will be far worse.¡±


    ¡°Hey, we took down Lord Mandrake.¡±


    ¡°That was just a gnome under the influence of a demon lord heart.¡± Liandra frowned. ¡°Smart¡ªyes. Annoying¡ªdefinitely. Yet, even with all its contraptions, it couldn¡¯t hold a candle to real evil.¡± She glanced about, making sure that none of the adventurers were near. ¡°The abomination we¡¯re dealing with has serious magic. The entire estate is covered with curses. You can¡¯t step here without risking exposure. The mist, the gate, the outer shell. Other than you, only a hero would be able to go through.¡±


    The more she explained, the more Theo was convinced they were dealing with a high-level dungeon. If that were the case, he couldn¡¯t have been luckier. Having a hero and three adventurers was ideal when facing such an opponent. All he had to do was leave them to be the focus of attention, while sneaking off and snatching the dungeon¡¯s core; before any of them died, of course.


    ¡°Do you have any hero scrolls?¡± he asked all of a sudden.


    ¡°Ermm¡­¡± Liandra paused. ¡°Yes?¡± she said hesitantly.


    ¡°Give me one.¡± The avatar demanded. ¡°In case things go downhill, I¡¯ll let a close friend know and¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll bring someone else here?¡± The woman cut him short. ¡°You¡¯ll only be doing the abomination a favor. Its whole point is sending lure letters everywhere.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Deep inside, Theo felt slightly stupid.


    ¡°Besides, I only have one. After last time, the guild reduced my scroll privileges. They claimed I was using too many of them.¡±


    Just one hero scroll? Theo slammed a few doors in his main building. And just when he thought things were looking up for him. There was no way she¡¯d let him have it without questions. Either he¡¯d have to use his sleight-of-hand ability to steal it or come up with a plausible explanation why he needed it so urgently.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡± Avid approached. ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not now!¡± Theo¡¯s avatar snapped.


    ¡°But I¡ª¡±


    ¡°This really isn¡¯t the best time, Avid,¡± Liandra said in a far politer tone. ¡°We¡¯re discussing¡ª¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no one here.¡± The young adventurer finally finished what he had come to tell them.


    ¡°Well, what do you expect?¡± The avatar turned around, crossing his hands. ¡°We destroyed the skeleton and the carpet. Are you complaining you¡¯ve been having it too easy?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ no.¡± Avid wasn¡¯t certain what to do. He felt like he had fallen into a verbal trap there was no escape from. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m not complaining, but if you just killed a powerful minion and destroyed a cursed carpet, why hasn¡¯t the owner of the castle reacted?¡±


    Theo raised a finger. Unfortunately, just as his mouth opened, he realized that the boy was right. It had been a while since they had destroyed the revenant, and even longer since they had broken into the castle, and yet the abomination had done nothing. There were no reinforcements, no grand appearance or maniacal speeches, just silence, as if the owner didn¡¯t even care. Liandra probably thought the same, for she looked around.


    ¡°There don¡¯t seem to be any doors or side corridors,¡± she said. ¡°The only way is up the stairs.¡±


    Another curious development¡ªone that only a dungeon would notice¡ªwas that the damage of the hall had greatly diminished since minutes ago. There were still several large holes in the walls, and part of the marble floor remained covered in cracks, but they were half the size of what they used to be. Even now, Theo could see them shrinking away just slowly enough so as not to be noticed. Even the hole in the ceiling was half its original size. Half an hour more and there would be no indication it had ever existed in the first place.


    ¡°Ulf, Amelia.¡± The avatar cracked his fingers. ¡°It¡¯s time to head up.¡±


    A distance away, the griffin flapped its wings.


    ¡°You, too,¡± Theo gave in. ¡°Just don¡¯t touch anything I haven¡¯t cleared.¡±


    Leading the group, the avatar cautiously approached the base of the staircase. Going by everything so far, if there were any curses they would be on the first few steps. That proved to be wrong. It was the fifth step that had the welcoming trap.


    LOOSE STEP Level 5


    A death curse that causes the first person stepping on the step to trip and break his neck.


    Depending on the strength and nature of the person, it¡¯s possible that the victim breaks his spine, leg, or other body part.


    The curse does not affect women and is immediately dissolved once triggered.


    ¡°I knew it,¡± the avatar muttered to himself.


    There was no way he¡¯d trigger the curse himself. Instead, he merely cast a minor blessing on the step. The target of the blessing was far too large for the effect to take hold, but that had never stopped Theo before. With enough persistence, he kept on blessing the step over and over again, hundreds of times in succession until the skill finally surrendered.


    MINOR BLESS - ULTRA


    Allows you to bless a ten-inch area on any item or surface.


    ¡°Is there a reason we¡¯ve stopped?¡± Liandra asked diplomatically, oblivious of what was going on.


    ¡°Just a moment.¡± Theo put in a lot of effort not to hiss, then used his new skill.


    CURSE BROKEN


    You have blessed the Loose Step, breaking its curse.


    The curse is no longer in effect.


    1000 Avatar Core Points obtained.


    A loud crackling sound followed, after which the entire step tilted down.


    ¡°Now we continue.¡± The avatar glanced over his shoulder.


    Before he could take a step, a small silver tray appeared on the step above. Completely uncursed, the tray was flawless made of pure silver, with rose motifs etched all over its edges. A single small scroll lay in the middle of it, wrapped in a crimson ribbon. To Theo¡¯s astonishment, that wasn¡¯t cursed, either.


    ¡°Careful, Baron,¡± Ulf said, peeking from behind. ¡°It might be a trap.¡±


    Ignoring him, the avatar took the scroll, slid it out of the ribbon, and unrolled it.


    ¡°What does it say?¡± Amelia took a step closer, attempting to peak over the baron¡¯s shoulder.


    Theo could barely believe it. Slowly, he placed it on the tray, then continued forward.


    Incapable of leaving things as they were, Liandra grabbed the piece of paper.


    ¡°Bill for damages,¡± she read out loud. ¡°One ruined gate, twenty destroyed statues, one ruined carpet, a broken chandelier, and one retired servant. Total¡ªa hero¡¯s soul.¡±


    The three adventurers looked at each other, then at Liandra.


    ¡°That¡¯s not all,¡± the avatar said as he continued climbing the stairs.


    The heroine unrolled the end of the paper. It had one more line written in red ink.


    ¡°It¡¯s customary to leave a tip of three adventurer souls¡­¡± she added.

 (Book 2) 14. Snobs and Spiders

    Three adventurer souls, Theo kept thinking as the group made their way up the staircase. Despite the seriousness of the situation, or maybe just because of it, he couldn¡¯t get the thought out of his mind. Was a hero¡¯s soul worth ten adventurer souls? If that was the accepted conversion, the owner of the castle was demanding a thirty percent tip. That was way too much, regardless of the actual cost of damages. On the other hand, if a hero soul was worth a hundred adventurer souls, the initial price was ludicrously high for a simple run and a few knick-knacks. Theo himself could recreate it for a fraction of the cost.


    ¡°You¡¯re unusually quiet,¡± Liandra whispered as they continued along a wide hallway towards a large double door. Its wood was covered in cracks that showed through the aging polish. A frame of oxidized metal gave the impression that the castle hadn¡¯t been maintained for decades. In all reality, this was probably due to one of the many curses the abomination had scattered over all of its material possessions.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about something,¡± the avatar replied. ¡°How much is a hero¡¯s soul worth, exactly?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Liandra pulled away slightly.


    ¡°The note said that it would take a hero¡¯s soul to cover the damages.¡±


    ¡°How much is a demon¡¯s heart worth?¡± the heroine countered. ¡°It depends on the hero. I¡¯d say my soul would be enough to raise a dungeon by a few levels.¡±


    That was not at all how dungeon advancement worked, but Theo made sure to nod with his avatar. Seen from a hero¡¯s perspective, he would assume that it was the equivalent of several thousand core points. Since it was likely she took level increases in the mid to high-level range, it was more appropriate to consider her soul between ten and fifty thousand.


    The baron glanced over his shoulder. If his calculation was correct, that suggested that each of the three adventurers were worth between a few goblins and a skeletal minion.


    ¡°Spok,¡± the dungeon said throughout his main body.


    Unfortunately, the spirit guide chose not to respond. She had a rather good excuse too, doing exactly what Theo had requested. In this case, she was having a long conversation with the town¡¯s tax collector as they were going through the needlessly complicated process of obtaining an out-of-town workshop permit. Unable to enter the tax collector¡¯s premises due to her limitations as a spirit guide, Spok had asked that they go over it outside. Since she had brought a rather large and expensive-looking bottle of brandy, the tax collector had quickly agreed.


    ¡°Finish what you¡¯re doing, then let me know,¡± Theo grumbled as he created a cluster of floating eyeballs to accompany Cmyk on his way to Switches¡¯ workshop.


    The sound of flapping wings filled the air as Octavian flew past the group, then made a semi-circle and flew past them again. The large width of the hall combined with the high ceilings let the creature stretch its wings. For a split second, Theo could almost swear that the massive ruby chandeliers slightly tilted away, preventing the griffin from brushing them with its feathers.


    ¡°Stop!¡± the avatar and Liandra said almost simultaneously.


    Each looked at the other, while Ulf, Amelia, and Avid kept switching their attention between the two.


    ¡°You first,¡± the avatar offered with a polite smile.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Liandra smiled back, acknowledging the momentary awkwardness. ¡°The final two columns are bone golems. They¡¯ll attack once we get near.¡±


    Of course it would be the columns. Internally, the dungeon cursed himself for not casting an identify on those. He had taken special care to identify everything along their path, along with every flowerpot, painting, and statue in sight. And still, he had completely ignored the columns, considering them part of the walls.


    Just to be certain, he did that now, checking every column in sight.


    ENHANCED BONE SERPENT (Dormant)


    A bone golem that has the form of a large serpent. Created of hundreds of skeletons, this creature has the ability to condense, filling in all gaps within its body, becoming nearly indestructible.


    That was an interesting ability. Any normal person would have sworn that the final set of columns were just that¡ªfinely polished columns made of white marble. Quite a useful anti-intruder protection, although as it had been demonstrated, it didn¡¯t work on heroes and people with sophisticated identify abilities.


    ¡°What were you about to say?¡± Liandra asked.


    ¡°Oh, the doors are another death gate,¡± the avatar replied and cleared his throat. ¡°No one¡¯s to approach them until I break the curse.¡±


    ¡°We make quite the good pair.¡± Liandra took hold of her two-handed sword. ¡°My guess is that the golems will attack the moment you open the door. I¡¯ll take care of the right one. Can you three manage to handle the other?¡±


    The question made both Theo and his avatar shiver.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that,¡± he quickly said. ¡°I¡¯ll handle it.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate what you¡¯re doing, but they have to start learning at some point. You can¡¯t keep coddling them forever.¡±


    There was nothing worse than using someone¡¯s words against him. Liandra couldn¡¯t have made a better argument if she had tried. For Theo to argue against it would either mean that he didn¡¯t consider the trio particularly capable¡ªwhich in all honesty he didn¡¯t¡ªor the tirade that he had made back in Rosewind was nothing but a pack of lies made up on the spot¡ªwhich it was. The issue was that he couldn¡¯t openly admit to either.


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re sure about it¡­¡± He looked at the trio. Each of them had already drawn their weapons, which was their way of saying that they were ready for the challenge. ¡°Fine,¡± the baron sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll break the curse and you¡¯ll deal with the rest.¡±


    After all, it wasn''t such a big deal. The core points of the two snakes were probably a thousand points in total. The way things were going, there¡¯d be plenty of other strong minions further on, not to mention he¡¯d get at least a thousand points from breaking the curse itself.


    Approaching the door with the attitude of a pensioner going to check his mailbox, the avatar placed his hand on the double door and used his minor open ability.


    CURSE BROKEN


    You have opened the Death Gate, breaking its curse.


    The curse is no longer in effect.


    1000 Avatar Core Points obtained.


    AVATAR LEVEL INCREASE


    Your Avatar has become Level 22


    +1 MIND, EAVESDROP skill obtained


    4500 Core Points required for next Avatar Level


    ¡°Here we go again,¡± the dungeon¡¯s main body sighed.


    EAVESDROP - 1


    Spend 10 energy to hear whispered conversations within 30 feet for 1 minute. Additional energy will increase the duration of the ability.


    Using the skill increases its rank, making it more effective at greater distances.


    ¡°Alright.¡± The avatar started turning around. ¡°It¡¯s cle¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish, the columns on each side coiled, transforming in a vast bone serpent and flew at him like whips.


    No one had any time to react. Merely watch as each of the two massive heads opened their mouths, ready to sink their teeth into the baron¡¯s sides. The creatures were so large that they could swallow a pony without half trying. Before they could bite onto the baron, the avatar¡¯s hands moved like lightning and came in contact with the snakes¡¯ upper jaws. An instant later, both creatures burst into bones that covered the floor.


    CORE CONSUMPTION


    2 Enhanced Bone Serpent cores converted into 2000 Avatar Core Points


    Incapable of speech and movement, the rest of the group¡ªOctavian included¡ªkept on staring at the avatar. The more their minds tried to come to a reasonable conclusion, the more they failed. By all accounts, it was the baron that was supposed to be torn limb from limb. It wasn¡¯t that any of them were disappointed¡ªthey were relieved that the baron had survived¡ªyet were still having trouble believing their eyes.


    ¡°What?¡± the avatar asked, seeing everyone¡¯s glances. While Liandra had managed to maintain a calm exterior, the three adventurers were all but gaping at him. ¡°Not my fault you were too slow.¡± In his mind, he was worried that they might be annoyed at him stealing the core points.


    ¡°Seems you didn¡¯t need any help.¡± The heroine nodded, taking his comment for creative criticism. ¡°I¡¯ll be better next time.¡±


    ¡°How did you do that?¡± Amelia voiced the question on everyone¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Minor blessing,¡± the avatar replied. ¡°I thought it would just hurt them, but when I blessed their heads, they just fell apart. Seems you can¡¯t get good minions these days.¡±


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    The comment was a bit too dungeon-like, though thankfully passed unnoticed. While Ulf, Avid, and Amelia were still dazzled by the performance, Liandra had other concerns.


    ¡°Everyone, pep up,¡± she said. ¡°Set up all spells, amulets, and enchantments.¡± Gripping the hilt of her sword with both hands, she slowly approached the double door.


    ¡°You¡¯re worried they¡¯ll come back to life?¡± Amelia looked at the nearest bone fragment, looking for signs of motion.


    ¡°If all this was set up to guard the door, what do you think might lie beyond?¡± the heroine asked.


    The point was well made. It was standard practice to have the stronger protections closer to the dungeon core. Of course, no dungeon would keep its core so high above ground. Likely, this was one of the boss¡¯ chambers where they¡¯d face a stronger version of the skeletal amalgamation. If Spok weren¡¯t wasting time with Rosewind¡¯s tax collector, Theo would have asked the chances of coming across a bone dragon and, more importantly, the best way to defeat it. Something told him that it was unlikely a minor blessing would do the trick.


    The griffin slid its claws along the floor like a cat sharpening its claws. All three adventurers held their weapons, mentally preparing for the fight of their lives.


    ¡°Take down the door,¡± Liandra whispered. ¡°I¡¯ll kill anything that charges.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯ll freeze and burn anything that doesn¡¯t,¡± the avatar replied.


    Extending his hand forward, the baron cast several instances of swiftness on himself, then created a large fireball and threw it straight at the pair of doors. With no curse to maintain them, both surrendered to the fiery explosion toppling into the other room with a slam. Everyone tensed up, expecting an infinite number of monsters and skeletons to pour out. Even the dungeon was contemplating resorting to his legendary sword again when the sound of festive music filled the hall.


    ¡°Presenting the esteemed Baron d''Argent and his plus one, the first-class heroine Liandra Sky!¡± the deep voice of a steward announced. That was the least weird thing.


    Beyond the opening where the door used to be, lay a vast ballroom full of dancing couples. All the ladies were dressed in long gowns and dresses in various shades of red, while the gentlemen had a more black and blue attire in tune with the general noble fashion.


    The first thought that came to mind was that all this had to be an illusion. There was no way people would be still alive, let alone dancing in this decaying castle.


    ¡°They¡¯re human,¡± Liandra noted, still holding her sword. ¡°And alive.¡±


    Given the crimson and white semi-masques everyone was wearing, it was difficult to tell, but Theo trusted the skills of his companion.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± Ulf whispered from behind.


    ¡°The only thing we could do,¡± the avatar replied. ¡°We accept the invitation.¡±


    Naturally, he inspected everything in the nearby vicinity. At first glance, everything seemed alright. The carpet, although bright crimson, was perfectly normal. There were no ominous statues, cargoes, or skeletons about¡­ although judging by the look of some of the nobles, it was difficult to be a hundred percent certain.


    ¡°Would you like a mask, sir?¡± The steward approached, holding a silver tray with three equally disturbing masques.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m perfectly fine,¡± the dungeon refused.


    Liandra did the same, though in her case one hard glance was all it took for the little man in the red vest and obviously fake wig to rush to the door.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± the avatar asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a spell,¡± she said. ¡°Doesn¡¯t look normal, either. It might be¡ª¡±


    ¡°Announcing Lady Amelia Goton, Lord Avid Rosewind, and Ulfang von Gregor,¡± the steward shouted five steps from the avatar¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Hey!¡± the baron twisted around, still affected by the swiftness. ¡°You do that one more time and there¡¯ll be issues!¡±


    As threats went, it wasn¡¯t the best, but apparently enough for the steward to scuttle away. That was a good sign¡ªit suggested that the man was very much human.


    Meanwhile, the trio of adventurers slowly entered the ballroom. Being the weakest of the group, they were more suspicious about everything. It didn¡¯t help that, other than the steward, no one seemed to react to anything so far. The orchestra on the far side of the room kept on playing and the people kept on dancing.


    ¡°Baron,¡± Amelia whispered as she moved closer. ¡°What are we supposed to do?¡±


    ¡°Stay close, don¡¯t try any food, and don¡¯t get in trouble,¡± he said, busy casting arcane identify on anything that moved.


    Avellian Franz (cursed)


    Avellian Franz is a high-level adventurer, most famous for killing the minor demon Hert.


    Somewhat alarmed, the avatar cast his arcane identify again.


    Mirym Bool (cursed)


    Mirym Bool is a rebound thief that rose to prominence in the Hook Claw gang, before going solo.


    Septebrus Illigh (cursed)


    Septebrus Illigh is mercenary and former shield-bearer who assisted in the killing of four low-level dungeons and a demon.


    While Theo¡¯s three adventurer companions slowly made their way towards the nearest wall, moving out of the way of the eternally dancing pairs of people, the dungeon had made several startling discoveries. For one thing, everyone in the room appeared to be cursed. For another¡­


    ¡°They¡¯re all adventurers,¡± he said to Liandra. ¡°In one way or another.¡±


    ¡°All of them?¡± She looked about. ¡°How can you tell?¡±


    ¡°There are a few thieves, and a¡­¡± He paused for a few seconds. ¡°A mage-bard, but yes, all of them are adventurer-adjacent at the very least. Also, they¡¯re all cursed.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s obvious.¡±


    ¡°Nothing else in the room is cursed, as far as I can tell.¡±


    ¡°You really are good at this.¡±


    There was no reason for Theo to feel pride in hearing that. He was a dungeon after all, with a heroic trait, a unique spirit guide, not to mention his main body included more than half the town of Rosewind. Yet, he still did, causing several of the buildings to let out a creak of content.


    ¡°There¡¯s something else.¡± Liandra moved closer. ¡°Have you noticed that there aren¡¯t any servants in the room?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s obvious,¡± the avatar lied. While seeing curses, he had completely missed that detail.


    ¡°Then who fixed the door we came through?¡±


    The avatar briskly turned around. There was no denying it¡ªthe massive double doors were there in very much perfect condition. The frames and door hinges were a bright gold, unlike the cold grey color they held outside. Even the wood was a warm reddish-brown, almost as if it had been painted.


    ¡°Ah, I say.¡± A chubby, bald man in a golden monocle stopped dancing, as if noticing Liandra and the baron for the very first time. ¡°You must be the new guests.¡± He glanced in the direction of the three adventurers, who were visibly on edge. If there was an image a person could get when hearing the phrase ¡°walking on eggshells¡±, that was undoubtedly them. ¡°By Fern, there¡¯s a lot of you, isn¡¯t there?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not be rude, dear.¡± The thin woman with whom the man had been dancing with, hushed him. ¡°I¡¯m sure they have been through a lot already.¡±


    ¡°I was just making a note that they¡¯re a larger group that we¡¯re used to,¡± the man said with a single note of annoyance in his voice. ¡°I had no intention of insulting them. Right?¡± He turned to the avatar.


    Theo started the process of explaining that they didn¡¯t feel insulted in the least, yet never got a chance to finish.


    ¡°See?¡± the man with the monocle continued barely a moment after the avatar had opened its mouth. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, did you arrive by letter or happened to stumble upon my estate?¡±


    ¡°Your estate?¡± This time, the avatar managed to complete a few words.


    ¡°Why, yes. I¡¯m Marquis Leevek, owner of this estate.¡± The man puffed up before getting a tap on the shoulder from his woman¡¯s fan. ¡°Well, former owner. And this is my charming wife, Lady Raffel Leevek.¡±


    ¡°Charmed, I¡¯m sure¡± The woman smiled, extending her free hand towards the avatar.


    Normally, Theo was beyond things such as etiquette, especially since it, at best, had limited use. However, given the circumstances, he gently kissed the woman¡¯s hand. The large ruby ring she was wearing flashed, at which point he felt a surge of energy in his main body.


    ¡°Baron d¡¯Argent.¡± Theo remained in character, although he was definitely not doing that again.


    ¡°You¡¯re a baron?¡± The woman quickly covered the lower part of her face with her fan. ¡°Marvelous. I thought¡­¡± she moved closer ¡°¡­that you were merely a common adventurer.¡±


    Based on her intonation, it was safe to assume that she didn¡¯t exactly approve.


    ¡°And you, my dear?¡± The marquis addressed Liandra. ¡°You must be a heroine, if I¡¯m not mistaken?¡±


    ¡°First class.¡± The woman wasn¡¯t taking any crap. Also, she clearly didn¡¯t trust anyone she hadn¡¯t entered the room with.


    ¡°My, my. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be the envy of the ball. Being the first hero here is definitely a monumental occasion. As the saying goes, people always remember the first. The first kiss, the first drink, the first¡ª¡±


    ¡°Please be civil, dear,¡± Lady Raffel interrupted. ¡°Give our new guests a chance to take their breath while they can.¡±


    Out of pettiness, rather than curiosity, Theo cast an arcane identify on each of the nobles.


    Sarina Teug (cursed)


    Sarina Teug is an aspiring adventurer who made a name for herself by single-handedly defeating the tyrant dungeon Vezel-y-Kaltt.


    Mark Lemming (cursed)


    Mark Lemming is a retired adventurer who had slain fourteen minor demons and five dungeons during his active years.


    Theo knew from experience that mistakes were abundant no matter the universe he found himself in. The reason that he was here was nothing more than a vast chain of mistakes starting from him stepping into an elevator shaft back in his previous life. This, though, was far from a mistake. It would be simple to explain it away as a lie coming from a pair of cursed adventurers who¡¯d spent goodness knows how long dancing. Still, that wouldn¡¯t explain what had attempted to sap his strength.


    Feeling intrigued by the puzzle, the avatar cast an identify on the woman¡¯s ruby ring.


    Lady Raffel Leevek (cursed)


    Lady Raffel Leevek is a minor noble of no importance who has been cursed to take on the form of a ruby ring.


    The discovery was mildly disturbing, but just to make sure, Theo checked the marquis¡¯ monocle.


    Marquis Sullivan Leevek (cursed)


    Marquis Sullivan Leevek is a minor noble of no importance who has been cursed to take on the form of a golden monocle.


    Cautiously, the baron looked around. This time he could clearly see it: everyone dancing in the ballroom was wearing a uniquely remarkable item, including the orchestra. The only exceptions to the rule were the so-called Marquis and Lady Leevek, Liandra, Theo, and the three adventurers.


    ¡°I am available, sir,¡± Spok said back in the dungeon¡¯s main body. ¡°What seems to be the issue?¡±


    ¡°Out of curiosity, what types of abominations are there?¡± The floors of the baron¡¯s mansion creaked.


    ¡°Depending on the point of view, there could be one of an infinite number of types. Each abomination is unique and they are always focused around a concept.¡± The spirit guide placed the workshop permit she had procured on the guest room table, then magicked a suitable frame to put it in. ¡°Other than that, they could take any form and have their own particular powers, but it all revolves around a¡­¡± Her words trailed off. ¡°Sir, did you come across an abomination?¡±


    ¡°How do I kill one?¡±


    ¡°Other than relying on the heroic trait of your avatar, I¡¯m not sure, sir.¡±


    What else is new? Theo grumbled to himself. It wasn¡¯t the first time an evil force had hypnotized a large group of people to do something. Of course, Lord Mandrake had used them to create himself an army. Here, the abomination was just¡­ cursing the original inhabitants of the castle into items so they would curse all the adventurers lured here into dancing?


    Thinking it through, it sounded rather stupid; too stupid to be true.


    ¡°Is everything alright, Baron?¡± the marquis asked.


    ¡°Oh? Yes, I just noticed that everyone is wearing masks.¡± Everyone except you two.


    The avatar cast another identify.


    BLOOD SPIDER (abomination¡¯s minion)


    A creature created entirely out of blood and emotion, capable of cursing targets and sapping the blood out of them.


    The spider uses fine strands of liquid to create a massive web with which it controls its targets.


    While the spider itself isn¡¯t strong, it uses everyone under its control to fight for it.


    The mask wasn¡¯t at all what Theo expected it would be. The realization made him inadvertently look up. The ceiling was covered with massive blood red chandeliers¡ªlots of places a blood spider might hide, if it wasn¡¯t actually one of them.


    ¡°Oh, dear,¡± Lady Raffel said in a sad tone. ¡°We so much hoped you wouldn¡¯t notice. You would have been so much happier joining the everlasting dance. Now¡ª¡± Everyone in the ballroom froze mid-action. Ten-inch claws of blood grew from the woman¡¯s fingers, as sharp as daggers. ¡°¡ªyou¡¯ll have to become part of the decoration.¡±

 (Book 2) 15. Switches Wonderful Day

    Switches was having a marvelous day. One could say that ever since he had stumbled upon the dungeon for the second time, he¡¯d been having nothing but a series of fortunate events, one after the other. The initial meeting might have been slightly on the rough side. The gnome had originally thought that he¡¯d be joining the avatar¡¯s group on their way back to Rosewind. The explosion had been somewhat uncalled for, but as the saying went, ¡°every explosion is the start of a new discovery.¡±


    As it turned out, getting away from the dreaded swamp was just the change of perspective a gnome needed to get the creative juices flowing. And flow they did. There was one thing that Switches knew from past experience¡ªno matter the circumstances, every interaction between a dungeon and a gnome was an audition. In the case of the gnome¡¯s previous dungeon, the audition had gone rather poorly. When Switches had gone there, seeking to pay off his accumulated debt and make a few personal discoveries in the process, Switches had been na?ve enough to think that blueprints would be enough to dazzle him into a high position. Ultimately, the dungeon had hired him, in a manner of speaking, but neither the position nor the conditions were anything as advertised. Thus, the first thing that had come to mind after the encounter with Theo, was that he had to try harder and prove his worth to the dungeon.


    A plan of action had quickly been defined, composed of three easily achievable points: find the dungeon¡¯s main body, get there, and do so in a way that presented Switches¡¯ skills in the best light possible. Since it was safe to say that the gnome had displayed his ability to make goblin gliders, mechanized suits of armor, and giant destructive dirigibles, something else had to be shown.


    The Eureka moment had come moments later in the form of a crow covered in swamp muck. Looking at the creature¡ªbefore eating it¡ªSwitches barely recognized it as a crow. Initially, he thought it an exotic species of winged swamp-rat or something. Then it dawned on him. For a dungeon extravagant enough to hide in a fully inhabited town, disguise was the greatest asset an employee would have. And so, the construction of disguises began.


    There was no way Switches could say that the audition had been easy. Theodor clearly had very high standards and enough moral fiber not to allow exceptions, even when it came to friends. Half the other dungeons would have welcomed Switches on the first attempt, or possibly the second, but Theodor hadn¡¯t been one for shortcuts, always pushing Switches to do better.


    After the failure of the peddler, knight, and farmer outfits, it was clear that nothing less than a masterpiece would do, and so one was made. Putting all his ingenuity and skills into one creation, Switches had created a mechanical carriage, complete with a set of mechanical horses.


    In his mind, the gnome was certain that this would earn him the job. As it turned out, it had only earned him a lengthier interview. Some good points had been made, valuable feedback offered, at the end of which the dungeon had politely told Switches that he still didn¡¯t meet the criteria for hiring.


    At that point, most gnomes would have been discouraged, though not Switches. He had seen the refusal as what it was: a desire for perfection. The notion had been so simple that Switches had almost missed it. Theodor wasn¡¯t one to be swayed with fancy gadgets or devices. What the dungeon really wanted was someone who could think on their feet, someone who could pick up subtle hints, quickly identify problems, then act on them in a focused way without getting bogged down with overcomplicated solutions. And sure enough, after the next interview, the gnome was hired.


    ¡°Switches!¡± a child yelled from outside. ¡°Dad¡¯s scythe broke again. Can you make a new one?¡±


    ¡°No problem!¡± the gnome shouted back, already rushing to a stack of metal chunks. ¡°Did you tell him I can make him a set of armor that will automatically cut hay for him?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± the child replied from outside. ¡°He said he needs the practice.¡±


    Given that the person in question had broken several metal alloy scythes of increasing strength, he didn¡¯t sound like someone who needed practice. Even so, he insisted on doing things the ¡°natural way.¡± That didn¡¯t bother Switches in the least. The place that the dungeon had designated to be his workshop was a perfect start. In his mind, the gnome was convinced he had been given a trial period. Theodor probably wanted to see how he¡¯d manage in modest conditions near a smaller inhabited area. Only after the trial period was over would a real lab be constructed within Rosewind itself.


    While the gnome selected several sheets of alloy to slam together in his newly created aether hammer-press, a figure emerged from the shadows in the workshop.


    ¡°Gnome,¡± a female voice whispered as the figure drew a knife from her dress. ¡°I want ten of this one.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you chose that sample?¡± The gnome glanced over his shoulder briefly, while still focusing on the head of the metal scythe he was supposed to make. ¡°Is that just for you?¡±


    ¡°My sister¡¯s still undecided.¡± The woman placed the knife on a nearby workbench. Her delicate features contrasted both with the simple village outfit she was wearing almost as much as it contrasted with the weapon.


    ¡°No problem. Just tell her to tell me when she makes her choice.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± The woman stepped back into the shadows. ¡°Your payment has already been taken care of,¡± she added. ¡°I¡¯ve spread parchments about your shop throughout the entire town.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Switches¡¯ ears perked up. This was ever better than expected! This way, there wouldn¡¯t be anyone who didn¡¯t know about the workshop. Naturally, Theo was the main and only target. What remained of greatest importance was for the dungeon to acknowledge the gnome¡¯s problem-solving skills and¡ª


    The massive door of the workshop opened with a slam. Given that it was five feet of solid metal, that was a rather impressive feat.


    ¡°Switches!¡± Theo shouted, as a floating eyeball darted inside. ¡°What¡¯s all this!¡±


    The gnome turned around, ready to shower his future employer in praise and thanks, but never got a chance.


    ¡°Cmyk!¡± the eyeball yelled, preventing any words from emerging from Switches¡¯ mouth. ¡°Show it!¡±


    The rather annoyed minion took a few steps in, reluctantly making its way up to the eyeball, then took out a scroll from his belt and unrolled it. In doing so, though, he inadvertently brushed against the eyeball, causing it to pop into nothingness.


    The gnome winced, then put on its goggle-glasses and took a closer look.


    ¡°Switches¡¯ Scientific Workshop,¡± the small creature read. ¡°It has a rather nice ring to it when you say it out loud.¡± He beamed.


    ¡°Nice ring, my ass!¡± Another eyeball floated in as the dungeon reverted to curses from his previous life. ¡°What braindead reason did you have for flooding town with those? I had to spend a stack of hay to buy a workshop permit.¡±


    ¡°You bought me a workshop permit?¡± Switches¡¯ eyes widened. Teardrops of joy attempted to trickle down, but were blocked by the goggles, filling up a small portion of the space. ¡°I¡¯m speechless.¡±


    According to Euclid¡¯s fifth postulate, parallel lines couldn¡¯t ever come into contact with one another. In this case, two lines of thought that had nothing in common did so quite well. Seeing the gnome¡¯s tears, Theo was convinced that the creature had finally taken the hint and was sorry for the mess up. On the other hand, Switches found the act of the dungeon buying a workshop license as proof that his efforts had been noticed. After all, why else would a dungeon waste time and effort on such a document?


    For several seconds, both of them¡ªalong with a marginally annoyed Cmyk¡ªremained silent and motionless, looking at each other.


    YOU FEEL DEVASTATING HUNGER!


    The annoying notification quickly caused Theo to break the silence.


    ¡°Also, do you have any idea where you are?¡± he asked.


    ¡°In my works¡ª I mean, your workshop?¡± Switches made a tentative guess.


    ¡°You turned the remains of a goblin carrier into your workshop?!¡±


    The inside of the airship had nothing in common with what Theo remembered. Many of the walls were gone, creating one vast space. Of course, that had been cluttered with lots of heavy equipment, tool racks, piles of questionable devices, and a blackboard ten times the gnome¡¯s size.


    ¡°Yes, and I¡¯m very thankful. Just a few minor changes here and there and look at this place now.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any idea what would happen if¡­¡± The eyeball floated closer. ¡°If the people figure out who you are?¡± it whispered.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. They¡¯ve completely forgotten about it.¡± Switches grinned, then went back to carrying the sheets of metal to the hammer-press. ¡°Lovely people, once I got to know them. A lot more cheerful than when they worked in the Mandrake mines.¡±


    ¡°I wonder why¡­¡± Theo grumbled.


    ¡°They have very high standards, mind you. I guess that¡¯s why you sent me here. First, I prove I could make useful tools for them, then¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hold on!¡± Half of the buildings in Rosewind spontaneously got a few degrees colder, as if a mysterious draft had spontaneously appeared then disappeared without a trace. ¡°You talked to some of the villagers?¡±


    ¡°Pfft! Of course not,¡± Switches said with pride.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    The answer made the dungeon let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°I personally spoke to all of them! Babies included!¡±


    The gnome¡¯s clarification, on the other hand, made Theo feel a lot worse.


    ¡°How would I attract customers otherwise?¡±


    There were a thousand things that Theo wanted to do to the gnome right now. Unfortunately, right now was possibly the only time he had to refrain from doing so. Gritting all his doors and windows, the dungeon took a deep breath, then moved the floating eyeball a bit closer.


    ¡°The mechanical golem,¡± Theo continued. ¡°The one you used to fight me back when you were¡­ Lord M.¡±


    ¡°Yeees?¡± Switches was unsure where this was going, so in good gnome tradition decided to agree.


    ¡°Can you make one?¡±


    ¡°Ah. No.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡±


    ¡°You need demon lord hearts for those, and I don¡¯t have any. Also, between you and me, it might be a bad idea. I¡¯m not saying that I¡¯ll get obsessed a second time, but why tempt fate?¡±


    ¡°You need¡­ What about another power source? I can¡ª¡± Theo quickly stopped. He could feel Spok¡¯s warning gaze on the inside of his walls. With all the energy his avatar was consuming, talk of giving out more would only be met with further sarcasm. ¡°¡ªbuy something else, potentially.¡±


    ¡°I can make a smaller one from a few magic trinkets.¡± The gnome scratched his ear. ¡°Won¡¯t be anything as massive, though. And might need some planning. When do you need it?¡±


    ¡°Yesterday,¡± the eyeball said just as Cmyk rolled up the scroll again in deliberately clumsy fashion, popping the eyeball.


    Meanwhile, the fight in the cursed ballroom continued in full swing.


    Former thieves and adventurers moved about like deadly marionettes, slashing, thrusting, and charging at everything in sight. The blood spider had used up a fraction of its blood to allow weapons to form in the hands of its living puppets, suddenly making them a lot more lethal. As for the marquis and his wife¡ªthey had gently floated up in the air, literally displaying that such rude antics were beneath them.


    ¡°Protect the kids,¡± the avatar said as he encased a rather plump former adventurer with a double-sided blood ax.


    ¡°Right.¡± Liandra slammed the broadside of her double sword through the latest wave of attackers, swatting them like flies. They¡¯d have some bruises and broken bones once they regained consciousness, but they would definitely be alive. ¡°Take care of yourself.¡± She leaped above a large portion of the crowd, landing near the spot where Avid, Amelia, and Ulf stood back-to-back, fending off all attacks.


    ¡°I must say, you¡¯re not terrible, Baron,¡± the marquis said from above. ¡°Maybe if you had joined us a few weeks earlier, you would have stood a chance.¡±


    Octavian let out a griffin screech, flying through the ballroom, fangs extended forward. Before the creature could halve the distance, threads of red shot out from the blood spider, creating a massive spider web. The bird flapped its wings in an attempt to change course. Sadly, it was too late, and the majestic beast slammed right into the sticky web, becoming trapped and far less majestic.


    ¡°Pesky, pesky.¡± The marquis tutted at the griffin. ¡°Magnificence is no excuse for poor behavior.¡±


    A new circle of ice formed round the avatar, imprisoning six more unfortunate souls. Swinging his sword, the avatar struck one of the minuscule threads going from a man¡¯s mask all the way up to the blood spider. Same as in all previous times, the resistance was significant, but now that both sides of the threads were firmly fixed in place, the blade managed to eventually slice through.


    There was a loud snap, at which point one of the ruby chandeliers trembled.


    Without hesitation, Theo cast a fireball, wrapped it in an aether bubble, and sent it flying in that direction. An explosion immediately followed, engulfing the chandelier in flames.


    Insect-like screeches rose slightly above the sounds of fighting as each of the chandelier¡¯s rubies scampered off, fleeing to another spot on the ceiling.


    ¡°Spok.¡± The dungeon shifted his focus to his main body. ¡°What exactly is a blood spider?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s just a blood spider, sir?¡± the spirit guardian asked with a note of reproach.


    ¡°How many blood spiders are there?¡± Theo snapped at her.


    ¡°Twenty-seven as of my creation,¡± Spok replied with an internal sigh. ¡°Assuming you¡¯ve encountered the basic type, a blood spider is a hive-mind swarm of insects made entirely out of the blood of their victims. While annoying and difficult to get rid of, especially in large structures, they are virtually harmless.¡±


    In the ballroom, a pair of large adventurers stood next to each other, creating a stepladder with their hands, which a dozen others used to jump off and propel themselves through the air to where Theo¡¯s trio were desperately defending themselves. The flying attackers were consistently swatted by Liandra, although as the numbers increased even she was having trouble.


    ¡°They don¡¯t appear harmless¡­¡±


    ¡°Unless you¡¯re a human and covered in them, you should be fine, sir,¡± Spok insisted. ¡°The poets describe them as a ¡®carpet of ladybirds¡¯ or ¡®red cockroaches¡¯ depending on the author¡¯s mood.¡±


    ¡°Is it normal for them to be crawling on ceilings?¡± the dungeon asked, adding as much sarcasm as he could.


    ¡°Any red cockroach can crawl on ceilings, sir,¡± the spirit guide added with a note of surprise.


    The more Theo thought about it, the more he felt sick. Dungeon or not, he had no intention of allowing such creepies within his rooms and corridors, or even on them, for that matter. The common Rosewind rats and insects were bad enough.


    ¡°So, the entire thing is a swarm?¡± he asked as cracks formed on the ice he had created. Apparently, just because they had been frozen solid didn¡¯t mean that the possessed adventurers were in no condition to fight. Throughout the ballroom, even those with broken limbs rose back up and quickly returned to the fight. ¡°Why is it called a spider, then?¡±


    ¡°Because that¡¯s the entity¡¯s first appearance,¡± Spok explained. ¡°They start as a small insect on the finger of a person, then grow larger and quickly multiply by sucking more and more of the victim¡¯s blood until they turn into a small swarm. In the case of several victims, the swarm could get slightly larger.¡±


    Thinking of all the ruby chandeliers so far, that was a bit of an understatement. Between all the people in the ballroom and the skeletons that they had to fight through to get here, there had to be hundreds. No wonder that every ceiling had multiple massive chandeliers made of rubies.


    A spear of blood formed in the hand of a petite semi-frozen woman, only for her to be refrozen solid by one of Theo¡¯s ice spells.


    ¡°Quite determined, aren¡¯t they?¡± Lady Raffel turned to her husband. ¡°We simply must keep them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, dear. We definitely shall. I¡¯ve long wanted to add a hero to our collection and now we have two. One of them¡¯s a noble, to boot.¡± He glanced down at Theo¡¯s avatar. ¡°Still hanging in there, Baron?¡± he asked in jest.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you get down here and find out?¡± The avatar launched a series of ice swords in the direction of the frozen pair. Same as with the griffin, a web of blood threads appeared out of nowhere, entangling the shards of ice mid-air.


    ¡°Such common things are beneath us.¡± The marquis waved a hand in disgust. ¡°And despite your splendid performance, you, sir, are merely a baron.¡±


    There was no reason for the comment to have upset Theo. It was absolutely groundless, plus as a dungeon, Theo had no reason to feel insulted. His main body was many times larger than the entire pitiful estate, not to mention that he was on a first name basis with a deity, had saved the world once, and had been a hair¡¯s width away from turning out to be the elves¡¯ chosen savior. Thus, he was not in the least affected by the base insult hired at him. At the same time, he felt a completely irrational and unconnected desire to crush both of the floating snobs.


    ¡°Maybe if you were a count, we¡¯d recon¡ª¡±


    A combination of fire and ice flew up towards the ceiling. A layer of explosions erupted, scattering the ¡°rubies¡± off all chandeliers. Most of them scurried along the ceiling in an attempt to find somewhere safe. Others dropped to the floor, where they splatted like drops of blood. Simultaneously, ice shards flew straight at the marquis.


    This time, no crimson web appeared, forcing the snob to use his own blood to create a shield with which to protect himself. And that wasn¡¯t all. Many of the existing strands snapped, causing several of the ballroom puppets to collapse. The web holding Octavian weakened, allowing the creature to free himself.


    Letting out an angry screech, the bird grabbed a couple of unfortunate adventurers and tossed them at the opposing wall.


    ¡°Oh, grow up!¡± the avatar said, annoyed. ¡°A little fire never hurt anyone.¡±


    ¡°Quite clever.¡± The marquis¡¯ tone changed. ¡°You figured out that the blood spider was protecting us, so you directed your attacks towards it, so it no longer could.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t in the least what the dungeon had in mind. The outburst was merely him making a point. Personally, he had hoped that an intense attack such as this would have been able to scorch and skewer the two nobles. On reflection, maybe it was better that it didn¡¯t. The people were nothing more than puppets for the monocle and ruby ring.


    Ruby ring? A thought suddenly hit the dungeon.


    ¡°Spok, you said that the blood spider starts as a single insect,¡± he said back in his main body. ¡°Any chance there could be two of them?¡±


    ¡°Two blood spiders in the same building?¡± It took some effort for the spirit guide not to roll her eyes. ¡°That is highly unlikely, sir.¡±


    ¡°And I suspect you¡¯ll tell me that it¡¯s impossible for a person to be cursed into an item and command a blood spider?¡±


    The question contained the usual mix of ignorance and absurdity that Spok had come to expect, yet somewhere deep in her very being, she felt a grain of concern.


    ¡°Would you mind clarifying, sir?¡± she asked. ¡°What exactly did you mean by having a person cursed into an item?¡±


    ¡°The ring is the woman wearing the ring, while the woman is someone else entirely.¡±


    Blood stilettos emerged from the marquis¡¯ body, then flew down at the avatar. Not knowing their properties, Theo cast an ice shield, then surrounded himself with an indestructible aether sphere. The stilettos shattered through the ice as if it were made of sugar, then bounced off the impenetrable aether surface, scattering all over the ballroom¡¯s walls.


    ¡°A ring is a woman that¡¯s wearing the ring?¡± Spok repeated.


    ¡°Look, it¡¯s very simple.¡± The dungeon was getting more and more annoyed. ¡°There¡¯s a woman who refers to herself as Lady Raffel. But she¡¯s not. She¡¯s actually some random adventurer. The ring she¡¯s wearing is actually Lady Raffel.¡±


    An explanation of that nature would have confused a lot of people, though not the spirit guide. Unfortunately, she would have felt a lot better if it had.


    ¡°Are you absolutely certain, sir?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Of course I am!¡± Theo said while launching a series of ice daggers at the marquis. This time, he also put in the effort to bless the tip of each one. ¡°I used arcane identify.¡±


    This time it was the icicles¡¯ turn to shatter the blood shield the marquis was holding. Several of them even nicked the man¡¯s body. The wounds didn¡¯t seem particularly serious, yet a multitude of red threads quickly emerged, wrapping around them like crimson bandages.


    ¡°And you said there were two of them, sir?¡± Back in Rosewind, Spok continued.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fighting them now, along with a whole bunch of masked puppets that¡ª¡±


    ¡°Masked?¡±


    ¡°Spok, stop interrupting me every second. Yes, there are cursed adventurers with masks, snobbish items that believe they are nobility, and a blood spider that¡¯s spread along the ceilings of a ballroom and several more corridors, at least.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d suggest that you get your avatar out of there immediately, sir.¡±


    ¡°A bit too late for that.¡± Even if the dungeons¡¯ avatar wasn¡¯t engaged with a pair of annoying opponents, it didn¡¯t look like the junior adventurers would be able to escape the mansion.


    Even with Liandra¡¯s heavy assistance, the trio remained surrounded from everywhere and there was no indication that their attackers were slowing down, regardless of the damage inflicted on them. It didn¡¯t help that everyone on Theo¡¯s team was doing their best to do as little actual damage to the cursed people as possible.


    ¡°You¡¯re not just fighting a blood spider,¡± Spok clarified. ¡°You¡¯re facing a pet.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s that worse?¡±


    ¡°Pets belong to children, and children are only created when an abomination fully corrupts a person with itself.¡±

 (Book 2) 16. A Ball of Flames and Confusion

    Red blades pierced through Baron d¡¯Argent¡¯s clothes, draining small amounts of energy from the dungeon¡¯s body. In turn, the avatar kept spraying the marquis as both of them exchanged blows near the ceiling. The attacks were so fast most people wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up. Theo had cast a dozen more swiftness spells onto his avatar hoping that would grant him an advantage. In truth, it had merely let him catch up to the speed of his opponent.


    ¡°Apologies for your attire,¡± Marquis Leevek said as he kept on puncturing the avatar¡¯s body. ¡°It¡¯s truly a shame to put it to waste.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m used to it,¡± the baron replied, dealing another wound to the unfortunate puppet the monocle was wearing.


    Thankfully, the blood threads kept the person alive, even if not in the best state. One could therefore assume that the cursed items required living people in order to control them.


    Down below, Liandra had caught wind of the situation and was slashing through blood threads like a reaper during harvest. Blessing her two-handed sword, then covering the edge with fire, she swung the weapon around, causing a dozen people to drop to the ground. No longer controlled by the blood spider, they had returned to being normal adventurers¡­ who hadn¡¯t slept for goodness knows how long.


    ¡°Focus on the threads, not the people!¡± she shouted at the trio of junior adventurers, who, despite their best efforts, still remained slightly outmatched.


    Freeing another cluster of ¡°guests¡±, the heroine was about to rush to the trio when Lady Leevek descended from above, blocking her path.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you damage my collection,¡± she said in a polite but firm fashion. ¡°You have no idea how long it took to select and dress them.¡±


    Readjusting in accordance to the situation, Liandra briefly took a thrusting stance, then charged forward, aiming to pierce her opponent. Before she could, a blood umbrella formed in the hands of the lady and opened, creating an improvised shield.


    In nearly all circumstances, such a defense wouldn¡¯t have worked. Even if the umbrella was as strong as steel and hard as diamond, the heroic blade should have pierced through. Liandra had slaughtered far better armored creatures and even managed to cut off the tail of a dragon in the course of her official hero business. Unfortunately, the umbrella proved a lot craftier.


    When the blade ripped through, it almost seemed that victory was on the heroine¡¯s side. Yet, just as the blade continued forward, a second umbrella layer opened. It was followed by another and another, opening like flower blossoms, reducing the strength of the thrust until the sword felt stuck, as if Liandra had put it in a bucket of honey.


    ¡°Now, now,¡± the lady behind the umbrella said. ¡°We mustn¡¯t damage you, so be a dear and just surrender, would you? I promise I¡¯ll make you the centerpiece of my collection. At least until a better suited hero shows up.¡±


    Tightening her grip, Liandra attempted to pull the sword out, but the weapon wouldn¡¯t budge. It was completely stuck in the layers of the umbrella, and Lady Leevek was a lot stronger than she appeared.


    ¡°I know you won¡¯t take my word for it, but resistance really is pointless. Why struggle when you¡¯d be cared for so well? Life will be one big ball. You¡¯ll be well-fed, admiring the best music, with hundreds of others. I¡¯ll make sure that you wear the very best clothes. From time to time, you¡¯ll even be able to engage in small talk. You are a heroine, after all.¡±


    Liandra gritted her teeth. Being encased in ice once was enough for a lifetime. No matter the cost, she had no intention of becoming a trophy ever again.


    ¡°Holy light!¡± she shouted, concentrating all her energy forward.


    The glow surrounding the sword became incandescent, causing even the flames to disappear. Raw divine energy surrounded the weapon, bursting forward. The outer layers of the umbrella instantly curdled, falling to the ground like scabs. The rest, along with Lady Leevek, were thrust through the ballroom into the wall.


    Sporadic strands of blood emerged in an attempt to cushion the blow. The first few dozen snapped, achieving nothing. The subsequent hundred, though, managed to achieve their purpose. Like the umbrella layers, they reduced the speed, slowing the lady down more and more until she came to a complete stop.


    A shocked expression emerged on the woman¡¯s face. Slowly, she turned around to find that she was less than a foot from the wall itself. Had the strength of the blow been only slightly greater, she would have slammed into it, which was absolutely unladylike.


    ¡°I never was one for dancing,¡± Liandra said, slashing the air to get all remaining drops of blood off her weapon. ¡°And by the looks of it, neither are you.¡± She rushed forward, blade still glowing, cutting the thread of every person on the way.


    A new umbrella appeared in the hand of Lady Leevek as she, too, flew forward straight towards the heroine.


    ¡°I say, the ladies seem to be having a splendid time,¡± Marquis Leevek said.


    At this point, the man had semi-transformed into a mummy. Blood threads covered more of his body than not. Meanwhile, the avatar appeared virtually unharmed. The state of his clothes, though, was an entirely different matter.


    Ignoring the speed, the fight between the two was considerably more monotonous than one might think. Both sides had quickly found that all attempts at defense or trickery were pointless and had instead focused on stabbing each other with increasing ferocity. There was no telling what reserves of strength or energy the other had, but either side was convinced that theirs was greater.


    Theo found the whole thing ridiculous, but he would be damned if he quit before the marquis. Even with the constant energy drain, he had enough to spare. On the other hand, even if he won, he wouldn¡¯t be victorious. The golden monocle was his real enemy. Once its puppet was rendered motionless¡ªor ¡°killed¡±, as some would put it¡ªit would simply jump on to someone else. Even with the blood spider injured and the rest of Theo¡¯s group catching on, there were plenty of puppets remaining, and that was only in the ballroom. There was no telling how many more were scattered throughout the rest of the estate.


    In times such as these, one had to rely on cunning as much as strength. And when nothing cunning came to mind, the dungeon decided to resort to common pettiness.


    While the marquis kept on stabbing him in the chest, the avatar didn¡¯t respond in kind. He still reached forward with his right hand, but instead of an ice spell, something completely different was cast.


    Suddenly, the monocle flew off the face of the unfortunate adventurer, flying straight into Theo¡¯s hand.


    ¡°What in blazes?!¡± the marquis¡¯ voice asked, yet it wasn¡¯t the marquis.


    The person who had been fighting suddenly went numb, dropping to the floor. Naturally, the avatar cast another telekinesis to catch him, then gently put him down.


    ¡°This is scandalous!¡± the monocle continued.


    If Theo had been human, he¡¯d be subjected to tremendous pain inflicted to his hand. As an avatar, though, the only thing he noticed was that the energy drain was merely one-tenth of what he experienced during the stabbing match.


    The golden rimmed piece of glass was spinning wildly as if trying to cut its way through the avatar¡¯s fingers, yet achieving nothing.


    ¡°Release me this instant!¡± it demanded. ¡°I won¡¯t stand for this outrage!¡±


    ¡°Good work, Baron!¡± Ulf shouted across the ballroom. ¡°You found his weakness!¡±


    When it came down to it, the comment was absolutely true. Deep inside, the dungeon didn¡¯t want to admit that the entire fight could have been avoided if he had done that the moment he had discovered the true nature of the monocle. If nothing else, he¡¯d have saved a certain amount of energy, not to mention another set of clothes.


    ¡°That¡¯s the least an adventurer should be able to do,¡± Theo said. ¡°Next time¡ª¡±


    The avatar abruptly stopped as a multitude of masks flew off the people below, causing them to drop to the ground. Uncertain what was going on, Theo used a spell to encase the monocle in a block of ice, then he cast an indestructible aether sphere around him.


    Masks kept on flying, causing more and more people to collapse like puppets whose strings had been cut. Within seconds, the only people left standing were Avid, Amellia, and Ulf, as well as Liandra who remained engaged with Lady Leevek.


    On the surface, it appeared that the group had won and Theo¡¯s action had single-handedly brought the battle to an end. Unfortunately, that was far from the case. As Spok had warned him, he wasn¡¯t fighting mere monsters, but abomination ¡°children.¡± And whenever a child got in trouble, the family pet was certain to respond.


    All threads of blood moved about, gathering in one single spot. The blood cockroaches that had been scattered all over the ceiling moved together, combining into an entirely new creature. This specimen was simultaneously a spider and not. More specifically, the millions of red insects formed one giant glistening spider with twelve sets of legs, sixteen eyes, and a massive jaw that could crust an armored rhinoceros in one snap.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Having forcefully learned a bit of etiquette through his existence in Rosewind, Theo knew that what was expected now was an exchange of pleasantries before the inevitable combat to the death. The blood spider, on the other hand, knew nothing and instantly struck him with four legs.


    Tips as large as a knight¡¯s lance, yet sharp as a pin, hit the impenetrable aether sphere. Incapable of breaking the avatar¡¯s defense, the force sent the sphere¡ªand the Baron with it¡ªbouncing off the walls, like a billiards ball.


    ¡°Seems you struck out, old boy,¡± the monocle said, gleefully. ¡°No one can defeat him when he gets like this. Your only chance is to release me and hope I manage to calm him down in time.¡±


    The suggestion was as appealing as a griffin banquet. The marquis was right about one thing¡ªthe creature was quite large and aggressive. However, that only meant that it would provide a lot more core points.


    Waiting for the aether sphere to dissolve, Theo concentrated. His plan involved a four-stage attack that required a not insubstantial amount of energy. As long as it proved successful, though, there was every chance that he¡¯d gain a vast amount of experience and, very likely, the equivalent of a demon core.


    The sphere bounced off yet another wall, continuing to the side of the spider. That was ideal. From this angle, a large part of the creature¡¯s underbelly was exposed.


    A split second later, the aether bubble popped.


    Theo put his plan in motion. Dozens of fireballs appeared in the space in front of him. They were quickly wrapped in small aether spheres, then shoved off forward with telekinesis. Ice shards followed immediately after. The tip of each was blessed so as to do maximum damage.


    Back in his main body, Theo saw the spirit guide¡¯s frown deepen. All that would have been irrelevant if he had taken one simple concept into consideration: the universal principle of inertia.


    While the spells were masterfully executed, and held the destructive power to destroy red demons, the avatar¡¯s aim left a lot to be desired.


    Curving to the left and towards the floor, they completely missed the spider, flying in a direction that Theo hadn¡¯t at all planned on them going. Moments later, a blood freezing scream filled the chamber.


    Time seemed to freeze, as everyone¡ªblood spider included¡ªlooked in the direction of the scream.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Lady Leevek said, barely capable of speech. ¡°It¡¯s completely ruined!¡±


    The once massive umbrella she was holding now was nothing more than a mass of smoldering shreds. Beyond that, ice shards had pierced through the red protective layer of the woman¡¯s dress, pinning her to the wall itself. The blessed tips must have an additional effect, for the lady¡¯s puppet was incapable of movement.


    ¡°Someone, do something!¡± The ruby ring continued in the lady¡¯s voice. ¡°I can¡¯t move her anymore. Darling, please¡ª¡±


    Taking the opportunity, Liandra snatched the ring off the woman¡¯s finger. Without mercy or hesitation, the heroine then took a small pouch, placed the ring inside, then tightened the pouch in one single action. A faint golden glow surrounded the pouch while the muffled voice of Lady Leevek continued uttering complaints.


    ¡°A little warning would have been nice.¡± Liandra turned towards the avatar with a serious expression. ¡°Great plan, though.¡± She winked.


    ¡°Umm, yes. It¡¯s not that I doubted you¡¯d win,¡± Theo lied. ¡°I just thought that all of us should join forces to deal with that thing.¡±


    Having both of the ¡°children¡± captured had caused the blood spider to completely freeze still. Its eyes moved wildly, switching from the baron to the heroine. Both held someone who the creature was created to protect, and both didn¡¯t seem the least bit concerned.


    Confusion made it split in two, then merge again, as it couldn¡¯t decide on its main priority. Charging to rescue both Leeveks simultaneously was the proper thing to do, yet that risked failure. The new ¡°guests¡± of the estate had proved to be a lot stronger than anticipated. It would be wise to keep its strength and take them on one at a time. Alas, that also wasn¡¯t an option, for both Leeveks were of equal importance and the spider couldn¡¯t be seen to have any preference. The baron was definitely closer, but he was also the strongest of all enemies. The heroine was by far an easier opponent, but heading her direction risked allowing the baron to attack from behind.


    The endless feedback loop seemed to have created the perfect opportunity for the group to come up with a combined plan. Since Theo wasn¡¯t particularly good at these things, he was relying on Liandra to start shouting orders to the trio, allowing him to get an idea of what was best.


    A loud screech quickly put an end to that. Avid¡¯s griffin soared around the spider, then clawed out two of the creature¡¯s eyes. Only a cat would be so vengeful and thoughtless. Sadly, griffins were precisely cats with wings.


    ¡°You three, get behind me!¡± Liandra ordered, holding the double sword in front of her.


    Amelia, Avid, and Ulf dashed in her direction. So did the spider. The moderate amount of pain had sprung it into action. Going after the bird was possible, yet a far more convenient target were the three weakling adventurers. Afterwards, the monster could deal with the remaining two, one by one.


    ¡°Idiots,¡± the avatar grumbled as he flew straight down.


    All twelve legs of the spider¡¯s underbelly extended forward as it propelled itself, eager to impale as many people as it could. Lady Leevek was no longer in condition to do anything about it, so it no longer had to keep the puppets alive.


    A dozen feet away, a wall extended from the floor, blocking its path.


    Too fast to stop, the creature slammed into the hard surface, piercing several sections with its legs.


    ¡°Stuck, are you?¡± Baron d¡¯Argent asked, as he used mass telekinesis to slide the unconscious people towards the sides of the ballroom. ¡°Then, get stuck some more!¡±


    His left hand still in contact with the floor, he created another massive wall, then slammed it into the first. Normally, such an action would be followed by a splash of blood. For whatever reason, this wasn¡¯t the case. Both walls remained where they were, tightly placed against one another. Not a drop of blood had been squirted out, not to mention the dungeon hadn¡¯t gotten any indication that he had killed the creature. For all intents and purposes, it was actually stuck there.


    ¡°Quickly!¡± Liandra grabbed Amelia and Avid with one hand, sprinting towards the edge of the wall. Ulf followed a short distance behind, running on his own accord. ¡°Theo, find an exit!¡±


    ¡°An exit?¡± the avatar asked, confused.


    For one thing, there was no exit other than the one they had entered from. A quick glance in the direction revealed that it had transformed into a solid wall of blood red bricks.


    Furthermore, there was no reason for them to be retreating. So far, they held every advantage. The spider was pinned down within a wall and alone. Surely the group¡¯s combined strength was enough to kill it.


    ¡°Theo!¡± Liandra shouted again.


    ¡°Err, there is no exit,¡± he said, the first thing that came to mind.


    ¡°Then make one! We can kill the spider or save everyone in the ballroom. Not both!¡±


    A deep sigh swept through Rosewind, as the dungeon knew exactly what she was asking from him. If they were to continue to fight here, the creature would indiscriminately kill and maim all the unfortunate thieves and adventurers trapped in the cursed estate. The only way to prevent that from happening was to get it to chase them to a more secluded area of the castle where the fight could resume.


    ¡°You¡¯d better not be taking my kill,¡± the avatar grumbled and created a large square opening onto the floor.


    Originally, Theo had aimed to create just an empty room from where he¡¯d tunnel onwards, creating more rooms thanks to his dungeon abilities. The last thing he expected to find was that a series of rooms already existed below. Dark, dreadful, and unwelcoming, they appeared to be remnants of the estate¡¯s initial layout, now literally left to rot.


    Anything not stone had long been reduced to ash and rust spread throughout the floor. From this distance, there was no way to tell whether anything was cursed, but given everything else in this place, it was a safe bet.


    Without a word, Theo cast aether bubbles around everyone¡ªincluding, against his better judgment, the griffin¡ªthen propelled them into the gloomy corridor below.


    Once that was done, the avatar caused a single tower to shoot out from the floor, striking the wall right where the spider was supposed to be stuck. He had made special attention to keep the tower hollow, in order to see the results. That proved to be a mistake.


    Crimson beads trickled down the inside of the tower, pouring onto the floor. From a distance, this almost seemed like blood splashing, yet that wasn¡¯t entirely the case. Each droplet happened to be a creature and, just as they had detached from the original blood spider¡¯s form, they were now slowly reforming it on the other end.


    Careful not to harm any of the unconscious guests, the avatar threw a fireball within the hollow tower. A lot of sizzling and screeching followed, but there was still no message of the creature¡¯s death.


    ¡°Spok,¡± he said back into his main body. ¡°Fire is enough to kill a pet, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± The spirit guide nodded. ¡°As long as you create a massive inferno that melts it completely.¡±


    The manner in which she said it already told the dungeon that he had messed up. He didn¡¯t know why or what the consequences would be, but he was fairly certain that he shouldn¡¯t have cast that last fireball.


    ¡°Sir.¡± Spok adjusted her glasses, like a schoolteacher catching a student cheating. ¡°You set something on fire, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡± Theo snapped, rustling some furniture in the process. ¡°Who do you take me for?¡±


    ¡°Are you being honest, sir?¡±


    The dungeon didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief, then. Powerful blood spiders have the ability to absorb abilities. What doesn¡¯t kill them makes them stronger. If you had, for example, set part of it on fire without killing it, it would have adapted, becoming a¡ª¡±


    There was no reason for her to continue. By the time the spirit guide started her explanation, the sound of crackling had died down. A new trickle had emerged from the hollow tower¡ªa trickle of flames. Each of them was its own separate entity that merged together once again. Reluctantly, the avatar cast an arcane identify.


    FLAME-BLOOD SPIDER (abomination¡¯s minion)


    A creature created entirely out of blood and flaming passion, capable of cursing targets and boiling the blood within them.


    The spider uses fine strands of liquid flame to create a massive web with which it burns its targets.


    ¡°¡ªburning spider,¡± Spok finished without a note of pity. ¡°Should you happen upon one, purely theoretically, of course, your best course of action would be to run and erect as many walls between it and you as possible. If nothing else, the creature is easily bored and likely to focus on targets that aren¡¯t giving it a hard time.¡±


    The avatar looked about the ballroom. Hundreds of people were stacked near the walls, moved there thanks to his telekinesis. If he were to jump down and close the entrance behind him, everyone would be consumed, after which the spider would likely burn through the floor and chase after him. Under such circumstances, there was only one thing left to do.


    ¡°Rosewind has really been bad for my health,¡± the avatar puttered, then sent a series of blessed shards of glass, taking out another of the spider¡¯s eyes.


    The flames turned crimson, as the monster focused its attention on the Baron, just in time to see him rush down a corridor in the floor below. Without an ounce of hesitation, the spider of flame¡ªnow closer in appearance to a burning centipede¡ªleaped down after him.

 (Book 2) 17. The Outrageously Scandalous Battle

    It was difficult to believe that Cmyk could have a bad day. Ever since his creation, the skeletal minion hadn¡¯t particularly exerted itself on any occasion. Part of that lay in the nature of his creator. Despite his anger and surface grumpiness, Theo wasn¡¯t the sort of dungeon that followed through with his threats. Sure, he¡¯d occasionally lock Cmyk up in a room or forbid him this and that, but he¡¯d never go further. The truth was that the dungeon, despite all claims of the contrary, was a secret workaholic.


    Standing in the middle of the gnome¡¯s workshop, the massive minion looked around. The former airship was full of various devices that defied logic. Even in a half-completed state, they were more intricate than most of the things Cmyk had seen in his existence. They were also incredibly boring.


    ¡°Are those all the trinkets he gave you?¡± Switches asked while buzzing about like a kitten with a sugar rush.


    With a sigh, Cmyk nodded. Theo had asked him to return home and bring one of two magical baubles. Supposedly, that was to be done without Spok finding out. Since that was too much effort, the minion didn¡¯t bother. Thankfully, neither did the spirit guide. The two had formed an unofficial pact¡ªneither would meddle in the other¡¯s business when possible and pretend not to notice when it wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°Okay, okay, okay.¡± The gnome made several circles around the large, muscular figure. ¡°This is a classic test. Give the interviewee a task and only half the resources to complete it. Very clever, but Theo is very clever, right?¡±


    Cmyk shrugged. He had no idea how smart the dungeon was. All he knew was that his most amusing friend, along with his training apprentice, had been sent off somewhere to do something and the town was a lot more boring without them. It didn¡¯t help that with the earl¡¯s latest idea, the whole of Rosewind was abuzz with new harmful ideas. Everyone was rebuilding, discussing work¡­ it had gotten so bad that even adventurers wouldn¡¯t spend all their time drinking in the local taverns.


    ¡°I got it!¡± The gnome¡¯s ears perked up. ¡°There are still dozens of goblin gliders on this ship. With a few modifications, I¡¯ll be able to make a battle fleet that will show Theo the destructive power I could provide!¡± Switches rubbed his hands. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    The minion tilted its head.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± The gnome¡¯s enthusiasm somewhat faded. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. They aren¡¯t strong enough. They¡¯ll serve better as an escort. I need something golem-sized that can fly. Or maybe it doesn¡¯t have to.¡±


    Switches made his way to the giant blackboard, then took a bucket of water and splashed it all over the wooden surface. All formulas and designs were promptly washed away, leaving a blank¡ªand very wet¡ªblackboard.


    ¡°Something big and destructive¡­¡± the gnome hummed to himself, as he took a large multi-looking device with which he shot a single burst of flames at the blackboard. In an instant, all the water evaporated, making the surface ready to be drawn upon once more. ¡°Fetch one of those chairs, will you?¡± the gnome told Cmyk.


    The request was less strenuous than most, so the minion obliged, grabbing the nearest chair and walking up to the gnome with it.


    ¡°It needs to be big and powerful.¡± Switched pulled the chair in front of the blackboard, then climbed onto it. ¡°With lots of armor.¡± He started chalking up a design that, at this point, was indistinguishable from a griffin egg. ¡°And weapons.¡±


    Additional components were jotted on¡ªarms, legs, cannons¡­ Next to each, the gnome wrote down a series of letters and numbers that didn¡¯t appear to mean anything in particular.


    ¡°He said he wanted it to fly, right?¡± A series of devices on the back and legs were added along with sinusoidal sketches and calculations that would make theoretical physicists envious.


    Cmyk had no idea what any of that meant, but it was a distraction from the boredom that had come over him, so he leaned closer.


    ¡°It¡¯s a beauty, right?¡± Switches asked unironically. ¡°We¡¯ll need one heck of a power source to get all this moving. Maybe if I remove a few of the safety features, I could save up a bit.¡± He erased a few scribbles with his sleeve. ¡°But it still won¡¯t be enough.¡±


    For several minutes more, the gnome kept on sketching. Every now and then, he¡¯d ask the minion to move the chair to the left or right in order to add more thoughts and calculations. Once done, the entire blackboard was packed with terms, sketches, and formulas. In the middle was the outline of a rather egg-shaped construct with arms, legs, three jetpacks, and a vast number of weapons.


    Carefully examining the notes, in case there were any miscalculations, the gnome then descended from the chair and crossed his arms.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± he said as he shook his head. ¡°We¡¯ll definitely need more mana. Think he¡¯ll give us any?¡±


    Slowly, Cmyk shook his head. There was a fifty-fifty chance that the dungeon would agree to the request, yet it was absolutely certain that Spok wouldn¡¯t.


    ¡°I thought so. Then, I guess I have no choice.¡±


    Switches went to one of the workbenches. Over a dozen large and ominous looking devices lay there. Some were larger than the gnome itself. Shoving several of them to the side¡ªor to the floor in one or two cases¡ªSwitches cleared the space of everything, with the exception of an extremely large and menacing chainsaw blade. Originally, it had been made to help lumberjacks cut down trees in one strike. Unfortunately, the village already had several people who could do that with a normal axe, so the qualities of the device weren¡¯t appreciated. However, what Switches hadn¡¯t told anyone was that with a few minor adjustments, the ¡°mechanical saw¡± could also cut through the thickest of armors or even stone.


    ¡°Mind giving a hand?¡± He looked over his shoulder towards the skeletal minion.


    Cmyk tilted his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s my mech-saw five,¡± the gnome explained. ¡°Three parallel chains of reinforced anti-magic alloy powered by two independent magic cores at a speed of three hundred rotations per minute. They can cut through wood, metal, stone, and a few magic materials and have a vibration absorption system that will keep it steady as the horizon.¡±


    The fancy words didn¡¯t mean a thing, but from Cmyk¡¯s experience, the longer the description of an item was, the better and more expensive it turned out to be.


    ¡°In order to build what Theo wants, we¡¯ll have to get the mana generator of this ship.¡± The gnome looked around. ¡°Which means cutting a few dozen walls or so. A shame, because I was getting fond of this place, but one has to make sacrifices.¡± Also, Switches was convinced that if he did the job to the dungeon¡¯s satisfaction, he¡¯d be rewarded with a real lab within the town itself. ¡°So, what do you think?¡±


    After several seconds of silence, the minion went to the workbench and picked up the device. A moment later, all three bladed chains began spinning.


    Meanwhile, Theo was having revelations of his own. Being chased by a swarm of flames taking on the appearance of a giant centipede was anything but reassuring. Neither magic barriers nor ice shields seemed to particularly slow it down. Each time the avatar would block up the corridor behind him, the swarm of insects would burn through the walls near the edges, then merge together on the other side of the barrier and continue as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°I told you it was better to surrender,¡± the monocle said in an I-told-you-so tone of voice. ¡°Now, you¡¯ll be dead for sure.¡±


    ¡°As opposed to?¡± Theo asked through gritted teeth.


    ¡°Well, I¡­¡± The monocle fell silent. ¡°It¡¯s the principle of the matter,¡± he said after several seconds of thought. ¡°You could at least have been civilized about it.¡±


    ¡°Turn left!¡± Amelia shouted from further ahead. She was first in the row of aether spheres Theo had created, making her the navigator of the group.


    It would have been preferable for Theo to have taken that role, since he was the one controlling both the aether spheres and the flight spell that moved them forward. Unfortunately, he hadn¡¯t planned on the blood spider evolving.


    ¡°Right,¡± the avatar said, changing the direction of the spheres one after the other at the precise moment. The maneuver was beyond masterful, though it was only thanks to his recent eavesdropping skill that he was able to time it with such precision. At the very least, he had found a temporary use for that.


    ¡°Drop me off,¡± Liandra said from her sphere. ¡°I¡¯ll get you some time, so you and the rest make it.¡±


    ¡°No need!¡± Theo shouted back.


    ¡°Even you have your limits. Plus, I¡¯m not a heroine for nothing.¡±


    What the woman said was true, yet there was a far more important reason for the dungeon¡¯s reluctance¡ªthe sunk cost fallacy. He had invested too much energy in fighting the blood spider¡ªfar too much, if Spok was to have a say on the matter¡ªto let anyone else claim the rewards of killing it.


    ¡°I started this,¡± the avatar said in a firm tone. ¡°And I¡¯ll finish it. You make sure that the kids are safe.¡±


    With neither magic or physical attacks being a suitable deterrent for the swarm of insects, Theo decided to take a different approach. Waiting for the turn to approach, he destroyed the aether sphere around him, then gently touched the corridor floor.


    A new room formed. More a pit than a room, it extended fifty feet in all directions, and was fully capable of holding the entire form of the blood spider. That wasn¡¯t the reason Theo had created it, though. Eight royal slimes were on the ground, hungry and eager to attack anything that came into reach.


    The construction had cost Theo a substantial amount of energy, causing his spirit guide to let out a critical cough in his main body. At the same time, it was the only solution he could think of at such short notice. While not impervious to fire, royal slimes were highly resistant, not to mention territorial.


    ¡°Liandra!¡± Theo shouted as he came to an instant halt. ¡°I¡¯m leaving the rest to you. Get to a safe spot and wait for me.¡± From here on, he wouldn¡¯t be able to control the aether bubbles anymore.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Drawing his legendary sword, the avatar waited.


    ¡°It¡¯s outright suicide, you know,¡± the monocle said. ¡°You don¡¯t stand a chance.¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± the avatar grumbled.


    In the distance, the dot of light representing the blood spider got larger and larger. Sections of the corridor lit up, as if a procession of lanterns was making their way through. In a few seconds, the shining head of the fiery centipede was in the pit and with no intention of slowing down. Then it happened.


    Sensing nearby prey, two slimes leaped up, going straight for the spider¡¯s head. Relying on the power of its flames, the creature let them do it. That turned out to be a mistake. Not only did the slimes not suffer any damage, but they formed a blob of liquid around the entire head, slowing the entire creature down.


    ¡°You tell him, slimes!¡± Theo yelled, as if he had any role in the matter.


    Flames froze, making the individual insects of the swarm look like fireflies encased in jelly. Realizing the mistake it had made, the rest of the insects poured into the blob, in an attempt to tear it apart through sheer volume.


    On the slimes¡¯ part, five of the remaining ones leaped up to join in, quickly bringing the flaming blood spider to the floor. Unfortunately, the final slime had different ideas. Seeing that there wouldn¡¯t be much to gain by joining with the rest of the group, it focused its attention on the remaining morsel within its pit¡ªTheo¡¯s avatar.


    ¡°You gotta be kidding!¡± the dungeon grumbled.


    What was left of his clothes was entirely gone, consumed by the acidic contents of the slime. Before the gear could follow a similar fate, the avatar cast an aether bubble within the being, increasing it in size until both popped.


    CORE CONSUMPTION


    Royal slime core converted into 50 Avatar Core Points


    ¡°Baron!¡± the monocle said, its voice trembling with outrage. ¡°Show some decency, man! There might be ladies present!¡±


    There were a dozen ways that the dungeon could have responded. Yet, the cursed marquis brought a good point. The unfortunate event had left him completely naked. Theo¡¯s immediate instinct was to have his avatar create another wardrobe, but before that he stopped. Would there really be a point? With slimes and flaming insects all about, it was inevitable that his new set of clothes would only suffer. It would be a lot more economical to continue his fight as he was and then get a new set of clothes.


    ¡°Later,¡± he said, focusing his attention on the fight between the slimes and the blood spider.


    ¡°Fighting in the nude? That''s outright scandalous! Outrageous! What is the world coming to when swashbuckling exhibitionists are given noble titles?¡± The monocle sighed. ¡°We really are living in the end times.¡±


    The baron looked at the block of ice he was holding in his left hand. The monocle had stopped its attempts to break out and was now remaining quietly as an observer. The magic within it was powerful enough to make his words be heard perfectly, even despite the many layers of frozen water, making him more than an annoyance.


    ¡°It would serve you right to lose the royal jewels,¡± the monocle went on. ¡°That would be poetic justice! Not that¡ª¡±


    Having had enough, the avatar wrapped the ice with a silence spell, bringing the insults to an end. In terms of success, that could be described as a minor victory. All that remained now was to achieve the major victory.


    A few dozen feet away, the blood spider was gaining the upper hand against the royal slimes. While its size had quickly shrunk to a third, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case any longer. The insects had adapted to the acidity and now were merely prisoners within the slime.


    The dots of flames moved about, merging in new ways to form a more spiderly appearance. Eight legs as sharp as swords extended, slicing through the slimes until they emerged outside.


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t!¡± The avatar charged forward. Infusing his sword with a hundred points of energy, he performed a sword chop.


    An elegant cut split slimes and blood spider alike, continuing through the stone floor.


    CORE CONSUMPTION


    7 royal slime cores converted into 350 Avatar Core Points


    Losing its rubbery properties, slime matter trickled into the crack, as both halves of the blood spider kept on burning on the floor. Unfortunately, there was no reason to rejoice. The notification hadn¡¯t mentioned anything about the creature, suggesting that it was very much alive.


    Clumsily, like a drunken sailor on a rowboat, both halves propped themselves up. New sets of legs emerged from each, creating two identical, fully functional spiders of fire.


    The tension in the air was palpable. Neither side was willing to back down or prolong the fight any longer. Win or lose, each side was determined to give its all.


    Cautiously, one of the spiders started moving sideways in an attempt to flank the baron, while the other remained perfectly still.


    Normally, in a fight, the benefit went to the one who had a number advantage. Two flaming blood spiders were more difficult to kill than one, after all. On the other hand, each of the creatures was weaker than when they had been as one.


    ¡°Spok,¡± Theo said within his main body. ¡°If a blood spider is composed of thousands of individual insects, how do I get its core?¡±


    ¡°By killing it, sir,¡± the spirit guide replied. ¡°Once you kill the last one, its core will drop, same as with any other creature.¡±


    ¡°But what if the last one is hiding?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the nature of a blood spider, sir. All of its elements keep close together. It¡¯s possible that when there¡¯s too few of them to present a challenge to its opponent, they might scurry away, but as long as you see one of them, rest assured that the rest are also nearby.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± the dungeon replied, as if he understood what Spok was saying. He was about to continue with a few of the standard business comments that were aimed at making someone appear smarter than he was when both of the spiders charged forward.


    Not waiting until they were on either side of the avatar, they shot out a multitude of threads at each other, aiming to slice him like a thread through cheese.


    ¡°Nice try!¡± The swashbuckling skill Theo had had allowed his avatar to spot their plan before he was harmed. Letting go of the monocle, he grabbed the sword with both hands and did another vertical chop.


    Many of the threads snapped due to the force of the attack. Alas, a few managed to withstand the blow, causing both spiders to swing towards each other.


    Unwilling to be caught between them, the avatar leaped forward, then cast a flight spell to remain in the air. A split second later, both spiders slammed into each other, merging once more into one. Uncertain how to react, Theo cast an indestructible aether sphere around the spider, then a second one around that.


    Now, he had ten seconds to think of something before the effect was over.


    ¡°Theo!¡± Liandra¡¯s voice came from behind the corridor corner. ¡°I¡¯m here to h¡ª¡±


    The heroine froze mid-sentence. The woman wasn¡¯t one to shy away from danger. As a heroine she had seen many things, yet the last thing she expected right now was to see the baron floating in the air wearing nothing but a sword and a few magic items.


    ¡°¡ªhelp,¡± she said, after an awkward pause.


    Being a dungeon, Theo wasn¡¯t one to feel shame. At the same time, he also didn¡¯t want rumors to start spreading about him. One entity had already come to the wrong conclusion, so he didn¡¯t want it to become a frequent occurrence.


    ¡°I summoned some slimes to help me in the fight,¡± he said, floating back to the ground. ¡°This was an unfortunate side effect.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± the woman said, in a tone of voice that left more than enough room for doubt. ¡°I see you¡¯ve managed to shrink it down to size.¡±


    ¡°As I said¡ªslimes.¡± Theo forced a smile on his avatar. ¡°Hold on a moment.¡±


    A wardrobe emerged from the floor of the room, complete with a set of usable clothes.


    ¡°Are the kids alright?¡± The avatar propped his sword against the wardrobe and quickly proceeded to put something on. Since speed was an issue, he chose to go with the clich¨¦ and slip into a wizard¡¯s robe. Naturally, he also put on a belt on which to hang pouches and other items.


    ¡°They should be fine. I left them in an empty chamber and told them to rush this way if there¡¯s anything they can¡¯t handle.¡± She paused again for a few moments. ¡°Might be a good idea to get some boots. There might be more blood carpets further on.¡±


    ¡°Good point.¡± The avatar chose the sturdiest pairs of boots available.


    They were a weird combination with the wizard¡¯s robe, but were durable and with steel soles. Naturally, Theo didn¡¯t forget to bless them, just in case.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s alive up there, by the way,¡± he continued. ¡°They¡¯ll probably have a headache when they wake up, but they¡¯ll live.¡±


    ¡°As long as we defeat the abomination,¡± Liandra added.


    ¡°Right.¡± It was easy to forget that up to this point, they had only faced the creature¡¯s minions and ¡°children.¡± The actual monster had yet to be found.


    In the back of the dungeon¡¯s mind, he kept on thinking that maybe he should have taken the mage tower quest. Magic was messy and troublesome, but at least it would be easier than this. With all the eccentricity going on, probably no one would have even noticed he was a dungeon avatar. He would have gone there, defeated what he was supposed to defeat, and be done with it. Now, he was literally in the middle of a cursed quest.


    CONGRATULATIONS!


    You have killed the Flame-Blood Spider pet to the abomination Agonia.


    Half the town of Rosewind froze. While there was nothing wrong in killing the annoying swarm creature, doing so with Liandra might well make it clear that he was the same dungeon that was responsible for her grandfather¡¯s death.


    A guilty expression formed on the avatar¡¯s face as he looked at the aether sphere. While his attention had been elsewhere, it had turned into a bubble of thick smoke. Not a single spark of light could be seen, not any movement for that matter.


    As the invulnerability of the bubble came to an end, a heap of dead insects poured onto the ground along with a single crimson red marble.


    ¡°Setting it on fire only to suffocate it to death,¡± Liandra said, nodding. ¡°Theo, you never cease to amaze me.¡±


    ¡°All part of the plan,¡± he lied. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to look like I¡¯m carrying the kids, otherwise they¡¯ll develop the habit of expecting others to do the work for them.¡±


    ¡°Right. That¡¯s why I left them alone for a while. Still, maybe next time pick a slightly easier quest for them?¡± The heroine smiled.


    ¡°No promises.¡±


    The avatar cast a telekinesis spell, pulling the spider core to him. It was a small thing, no larger than a goblin core. Consuming it, though, proved all the difference.


    CORE CONSUMPTION


    Flame-Blood Spider core converted into 5000 Avatar Core Points.


    AVATAR LEVEL INCREASE


    Your Avatar has become Level 23


    +1 Speed, LEAP skill obtained


    3900 Core Points required for next Avatar Level


    That was a pleasant surprise. It also illustrated how Theo could increase his speed. If physical attacks increased strength and magic attacks, causing a monster to die of environment attacks seemed to boost speed. Naturally, he¡¯d have to experiment a bit more to be certain.


    LEAP -1


    Allows your avatar to spend 10 energy to leap at a distance of 30 feet.


    Using the skill increases its rank, increasing the leap distances.


    Consuming the monster''s core has satisfied your hunger.


    All hunger penalties for the day have been negated.


    ¡°Wow,¡± both Theo and his avatar said.


    ¡°Congratulations are in order, sir,¡± Spok said back in his main body. ¡°It appears that taking on that noble quest proved useful, after all. Of course, you¡¯ll need to keep in mind that it¡¯s only a temporary solution.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the reminder, Spok.¡± Two floors of the Baron¡¯s mansion creaked. ¡°What would I do without you?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I cannot say, sir. Especially since you¡¯ve delegated all your council responsibilities to me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m dealing with important stuff right now. I¡¯ve no time for paperwork!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s as you say, sir.¡± The woman stood up, adjusted her glasses, then made her way to the mansion¡¯s door. ¡°I¡¯ll be taking a one-hour break, sir. During that time, please don¡¯t go overboard with your energy consumption and under no circumstances disturb me with questions.¡±


    That was peculiar. The dungeon hadn¡¯t known his spirit to take a break before. She lived for her work. It was true that he had been delegating more and more of his tasks to her, but none of it was particularly difficult. After all, he had been taking care of his own maintenance and growth for a while now.


    ¡°Err, sure¡­¡± the dungeon said, struggling with the shock. ¡°Go have fun.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir. I intend to.¡±

 (Book 2). 18. Underground Vault and its Consequences

    Upon arriving in the dark chamber, Theo found Avid, Amelia, and Ulf standing back-to-back, their weapons drawn. Even the annoying griffin was circling above them, keeping a sharp eye for anything suspicious. It was almost heartwarming how much the three had grown. There was no complaining, silliness, or posing. After the ballroom experience, the trio had become perfectly aware what a deathtrap the estate was and were ready to protect their lives.


    The only reason that the dungeon wasn¡¯t happier was that he had dropped the ball; more specifically, he had let the monocle escape. Somehow, the annoying entity had managed to melt through the block of ice while the avatar was engaged with the blood spider and had vanished somewhere in the dark corridors. Liandra and Theo had desperately tried to find any tracks or remains, but there were none¡ªas if the entity had teleported out of existence.


    ¡°Baron!¡± Amelia said the moment she saw him. ¡°You¡¯re back.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± The avatar waved a hand with indifference. The floating sphere of light made that more than clear, just as it assured him that none of the adventurers were injured. At least that was good.


    Using his identification ability, Theo carefully examined all aspects of the floor and room. Fortunately, nothing appeared to be cursed. Unfortunately, there was no telling where they were. The corridor was assuredly a lot longer than the entire length of the castle and also at a barely noticeable angle. As a dungeon, Theo knew with absolute certainty that they were at least a mile and a quarter from the ballroom and likely three feet beneath the surface. From what he could guess, this had to be the edge of the cursed estate, forcing the corridor¡¯s sharp turn. The main issue right now was that there was no telling where to go.


    ¡°Did anything happen while we were gone?¡± the avatar asked.


    All three of the adventurers shook their heads.


    With an internal grumble, the avatar looked around. There were three corridors in the room. One was from where he had come from, one continued onwards, and one went towards the castle again, as far as Theo could determine.


    ¡°We should continue onwards,¡± Liandra said, looking to the north.


    ¡°We can always go back to where we started,¡± Avid said.


    Instantly, everyone turned his direction.


    ¡°And pick the other side of the corridor,¡± he quickly added.


    The idea had some merit, but no one¡ªleast of all Theo¡ªwanted to go all the way back. Strictly speaking, they didn¡¯t have to pick any corridor. He could easily use his room creation method to walk through walls and continue any direction he wanted. Thinking further, maybe that wasn¡¯t a bad idea at all. They were already on the edge of the estate. A bit more and they could safely escape, at which point the adventurers could return to Rosewind and Theo could focus on the quest without having to worry about them.


    Without any explanation, he went to the only wall without a corridor and placed his hand on it. A wide empty room appeared, continuing further.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he began. ¡°We continue this way until we get out of the¡ª¡±


    Blood red roots shot out from below and above, quickly splitting the newly created room in two. The abomination, whatever it was, clearly had no intention of letting them go so easily. Naturally, Theo could try to create more rooms¡ªthis time with reinforced walls¡ªbut something told him the outcome would be the same.


    ¡°On second thought, it¡¯s better to deal with the abomination first,¡± he said in a firm voice. ¡°If we don¡¯t, it will keep on sending zombie letters and do untold damage to the kingdom and the world at large.¡±


    No one said a word, still looking at the pulsing blood roots. In their mind they were picturing more blood roots shooting out and capturing the baron in their grip. Seeing that they were causing a distraction, the avatar quickly used his dungeon skill to erect a new wall in front of them.


    ¡°As I was saying,¡± he added with a note of annoyance, ¡°our best option is towards a place we¡¯re familiar with. It would be pointless if we were to stumble into a trap. As every adventurer knows, the key to success is¡ª¡±


    ¡°Courage!¡± Amelia quickly said, then glanced at her two companions with a smug expression on her face.


    ¡°Being prepared,¡± Ulf said, crossing his arms.


    ¡°I think maybe having good gear and companions?¡± Avid guessed, at which point he and the other two adventurers looked at Liandra, waiting for her response.


    ¡°Planning,¡± the woman said, firmly. ¡°The success of every mission is planning ahead.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The avatar forced a smile. He had been about to say scouting, but now that he heard the heroine¡¯s version, he liked it more. It sounded a lot wiser¡ªexactly something a veteran would say. ¡°And in order to be able to plan, we need to scout a bit,¡± he said, adding his own two cents to the conversation.


    Creating three dozen more spherical fireballs, Theo sent a group along each of the tunnels, leaving a single one to provide some light. He then used his dungeon skill to modify the room, causing a round table to appear with a large crystal ball in the middle of it.


    ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯m using this,¡± he said as he activated his fire scrying skill. He had acquired the skill way back when consuming a demon lord heart. At the time, he hadn¡¯t found it useful in the least. It was expensive, not to mention limiting for everyday use. Given the present circumstances, though, one could almost call it perfect for the situation.


    A single image appeared in the crystal sphere, displaying what one of the fireballs was seeing.


    ¡°I know that spell!¡± Amelia said proudly. ¡°It¡¯s scrying!¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a version of that.¡± Theo nodded.


    ¡°Why not use floating eyeballs?¡± Ulf asked.


    The question was rather sensible. The truth was that the option had completely slipped the dungeon¡¯s mind. Even in his previous life, he had been guilty of overcomplicating things when there wasn¡¯t any need to. Floating eyeballs were a far easier spell, not to mention it required a lot less energy. Then again, agreeing with the adventurer would mean admitting that Theo had made a mistake.


    ¡°This way all of us could see what¡¯s going on,¡± Amelia said with confidence rivaling that of a duke. ¡°Think a bit before talking. Besides, what will the eyes see if there¡¯s no light?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a mage. He can see in the dark.¡± Ulf grumbled.


    ¡°Well, yeah, but these can also be used as a means of attack,¡± Amellia insisted.


    ¡°What did you say was the most important thing during a mission?¡± Liandra asked in a sharp tone, quickly putting an end to the arguments. ¡°Good. Now pay attention! Theo shouldn¡¯t be the only one exploring.¡±


    As time went by, scrying quickly changed from an exciting, almost thrilling experience, to the boring experience everyone with a TV remote and no interesting channels had experienced. No matter how many times Theo switched from one fireball to the other, the view was exactly the same: dreary, dark tunnels with nothing of consequence inside. Occasionally a minor change would occur¡ªa crack on the wall, a larger pile of ash on the floor, or some other difference¡ªbefore everything would return to the standard monotony.


    ¡°That¡¯s the ballroom opening,¡± Avid said with half a note of enthusiasm. ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll find something interesting later on.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Ulf grumbled. ¡°Maybe there¡¯ll be cobwebs on the walls.¡±


    As unappreciated as the comment was, Theo couldn¡¯t help but feel concerned. While the rest of them saw nothing but boring tunnels, he had been mapping the corridors and, so far, could only come to a single conclusion: there was no point to them.


    While initially they had seemed like part of the original castle, that no longer seemed to be the case. Rather, it seemed that someone had made a perfect copy of a corridor and copied it to form a mass of pointless tunnels that formed a large square grid beneath the entire cursed estate.


    ¡°Liandra, can you take the ring out?¡± the avatar asked. ¡°I think it¡¯s time that we question her.¡±


    Personally, he would have preferred to discuss the matter with Spok, but the spirit guide was still ¡°on break¡± and he had promised not to disturb her during that time. Apparently, the council baroness had invited the ¡°steward¡± and was having a long and boring conversation concerning all sorts of matters.


    Cmyk was also nowhere to be seen. Theo had sent him to bring a few vital materials to Switches and had yet to see him return. For the first time in his existence, it could be said that the dungeon was left entirely to his own devices.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Her hesitation was palpable.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have any choice. Besides, she won¡¯t be going anywhere.¡±


    ¡°I hope you know what you¡¯re doing.¡± Liandra took the ruby ring out of the pouch.


    Given the entity¡¯s affinity to incessant chatter, it was expected that she would start threatening and complaining at the very first opportunity. Against the odds, the ring just remained there completely silent, pretending to be an inanimate object.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    The avatar looked at Liandra¡ªwho looked back¡ªthen at the ring again. Just to be sure she hadn¡¯t somehow escaped, leaving a fake ring in the process, he cast an identify spell on her again.


    Lady Raffel Leevek (cursed)


    Lady Raffel Leevek is a minor noble of no importance who has been cursed to take on the form of a ruby ring.


    Creating a needle of ice, the avatar blessed the tip, then poked the ruby on the top of the ring.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± the ring said. ¡°You brute! How dare you treat a lady in such fashion! I¡¯ll tell my husband to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Your man ran away the first chance he got,¡± Theo quickly interrupted.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± If the ring was a balloon, she would have deflated halfway by now. ¡°It¡¯s all part of his plan to rescue me, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Theo had never married in his previous life, but he had become a specialist at spotting bullshit. The monocle had probably rushed off to hide in a corner of the tunnel maze, where he¡¯d remain until the group was cursed, captured by the abomination, or died of hunger. ¡°What¡¯s the point of the tunnels?¡± he asked, completely ignoring her previous statement.


    ¡°What makes you think I¡¯ll tell you anything? You ruined my beautiful collection. It would take ages to fill it up again. And I was so close to getting a full set of thieves, too. Some of them were notoriously difficult to find. True collector¡¯s items.¡±


    ¡°You can always recapture the old ones,¡± Avid suggested from the background, before quickly getting hushed by Ulf and Amelia.


    ¡°Young man,¡± the ring said with a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s clear that you know very little about real collecting. It¡¯s both a journey and a goal. A noble doesn¡¯t just ¡°fix¡± broken pieces, no matter how valuable they are. We aren¡¯t savages, after all. Maybe if some of the unique ones are completely undamaged, I might consider keeping them, but for the most part, I¡¯d have to rely on new visitors.¡±


    That was a scary thought. Even after the series of minor victories, there remained a large number of cursed letters out there, each with the power to bring a person to the estate. The clock, as the saying went, was still ticking.


    ¡°The tunnels.¡± The avatar moved the ice needle closer to the ruby again.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± Lady Leevek said with an indignant voice that was reserved for theatrical performances. Unfortunately, it did her little good, as a sharp poke quickly made it clear how little Theo cared. ¡°Ouch! Alright! I¡¯ll tell you!¡± she quickly responded. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that there isn¡¯t a single chivalrous bone in your entire body. I pity your ancestors and your entire family tree!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll get over it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± she countered in the most snobbish tone she could muster. ¡°The tunnels are a maze.¡±


    ¡°Amazing,¡± the avatar said, earning himself a few chuckles from the adventurers.


    ¡°Oh, but it is. My ancestors created it generations ago for the sole purpose of guarding the family treasures. It is said that at one point, the vault held a treasure that could rival the king¡¯s.¡±


    Finally! Theo said to himself. This was the first bit of good news he¡¯d had since setting off on this cursed quest. If there was a treasure, it was very likely that there was a mana gem or two among the valuables. As long as he got that, he¡¯d be able to get rid of his curse. Maybe all this effort wouldn¡¯t get wasted after all.


    Unfortunately, there was one small problem: Liandra. There was no way she¡¯d agree for them to go treasure hunting. Apart from the moral implications, it didn¡¯t help resolve their immediate predicament. Then again¡­


    ¡°How do we get to the vault?¡± the avatar asked.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be falling for this,¡± Liandra said sharply. ¡°I bet there hasn¡¯t been a treasure for generations.¡±


    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s a treasure. Maybe not as much as before, but¡ª¡±


    Before the ring could finish, the heroine had quickly put it back into the pouch.


    ¡°What did you do that for?¡± The avatar looked at her.


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t helping. Even if what she said was true, there¡¯s no time for treasure hunting. In a few days, the kids will start dropping off. We need to find a way to get out of here before that. Not to mention¡ª¡±


    ¡°I asked for the vault,¡± Theo interrupted. ¡°Not the treasure.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± The avatar crossed his arms, giving himself time to think. ¡°Sometimes you surprise me. You saw the castle, right? It¡¯s a chaotic mess of cursed items and rooms and hallways arranged in random fashion. There¡¯s no way an abomination would stay there. If it¡¯s anywhere, it will be below ground, hiding in what used to be the core chamber of the previous occupant of the estate.¡±


    Liandra paused for a moment, then paused some more. There was just enough logic in what the baron was saying for her to find what she wanted to hear.


    ¡°You¡¯re saying the tunnels were created by a dungeon?¡± she asked.


    ¡°This whole estate is built on the corpse of a dungeon,¡± the avatar said with absolute conviction. ¡°The vault doesn¡¯t lead to a treasure room. It¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°The way to the core of the dungeon,¡± Liandra finished the sentence for him. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t be sure about anything.¡± As anyone experienced in office culture, Theo was quick to instill some conditions he could later use as excuses. ¡°But it¡¯s better than wandering aimlessly about. As you said, we have a limited amount of time. A few days and the kids will be useless. But if we find the abomination¡¯s lair by then, we have a chance of doing something about it. After all, I have a few spells just for such an occasion,¡± he lied.


    Now came another moment of truth. Had the dungeon managed to convince the heroine, or had he gone over the top?


    For several long seconds, Liandra kept staring into his eyes without budging a muscle. Then, her right hand moved to the pouch.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re right about this.¡± She took the ring out. ¡°So, where¡¯s the vault?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Interested, are you?¡± The ring asked smugly. ¡°You can¡¯t seriously think I¡¯ll just tell you that? Before that, we must come to some sort of arrangement. It¡¯s only fair that you promise to let me go in exchange for that information. As a heroine, your word will suffice. I wouldn¡¯t dream of you accusing me of lying, after all.¡±


    ¡°Here¡¯s the arrangement,¡± Liandra said unceremoniously. ¡°You tell us how to get to the vault and my friend won¡¯t use his ice needles on you. And believe me, with his skills, he can create a lot more than needles.¡±


    With this, the negotiations came to a quick resolution. The ring promised that she would lead them to the vault in exchange for a pain-free journey. Naturally, it was stipulated that all traps and guardians¡ªshould such appear¡ªwere entirely the responsibility of the group.


    Since Theo was eager to get to the treasure, he quickly agreed. On their part, since everyone else was certain that the baron had a well-thought-out plan, they agreed as well. In less than a minute, the group was already making its way through the maze of tunnels, following the directions of the ring.


    Every now and again the dungeon¡¯s avatar would instruct the group to step on a certain spot on the floor, or push a conspicuous-looking tile on the wall. It was ¡°pure coincidence¡± three times out of five a trap would be triggered, causing steel spikes to pierce through the avatar, or release a small group of skeletal guardians. The first was ruinous for the attire, but not a big deal. The second was an excuse for the trio of adventurers to gain a bit of actual training. Theo found the idea wasteful, but Liandra kept insisting that he stop looking after the trio and let them experience the real world for a change. Given that the only potential core points were negligible, the baron agreed. Reaching the vault was far more important, even if it was clear that the ring had no intention of keeping her end of the bargain.


    ¡°Oh dear,¡± she said in the fakest tone possible. ¡°I think I might have gotten lost again.¡±


    This was probably the tenth time she had come up with the excuse, and it was starting to get old.


    ¡°I think we have to start from the beginning.¡±


    A rather large ice needle emerged in the avatar¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m being honest!¡± she almost shrieked in fear. ¡°Maybe I was a bit careless on occasion, but one can¡¯t just reach the vault by pressing a simple switch. The place would have been robbed centuries ago, if it were so simple. A specific number of switches must be activated in a specific order, at which point the true path will be revealed.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s just making it up,¡± Liandra said.


    No doubt there was a lot of truth to that, but deep down, Theo was convinced that the vault existed. Furthermore, he had never counted on the ring¡¯s truthfulness to begin with. The hours spent walking¡ªand quite often flying¡ªthrough the corridors had allowed him to make a perfect image of the maze in his head. If initially his fire scrying had provided a basic layout, the secret tunnels had filled in most of the empty spaces in between. Currently, there were only three large sections unaccounted for with the potential of holding the vault. One was on the south-east corner of the estate, the second¡ªhalf-a-mile north. As for the third, they were standing right in front of it. What looked like a dead-end tunnel was actually a potential doorway to Theo¡¯s goal.


    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯ll get it next time, I promise,¡± the ring insisted.


    Ignoring her, the avatar made his way to the wall in question and placed his hand on it.


    Instantly, a new corridor formed, connecting to an empty chamber further in.


    ¡°I knew it!¡± the baron said triumphantly.


    Thanks to the light provided by the bubbled fireballs, he could see outlines of several finely crafted statues.


    ¡°Start from the beginning, eh?¡± He glanced at the ring which was firmly held by Liandra. ¡°Excuse me if I skip all that.¡± The avatar hurried forward, followed by a pair of floating spheres.


    As more light filled the chamber, a lot more became visible. The area was indeed a large stone door with two warriors sculpted out of stone on either side. To be more precise, one of them appeared to be a typical warrior clad in full plate armor, with a two-handed sword and massive shield. The other, although muscular, was unmistakably a wizard gripping a once impressive spell staff.


    ¡°A mage and a warrior,¡± Ulf noted. ¡°Just like you two.¡±


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s an ancient prophecy?¡± Amelia asked, with sparkles in her eyes. ¡°The two of you must have been chosen to¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just two chunks of stone next to a door,¡± the avatar grumbled.


    Ever since his experience with the elves, he didn¡¯t like prophecies. Of course, he took special care to cast a few identify spells on the statues to be sure that they weren''t cursed. Somewhat surprisingly, they weren¡¯t. In fact, nothing in the entire chamber was cursed or alive, just very old.


    The stone door itself was as high as a two-story building, with hundreds of elements carved into it. Every one of them could serve as a trigger to the opening mechanism, or just another trap.


    ¡°Any idea how to open it?¡± The avatar turned to the ring.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t supposed to be here,¡± it replied, seemingly terrified.


    Theo didn¡¯t believe her performance for one bit. Even without all the recent ¡°accidents¡± the ring was a two-faced, scheming, abomination-inflicted, vicious liar.


    ¡°Never mind. I¡¯ll open it myself.¡± He stepped in front of the door, placing his hand on the stone surface.


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand! This isn¡¯t the entrance to the vault! If you open it, there¡¯s no telling¡ª¡±


    It was already too late. An entrance sized hallway had emerged in the stone.


    You have destroyed the memories of Legendary Archmage Gregord and World Hero Leopold Ygreil.


    Memoria¡¯s Tomb is now unsealed!


    Both Theo and his avatar froze. Having surprise notifications appear was never a good sign. Destroying memories of legendary figures was even worse. Very slowly, the baron took a step back and looked at Liandra.


    ¡°Say, you didn¡¯t happen to feel anything strange, did you?¡± he asked in the faint hope that the message was more a warning than anything ominous.


    ¡°Memoria¡¯s tomb¡­¡± Liandra muttered. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say that your castle was built on Memoria¡¯s tomb!¡± she yelled at the ruby ring.


    ¡°I told him not to touch it!¡± Lady Leevek shrieked, more terrified of what had happened than Liandra herself. ¡°How should I know that anything of the sort was actually here? I definitely didn¡¯t expect some idiot baron to unseal it!¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± the avatar shouted. ¡°What the heck is Memoria¡¯s tomb?¡±


    Before anyone could answer, the floor, ceiling, and all four walls retreated in their respective directions, building a catacomb of structures, corridors, and stairwells. Suddenly, Theo felt right in the middle of an M.C. Escher painting.

 (Book 2) 19. Memorias Tomb

    ¡°I must say, having this outside was a splendid idea, dear,¡± Baroness Elderion said as she sipped her sapphire tea.


    Of the entire town, she was the only person who had developed the habit of drinking it, possibly because she was the only person in the kingdom whose trade interests frequently came upon the substance. Although lacking any medical qualities, it had a far more pleasant taste than the local herb concoctions. In many aspects, it could be compared to wine with the difference that it didn¡¯t cause any hangovers or stomach issues.


    ¡°Would you care for some?¡± the noblewoman asked, at which point one of her maids instantly approached with a fine crystal teapot on a silver platter.


    ¡°Thank you, Baroness,¡± Spok nodded politely.


    This was the first time she had been invited to a leisure activity. The whole thing was an entirely new notion. The guardian was familiar with the concept¡ªmostly thanks to Cmyk¡ªyet her conscious self still rejected it. For a being that was created only to assist its dungeon, free time was only meant to preempt any possible catastrophe coming to Theo.


    ¡°Is there anything wrong, dear?¡± The baroness gave Spok a concerned look. ¡°You seem somewhat anxious.¡±


    ¡°My apologies, Baroness.¡± Spok retained her calm. Still, it was impressive that the baroness had noticed anything at all. No wonder she was on the town council. ¡°I just never expected to be invited to such an¡­¡± She paused for a few seconds. ¡°¡­event. It¡¯s usually Baron d¡¯Argent that¡ª¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no doubt that the baron has had an impact on Rosewind,¡± Baroness Elderion interrupted. ¡°However, not when it comes to the minute details of everyday life. Everyone on the council is fully aware that you are running things.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only doing what is expected of me,¡± the spirit guide said, but deep inside she appreciated being noticed.


    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s not his fault. He¡¯s a mage, after all. They tend to be, if you excuse the expression, a bit light on responsibilities.¡± The woman took another sip of her tea, then placed the cup¡ªa quarter full, as etiquette demanded¡ªon the table. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that soon enough we¡¯ll be dealing with you directly, so I thought I¡¯d take the opportunity to get to know you better.¡±


    A maid approached, filling up the cup with tea.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be the first, let me assure you. As you know perfectly well, appearances are deceiving.¡±


    Had Theo been listening in, half the shutters in town would have creaked open. Fortunately, Spok was of far calmer and more practical disposition. It was not like her to jump to conclusions, especially since she had already noticed what the noblewoman was telling her. Despite their apparent shortcomings, the town council wasn¡¯t just a collection of has-been nobles with large appetites and peculiar habits. Every single one of them was cunning, hiding their true power. In many ways they were acting no different than the dungeon. Unlike him, though, they had a lot less to hide.


    ¡°This new adventuring notion your baron started,¡± the baroness continued. ¡°It has its benefits, but also requires a lot of groundwork. Since you¡¯re practically controlling half the real-estate in Rosewind, I would expect you to take a more active part in¡­ reorganization matters.¡±


    ¡°Baroness, I¡¯m merely a caretaker,¡± Spok said, not a hair out of place. ¡°Naturally, I shall do my best to assist the baron and my council.¡±


    ¡°Naturally.¡±


    Sensing the unspoken order of her mistress, a servant approached from the woman¡¯s mansion, unrolling a large scroll of paper on the table. On it was a map of the town. It was skillfully made containing all the recent changes, but that wasn¡¯t all. Three new districts were also present, continuing onward from the town walls.


    ¡°Nothing is official, but if the baron¡¯s plan succeeds, it''s inevitable that the city would grow, quite possibly in this fashion.¡±


    ¡°Three new districts,¡± Spok noted. By the look of things, the future territory had already been divided.


    ¡°It¡¯s speculation, but I suspect that we¡¯ll come to such an agreement.¡±


    ¡°Would any of them belong to the baron?¡± the spirit guide asked the obvious question.


    ¡°Why, all of them will belong to him, my dear.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t a response that Spok expected. The surprise forced her to take her cup of sapphire tea and take a sip. Unfortunately, she could feel no taste whatsoever.


    ¡°I must admit, Baroness, I¡¯m at a loss. I got the impression that the council wasn¡¯t particularly fond of the baron¡¯s recent real-estate acquisitions. Has this changed?¡±


    ¡°So, it¡¯s actually possible to surprise you.¡± The baroness afforded herself a smug smile. ¡°I suppose that after serving someone like the baron for so long, it must seem strange. The simple truth is that success and ownership are two completely different things. None of us are particularly interested in owning vast amounts of land. We do it because it¡¯s better than the alternative.¡±


    ¡°Even Earl Rosewind?¡±


    ¡°Especially him. That sly old fox has been giving things away any chance he gets.¡±


    ¡°You asked me here to tell me that you won¡¯t stop the baron from growing his domain?¡±


    Provided that Theo managed to deal with his hunger issue, that would be an excellent offer, possibly too good to be true.


    ¡°Absolutely. What I would like to agree with you beforehand is the location, size, and function of the buildings in the new districts. Oh, and the extremely favorable rent conditions, of course.¡±


    Now, everything was made clear. There was no better builder than a dungeon. Even mages couldn¡¯t come close. The earl had noticed that ever since the baron¡¯s mansion had first emerged in the empty plot. Making Theodor the protector of the town was merely an excuse to assess his capabilities. Now that the town was better than ever, even after a devastating goblin battle, it was natural for him to be the first choice of any future expansions.


    Spok would have to spend some time explaining everything to her dungeon, but it was a rather good deal, just like a symbiotic relationship: Theo would be allowed to grow, and the nobles would be able to make use of certain facilities without having to pay construction and maintenance costs. Quite clever, indeed.


    ¡°Is there anything specific you have in mind, Baroness?¡± Spok asked, placing her cup on the table.


    ¡°Many things, but that¡¯s for a later time. I just wanted to be the first to open negotiations with you. Besides, I needed an excuse to dedicate some time to myself. Rest is good in small amounts, after all.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it, Baroness.¡±


    ¡°Ah, youth,¡± the woman said with a bittersweet smile. ¡°I remember when I looked down on rest as well.¡±


    Another servant approached with a silver platter containing a variety of scrolls and letters. All of them had wax seals, indicating they were of substantial importance.


    Once the platter was placed before the baroness, the man rolled up the map of Rosewind and handed it to Spok.


    ¡°One more thing.¡± The Baroness broke the seal of a scroll and started skimming through. ¡°You will no doubt get other offers regarding the town¡¯s enlargement. I hope you¡¯ll keep in mind that I was the first to approach you.¡± Scoffing at the scroll, the woman placed it on the table and took another one. ¡°And be cautious of family relations. They have the nasty tendency of avoiding you until the moment you become successful.¡±


    The second scroll fared worse than the first. After a quick skim, it was tossed aside as well.


    Aware of the intricacies of polite etiquette, Spok was about to make a random unrelated comment about families and society, when she noticed something unexpected on the platter. Among the letters one wasn¡¯t like the others. For one thing it emanated a faint air of magic. That, in itself, wasn¡¯t alarming. Many people used magic to send letters¡ªit made the experience faster and more secure. The seal of the letter, though, was something that the spirit guide had seen recently; it belonged to the family whose estate had been taken over by the abomination Theo was currently trapped in.


    ¡°Thank you for the invaluable advice, Baroness,¡± Spok said, her voice ringing with sincerity to the point that the noblewoman looked up from her letter. ¡°Considering what you told me, I think attack would be the best approach.¡±


    ¡°Attack, my dear?¡± A single note of uncertainty rang in the baroness¡¯ voice.


    ¡°Of course. Instead of letting the other members of the councils approach me with their offers, I intend to visit them.¡± As she spoke, the spirit guide used telekinesis on the cursed letter, snatching it from the pile and pulling it off the table, as if it had been caught by the wind.


    Normally, it would be a servant¡¯s job to pick it up, yet doing so while one¡¯s mistress and her guest were talking was considered beyond rude.


    ¡°That way I could set the terms,¡± Spok continued. ¡°As the saying goes, Baroness, there can be only one first impression.¡± Further manipulating the letter, the spirit guide caused it to float beneath the table. ¡°You were the first to approach me, which means that no one else did.¡±


    ¡°My, my.¡± The baroness smiled. ¡°You¡¯re quite vicious when it comes to business, my dear.¡±


    ¡°As you said, Baroness, I deal with the day-to-day responsibilities of my baron. It would be a disservice to him if I didn¡¯t do my utmost best.¡±


    ¡°Now I see why I can¡¯t find any good assistants. The best ones are already taken.¡±


    With the conversation coming to an end, a servant quickly approached the table, then knelt down and picked up the letter, handing it to the baroness. The woman opened it¡­ revealing nothing.


    ¡°There always is one,¡± she grumbled, turning it around just to make sure it was empty on both sides. ¡°I suppose I should be glad that it wasn¡¯t one of those trade schemes. Make sure I never get any of those ever again.¡± She turned to the servant.


    ¡°Yes, milady.¡± The man bowed, taking the letter and quickly stepping back.


    Spok calmly observed the exchange. Deep inside, she was worried. If one abomination letter had made it to Rosewind, it was inevitable that more would follow.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Beneath the table, the real cursed letter quietly floated to the spirit guide¡¯s hand. This time, she had been lucky. If the baroness had dealt with her letters any sooner or later, things would have turned out quite differently. It was only thanks to Spok¡¯s quick thinking that she had pulled the letter out of sight and used some simple magic to create a fake replica.


    ¡°If you would excuse me, Baroness, I need to return to my duties,¡± she said, sliding the letter into the map scroll.


    ¡°So soon?¡±


    ¡°Sadly so. Despite his appearance, the baron demands perfection. Whether he knows it or not.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I understand. Well, go along, dear. I find our talk pleasant and productive. We should do it again sometime.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we will, Baroness.¡±


    Standing up in a brisk but elegant motion, Spok bowed to the noblewoman, then turned around, walking away in a brisk step. She took special care only to step on the paved sections of town that belonged to the dungeon. Turning a corner¡ªand making sure that no one nearby was paying any particular attention¡ªshe disappeared, reappearing in Baron d¡¯Argent¡¯s mansion.


    ¡°I believe there¡¯s some trouble, sir.¡± She took the cursed letter from the map and looked at it.


    ¡°I¡¯m in enough trouble as it is, Spok,¡± the dungeon grumbled. ¡°Do you have any idea what¡ª¡±


    ¡°Cursed letters have appeared in town, sir,¡± the spirit guide interrupted.


    ¡°Huh? What?¡± All doors and shutters of the building instantly closed in a reflexive attempt of the dungeon to quarantine the cursed item.


    There could be no doubt about it, of course. Theo could feel the same stickiness that accompanied all the curses his avatar had come across.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± he asked. ¡°Sure for sure?¡±


    ¡°I took the letter from Baroness Elderion, sir.¡±


    ¡°How the heck did she get one? This was supposed to be a quiet, boring town! The whole reason I went on this cursed adventure was to prevent that from happening.¡± A long pause followed in which Spok stood there motionless as a statue. ¡°And maybe some other stuff.¡±


    ¡°There are several possibilities I could think of. It¡¯s possible that the abomination has kept on sending letters and they¡¯ve reached Rosewind.¡±


    The explanation was perfectly logical, but as Theo knew from personal experience, the best option never turned out to come true. If he knew the universe, there was something else lurking beneath the surface¡ªsomething that he wouldn¡¯t like.


    ¡°Or?¡± the dungeon said.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± The spirit guide adjusted her glasses. ¡°It¡¯s possible that the abomination has started to affect you.¡±


    ¡°No way! I would have known if that had happened.¡±


    Even as he said that, the dungeon ran all sorts of spells on itself. Everything seemed to be in perfect order. His energy levels were adequate. The slimes remained isolated in certain corridors. There were no cracks or dysfunctional chambers. Thanks to the blood spider core his avatar had consumed, even the hunger had subsided for a day. Could it be that he was wrong, though?


    Suddenly, Theo had a realization. Curses didn¡¯t only affect the person they came into contact with. While, thanks to a few overpowered skills and the unusual nature of his avatar, he and his group had avoided any curses in the estate. However, there was one that had affected him; the very same one that had taken them there to begin with¡ªthe so-called noble quest. Given the capabilities of magic, it would have been easy for the abomination to pinpoint their location, then focus on infecting the town.


    ¡°Crap!¡± The dungeon lifted all the furniture in the main mansion, then slammed it onto the floor several times. ¡°Where the heck is Paris when you need her?!¡± Now he had to find and kill the abomination that much faster. ¡°Find and destroy all the letters,¡± he ordered.


    ¡°Me, sir?¡± Spok blinked. She had gotten used to the vast number of responsibilities she was given, but this was a bit too much.


    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with the abomination. You make sure nothing happens to the other side of town.¡±


    As a rule, spirit guides didn¡¯t have the right to object to the orders to their dungeon. Yet even one not granted precedented amounts of autonomy would have some common sense, would have explained that was impossible on several levels. For starters, there was no way for Spok to set foot outside the dungeon. Furthermore, doing so increased the risk of someone finding out her¡ªand by extension, Theo¡¯s¡ªtrue nature.


    Yet, as the universe had seen, extraordinary beings gave rise to other extraordinary beings.


    ¡°Of course, sir,¡± Spok replied. ¡°I¡¯ll get on it right away. Was there anything else you needed assistance with?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you know.¡±


    ¡°Of course, sir.¡±


    In perfectly calm fashion, the spirit guide went to the staircase, then climbed all the way to the top floor. There, she used some of the power granted to her by the dungeon to create an anti-magic box in which she put the cursed letter. The spell wasn¡¯t something she was pleased with, but it would do for the time being.


    A sudden thump sounded in the corner, as if someone had dropped a very heavy ball of cloth.


    Immediately, Spok looked over her shoulder.


    ¡°Maximilian?¡± she asked in a disapproving tone. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    The overly fat rabbit didn¡¯t reply, staying where he was and looking straight forward, as if the spirit guide didn¡¯t exist.


    ¡°No, you won¡¯t get more food.¡± The woman went up to the creature. ¡°Honestly. Cmyk has been pampering you too much.¡±


    The rabbit just looked at her, then back forward.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have a talk about this.¡± Spok created a cushion on the floor, then lifted the rabbit with telekinesis and placed it on it. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, sir?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t hear you, Spok.¡± Theo replied in an almost childish fashion.


    ¡°Yes, we will,¡± the spirit guide told the rabbit. ¡°Now, stay there and don¡¯t cause any trouble.¡±


    With that, there was one thing left to do. As much as the spirit guide didn¡¯t appreciate the thought, it seemed that the only being that could assist her in the current task was the gnome that had recently come under the dungeon¡¯s employment. In general, gnomes were a good addition to any dungeon. Yet, free of demonic influence or not, Spok had her doubts when it came to Switches. He didn¡¯t have any debt, which made his desire voluntary and that was suspicious in itself. Sadly, today, she¡¯d be forced to rely on him.


    Summoning a piece of paper, Spoke wrote a note containing the words, ¡°Come here at once with the gnome¡±, and magicked it to Cmyk. Now, she could only wait.


    Meanwhile, Theo¡¯s avatar had problems of his own.


    CORE CONSUMPTION


    1 Skeletal Warrior Minion core fragment converted into 500 Avatar Core Points.


    Skeletal warriors were among the more annoying enemies, especially when there were many of them. They were skilled, fast, and completely immune to piercing damage. To make matters more annoying, these made excellent use of the weird environment.


    ¡°How many more are there?¡± Amelia shouted.


    She and Avid were back-to-back, fending off a trio of skeletons that surrounded them. The bony entities were taking turns attacking, then pulling back out of reach of the adventurers.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about that,¡± Liandra said, shattering two skeletons with a sword arc strike. ¡°Focus on staying alive.¡±


    Fireballs and shards of ice kept on flying as the avatar kept on trying to hit a group of skeletal archers. The pesky creatures were doing an outstanding job of taking shelter right before the moment they would get hit.


    A massive skeletal warrior leaped down from above, his two-handed ax determined to split the baron in two. Before he could, an aether sphere appeared around him.


    Not giving up, the minion slammed at the sphere¡¯s surface with the ax. Nothing happened.


    ¡°Indestructible,¡± the avatar said. ¡°But you aren¡¯t.¡±


    Using telekinesis, the baron shook the sphere with the intensity of a child on a sugar rush shaking a snow globe.


    The aether sphere went up and down, then side to side, slamming into walls, floors, and ceilings rattling all the way. Eight seconds later, the sphere had pretty much turned into a very exotic rattle. Once the invulnerability ended, Theo smashed the sphere a few feet away from him. Bones spilled all over the floor.


    CORE CONSUMPTION


    1 Skeletal Warrior Minion core fragment converted into 500 Avatar Core Points.


    AVATAR LEVEL INCREASE


    Your Avatar has become Level 24.


    +1 Speed, ACROBATICS skill obtained.


    4400 Core Points required for next Avatar Level.


    ACROBATICS - 1


    Allows you to perform acrobatic feats.


    Using the skill increases its rank, increasing the acrobatics performance.


    The skill was far from useful. Flight and telekinesis achieved the same result, even if at a slight cost. Regardless, the speed was a pleasant boost.


    ¡°There are only three left!¡± Ulf shouted as he charged against his opponent, crushing him against the wall. Other than Theo and Liandra, he was the most efficient fighter, having killed a total of four skeletons so far. On the opposite scale was Octavian. Lacking wide spaces, the griffin couldn¡¯t manage a proper attack. Confronted with tight spaces, relatively low ceilings, and an abundance of enemy arrows, it did what any cat would do in the circumstances: perch a safe distance away, carefully observing the scene for the precise moment to attack.


    ¡°Everyone, come here!¡± the avatar shouted.


    Fearing the unknown more than the skeletons, each of the people not engaged with skeletons quickly rushed towards the baron. Liandra spent a few more seconds swinging her two-handed sword, more as a means to keep the creatures at bay, then joined them.


    ¡°Finally,¡± the avatar grumbled with the annoyance of a short-tempered manager, then leapt up. Twisting his body thanks to his newly acquired acrobatic skills, the baron intensified his ice magic.


    ¡°Ice cubes!¡± he shouted, casting thousands of them in all directions.


    Perfect chunks filled the space, bouncing off every surface in sight, and hitting any unfortunate skeleton that dared to show itself during the process.


    On their own, each cube caused no more than a bruise¡ªor scratch in the case of skeletal minions¡ªyet that didn¡¯t account for the amount. Disoriented by the multitude of hits, several skeletons were slowly hailed to death. Those that managed to take shelter remained there for ten seconds more¡ªwhich they believed to be the point at which their enemy would run out of mana¡ªat which point they reemerged, only to suffer the same fate.


    Ten more seconds passed, then twenty, then thirty.


    Piles of ice began to form as there were too many ice cubes to be pushed away by the new batch.


    ¡°I think you got them!¡± Liandra shouted, yet to no avail.


    The avatar continued spraying cubes in all directions for a quarter of a minute. He would have continued more if it wasn¡¯t for a new message that appeared before his eyes.


    ICE MAGIC - ULTRA


    Allows the creation of Ice Elementals of your size.


    WARNING! A Mind value of 100 is required for you to effectively command the Ice Elemental.


    ¡°A¡­ h-h-hundred?¡± the avatar stuttered, floating depressed to the floor. He needed a hundred mind to make use of that skill? That was a scam if he¡¯d ever seen one. In his main body, he could make a minion just like that without any prerequisites whatsoever!


    ¡°Quiet!¡± Liandra said, taking a small orange vial from her belt and smashing it into the ground. Glowing liquid covered the floor in the small area deprived of ice. After a second, the color faded away, leaving behind the number sixty.


    ¡°We have sixty more?¡± Avid asked.


    ¡°No.¡± the heroine put her sword away. ¡°That¡¯s how much time we have until they respawn. We better get out of this place.¡±


    ¡°Where, though?¡± Ulf looked about. ¡°This place is a maze that goes on in all directions.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. As long as it isn¡¯t here, we¡¯ll have better odds at staying alive.¡±


    No one had the will to argue. At the same time, traveling with the avatar had pampered them quite a bit. Instead of rushing off in a random direction, all of them turned to the baron, looking at him expectantly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll start charging you mana.¡± He crossed his arms. Still, even he knew that there was no better course of action, so he levitated them all off the floor and cast aether spheres around them. ¡°Just one thing before we go. You never said what Memoria¡¯s tomb was.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know that?¡± Muffled indignation came from Liandra¡¯s half-open pouch. ¡°To think that my collection was ruined by such uncultured savages. I¡ª¡±


    The heroine quickly tightened the pouch.


    ¡°Memoria¡¯s tomb is a prison,¡± she explained. ¡°More specifically, it¡¯s a memory created by Archmage Gregord to hold beings too dangerous to be let loose and too powerful to be destroyed.¡±


    ¡°Great. And there¡¯s one of those beneath the castle?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that difficult. All this is just an illusion of space created by magic. The tomb is probably no larger than a single room. The door we saw before getting here was probably the lock. When you destroyed it, it brought us here, as it does everyone who risks releasing whatever¡¯s inside.¡±


    That didn¡¯t sound particularly good. It did make sense to have it, though.


    ¡°I guess the abomination is locked in here,¡± the avatar noted.


    ¡°It¡¯s possible. Abominations have a tendency to leak through. Its body is probably locked somewhere here, while part of its power must have cursed and corrupted the estate¡¯s inhabitants.¡±


    ¡°Turning them to jewelry,¡± the avatar said beneath his breath. ¡°So, what¡¯s the way out?¡±


    Liandra merely looked at him.


    ¡°There is a way out, right?¡± he asked in a more insistent tone.


    ¡°The only way to end the memory is to destroy the creature it was meant to imprison. We must find the abomination and kill it before it affects us.¡±

 (Book 2) 20. A Spirit Guides Dilemma

    Cmyk remained perfectly still in the middle of the study, still gripping the letter sent to him. The moment he had received it, he knew that something was wrong. Nothing good came out of letters addressed to him. Ulf and his other friends never bothered, choosing to pass by in person instead. Scrolls and letters came with obligations¡ªunrefusable suggestions at best, direct orders to do work at worst. This one combined the two, coming from the person he feared the most in the world.


    Please come to the mansion at once and bring the gnome with you.


    Spok d¡¯Esprit


    That was all that the message contained. It was short, direct, and with enough unspoken undertones to make him grab Switches by the neck and rush back to Rosewind.


    Now, here he was standing five steps away from the spirit guide¡¯s desk, fearful of what might happen.


    ¡°The detail is really impressive.¡± Switches adjusted his large glasses, looking at a painting on the wall. ¡°You¡¯ve really gone all out. I can almost not see the magic that went into making it. Do you have art aspirations?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Theo said in a bashful voice. Despite his previous life and the current situation of his avatar, he remained weak to certain types of flattery. And while direct compliments made him seem suspicious, complimenting his work put him in a far more favorable mood. ¡°I dabble.¡±


    ¡°I knew a dungeon which was very into art. It would hire renowned sculptors just to copy their craft.¡± The gnome slid a finger along the painting frame. ¡°It was a huge scandal. It later turned out that the dungeon was creating identical replicas of masterpieces and selling them under its own assumed name. I tell you people weren¡¯t able to distinguish between the fakes and the real thing. It got so bad that a few guilds to together and hired a hero to¡ª¡±


    ¡°I created the decorations,¡± Spok said from her desk in an icy tone. ¡°That isn¡¯t the reason I called you here.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Pity.¡± The gnome sighed. ¡°So, what¡¯s up? You want me to report on the flying golem?¡±


    The moment Switches said that, several doors and windows in the building quietly closed shut.


    ¡°Flying golem?¡± Spok asked, leaning back like a headmistress just hearing an incriminating account from a delinquent student.


    ¡°You definitely know how to give me a challenge,¡± the gnome said with a smile, shaking a finger towards the wall. ¡°Making anything substantial with the stuff you gave me was impossible, so I improvised.¡±


    ¡°Switches¡­¡± Theo attempted to interrupt, but the gnome wasn¡¯t having it.


    ¡°I mean, sure, maybe I could make a walking set of armor, but that just wouldn¡¯t do. So, I improvised.¡± Switches grinned. ¡°Had to cut through the sections of the airship and get the mana core. Was bloody difficult. Cmyk helped a lot.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Cmyk helped, did he?¡± The spirit guide gave the minion a glance.


    Feeling the pressure in the air, Cmyk glanced at the oblivious gnome. Right at this moment, he felt as guilty and annoyed as the dungeon.


    ¡°You bet!¡± Switches continued. ¡°He¡¯s really good at cutting through steel with sharp instruments. It was like the whole thing was made of butter.¡± He grinned widely. ¡°I¡¯d say that with that mana source, I¡¯ll be able to make a whole fleet of gliders, not to mention a massive metal colossus. Just as instructed.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Spok took off her glasses, put them on the desk, then crossed her arms. As a spirit guide, she didn¡¯t need to do any of that, but as she had found, this was a subtle way of making her displeasure clear. By the looks of it, it was working rather well. ¡°That might be a topic for a later conversation, but it isn¡¯t why I called you.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± The gnome¡¯s ears perked up in curiosity. ¡°Not my magnificent fleet of gliders?¡±


    ¡°The reason is that I¡¯d like you to make something for me.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Switches grinned again, then rushed to the desk. Due to his height, only the tips of his ears were visible, which was quickly fixed by him climbing onto the desk. ¡°You saw my fliers, didn¡¯t you? I¡ª¡±


    A loud crunching sound followed. Time froze. Everyone in the room remained quiet as Switches looked down. Half of Spok¡¯s glasses stuck out from under his foot. The other half had been mercilessly crushed.


    Only the gnome¡¯s eyes moved, shifting their focus between the broken glasses and Spok.


    ¡°It was impossible not to notice.¡± The spirit guide reached into the air, where a new pair of glasses materialized. ¡°In any event, I want you to construct me a device that would allow me to venture beyond the limits of the dungeon.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving?!¡± Theo asked, almost in panic. In his previous life, he had seen employees quit. In his experience, it was nearly always the good ones that did so. It was always sudden and without any prior warning, although in retrospect, one would say that the warning signs were there.


    Could spirit guides quit? Theo had no idea. Up to now he had been left with the impression that they couldn¡¯t, which was why he kept on delegating responsibilities to Spok. If his assumption turned out to be wrong, that would change everything. Just thinking of all the things he¡¯d have to do on his own made the dungeon¡¯s consciousness spin. While one might argue that he was starting to get the hang of acting like a dungeon, there were all the social interactions that came with living in a town. Spok handled his correspondence, dealt with money, talked with people, and generally ensured that everything was as it should be. Not to mention that she had actual knowledge of the world and Theo¡¯s capabilities. Without her, he wouldn¡¯t be able to learn a new spell, let alone create new chambers.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to in order to check for cursed letters, sir,¡± Spok calmly replied. ¡°As you requested.¡±


    ¡°Oh, of course.¡± The dungeon felt relieved.


    ¡°A spirit guide leaving the dungeon.¡± Switches sat on the desk, then started tapping his chin with a finger. ¡°That¡¯s a new one.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure. But as you¡¯ve seen, nothing related to Theo is ordinary.¡±


    ¡°Does it have to be you? I mean, minions usually take care of that. They don¡¯t have location limitations for the most part. It would be easy for you to take over their consciousness and¡ª¡±


    Both Cmyk and Spok pulled back, disgusted and terrified at the thought. Even Theo found the idea mind boggling. Having the lazy minion walking about town with the intellect of Spok was an abomination that wasn¡¯t meant for any universe.


    ¡°No!¡± the spirit guide said firmly, before Theo had a chance to.


    ¡°No?¡± Switches appeared confused. ¡°Well, I guess you could use a living tunnel, then. Just create a path or tunnel that moves anywhere you need to go. Not the most elegant solution, but it works.¡±


    ¡°Switches, the idea is for me to remain incognito,¡± the dungeon said in an annoyed voice. ¡°I don¡¯t want the entire town to know.¡±


    ¡°No one will suspect a thing!¡± the gnome insisted. ¡°Trust me! You just add a sign that reads ¡®Magic Tunnel¡¯ and everyone will¡ª¡±


    ¡°Are you an idiot?!¡± All the furniture in the room shook. ¡°Creating a building out of thin air is one thing. Having a stone tunnel move about is completely different! Besides, how do I get into buildings that aren¡¯t part of me? I¡¯ll break them.¡±


    ¡°Not if you¡¯re good at controlling the size and shape of the tunnel. Besides, if you break something, it¡¯ll be the perfect excuse to ¡®rebuild it,¡¯¡± the gnome said, making air quotes.


    ¡°Oh, so I¡¯m to secretly invade and replace the entire town now?¡± If Theo had arms, he¡¯d have crossed them. Since he didn¡¯t, the dungeon twisted the entire wall behind Spok in similar fashion.


    ¡°No one will notice. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time a dungeon has done it. Besides, what are they going to say? ¡±


    ¡°The point,¡± Spok said, raising her voice slightly to end the bickering, ¡°is for me to go where I want. If I can only meet people within a¡­ magic tunnel, people might start asking questions.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± The gnome scratched his ear. This wasn¡¯t something he had considered.


    ¡°The reason for which I had you brought here was precisely because there are no convenient ways of achieving this. You claim to be a genius, after all,¡± the spirit guide noted reluctantly. ¡°Can you do it?¡±


    ¡°I have to think. It goes against a fundamental rule of nature. It¡¯s impressive enough that you have an avatar¡­¡±


    ¡°As Theodor would say, money is no object. All that is required is that you do it fast.¡±


    The latter was a given. Dungeons always wanted everything done yesterday, except when it came to covering their daily upkeep. Now, there were two challenges he had to deal with. On the other hand, if Switches were to do a favor for Spok, it was all but guaranteed that he¡¯d get the job as a dungeon gnome. From a certain angle, this was a golden opportunity.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need a few things from your main body.¡± Switches turned to the wall.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Theo grumbled.


    ¡°And a quick way in and out of my workshop.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t make portals in my condition! Cmyk will carry you.¡±


    ¡°Works for me!¡±


    ¡°Anything else?¡± Spok adjusted her second pair of glasses.


    ¡°Gold.¡± Switches nodded. ¡°As pure as possible. I¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡±


    Several stacks of glowing gold coins appeared on the desk next to the gnome. All of them were a result of Cmyk¡¯s work and one of the best crops of hay from Theo¡¯s underground gardens.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Will that be enough?¡±


    ¡°Ooooh, glow gold!¡± The gnome snatched a coin and carefully started examining it. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯ll do great.¡± He stood up, then leapt off the desk. ¡°Get that to my workshop. What¡¯s the way to the underground tunnels? I must¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish, a hole emerged beneath his feet, starting the process of sliding him to Theo¡¯s underground sections. A few seconds later, the hole disappeared, returning the room to its usual state.


    ¡°Was that a wise decision, sir?¡± Spok asked.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be fine. He survived worse.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the issue, sir. Having a maniacal gnome roam within you is¡­ daring, let¡¯s say.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. What can he do? Besides, if he tries anything, I won¡¯t make that lab he¡¯s been raving about.¡±


    It made sense, though both Spok and the dungeon kept an eye on the gnome at all times. Theo, though, was somewhat distracted. Back in the cursed estate, his avatar and the group had shifted from fighting to running.


    The skeletal minions, while an abundant source of core points, appeared to be never ending. That was one of the effects of Memoria¡¯s tomb. Destroying them only meant that another batch would appear not too long after and continue from where the last one had ended. It didn¡¯t help that the entities seemed to learn from their mistakes.


    The new batch was in full metal armor, faster, stronger, and a lot more cautious when it came to direct combat. Liandra and Theo were still capable of dispatching them, but it was getting more and more difficult. According to the heroine, the minions didn¡¯t have a lot more to go when it came to skill, but even if that remained their level, they were bound to overwhelm the group at some point.


    ¡°Are you sure this is the right direction?¡± Liandra asked.


    They had been following the avatar¡¯s directions up till now, with no indication they were getting anywhere closer to the tomb¡¯s center. As far as anyone could tell, their surroundings seemed no different from those they had appeared in. The walls and floors had an identical material and texture, the corridors, platforms, and stairways continued in all directions, and even the torches seemed the same. And yet, Theo was certain they had gone through miles of the maze so far. Not only that, but he had used his flame scrying ability to explore even more.


    ¡°Definitely,¡± he lied, without a moment¡¯s hesitation.


    The woman looked at him with an if-you-say-so expression but said nothing.


    ¡°Anything else you know about the Memoria thing?¡± Theo asked, in hope.


    ¡°You should know more than me. It¡¯s magic.¡±


    ¡°Mage towers are very strict when it comes to proprietary spells,¡± he lied again. ¡°That¡¯s why I don¡¯t discuss why my home just appeared on an empty patch of land.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense.¡±


    The dungeon was just guessing, of course, but given what he had seen of this world already, he wouldn¡¯t put it beyond the mage towers to act like corporations. For all he knew, there might be a magic patent office in which spells were carefully patented for one reason or another.


    A loud squawking sound filled the air again. The griffin was getting more and more annoying, though in this case, no one could fault him. The simple truth was that everyone, with the exception of Theo¡¯s avatar, was getting thirsty and hungry.


    ¡°Hey, hey.¡± Avid kept on petting the creature¡¯s side in an attempt to calm him down. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. We¡¯ll find food soon.¡±


    ¡°Is it a good idea to promise him that?¡± Amelia asked. Even so, she joined in, ruffling Octavian¡¯s feathers. ¡°He¡¯s not stupid.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll find food,¡± Avid repeated, not just for the benefit of the creature. ¡°We¡¯ll defeat the abomination and get out of here. Then we¡¯ll have all the food we wanted.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just make a magic tunnel or something?¡± Amelia turned to the avatar. ¡°It¡¯ll be a lot faster than flying through the maze.¡±


    ¡°My mana isn¡¯t infinite,¡± the baron snapped. In truth, he faced a far greater problem.


    For one reason or another, his room-shaping skills refused to work. Probably this was an unconventional space. He was still able to perform minor changes, but even those were getting less and less noticeable, as if the maze was adapting to his efforts.


    ¡°Spok,¡± the dungeon said back in its main body. ¡°Do you know anything more about that Memoria thing?¡±


    ¡°Nothing more that would be helpful, sir.¡± The spirit guide braced herself. There was a nine out of ten chance that Theo had something in mind¡ªsomething that she and every sane person would disapprove of.


    ¡°And it¡¯s strong enough to keep an abomination locked up?¡±


    ¡°By the looks of it, not very well. If it was adequate, there wouldn¡¯t be¡ª¡±


    ¡°I mean, the abomination must be still here, right?¡±


    ¡°Theoretically speaking, I would assume so. Containment spells have conditions attached. Unless it¡¯s a pocket dimension spell, like your ring.¡±


    That was a rather good point. Unwilling to leave everything to chance, the avatar cast an arcane identify spell.


    MEMORIA¡¯S TOMB


    (Memory Prison)


    A powerful binding spell created out of memories. The spell has the power to imprison any entity for eternity, draining the energy from its captive.


    WARNING! Memoria¡¯s Tomb current captives exceed the spell¡¯s original occupants.


    ¡°So,¡± the dungeon continued. ¡°The trap was made for the abomination. If the influence of the abomination has leaked through, maybe we can use that crack to escape?¡±


    Spok blinked.


    ¡°That¡¯s a rather good argument, sir,¡± she had to admit. ¡°It¡¯s completely mistaken, but it¡¯s a good argument. All of you have physical form. The influence abominations exert aren¡¯t physical. It¡¯s similar to the fear spell you cast at your previous location. Potentially, you might use it to send a call for help, but you¡¯re doing that already. Besides, that will only attract the attention of more heroes and adventurers.¡±


    Sadly, she had a point.


    ¡°What about the opposite, then? If the abomination¡¯s here, can we track it down using its influence?¡±


    Once again, the spirit guide remained speechless, as if struck by blessed lightning. It had taken a while for the dungeon to reach the stage of absurdity¡ªquite a bit longer than usual¡ªbut ultimately, he had reached it, as always.


    ¡°You want to find an abomination by following its corruptive influence, sir?¡± she asked, just to make sure she had understood correctly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve got a lot of options, Spok. We can¡¯t escape while it¡¯s alive, and we can¡¯t stay here. The best bet is to get to it and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve mentioned it a few times already, sir,¡± Spok interrupted. Her actual answer, however, required a bit of thought. ¡°Following the influence isn¡¯t like following a scent, sir. People affected by it are drawn to it and that in itself poses a risk. By approaching it, you risk getting corrupted faster, which defeats the purpose.¡±


    ¡°Spok¡­¡±


    ¡°If you insist, sir, the only way I can think of is to use someone as bait. You are out of the question, naturally, and I suspect so is Liandra due to her hero trait. That leaves¡­¡±


    ¡°The kids,¡± Theo finished the sentence.


    As much as he believed himself to be a heartless mass of stone occupying half the town, he couldn¡¯t just put any of the adventurers through this. If any of them got opened to corruption, there might be no turning back. In a best-case scenario, they¡¯d become like the scores of puppets that had greeted them in the ballroom earlier. Even Octavian didn¡¯t deserve to be used as bait. The bird had its faults¡ªand from the point of view of Theo, there were many indeed¡ªbut even it had a tendency to grow on people.


    ¡°You¡¯re not thinking of doing that, are you, sir?¡± the spirit guide asked.


    ¡°Thank you, Spok,¡± the dungeon said. ¡°Let me not keep you from your work.¡±


    For better or worse, a decision was made. Now it remained to be seen whether he could go through with it.


    Back in Memoria¡¯s Tomb, the avatar took a few steps to the nearest archway. A series of steps continued onwards, leading to a winding staircase as well as a corridor to a stone doorway.


    ¡°Liandra,¡± he said. ¡°Can you come here for a moment?¡±


    The marked tension in his voice was obvious to everyone.


    Without a word, the heroine joined him, about thirty feet away from the rest of the group.


    ¡°Do you happen to have a chain or a piece of rope?¡± he whispered. ¡°Or cord?¡±


    ¡°I have a chain. Why?¡±


    The avatar didn¡¯t answer immediately. The plan was logical. Objectively, it was the best option for everyone. As much as Theo hated the reasoning from his previous life, it had come down to a numbers game. Sacrifice one so that the rest might have a chance. Then again, it wasn¡¯t a guaranteed sacrifice. Maybe the person could withstand the corruption until the abomination was destroyed? Or even if not, they could get restored afterwards? Paris owned him a favor or two. Once she returned, he could ask her for a divine blessing.


    Since when have I become so sentimental? Theo asked himself.


    ¡°We must find the abomination in the next six hours,¡± he continued. ¡°After that, we won¡¯t have the strength.¡±


    ¡°Two,¡± Liandra corrected. ¡°They are already exhausted, but just don¡¯t want to show it. You¡¯ve definitely made an impression on them.¡±


    The last was meant as a compliment, but it rendered the dungeon furious instead. If they had simply said so, he wouldn¡¯t have dragged them in search of the vault.


    ¡°Seems that I have,¡± he said with the worst fake smile possible. ¡°Point is, we don¡¯t have many options and a lot of time.¡± He paused again. ¡°I think I have found a way out.¡±


    ¡°I never doubted it for a minute.¡± Liandra shook her head with a smile.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t guaranteed and a bit controversial¡­¡±


    ¡°I thought so. So, what is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll need the cursed ring,¡± the avatar began. ¡°And a chain¡­¡±


    In his mind, the dungeon aimed to tie the end of a long chain, or rope, round one of the kids¡¯ waists, then use the ring to corrupt them enough so they could lead the rest of the group to the hidden abomination. Liandra, though, understood something completely different. Before the baron could continue, she took off a small gold chain from her neck, then retrieved the ruby ring from her pouch.


    ¡°Err, when I said chain, I didn¡¯t mean¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Liandra placed the ring on the chain. ¡°My grandfather would have approved of me using it to destroy an abomination.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± He looked at the chain. This was not at all what he had in mind. ¡°Now, all we need to do is¡­¡± his words trailed off as the ring suddenly pulled away in a certain direction, as if attracted by a giant invisible magnet.


    ¡°It¡¯s reacting,¡± Liandra said. Cautiously, she moved the chain around. No matter what, the ring would always pull in one specific direction. ¡°You used the curse of the ring to turn it into an abomination compass,¡± she added. ¡°With this, we can get to the heart in less than an hour.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s precisely what I was thinking. I just didn¡¯t want to get everyone¡¯s hopes up, in case it turned out wrong.¡±


    ¡°Theo, you really should have more confidence in your abilities.¡± Liandra gave him a tap on the shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re being too much of a mage. Don¡¯t worry, though. I¡¯ll make you a hero yet.¡±


    The dungeon could cry through the smile.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just get to it before more skeletons pop out,¡± he said.


    Without delay, the heroine gave Theo the ring, then went to get the rest of the group ready. The glimmer of hope seemed to have the desired effect. Even Octavian stopped his usual complaining and eagerly flapped his wings. One could call it almost impressive if the griffin hadn¡¯t been relying on Theo¡¯s magic to fly through the maze of the prison tomb. That was probably the greatest downside royal griffins had: their high intellect made them extremely pampered. The person who had come up with the name had probably done so because they behaved like royalty, expecting everyone else to serve them.


    A few minutes later, the hunt was on. Surrounded by spherical fireballs, Baron d¡¯Argent and his group¡ªlocated in their own aether spheres¡ªflew through the three-dimensional maze that was Memoria¡¯s tomb at great speed. Any skeletons that emerged were quickly ignored, even if more often than not seeing all the potential core points go down the drain caused physical pain to the dungeon. Still, he had to keep his eyes on the prize. With luck, the abomination would drop something as potent as a demon lord core. Then, he¡¯d be able to convince Liandra to use her single hero scroll and send it to his main body, where he¡¯d consume it to gain some much-needed core points.


    Yet, there was something that troubled Theo. He couldn¡¯t put his finger on it, but something was very wrong.


    ¡°Liandra.¡± He glanced to the side. ¡°Do you feel anything strange?¡±


    ¡°Everything looks fine. There aren¡¯t any signs of corruption as far as I can see.¡± She turned around. ¡°Any of you feeling strange cravings?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± Amelia immediately replied.


    ¡°Nuh-uh.¡± Ulf shook his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Avid said, giving his usual hesitant answer.


    ¡°It¡¯s not them, it¡¯s¡­¡± Theo frowned. ¡°I feel like we¡¯re forgetting something.¡±


    ¡°Collector¡¯s syndrome,¡± Liandra explained. ¡°Probably you¡¯re upset that we didn¡¯t get to kill all the skeletons the way here. It¡¯s normal. It¡¯ll pass once we get out of here.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. I¡­ never mind.¡±


    The further they flew, the more their options diminished. Soon enough it felt like they were following a single twisting corridor that kept going on and on and on¡­ until they finally reached their destination¡ªa single archway with two hero statues placed on both sides.


    Immediately, the avatar brought the entire group to a stop. The ring was pulling away so intently that it was parallel to the floor. There could be no doubt any longer¡ªthey had arrived.

 (Book 2) 21. The Eternal Challenge of Getting Good Staff

    A triple-bubbled fireball slowly made its way towards the archway. The darkness within refused to move, remaining there like a solid wall. The moment the glowing sphere touched the threshold, the fireball and everything around it disappeared in a cloud of glowing particles.


    ¡°I hate archmages,¡± Theo grumbled beneath his breath.


    Memoria¡¯s tomb followed a completely different set of rules. Some spells were limited while others were not. Good thing that the creator of the spell hadn¡¯t considered the possibility of a heroic dungeon avatar, or the baron might have disappeared altogether. Even so, the remaining restrictions managed to get the dungeon pissed.


    ¡°What about the ring?¡± Avid suggested. ¡°You could let it go through, then ask¡ª¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no trusting her,¡± the avatar rudely interrupted. ¡°We¡¯ll be better off sending Octavian to scout for us.¡±


    The griffin squawked in alarm.


    ¡°Lia, give them some weapons. If we¡¯ll be charging in, they better be as prepared as possible.¡±


    ¡°Can you summon my own sword?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°It¡¯s custom made by one of the most prestigious craftsmen in the kingdom! The royal family almost exclusively uses his services.¡± She added with a smug expression.


    ¡°Tourist trash,¡± the avatar grumbled, causing the girl to frown.


    For one thing, he was more than familiar with similar practices. Back in his previous life, one of his superiors had the annoying habit of buying exotic weapons and talking about it non-stop. All of them were imported, insanely expensive, and could get their blade bent with a single tap on the side. Their only purpose was to look splashy on their stands next to their framed certificates of origin, never to be used in actual combat.


    For another thing, Theo had used arcane identify and found that among the series of other enchantments, there were several glamor spells aimed at making it look better than it was supposed to. Even if there was a way to bring it here, it wouldn¡¯t stand next to an official heroine¡¯s sword, and Liandra had many of them.


    ¡°He¡¯s right.¡± The heroine took out a short sword from her ring. ¡°You¡¯ll need something better.¡± She gave the weapon to Amelia who, as a hero wannabe, had completely forgotten her outrage and was looking at the weapon with stars in her eyes.


    A second weapon was given to Avid, who didn¡¯t seem at all impressed. If anything, he was slightly hesitant whether he¡¯d be able to use it adequately.


    ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± Ulf waved his hand before Liandra could give a sword to him. ¡°Mine has enough tricks on it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± The avatar crossed his arms, then cast an arcane identification on the item.


    ADVENTURER SWORD Level 5


    (Rare Blessed Item)


    A noble adventurer sword in perfect condition, despite seeing considerable use.


    The sword has been blessed to cause serious injuries at the slightest cut.


    That was not at all what the dungeon expected. Just to be certain, he repeated the spell, in case he had been wrong the first time.


    ¡°Suit yourself,¡± he grumbled, turning around towards the archway. ¡°Now, remember.¡± He took out his own legendary sword. ¡°Whatever we face in there will be nasty. Don¡¯t do anything heroic, just make sure you protect our escape. That goes double for you, bird.¡± The avatar glared at the griffin. ¡°Liandra and I will do the fighting. If we need help, we¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    The only reason Theo couldn¡¯t afford to leave them behind was that he didn¡¯t know what might befall them there. It was better to have them close by so he could react should something happen.


    While his avatar was seconds away from entering the chamber of the abomination, the dungeon¡¯s main body was also dealing with a different, albeit lesser, threat¡ªthe gnome walking about him.


    ¡°Very nice corridors,¡± Switches said, sliding his fingers along the walls. ¡°Clean, solid, and very well kept. You¡¯re definitely fit.¡±


    ¡°I do my best.¡± Despite the overall annoyance, Theo still remained susceptible to flattery.


    ¡°The previous dungeon I worked for was a mess.¡± The gnome shivered. ¡°He had all that strength but used minions to patch himself up instead of repairing his insides. There were cracks everywhere, roots sticking out, not to mention that a week wouldn¡¯t pass without some creature going on a rampage. The stories I could tell you¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you looking for, anyway?¡± The dungeon quickly changed the topic of conversation.


    ¡°Oh? Your core chamber, of course.¡±


    ¡°Forget it!¡± Walls emerged on both sides of the gnome, locking him in the corridor.


    ¡°How else did you think this would work? Your spirit guide can¡¯t be separated from you, so she¡¯ll need to have a part of you at all times.¡± Switches grinned. ¡°Quite the clever loophole, right? Sometimes I surprise myself.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your grand plan?!¡± The notion was anticlimactic. ¡°Don¡¯t you think we¡¯ve tried that already?!¡± It was a boldfaced lie, of course, but Theo hated admitting he was wrong, least of all to Switches.


    ¡°A dungeon¡¯s body isn¡¯t the dungeon itself.¡±


    If the statement had been read from a book of Zen, it might almost sound deep. Hearing it from a gnome, on the other hand, made it absolutely absurd.


    ¡°That would be like saying that the hair makes the person.¡±


    ¡°For your information¡­¡± Theo began, then stopped. ¡°The hair makes the person?¡±


    ¡°Many species grow hair all the time, but that doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re growing as well.¡±


    The explanation made no sense whatsoever, but it didn¡¯t allow for any good comebacks, either. All that the dungeon could understand was that the process wasn¡¯t as simple as making a pair of shoes that Spok could wear. Still, he was not risking getting Switches anywhere near his core.


    ¡°No way I¡¯m letting you near my core,¡± he said adamantly. ¡°Think of another way.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± The gnome scratched his left ear. ¡°Okay. I think there might be another option.¡±


    Back in Memoria¡¯s tomb, the avatar inhaled and exhaled.


    ¡°Ready?¡± he asked.


    Everyone nodded.


    ¡°Alright. Everyone, grab a shoulder. If this is a portal, I don¡¯t want to risk us getting separated.¡±


    Liandra and Ulf placed a hand on the baron¡¯s shoulders, while Avid and Amelia put theirs on the person in front. Octavian was the only exception, though Theo wouldn¡¯t be terribly upset if the creature ended up being sent elsewhere.


    With a slow but firm step, he went into the archway.


    The darkness condensed around him, then quickly dispersed, revealing a large¡ªthough not overly so¡ªchamber. Almost cube-shaped, it extended over a hundred feet in every direction. In the middle, finely crafted, rose what appeared to be a large marble tomb covered all in sculpted runes.


    ¡°Everyone here?¡± The avatar looked back. All four members of his group were there, as was, unfortunately, the griffin. Pleased at the vast space, it quickly sprang its wings and leaped up, taking the opportunity to enjoy a nice flight.


    To no surprise, the archway was gone. This had to be the heart of Memoria¡¯s tomb.


    ¡°Get the ring out,¡± the avatar said.


    Liandra nodded and did so. The moment she did, the ring pulled towards the tomb in the center of the chamber.


    ¡°This is it,¡± the heroine said.


    ¡°Let me go, you ruffians!¡± the ring screamed. ¡°Mom, it¡¯s not my fault! They kidnapped me! They also ruined my beautiful collection! It¡¯ll take years to¡ª¡±


    The ring was quickly returned to the heroine''s pouch, from where its muffled complaints continued.


    Theo cast two dozen swiftnesses on himself, then an arcane identify spell on the floor of the chamber. While he could see his speed increasing, the identification spell didn¡¯t produce any results. Attempting to determine the degree of his limitations, the avatar cast several fireballs, surrounding them with aether spheres. Fortunately, they appeared without issue, as did the ice shield that he created.


    ¡°Where is it?¡± Amelia asked, now gripping the hilt of her short-sword with both hands.


    ¡°In there,¡± Liandra replied.


    The woman took a step in its direction, but was quickly stopped by Theo¡¯s avatar, who held her by the shoulder.


    ¡°Stay here till I check it out first,¡± he said.


    Despite the danger, the greed for experience prevented the dungeon from letting her have the first go. There was always the chance that the abomination was weakened. It had been locked in a magic prison for centuries, after all. As the unofficial rules stated, the core went to the person who did the kill, and such a core could well provide hundreds of thousands of core points, which Theo needed if he were to expand and create a few additions he had his sights on.


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    ¡°Be careful, okay?¡± Liandra whispered.


    ¡°I¡¯m always careful.¡± The avatar smiled and went up to the tomb.


    Going up close, he could see that there were more symbols between the runes. None of them made any obvious sense, which was why the dungeon resorted to advice from his usual expert.


    ¡°Spok,¡± he said back in his main body. ¡°Any idea what this means?¡±


    A section of the wall in the room changed to an exact copy of what his avatar was seeing.


    ¡°Those are ancient runes, sir,¡± the spirit guide replied.


    A long moment of silence followed.


    ¡°And?¡± Theo urged.


    ¡°And nothing more, sir. They aren¡¯t dungeon related.¡±


    ¡°What about magic?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re definitely magic, but as you well know, I¡¯m not a mage and every tower uses its own set of runes which are exclusively for their use alone.¡±


    Great, Theo thought. Copyrighted magic again.


    ¡°What about the bunch I registered with?¡±


    ¡°I strongly doubt it, sir. They haven¡¯t been around for nearly long enough for¡­¡± Spok stopped, sensing the entire building trembling with anger. ¡°I¡¯ll ask them, naturally, but it might be a while before they respond. We aren¡¯t their priority, after all.¡±


    Theo was close to speechless. Even here, customer service was as slow as heck.


    ¡°Send a letter,¡± the dungeon grumbled. ¡°And a few glowing gold coins to speed up the process.¡±


    With the attempt to learn anything about the runes gone down the drain, the avatar cast an arcane identify on the tomb. Just to be certain, though, he used the ultra variant.


    MEMORIA¡¯S HEART


    (Memory Prison ¨C currently occupied)


    The heart of Memoria¡¯s Tomb¡ªa powerful magic prison keeping its occupant locked away beyond time and space.


    WARNING! Use of Arcane Identify ¨C Ultra has broken the outer cage of Memoria¡¯s Heart!


    All the runes on the tomb turned bright red all of a sudden, like metal being heated.


    ¡°Look¡ª¡± the avatar shouted, only to have the tomb explode, sending fragments in all directions like shrapnel.


    A large amount flew right into his avatar, causing a noticeable energy drain in the main body. Liandra spun her two-handed sword, deflecting everything that went past, ensuring that the adventures behind her didn¡¯t get hit.


    ¡°¡ªout,¡± the avatar finished, in a low voice. He was just about to make a comment that things could have gone better when a giant marble entity emerged from the remains of the tomb.


    One could tentatively describe it as humanoid, thirty feet tall, and made entirely out of stone chunks. The reason that some might disagree was because the thing had no face or any distinguishable body parts. In his previous life, Theo would have described it as a children''s toy that had come out of a nightmare, or a sculpture Giger would have created if he was given nothing but tangrams. The face, the arms, and everything else were made of perfect marble shapes of various colors.


    ¡°Spok, can there be an abomination of geometry?¡± he asked back in his main body.


    ¡°Sir?¡± The spirit guide blinked. ¡°There could be all sorts of abominations, yes, but¡­ geometry?¡±


    As the dungeon was about to answer, the entity took a step toward his avatar and struck at him with considerable speed. The segments of its right arm rearranged, transforming into a massive triangular sword with three razor-sharp edges.


    Immediately, the baron cast an indestructible aether sphere around himself.


    Stone hit hardened aether, cracking the floor beneath the sphere. It was followed by a stroke from the other hand that had transformed into a strangely-shaped ax.


    The abomination kept striking the aether sphere like a drum. If things continued, the avatar would be in serious trouble once the effects of the sphere wore off. Thankfully, three seconds in, a boomerang sword flew through the air, hitting the creature in the head.


    An attack of that nature, as powerful as it was, proved unable to cause any damage, yet it managed to distract the monstrosity. The shapes that composed the being¡¯s head rearranged, as if to get a better look at the source of the ranged attack.


    A second boomerang sword split the air.


    The abomination¡¯s left arm quickly transformed into a massive shield. To its surprise, the target of the second attack wasn¡¯t the arm, but Theo¡¯s aether bubble, striking it dead center on the side. The force proved just enough to roll the sphere out of the hole beneath it.


    Pop! Pop! Theo grumbled to himself.


    Close to five seconds remained¡ªan eternity when it came to combat. Worst of all, the abomination was still set on killing him first. Another strike hit the side of the aether sphere, this time sending it across the chamber.


    ¡°If that¡¯s how you want it.¡± Theo cast a flight spell on the sphere, lifting it off the floor, then used telekinesis to change its trajectory before it hit the wall. The speed was impressive, but if there was one thing he had learned from physics engines back in his previous life, it was that it took very little to change their course while keeping their momentum.


    Determined to keep the abomination pinned down, the baron then directed all flying fireballs right at the head of the monstrosity. Explosions erupted as bright puffs of flame engulfed parts of its body. Each had the strength to effectively deal with an entire goblin glider, yet here had the effects of firecrackers atop a granite boulder.


    Theo¡¯s sphere kept on turning along a semi-circle arc, then continued heading straight for the abomination.


    ¡°What do you say about that?¡± the baron asked.


    Unfortunately, the distractions proved not to be enough. With one brisk action, the abomination briskly turned around, its head and both arms transforming into axes. A split second later, all three swung forward.


    Once more, the indestructible sphere clashed against the all-piercing strike or even three of them. This time, though, the momentum was on the sphere¡¯s side. The air itself vibrated with a sound of thunder, after which several segments of the abomination¡¯s arm flew off, darting a foot above Liandra¡¯s head¡ªthen inches below Octavian¡¯s beak¡ªbefore burying themselves into the wall.


    ¡°So, you can be hurt,¡± the avatar said just as the sphere finally lost its invulnerability. ¡°How about this? Ice pillar!¡±


    A large chunk of ice formed in front of the avatar, then slammed straight into what could pass for its neck. Naturally, Theo took the opportunity to bless the tip of the ice shard in the process. If what Spok had told him held true, that should be enough to cause a lethal wound or, failing that, a normal wound.


    Unfortunately, when the ice shattered, there was no indication it had done anything at all.


    ¡°It¡¯s immune to magic!¡± Liandra shouted as she charged forward, performing a chopping strike with her massive sword.


    The blade hit the leg of the creature, then bounced back.


    ¡°Spok!¡± the dungeon shouted back in its main body. ¡°Since when are abominations immune to divine blessings?!¡±


    Remaining visibly calm, the spirit guide put her hand on her chin, taking on a pensive pose. Deep inside, she was more than a bit concerned, though. The question was bad on many levels, even for someone who had gotten used to Theo¡¯s antics. Since there was no such thing as an ¡°abomination of geometry,¡± Spok had felt momentary relief assured that the dungeon¡¯s avatar had engaged with something else. The notion that blessings had no effect on it, though, forced her to reevaluate her previous conclusion.


    According to Spok¡¯s knowledge on the matter, the only entities immune to blessings were divine and heroic beings, yet the description of the creature definitely didn¡¯t make it fall in either category. Furthermore, heroic beings¡ªother than Theo¡ªdidn¡¯t go about attacking everything in sight. And that was only the tip of the iceberg of trouble.


    ¡°Sir, it¡¯s imperative that you don¡¯t come into contact with the creature,¡± Spok quickly said. ¡°That includes any part of your clothes and gear.¡±


    ¡°Huh? My sword too?¡±


    ¡°Especially your sword!¡±


    In the abomination¡¯s chamber, the avatar floated back. Seeing that magic didn¡¯t work, he was just about to try his luck with the legendary sword and some good old-fashioned melee attacks.


    ¡°You remember that it¡¯s a legendary sword, right?¡± he asked, while looking at Liandra with his avatar.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Anything that comes into contact with an abomination risks getting corrupted, be it person or item. As I told you, even demons and deities prefer to avoid them.¡±


    ¡°Spok, it¡¯s way too late for that!¡± Theo grumbled, trying to remember if she had warned him about this earlier. Sadly, since he ignored most of her advice, it was more likely than not that she had. ¡°We¡¯re already fighting. The only way to defeat it is¡ª¡±


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m not making myself clear,¡± Spok interrupted. ¡°You¡¯re not human, sir. If the members of your group get corrupted, they risk getting possessed by it. It¡¯s definitely a rather serious condition, but hopefully a reversible one, once the goddess Paris returns. However, if your avatar gets affected, the corruption risks affecting your main body.¡±


    ¡°I know all that! That¡¯s why I¡¯m trying to kill it as quickly as possible.¡±


    Theo could see her point of view, though in this case, he seriously thought that his spirit guide was overreacting. If corruption spread the way she suggested, all of them would have been affected by now. If nothing else, Liandra had been hacking at the abomination¡¯s leg and didn¡¯t seem in the least affected.


    No sooner had he had the thought than the tip of the heroine¡¯s sword changed into a chunk of orange marble. There was no question about it. The piece of stone stood there, stuck to the metal of the blade, as if it had always been there. A second later, another chunk formed beneath it, this time a bright green one. Then another part of the blade transformed, and another. The wave of marble pieces kept on spreading, continuing to the hilt. Liandra was quick enough to drop it, but that didn¡¯t change the fact that the weapon no longer resembled what it had been before.


    That was far from all. Instead of just laying lifeless on the floor, the sword twisted around¡ªsuddenly gained life¡ªand swung in an attempt to chop the woman¡¯s feet off. Following that, two things happened simultaneously. Aware of the threat, Liandra quickly leaped back, avoiding the attack. The dungeon¡¯s avatar, on his part, instantly surrounded the transformed weapon with an aether sphere on which he used his ice magic to freeze solid.


    ¡°Be careful not to touch it!¡± Liandra shouted. ¡°Everything that comes into contact is corrupted into stone.¡±


    Internally, Theo grumbled. He was supposed to say that. With the chance gone, he did the next best thing that came to mind: use his newly acquired magic ability to create an ice elemental. Since it was the first time of him doing so, and he was completely unaware of the amount of energy required, he decided to err on the side of caution, which meant spending the equivalent of a thousand mana.


    A deep chill filled the chamber as a block of ice materialized on the floor, some ten feet from the baron. The frozen chunk quickly grew, tripling in size, then sprouting limbs. Funnily enough, the elemental was a lot more humanoid looking than the abomination itself, with a pair of glowing blue eyes within a solid head of clear ice.


    Within seconds, it reached the height of the abomination, then kept on growing, for good measure, until it was a quarter taller.


    ¡°What do you say now?¡± the avatar shouted at the marble creature. ¡°The tides have turned, haven¡¯t th¡ª¡±


    The elemental¡¯s right arm sung in an attempt to swat the avatar like a fly. If Theo had bothered to remember the description of his new ultra skill, he would have known that only mages with a mind value of over a hundred had the ability to command elementals they created. For all intents and purposes, the creature could be considered another enemy.


    As luck would have it, though, the abomination had no way of knowing that. Seeing a slightly larger creature be created by the baron, it had rightfully assumed it to be a threat. Therefore, the best course of action was to deal with it before anyone else, especially considering that none of the people presented any danger whatsoever.


    The marble giant took a few steps towards the ice elemental, then slammed its fist into the other¡¯s back.


    Initially, a few marble chunks of proportional shape emerged on the point of impact. Yet, no sooner had they started to spread than they fell off the icy surface, falling lifelessly on the floor. Apparently, ice¡ªliving ice, to be exact¡ªwasn¡¯t prone to corruption.


    ¡°Whoa!¡± Amelia couldn¡¯t help but gasp. ¡°An ice elemental.¡±


    The only thing that prevented her from saying more was Avid, who grabbed her by the sleeve as he pulled the both of them as far away from the center giant entities as possible.


    ¡°Be careful,¡± Liandra said, drawing a new sword. ¡°Any of the stone chunks might come to life.¡±


    ¡°But the baron froze them solid,¡± Avid replied, though he glanced at the ones that remained embedded in the wall.


    ¡°Ice doesn¡¯t hold something forever.¡±


    Almost on cue, a ray of chill emerged from the ice elemental¡¯s eyes, encapsulating half of the abomination in ice. For a few moments it appeared as if the battle was over, but just as the marble corruption couldn¡¯t get a hold on the elemental, neither could ice confine the monstrosity. Chunks of marble quickly grew within the frozen water, consuming it until there was none left.


    As that happened, all eyes turned towards Liandra¡¯s former sword. They were just in time to see the corrupted entity eat through what was left of its icy prison and shatter the aether sphere that held it.

 (Book 2) 22. A Corruption of Geometry

    ¡°I don¡¯t need your entire core,¡± Switches insisted. Ever since being sealed off in one of Theo¡¯s tunnels, the gnome had spent the time patiently explaining what he intended to attempt¡ªmostly by scribbling complex formulas and sketches on the walls.


    Most of them went way over the dungeon¡¯s head¡ªif he even had a head¡ªbut with time he was starting to warm up to the notion, largely because the situation with his avatar was getting more and more dire.


    ¡°Just a bit,¡± the gnome continued, showing how much by extending his thumb and index finger. ¡°A tiny, tiny bit.¡± He brought the tips of both fingers closer to one another.


    ¡°So, you need just a part of my core?¡± Theo pondered. ¡°Spok, what will happen if I lose part of my core?¡± he asked elsewhere in his main body.


    ¡°Other than losing a bit of core points, nothing,¡± the spirit guide replied, still trying to get over the fact that he was facing an abomination.


    Despite all their previous discussions, Spok had kept on thinking¡ªor hoping, rather¡ªthat it would never come to that. To her fault, she had gone along the line of least resistance, encouraging him in all the follies he went through. In retrospect, that had been a bad move, and she regretted it. If he managed to overcome the fight intact, she¡¯d need to have a stern conversation with him.


    ¡°All it takes is a bit of effort to detach part of your core. Some dungeons frequently use the method to place minute fragments of their core into prized minions, elevating them to dungeon bosses.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s it the first time I¡¯m hearing of this?!¡±


    ¡°You hate minions, sir,¡± the spirit guide said in a level tone of voice. ¡°Or maybe you wish to grant Cmyk even more independence?¡±


    Spok¡¯s suggestion quickly ended that line of reasoning, causing it to take a sharp turn.


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t I just give one to you? That will solve the problem.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what Switches has been explaining, sir.¡± The spirit guide tried her best not to sigh. ¡°There¡¯s a good chance that might work, although it can¡¯t happen directly. Although I¡¯m an avatar, I¡¯m not a minion, thus am subject to certain additional limitations. On the other hand, I grow as you grow, constantly sharing part of your strength.¡±


    The explanation made just enough sense for the dungeon to consider it true and not delve further. Giving part of his core to Switches still remained highly unappealing.


    ¡°Just a small part?¡± he asked the gnome.


    ¡°Yep, yep!¡± Switches wiggled his ears. ¡°A tiny part! Just enough for there to be something.¡±


    ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll give you a part, but you¡¯re not coming near my core chamber!¡±


    ¡°Great!¡± The gnome beamed with joy. ¡°I¡¯ll also need some equipment. If you could¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± The corridor extended, transforming into a makeshift workshop. The sudden corridor plug ruined the dungeon¡¯s symmetry, but since it was a temporary measure, he could live with it. It wasn¡¯t like there were scores of minions¡ªor any, for that matter¡ªmoving about his corridors.


    ¡°And a bit of mana¡­¡±


    ¡°Why not,¡± Theo rumbled.


    ¡°I knew you¡¯d make the right decision. That¡¯s why you¡¯re the boss, boss!¡±


    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s go with that. Just sketch the stuff you want and I¡¯ll build them for you.¡±


    ¡°Err, it might be faster if your minion just brought them from my other workshop? Most of them are already built. Just small things,¡± the gnome quickly added. ¡°You won¡¯t even notice they¡¯re here.¡±


    Getting Cmyk to do anything was a challenge in itself. At the same time, the thought that he¡¯d make the lazy skeleton miserable for an hour or two filled him with a surprising amount of glee. Even better, he had the perfect means to blackmail the minion: both his friend and his mentee were in a rather perilous situation.


    ¡°Of course,¡± the dungeon said in an exceedingly cheerful tone. ¡°I¡¯ll send him right away. We can¡¯t keep you waiting, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s another thing I like about you¡ªstrict, but fair, and always punctual. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll get along great together! You¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt it for a minute,¡± the dungeon lied.


    ¡°Oh, and how are things in the cursed place going? I¡¯ll need some time to make your attack fleet.¡±


    ¡°Nothing to worry about. Everything is well under control.¡±


    As far as lies went, that had to be the biggest one yet.


    ¡°Run faster!¡± Theo¡¯s avatar yelled as he kept freezing Liandra¡¯s deformed sword.


    The new entity was not only determined to catch up to the members of the party, but was getting better at adapting to the avatar¡¯s ice spells. Also, it was getting more and more devious in its approach.


    At the same time, the titanic fight between the two giants continued in the center of the chamber. Occasionally one side would gain an advantage, pushing the other towards the wall¡ªand forcing the baron and his group to rush away to safety¡ªbefore the balance of power was restored.


    ¡°Is¡­ this¡­ how¡­ you¡­ fight¡­ monsters?¡± Amelia asked amid gasping for breath. The duke¡¯s daughter clearly wasn¡¯t used to running for prolonged periods of time. Avid wasn¡¯t much better, though he did so in silence.


    ¡°We do what we need to in order to survive!¡± the baron snapped at her. Of course, he couldn¡¯t get tired, not to mention he had consistently been using a flight spell.


    ¡°Octavian!¡± Avid shouted, then, to everyone¡¯s surprise, went behind Amelia, grabbed her beneath the armpits and lifted her up.


    The griffin, to its credit, immediately swooped down, carefully grabbing the girl with his talons.


    ¡°What are¡ª?¡± Amelia asked, more in shock than in protest, only to be tossed up, to then land on Octavian¡¯s back.


    Even Theo couldn¡¯t deny that was a good idea. Unfortunately, there was no way that the bird could carry all three adventurers. Although, there was a chance it could manage two.


    Flying close to Earl Rosewind¡¯s son, the avatar cast a flight spell on him, then used telekinesis to whisk him through the air and onto the griffin¡¯s back right behind Amelia.


    ¡°Squawk!¡± Octavian cried at the sudden increase in weight.


    ¡°Stop being a baby!¡± The baron grumbled. ¡°You¡¯re a royal griffin, show some pride!¡±


    There could be no guarantee Octavian would take heart to the criticism, but as long as he kept the pair out of the way, it didn¡¯t matter. With that, there was only one thing left to do.


    ¡°Ulf, Liandra!¡± The avatar used his magic to create two shards of ice. In the eyes of a modern art critic, they could possibly pass as swords, provided one squinted enough. ¡°You deal with the sword.¡± He floated the ¡°weapons¡± to them using telekinesis. ¡°I¡¯ll find a way to deal with the big one.¡±


    ¡°Not even you can manage that!¡± Liandra shouted.


    The truth was that the dungeon didn¡¯t intend to fight at all, just be there to claim the spoils. Given how evenly the abomination and the ice elemental were matched, it was inevitable that they would chip at each other''s strength until ultimately crumbling down together. In a worst-case scenario, the marble figure would be weakened to the extent that the avatar could finish it off with an ice shield in the head.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have a lot of options and you can¡¯t fly,¡± Theo said, quickly coming up with an excuse. ¡°Keep the annoying critter at bay and let me worry about the big one.¡±


    ¡°When I finish, I¡¯m joining you.¡± The heroine nodded, then snatched the ice shard from the air.


    That took care of everyone, leaving Theo enough time to consider his options. As every good manager, he first went through all options at his disposal.


    Room creation, although useful, had no effect in Memoria¡¯s tomb. The same could be said about the minor bless ability. Fireballs and ice attacks had proved to have little effect, and the vast array of sword strikes and chops risked corrupting him, his weapon, or both.


    The more the dungeon thought about it, the more irritated it got with the entire situation. That was until a thought suddenly came to mind.


    The baron looked at the giant entities fighting. The ice elemental was encasing the abomination¡¯s right arm in ice, while simultaneously trying to tear it off. Not a bad strategy and one that was worthy of further investigation. For the purpose, he had to test it on something cheap.


    ¡°You, stupid kids!¡± he shouted at Avid and Amelia. ¡°Do you have any daggers with you?¡±


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°You told us to leave all our gear before setting off on the noble quest,¡± Avid shouted back.


    ¡°Why did you listen to me?!¡±


    So much for them being useful. The problem with rebelliousness was that you could rely on it for anything. Since no daggers were available, Theo was left with one other option. Circling ten feet above his ice elemental, the avatar took off one of his boots. None of the large entities paid any attention, which was as reassuring as it was insulting. Nonetheless, it allowed him to cover the boot in a thick layer of ice, then throw it straight at the abomination¡¯s triangular head.


    Like a frozen pea, the boot bounced off, falling all the way to the floor. None of the giant entities even noticed it, but Theo did. Rather, he noticed what hadn¡¯t happened; the boot had come into direct contact with the abomination and not gotten corrupted. Apparently, ice proved to be an effective insulator against curses. Who knew?


    A loud shattering sound resounded throughout the chamber. The ice elemental had pulled the abomination¡¯s arm off. It was tempting to see that as a victory on the icy giant¡¯s part, but as Theo knew from personal experience, nothing was over until it was over. Just as the elemental was about to toss the arm away, the elements composing the appendage rearranged, transforming into a marble caterpillar¡ªor possibly a snake¡ªwhich, without delay, twisted around the entire body of ice.


    The attack didn¡¯t end there. Both sides of the caterpillar merged with one another, uniting into one whole again. Now, all of a sudden, it was the elemental who was caught in a cage of the other¡¯s making. The frozen entity quickly tried to pull off the stone ring, but it was too late. Sharp marble chunks dug into the living ice, tightening their grip as they did.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pick on my minion!¡± the baron shouted.


    Aether spheres large enough to hold an entire person appeared in the air and quickly filled up with solid ice. Doubling his amount of energy consumption, the avatar then propelled them right at the abomination¡¯s right side. One after the other, the balls of ice shattered into the large form, pushing it one giant step each time.


    ¡°Spok,¡± the dungeon hastily said in its main body. ¡°What was an abomination¡¯s weakness again?¡±


    ¡°That¡ª¡± The spirit guide adjusted her glasses. ¡°¡ªwould depend on the specific type of¡ª¡±


    ¡°This one!¡± Doors and windows slammed within half the city as miniature statues depicting approximations of the monstrosity filled up Spok¡¯s room.


    ¡°Abominations are unlike other entities, sir. You don¡¯t defeat them through physical means alone. You must defeat their nature, which is precisely why they are so difficult to destroy. Imprisoning them is a far more preferable solution.¡±


    The creators of Memoria¡¯s Tomb clearly shared the spirit¡¯s guide reasoning. They had created this crazy maze to keep the abomination imprisoned for all eternity. Yet, that wasn¡¯t at all useful to Theo. Ice wasn¡¯t a solution, and he didn¡¯t know any imprisoning spells.


    The nature of the abomination, the dungeon thought.


    Spok wasn¡¯t known for her philosophical nature. Everything she said was a direct explanation of events, just like a living manual. On the negative side, she could only tell him as much as the information within her allowed.


    What could the nature of this abomination be? It was made entirely out of geometrical objects made of marble...


    Back when Theo used to go to school, in his previous life, the common perception was that writing was the opposite of maths. It was a childish notion, but it somehow made sense. The two subjects were the first that had come into contact with. It was natural to consider them opposites.


    Assuming geometry was the nature of this entity, how should he defeat it? Talk to it? Scribble poems all over it?


    Across the chamber, Ulf and Liandra were dealing with a problem of their own. Unrestricted by Theo and his ice, it focused entirely on corrupting the two of them. The mini-entity moved about like a normal sword¡ªevery motion was a slash or a ricochet. One might assume that it was driven by some sort of telekinetic spell, but they would be wrong. In truth, it was the segments that provided its power. While seemingly attached, they also had the ability to vibrate intensely in short bursts, producing more than sufficient power in a fraction of a second.


    It had taken Liandra a while, but ultimately, she had noticed, and in doing so she found a potential weakness. The issue was that the weapon given to her by Theo wasn¡¯t built to take full advantage of it. Without a doubt, it was incorruptible, but also uncomfortable to hold and as thick as a club. So far, each hit merely threw the abominable sword back, forcing it to restart its attacks.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± The heroine lunged forward, blocking an attack meant for Ulf. Minuscule marble fragments formed on her shard of ice only to fall lifelessly onto the floor while the sword was pushed back again.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± the adventurer said, leaping back. ¡°I got distracted there.¡±


    Losing one¡¯s concentration wasn¡¯t new even for veterans. For some reason, Liandra didn¡¯t feel that was the only reason. Fatigue was having its toll. So far, Ulf had managed to keep up with her and Theo, seemingly without effort. That had come at a cost, and now he was nearing his limits.


    ¡°Get ready,¡± Liandra whispered. ¡°Strike from the left.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Regaining its momentum, the blade darted forward. It had determined the greater threat of the two, flying straight at Liandra. The heroine waited till the last possible moment, then parried with the shard of ice. A second later, Ulf struck as well.


    There was a lot to be desired when it came to timing. Even so, the strength of both attacks proved more than enough to snap the blade in two.


    Thinking on her feet, Liandra performed another attack, aimed at the chunk that was in contact with Ulf¡¯s ice shard. A strike faster than the eye could see struck off the top fragment, sending it straight to the wall.


    ¡°Careful!¡± She dashed forward, grabbing Ulf as she did so.


    Seeing an athletic woman drag a mass of muscles could definitely be described as amusing, but that wasn¡¯t what Theo was focusing on. Although he couldn¡¯t put his finger on it, something in the exchange of strikes felt off.


    Maintaining their eagerness to attack, both segments of the former blade hopped after the heroine and the adventurer, propelling themselves off the floor and walls. It was at that precise moment that the dungeon realized what was bothering him. In several instances, when large segments were detached from the abomination, or something corrupted by it, the new piece obtained a will of its own. Yet, that wasn¡¯t always the case. The very first time a part had chipped off, it had flown all the way into the chamber wall, where it had remained. The same held true for the fragment Liandra had chopped off.


    That had to be it! As long as an element remained isolated from the rest, it somehow lost its abomination characteristics. Thus, the solution to defeating the monster was to break it up one piece at a time. Such was the current hypothesis, at least.


    The avatar drew his legendary sword again, then covered it with a thick layer of ice. To be on the safe side, he then covered that layer with a second one.


    The battle between the titans had already turned in the abomination¡¯s favor. Cracks had spread through the ice elemental, which was attempting to freeze its opponent in a final act of desperation. It was a futile notion, but gave Theo enough of a distraction to fly past the abomination¡¯s head and chop off a large element from its possible ear.


    No immediate reaction followed. The chunk of marble fell to the ground with a loud slam, remaining there as a piece of junk. The humanoid creature didn¡¯t even bend down to pick it up, shoving it to the side as if it was unwanted.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± the avatar muttered beneath his breath. Apparently, once a single piece was detached, it couldn¡¯t be reattached to the whole again. ¡°Lia!¡± the baron shouted as he increased the distance between him and the abomination again. ¡°Cut off the pieces one at a time! As long as a chunk isn¡¯t connected to another, it loses its power.¡±


    The advice came at the best possible moment. One of the abominated sword pieces had caught up to the heroine and Ulf. Liandra was just considering slamming it away with an indiscriminate strike when she changed her approach.


    Releasing the adventurer, she swung with the ice shard, aiming for the topmost piece. The crude weapon split the air, leaving a line as it did. At this speed, bluntness stopped being an issue, punching off the top piece of the entity like a bullet knocking off a block of Jenga.


    Liandra didn¡¯t end there. Sidestepping in the direction opposite of the strike, she immediately followed up with a reverse strike, knocking off the next fragment in turn. A split second later, she did it again, and again, and again¡­


    Marble pieces flew left and right, systematically decreasing the size of the creature until there was nothing left. Calling the series of attacks impressive would do a disservice to what had occurred. One glance was enough to point out the difference between heroic and adventurer¡¯s skills. The other half of the abomination sword probably thought the same, for it quickly ceased its approach, then hopped away in the other direction.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± The heroine waved to the dungeon¡¯s avatar.


    ¡°No worries. I knew you¡¯d be able to handle it with some help!¡± he shouted back, without an ounce of shame. ¡°Finish it off and guard the kids. I¡¯ll try to be quick.¡±


    Theo¡¯s cunning plan was to disassemble the abomination¡¯s head while it was still occupied with the ice elemental. After that, it would be a simple matter to use ice filled aether spheres to chip off the remaining pieces using brute strength.


    A series of earth-shattering cracks erupted. The marble ring had tigheted to the point that the ice elemental could no longer sustain its integrity. The blue glow within the massive minion¡¯s eyes faded as massive chunks of ice fell to the floor.


    ¡°Crap!¡± the baron grumbled. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have lasted a few seconds longer?!¡±


    The elemental¡¯s weakness was going to cost him another thousand energy¡ªnot the end of the world since he no longer felt hunger for the day, but still a useless waste. When he attempted to cast the spell, another surprise awaited him.


    SPELL NEGATED


    In your current state, you¡¯re only able to create one Ice Elemental per day.


    ¡°What?¡± both the avatar and the dungeon¡¯s main mansion shouted. ¡°Spok!¡± only the dungeon continued. ¡°Why can¡¯t I cast more than a spell per day?!¡±


    ¡°That would depend on the specific spell, sir,¡± the spirit guide explained, her concern subtly rising. ¡°Occasionally limits are imposed in order to¡ª¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t told of any limits when I got the skill!¡± Technically, it was a skill state, though Theo chose to ignore the distinction. ¡°Who do I complain to about this?¡±


    Spok felt increasingly unwell. As a rule, the deities were the arbiters of everything, but if she were to remind Theo of that fact, there was no telling what might follow. It wasn¡¯t beneath him to ¡°modify¡± Paris¡¯ temple in a fit of pettiness to attract her attention and make another demand.


    ¡°Keep in mind that you remain a dungeon, sir,¡± she said, tiptoeing around the topic. ¡°If your avatar had no restrictions, there would be nothing stopping you from taking over the world.¡±


    ¡°Spok, a four-foot gnome nearly took over the world! Restricting a spell to a daily use won¡¯t change a thing!¡±


    In his mind, the dungeon tried to imagine what would happen if he summoned an ice elemental every day for a whole year. Such an ice army would certainly be enough to scare a kingdom or two. With a bit of luck, he might even intimidate them enough to surrender. On the other hand, Switches had attempted to do the same, and it hadn¡¯t worked out.


    Crunching chunks of ice beneath its feet, the abomination in Memoria¡¯s tomb took a few steps forward, then retrieved its missing arm from the ice elemental¡¯s remains. The elements promptly transformed, changing back into a giant arm which reattached itself to the rest of the torso.


    Seething with rage, the avatar darted towards the being¡¯s head all the same. Attempting to recreate Liandra¡¯s attack, he combined his legendary swashbuckling with the cleave and chop skills to slice off as many fragments as he could.


    ¡°Theo!¡± Landra shouted as parts of the abomination¡¯s face started to find their way to the floor. ¡°Get back!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The baron turned around to look. The only thing he saw was a wave of marble segments rising up from the abomination¡¯s body in an attempt to surround him.


    That wasn¡¯t foreseen. To make things worse, the rest of the head was also in a state of transformation, blocking the avatar¡¯s escape route. It seemed that anger and overconfidence had made him a sitting duck. Anyone with a bit of sense would have seen that with the ice elemental gone, the greatest threat from the point of view of the abomination would be the person who was inflicting damage. Theo hadn¡¯t. Now, there was only one thing and a half he could do.


    ¡°Aether sphere! Entangle!¡± the avatar shouted.

 (Book 2) 23. A Minor Mistake of Galactic Proportions

    It was said that in life-threatening situations, people tended to see their life flash before their eyes. Specific details were sketchy and often contradictory, but the belief held true in multiple universes. In the case of Theo, it was only half true. When a wall of marble shapes surrounded his avatar on all sides, the entire existence of Baron d¡¯Argent flashed in his mind in the form of an event log.


    In fractions of a second, the dungeon could see all major¡ªand minor¡ªevents, monster kills, skill acquisition, ability use, and even conversations held all in text format. The color coding was an especially nice touch, allowing for better readability.


    As things stood, the avatar had reached the respectable level twenty-four with strength, speed, and mind traits being fifty-five, forty-two, and seventy-seven, respectively. Interestingly enough, he had managed to acquire twenty-four skills and four ultras. Not at all bad, for a few months¡¯ work. Still, Theo would be lying if he wasn¡¯t disappointed in the loss. For all his grumbling and complaining, he¡¯d grown fond of his avatar. There was a time when he would have laughed at the notion, but walking in the baron¡¯s shoes had allowed him to experience the world in a rather unique, be it intense, way. He definitely wouldn¡¯t want to keep doing it for a living, but it definitely had its moments.


    I should have taken pictures, the dungeon thought.


    The avatar¡¯s life reminded him of the nature trip he had gone on in his previous life. The idea had been suggested by Theo¡¯s direct corporate superior, so attendance was obligatory. It had been a week-long event, making most of the office dwellers more miserable than usual. Theo distinctly remembered the torture it had been the entire time there. In fact, he had refused to take photos, talk, or even think about it in the hopes it would be removed from his memories. Then, less than a few weeks later, he had regretted not having a memento of the occasion.


    One could always recreate a painting from memory, depicting several emblematic scenes of the baron¡¯s life, but they would be inaccurate. Maybe Spok would be able to help with a few that took place in Rosewind during the final battle? It wouldn¡¯t be anywhere nearly as exotic as a scene in Mandrake Mountain, but better than nothing, and¡ª


    ¡°Baron!¡± A faint sound came from outside.


    The dungeon sighed. Eight seconds remained until his aether sphere lost its invulnerability. After that, the marble fragments would crush him like a grape and, if worse came to worst, infect the rest of him.


    ¡°Baron!¡± There it was again. Someone was definitely shouting his name. There could be a multitude of reasons for this; and since Theo had nothing else to do, he activated the eavesdrop skill of his avatar and listened in.


    The first thing he heard was the constant sound of tapping, like a long-nailed turtle scurrying along a glass surface. Focusing more, he was able to determine that it wasn¡¯t tapping, but chipping.


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s here?¡± Ulf asked, his voice muffled due to the wall of marble.


    ¡°Theo!¡± Liandra shouted. ¡°Where are you?¡±


    Seven seconds left.


    The dungeon couldn¡¯t determine what the fuss was about. Clearly, they were trying to find him. His cynical part speculated that they had messed up in something and desperately needed him to assist in something. That would be typical of them¡ªpester him to the very end. If they had any decency, they¡¯d at least let his avatar die in peace.


    Casting a small fireball, the avatar looked around. Despite the variety of shapes, there didn¡¯t seem to be a single crack between them. Not even the light could sneak through. Potentially, he could use his ice magic to create an ice lance, though even that seemed unlikely to achieve anything. Thus, there was only one option left.


    ¡°What is it?¡± he shouted, using ten energy to boost his avatar¡¯s voice.


    To his surprise, it worked.


    ¡°I heard him!¡± Amelia shouted, seemingly from far away. ¡°There.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Liandra asked. ¡°We can¡¯t get this wrong.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m positive! I heard it right there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± the avatar shouted again. Leave it to his group to waste a second arguing that they couldn¡¯t waste time. ¡°I¡¯m here! Here! Here!¡± he kept on shouting.


    ¡°I think he¡¯s there,¡± Ulf repeated. ¡°Baron, can you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I hear you.¡±


    ¡°I heard him as well!¡± Avid said. ¡°That has to be the spot.¡±


    Spot? That sounded both encouraging and terribly bad. Normally, the dungeon would say that things couldn¡¯t get worse. But it was a known fact that when someone uttered the phrase, the universe always found a way to prove them wrong.


    ¡°Theo.¡± Things went back to Liandra¡¯s voice. ¡°I don¡¯t know what state you¡¯re in, but hang on tight. I¡¯ll create an opening. After that, you must get out. We don¡¯t have much time.¡±


    With three seconds of invulnerability remaining, they could have been faster about it. Good thing Liandra was there. If he had to rely on the comical trio and their stupid bird, he¡¯d¡ª


    A terrifying thought popped into Theo¡¯s mind, born from a dungeon¡¯s deep sense of self-preservation. Liandra was a hero, and when heroes said ¡°create an opening¡± they usually meant a very specific skill¡ªone that drilled through multiple defenses, puncturing through reinforced walls, waves and minions, all the way to the dungeon¡¯s core chamber.


    ¡°Wait!¡± he shouted, trying to come up with a means to defend himself.


    From a human point of view, the attack could be seen as a good thing. Liandra was probably going to use a blessed strike, which would harm anything but uncorrupted humans. Thanks to Theo¡¯s quick reaction his avatar wasn¡¯t corrupted, but it wasn¡¯t human, either. A hero strike could well end up destroying him. More alarming, the moment she did so, she¡¯d probably hear a large amount of core points and be made aware that he was a dungeon avatar all along. If that happened, there would be no hiding; Theo would be destroyed faster than any possible corruption could.


    Less than one second remained.


    Pulling up enough energy from his main body to create half a dozen ice elementals, the avatar filled up the entire sphere he was in with ice. A split second later, several things happened all at once, culminating in a dry explosion that sent hundreds of marble pieces flying all over the chamber.


    On her part, Liandra was shocked, though also impressed. In her attempt to free the baron, she had resorted to her hero strike. The attack was powerful enough to drill a hole through an armored dungeon, kill a dragon, and even monetarily cripple an archdemon. In this case, it had drilled through the body of the abomination only to meet an even greater force.


    The greater force, of course, was nothing else than a massively oversized ice sphere. In his moment of panic, the dungeon had filled up the aether sphere that held his avatar with ice. There was no deep plan in it¡ªice magic was the only spell, other than the aether shield, that had any chance of providing protection. Theo¡¯s logic was that the more energy he put into the spell, the greater his chances of survival would be. Sadly, he hadn¡¯t taken mass conservation into account. With his aether sphere losing its indestructibility when it did, the ice not only froze the avatar like a pea in a freezer, but kept on growing indiscriminately in all directions. Under normal circumstances, the abomination¡¯s body would have been able to hold it back. It couldn¡¯t have foreseen the heroine¡¯s strike, though.


    When an opening was created, the obstacle for the ice sphere¡¯s growth had been removed, causing all of it to rush in that direction and pop the surrounding walls like a balloon pierced by a needle.


    A multitude of chunks split the air, causing everyone to duck for cover. Octavian twisted in the air, relying on his razor-sharp reflexes to avoid being hit, while on the ground, Liandra parried several fragments flying her way like a world series batter. That left Ulf, who had instantly jumped on the floor, avoiding a near fatal encounter with a marble pyramid that flew inches from his head.


    Then, just as quickly as it had started, the chaos was over. Everything went still. Most surprising of all, somehow the frozen avatar had managed to survive the aftermath. Had he been human, he¡¯d have long been dead, killed by his own spell. Instead, he stared straight forward¡ªthe only direction the ice would let him¡ªtrying to figure out what had just happened.


    ¡°Everyone fine?¡± Liandra asked, lowering her new weapon¡ªa broadsword covered by a warm, white glow.


    No one was capable of a response, dealing with the aftereffects of the sudden adrenaline rush. Even the griffin maintained its complex flight pattern, fearing a second explosion.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get the baron!¡± The heroine rushed forward, taking the silence for confirmation. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time.¡±


    ¡°I survived?¡± Theo asked, back in his main body, flabbergasted by the fact.


    His avatar, along with the ovaloid of ice it was encased in, was halfway out of the abomination¡¯s body. Not only that, but a fine mesh of thousands of aether strands covered the monstrosity, keeping it to the ground. Most astonishing of all, the ice had managed to protect him from the hero¡¯s attack. Apparently, ice insulated against blessings as well. Who knew?


    ¡°Theo?¡± Liandra started hacking the ice using standard attacks. ¡°Are you okay in there?¡±


    For anyone else, the question would be absurd. People didn¡¯t just survive being frozen solid. Having witnessed the baron¡¯s capabilities firsthand, she took it for granted that he had.


    Not willing to disappoint her, and wanting to get out of his predicament as quickly as possible, the avatar cast two fireballs. Orbs of fire appeared in both his palms, quickly growing as they melted through the ice in the immediate area. They were followed by two more, which quickly increased the area, changing the baron¡¯s status from frozen to soaked.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Good thinking!¡± Liandra smiled, watching a bubble of water form within the giant ice chunk.


    Fearing that she might attempt another heroic strike, the avatar waved his hands for her not to attack. Unfortunately, that caused the woman to completely misinterpret the silent message. Barely making out both of his arms moving, Liandra assumed that he wanted her to quickly perform a cross slash. Taking out another sword from her dimensional ring, she did just that.


    The ice crust burst open, causing its melting core to flood the chamber. Thankfully, that was all that happened. The attack, while devastating to a normal person, wasn¡¯t anything for the dungeon to be worried about. Even so, he had no intention of risking it, so casting a flight spell, the avatar quickly flew out to freedom.


    ¡°Theo,¡± Liandra said in relief. ¡°I knew you¡¯d do something insane.¡± She grinned. ¡°Taking the monster from the inside was crazy, even for you.¡±


    ¡°Taking it from the inside?¡± Theo repeated. Only now did he turn around in an attempt to evaluate the situation.


    What was left of the abomination lay suspiciously still on the floor with a giant hole where its chest was supposed to be. An enormous chunk of ice was still there, in a state of melting.


    ¡°What happened?¡± the baron asked. As someone completely clueless of any events that occurred in the last ten seconds, he was eager to fill in the gaps in his knowledge.


    Liandra didn¡¯t see it that way, though. From her perspective, the genius mastermind behind the second greatest attack she had ever witnessed was asking for a blow-by-blow account of his plan to ensure that everything had gone as designed.


    ¡°After you entangled the thing, I performed a wind strike to topple it to the ground,¡± the woman said. ¡°As long as there¡¯s no physical contact, the entity is rather easy to deal with.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± The avatar brushed his wet hair backwards. He remembered casting entangle along with his aether sphere in the moments before being captured by the abomination. By the looks of things, he had been overly generous with the energy used there as well.


    ¡°We knew that you had some sort of plan, so we went searching for you once you were down.¡±


    ¡°I heard you chipping off elements from inside.¡±


    ¡°Of course you would.¡± Liandra tapped him on his wet shoulder, moving the baron half a foot to the left. ¡°I know I¡¯ve said this before, but next time give me a heads up. If I knew you had everything under control, I wouldn¡¯t have used my heroic strike.¡±


    ¡°There wasn¡¯t time,¡± the dungeon resorted to the common excuse. ¡°Plus, I knew you¡¯d handle it.¡±


    ¡°Baron!¡± An ear-piercing screech came from above. ¡°You¡¯re alive.¡±


    ¡°What did you expect?¡± the avatar snapped.


    It was amazing that a single source of annoyance was all it took for him to forget the entire experience that Theo had gone through. Ten seconds ago, he was contemplating the existence of his avatar, literally going through his actions in text form. There had been inklings of regret, thoughts on mistakes made, thoughts on how to improve. No longer, though.


    ¡°This is no time to relax.¡± Theo quickly went into grumpy mentor mode. ¡°Just because I inconvenienced the abomination, with Liandra¡¯s help¡ª¡± He hastily added the last bit, though more as an afterthought. ¡°¡ªis no reason for¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish, the large mass that was the abomination spontaneously broke down to the thousands of components that composed it. The only reason it didn¡¯t scatter all over the floor was because of the threads that it remained entangled with.


    Complete silence filled the room, interrupted only by the flapping of Octavian¡¯s wings.


    ¡°Lia,¡± the avatar began in a quiet voice. ¡°Did you do anything?¡±


    The heroine shook her head.


    ¡°I thought you did.¡± She turned to him.


    Any other time when a seemingly powerful opponent suddenly rolled over and died, or broke up into pieces as was the case right now, there would be a reason for celebration. Theo, though, remained skeptical. The universe wasn¡¯t always in the mood to grant him favors. In all previous instances that worked in his favor, he could see the chain of events that led to the desired, if unexpected, outcome. In this case he could see nothing of the sort.


    ¡°Maybe the ice damaged its core?¡± the avatar asked.


    A short distance away, Ulf stood up, brushing off his clothes out of habit.


    ¡°Ulf,¡± the baron said. ¡°Have a knife?¡±


    ¡°A knife?¡± The large adventurer blinked. ¡°Sure, but why?¡±


    ¡°Throw it at the pile.¡±


    The reason was quickly made clear. Should the abomination be alive, it would corrupt the weapon, making it clear that the battle wasn¡¯t over.


    Taking the knife from the back of his belt, Ulf threw it in one smooth motion. As the blade bounced off a piece of marble, everyone held their breaths. For a moment, even the griffin¡¯s wings seemed to freeze. A second metallic sound followed as everyone observed the knife drop¡­ and it still was a knife.


    To be on the safe side, Ulf drew another hidden blade and threw it. The result was the same. For whatever reason, the abomination had died, almost of a fatal heart attack, it would seem. Theo couldn¡¯t say that the victory was satisfying, but given that his secret was safe and everyone was corruption free, he was willing to live with it. And yet, the nagging feeling remained in the back of his mind, like a worm hiding in an apple.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s dead,¡± he announced.


    Given the silence and blank looks from everyone, one would be hard pressed to see them as the victors. For the most part, they shared the baron¡¯s concerns. There were easy battles and there was¡­ this.


    ¡°Does that mean that we¡¯ll get out of here now?¡± he looked at Liandra.


    ¡°I suppose,¡± the heroine replied. ¡°With nothing left to guard, Memoria¡¯s tomb should collapse onto itself and release us. At least, that¡¯s the belief.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not sure?¡±


    ¡°People didn¡¯t have you in mind when they created the spell. The only thing known for certain is that it should remain while its occupant is alive. Since the occupant is scattered on the floor¡­¡± the woman shrugged.


    It wasn¡¯t the most reassuring response, but at this stage, Theo was willing to accept anything. The main thing was that with the abomination gone, the curse should dissolve as well. In theory, it should have already been broken.


    An uneasy calm filled the room. For half a minute, everyone remained where they were, ready to get back to fighting at a moment¡¯s notice.


    ¡°Maybe it takes a while for the spell to realize it¡¯s not needed,¡± Liandra said. ¡°Some ancient spells are like that.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you knew magic.¡± The avatar gave her a strange look.


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t.¡± She laughed. ¡°I mean, I can¡¯t cast magic. I just know a few hundred of the ones I¡¯m likely to encounter. Demon magic, dungeon magic¡ª¡± She started enumerating. ¡°¡ªand most of the nasty mage spells.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know a few as well.¡± Ulf approached. ¡°I still get sick thinking of Maxwell¡¯s Compendium.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± the avatar said. Theo had never heard of that book, but as a supposed mage, he couldn¡¯t just admit it.


    ¡°The Compendium of Magic Survival,¡± Liandra said with a note of nostalgia in her voice. ¡°I had to learn it by heart.¡±


    ¡°My uncle was on my back until I could recite the first fifty,¡± Ulf continued. ¡°The first year after I became an adventurer, he¡¯d forbid me from doing tasks at the full moon. I bet he still thinks that I don¡¯t know the full moon spells.¡±


    ¡°Full moon spells?¡± Theo couldn¡¯t help himself.


    Instantly, Liandra and Ulf look at him.


    Uh, oh, the dungeon thought. Had he just said something he wasn¡¯t supposed to?


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Liandra shook her head. ¡°I know that¡¯s not the proper name, but it¡¯s a lot catchier. Thing is, I haven¡¯t been around mages that much, and other than you, most of them are arrogant assholes.¡±


    The avatar¡¯s eyes widened. Just how arrogant could mages be if he was seen as the sensible one? Hopefully, he¡¯d never have to find out.


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m fairly sure the spell will let us go in an hour, or a day at most,¡± she added. ¡°You better take care of that wound until then.¡±


    ¡°What wound?¡± Theo winced. ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just the clothes that aren¡¯t.¡±


    Now it was the heroine¡¯s turn to appear confused.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± She pressed on.


    ¡°Look.¡± The avatar raised his hands. ¡°No wounds.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s not you, then what¡¯s that blood there?¡± The heroine pointed behind the avatar.


    Reason gave way to fear, and despite knowing that it was impossible to wound his avatar, Theo checked all the same. Just as expected, there wasn¡¯t a single wound or scratch on him; even his clothes lacked any trace of blood. Taking one glance in the direction Liandra was pointing, though, revealed a discrepancy.


    Several of the marble fragments had bright red smears of blood. It wasn¡¯t much¡ªno more than a thimble¡¯s worth¡ªcontrasting with the whitish color of the abomination¡¯s pieces.


    ¡°Avid, Amelia,¡± the avatar looked up. ¡°Did any of you get hurt?¡±


    Both adventurers started checking each other.


    ¡°No,¡± Amelia was quick to say.


    Avid also shook his head.


    ¡°What about the bird?¡± Theo didn¡¯t give up.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be them. The blood would have been on top of the pieces, not beneath,¡± Liandra noted. ¡°You were the only one in there.¡±


    Simultaneously, both she and Theo had the same thought: what if someone else had been trapped inside as well? Thinking back to the battle against Lord Mandrake, the gnome had fought within a giant mechanical construction. Could this be a similar case?


    Casting an aether sphere around himself, the avatar slowly floated in the direction of the blood. Liandra took a step forward as well, only to have the baron make a sign for her to stop.


    ¡°Better not,¡± he said. ¡°There¡¯s no telling what¡¯s there.¡±


    ¡°I survived an abomination,¡± the heroine said with a frown as she completely ignored him. ¡°I¡¯ll be able to survive that as well.¡±


    Back in his main body, Theo sighed. The positive attitude of the heroine had completely made him forget how stubborn she was. Of course, she¡¯d go straight towards the source of danger. It was a wonder she hadn¡¯t done so earlier. The proper response was to let her risk her life. It wasn¡¯t like he cared. One could even say that if something bad happened to her, his secret would be a lot safer. Sadly, a driving force far greater than self-preservation propelled the avatar forward¡ªa refusal to be outdone.


    The closer the pair approached, the greater the amount of blood became visible. Everyone¡¯s first instinct was to search for a body beneath, but there was none.


    ¡°What if the abomination had a human heart?¡± Amelia asked from above. ¡°You must have destroyed it with your magic when you were trapped inside.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the stupidest thing I¡¯ve ever heard!¡± Theo shouted back.


    Although he did consider the possibility. Weirder things had occurred in the world¡ªhe was an obvious example of one. Stumbling upon an abomination with a core of flesh seemed weird and disgusting, but not completely impossible.


    Half a dozen aether spheres appeared in the air, surrounding the avatar. Each had a fireball inside.


    Pausing a few steps away from the patch of blood, Liandra looked at him.


    ¡°In case it¡¯s a blood spi¡ª¡± Theo began, then suddenly stopped. ¡°The ruby ring,¡± he quickly said. ¡°Do you still have it?¡±


    In all the chaos, everyone had completely forgotten about the snobbish item. Given the proclivity of the ring¡¯s husband to escape, it was remotely possible that she had attempted to do so amid the chaos and ended up squished instead.


    ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± Liandra tapped her pouch.


    ¡°I don¡¯t hear it,¡± Theo replied in skeptical fashion.


    His suspicions were contagious, for the heroine reached for the pouch with her left hand, and loosened it. Instantly, the ring shot out, kept at bay only by the chain it was attached to. The action was so sudden and startling that a fireball flew right at it, only to be sliced half-way by the woman.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry.¡± The avatar waved his hands. ¡°I thought it was trying to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Mommy!¡± the ruby ring shouted, desperately attempting to break free from its constraints.


    Back in Rosewind, the shutters of the dungeon¡¯s main mansion seamlessly closed shut.


    ¡°Mommy?¡± he and his avatar said in unison while the blood from the chamber erupted like a crimson fountain.


    BEWARE!


    You have destroyed the guardian of Memoria¡¯s Tomb!


    The occupant imprisoned within is now free to roam the world again.


    This was, without a shadow of a doubt, a very big oops moment.

 (Book 2) 24. Agonia, Abomination of Fulfillment

    Ulf and Liandra leaped back several dozen feet from the fountain of blood. Both the visual appearance and dark power emanating from the entity triggered their instinct for self-preservation. It was as if fear had gained physical form and had pushed them back. Only the baron remained in place, not budging an inch.


    ¡°Oh, a brave one?¡± the entity cackled in a screechy female voice.


    Theo¡¯s avatar kept staring right at it. Many would mistake it as bravery, but in truth, the dungeon was terrified¡­ terrified of his glaring mistake. If anyone else had been the cause of this, Theo would have ripped him a new one several times over. Since he was the reason for the glaring failure, though, he was desperately trying to rationalize it and in such a way that would let him off the hook. After all, there was no way to tell that the marble monster wasn¡¯t the abomination. Even Spok had failed to make the distinction! According to the definition, an abomination was a near invulnerable entity based on a single concept. The guardian seemed invulnerable¡ªuntil its sudden death¡ªand clearly had the power to corrupt everything it came into contact with. It had destroyed a full-fledged ice elemental without taking any serious damage! How was anyone to know that the real abomination was something else?


    ¡°So, you¡¯re Theodor d¡¯Argent?¡± A pair of eyes appeared on the overflowing column of blood. ¡°You still owe me a few souls for ruining my carpet and destroying a perfectly good butler.¡±


    ¡°And ruining my collection, Mommy!¡± The traitorous ruby ring shouted all the way from Liandra¡¯s hand. ¡°My entire collection!¡±


    ¡°Hush, dear.¡± There was no change in the fountain¡¯s pitch or intonation, yet the two simple words instantly made the ruby ring relax and fall back down, once again subject to gravity. ¡°Then again, I should be thankful to you for freeing me from this memory prison. If I had to rely on my children, I¡¯d have conquered the world before I managed to break out.¡±


    The comment quickly snapped Theo back to reality. If there was one thing that irked him more than anything else in this life or the past, it was baseless boasting. The abomination didn¡¯t need to mention that she¡¯d take over the world. Most evil entities tended to do that, anyway. What really infuriated him was the humble bragging that it could do so from within Memoria¡¯s Tomb.


    Scratching his nose, the dungeon avatar cast an arcane identify.


    AGONIA


    (Abomination of Fulfillment)


    A lesser abomination born during the war between deities and demons.


    Named ¡°The Mistress of Obsession¡± by Grand Cleric Triceritos II, the abomination spread chaos throughout dozens of kingdoms until it was finally defeated by the Legendary Archmage Gregord and the World Hero Leopold Ygreil. Unable to destroy it, the heroes imprisoned the entity in a Memoria¡¯s Tomb, where it was to remain for all eternity.


    Due to the overwhelming power of the entity, its corruptive ways leaked beyond its memory prison, causing several cities to become corrupted throughout the centuries.


    ¡°Abomination of fulfillment?¡± Theo couldn¡¯t help himself. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    Instantly, the fountain of blood condensed, as though startled by the question.


    ¡°You cast identify on me?¡± It asked in an uneasy tone. ¡°The only one who managed that¡­¡± It stopped mid-sentence. ¡°I still want payment for the damage you did, but because you freed me, I¡¯m willing to let you go, provided you return, my dear girl.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to it!¡± Liandra said, gripping the hilt of her sword. ¡°It¡¯s still weakened by the effects of Memoria¡¯s Tomb. If we attack it now, we can destroy it!¡±


    There was a certain degree of logic to the statement. The now destroyed guardian had kept the abomination at bay for centuries. Theo¡¯s mind, though, continued to dwell on his failure and whether he could be blamed for it.


    ¡°Also.¡± The blood fountain bent, moving closer to the avatar. ¡°I know what you really are,¡± it whispered. ¡°Don¡¯t meddle in my affairs, and I won¡¯t meddle in yours.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± the baron snapped.


    Memories flooded back to the first time he met Switches¡ªor Lord Mandrake, as he referred to himself back then. The gnome¡¯s single realization had started a series of events that culminated with the near destruction of Rosewind and the dungeon itself. There was no way in the universe, Theo would go through a repeat of that.


    A blast of cold was instantly cast, encasing half of the blood fountain in solid ice. Before Theo could finish the job, unfortunately, the upper half leaped up, tearing off the crimson chunk, then seeped through the ceiling.


    Unwilling to let it go, the avatar cast another spell, freezing the entire upper part of the chamber. The amount of energy used was substantial, but that was his least concern right now.


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Liandra said, rushing up to him. ¡°It¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡± the baron muttered. How come every maniacal evil entity could see through his nature? Was there a special skill that allowed monsters to identify each other? Or were heroes and adventurers just dumb?


    ¡°What did it tell you?¡± the heroine asked.


    ¡°She offered to let me go if I settled my bill by sacrificing you three.¡±


    ¡°She?¡± Liandra gave him a skeptical look.


    ¡°Agonia, Abomination of Fulfillment,¡± the avatar grumbled. ¡°Now that she¡¯s free, she can be anywhere. Maybe even Rosewind.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Memoria¡¯s Tomb is still in effect. If we¡¯re still here, so¡¯s¡­ she.¡± The last was added with a note of reluctance.


    That only seemed to delay the inevitable. Even if it took a whole day for the prison spell to release them, finding an abomination in the endless maze was like finding a needle in a solar system. Even if the dungeon used all available energy and the stashed core points, he couldn¡¯t make enough fireballs to search everywhere. And even if by some miracle he managed to find the abomination, what then? She¡¯d only seep through the nearest wall and the process would start all over from the beginning.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Liandra put her hands on the baron¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Don¡¯t lose hope, you hear? And don¡¯t look down on yourself. Do you know how few survive an encounter with an abomination? Not many. I know all of them from my history lessons in hero school. You made it flee and saved us in the process. Even legendary heroes have done worse.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but¡ª¡± Theo started instinctively, then stopped.


    Due to his past life, he had become expected to be blamed for all problems that occurred whether they had been caused by him or not. As a result, he had become rather skilled in the art of excuses. Being consoled and reassured was a relatively unusual experience.


    Maybe not all heroes are that bad, the dungeon thought to himself.


    ¡°But I killed the wrong entity,¡± he said, almost daring Liandra and the entire universe to blame him for it.


    ¡°We all did. As my grandfather used to say, when you¡¯re in deep shit, the first priority is to get out. Then, if there¡¯s time, you can argue about who did what.¡±


    ¡°Not a bad way of thinking,¡± the avatar admitted. ¡°Your grandfather sounds like quite the character.¡±


    ¡°He was.¡± Liandra let go of the baron and took a step back. ¡°He really was.¡±


    The topic remained a sore point.


    Behind the two, Octavian landed on the floor. The griffin was too proud to openly show that he was exhausted from Avid and Amelia¡¯s combined weight, but he was even more unwilling to allow himself to suffer needlessly.


    Incidentally, it was at this point that Theo noticed how all three adventurers remained a fair distance away, looking at him and Liandra with unnerving intensity. To make things worse, there didn¡¯t seem to be any traces of fear or anger in their eyes¡­ quite the opposite.


    ¡°So, all we have to do is wait for the spell to collapse?¡± the baron asked after clearing his throat.


    ¡°That¡¯s about it.¡± Liandra nodded.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do that.¡± He used telekinesis to clear a spot from the rubble around him, then sat down. ¡°And while we do, we¡¯ll take advantage of the calm to get some training in.¡± He glared at the three adventurers. ¡°I want all the debris gathered and neatly piled in a corner of the chamber before the spell ends. And that goes for you too, Octavian!¡±


    And while the dungeon observed the group of his avatar go through some much-deserved labor, in his main body, an entirely different series of events ensued.


    Making full use of the devices Cmyk had brought from Switches¡¯ workshop, the gnome had toiled for a considerable amount of time¡ªa lot longer than Theo would have liked. Nothing it did had caused any significant pain, but the constant vibrations made the dungeon feel as if he was having his teeth drilled. When it came time to give a part of his core, it felt like a relief, indicating that the whole thing was nearly over. And, in time, it was.


    ¡°Hmm, so this is it?¡± Spok asked, looking at a delicate metal box.


    ¡°Yep.¡± Switches nodded eagerly, adjusting his goggles. ¡°It¡¯s right inside.¡±


    ¡°Why did you have to make a box?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s traditional!¡± The gnome quickly explained. ¡°Adds to the experience. My former employer loved boxes so much, he had me make at least a dozen each time. I¡¯d put a fragment in one and leave the rest empty. Then, his favored minions would each pick a box and open it. The one who got the core fragment got to increase their power.¡±


    ¡°And the rest?¡± Theo asked.


    ¡°Oh, he¡¯d kill them off for their base materials.¡± Switches waved a hand dismissively.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Upon hearing that, Cmyk took several steps back. He had become accustomed to hearing he was a ¡°waste of resources¡± but up till now, not once had he actually imagined Theo would do anything about it. Learning that there were dungeons who treated their minions a lot worse nudged him to reconsider his work attitude. The uncomfortable experience lasted almost two full seconds before quickly fading away into oblivion. There was absolutely no way Theo would waste so much effort on anything of the sort.


    ¡°Open it.¡± The gnome held his breath with excitement.


    ¡°You are aware that you only made a single box?¡±


    Switches nodded eagerly.


    Seeing that any attempt at reasoning was pointless, Spok removed the metal cover. A necklace chain with a large amber gem glowed with a faint light.


    ¡°Yay!¡± the gnome cheered. ¡°You¡¯re the winner!¡± He started clapping to be joined a few seconds later by Cmyk, who contributed with a supportive slow clap.


    ¡°Yes¡­ thank you.¡± The spirit guide took out the necklace.


    There was no denying that it was rather beautiful. The chain was made of silver imbued with magic, making it almost unbreakable. There was no clasp, making it clear that no living person could put it on or, more importantly, take it off. It was remarkable that despite all his quirks and at moments intolerable behavior; the gnome was extremely skilled at its craft.


    Sliding the back of the chain through her throat until it was on the other side of her neck, the spirit guide then let go. Nothing seemed to happen.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Theo asked, his words dredged with disappointment.


    ¡°Yep, yep!¡± Switches nodded. ¡°All done.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there supposed to be a burst of light, a message, or anything?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me you wanted special effects,¡± the gnome¡¯s ears flopped down. ¡°I should have expected this. You¡¯ve always demanded perfection, so it was stupid of me to assume you wouldn¡¯t want all the bells and whistles. Next time, I¡¯ll¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± The dungeon quickly interrupted. ¡°The important thing is to determine whether it works,¡± he added expectantly. To his great annoyance, all that the entities in the room did was nod in response. ¡°So, how do we determine if it works?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s simple,¡± Spok said, then jumped in place. ¡°It works.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± Theo felt they were mocking him. ¡°You can tell just by that?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all that¡¯s needed. A spirit guide cannot be separated from its dungeon even for a moment, even if given an avatar. The fact that I¡¯m able to jump off the floor in the first place proves that the device works.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re always in contact with the dungeon¡¯s core.¡± Switches rubbed his hands. ¡°A loophole of dungeon physics. I considered putting the core fragment in a slipper or a ring, but this is a lot more elegant. The perceived value is at least ten thousand gold coins.¡± He puffed up his chest with pride.


    ¡°Ten thousand coins to put a core fragment into an object?¡± The door in the room creaked in approval. Theo had no idea whether that was a high or low as far as jewelry was concerned, but anything with three additional zeroes had to be impressive.


    ¡°Oh, no. For the gem. Adding the fragment is the easy bit.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see¡ª¡± Just as the dungeon was saying it, a spark of anger ignited in the back of his mind. Did Switches mean what he thought he meant? ¡°Hold on! You spent all that time and resources just for the gem?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Switches nodded, grinning from ear to ear. ¡°So, do I pass my trial period?¡±


    There were many things that Theo wanted to say, none of them flattering. At the same time, he couldn¡¯t deny the gnome¡¯s skills. If it hadn¡¯t been for Switches, Spok wouldn¡¯t have remained stuck to him, almost literally. Also, there was the matter of the ¡°combat fleet¡± that Theo now needed, and faster than ever. If he could get that before Memoria¡¯s tomb collapsed, he stood a greater chance of destroying the abomination than on his own.


    ¡°Almost,¡± the dungeon said, providing just enough hope. ¡°There¡¯s still the matter of my golems.¡±


    ¡°Ah, of course, Of course. I¡¯ll get right on that as soon as Cmyk moves my equipment back to my workshop.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ there¡¯s no need for that.¡± Theo knew he¡¯d regret it, but right now, time was of the essence. ¡°I¡¯ll adjust one of my underground rooms for you to use. Anything else you need, Cmyk can get while you start working.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± The gnome¡¯s ears perked up.


    ¡°Just on a temporary basis. Whether or not you keep them depends entirely on the speed of the results.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Of course!¡± Switches nodded eagerly. ¡°I¡¯ll build them so fast that you won¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to the details.¡± The floor beneath the gnome¡¯s feet opened up, causing him to fall down a slanted shaft back into the dungeon¡¯s bowels.


    That was one matter dealt with.


    ¡°Are you sure about this, sir?¡± Spok asked. ¡°He does have an affinity for¡­ being a gnome.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll just have to get used to him. And that means fetching the rest of his stuff from that wreck in the village, Cmyk. What are you waiting for?!¡±


    The minion sighed, shrugged, then left the room in typical stoic fashion. The fact that he did so without his usual silent complaining was enough for the dungeon to keep himself from using other, more forceful methods.


    ¡°Oh, and how goes your encounter with the abomination?¡± Spok asked, causing several wells in Rosewind to erupt in the equivalent of a person spitting out his drink.


    A great deal had happened since the last time Theo had asked her about the topic, and all of it was bad. Technically, he could use the corporately approved good-news-bad-news approach. He had destroyed a dangerous entity threatening him, after all. It just so happened that the entity in question was the guardian keeping the actual abomination at bay. Alas, it was doubtful that the explanation would fly. Spok would see through any attempt of deceit, then flatten him with sarcasm and disapproving comments.


    ¡°You stayed clear from it, I hope?¡±


    Theo was just about to say something when her comment terrified him more than any sarcastic remark could. Had Spok just forgotten something? Spirit guides weren¡¯t supposed to forget¡ªit was part of their nature. That only added to her increasingly strange behavior as of late. Up till now, it had only been trivial things that one might ignore, but this could well be a potential cause for concern.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be careful,¡± the dungeon said cautiously. ¡°I¡¯ll have to face it at some point, though. Otherwise, it¡¯ll keep sending zombie letters all over the place.¡±


    ¡°Of course you have to face it,¡± the spirit guide looked at the wall of the room as if she were a teacher addressing a child who¡¯d forgotten its homework. ¡°And before that, you must identify its nature. If you don¡¯t, your chances to defeat it will be greatly diminished.¡±


    A contradiction. That¡¯s not what she had said during their last conversation on the matter. If she were a person, Theo would have said that she had blanked out the entire episode out of fear. The fact that she wasn¡¯t made him think that she might be affected by his own condition as well. There hadn¡¯t been any hunger messages as of late, but the dungeon wasn¡¯t na?ve to think that it was over. Even the cautiously optimistic would wait for several days before they would come to such a conclusion.


    ¡°Sure. Any reply from the mage tower?¡± Theo decided to test her.


    ¡°Not yet. Mages are slow in all matters that don¡¯t concern them. It¡¯ll come, rest assured.¡±


    Apparently, only fragments of her memory were affected. Could it be that the abomination had somehow corrupted him as well? Either that or his condition really was more serious than initially believed. There was a small chance that the spirit guide might simply be overworked, but Theo conveniently chose to disregard that possibility. Whatever the case, defeating the abomination and breaking the curse of the estate remained the top goal.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be going around town, sir,¡± Spok declared. ¡°There are a few people I need to talk to regarding the future of Rosewind, and check if they have any zombie letters, of course. I¡¯ll leave you and Switches to play with your toy soldiers. Just be mindful of the energy spent, sir. Just because you¡¯re fine today is no reason to get excessive.¡±


    ¡°Just go, Spok.¡± The dungeon grumbled. ¡°I have everything under control.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad, sir.¡± The spirit guide vanished, only to reappear at the mansion¡¯s door. After leaving, she went to the end of the pavement that was part of the dungeon and took one step beyond.


    The experience was unusual. Both she and Theo felt as if she was still connected to the dungeon, and at the same time, she clearly wasn¡¯t; the same way a kite was technically linked to its owner, but at the same time was free in the sky.


    A somewhat more disturbing aspect of the whole situation was Theo¡¯s inability to observe her actions. The core element allowed him to talk with her¡ªas he had immediately tested¡ªand provided her locations at all times, but that was it. The only way he could see the avatar of his spirit guide was from any building that was part of him, making it almost as awkward as the first time he had looked upon himself through the eyes of his avatar. One might argue that was the price of progress¡ªjust something one had to get used to.


    Spok didn¡¯t return to the dungeon by nightfall. For the first time in his existence, his main body had been left virtually alone. Boredom quickly grew as even watching the adventurers in Memoria¡¯s Tomb move chunks of marble around lost its allure.


    Theo tried entertaining a conversation with Switches, commenting on Cmyk¡¯s appearance each time the minion went to the wall pulling a cart with airship parts. He even spent close to an hour playing with Maximilian, not that the fat rabbit did anything remotely exerting. The dungeon had no memory of whether the creature had always been so lazy, but it managed to make Cmyk look like a workaholic.


    ¡°Done!¡± Ulf shouted, after which he sat on the floor, covered in sweat.


    It hadn¡¯t been quick or easy, but somehow he and his fellow adventurers had managed to gather every fragment in one spot. Even the pieces on the walls had been pulled out and added to the pile.


    ¡°Good,¡± the baron said in complete disinterest. ¡°Get some rest now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ never¡­ worked¡­ so much¡­ in my life,¡± Amelia managed to say, lying on the floor. The woman didn¡¯t even bother taking a few steps to join the rest of her group. ¡°Is this what adventuring is like? Moments of intense fighting followed by hours of cleaning up?¡±


    ¡°There are many types of training,¡± Liandra said. ¡°Think of your own limits.¡±


    ¡°But is it a good idea to exhaust ourselves before a fight?¡± Avid asked. ¡°Once we¡¯re free from the spell, we¡¯ll have to face the blood fountain.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Liandra¡¯s tone acquired a steel edge. ¡°You won¡¯t be fighting her. Only Theo and I will. You must be strong enough to protect yourself until we¡¯re done.¡±


    Normally, this would be the time of protests. The egos of both Ulf and Amelia were too large to allow such an ¡°insult¡± to their abilities. Surprisingly, there were none. Seeing how useless they had been against the marble guardian had made them acknowledge the difference in levels.


    Their reaction, although insignificant, made Theo feel a smattering of pride. It was a side effect of the heroic trait, no doubt, but he actually felt glad seeing them grow. Hopefully, the sensation wouldn¡¯t last long. The last thing he wanted was getting attached to overeager adventurers.


    ¡°Get some sleep,¡± the baron mumbled. ¡°We¡¯ll wake you up when it¡¯s time.¡±


    ¡°Too late,¡± Liandra said with a smile. ¡°They¡¯re already out.¡±


    ¡°Already? Didn¡¯t think we worked them that much.¡±


    ¡°We did, but that¡¯s not the reason. I used a sleep item on them.¡±


    Liandra had magic items she¡¯d been keeping in secret? Interesting.


    ¡°To be more specific, I transferred my fatigue onto them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ sneaky.¡±


    ¡°Unlike them, I need to be fresh for the fight.¡± There was a pause. ¡°On that note, I have a favor to ask.¡±


    Uh, oh. Theo thought. In his experience, whenever someone said they needed a favor instead of saying it straight out, meant trouble.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to borrow my grandfather¡¯s sword for the fight,¡± the heroine said. ¡°I¡¯ll return it once it¡¯s over.¡±


    ¡°It means a lot to you. Sure,¡± the avatar took the sword out of his dimensional ring. ¡°You can have it. If we defeat the abomination, there¡¯s no need to give it back.¡± And if they didn¡¯t, it wouldn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°No. Grandfather gave it to you. I just need to borrow it.¡±


    ¡°No worries. Your sword got destroyed so we could figure out the guardian¡¯s weakness, after all.¡± He handed her the weapon. Although he felt he was doing the right thing from a moral and practical perspective, he couldn¡¯t get rid of the lingering fear that she might use the weapon against him should the abomination share his secret during the fight. ¡°I think I¡¯ll get some sleep as well,¡± he lied.


    ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯ll keep watch.¡±


    After another three hours and thirty-seven minutes, the coveted message appeared.


    CONGRATULATIONS!


    You have destroyed Memoria¡¯s Tomb.


    10000 Avatar Core Points obtained.


    MEMORY MAGIC obtained.


    News of your achievement shall be known throughout the entire continent.


    Ten thousand? That was more like it! It was guaranteed to boost his avatar a level or two. With some luck he might get some actually useful skills. Not that memory magic was bad¡ªit just wasn¡¯t anything the dungeon was familiar with.


    YOU FEEL DEVASTATING HUNGER!


    Crap! The dungeon thought. Here we go again¡­

 (Book 2) 25. The Curse of Foraging and Unwanted Letters

    A certain unease accompanied Spok as she walked outside of the dungeon¡¯s confines. Technically, as Switches had pointed out, she still remained connected to the main body at all times, but still, it didn¡¯t feel like the proper way of doing it. The first few minutes, the spirit guide would constantly reach for her necklace. Holding to it gave her a certain sense of security. Without it, she felt as if she was falling into an abyss of nothingness.


    Everything¡¯s going to be alright, Spok told herself.


    No doubt the abnormal state of the dungeon was affecting her as well, not to mention the whole thing with the abomination. Of all the things he had had to come across, it just had to be an abomination. If Spok didn¡¯t know better, she¡¯d suspect that Theo had been somehow cursed. That was impossible, of course. She and the dungeon would have known, not to mention Paris¡¯ temple would have reacted.


    People waved to the woman as she passed by. With her effectively handling all the baron¡¯s properties¡ªwhich at present amounted to half the town¡ªSpok had quickly become a familiar face. More importantly, she was the person with inside knowledge of everything related to Cmyk¡ªthe real champion of Rosewind.


    Three small griffins swooped down from the sky, landing a few steps away from Spok. It had become common for the young ones to pester people for food. Interestingly enough, what they demanded more from the spirit guide were pets and attention.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Spok stopped, reaching out to them. ¡°Let¡¯s get this done with.¡±


    The trio rushed forward, rubbing against her legs like pet cats. As much as Spok would criticize the dungeon regarding the inept comparison, they were showing feline traits.


    ¡°Had enough?¡± Spok asked, while in turn scratching their necks and the space between their wings. Looking at them, it didn¡¯t seem so. ¡°Fly along. I have work to do.¡± She straightened up. ¡°I¡¯ll pet you more later.¡±


    The griffins squawked, following her for several dozen steps more. Then, seeing that she was serious, reluctantly flew back into the sky.


    Spok adjusted her glasses. If only dealing with the council¡¯s nobles would be as easy. The reason for her trip ¡°outside¡± the dungeon was to have a conversation with Marquis Dott regarding the future development of Rosewind. The man was the most dangerous politically, even more so than the baroness, so it was a good idea to deal with him first. And that wasn¡¯t the only reason. The threat of zombie letters remained and while no one had acted stranger than usual so far, nothing could be taken for granted.


    The marquis¡¯ building was in eerie proximity to the duke¡¯s castle. At some point in the past, a competition between the two¡¯s ancestors must have taken place. Both structures were imposing, though what the marquis couldn¡¯t achieve with size, it made up for with money. Spok instantly recognized the imported stones that were used to make the walls of the four-story building. By her estimate, each stone cost at least five silver coins¡ªa lot more than most of the materials her own dungeon had used for its halls and structures.


    The architect had initially wanted to recreate a version of the far larger castle, but had quickly given up, adding an exotic touch to it. The effort had succeeded and one could say without a doubt that the marquis home was among the most distinctive in town; or at least had been so before the appearance of Baron d¡¯Argent¡¯s building.


    ¡°¡¯ello.¡± A guard dressed in fancy clothes, holding a rather stern pike, bowed at Spok as she approached. ¡°¡¯ow can I ¡®elp you, Miss?¡±


    The man was clearly foreign, his almost unnaturally pale skin standing out even more due to the flamboyant uniform. Many would be tempted to assume that the marquis had only hired him as a fashion accessory, but Spok knew better. Even in her current state, she could sense the magic of several items emanating from the man.


    ¡°I¡¯m Spok d¡¯Espit, governess of Baron d¡¯Argent¡¯s estates,¡± she introduced herself. ¡°I¡¯m here to see Marquis Dott.¡±


    ¡°Melo¡¯d¡¯s busy right now,¡± the guard said without hesitation. His behavior screamed skilled mercenary¡ªtoo recent to know any form of local etiquette and too skilled to particularly care.


    ¡°He¡¯ll want to see me,¡± Spok added with an icy edge in her voice, making it clear she wasn¡¯t to be ignored.


    ¡°Guess we¡¯ll see about that, Ma¡¯am.¡± The man opened the outer gate, letting Spok into the small front garden.


    Almost on cue, the entrance door to the main building opened and a rather stuffy servant emerged on the scene. His clothes were a lot more refined and elegant than those of the guard. Judging by his flawless hairdo and his refined manners, he had to be Spok¡¯s counterpart.


    ¡°Welcome, d¡¯Esprit,¡± the man said, omitting her first name in a clear provocation. ¡°The marquis was just about to send for you. How fortunate for you to have saved him the trouble.¡±


    ¡°Fortunate indeed.¡± The spirit guide nodded, then adjusted her glasses once more. She had seen the man in passing multiple times, yet never once spoken to him. Officially, he hadn¡¯t introduced himself once. One of the benefits of being a spirit guide, however, was that Spok was aware of everything that happened within, which meant the greater part of town.


    The man¡¯s name was Elric Valence. Supposedly, his family had some degree of noble blood, though currently he had been reduced to taking on a subservient position in the house of an actually successful noble. Most merchants described him as arrogant and stingy, which was why Spok had found it so easy to procure all the building materials needed for the dungeon¡¯s reconstruction, during the goblin war and later.


    ¡°Are you here alone?¡± Elric asked. ¡°I would have thought that your master could afford at hire you an assistant, at least.¡±


    ¡°The baron focuses on quality rather than quantity,¡± Spok countered. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m more than capable of doing my own job without¡ª¡±


    A sealed letter suddenly popped into existence, dropping to the front porch. Spok, Elric and the guard watched as it fell onto the stone pavement. Magic letters, while not unknown, were rather rare, used only for events of significance. Having them appear at someone¡¯s door was an indicator of importance. That was unless someone was dealing with an actual zombie letter, and in this case, they were. Spok had recognized the black seal, the type of paper, and the cursed sensations emanating from the letter.


    ¡°The marquis seems to be rather influential.¡± Spok said, leaning down to pick up the letter.


    Unfortunately, before she could do so, Elric¡¯s hand grabbed her own in an unusual display of speed.


    ¡°Oh, but he is,¡± the man said. ¡°Very influential. I will take that. Thank you.¡±


    Internally, Spok sighed. She was having a bad day and things had just gotten worse.


    Meanwhile, Theo¡¯s avatar was back in the runnels beneath the cursed estate. Memoria¡¯s Tomb, along with the statues of the heroes guarding it, had been reduced to rubble, spitting out all of its occupants. Looking closely at the remains, one could almost recognize the pieces that had gone into making the puzzle guardian. Sadly, there was no trace of the evil entity. The Abomination of Fulfillment had clearly managed to slither away faster than anyone else could react. That was a very bad sign.


    AVATAR LEVEL INCREASE


    Your Avatar has become Level 25.


    +1 Speed, POISON RESISTANCE obtained.


    0 Core Points required for next Avatar Level


    AVATAR LEVEL INCREASE


    Your Avatar has become Level 26.


    +1 Speed, FORAGING obtained.


    4800 Core Points required for next Avatar Level


    POISON RESISTANCE - 1


    Reduces the effects of poison through the use of 10 energy.


    Using the skill increases its rank, reducing the effects of the poison even more.


    FORAGING - 1


    Allows you to identify useful and edible plants and mushrooms in the wilderness.


    Using the skill will increase its rank, increasing the information obtained.


    Acquiring two levels was, in general, a positive thing, though not when all the avatar had to gain from it were two useless skills. Poison resistance wasn¡¯t even theoretically beneficial in any way: it still cost energy, and the effects were far weaker than the dungeon already possessed. Yet, even that was better than foraging. If there was one thing that Theo had no intention of doing was walking through the wilderness with his avatar in search of stupid herbs. There was hay for that¡ªhay that could be spun into gold to hire people far better suited for the job.


    A loud squawk coming inches from the avatar¡¯s head quickly made him realize that there were far better things to get annoyed of other than useless skills.


    ¡°Not now.¡± Theo pushed the large, feathery head away. ¡°There will be food for you later. Right now, we need to¡­¡± he paused. Need to what?


    He had hoped that once the spell was broken that they¡¯d get to fight the abomination right away. The fact that Agonia wasn¡¯t present made things a lot more difficult. With nothing keeping her imprisoned, she could have gone anywhere she wanted by now. Hopefully, she hadn¡¯t decided to turn Rosewind into a zombie-town. That would be uncomfortable on too many levels.


    ¡°From here on you three will look after each other,¡± Liandra told the trio of still yawning adventurers. The end of the spell had woken them up, though not fully. ¡°We¡¯ll try to break the curse for you to go back home.¡± She turned to Avid and Amelia. ¡°Send a message to the hero guild the first chance you get. Understand?¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°What about you?¡± the duke¡¯s daughter asked. ¡°And Baron d¡¯Argent?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine.¡± The heroine smiled.


    ¡°Consider it part of your adventurer¡¯s training,¡± the avatar added. ¡°Any seasoned adventurer needs to know when to stay and when to go. This is the time to go.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    A sharp glance on the baron¡¯s part quickly made her stop.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of them,¡± Ulf said in a somber tone. ¡°Just try to make it out alive.¡±


    ¡°Do I look like someone who¡¯d lose? I defeated Lord Mandrake and his goblin fleet. How hard could this be?¡±


    No laughter followed. What had started as a training adventure with a grumpy, though skilled, mage to gain enough proper experience has quickly devolved into a hopeless situation. There was nothing they could do to help. The baron and the heroine were on a whole different level, not to mention that none of the adventurers could even imagine what it meant to fight an abomination. Facing the guardian was terrifying enough.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Avid said, the words piercing through his fear. ¡°It can¡¯t be that hard. You already froze half of her. All that¡¯s left is the rest.¡±


    Back in Rosewind a few shutters creaked. The kid had actually said something semi-decent. Well, not that decent. Theo would have done much better, naturally, but at least Avid wasn¡¯t acting like the bookish spoiled child of the earl anymore.


    ¡°And you.¡± The avatar pointed at Octavian. ¡°You better keep them safe. I expect you to fly them out the moment the curse is broken. Right?¡±


    The griffin squawked, flapping its wings.


    ¡°Good enough,¡± Theo mumbled beneath his breath, then went back into the underground corridor.


    As Liandra joined him, a fireball emerged just above the baron and was quickly wrapped in an aether bubble.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯ve patented that spell,¡± the heroine said. ¡°It¡¯s very practical, so you can make a lot of money.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell Spok to handle it.¡± Theo considered it. Actually, it wasn¡¯t a bad idea. The money didn¡¯t particularly matter, but the idea that he¡¯d receive passive income through his own invention filled him with a certain sense of achievement. Once this was over, he¡¯d look into it.


    ¡°Poor kids,¡± Liandra sighed. ¡°I remember the first time I saw a dragon. Had nightmares for weeks.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Kids? The dungeon thought. They were virtually the same age, give or take a few years.


    ¡°How long have you been in this hero business?¡± he asked casually.


    ¡°Oh, quite a bit. It¡¯s a family tradition. Grandpa started taking me questing when I was seven. He didn¡¯t trust that my father was fit for it.¡±


    ¡°Your father wasn¡¯t a hero?¡±


    ¡°Oh, he was¡­ Just not a triple hero. Grandpa never forgave himself for that. That¡¯s why he had a second go with me.¡±


    ¡°Riiiight. I take it the two of you were close.¡±


    Theo felt a sudden chill all the way in Rosewind. Just because Liandra was friendly with his avatar didn¡¯t mean she¡¯d hesitate to destroy him, given the chance. If she ever learned of his true nature, let alone he was responsible for her grandfather¡¯s death, he¡¯d have to sacrifice all the expansions he¡¯d created and change location fast.


    ¡°Anyway, from what I remember, in order to defeat the abomination, we must understand its nature,¡± he repeated what Spok had told him. ¡°Any ideas what the nature of fulfillment is?¡±


    ¡°The abomination was made of blood, so that has to be connected.¡±


    ¡°Blood and bones,¡± Theo mused. ¡°The abomination of living well and partying?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s something I haven¡¯t figured out,¡± Liandra admitted. ¡°So far, we¡¯ve fought skeletal minions and blood creatures. The two don¡¯t fit.¡±


    Come to think of it, that did bother the dungeon quite a bit. With all the cursed statues and skeletons early on, he had almost been convinced that he was facing another dungeon¡ªbe it a corrupted one. Everything blood related had a completely different feel, almost if they were facing two separate evil entities. In his previous life, Theo wouldn¡¯t have been bothered at all. Zombies, skeletons, and vampires were all considered undead, even if their origins were completely different. That wasn¡¯t so in this world.


    ¡°Spok,¡± Theo said, though the part of his core that was round the spirit guide¡¯s neck. ¡°If you¡¯d wait a few moments, sir. I¡¯m, unfortunately, rather occupied at present.¡±


    This was the first time that Spok had cut off the dungeon in such an unapologetic fashion. However, she had a very good reason. The attempt to gain possession of the cursed letter had quickly escalated into a fight.


    When Elric had grabbed Spok¡¯s hand, it wasn¡¯t merely to move it away, but to display his own worth as an attendant. What made matters worse, he turned out to be just strong enough to be taken seriously.


    Should this have occurred in the dungeon, Spok would have used the powers granted to her by Theo to have Elric trip, slam into him, or use any of the many minor spells she possessed. Here, far away from the majority of the dungeon¡¯s main body, she only had two things to rely on: speed and telekinesis.


    Pulling her hand out before the man could tighter his grip, Spok reached for the letter once more. That time, the mercenary had struck the letter with his spear, pulling it out of reach.


    ¡°Don¡¯t damage it!¡± both Elric and Spik said in unison as they turned at the guard. ¡°It has to remain intact!¡±


    From Spok¡¯s perspective, she didn¡¯t want to risk curst fragments flying about town. Elric, on the other hand, was terrifying what Marquis Dott would think upon receiving anything less than perfection. In this particular case, both their fears desired the same outcome.


    ¡°Why not?¡± the guard asked, once the initial surprise had subsided. ¡°We¡¯ll say she did it.¡± He looked at Spok.


    Elric and the spirit guide looked at each other. The thought crossed through both their minds.


    While Elric found it preferable to have the letter delivered intact, he was prepared to redirect the blame entirely to her.


    Spok could see it happen all too well, which is why, without hesitation, she used a bit of telekinesis to fetch the letter. The good news was that the spell had an effect, removing the piece of paper from the tip of the mercenary¡¯s spear. The bad news was that since she wasn¡¯t within the dungeon proper, the effect of her spells was vastly diminished, preventing it from reaching her hand.


    ¡°Magic?¡± Elric scoffed. ¡°And here I was to think that you¡¯d observe proper etiquette.¡± He leaped up, in an attempt to each the letter.


    As he did, the spirit guide used more of her telekinesis, but instead of pulling the letter towards her, she pushed it away.


    ¡°My master is a mage,¡± she said, adjusting her glasses. ¡°Magic is part of the etiquette.¡±


    From here, an intricate but lethal series of attack and counter attacks followed with each aiming to get the prize for their own reasons. In a normal situation, Spok would have had the upper hand: she was faster and knew just the right amount of magic. Unfortunately, against the combined effort of Elric and the mercenary, even she came short.


    Three completely different fighting styles clashed. After a while, no one focused on getting the letter, but rather on preventing the other party from doing so. Spear faced telekinesis, which in turn faced sleight of hand. Spok¡¯s magic and reflexes won out against Elric¡ªeven if she increasingly suspected that he had assassin training¡ªyet would always fail against the guard¡¯s spear. Elric, on his part, could easily get the letter from the tipoff the spear, yet be constantly kept from doing so by Spok.


    Seconds turned to minutes as the ever-growing game of rock-paper-scissors increased in complexity.


    ¡°Have you stooped so low as to steal other people¡¯s letters?¡± Elric asked, casually tossing a throwing knife in Spok¡¯s direction.


    ¡°That depends on the letter.¡± Spok used telekinesis to change the direction of the knife, making it fly straight up. ¡°And the suitability of the person who¡¯s to deliver it.¡± She pulled off tiles from the near part of the roof, making them rain onto her opponents.


    The sudden change forced Elric to pause his attempt to grab the letter, as he focused on keeping his head intact. Alas, the guard had no such issue. With the movements of a skilled mercenary, he managed to smash the tiles as they fell onto him, while also keep the letter out of Spok¡¯s reach.


    It¡¯s always the mercenaries that cause the greatest problems, Spok said to herself.


    Unlike the common noble servants, their skill and reputation had to be top-notch for them to be hired; and given how much money the man had spent on magic items, he had to have earned a considerable sum indeed.


    ¡°Would it be rude to double your price?¡± Spok asked, while pouring more tiles onto the man. ¡°I can pay in gold.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, ma¡¯am,¡± the guard replied in somewhat apologetic fashion. ¡°I¡¯ve still three months in my contract. Maybe after that.¡±


    ¡°Magic contract?¡± Spok inquired as she tried to use one of the tiles to scoop up the letter.


    ¡°Cleric contract,¡± the man corrected, smashing the tile, thus keeping the letter out of reach.


    ¡°Only a fool would rely on a magic contract with a mage in town.¡± Elric threw half a dozen more knives at Spok, who moved about some of the falling tiles to use as shields. ¡°You¡¯re outmatched, d¡¯Esprit,¡± he added. ¡°Ruining the rooftop shows your desperation.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t at all the word that Spok would use. As a spirit guide, she was aware that the man was projecting. His own movements had gotten ever so slower since the start of the exchange. As a governor of the baron¡¯s estate, however, the suggestion filled her with anger she didn¡¯t know she possessed.


    ¡°Really?¡± Abruptly, she ended her use of telekinesis. ¡°I was trying to be nice about it, but you gave me no choice.¡±


    Tenseness filled the air. Elric and the guard stood in silence, preparing for what the woman would do. As they did, the letter gently floated to the ground, completely ignored for once.


    ¡°And what would that be?¡± Elric called her bluff.


    ¡°This.¡± Spok reached out in his direction, then used her telekinesis.


    Rap. Tap. Tap.


    A series of louds sounds came from the door.


    ¡°That it?¡± the mercenary asked, confused.


    Rap. Tap. Tap.


    The sound repeated.


    Drops of sweat formed on the attendant¡¯s face.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare,¡± he said, trying to prove that he was still in control.


    ¡°Oh, I would.¡±


    The tapping sounded again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡± The mercenary arched a brow.


    The answer came soon enough in the form of an angry shout from within the mansion.


    ¡°Elric!¡± the voice of Marquis Dott thundered. ¡°What is that infernal noise at the door?! Go ahead and open it, man!¡±


    It was both scientifically and magically proven that people reacted to sounds differently. Adventurers were perfectly capable of whispering among themselves in a rowdy tavern, not even noticing the sudden sound of swords clashing, women screaming, or even a wild animal roaring. There had been documented instances of people ignoring an avalanche, yet hearing a coin hit the floor. Some had named the condition ¡°selective deafness.¡± In the case of nobles¡ªjust like grumpy dungeons¡ªnothing made more noise than the sound of unanswered knocking on the door.


    ¡°Sir, I¡ª¡± Elric began, but it was already too late.


    The marquis was already en route, angrily making his way through rooms and corridors until he reached the front door. The anger was so great that it could be heard in his steps.


    Knowing what was in store, Elric swallowed. Even the mercenary took several steps back, moving to the outer gate where he was supposed to be.


    I warned you, Spok thought, at the sweet sight of victory.


    With no one focusing on the cursed letter, she discretely took a few steps towards it, then picked it up and created an identical copy.


    ¡°You better have a good reason as for¡ª¡± the marquis emerged. Seeing Spok there, he stopped. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you.¡±


    ¡°Good morning, sir,¡± Spok said with a slight curtsey, as etiquette demanded. ¡°Apologies for the disturbance. I¡¯m here on behalf of Baron d¡¯Argent.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s he gotten himself messed up in again?¡±


    ¡°Nothing he couldn¡¯t handle, sir,¡± the spirit guide lied. ¡°The baron wanted me to assure you that he will gladly construct any buildings you wish in the new section and let you use them for an insignificant fee.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± The man¡¯s attitude changed. The answer that stuck to his face like a mask instantly vanished. The features of an experienced negotiator came to the front, one who knew the value of the deal he¡¯d been offered. ¡°Wonderful. I¡¯ll have my architects make what he needs. I trust he¡¯ll be able to handle it after his return?¡±


    ¡°Naturally, sir. I¡¯ll see to it, personally.¡±


    ¡°Splendid.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and one last thing, Marquis.¡± Spok reached out. ¡°You seem to have received a latter. I couldn¡¯t help but pick it up from the ground.¡±

 (Book 2) 26. A Familiar face in Unfamiliar Circumstances

    ¡°Why can¡¯t I see what you¡¯re doing?¡± Theo asked. ¡°If I¡¯m in the necklace, I should be there, just like with my avatar.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a difference, sir.¡± Spok was making her way to another side of the castle.


    While being as close to the castle as possible was an indication of status, the influential families made it a point to be as far from each other as possible. Having finished with the baroness and the marquis, there was one person left¡ªthe one that Spok appreciated least of all. From everything seen so far, Count Alvare was petty, thieving, and a stickler for bureaucracy. His connection with the town¡¯s tax collectors ensured that he was informed of pretty much everything and always had a bit of funds diverted his way. Why Earl Rosewind allowed him to get away with it remained a mystery.


    ¡°Suffice it to say that I have acquired another cursed letter,¡± the spirit guardian explained.


    ¡°Damn it! And you¡¯re sure that no one has been affected by them?¡±


    ¡°At this point, that¡¯s impossible to determine, sir. What was the reason you needed me?¡± Spok subtly changed the topic.


    ¡°Well¡­ can an abomination have two natures at once?¡±


    The question held the typical blend of stupidity and concern the spirit guide had gotten to know well. She would be lying, though, if she didn¡¯t find it at least marginally intriguing.


    ¡°Given that you exist, sir, everything is possible,¡± she replied. ¡°I still find it highly unlikely. Are you certain that you¡¯re dealing with an abomination? There are a number of¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called Agonia, Abomination of Fulfillment,¡± the dungeon interrupted. ¡°We¡¯ve been through this.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Yes,¡± Spok lied. If the name had ever been mentioned, she had no memory of it. ¡°Of course, sir.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s able to manipulate bone and blood.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s manipulation, sir? There are a number of spells that allow one to summon skeletal minions. As a matter of fact, it¡¯s the cheapest summon there is. Anyone with a few coins could easily find an unscrupulous necromancer and purchase a few bags of dragon teeth. Add a few coins more and they might even get a scroll or two.¡±


    ¡°And how would an abomination do that, exactly?¡± Theo asked, the questions soaked with sarcasm. ¡°Is it before it corrupts everything in sight or after?¡±


    Spok stopped midstep. The dungeon had a point. What was worse, she should have seen it before him.


    ¡°The point is well taken, sir. However, the possibility remains. You can create skeletal minions, for example, but you¡¯ve also created a griffin¡¯s nest. The same could be said about the curses. Dungeons have been known to do that as well.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that I¡¯ve come across a multi-talented abomination?¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily. I could have easily corrupted a dungeon, sir. As I believe I¡¯ve mentioned.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Right. I would have noticed if¡ª¡± The dungeon paused.


    Back beneath the cursed estate, Theo¡¯s avatar turned to Liandra. He knew for certain that he wasn¡¯t dealing with another dungeon. That meant he had to figure out exactly what was involved.


    ¡°Lia,¡± he said. ¡°Take out the ring for a moment.¡±


    ¡°You think she¡¯s close?¡± The heroine reached for her pouch. Just as she was about to untie it, a chill swept through the tunnel¡ªthe cold embrace of magic and necromancy.


    This wasn¡¯t the first time Liandra had come across the sensation. It wasn¡¯t nearly as strong as during her previous experience, though that didn¡¯t mean she could relax. Her hand quickly moved away from the pouch, as she drew the legendary sword Baron d¡¯Argent had loaned her.


    ¡°Lia?¡± the avatar asked. ¡°What¡¯s¡ª¡±


    Hundreds of arrows filled the corridor, indiscriminately flying in his direction. Several of them hit the aether bubble, causing the fireball to explode before evening was plunged into darkness. Ironically, that was a good thing¡ªit hid the sight of dozens of arrows piercing the avatar¡¯s body. Each of them was made of bone and contained a poison of some kind. The effects were nonthreatening, although they did cause a modest drain in the dungeon¡¯s energy.


    ¡°You alright?¡± Liandra asked. The sound of metal hitting bone suggested that she had successfully parried all projectiles heading her way.


    ¡°Just fine.¡± The avatar cast swiftness on himself, then speedily pulled out all arrows within him. ¡°I¡¯ll cast some light.¡±


    An aether sphere emerged in front of Liandra and the avatar. Arrows bounced off of it by the dozens, making an annoying crackling sound as they did. They weren¡¯t meant to be sturdy, just lethal enough to inject the poison within them.


    Two fireballs emerged, lighting up the section of the corridor once more.


    Aware that skeletal minions were cheap, Theo was expecting a few dozen archers to be blocking his way. What he saw was nothing but arrows. The skeletons were smart enough to stay beyond the lighted area, relying on their magic vision to spot their targets. Still, for every counter, there was a counter.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of them,¡± Liandra said, lowering her sword. ¡°Possibly a hundred, maybe more.¡±


    A hundred? That sounded a bit overkill, even for an abomination.


    ¡°You must have hurt it more than you thought.¡± The heroine took a step forward. ¡°They¡¯re just here to slow us down, possibly tiring us a bit.¡±


    ¡°No chance of that.¡± Theo cast a flight spell on the aether bubble, then propelled it forward with as much strength as he had.


    The indestructible bubble flew forward, like a champagne cork. After a few seconds, the clicking of arrows bouncing off was replaced by the sound of bones crunching.


    ¡°Go.¡± The avatar cast a slight spell on his avatar, then flew after the sphere of destruction. His goal was to pick up as many cores as the minions would release.


    ¡°To think you didn¡¯t want to leave your house.¡± Liandra rushed after. ¡°How long till the bubble pops?¡±


    ¡°Five seconds, maybe four.¡±


    Up close, the enemies were fully visible now: small, skeletal, goblin-like creatures that filled the entire corridor. Some of them leaped to the walls in an attempt to evade their destruction. In the few cases that one managed to squeeze through, the avatar tossed a fireball, melting them on the spot.


    CORE CONSUMPTION


    1 Skeletal Husk core fragment converted into 10 Avatar Core Points.


    The reward was insultingly low. Apparently, the abomination was on the cheap side, relying on quantity rather than quality. Or was that really the case? It was a smart move to be conservative when it came to poisonous entities: they didn¡¯t have to be strong or durable, just capable of stretching their enemy. And still, there was something that felt off.


    ¡°Lia, take the ring out!¡± Theo turned around as he kept on flying.


    ¡°Now?¡± The heroine did her best to ignore the fact that her companion was flying with his back forward. Not without effort, she succeeded.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the abomination is doing this,¡± he said, as he threw his second fireball at another minion, then cast two new ones. ¡°She could have done that while we were trapped in the spell, but didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Good thinking.¡± The heroine loosened the pouch with her left hand and took out the chain with the ruby ring. To everyone¡¯s surprise, it remained silently hanging there.


    ¡°You.¡± The avatar pointed to the ring. ¡°How are you summoning the skeletons?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Indignation instantly brought the ring back to life. ¡°It wasn¡¯t enough that you ruined my collection and humiliated me in front of Mother, but you dare address me like a common¡­ a common¡­¡±


    Physically, it was impossible for a ring to become huffy, but somehow, though her voice alone, the ruby ring managed to create that impression. Once an ice shard with a blessed tip appeared, though, the indignation and spit vanished just as quickly as it had appeared.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t summon the skeletons,¡± she said, maintaining a few notes of disapproval. ¡°Never took a liking to it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a necromancer?¡± Liandra¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    ¡°Sort of. It¡¯s a family tradition. My husband dabbles. It was a lot more economical than having actual servants,¡± the ring said unapologetically. ¡°As Mother used to say: never mix work with pleasure. My dear took care of the staff while I kept my collection separate. That way, I didn¡¯t run the risk of damaging them.¡±


    Theo was about to continue the conversation. Since the ruby ring was in a talkative state once more, it was a good time to learn more about her necromancer family, the marquis¡¯ abilities, and¡ªmost of all¡ªanything related to the abomination. Unfortunately, before he had a chance to do any of that, the invulnerability of the aether sphere ended, leaving arrows and skeletons to pass through. While vastly diminished, they still represented a significant annoyance.


    On instinct, the avatar cast several new fireballs and threw them forward.


    CORE CONSUMPTION


    32 Skeletal Husk core fragments converted into 320 Avatar Core Points.


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°Ice shield,¡± the avatar grunted, ready for a follow-up attack. And right on time, a bone ball as large as a boulder smashed into the shield, pushing the baron back. This was no longer the act of puny skeletal husks. Whatever stood behind them was a lot stronger, not to mention larger.


    There were an infinite number of possible responses. If Theo had been good at chess or any other type of strategy, he¡¯d have a hard time determining what would bring the best outcome. Since he wasn¡¯t, he acted on instinct, doing the first thing that came to mind; in this particular case, that was to create a room to the side of the tunnel.


    ¡°This way!¡± he shouted, rushing through the billiards room he had created.


    No sooner had he done so, when another bone ball flew past, continuing through the corridor. That was a close one. The shot was instantly followed by another. This time, Liandra blocked its path, performing a decisive vertical chop with her sword. For a moment, it almost seemed that the ball would slam into her, when suddenly, in shattered midair. Two streams of bone fragments flew by on either side of the woman, losing momentum several hundred feet later as they rattled on the tunnel floor.


    ¡°No time to be flashy!¡±


    The avatar used a combination of flight and telekinesis to pull the heroine out of the tunnel. It was a good thing, too. Three more bone balls shot by, then silence.


    ¡°There was no need for that!¡± Liandra snapped, breaking the effects of both flight and telekinesis. ¡°I¡¯d have handled it.¡± She dropped to the floor, darting an angry glare in the avatar¡¯s direction. Even in the darkness, it was clear she was displeased.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see the point of leaving you there,¡± Theo said, coming up with a quick excuse. ¡°We don¡¯t need to destroy the ammunition, but the cannon itself.¡±


    It was an improvised defense that, spoken out loud, sounded a lot more reasonable than he had thought.


    ¡°We¡¯re not even sure what we¡¯re facing exactly,¡± he added.


    ¡°Nothing that I can¡¯t handle, I¡¯ll tell you that! It¡¯s not like it¡¯s a bone dragon.¡±


    The possibility of facing a bone dragon filled Theo with mixed feelings. On the one hand, it sounded a bit more powerful than he felt comfortable facing. On the other hand, large monsters came with even larger monster cores and a chance to satiate the devastating hunger for one more day.


    ¡°Ring, what can¡ª¡± The avatar suddenly stopped. There was no telling where the ring was, but it was certain where it wasn¡¯t. The chain wasn¡¯t in Liandra¡¯s hand, nor did the pouch seem to have it.


    Noticing it as well, the woman quickly checked, yet to no avail. Like the monocle before it, the ring had managed to escape.


    ¡°When I get her again, I¡¯ll¡­¡± Liandra left the sentence unfinished.


    The dungeon had similar thoughts, though that wasn¡¯t his major concern right now. They still had a wave of skeletons to face; and while the mystery of the curses and skeletal minions had been resolved, it wasn¡¯t to the group¡¯s benefit.


    A necromancer family corrupted by an abomination. If Theo wasn¡¯t intent on keeping the entire matter secret, he¡¯d have said it was one for the history books. On the other hand, it did provide him with a glimmer of hope. Since escaping from the tomb, he had only been facing skeletons, not blood spiders. That suggested that the abomination was still recovering from the memory prison. If that were the case, he still had a shot of winning, provided he got to it on time.


    ¡°Do you still have your special strike?¡± he asked the heroine.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m saving it for the abomination.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then I¡¯ll get you there.¡±


    The avatar cast scrying on Liandra and himself, increasing their effective sight to ten miles. He then proceeded to cast ten spherical fireballs.


    ¡°For this to work, I¡¯ll need you to be my shield,¡± he said.


    ¡°That¡¯s new. Usually, you¡¯re the one charging in front,¡± the woman smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be controlling all this.¡± Several of the fireballs moved about. ¡°And making more.¡±


    ¡°I should have known it would be crazy. When do we go?¡±


    The avatar went up to the invisible line that divided the corridor from the room he had created.


    ¡°Now.¡± He jumped out and cast a multitude of ice shards that he sent flying straight ahead.


    On cue, Liandra rushed to join him, immediately taking the lead. The speed at which she was running rivaled Theo¡¯s flight magic. The heroic gloves were off.


    Ice and bone shattered in the distance as the bone balls came into contact with Theo¡¯s icicles. Size and inertia had its say, clearly determining the outcome. Yet, Theo¡¯s plan never was to succeed in this contest. All he needed was a distraction so he could direct his fireballs forward along the edges of the corridor.


    A cluster of bones shattered in the wall as Liandra slammed a bone ball with a side strike.


    The dungeon paid no notice, focusing on his fireballs. As the heroine had said, they were ideal for providing light and also exploding where needed. Add flame spying and one had a hundred percent seek and destroy magic weapon.


    For over ten seconds, there was nothing new to be seen, just the same old corridor going on and on. Then, finally, it appeared.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me!¡± Theo grumbled.


    A cannon! The monocle had actually created a real, large caliber, triple-bone cannon, which used skeletons as munitions. The amount of magic involved had to be monstrous! Apparently, with the abomination loose, the monocle had magic to spare. Three ivory white barrels, each the size of a twenty-foot column, were stacked together in pyramid-like fashion. Behind them, rows of skeletal minions formed a long queue. The ones in front changed shape, combining into a massive ball which was put into one of the available chambers by the ones behind, at which point they¡¯d be propelled forward in the form of a lethal projectile. Then, the process repeated.


    ¡°A cannon!¡± the avatar said. ¡°They have a damned cannon!¡±


    ¡°A classic!¡± Liandra sliced up another ball, causing bone fragments to pour onto her and the baron like a light summer drizzle. ¡°Those were very popular during the necro wars.¡±


    ¡°The necro wars? How do you know all that?¡±


    ¡°Obligatory reading in the hero guild. A hero must be ready for any form of enemy, even necromancers.¡±


    Theo could definitely see why. Banking on a calm, eventless existence, he had deliberately refused to learn anything about himself or the world, relying on Spok for that. It had worked out quite well before Spok had received her own avatar. Once this abomination matter was over, maybe it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to spend some time reading a bit of history. Then again, once this was over, there would be no reason for him to do so.


    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with the cannons,¡± he said. ¡°You continue forward in case there are other surprises.¡± Also, Theo had no intention of giving away monster cores just for the sake of it.


    ¡°How exactly will you do that?¡± The heroine slammed another bone ball in the floor, causing it to shatter.


    ¡°Simple. First, I take care of the ammunition.¡±


    As he said that, the spherical fireballs changed trajectory, exploding in the queue of skeletal minions. Within a second, the projectiles abruptly stopped. It would have been nice to earn a few more core points in the process, but this was good enough.


    All the remaining skeletons in the back of the queue rushed forward in an attempt to resolve the ammo shortage, but they too were melted on the spot by a new batch of fireballs that arrived on the scene.


    ¡°I see it!¡± Liandra said. ¡°Damn it¡¯s huge.¡±


    ¡°Ignore it.¡± The avatar continued casting more fireballs, which he sent flying forward in their own aether bubbles.


    With a nod, the heroine leaped over the large device, sliding along the barrel before continuing further down the tunnel. That was all the dungeon needed.


    Casting a blessing spell on each of his fists, he punched into the cannon the moment he neared it. A loud shattering sound followed as an entire section of it cracked up as if it were made of cheap plaster.


    CORE CONSUMPTION


    1 Triple Bone Cannon core fragments converted into 1500 Avatar Core Points.


    ¡°Five hundred each?¡± the avatar complained beneath his breath. He¡¯d killed warrior minions that gave out more. Still, it was better than nothing, even if the heroine had gathered all the cores from the skeletal queue.


    In the distance, the fireballs had just illuminated the next opponent the monocle had created. It was a lot larger, looking suspiciously familiar to the ¡°butler-skeleton¡± that Theo had dispatched shortly after entering the estate.


    So there were two of you, the dungeon thought.


    ¡°Lia, hold back!¡± he shouted while concentrating all the fireballs on the skeletal figure covered in red. ¡°There might be¡ª¡± He stopped.


    Originally, he was going to use the standard excuse of there being a trap so that he could kill the entity and claim its core. However, the universe had caught on to his scheme and had decided to intervene. The red substance covering the skeleton lit up, just like the blood spider had. Clearly, Theo wasn¡¯t the only one who could learn and improve.


    The giant flaming skeleton just stood there, refusing to move. It could see Liandra stop thirty feet away, yet didn¡¯t seem to care. One would almost consider it an exotic statue, though that only lasted until Baron d¡¯Argent arrived at the scene.


    ¡°Barbarian,¡± the skeletal minion said in a deep, disapproving voice.


    ¡°Huh?!¡± The avatar¡¯s face twisted in anger. There were a lot of things he could accept, but being insulted by a skeletal minion was a step too far.


    ¡°So much damage,¡± the minion continued. ¡°You now owe the mistress two noble souls.¡±


    ¡°Two?¡± Theo was confused. Normally, when a person incurred more damages, the cost went up. Since he had started with a hero soul, plus a tip of three adventurer souls, one would think that he¡¯d owe at least five now. ¡°Is that a conversion rate thing?¡± he asked.


    The butler didn¡¯t reply.


    ¡°No,¡± a new male voice said.


    It was rather familiar, though not one Theo expected to hear in a place like this.


    ¡°We¡¯ve already collected a few souls as a repayment.¡± Count Alvare stepped out from behind the enormous crimson skeleton. He was wearing a rather familiar monocle. ¡°I¡¯ll have to add a few more for the destruction of my cannon. It was a collector¡¯s item, you see. Took me quite some effort to produce.¡±


    ¡°Spok,¡± Theo said from the spirit guide¡¯s locket. ¡°Did you happen to get the letter from Count Alvare¡¯s place?¡±


    ¡°About that, sir¡­¡± the spirit guide said in a manner suggesting the worst. ¡°I was just about to tell you. Indeed, I found a cursed letter in his estate. Actually, I found a large number of cursed letters¡­¡±


    While the avatar was speaking to the count, Spok was standing in the main hall of the noble¡¯s entrance. Around her, scores of cursed letters had piled up on the floor, table, and chairs. In contrast, there wasn¡¯t a single person to be seen¡ªno count, no guards, not even a servant.


    ¡°I fear I might have arrived too late,¡± Spok continued. ¡°The count is nowhere to be found.¡±


    ¡°I think I found him. Get rid of the letters and then see if there¡¯s more of them around town.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best, sir.¡±


    In the underground corridor, the dungeon¡¯s avatar cast a few more swiftness spells.


    ¡°I see you¡¯ve taken on a new puppet.¡± He took a step closer.


    ¡°Indeed. And a count at that. Not my first choice, but it¡¯ll have to do for the moment. I¡¯m not into collecting puppets, you see. That¡¯s my wife¡¯s passion.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just a necromancer,¡± Liandra noted.


    ¡°Oh, I dabble. I¡¯m more of a bone weapon connoisseur. A rather expensive and time-consuming hobby, but very fulfilling. Maybe after you join my wife¡¯s collection, I could show you some of my pieces.¡±


    ¡°Is that how you stumbled upon the abomination? Or is that what she tempted you with?¡±


    ¡°Mother? Tempt me?¡± The count, or rather the monocle, laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t know where you got that from, but it¡¯s all wrong. It was no accident that the estate was built over Memoria¡¯s Tomb. In fact, that was the entire point! That¡¯s considered one of the great three necromancer treasures.¡±


    ¡°The great heroes were necromancers?¡± The avatar turned to Liandra.


    ¡°Of course not!¡± the heroine replied.


    ¡°Actually, you¡¯re both right.¡± Count Alvare rubbed his hands in glee. ¡°The creator of the tomb was a mage, but the spell had its side effects. The prison required a never-ending supply of guards to keep Mother from escaping, so it integrated a few spells that¡­ shall we say, weren¡¯t officially documented for legal reasons. It did the job, but anyone with an inclination and enough talent could use them to enhance their own capabilities.¡±


    Liandra¡¯s hand trembled.


    ¡°It¡¯ll probably create quite a scandal if it gets out. You don¡¯t have to worry, though.¡± The count turned towards the heroine. ¡°I¡¯ve no interest in letting anyone know. Any necromancer family lucky enough to find a Memoria¡¯s Tomb would be foolish to let anyone know. Just imagine having the power to summon skeletal minions from nothing. No more need to live near smelly graveyards, not to mention how much we save from bone merchants.¡±


    ¡°Pity that we destroyed it, then.¡±


    Count Alvare¡¯s smile faded.


    ¡°That¡¯s true to some extent. But then again, you freed Mother, and that comes with its own rewards. And best of all, she has allowed me to test whether you¡¯re worthy to be in her presence.¡±


    Behind the noble, a crimson ax formed in the hands of the skeletal amalgamation.


    ¡°And, trust me, after what you did to me and my wife, I intend to make sure you fulfill all the criteria needed to pass the test. I can be quite the stickler for protocol, you might say.¡±

 (Book 2) 27. Return of the Skeletal Butlers and Other Zombie Annoyances

    There was no stopping the letters. No matter how many Spok managed to destroy another one would emerge from thin air. For all intents and purposes the count¡¯s house had been thoroughly infected. The only thing the spirit guide could do was close all doors, shutter all windows, and light up every fireplace to prevent letters from leaking into the rest of the town. It would have been a lot easier if the building belonged to the dungeon. Sadly, that was beyond her control.


    ¡°Spok,¡± Theo said from her necklace.


    ¡°As I said, I¡¯m not aware of any unique entity that has both abilities you mentioned,¡± Spok said in the level voice of an overworked secretary, while snatching another cursed letter from the air.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that. I just got a letter.¡±


    ¡°You did, sir? That¡¯s rather surprising. Mage towers don¡¯t usually respond that fast unless it¡¯s about money.¡±


    ¡°Not that kind of letter,¡± the dungeon grumbled. ¡°One of the cursed ones.¡±


    For an instant of a second, Spok froze.


    ¡°Oh dear,¡± she said.


    ¡°Does that mean I¡¯m infected?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s difficult to say, sir. Did you open the letter?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not an idiot!¡± Theo resented the question. Not opening suspicious letters was a key part of his previous life. Back then, the letters were electronic, but the same principle held.


    The moment the letter had appeared in his main body, the dungeon had instantly used telekinesis to keep it in the air, avoiding any and all contact. What was more, he had created an aether sphere around it in an attempt to quarantine the dangerous object.


    ¡°The letter¡¯s in the air. Will anything happen if I zap it?¡±


    ¡°Just a moment, sir.¡± Spok rushed out of the count¡¯s house, closing the door firmly behind her. ¡°I¡¯ll be with you right away.¡±


    In a hastened pace, the spirit guide made her way to the first pavement tile that was part of the dungeon. The moment her foot came in contact, she instantly disappeared, reappearing in the baron¡¯s mansion.


    Things were just as the dungeon had said. The letter was within an aether sphere, floating a foot from the ground, and almost as much from the outer door.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t come into contact with me, so I should be fine, right?¡± Theo asked with measured concern.


    ¡°I believe so, sir.¡± Spok nodded. ¡°The curse should only activate once you read its contents, but refraining from touching it is a wise precaution.¡± She didn¡¯t feel the need to remind him that she had come into contact with hundreds of letters up to this point. ¡°Burning it should be fine.¡±


    Immediately, large electric sparks filled the aether sphere, turning the letter to cinders.


    ¡°I used blessed lightning, just in case,¡± Theo felt the need to explain.


    ¡°Wonderful idea, sir.¡±


    ¡°How the heck did it get here?! I haven¡¯t even touched the abomination, yet!¡±


    ¡°Sir¡­¡± Spok adjusted her glasses. ¡°You¡¯re in a cursed estate and by your own admission have come into contact with several curses so far. It is safe to assume that one of those curses determined your location.¡±


    ¡°Curses can do that?!¡±


    ¡°Depends on the curse, sir, but yes. How would curses know what to affect otherwise? I believe there are spells to protect from that, but they aren¡¯t native dungeon abilities. You¡¯ll have to ask a mage tower for details.¡±


    ¡°What? So anyone can curse me and there¡¯s nothing I can do about it?! Why was this allowed?! You know more spells than I can remember and not one of them can stop cursed¡ª¡±


    ¡°Dungeons are immune to curses, sir.¡± The woman gently popped the aether sphere. Her own telekinesis was working at full strength now, so she collected the ashes¡ªto keep the room clean, rather than anything else. ¡°And there¡¯s no obvious protection against abominations other than defeating them.¡±


    Theo, however, was no longer listening. Having a letter appear in his main body had stressed him out more than anything his avatar was facing. There was also the matter of Spok not being fully aware of matters. For one thing, she was clueless regarding his devastating hunger.


    The shutters of the building creaked in a sigh. Theo really didn¡¯t want to resort to the advice of Switches, but it seemed that he didn¡¯t have much of a choice. It was difficult enough to ignore the gnome, when the same had continuously increased the size of his ¡°workshop¡± within the dungeon¡¯s body. The annoying thing was that the gnome seemed to know exactly how much to ask for without attracting any attention. A small room here, just one more device there¡­ bit by bit the workshop had grown to ten times its original size. Ever since their last conversation Cmyk had been dragging parts of the fallen airship to the dungeon. At present, there were more of them in there than outside in the field.


    Just as Switches was in the process of modifying a goblin glider, Theo raised the floor beneath him. A makeshift elevator propelled the gnome all the way up until, seconds later, he found himself in the parlor of the baron¡¯s mansion.


    ¡°Switches!¡± Theo¡¯s voice boomed without the slightest notion of an apology. ¡°What do you know about cursed letters?¡±


    ¡°Cursed letters?¡± The gnome¡¯s ears twitched. ¡°Umm¡­ They are cursed. And made of paper?¡± His glance moved from Spok to the opposing wall. ¡°You want me to make you some?¡± It wasn¡¯t something the gnome usually did, but for the sake of his job and his dungeon lab, he was willing to give it a go.


    ¡°Why¡¯d I want that?!¡± Several doors opened and slammed. ¡°Will any of them affect me?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Switched waved his hand in relief. ¡°Of course not. You¡¯re a dungeon.¡±


    Normally, the conversation should have ended there. The creaking of the floor, though, made it clear that wasn¡¯t the answer the dungeon was expecting.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite safe, sir.¡± Spok crossed her arms, marginally annoyed that the dungeon was looking down on her. ¡°It¡¯s only the inhabitants of the Rosewind that should be concerned.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say I felt unsafe,¡± the dungeon lied in the most obvious fashion. ¡°I just¡­¡± his voice trailed off.


    He had been so busy worrying about one thing that he had completely overlooked a far greater problem. The entire reason he had set out to destroy the abomination as quickly as possible was so that Rosewind wouldn¡¯t be infected. Now, that was precisely what was happening.


    ¡°Spok,¡± he said again, his voice calm and perfectly level. ¡°Count Alvare was never in the dungeon,¡± he said. ¡°How come he was affected?¡±


    ¡°Zombie letters have a tendency to spread quickly, sir,¡± the spirit guide replied. ¡°With most of your group coming from the same place, I expect the location of the town had been revealed.¡±


    ¡°You said everyone in the cursed estate could have revealed the location of their homes,¡± the dungeon continued its thought process.


    Since neither the baroness, Marquis Dott, nor Count Alvare had been in the dungeon, it was entirely possible that they weren¡¯t patient zero. On the other hand, there was someone else who had a far more important role; someone who, if infected, could easily have spread letters to every other noble in town, and quite a few beyond¡ªEarl Rosewind himself. And, it so happened that the earl¡¯s son had also set foot in the cursed estate.


    ¡°The earl!¡± Theo¡¯s voice filled the entire building. ¡°Spok¡ª¡±


    ¡°On it.¡± The spirit guide vanished, reappearing some fifty feet from the earl¡¯s castle.


    ¡°Switches, how long till you finish?¡±


    ¡°Soon, soon.¡± The gnome nodded multiple times. ¡°I¡¯m just in the process of¡ª¡±


    ¡°You have full access to anything except my core chamber,¡± Theo interrupted. ¡°Finish what you got and send it to where I am. The Lionmane guildmaster knows where that is.¡±


    Before the gnome could even comment, the floor beneath him descended, taking him back to the bowels of the dungeon.


    This wasn¡¯t good. The worst had already happened. Theo¡¯s only hope was that Amelia¡¯s father could also have gotten a few zombie letters of his own. Since he was more important than Earl Rosewind, any group of heroes would be dispatched there first. That gave the dungeon a bit more time.


    While the chaos in Rosewind was building up, the dungeon¡¯s avatar continued his fight with the skeletal amalgamation. The entity had learned quite a lot of his and Liandra¡¯s tricks. It knew not to attack until the aether sphere¡¯s invulnerability had passed, and had also developed an immunity to fire. Occasionally, Liandra would cut off a limb or appendage, only to have the monocle summon a new group of skeletal husks that quickly merged with the butler, restoring it to full health.


    Placing his hand against the floor, Theo used his dungeon skill to create a massive chamber around the red skeleton.


    Crimson strands shot out from the amalgamation¡¯s body, attaching themselves to the walls.


    ¡°Your repertoire has gotten stale, old boy,¡± Count Alvera¡ªor rather, the monocle controlling him¡ªsneered from a safe distance away. ¡°You¡¯ll have to do much better than that to¡ª¡±


    Stone spikes shot out from all surfaces of the chamber, transforming the butler into a reverse porcupine.


    YOU FEEL DEVASTATING HUNGER!


    YOU NEED TO CONSUME A MONSTER CORE!


    FAILING TO DO SO IN ONE HOUR WILL HALVE YOUR CURRENT ENERGY!


    The all but forgotten reminder appeared in the dungeon¡¯s main body.


    ¡°I know, I know,¡± Theo grumbled. It wasn¡¯t as if he could forget.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°Careful.¡± Liandra raised her sword. ¡°It¡¯s not over.¡±


    In the center of the newly created chamber, the massive amalgamation broke up into pieces. Each piece quickly transformed into a smaller skeletal entity. Skeletal husks, skeletal worms, even skeletal insects moved about between the stone spikes.


    ¡°Predictable,¡± the monocle sighed as the skeletal entities quickly moved together, reconstructing the massive amalgamation. ¡°I would have thought that after piquing mother¡¯s interest, you¡¯d come up with something more interesting. Alas, life is full of disappointments. I would know¡ªmy wife collects them and makes them into puppets. In a way, I should be thanking you. Once this is over, I¡¯ll ask mother to let me have you for my hew puppet. As for my wife¡ª¡± the count switched his focus onto Liandra ¡°¡ªshe¡¯s been wanting to get a hero for a while. One must admit that heroines are rather rare. Then again, now that mother is free, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll have a large selection to choose from.¡±


    A dagger split the air, aiming for the monocle. A torrent of blood flew up from the amalgamation, causing the weapon to bounce off, like metal hitting granite.


    ¡°That was rather sneaky.¡± Bones fragments grew out of the count¡¯s face as the monocle spoke, surrounding it completely. ¡°Not very hero-like I¡¯d say. It would be a shame if you were to take the life of a perfectly good noble, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    This was a difficult situation. One strike on Liandra¡¯s part and she could dispatch both the red skeleton and the monocle. Doing so, though, would deprive them from the only means of destroying the abomination, not to mention put a man¡¯s life at risk.


    ¡°Coward!¡± With a hint of annoyance, the avatar retracted the spikes into the walls.


    The skeleton didn¡¯t react, allowing itself to fall to the floor of the chamber with a bang. Cracks emerged on the solid stone surface.


    The dungeon considered creating an ice elemental. There was no doubt in his mind that such a creature would easily defeat the red skeleton. Yet, once that was done, the avatar and Liandra would have to defeat it.


    He could try to entangle it, but that would only cause the being to disassemble and assemble again. Although¡­


    ¡°Stay here,¡± the avatar told Liandra. ¡°I want to try something.¡±


    Stepping off the edge of the corridor, the baron floated into the large chamber. The area extended a hundred feet in all directions, acting as a cube of space within the underground tunnel network. The only source of light came from the side corridors above and the few flickering flames that danced on the red skeleton.


    ¡°Finally decided to get serious?¡± Marquis Leveek asked. As he did, blood formed around the count¡¯s head, forming a crimson helmet. ¡°Don¡¯t think you can snatch me away this time. As I said, I have carefully examined your method of fighting. There¡¯s nothing you could surprise me with.¡±


    ¡°Even what I learned from Memoria¡¯s tomb?¡± the avatar asked.


    This was a bluff, of course. None of the new skills were remotely useful. That wasn¡¯t Theo¡¯s plan. It was already clear that if he didn¡¯t defeat the abomination and all other minions, he wouldn¡¯t survive until tomorrow. Thus, there was no point in economizing energy. Instead, he intended to raise some abilities to their maximum, so that he could be ready for the real battle.


    ¡°And what have you learned?¡±


    Being a believer that showing was better than telling, Theo had his avatar use the same ability in immediate succession.


    Aether threads bound the skeleton¡¯s legs together. The avatar didn¡¯t stop there, as thousands more emerged, wrapping the target like a cocoon. Given the amount of mana used, any sane person would have stopped at this point. Theo didn¡¯t. All his efforts so far had only raised his entangle skill to three. If Spok were here, she¡¯d probably make a comment that the ability wasn¡¯t supposed to be used that way, and she¡¯d be right. Yet as long as it worked, the dungeon didn¡¯t care.


    When the ability finally reached level four, the avatar stopped. Boosting skills was one thing, but depleting all his energy wasn¡¯t an entirely different matter. Plus, from the looks of it, he had neutralized the bone amalgamation, transforming it into a ball of aether twine.


    ¡°Lia,¡± the avatar turned around. ¡°I think we¡¯re done.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± the heroine asked.


    ¡°Very funny.¡± The baron grumbled.


    The avatar was about to say more when a series of crimson strands emerged from the ball, increasing in length. Several of them pierced the avatar¡¯s torso. Thankfully, the dimness of the chamber prevented the heroine from seeing how bad it really was.


    Oh, that¡¯s what you meant, Theo thought.


    Liandra wasn¡¯t being sarcastic, but rather concerned.


    Without wasting a second, the woman leaped down into the wider chamber. Blood threads darted her direction in an attempt to skewer her as they had the baron. A series of slashes was more than enough to slice up the strands, causing their ends to evaporate.


    A low glow surrounded the sword, made visible in the darkness. As Liandra flew towards the ground, more clusters of blood shot out. More skeletons emerged, charging at the heroine. All of them were equipped with large bone shields and daggers. Their actions were a lot faster than expected. Like cockroaches in the dark, they moved in unison, rushing to the spot that Liandra would fall to.


    The legendary sword split the air moments before that could happen, cutting bone as if it were soft butter. Bone fragments of half a dozen skeletons fell to the ground. The rest charged on. Knowing no fear or hesitation three swung their shields at the heroine.


    In the blink of an eye, Liandra sliced off their arms, leaving the bone shields to fly past.


    ¡°Can you move?¡± she asked.


    ¡°More or less,¡± the dungeon¡¯s avatar replied.


    The nature of the attack had put him in a compromising situation. If he were to be too active, there was the risk that Liandra might suspect something. If he acted too weak, she might try to check his condition, which was just as bad. What he needed was a distraction, and as every person under pressure knew, there was only one distraction that always worked.


    ¡°Look out behind you!¡± the baron shouted, just in time to hopefully prevent her from noticing the new burst of blood threads that pierced him.


    The odds of her looking back were one in a thousand, and yet the heroine did just that¡­ only to notice a new skeletal amalgamation assemble right in front of her.


    Throwing back all the shield skeletons with a spin attack, Liandra performed a chop attack on the new creature. Before she could hit it, the skeletal entity blocked with a massive crimson sword. The heroine¡¯s attack was strong enough to cause the blood sword to explode, yet lost too much of its momentum in the process. The direction of the attack was diverted, striking the shoulder of the massive creature instead of its head.


    As the skeletal arm detached, multiple skeleton upper-torsos emerged from it, reaching out to reattach it. Unwilling to grant it the opportunity, Liandra struck the arm, sending it flying to the far side of the chamber.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± Count Alvare clapped from the corridor above. ¡°It seems you¡¯re the genuine article. You¡¯ll be splendid as the centerpiece of my wife¡¯s new collection.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you come down here and face me yourself?¡± Liandra asked, keeping her distance from the amalgamation.


    ¡°Really?¡± The monocle laughed. ¡°Why would I do that? The beauty of dabbling in necromancy is that I can summon others a lot more suitable for the job.¡±


    If Theo could use the full extent of his dungeon powers, the annoying little speck of waste would have seen what it means to summon entities. The griffins and slimes that had emerged in Rosewind were all the result of two structures that the dungeon had created. If he wanted, he could create an army in the tens of thousands, even more. It was the maintenance that caused issues. That was one of the reasons that dungeons were constantly in need of resources and magic. It was all one vicious circle: the more minions a dungeon had, the more minions they needed to obtain the resources necessary for their upkeep.


    Hold on, Theo thought. Where did the monocle get his energy from? Even if skeletons were low cost, low maintenance, the monocle had been using too many of them in the last few minutes. The number wouldn¡¯t be a problem for a dungeon, yet anyone else would have long depleted his mana.


    Surrounding himself with a shield of ice, he then quickly used several blessings to evaporate all the blood strands that had pierced him. That done, he cast a flight spell on the ice shield, sending it flying in the direction of the count.


    Barely had it passed ten feet when the chunk of ice was smashed with one hit. A new skeletal amalgamation had emerged on the scene. Thin threads of blood trickled from the ball of aether threads on the floor to the new skeleton, slowly covering it up from the feet up. Before everyone¡¯s eyes, a new monstrosity formed.


    ¡°Maybe I forgot to mention that mother increased my allowance,¡± the monocle said gleefully. ¡°I can summon several butlers now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± the avatar said, creating a sword-shaped shard of ice.


    ¡°Good?¡±


    ¡°It gives me a lot to train on.¡±


    Casting several swiftness spells on himself, the avatar then cast two sets of entanglement on each of the amalgamations.


    They better drop a serious core, Theo said to himself.


    Aether threads surrounded the monsters like nets, quickly entangling them to the point that they couldn¡¯t move. Blood strands¡ªthe only part of the butlers that could move unrestricted¡ªshot out in an attempt to stop the baron, but Liandra was already on guard. In this classical pattern of swords and sorcery, she had become the shield for the baron¡¯s magic attacks.


    ¡°Interesting approach,¡± Count Alvera mused. ¡°Very original, though futile.¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you summon a few more?¡± the dungeon avatar grunted. ¡°Out of mana?¡±


    ¡°Mother can give me more mana than you could possibly imagine. I just don¡¯t feel like wasting it. Especially since you¡¯re the one in trouble. Mother¡¯s blood doesn¡¯t require mana, and neither do the butlers I¡¯ve already summoned. You, on the other hand, must constantly maintain your entangle spell. Who do you think will last longer?¡±


    ¡°Who says I need to maintain it?¡± Theo asked.


    That was false, of course. The avatar could escape the fight at any point. It would be at least minutes before the effects of the spell were undone. Already there were more than enough threads to keep the butler trio immobilized for a while. The whole point was for him to gain the core points from assimilating the three cores that the monocle had so generously provided. Once that was done, he could¡ª


    Without warning, a loud screech filled the corridors. It was immediately followed by the flapping of wings. All attention focused on the corridor behind, only to see a griffin emerge at an impressive speed. On closer examination, a rider could be seen on its back, holding tightly to the creature for dear life. The sight was so shockingly absurd that no one could look away, mesmerized at the ludicrousness.


    Everyone observed the griffin and rider fly straight towards Count Alvera. The rider drew a sword and slashed the air. Bolts of lightning shot out, heading through the chamber until they struck the count. A high-pitched scream filled the air as the unfortunate noble shook violently for several seconds before collapsing to the floor.


    All blood strands in the large chamber suddenly liquified, falling to the ground.


    ¡°Mother, no!¡± the monocle shouted as his crimson layer of protection dripped off. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a fair fight! He wasn¡¯t supposed to get reinforcements!¡±


    Skeletons emerged from the ground beneath Count Alvera, wrapping him in a cage of bone.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t count! It wasn¡¯t supposed to happen!¡± the monocle shouted, the bone cage sprang dozens of feet. ¡°You¡¯re cheating! Mark my words! Mother will get you for this!¡± It rushed down the corridor at impressive speed.


    ¡°Damnit!¡± the avatar muttered beneath his breath.


    ¡°Avid?¡± Liandra asked, looking at the griffin rider. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Flying into the large chamber, the griffin made a few circles to enjoy its newly found freedom of space, then swooped down, landing a few steps away from the baron and Liandra. Pleased with itself, the creature puffed its chest in pride. On its back, Avid slowly put his sword away.


    ¡°Did you just zap Count Alvera?¡± the avatar asked in a seemingly calm tone.


    Avid nodded.


    ¡°When we came across Baroness Elderion, we knew there was no point in going back,¡± the young noble said. ¡°Heading to help you was the only choice.¡±


    ¡°Only choice?¡± Theo did his utmost to remain calm. ¡°We told you that you had to stay there and look after yourself until we dealt with this. You¡¯ve seen how crap you are in fighting! What did you think you could achieve on your own?¡±


    ¡°Octavian doesn¡¯t like others on his back¡­ Also, they had to stay back and keep the brainwashed from escaping the treasury.¡±


    ¡°Treasury?¡± The word caught Theo¡¯s attention. ¡°What treasury?¡±


    ¡°We found the treasury. It was full of everything. Magical artifacts, weapons, scrolls¡­ We started arming ourselves when the baroness appeared out of nowhere, along with others from Rosewind.¡±


    That was the first morsel of good news that Theo had heard since starting this mission. Apparently, the ruby ring had told the truth. There really was a treasury, and it contained its fair share of magical items, probably more, since the occupants of the castle were necromancers.


    ¡°Lia, give him your hero scroll. And you,¡± he turned back to Avid, ¡°I want you to find Ulf and Amelia, then go back inside.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a bad idea.¡± Liandra shook her head.


    ¡°The treasury contains the family¡¯s greatest treasures,¡± the avatar looked at her. ¡°It¡¯s out of the way, so he¡¯ll be a lot safer than coming with us. Also, if I¡¯m right, there¡¯ll be at least one mana gem there.¡± Or at least he very much hoped so.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± The heroine hesitated. ¡°It might be dangerous.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a treasury! What could possibly happen?¡± The avatar asked. ¡°Meanwhile, we¡¯ll¡ª¡±


    The discussion was interrupted by a series of loud crunching sounds. For no apparent reason, all three cocooned skeletons were crushed by an invisible force, causing the aether threads around them to fall flat to the ground like a deflated balloon. Blood trickled from two of them, transforming into a crimson carpet that continued straight up the chamber¡¯s wall and into the corridor ahead.


    Someone had just sent the group an invitation.

 (Book 2) 28. A Curse Unleashed and Other Sidekicks

    A few hours earlier¡­


    ¡°From here on, you three will look after each other,¡± Liandra told the trio of still yawning adventurers. The end of the spell had woken them up, though not fully. ¡°We¡¯ll try to break the curse for you to go back home.¡± She turned to Avid and Amelia. ¡°Send a message to the hero guild the first chance you get. Understand?¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± the duke¡¯s daughter asked. ¡°And Baron d¡¯Argent?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine.¡± The heroine smiled.


    ¡°Consider it part of your adventurer¡¯s training,¡± the avatar added. ¡°Any seasoned adventurer needs to know when to stay and when to go. This is the time to go.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    A sharp glance on the baron¡¯s part quickly made her stop.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of them,¡± Ulf said in a somber tone. ¡°Just try to make it out alive.¡±


    ¡°Do I look like someone who¡¯d lose? I defeated Lord Mandrake and his goblin fleet. How hard could this be?¡±


    No laughter followed. What had started as a training adventure with a grumpy, though skilled, mage to gain enough proper experience had quickly devolved into a hopeless situation. There was nothing they could do to help. The baron and the heroine were on a whole different level, not to mention that none of the adventurers could even imagine what it meant to fight an abomination. Facing the guardian was terrifying enough.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Avid said, the words piercing through his fear. ¡°It can¡¯t be that hard. You already froze half of her. All that¡¯s left is the rest.¡±


    ¡°And you.¡± The avatar pointed at Octavian. ¡°You better keep them safe. I expect you to fly them out the moment the curse is broken. Right?¡±


    The griffin squawked, flapping its wings.


    ¡°Good enough,¡± Theo mumbled beneath his breath, then went back into the underground corridor.


    The tone was firm enough to make anyone comply. Unfortunately, the baron had managed to go overboard, taking all three of the adventurers, and the griffin, beyond the realm of compliance and into the fields of heroism.


    The trio remained still and silent until the noise of Theo¡¯s grumbling was gone, then counted to ten.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way we can just sit here,¡± Amelia said, breaking the silence. ¡°This is the greatest adventure in history, and I won¡¯t be remembered as the girl who remained tucked away in the underground dungeon while the world was saved from an abomination!¡± She crossed her arms. ¡°Right?¡± She turned to Avid.


    ¡°The world¡¯s not in danger¡­¡± he replied. ¡°But you¡¯re right. We¡¯ve been nothing but baggage so far. At least outside, we were able to smash a few gargoyles. In here¡­¡± He sighed. ¡°Still, we must do something.¡±


    ¡°Let me tell you a little secret.¡± Ulf placed a hand on Avid and Amelia¡¯s shoulder. ¡°There are many types of adventuring. Don¡¯t compare yourself with the baron or the heroine. Both of them are tough as nails. Adventurers must know their limits. Like Sir Myk.¡±


    ¡°Sir Myk saved Rosewind from a goblin invasion,¡± Avid corrected.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you that. He¡¯s a powerful guy. One of the best adventurers I¡¯ve seen. He¡¯s no hero, though. It was Baron d¡¯Argent and Liandra that took down the goblin fleet. Sir Myk didn¡¯t even try that, and do you know why?¡±


    Everyone looked at the bulky adventurer expectantly.


    ¡°Because he knew his limits and also when to grasp his opportunity. We¡¯ll do the same.¡±


    ¡°In what way?¡± Amelia leaned closer towards him.


    ¡°Avid¡¯s right. We can¡¯t take on the abomination. We shouldn¡¯t have any trouble with skeletons. The baron and the heroine are going for a frontal assault. Meanwhile, we can stealthily sneak from behind and wait for the precise moment to tip the scales in their favor.¡±


    ¡°Like thieves.¡± The duke¡¯s daughter snorted.


    There was nothing noble or adventurous in the suggestion. At best, it fit the actions of a hero¡¯s comic relief companions ever-present in all the literary sagas. Nine times out of ten, it would be the least popular among the children who got stuck with that role, while the popular ones pretended to be great heroes in their games of make-believe.


    ¡°How many adventure quests have you been on so far?¡± Ulf grunted.


    ¡°One,¡± Amelia admitted. ¡°But I¡¯m extremely well read.¡±


    ¡°Just like Avid here.¡± Ulf laughed, giving the earl¡¯s son a pat on the back. ¡°I¡¯ve been on dozens. Boars, goblins, wolves, even dungeon exploration once. They¡¯re nothing like this, but they weren¡¯t a piece of cake, either.¡±


    Amelia opened her mouth for a moment, then closed it again without uttering a sound. She couldn¡¯t deny the truth. What was more, she had to admit that they had been rather lucky so far. Reading about the glorious adventures of heroes was easy. Doing it first hand¡ªnot so much. Although she¡¯d go to her grave denying it, deep inside, Amelia had been a nervous wreck on their previous adventure. All the training in the world hadn¡¯t prepared her to kill a person, even if it were a wanted brigand. Despite his arrogance and obnoxious behavior, Ulf had been through that.


    ¡°So, what is our moment?¡± Avid asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you asked.¡± Ulf smiled and reached for his neck.


    A fine copper chain was hanging there, hidden by his shirt. Hanging on it was a rather unique earring made of black silver. Based on the intricacy of the design, one would suspect that it was very old, possibly belonging to a noble lady. Time had left its mark, making the dolphin shape barely recognizable.


    Taking it off, Ulf rubbed the earring, then moved it away, leaving it dangling on the chain. Before everyone¡¯s eyes, the dolphin was surrounded by a soft blue glow.


    ¡°Those two aren¡¯t the only ones with magic items,¡± Ulf said, slowly moving his hand, as if in search of something. While he moved, the glow changed intensity.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Amelia asked.


    ¡°A treasure earring,¡± Ulf replied. ¡°Comes from my mother¡¯s side of the family. It has the ability to sense the treasure, especially the path leading to it.¡±


    ¡°So, we are like thieves,¡± Amelia grumbled.


    ¡°Depends on the point of view. I¡¯ve found that where there¡¯s treasure, there are other useful things. Doesn¡¯t your father have a vault of magic items?¡±


    ¡°Father hasn¡¯t let me in the vault. He just gives me what I want, so I never had to go there.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to trust me on this, then.¡± Ulf paused. The earring seemed to glow the brightest while his hand was extended in the direction of one of the walls. ¡°Every noble family keeps its valuable heirlooms in its treasure vault. I¡¯ve seen Avid¡¯s, so I know.¡±


    Amelia turned to the young noble, a shocked expression on her face.


    ¡°We were children,¡± Avid sighed. ¡°I wanted to show off. We were caught by the earl¡¯s guards and punished.¡±


    ¡°That just means that we¡¯ll need to be more careful.¡± Ulf gripped the earring tightly in his hand, then charged at the opposite wall.


    Everyone watched in sheer confusion as the large man shouldered the hard surface, causing an entire section of it to fall in. A slam followed accompanied by a cloud of dust, revealing an entirely new passage going further in. Apparently, there actually was a proper passage to Memoria¡¯s tomb¡¯s chamber. Baron d¡¯Argent being a mage who could create passages in walls, had simply never bothered to find it.


    ¡°See?¡± Ulf pointed triumphantly, as he brushed the dust off his clothes. ¡°All we need is a torch.¡±


    Avid and Amelia looked at each other.


    ¡°No torches?¡± Ulf asked. ¡°Not even anything that glows?¡±


    ¡°We never got our gear,¡± Avid noted. ¡°The whole point was¡ª¡°


    ¡°Always keep something handy.¡± Ulf said with a slight sigh. ¡°I thought you knew all that stuff. Now I see why the baron is grumpy all the time.¡±


    In truth, the main cause for Theo¡¯s grumpiness was his interaction with people. If it hadn¡¯t been for his condition, the dungeon would have kept his avatar within his body, blissfully focusing on his newly discovered hobbies¡ªtunnel reconstruction, underground gardening, and the occasional bout of slime chasing. Since none of the adventurers had a means to know that, they were ever more convinced they were the cause of his dismay. It couldn¡¯t be denied that was a burden¡ªgiven the enemies they faced. Adding to that, their experience lacked, and they were yet to start thinking on their feet. So far, only the baron had come up with any actual ideas, each more impressive than the last.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Avid stood up. ¡°It¡¯s time to stop playing around.¡±


    The young noble glanced at the single floating fireball that Baron d¡¯Argent had left in the room, then took off his shirt.


    From personal observation, everyone was clear that the seemingly innocent light source had the power to singe everyone in the room, should it explode. Even so, in a bout of misplaced bravery, Avid went beneath it, then tossed his shirt over it.


    Ulf and Amelia froze. The horror of what they had witnessed had rendered them incapable of speech. Completely oblivious, Avid pulled the ball of light down, then tied the sleeves of his shirt together.


    ¡°Now we have light,¡± he said with a reassuring smile.


    No one said a word. Confusing the silence for agreement, Avid went on.


    ¡°And we can use it as a secret weapon if we come across anything.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Amelia stuttered, but was unable to finish her thought.


    ¡°Good job, Avid,¡± Ulf didn¡¯t give her a chance to continue. ¡°I¡¯ll take that. You stay behind with the griffin. He listens to you best.¡±


    Octavian tilted his head sideways at the remark.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Avid swung the wrapped fireball, moving it towards Ulf. Keeping his calm, the large man swiftly, but cautiously, took hold of the sleeves with the same care, as if he were handling a set of crystal vases in a backpack.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Equipped with a portable light source of sorts, the group ventured into the new corridor. The space was narrower than the standard corridors they had traveled along so far. Just comfortable enough for a single person to pass, it didn¡¯t seem to have any obvious traps. Without the baron present, there was no telling whether there were curses, but the trio could hope that the blessed soles of their shoes would provide adequate protection. In any event, it wasn¡¯t more dangerous than tugging a fireball along.


    The further along they walked, the brighter the glow of the earring became. Suspiciously, not a single skeleton emerged along the way. Anyone more cautious would have thought that they were walking into a trap. The suspicion was further compounded when the group came upon the first metal door. It was rather large, made of enhanced iron, with a complex locking mechanism that contained more gears than could be found in the whole of Rosewind. The only catch was that the mechanism lay bare.


    ¡°There¡¯s no doubt.¡± Ulf brought the earring close to the door. The piece of jewelry shone so brightly it rivaled the muffled fireball. ¡°The treasure¡¯s on the other side.¡±


    The large adventurer waited.


    ¡°So, we just need to go there?¡± Amelia asked.


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°Then, why aren¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°The lock is on the wrong side.¡± Ulf tapped the large mechanism.


    ¡°And?¡± Amelia crossed her arms in typical fashion. ¡°We¡¯re sneaking our way through the back door, remember?¡±


    ¡°It just¡­ It doesn¡¯t feel proper. The adventurer thing is to pick the lock and go in, not the other way around.¡± He looked at the door. Shaking his head, he then pulled an all too visible latch within the mechanism.


    There was a loud click, after which the door loosened.


    ¡°Be ready,¡± he said, letting go of the shirt that held the fireball. ¡°There might be guards inside.¡±


    All three adventurers readied their weapons. Even Octavian sharpened his claws on the stone floor. Time appeared to have frozen.


    Ulf grabbed hold of the door and briskly pulled it open. Everyone pressed against the walls as much as they could, focusing on what was in the chamber beyond.


    ¡°Gold?¡± Amelia whispered.


    She was absolutely correct. It wasn¡¯t a small amount of gold either, but a hoard that would rival a dragon¡¯s. Bars, coins, and lots of jewelry pieces were neatly stacked, creating an image from an adventure saga, only tidier.


    The group had seen many extraordinary things since Baron d¡¯Argent had accepted the noble quest, but this seemed the most extraordinary of all. Even among nobles and adventurers, this seemed too good to be true. If nothing else, the way in which it was meticulously ordered screamed illusion.


    Suspecting the worst, Ulf took out a hidden dagger and threw it inside. The weapon bounced off a stack of solid gold bars, then fell to the floor. Nothing changed.


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s safe?¡± Amelia whispered.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Slowly, Ulf stepped in the doorway. ¡°That¡®s the only way forward.¡±


    One by one, the trio entered the treasure chamber. Unlike the corridor, it was a lot larger than one expected. Three quarters of it were completely filled with gold, stacked in the exact, neat fashion they had glimpsed from the corridor. The rest of the space was reserved for pathways between the gold stacks and wooden racks on which rings and necklaces were displayed, the same way jewelers would present their merchandise.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of treasure,¡± Avid admitted. It made everything his father owned, even before he had to give most of it to the baron, look like pittance.


    ¡°You don¡¯t say.¡± Ulf tapped a bar of gold with the tip of his sword. ¡°I bet even the baron doesn¡¯t have this much.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that much,¡± Amelia mumbled, making it obvious that her family didn¡¯t have that much, either.


    ¡°They¡¯re all arranged by jeweler and year,¡± Avid said, examining a rack of necklaces. Small silver plaques were placed beneath each, containing a name and a year. Most of the names didn¡¯t mean a thing, but a few sounded vaguely familiar.


    ¡°Someone must love their jewelry.¡± Ulf smirked.


    ¡°Do you think they¡¯re cursed?¡± the young Rosewind asked.


    Ulf let the earring hang from its chain again.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. If there¡¯s any cursed treasure, it¡¯ll turn red.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any weapons,¡± Amelia noted.


    ¡°And you won¡¯t.¡± Avid pointed at a brass sign above a doorway. ¡°I think those are there.¡±


    Looking around, there were a total of four doors, each on a separate wall. The door they had come from had a single tear, or drop of blood, depending on the interpretation. The one Avid had noticed¡ªa shield and a sword. Opposite the armory, the last sign had what appeared to be a picture of a person.


    ¡°That should be the exit.¡± Ulf glanced at the only door without the sign. ¡°Or entrance, rather. That means we go to the armory.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t the weapons be cursed?¡± Avid turned towards him.


    ¡°There¡¯s one way to find out.¡± The adventurer grinned, then made his way forward.


    The room in question was just as large as the last. The only difference was that instead of stacks of gold, it was filled with endless displays of weapons, shields, and armor. In the vast majority of the cases, a full set of gear was placed on a wooden dummy¡ªwith a description, of course. There were styles and weapons of every type, from the mercilessly practical to the exotic and the outright absurd. In the far corner of the room, as if placed there in an attempt to be hidden, were two racks of swords.


    ¡°Everything seems fine,¡± Ulf said, observing the glow of the earring. ¡°Take anything that¡¯s useful.¡±


    The fascination kept its hold a few more seconds, before the realization hit in; despite all the riches and glitter, they remained in the underground tunnels of a cursed estate. At this very moment, Baron d¡¯Argent and Liandra were on their way to face an abomination of blood, if they hadn¡¯t reached it already.


    Choosing from unknown weapons wasn¡¯t particularly efficient without an identification scroll, but even the young nobles were capable of getting a feel of weight and balance. Each of them tried several swords and found that all of them were crafted rather well. There was a reason why the weapons were kept in the treasury.


    ¡°Fire Empress Kaylara,¡± Amelia read from the plaque of a scandalously revealing armor set. ¡°It must take a certain type to wear this into battle.¡±


    It was as if the creators of the armor had gone out of their way to make it impractical. Given the proportions, more material had been used for the helmet, sword and daggers than everything else. Despite that, one had to admit that the weapons of the set had a certain allure to them.


    ¡°Magic warrior set,¡± Ulf said at a glance. ¡°They don¡¯t need much armor.¡±


    ¡°I bet,¡± the woman said in a mocking tone. Curiosity made her draw the sword from its sheath. It was more saber than sword, light and flawlessly balanced. The grip felt comfortable and warm to the touch, tempting Amelia to swing it around.


    Performing a few basic swishes, the woman followed up with a forceful thrust. A ball of flame shot out of the tip, hitting the side of another display and engulfing it in fire.


    ¡°Wow.¡± Amelia¡¯s eyes twinkled as she, ever so slowly, moved the tip of the blade up towards her face. ¡°I¡¯m keeping this!¡± She glanced at Ulf and Avid again. ¡°Just the sword!¡±


    A hurried series of mixing and matching took place in which the adventurers ruined sets of armor, only taking the pieces they preferred. There was no time to take on a full set, so it was only the important things that counted.


    Once everyone was set, it was time to check out the final room. Given how the vault had been constructed, it was logical to expect a selection of scrolls and other personal magic items. That would have been quite beneficial. Finally, they would get rid of the dangerous light source they were dragging around and replace it with a glow ring, a lantern, or something even better. All that changed once Ulf opened the door.


    A row of wooden displays covered the far wall, all containing neatly arranged books, scrolls, and assorted magical items, yet it was something else that drew all the attention¡ªa single person standing in the center of the room. The moment he saw her, Ulf stopped in his tracks.


    ¡°Baroness?¡± he asked, blinking.


    There could be no doubt Baroness Elderion was indeed there, still as a puppet. Being addressed, she turned in Ulf¡¯s direction, yet didn¡¯t say a word.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± the adventurer couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    For a moment it almost seemed that the noblewoman might respond, but before she did, another person suddenly materialized a few steps from her. The new person was none other than the baroness¡¯ own butler, who seemed just as calm about the whole ordeal as his mistress.


    ¡°Are you here to rescue us?¡± Amelia asked with a grain of hope. Yet, even as she voiced it, the hope quickly faded away. If anyone were to rescue them, it would hardly be a noble and definitely not from the cursed estate¡¯s treasury.


    Almost on cue, a third person emerged¡ªonce again from the baroness¡¯ household. Then another, and another.


    As people started filling in the empty room, the realization dawned upon the trio of adventurers. The sign above the door wasn¡¯t a metaphor, but the literal description: this was a room for people¡ªpart of the ruby ring¡¯s new ballroom collection.


    ¡°The earring.¡± Amelia pointed.


    Ulf looked down at the chain in his hand. The dolphin dangling from it had turned crimson red.


    ¡°Very slowly, step back,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°Cursed?¡± Avid asked as he obeyed.


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡±


    More and more people emerged, now in groups of two and three. Whatever curse had affected Rosewind was spreading.


    Slowly, Amelia stepped across the threshold, leaving the room. Suddenly, the attitude of every newcomer changed. In perfect unison, all glared in the direction of the adventurers. Then, all charged in the direction of the door.


    ¡°Run!¡± Ulf shouted, as he shoved Avid out, then quickly followed, slamming the door shut.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Amelia asked.


    ¡°Cursed people aren¡¯t supposed to leave the room. The moment you did, they took us for intruders.¡±


    ¡°Well, we are¡­¡±


    Ulf didn¡¯t listen, looking around for something to block the door with.


    ¡°Quickly!¡± He leaned against the door. ¡°Drag some bars here!¡±


    Blocking a door with gold bars was by all accounts extravagant, but as the saying went: when life gives you gold, you¡¯d better do something with it.


    Avid and Amelia rushed, carrying several bars at a time, tossing them at the door. It was extraordinary how much speed adrenaline could provide. In what seemed like seconds, enough gold was stocked to cause some difficulty in opening it.


    ¡°We must warn the baron,¡± Amelia said, running with more gold to add to the pile.


    ¡°We don¡¯t even know where he is,¡± Ulf countered. ¡°And even if¡ª¡±


    Another door creaked open. Looking in the direction of the sound, the group watched the unlabeled door swing open and two skeletons emerge.


    ¡°Shit!¡± the large adventurer grunted, as the new batch of cursed people pushed against the door in an attempt to get into the main section of the treasury.


    The two skeletons weren¡¯t equipped with any particularly good gear, although they remained tough enemies as far as the adventurers were concerned. The only silver lining was that there didn¡¯t appear to be many of them, although it was also possible for that to be just the first wave.


    ¡°Avid,¡± Ulf said over his shoulder, while pressing against the door with both hands. ¡°You warn the baron. We¡¯ll handle things here.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡± the young Rosewind began.


    ¡°He¡¯s your mount,¡± Amelia interrupted, glancing at the griffin. ¡°You keep telling me he¡¯s useful. Now prove it!¡± She thrust her newly acquired sword in the direction of the approaching skeletons.


    A ball of fire engulfed the minion, melting it on the spot. Unfortunately, there was no time to rejoice. Just as one skeleton had been destroyed, two more appeared from the entrance.


    ¡°Just go!¡± Ulf yelled, pushing against the door. ¡°We¡¯ll be right behind you!¡±


    In the place of a response, Avid too swung his sword. A bolt of lightning struck the skeleton, instantly reducing it to a pile of bones.


    ¡°You¡¯d better be,¡± he said. ¡°Take care, okay?¡± He then turned to Amelia.


    ¡°You too.¡±


    At the same time, the chaos engulfing the town of Rosewind was progressively growing. Cursed letters, no longer content with being picked up by intended victims, were flying about in search of new prey. Initially, they remained somewhat timid, clinging to people¡¯s feet, tempting the unfortunate target to open them. Everyone that did would instantly disappear, finding themselves teleported to the abomination¡¯s cursed estate. And as more people vanished, the more aggressive the behavior of the letters became.


    By the time Spok emerged near the earl¡¯s castle, the pieces of cursed paper were outright chasing people, flying right into their faces. One brief glance proved enough to release the curse, which in turn only caused more letters to appear. All the noble houses were spitting them, creating torrents that moved about the town.


    Theo, like everyone else, had noticed, quickly sealing off all doors and windows of the buildings that were part of him. The action, though terrifying, provided the best possible protection to everyone inside. Unfortunately, that left half the population vulnerable¡­ including Earl Rosewind.


    ¡°Close all doors!¡± Spok said as she ran through the main entrance. ¡°The windows too!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± the pair of guards asked in near unison.


    Now that there were no goblins attempting to invade, their job was mostly ceremonial to the point that they let all notable people in town freely enter the main hall. Normally, a few words would be exchanged, but none of them would dare stop someone as well known and important as Spok d¡¯Esprit from running in. In this case, before they could even manage to respond, a pair of letters stuck to their faces, causing them to vanish.


    ¡°The letters don¡¯t appear to have reached the earl¡¯s castle, sir.¡± The spirit guide used her telekinesis to shove away a few letters that made an attempt to follow her inside.


    ¡°You could have fooled me,¡± Theo grumbled from the woman¡¯s necklace. ¡°How can you tell?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re trying to get in.¡± Spok pulled the massive doors shut with the ease one would close a book.


    Barring it, the woman quickly straightened her clothes, as etiquette demanded, then turned around to continue along the main hall. Normally, the behavior she had displayed would be considered a serious faux pas by nobles, guards, and servants alike. For better, or likely worse, in this case, there was not a single person present to criticize.

 (Book 2) 29. A Red Carpet Event

    ¡°Sir, I might have spoken too soon¡­¡±


    These weren¡¯t the sort or words anyone wanted to hear, let alone say. This couldn¡¯t be truer for Spok. The spirit guide prided herself on being always available for assistance regardless of the circumstances. The entire purpose of her existence was based on that. The deities themselves had determined that every dungeon should be provided a spirit guide upon birth. Some might even call it an auxiliary existence. Normally, a spirit guide had no other purpose other than the survival and prosperity of their dungeon.


    Having an avatar had significantly changed that. Even before her series of minor distractions, Spok had caught herself considering things that she never had before: the apparel she would wear, the people she wanted to have longer¡ªor shorter¡ªconversations with, the welfare of small¡ªor large¡ªcuddly animals. It was almost as if her avatar had come with a new series of needs and wants that were becoming just as important as the ones she had been created with.


    In this particular instance, Spok felt a slight sensation of guilt and, even more surprisingly, concern. As a spirit guide, the only concern was supposed to be related to the destruction of her dungeon. Yet, the greater concern was as Rosewind being torn apart.


    ¡°Halt!¡± a voice sharply said.


    At the far end of the entrance hallway, stood a knight clad in armor. A full helmet covered his face, although instead of a weapon, the man held a torch.


    ¡°What¡¯s your business here?¡± the knight asked.


    ¡°Captain Ribbons,¡± Spok said with undertones of authority in her voice. ¡°I¡¯m here to have an audience with the earl.¡± She adjusted her glasses. ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°The earl won¡¯t be having any visitors,¡± the man said firmly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, miss d¡¯Esprit.¡±


    ¡°Let me talk to him!¡± Theo grumbled from Spok¡¯s necklace. ¡°Can you hear me, Ribbons?!¡±


    ¡°It is a matter of highest importance requested by Baron d¡¯Argent,¡± Spok took a step forward. ¡°He¡¯s a member of the inner council, if you remember, and I¡¯m here on his behalf.¡±


    The remark had an instant effect. Being captain of the guard came with a lot of benefits. Mouthing out to determined nobles wasn¡¯t one of them. If Ribbons had been dealing with the baron, he¡¯d have put in enough weight to discourage the noble from proceeding. Spok, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t someone he wanted to go against, not least because from what he had remarked, even Cmyk was careful around her.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± The spirit guide correctly interrupted the man¡¯s silence. ¡°Where¡¯s the earl?¡±


    ¡°I must make sure you don¡¯t have any letters.¡± The captain of the guard didn¡¯t relent completely. ¡°I cannot risk¡ª¡±


    ¡°How very thoughtful of you, Captain,¡± a new voice said, as the earl emerged on the scene. He, too, was wearing a full helmet which clashed with his very expensive and entirely civilian clothes. ¡°Splendid vigilance. There¡¯s no need to worry. The baron is an exceptional wizard, as is miss d¡¯Esprit.¡±


    ¡°I do not doubt that, sir,¡± Ribbons said, with the intonation that suggested the opposite. ¡°But considering what is going on outside, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Splendid. Absolutely splendid.¡± The earl rubbed his hands. ¡°Please continue the exceptional job you¡¯re doing. Knowing you¡¯re on the task makes me feel safe.¡±


    Even Spok had to admire the manner in which Earl Rosewind managed to get his point through. There were no threats, not even implicit ones. He just drowned people with a combination of praise, compliments, and confusion, disarming them to the point that they couldn¡¯t but do what he had in mind.


    ¡°Yes, sir, my lord.¡± Ribbons nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure all the rooms are secure, sir.¡±


    With a salute and a bow, the man went off along one of the side corridors of the main hallway.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to forgive him,¡± the earl said in an apologetic tone of voice. ¡°He means well, but sometimes he could get a bit too obsessed with his job.¡±


    ¡°Of course, my lord.¡± Spok said with an acceptable curtsey. ¡°The baron and I are relieved that you¡¯re well.¡±


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say the situation is without concern. Honestly¡­ zombie letters?¡± he shook his head, causing the helmet almost to wobble. ¡°I thought that only occurred in stories. Good thing my grandfather isn¡¯t here now. He drove my father crazy. Refused to accept any letters in the castle.¡±


    ¡°He must have had his reasons.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure. Probably hiding from debt collectors,¡± the earl let out a chuckle. ¡°That¡¯s a joke, of course. In truth I never did find out why he was so afraid of them. He did have lots of full helmets made, so maybe he knew something after all. I take it the baron¡¯s doing something on the matter?¡± he seamlessly changed the topic. ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re here, I take it?¡±


    ¡°Precisely, my lord. After his ordeal, the baron feared that something similar might happen to others in Rosewind, which is why he sent me to discreetly check on the members of the council.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that noble quest.¡± The earl shook his head again. ¡°Dreadful business. I must confess standards are slipping. There was a time when any such attempts would have been caught long before they got anywhere near an adventurer¡¯s guild. And now? A cursed noble quest.¡±


    Spok didn¡¯t respond. Her knowledge on the matter was a lot less than she preferred it to be, but even if it wasn¡¯t, she didn¡¯t feel like nodding on to his comments. He probably had enough people doing that all day already.


    ¡°Might I ask what happened to your servants?¡± she asked instead.


    ¡°Oh, that. Well, it¡¯s a rather long story. Might I suggest we continue it in my chambers? Not that I don¡¯t trust Ribbons, but I would prefer not to keep you in this section of the castle longer than I have to.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be delighted, my lord, but there¡¯s no need to be concerned. I¡¯ve acquired a few skills from the baron.¡± Spock gracefully used telekinesis to take out the handkerchief from the earl¡¯s sleeve, fold it midair, then place it on the palm of her hand. ¡°There¡¯s no reason for you to keep your protection on, sir.¡± She offered him his handkerchief back. ¡°Not while I¡¯m around.¡±


    There was a split second of hesitation. Most wouldn¡¯t have even noticed, but Spok had been created to be fast and observant. From her perspective, the pause might as well have been a gasp.


    The odds of Earl Rosewind taking her at her word were ten to one. Remarkably, the noble went against them, slowly pulling the massive helmet off. Layers of sweat covered his face and part of his hair, suggesting that he had worn it for a considerable time, none of it comfortable.


    ¡°You¡¯re an honest gem, my good lady,¡± he said, taking his handkerchief from Spok¡¯s hand and delicately mopping off the sweat from his forehead. ¡°As useful as the helmet was, my grandfather wasn¡¯t known for his practicality or fashion.¡± The earl then offered his elbow to the woman. ¡°Shall we?¡±


    ¡°Umm,¡± it was Spok¡¯s turn to display hesitation. Etiquette strictly forbade someone of her status to act in a familiar fashion with a member of the high nobility. Then again, etiquette was only broken if there was someone to see it. ¡°Of course, my lord.¡±


    ¡°Splendid,¡± the earl offered a warm smile. Then, once Spok had taken hold of his arm, led them towards the second floor. ¡°Regarding my missing servants. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re diligent and dependable in their own way, but when it comes to nosiness and gossip, some of them tend to get a bit carried away¡­¡±


    While Theo¡¯s spirit guide seemed to be having a far more pleasant experience with the earl than originally foreseen, the dungeon¡¯s avatar was spending his time going through bone remains in the dark, cursed underground in search of cores. Had he been the one to have killed the three bone amalgamations, he would have earned a total of six thousand avatar core points. Unfortunately, that did not hold true if the death had been caused by the abomination itself. At best, the entity had shattered their cores, at worst, it had consumed them itself. Either option made Theo rage inside.


    ¡°Found anything?¡± Liandra approached the baron, glancing at the crushed remains.


    ¡°I think she used the blood to squeeze them to their shattering point,¡± the avatar replied. Officially, he was examining the remains for clues as to the abomination¡¯s skills. ¡°It¡¯s safe to assume that we¡¯ll need to avoid even a thin layer of blood. Meaning¡ª¡± he glanced at the crimson carpet ¡°¡ªwe¡¯ll be flying at least three feet above it.¡±


    ¡°Good point.¡±


    ¡°Other than that¡­¡± the avatar shrugged. ¡°There isn¡¯t much left to reach any conclusions.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. At least we won¡¯t make things easy for it.¡±


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Casting a flight spell on both of them, the avatar rose up in the air along with the heroine. The next thing he did was surround each in an aether bubble.


    ¡°Since she¡¯s invited us, I¡¯ll fly us right there.¡± He turned to the woman. ¡°I¡¯ll move us quite fast, so better be ready.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m used to your flying, remember?¡± Liandra smirked. ¡°I¡¯ll be up to it.¡±


    ¡°One more thing. Let me handle any skeletons along the way. I don¡¯t want you to get distracted before we reach Agonia.¡±


    In truth, all he was aiming for was to acquire all potential experience for himself. The fashion in which he phrased it, though, made it seem that he was concerned about her. What was more, he appeared to be thinking several moves ahead, planning several potential outcomes long before they took place.


    Liandra¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be ready. One strike is all that I¡¯ll need.¡±


    Instantly, the aether spheres darted up out of the large chamber. Once they reached the level of the corridor, they changed direction, flying right into it. If there were any traps awaiting the pair, this was the point they would be triggered. As expected, they were.


    The entire red carpet shot up, splitting the corridor in two like a crimson line. Its narrow width prevented it from filling the entire space, merely separating the baron and Liandra on either side. Crimson strands shot out sideways, shattering the aether protection. The avatar, however, was ready for that, meeting the attack with dozens of tip-blessed shards that emerged around him. Like heavy hail, they melted the blood strands, then continued on, shredding the wall of blood.


    Having no desire to give up, the blood carpet patched itself up, occasionally proceeding with counterattacks of its own. Half a dozen strands managed to sneak through the barrage, getting dangerously close to the body of the avatar.


    Suddenly, the strands made an abrupt ninety-degree turn, as Theo used telekinesis to force their trajectory along a different path. It was a spur-of-the-moment action that technically wasn¡¯t supposed to work. Telekinesis only worked on objects and required increasingly vast amounts of mana to divert anything in motion, making it unusable in combat for ordinary mages.


    You¡¯re just an object, aren¡¯t you? The dungeon thought as he severed the threads with a few more blessed-tip icicles.


    ¡°Then what do you think about this?¡± In a bout of inspiration¡ªor random combinatorics¡ªthe avatar cast a fireball, yet instead of surrounding it with an aether sphere as he usually did, Theo blessed the flame.


    By any logic, the flame couldn¡¯t be considered an area, so the spell should have had the same effect as if he were to bless a patch of air. When it came to the rules of this world, it seemed that metaphors and physics had a way of coexisting in perfect harmony. Tossing the ball of flame on the crimson wall appeared no different than splashing a drop of acid on a sheet of paper. A massive hole gaped on the surface of the blood¡ªalong with the intense sound of crackling¡ªjust in time for the avatar to see Liandra slash through the air, slicing an even larger part of the wall.


    Encouraged by his discovery, Theo cast a dozen more fireballs. Now that he knew the principle, he could easily combine them with his previous discovery, sending bubbled fireballs along a vast stretch of the wall.


    Fire filled the corridor behind him. An entire section was torn off, causing the whole of the wall behind it to splash to the floor. A few moments later, the rest of the wall also pulled down, returning to its carpet state.


    ¡°It¡¯s not playing around,¡± Liandra said, holding her grandfather¡¯s legendary sword. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ll be able to handle all the threats on the way there?¡±


    ¡°If the abomination didn¡¯t feel threatened by us, it wouldn¡¯t have tried to stop us reaching it,¡± the avatar said. The logic was flawed in more ways than anyone could imagine, but in the heat of the moment, it made enough sense for Liandra not to challenge it outright. ¡°As long as we stay away from the blood we should be¡ª


    Hundreds of skeletal hands broke out from the walls, preventing the baron from uttering the last word. There was nothing special about them, just normal skeletal appendages, reaching out to grab anything close. The issue was that there were a lot of them. Fortunately, the cumulative effect of the swiftness spells the avatar had cast on himself made their actions lethargically slow, giving him more than enough time to cast a massive ice shield between him and the wall. Just in case, though, Theo cast a few more dozen swiftness spells onto himself.


    SWIFTNESS ¨C ULTRA


    Allows you to acquire absolute reaction speed for one instant by using 20 Mana (Energy). During that time, you can perform any action almost at the speed of a deity.


    A message appeared in front of Theo¡¯s eyes. It was about time he had developed that skill to its ultra state. Unlike most of the ones he had recently received, this was rather useful. Eager to check it out, the dungeon triggered the skill.


    From the perspective of his avatar, time almost froze still. Subconsciously, a timer started running, urging him to do something¡ªanything¡ªin the moment of eternity allotted to him, and so he did. A ten-foot chunk of ice emerged in front of the avatar, then propelled forward, tearing off skeletal arms from the wall, like a five-blade razor going through a beard.


    On the other side, a similar slash attack from Liandra had a similar, though less flashy, effect.


    ¡°Lia!¡± the avatar snapped at her.


    ¡°Just helping out.¡± The heroine looked away.


    Unwilling to take the risk, the avatar used his flight spell to pull in front. The entrance to the ballroom soon emerged, made even more prominent by the crimson carpet going upwards. Taking no chances, Theo blessed a few more fireballs he sent forward.


    Before they could hit the target, the carpet pulled out, leaving the explosion to impact the corridor itself.


    Propelling another fireball forward, the avatar used it to scry into the chamber. To his surprise, there were no enemies there. What was more, the structure of the room itself had changed. A new staircase had formed, leading up to a section that had markedly been sealed off the last time Theo had been there. Just as the fireball proceeded forward, a massive ivory spear emerged from nowhere, extinguishing it with one swift hit.


    ¡°There¡¯s a skeleton guard,¡± the avatar told Liandra. ¡°Stay here until I¡¯m done with him.¡± And just to note the importance of his point, he slowed down her flight spell, bringing the heroine to a complete standstill. He, meanwhile, continued forward, flying out of the underground corridor until he reached the very ceiling of the ballroom.


    Fortunately, there was no indication that any element of the blood spider had survived. The chandeliers were bare, like trees in autumn. Unfortunately, the guard he had glimpsed part of appeared a bit more impressive than initially expected.


    The entity was nothing less than a knight clad in full bone armor. What the avatar believed to be a spear was, in all actuality, a jousting lance, coated in a layer of crimson red. The entire monstrosity was at least ten feet tall, blocking off the stairway out of the room.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what you are.¡± The avatar cast an arcane identify.


    GREAT UNDEAD


    (Unique Minion)


    The product of generations, this minion contains all the combined magic of generations of necromancers. Created by multiple generations, the minion increases in power as the magic and bones of necromancers join its form after their deaths.


    This Great Undead minion is the product of eight generations of necromancers, and has existed for over three centuries.


    ¡°Spok,¡± Theo said out of habit. ¡°What¡¯s a¡­¡± he stopped.


    The spirit guide had more than enough on her plate. With Rosewind overflowing with panic and chaos, not to mention zombie letters, maybe it wasn¡¯t the best time to bother her with details. All that mattered was that the great undead was a unique minion, which meant two things: danger and core points.


    The lance split the air, moving faster than the human eye. Thanks to the effect of dozens of swiftness spells, the baron could see it clearly, even without resorting to his new ability variant. Floating to the side, he let the lance pierce through the ceiling. The precision, strength, and speed of the attack were beyond impressive. Even a hero would have felt fear when faced with a creature of that nature. However, if there was one thing that Theo could be confident about, it was recognizing a glass cannon when he saw one.


    ¡°If that¡¯s how you want to play.¡± The avatar cast a spell.


    A large block of ice appeared in front of him, quickly starting its fall to the floor. As it did, though, the size quickly increased so much that at the point of landing it was ten times as large. Limbs quickly emerged, as a fully grown ice elemental came into being. Given Theo¡¯s past experience, and the fact that his mind stat remained at a measly seventy-seven, there was little doubt that the elemental would turn on him at the first opportunity. Yet, since the avatar was high in the air, there was a greater chance it would focus on the enemy in front.


    Apparently, the great undead thought the same. The skeleton drew its crimson sword, then darted forward, piercing the elemental in the blink of an eye.


    Massive cracks spread along the torso of the ice entity. For a moment, it almost seemed as if the fight had concluded. The cracks kept on growing until they covered the whole of the ice elemental. Just then, the creature grabbed the armored bone hand. A layer of ice and frost emerged, spreading quickly.


    Perfect! From above, the dungeon¡¯s avatar cast a series of blessed fireballs.


    His initial plan had been completely different. What he intended was to let the two entities duke it off for a while, then use his entanglement spell on the weakened skeletal minion. He hadn¡¯t expected a direct attack, far less the ice elemental anchoring the skeleton in place. Still, Theo would be a fool not to take advantage.


    Explosions erupted as flames filled the ballroom. Since there were no people present, he no longer had to worry about collateral damage.


    ¡°Nice minion,¡± the baron said as he continued with his magic bombardment. ¡°But can it survive fire?¡±


    Instead of an answer, a bone dagger the size of a two-handed great sword emerged from the cushion of flames below, aimed straight at the avatar. The action was so unexpected that even swiftness couldn¡¯t completely save him. The blade ripped through the avatar¡¯s right arm, severing it completely as it hit the ceiling. Back in the dungeon¡¯s main body, a massive spike in energy consumption was felt. Had he been human, this would have been the end.


    Without wasting a moment, Theo surrounded his avatar in an invulnerable aether sphere. Two more bone daggers flew up, bouncing up the hard surface as they pushed it into the ceiling. The attack didn¡¯t end there. Without warning, the lance and dagger stuck in the ceiling transformed into skeletal centipedes, then wrapped around the outside sphere. Each of their legs were as sharp as sword tips.


    ¡°Is that how you want to play?¡± the avatar filled the inside of the sphere with ice shards, aimed at the entities on the other side of the barrier. ¡°Do you seriously think that you¡¯re faster?¡±


    The entities moved about, but didn¡¯t get off the aether sphere, willing to take their chances. A tense stare off ensued. The seconds stretched to minutes until the aether bubble shattered.


    Ice shards flew, striking the centipedes without mercy long before the things could twitch. It was obvious that they never stood a chance. Before Theo could rejoice, a giant armored fist struck his avatar, slamming him into the ceiling.


    As a new energy surge spiked within the dungeon¡¯s main body, he saw the great undead inches away from his avatar¡¯s face. The bone armor of the skeletal minion was covered in cracks and had missing pieces the size of a small horse, but was still very much functional. Neither the ice elemental, not the bombardment of holy fireballs, had managed to finish it off.


    This can¡¯t be good, the dungeon thought.

 (Book 2) 30. Agonia, Abomination of Fulfillment

    Theo¡¯s energy drain spiked again as the skeletal minion punched his avatar into the ceiling. Agonia must have been paying attention to his weaknesses. It didn¡¯t help that the abomination was aware of his true nature.


    The avatar attempted to cast a spell, but a new punch made it fizzle out before it was fully complete. Things were getting serious. There was only one thing worse than a glass canon¡ªa fast glass cannon. When one had speed and destructive power, defense was pointless. It was only a hypothesis, but the dungeon suspected that one good hit would instantly bring him victory. The question was how to achieve that one good hit?


    At the fourth hit, the avatar cast his ultra swiftness. The spell provided him just enough time for a single action, which, given the circumstances, was entangle.


    Magic strands emerged around the skeleton. Yet, before they could acquire enough mass to render him immobile, the great undead snapped then, and continued with his attacks.


    Too stubborn to give up, Theo repeated his strategy, this time with an ice shield. The result was partially better. This time, instead of punching him directly, the skeleton punched the massive sheet of ice into the ceiling, causing almost as much damage. If Marquis Leevek were here right now, he¡¯d probably be gloating at the efficiency of his minion. By all accounts, the skeleton seemed to have the upper hand. Even somewhat protected by the shield of ice, there didn¡¯t seem anything for Theo to do. His avatar was stuck in the ceiling, slowly draining away his energy. Then a thought came to mind.


    Suddenly a massive chunk of ceiling disappeared, revealing the sky above. Beams of light shone in and while they didn¡¯t have any effect on the great undead, the sight was surprising enough to cause a pause.


    Taking advantage of his freedom, the avatar quickly flew to the nearest chunk of wall and pressed his hand against it. Slender towers shot out from parts of the walls and ceiling, all targeting the skeletal minion. Unfortunately, as impressive as their speed was, it was far from enough.


    The ballroom was suddenly filled with towers arranged like a very extreme game of cat¡¯s cradle. The minion would change location at such speed that for the normal person, it would appear it was teleporting. Occasionally, it would punch the side of a tower, shattering it on the spot.


    ¡°Just a glass cannon,¡± the avatar muttered.


    The fight was costing him quite a lot of energy, although it could be said that the minion¡¯s method of fighting had simplified things. Being on the defensive had cost substantially more energy than going all out.


    In-between creating room modifications, the avatar cast a series of tip-blessed ice shards. The point wasn¡¯t to target anything in particular, but rather let them fly indiscriminately in the hopes they would hit.


    Nine times out of ten, all Theo managed to do was ruin the ballroom even more. On the tenth, however, the impossible happened. Several of the shards managed to strike the ankle of the skeletal minion. There had been no intention in the action. If Theo had a choice, he would have preferred to aim for the head or, at the very least, the arms. Fortunately for him, he wasn¡¯t the one aiming.


    Too fast to stop, the great undead attempted to leap off one of the floors, as it had been doing until now. This time, the pressure proved too much. A loud crack filled the air as the whole ankle shattered, causing the skeleton¡¯s left foot to completely fall off.


    The minion stumbled. The temporary lack of balance kept him on the floor for no more than a few seconds. During that time, parts of the affected leg transformed, as miniature skeletal hands and torsos emerged, reforming what had been broken. Those few seconds were more than enough for Theo to make his next move.


    Aware that even in its present condition, the skeleton remained rather mobile, he caused several pillars of stone to shoot out from a wall; yet instead of aiming directly for the great undead, he cast several entangle spells on the pillars.


    Aether threads struck the skeleton, pinning him to the floor. The entity had made a clumsy attempt to avoid the pillars, yet, to its detriment,  hadn¡¯t taken the threads into account.


    ¡°Aha!¡± Theo said, flying away from the wall and above his target. Suspecting he wasn¡¯t going to get many chances such as this, he quickly cast fireballs in the dozens. No longer bothering to wrap them in aether bubbles, he simply blessed the flames, letting them pour down on the minion.


    What followed was simultaneously the most unexpected and slightly horrifying sight one could imagine. Acting like acid, the blessed flames melted through the massive bone armor, trickling inside. It was like watching micro-organisms eat their way through a crab¡¯s shell, devouring the creature while leaving the outside intact.


    The massive minion attempted to struggle, but more entangle spells were used to immobilize him on the spot.


    For several long seconds, the great undead resisted until its heavy armor spontaneously crumbled upon itself.


    CONGRATULATIONS!


    You have killed the Leveek family¡¯s Great Undead.


    Created by Xinnamon, the Leveek¡¯s family founder, shortly after the necromancer wars, this Great Undead was instrumental in the reason for the family¡¯s rise to prominence. Currently, the Laveek¡¯s Great Undead contains the bones and magic of three hundred and seventeen necromancers of the family.


    7500 Avatar Core Points obtained.


    News of your achievement shall be known throughout the entire continent.


    Making the rest of the world aware of Theo¡¯s exploits wasn¡¯t the best he had hoped for, but at least it was in his avatar¡¯s name. The large amount of points, on the other hand, more than made up for it.


    AVATAR LEVEL INCREASE


    Your Avatar has become Level 27.


    +1 Mind, MANDOLIN MASTERY obtained.


    2900 Core Points required for next Avatar Level


    MANDOLIN MASTERY - 1


    (Reserved for Mage Bards)


    Allows you to perform on even the most intricately complex mandolin with ease.


    Using the skill increases its rank, increasing the sound subtleness you are capable of.


    One look at the skill obtained quickly made the dungeon solemnly swear never to complain about skills ever again. The universe had just proved to him that it was always possible to get something worse. The exuberance of victory was quickly replaced by a dark sensation of defeat. True, he had defeated an annoyingly tricky enemy¡ªa glass cannon if there ever was one¡ªbut it had provided him with nothing. This wasn¡¯t a matter of ability duplication or a non-suitable skill. This was simultaneously so narrowly specific and universally undesirable that Theo was more concerned about how to keep people from finding out about it.


    Despite what everyone claimed, bards weren¡¯t particularly liked. The same went a hundredfold for mage bards. As Spok had mentioned, there had been cases of dungeons being driven insane by such bards venturing within their bodies. Now, Theo¡¯s avatar¡ªand by extension, the entire dungeon itself¡ªhad become one of the most detested entities the world had ever known.


    As the baron remained floating in the air, a massive strike originated on the floor, pushing large chunks of debris away.


    ¡°You really went all out, didn¡¯t you?¡± Liandra emerged.


    The heroine looked around, nodding as she did. As someone familiar with Baron d¡¯Argent¡¯s style of fighting, she wasn¡¯t particularly surprised. Even so, she was visibly relieved that there didn¡¯t seem to be any people hurt.


    ¡°Everything alright?¡±


    The baron looked at her with the gloomy expression of someone who¡¯d had their favorite set of clothes forcibly given to charity, then formed the gloomiest smile in existence.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he uttered. ¡°Everything¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Well, I took care of the ones below,¡± the woman said casually, making her way to the great undead¡¯s remains. ¡°Nothing you couldn¡¯t have handled. More annoying than difficult. Still, always good to boost a skill.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ you boosted a skill?¡±


    Theo¡¯s depression was suddenly replaced by an even greater depression, this time served with a side dish of anger. He knew for a fact that her heroic level had to be vastly greater than his. For her to have increased it, the amount of core points received in the tunnels had to exceed those of the massive minion at least five-fold.


    ¡°Do you need to rest?¡± she asked, ignoring the question. ¡°The next one is it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Theo would have preferred if the minion contained a core he could somehow send to his main body. Even so, getting a minor energy boost was better than nothing. In fact, it was almost as much as the energy used during the fight against the minion.


    Mandolin, the dungeon thought. Why did it have to be a mandolin skill?


    ¡°What about you?¡± He turned to Liandra.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I rested for a few moments while you were wrapping things up here. I¡¯d like to have seen it, but it was probably as destructive as always.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°And completely useless against a blood abomination,¡± she interrupted.


    That was a bit harsh. Minutes ago, Theo was having the same doubts. Having them pointed out by someone else, on the other hand, instantly put him on the defensive.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be surprised at what I can achieve.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen you can do a lot, but it won¡¯t help. Strength and magic cannot defeat abominations.¡± She looked him in the eye. ¡°You¡¯re strong, but if one of the greatest archmages in history couldn¡¯t, what chance do you have?¡±


    Normally, that would be the case. It was a fact that the heroes that faced Agonia the last time failed to kill her. Instead, they had been forced to lock her in a memory prison. Yet, by the same logic, the hero that accompanied the legendary archmage had failed as well.


    ¡°I¡¯m convinced you¡¯ll be able to weaken it, maybe even to a large extent,¡± Liandra continued. ¡°There are only three ways to destroy an abomination. One is to unravel it by learning its nature. The hero guild has had centuries to try to figure that out and are nowhere. The second is for a deity to appear in avatar form and smite it outright. There are a few high clerics capable of conversing with their patron deities, but even in those cases, it would be next to impossible to get one here.¡±


    The dungeon¡¯s thoughts instantly fell on Paris. If the flaky deity hadn¡¯t gone off somewhere to do whatever it was she did, he could very well ask her for this minor favor. Given that her temple remained technically part of his main body, there was more than enough room for loopholes and rule bending to have her appear in the cursed estate and end everything there and then.


    ¡°The last way is a precise heroic strike,¡± the heroine said. ¡°You know that, don¡¯t you? You¡¯ve always known. That¡¯s why you¡¯ve been keeping me from fighting. As a party leader, you cannot risk me getting hurt or wasting my strike on lesser enemies.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I just¡ª¡± the avatar began, but was instantly stopped by a single chuckle coming from the woman.


    ¡°I knew you¡¯d say that. Pretending to the very end. Sometimes I wonder how you know the things you do. You¡¯re quite the mystery, Baron d¡¯Argent. You¡¯re a noble, yet nothing could be found about your family tree. You¡¯re a mage, yet you keep your distance from the mage towers. You¡¯re risking your life to save the world twice, but let others take the glory.¡±


    It was comical how wrong someone could get. And at the same time, everything that Liandra said was absolutely accurate. The reason that no one talked about Theo¡¯s family tree was that less than a year ago, it didn¡¯t exist. It was thanks to Earl Rosewind¡¯s interference that he had gotten one at all. As for the mage towers, Theo was a member by mail. Frankly, he was still astonished that the tower he¡¯d bought his permit from didn¡¯t end up being a scam. Finally, regarding the matter of credit, any and all attempts of the dungeon at keeping a low profile had been thwarted more times than he could remember. It already bothered him that more people were aware of his avatar than he would have liked. Strictly speaking, the only reason he had misgivings on the topic of glory was that it went to Cmyk.


    ¡°We all have our secrets,¡± the avatar said. ¡°Right now, the only thing that matters is killing the abomination.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Liandra looked at her grandfather¡¯s blade. ¡°There¡¯s only that.¡±


    After a few more moments of silence, the avatar cast a fresh flight spell on the heroine, then surrounded both of them with aether spheres.


    Extending up the steps of the staircase, the crimson carpet remained. Ignoring the destruction around it, it calmly showed the way, both mocking and daring the group to continue.


    Since they were flying, there was no particular need for Theo to search for curses. Even so, he did. Finding that apart from the carpet itself, every step of the staircase was individually cursed. There were the standard life-sapping, movement-restricting, and slow poison afflictions one would expect, but also a surprising amount that seemed to have been added out of spite. The dripping nose, itchiness, and severe diarrhea curses were obvious examples. No doubt the marquis and his wife were more than a little angered by Theo¡¯s actions so far. The dungeon could only hope that they kept their focus on him and Liandra and left the adventurers to do their own thing.


    The staircase continued all the way up to a large platform, which had a surprisingly unimpressive double door at the end. While it appeared to be made out of high-quality steel and marble, neither the size nor the craftsmanship could compare to many others within the estate itself.


    Two rows of marble statues decorated both sides of the platform.


    ¡°Careful with the statues,¡± Theo said. ¡°They¡¯re¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish, Liandra took out two boomerang swords from her dimensional ring, and threw them, shattering the Aether bubble around her. The weapons swerved, proceeding to chop off the heads of all statues on both sides of the room, then safely returned to their owner.


    ¡°¡ªextremely ancient,¡± the avatar finished. Moments ago, he had entertained the idea of taking them back to his main body. If nothing else, they could have served as conversation starters for the increasing number of surprise visitors that had been stopping by. Now, that was no longer possible.


    ¡°Better safe than sorry,¡± Liandra said unapologetically.


    ¡°Sure.¡± The baron gave her an annoyed glance.


    As the pair approached, a bone pedestal rose up from the floor just in front of the door. Reaching three feet in height, it stopped. The top opened up, revealing a silver tray holding a sealed letter.


    A quick arcane identify revealed the letter not to be cursed, so the avatar used telekinesis to break the crimson seal and open it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Liandra said. ¡°It might be a trap.¡±


    The avatar didn¡¯t respond, reading the contents.


    ¡°What does it say?¡± the heroine asked.


    ¡°All debts settled,¡± Theo read out.


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    On cue, the double door opened, revealing a moderately large chamber. One could call it a throne room, just as one could call a shack a cottage. All the required elements were there: a throne, lavish decorations, lots of paintings, and decorative suits of armor¡­ and yet it still gave the impression that someone had worked on a budget.


    Casting a few more swiftness spells on himself, the dungeon¡¯s avatar floated in. No sooner had he done so than a cluster of bone spikes shot up from the floor, blocking the entrance.


    ¡°Theo!¡± Liandra shouted, throwing her boomerang swords at the bone spikes. Unfortunately, as they struck, the bones changed form, growing into a solid white wall.


    ¡°Better to leave the nuisance outside,¡± a high-pitched female voice said.


    The crimson carpet that covered the floor, liquefied, trickling up to the throne. A blob of blood formed, quickly transforming into what some would call an elegant woman in a crimson dress.


    ¡°Abomination,¡± Theo grumbled.


    No doubt some would describe her as attractive. As far as appearances went, she was just that¡ªa maiden combining charm, beauty, and sophistication into one. Red curls covered her youthful face that held as a disarming smile as women could muster. Even the crimson red eyes somehow had obtained an exotic quality, rather than outright scary. Curiously enough, the woman¡¯s lips remained rather plain, no redder than the ¡°skin¡± of her face.


    ¡°Dungeon,¡± the woman said in an equally disdainful fashion. ¡°Scouting for new resource pits?¡±


    ¡°Scouting?¡± Theo grumbled. ¡°Your letters dragged me into this!¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± The woman waved her hand as if she were dealing with a trivial matter. ¡°That was an accident. My children tended to get a bit overenthusiastic. It¡¯s not that I could blame them, though. It¡¯s thanks to them that I¡¯m free.¡±


    Sounds of fighting were heard beyond the now blocked entrance. Someone had engaged Liandra¡ªsomeone rather skilled judging by the intensity of the strikes. There was no way of determining who had the upper hand, but as long as the fighting was going on, one could rest assured that the heroine was alive.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m making you this offer,¡± the abomination continued. ¡°Clearly, mistakes were made on both sides. You did some property damage, quite significant if my children are to be believed. However, half the people of your little town more than make up for it. Here¡¯s what I propose. I let you go and leave what¡¯s left of your town alone. In turn, you don¡¯t send any avatars or minions to my territory. In future, whoever claims a town first gets to keep it. I say that¡¯s fair, considering.¡±


    In his previous life, Theo had spent a significant amount of time reading business strategy books. All of them made a vast number of claims, none of which tended to work when he tried to follow them. There was one established rule he had seen to be true: no one ever offered anything unless they weren¡¯t forced to.


    Seemingly, the abomination held all the cards. She had overrun Rosewind with her letters, separated the dungeon¡¯s avatar from Liandra, and locked him in a small space with her present. If it came to an actual confrontation, it was very likely she¡¯d win hands down. But in that case, why was she still offering to let his avatar go?


    ¡°I can easily bring this whole castle down with my avatar.¡± Theo decided to bluff. ¡°You¡¯ve seen what I¡¯ve done to your ¡°children.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re refusing the offer?¡± The abomination¡¯s eyes widened, as if this was the first time she¡¯d been refused.


    ¡°I¡¯d be a fool not to.¡±


    In his mind, the dungeon saw this as the usual start of negotiations. As the saying went, it was only after the third offer that the negotiation actually started. Feeling smug with himself, the avatar crossed his arms, expecting a sweetener. There was none of that.


    As he stood, the side walls cracked up, bursting into thousands of hardened blood shards in all directions. At their current size, even a few dozen hits wouldn¡¯t have caused any serious damage to the avatar. This wasn¡¯t ordinary blood, though¡ªit belonged to the abomination, and as Spok had told Theo a while back, each drop held the power to corrupt him.


    Ice shields formed on both sides of the avatar, blocking any potential threat. The faster needles were caught within the ice itself, while the slower ones hit the hardened shell. Had this been armor of any sort, there was a good chance they would have seeped through. When I came to ice, it was the best isolator. Out of curiosity, Theo also used a few blessings on a few areas of his ice shields, causing the blood within to evaporate into nothingness.


    ¡°Impressive,¡± the abomination said. ¡°If your avatar is this strong, I¡¯m almost curious to see what the real you is capable of.¡±


    The slabs of ice crashed to the floor with a loud clunk. At that point, Theo found that he had underestimated the abomination¡¯s cunning. Based on his experience so far, he expected her to swarm him with traps, skeletons, or blood spiders of some sort. Even in the case of a one-to-one fight, he felt confident he could eventually win, especially if he unleashed a few wild ice elementals. One glance at what lay beyond the walls made him reconsider his strategy.


    The newly uncovered space made the room almost twice its previous size. The space was filled with nothing less than hundreds of people, standing calmly one next to the other. Some of them, Theo recognized from the ballroom incident. Others he¡¯d never seen in his life. More ominously, there were two¡ªthe only ones seated on large chairs¡ªthat were nothing more than shriveled corpses.


    ¡°Surprised?¡± The abomination mocked. ¡°I¡¯ve no idea how you¡¯ve granted your avatar a heroic trait, but it was quite the clever move. This way you can kill off a lot of the competition rather easily. The last dungeon I fought struggled for months, trying to kill me with minions and magic, until it used up all its energy, shrinking to the size of a single room.¡±


    The description reminded Theo of his early days. Back then, he found his existence calm and blissful, yet now that he thought about it, he wouldn¡¯t want to return to that state. He had achieved too much, made too many buildings and tunnels¡ªand thankfully no other minions¡ªto just give it up.


    ¡°Having a heroic trait would interfere, so I won¡¯t let you use it,¡± the woman finished.


    ¡°How will you do that?¡± the avatar asked. ¡°Curse me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a given. But no. Do you know why heroes are insanely powerful when facing us, but still have to obey one simple rule¡ªkill no innocents. Do that and they lose their trait.¡±


    It was the first time Theo had heard such a rule. He knew that was something a hero wasn¡¯t supposed to do, but all this time, he believed it to be a matter of image and public perception. Could that explain why Liandra was always so careful to remind him to save and protect people? Reluctantly, he had to admit that there was a certain logic to it. The heroic trait had come from the deities with the sole purpose of defeating demons and other dangerous supernatural entities. Of course, there would be a safeguard to keep it from being abused. Unfortunately, that put the dungeon in a serious dilemma. He couldn¡¯t go all out like before without running the risk of killing someone, and he definitely couldn¡¯t win if he lost his heroic trait mid combat. Were that to happen, the connection to his avatar would be severed, and there was no telling what other side effects that would cause.


    ¡°Both of my children have been nagging me for hours to punish you for ruining their collections.¡± The abomination¡¯s female form distorted, abruptly changing into a whirlpool of blood. ¡°It¡¯s time to grant their wish.¡±

 (Book 2) 31. Blood, Betrayal, and a Questionable Chess Game

    The tension in the room rose. Earl Rosewind had been in a lot of difficult situations in his life. In nearly all cases, he had used a combination of wits, cleverness, and the occasional pinch of charm, to get out of them. This time, though, there didn¡¯t seem to be any obvious way out.


    ¡°It¡¯s been over a minute, my lord,¡± Spok said, sitting across the small table. ¡°There¡¯s no shame in surrender.¡±


    A small circular board of silver and brass figures stood on a table between them. Each figure represented a piece in a game for strategists and nobility. It was said that the game was so well made and intricate that even a five-year-old could learn to play, but it took the greatest military and political geniuses to fully master it.


    Spok had never known the game until a few minutes ago. She had never intended to learn it. Given there was nothing else to do with the chaos outside, she saw no reason not to oblige. After all, provided the town survived¡ªand Theo didn¡¯t have to move to a new location¡ªshe¡¯d have to deal with the noble a lot in the future.


    ¡°Surrender should never be free.¡± The earl moved a crowned piece along the board. ¡°One must always make your opponents work for it. At least that¡¯s what my father used to teach me. I must admit, I was never particularly good at this game.¡± He shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s not to say I¡¯m not impressed. I¡¯ve been trying to get my son to play for years, and he¡¯s no good at it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m merely a quick learner, my lord.¡± Spok made her move almost instantly; a plain but solid move that left little to chance. ¡°I¡¯m more impressed that you¡¯re taking this so lightly.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± The earl looked at her. ¡°Does it appear so? This town has been through three catastrophes in just as many years. Taking matters lightly is the last thing on my mind. Would things improve if I spend my time panicking?¡± He moved another piece on the board. ¡°Your move, d¡¯Esprit.¡±


    ¡°You can call me Spok, my lord.¡± The spirit guide played almost instantly.


    ¡°Well, in that case, it¡¯ll only be fair if you call me Cecil.¡±


    ¡°Cecil?¡± Spok blinked. This was the first time she had heard the earl¡¯s first name mentioned. Yet, it wasn¡¯t that which surprised her, but the fact that he extended the offer at all. While no one, not even a servant, was present, allowing a mere governess to address an earl with his first name was¡­ ¡°Is that¡ª¡±


    Abruptly, the spirit guide stopped. A letter had just popped up in the air. Before it could even move, Spok snatched it, instantly burning it to cinders in her hand.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to cut our game short.¡± The spirit guide stood up.


    ¡°That¡¯s a shame,¡± Earl Rosewind sighed. ¡°It was your move.¡±


    Spok looked at the board. Somehow, the man had managed to make his move without her even noticing. It was a sneaky thing to do, though elegantly executed.


    ¡°There¡¯s no shame in surrender,¡± she adjusted her glasses. ¡°You win this one, Earl.¡±


    Another letter appeared just where the previous one had. It was clear to everyone that the room was no longer safe. Through some unclear means, a spot had been marked and from here on, more and more letters would appear until the entire room was full, or its occupants were cursed and taken to the abomination¡¯s estate.


    Grabbing his protection helmet, the earl rushed towards the exit. The number of letters appearing grew with each moment. One had become two, then three, giving Spok an increasingly difficult time to counter them. For every letter she would destroy, several more appeared, forcing her to rely on her limited telekinesis to keep them from reaching the earl.


    Cursed pieces of paper kept on pushing the invisible wall of the spirit guide as she walked back. By the time she reached the exit, they had effectively turned into a cursed bulletin board.


    ¡°Here.¡± The earl handed Spok a banner.


    Most people would have been confused with his action, but the spirit guide merely grabbed it, then used telekinesis to tuck it into the gaps around the door, preventing any letters from escaping.


    ¡°Good thinking, My Lord,¡± she said, taking a step back.


    ¡°Cecil, please.¡±


    ¡°Very well¡­ Cecil.¡± Spok looked about. There was no sign of other letters in the hallway so far, but the fact that they had started appearing in individual rooms was a bad sign. ¡°I think it might be better if you put on your helmet, for now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I believe that would be best.¡± The noble sighed, then placed the uncomfortable piece of armor on. ¡°Ribbons!¡± he shouted.


    There was no reply.


    ¡°Maybe he couldn¡¯t hear,¡± Spok suggested. ¡°Your castle is rather large and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ribbons not respond?¡± Earl Rosewind shook his head. ¡°If the man had two legs broken, he¡¯d crawl his way up here just to ask what¡¯s the matter. No, I fear he¡¯s gone like the rest.¡±


    It was possible for there to be another explanation, yet both doubted that to be the case. The captain of the guard¡¯s absence, on the other hand, raised some rather alarming concerns. He too had had a protective helmet, making him, in theory, immune to the zombie letter effects. If he had been affected, that meant that no place was safe.


    ¡°I think we should go to the baron¡¯s mansion,¡± Spok suggested. ¡°It¡¯s the only place in town you¡¯ll be safe.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. It¡¯s probably raining letters out there. I can¡¯t risk your life in a futile gesture.¡±


    Spok opened her mouth to argue, but the earl raised his hand, stopping her before she could start.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll simply not have it. Being driven out of my own castle, and using a lovely lady as a shield, no less. If I¡¯m to make a stand, I¡¯ll do it here. Besides, the council chamber is protected against all sorts of magic. If there¡¯s a place in Rosewind that¡¯s safe, that would be it, don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    The spirit guide thought about it for a few moments. She could easily go into detail, providing ten different reasons why the baron¡¯s home was a lot more secure. Half of them didn¡¯t even involve her admitting that it was a dungeon. Despite that, and against all logic, Spok found herself wanting to believe the man.


    ¡°Of course, Cecil,¡± she said, a smile appearing on her face. ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s no safer place.¡±


    While the entire town was inundated with hundreds of thousands of zombie letters, several heated fights continued at the source of the massive curse. Focusing on his avatar, the dungeon had cast a mild sleeping spell in all of his buildings. That way, he could at least hear himself think. It was very much needed, especially since the abomination had taken steps to limit any potential advantage he had. An optimist would have said that Agonia¡¯s actions were proof that she was considerably weakened. The issue was that even in that state; she proved a very elusive opponent.


    Blood strands darted at the baron from all directions. Unlike most opponents he had faced so far, the abomination had dispersed throughout the throne room, becoming a cove of swirling blood surrounding Theo¡¯s avatar entirely. Blessings were ineffective against anything this size, especially since there was no vital point that one could aim for. Each time a patch of blood would vaporize, it would be instantly filled up, as if nothing had happened. Using blessed fire or ice shards would have done a lot better, yet attempting any mass destruction spells with so many people present was a firm no. The same could be said for the room transformation ability or unleashing an ice elemental.


    ¡°You can always join me,¡± Agonia¡¯s voice filled the room. ¡°There¡¯s no need to destroy something of value.¡±


    ¡°And become part of your children¡¯s collection?¡± The avatar surrounded himself in a ball of ice, then used his flight spell and telekinesis to propel himself to where the entrance had been.


    The entire room trembled as ice met bone. Both shattered, allowing Liandra to become visible for a split second. The heroine was facing Count Alvera and someone else amid a sea of skeletons. Before Theo could even yell out to her, more bone spikes emerged from the floor, quickly reforming the wall.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t waste you on something so childish,¡± the abomination continued. ¡°We¡¯ll be allies. I¡¯ll grant you power to do whatever you want, even start your own collection.¡±


    Spending the equivalent of a thousand mana, Theo froze a quarter of the bloody whirlwind. An entire section of the abomination froze solid. For several seconds, it almost seemed that he¡¯d gained the upper hand. Unfortunately, the remaining blood filled the gap, quickly layering on top of the ice.


    ¡°It¡¯s not all bad.¡± Even without a face, there was no hiding the smugness in Agonia¡¯s voice. ¡°Just ask my children.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Just let me out there and I¡¯ll do just that.¡±


    ¡°Why? You can do so right here.¡±


    The throne melted to the ground, quickly becoming part of the bloody whirlwind. The wall behind, which Theo had assumed to be a permanent fixture, cracked up, then shattered, revealing a new section. This time there weren¡¯t more hostages there, but two skeletal figures seated on lesser thrones.


    ¡°There you go.¡± The abomination¡¯s attacks ceased, as if she were daring Theo to examine the bodies.


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    Every instinct past and present told him that it was a terrible idea, possibly a trap. Yet, even so, the urge of curiosity proved greater.


    Lady Raffel Leevek (cursed)


    Lady Raffel Leevek is a minor noble of no importance who has been cursed to take on the form of a ruby ring.


    Marquis Sullivan Leevek (cursed)


    Marquis Sullivan Leevek is a minor noble of no importance who has been cursed to take on the form of a golden monocle.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t lying?¡± The dungeon felt equally shocked by the abomination¡¯s honesty and the state of the nobles. There could be no doubt that they were deceased¡ªprobably decades ago, although when it came to curses, no one could tell for certain.


    Unless there was a spell or ability that could hide information from his arcane identify, this was what remained of the real them.


    ¡°Why would I need to?¡± A note of grumpiness bled into the abomination¡¯s voice. ¡°That¡¯s what they wanted. That¡¯s what all of them wanted.¡±


    ¡°To become jewelry?¡±


    ¡°To be free from their constraints and do whatever they wished. That¡¯s what all necromancers want. These two just wanted it harder.¡±


    In order words, they were greedier. Theo could see it now¡ªgenerations of necromancers using Memoria¡¯s tomb to boost their powers. Maybe at some point they probably had some limits of safety procedures, but when was that a deterrent? The current marquis had probably ¡°sapped¡± a bit too hard, waking the abomination from her slumber, which proved to be enough.


    ¡°They woke you up, and you cursed them,¡± the avatar said.


    ¡°I changed their nature into what they¡¯ve always wanted to be. One doesn¡¯t need a body to act like a human. You should know better than most.¡±


    A cunning plan started to form within the dungeon¡¯s mind. Agonia seemed to honestly want him to join her side¡ªwhatever that side was. The prospect of bossing around the marquis and his wife had a certain appeal, yet Theo couldn¡¯t trust anything she said. In his previous life, he had dealt with his share of questionable contracts to know that infinity resided between acts and promises. The only way to keep Agonia from going back on her word was to betray her first, and for that, he had just the idea.


    ¡°And into what will you change me?¡± he asked, looking at the blood that swirled around the room. ¡°A crown?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t need to change you. You¡¯ve done that already. I¡¯ll even return all the people of your town. They¡¯re your¡ª¡±


    Right then, Theo cast his swiftness ultra skill. A single moment of time occurred during which everything but him was frozen. It wasn¡¯t much, but enough to invest a shockingly large amount of energy into one single ice spell.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how you react to that,¡± Theo said back in his main body.


    The abomination had proven she was capable of surviving massive ice spells, but even she wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything if all of her were to be frozen solid. And the best thing was that thanks to his newly developed skill, she wouldn¡¯t have the chance to do anything about it.


    A blue glow surrounded the avatar as he invested more mana than any living being with common sense ever would. He had to be careful, of course, not to allow his chill to harm any of the people beyond the large torrent of blood.


    In fractions of a second, everything crimson was covered in a thin layer of ice. Just a fraction more and the battle was as good as over. Before that could happen, multiple areas of the ice cracked. Blood strands shot out, escaping their cage, aiming straight for the avatar¡¯s torso.


    Driven by pure instinct, without a drop of rational thought, Theo went to his go-to-defense, surrounding himself with an invulnerable aether sphere.


    As time returned to normal, jets of blood splashed onto the sphere, three quarters of it.


    ¡°You cheated?¡± the abomination asked, more angry than surprised; angry that the avatar had ended up being faster.


    ¡°So did you!¡± Theo replied. Deep inside, he couldn¡¯t shake the realization that her action was almost as fast as his. That wasn¡¯t supposed to be possible. ¡°Spok!¡± he shouted through the necklace. ¡°Why are abominations faster than deities?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a bit preoccupied at the moment, sir,¡± the spirit guardian replied. She didn¡¯t sound at all pleased. ¡°The earl¡¯s castle has been¡ª¡±


    ¡°Never mind that now!¡± the dungeon snapped. ¡°Provide an explanation!¡±


    Blood kept striking the sphere shielding the avatar, only to pull back and strike again. For the next eight seconds, nothing the abomination did would put the baron at risk. Once that time was over, though¡­


    ¡°What was your question again, sir?¡± Spok asked with a note of open annoyance.


    ¡°I cast an ultra swiftness spell. Supposedly, it should allow me to become as fast as a deity!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not exactly¡­¡± Mentally Spok wanted to scream. There was so much wrong in the dungeon¡¯s statement that she honestly didn¡¯t know where to start. While exceptional, as all ultra skill variants, it was common enough, historically speaking, for her to know exactly what it did. Specifically, it granted the caster the speed of a single, almost instantaneous reaction. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what should happen,¡± the spirit guide chose not to argue.


    ¡°Well, I used it and was too slow for the abomination!¡±


    ¡°I see, sir.¡± If Spok were anyone else, she would have resorted to the universal ¡°I told you so¡± routine, though in far subtler fashion. There was a reason that no one engaged abominations without a very well thought out plan, or better yet¡ªnever at all. Being who she was, though, she once again swallowed her objections. ¡°It¡¯s possible she has the same ability as well, sir,¡± she replied, resorting to the simplest explanation one could think of.


    ¡°Damn! Any way around that?¡±


    ¡°You could still sever the link to your avatar, sir,¡± Spok reminded.


    ¡°And what about the letters, then? The town''s covered with them. Half the nasty things have stacked up on every surface there is, while the rest are driving the griffins crazy!¡± There was a momentary pause. ¡°How come the griffins aren¡¯t affected?¡±


    ¡°They are royal griffins, sir. Also, they are your creations, and as such are immune to curses.¡±


    The explanation made just enough sense to give the dungeon an idea. Not a terribly good idea, even by Theo¡¯s standards, but still a viable idea. There was a reasonably good chance he could save Rosewind after all. As for his avatar, that was an entirely different matter. Apparently, taking the Agonia head on had been a bit premature. If only he had gained a few more levels, this would hardly have been an issue. As things stood, his only option was to rely on Liandra, and in order to do that, he first had to reach her.


    Less than four seconds of invulnerability remained. In that time, Theo had to devise a plan capable of withstanding serious scrutiny.


    The abomination¡¯s nature! The dungeon thought. That was a certain way of defeating Agonia. If he uncovered that, he could unravel the entity. Admittedly, finding the answer to a riddle that had remained unsolved for a century, and doing so in the next three seconds, was borderline impossible. For that reason, the avatar resorted to a subtle cheat.


    One second before the aether sphere lost its invulnerability, a second, smaller one, emerged within.


    Blood strands shattered the outer layer, eager to strike their target, only to find out that the inner bubble was also invulnerable.


    ¡°You must be joking!¡± Agonia shouted. A cluster of her strands merged together, forming the upper torso of the woman that had been on the throne. ¡°Did you seriously make an invulnerable bubble in an invulnerable bubble?! Are you a child?¡±


    ¡°Works, doesn¡¯t it?¡± the avatar said with fake bravado. ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯re doing anything original. At least the blood carpet attacks were novel.¡±


    Strands merged together, forming razor-sharp spikes of blood.


    The optimistic part of the dungeon¡¯s consciousness cheered victoriously. His actions had driven her mad, and it was well known that when people were angry, they tended to make mistakes. The far larger part of his conscious self, however, hectically went through all the information he¡¯d gathered since the start of this unfortunate noble quest in order to deduce Agonia¡¯s nature.


    The arcane identify had revealed her to be the abomination of fulfillment. That, combined with her bloody form, suggested¡­


    Argh! The dungeon groaned internally. What did the two have in common? Could her nature be blood? That seemed too simple to be true. Then again, maybe that¡¯s why no one had figured it out before¡ªthe answer was hiding in plain sight. But if that were the case, then what? How could one undo blood? Freezing didn¡¯t work, and neither did burning. Maybe he could use enough instances of an entangle spell to soak up the blood and through that render her immobile?


    Precisely one second before the baron¡¯s aether sphere lost its invulnerability, a smaller one formed within. The following shriek made it clear what Agonia thought on the matter. Unfortunately, it also meant that the avatar cramped up a bit.


    Maybe her nature wasn¡¯t blood, but infection? The abomination did corrupt anything she came in direct contact with, except ice. If that were the case, Theo could cast multiple blessings on the aether threads as he entangled the blood, effectively disinfecting her existence. And then, just to be on the safe side, he could freeze her.


    Another aether bubble appeared within the last.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± The blood spikes pulled back. ¡°You¡¯re just prolonging the inevitable. You¡¯ll run out of space or mana eventually. All I have to do is wait.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve lots of mana,¡± the avatar smirked. ¡°And I can be very precise. Did you know that the wall of an aether barrier is thinner than a spider web?¡±


    There was a clear lie made up on the spot, but it did cause the abomination to pause for a bit. That single moment provided just what Theo needed to put his plan into action.


    Both aether bubbles shattered as the avatar stretched his hands, casting his ultra swiftness again. Unlike all the times before, the inner sphere hadn¡¯t been made indestructible, just so that a single massive spell could be cast.


    Spending more mana than a flock of wizards, the dungeon filled the room with aether threads. Like wool, they covered the blood strands, turning crimson as they did. Not wasting a moment, the avatar started his series of ultra blessings. With each one, a patch of aether threads would revert back to its original color. Following up, all purified areas were immediately frozen, preventing any chance of secondary corruption by the abomination.


    The process was rather costly. If Spok weren¡¯t dealing with issues of her own, she would have reminded him of the fact in the strictest possible fashion. Given how things were going, she might well have the opportunity sooner than everyone thought. While Theo was mopping up Agonia, he had also released a large number of his royal slimes into Rosewind. Normally, the creatures would be considered a far more serious threat than the goblins that had stormed the town not too long ago. With all the inhabitants sealed off in their homes or transported to the abomination¡¯s estate, the only thing the slimes could do was to dissolve the annoying letters that had cluttered up the place. The best part¡ªsince they were Theo¡¯s minions, they were perfectly immune to the curse¡¯s effects.


    Unexpectedly, a strand of blood tore through the aether threads, flying directly towards the avatar. Instinctively, the baron cast an ice shield in front of him. No sooner had he done so when he suddenly felt a jabbing sensation in his side. This was new. Avatars didn¡¯t feel pain by definition, and still he could feel it very clearly. What was more, looking down, he could see the blood strand buried just beneath his ribs.


    ¡°What was that all about?¡± the abomination asked.


    Almost simultaneously, the aether threads snapped, releasing the blood that composed the being. Even the frozen sections shattered like cheap clay.


    ¡°Was it supposed to harm me?¡±


    ¡°Seems I underestimated you,¡± the dungeon attempted to retain its composure. ¡°It¡¯s not like you did much better.¡±


    ¡°Think again.¡±


    As Agonia said that, Theo felt an uncontrollable urge to grow. Buildings and underground tunnels shot out from a section of Rosewind¡¯s wall, spreading through the empty space like tree roots in fertile soil. In one single burst, the dungeon¡¯s overall size had grown by a tenth, at least, consuming a lot of the core points he had been saving up for emergencies.


    The avatar cast a blessing on the thread. The blood instantly evaporated in a puff of crimson vapor. Once it did, the explosive growth of the dungeon ceased.


    ¡°What did you do to me?¡± the avatar asked. This was the first time someone had hurt him in such fashion, and he didn¡¯t like it to say the least.


    ¡°I did you a favor,¡± the abomination replied, amused. ¡°You¡¯ve always wanted to grow beyond your current shell. I¡¯ll make sure that you do.¡±

 (Book 2) 32. Earl Rosewinds Unexpected proposal

    Bricks of gold flew through the air, crushing the skull and ribs of another skeleton. The neatly arranged stacks of gold were a memory of the past since necessity had transformed them into the most efficient available weapons. Initially, it seemed that the magical swords and daggers taken from the armory would do the job, but as Ulf and Amelia soon discovered, the weapons came with a limited number of charges, followed by a very long recharging period.


    The first minute or so, things had been great with Amelia melting skeletons left and right. When that had ceased, though, the pair had been forced to rely on normal melee combat and gold tossing. The only positive was that the chamber with the cursed people of Rosewind was sealed off with a mountain of gold, allowing the pair to focus solely on the skeletons. Unfortunately, the pesky minions didn¡¯t seem to end.


    ¡°Fire!¡± Amelia said, thrusting her sword in the direction of the approaching skeletons. Two of them were surrounded by flames while three more leaped away like cockroaches.


    ¡°Don¡¯t waste it,¡± Ulf criticized. ¡°Keep that for emergencies.¡±


    ¡°What do you call this?¡± The duke¡¯s daughter leaped back, using her sword skills to fend off a skeletal husk that was upon her.


    A gold bar flew into its skull, smashing it to pieces. Another soon followed, hitting one at the entrance.


    ¡°We¡¯ll need to block that door,¡± Ulf grabbed two more bars, using them as close combat weapons as he cracked the ribs of the minions surrounding him. ¡°Also, use shields. They¡¯re more effective.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not all muscles!¡± Amelia shouted back. The truth was that she relied on her sword skills too much. A lot of time and money had been put into that, mostly provided by her father. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that the woman was rather good. It could be argued whether she was at adventurer level, but she was definitely better than the vast majority of nobles.


    ¡°Back to back!¡± The large adventurer rushed to her. As the chamber filled with an increasing number of minions, fighting as one was their best bet. Hopefully, none of the skeletons would be smart enough to unblock the door with the cursed Rosewinders.


    ¡°Do you think Avid made it?¡± Amelia pierced a minion through the eyehole, then pulled off its skull and propelled it at the next approaching entity.


    ¡°No doubt about it. He¡¯s pretty tough, despite his dopey looks. He¡¯s used to train a lot when we were kids.¡± Ulf swung both bars he was gripping, snapping the necks of three skeletons. ¡°His father was so strict back then, you won¡¯t believe.¡±


    ¡°Earl Rosewind?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. He was very different when the lady was alive. Now, he¡¯s mellowed out a lot.¡±


    Three more skeletons were reduced to bones as the party destroyed their respective targets. A momentary pause was formed, which Ulf quickly took advantage of, tossing both of his gold bars and grabbing a pair of new ones.


    ¡°Follow me!¡± he rushed towards the door through which the minions were coming. As he passed two-thirds of the distance, the large adventurer stopped. ¡°Back-to-back again.¡±


    Almost on cue, a new wave of skeletons poured in.


    ¡°We move step by step. Keep calm and don¡¯t use any magic. It¡¯ll get a lot easier once we get to the door.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it strange that they¡¯re this weak?¡± Amelia asked.


    ¡°Complaining it¡¯s too easy for you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant!¡± she snapped.


    ¡°I know what you meant.¡± Ulf swung at a skeleton.


    This time, the entity avoided the blow, leaping back and counter attacking with its bone dagger. The attack wounded the man¡¯s right hand, causing him to drop the gold bar. Ignoring the pain, Ulf immediately slammed the minion with his left, knocking the skill right off. Losing their integrity, the remaining bones scattered all over the floor.


    ¡°The strong ones are focusing on the baron. We¡¯re dealing with the leftovers.¡±


    As much as the explanation made sense, it also illustrated the skill difference. With this number of enemies, if only a few were a slightly greater challenge, there wouldn¡¯t be a guarantee that the adventurers would be able to survive. Even now, they were experiencing difficulties. The wounds, although minor, were slowly stacking up. If they weren¡¯t able to deal with the source of the problem and soon, they¡¯d suffer the humiliation of being killed by the lowest of low-ranking minions.


    A loud screech echoed in the room. The sound was quickly followed by a blur that emerged from the opposite side of the treasury. Preoccupied with the skeleton foes, neither Ulf nor Amelia could devote much attention to what was happening, though they were fairly sure that they could hear the sounds of wings flapping. Their suspicions were quickly confirmed as Octavian flew above them, allowing its rider to lend a helping hand to the fight.


    Half a dozen skeletal minions became wrapped in lightning, quickly crumbling to the floor.


    ¡°Deal with things here!¡± Ulf shouted as he rushed towards the door.


    Charging as a bear downhill, he slammed into it, shattering a skeleton in the process. A second minion became stuck, its body torso preventing the door from closing outright.


    ¡°Die, you piece of shit!¡± Ulf hissed, slamming it several times with the single bar of gold he had left.


    The entity struggled a bit, waving its bony arms in a desperate attempt to survive. Despite its determination, its skull succumbed to the gold attacks. More bones scattered, allowing Ulf to slam the door completely shut, very much in a repeat of the reaction to the other room. This time, though, he had a slight advantage: Skeletons weren¡¯t particularly strong and weighed a lot less.


    ¡°Finish them off fast!¡± he shouted, pushing against the door with his back. ¡°Then help me barricade the door.¡±


    With only five active skeletons left, the task wasn¡¯t particularly difficult, especially since Avid¡¯s weapon remained mostly charged.


    ¡°Did you find the baron?¡± Amelia asked the young Rosewind as she slashed the spinal column of an enemy in three spots.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Avid replied, reducing another minion to dust. ¡°He told me what to do. We must see if there¡¯s a mana gem and send it to his mansion.¡± He struck another skull with his blade. Sadly, this time, no lightning followed. Mostly managing to contain his panic, he instantly followed up with a standard attack, shoving the skeleton back. Right on cue, Octavian swooped down and grabbed the minion with his talons.


    ¡°Tell me you¡¯re joking,¡± Ulf grunted, pressing against the door even harder.


    ¡°That¡¯s what he said.¡± Avid thrust forward with his sword, yet his enemy twisted around at precisely the right time, jamming the adventurer¡¯s sword into its ribs.


    This time, it was Amelia who assisted by sending the minion away with a well-aimed kick.


    ¡°There is one, right?¡± Avid glanced at the large adventurer. ¡°I said I saw one¡­¡±


    With two skeletons, the situation was a lot more bearable. Taking advantage of their numerical advantage, Amelia pierced the skull of one skeleton, then immediately engaged the next. Avid also joined in, attracting the last enemy¡¯s attention. Another thrust later, and the final enemy in the chamber had joined the rest of the bones on the floor.


    ¡°Bring the gold here!¡± Ulf ordered.


    Without hesitation, the other two adventurers rushed to do just that. Gold bars piled at the door once more as the barricade slowly took form.


    ¡°There¡¯s a mana gem alright,¡± Ulf said, once he was able to get a breath of air. ¡°But it¡¯s not in this room.¡±


    Everyone froze.


    ¡°It¡¯s in with the cursed,¡± the adventurer continued, lest there be any doubt. ¡°All the way back. To get it, we must go through everyone in Rosewind¡­¡±


    While the three adventurers¡ªand their griffin¡ªwere pondering how to deal with the newly developed situation, Liandra was having troubles of her own. Having accomplished an impressive number of hero quests, she was certain that the abomination would pull a fast one right at the first moment. Unfortunately, that happened faster than she had been prepared for. The moment Theo had entered the chamber, a barrier of bone had emerged to separate the two.


    The unpleasant surprises hadn¡¯t ended there. No sooner had the wall formed than a multitude of massive skeletal hands emerged from the floor around her.


    Leaping into the air, the heroine summoned her legendary sword, performing a full circle slash. One of the massive arms fell to the ground. The others, though, merged together, blocking the blade. Their fingers wrapped around it in an attempt to snatch the weapon away. Before that could happen, the glow surrounding the sword intensified, freezing the arms on the spot.


    ¡°See?¡± a female voice said. ¡°I told you she¡¯s not just any hero.¡±


    A young girl of about fifteen had appeared in the air, wearing a rather stunning bone dress. Bones of various shapes and sizes had merged together, not only mimicking fabric but also adding a multitude of decorations, like embroideries on silk. It wasn¡¯t the girl that worried Liandra, though, but the ruby ring on her left hand.


    ¡°I never doubted you for a moment, my dear.¡± Count Alvera also emerged with the golden monocle prominent on his face. Unlike his wife, he was clad in full bone armor with the head visible. ¡°And she has a fine set of weapons as well.¡±


    Liandra¡¯s grip tightened.


    ¡°I want her,¡± the girl said with a menacing smile. ¡°She¡¯ll be the centerpiece of my new collection.¡±


    ¡°Of course, my dear. And her weapons will be part of mine.¡±


    Massive upper parts of skeletal torsos emerged from the floor and walls, all reaching for the heroine. Fighting them wasn¡¯t a particular challenge. Even with their unusually solid bones, they were enemies she had faced before. Each of their strikes was parried or evaded with little effort, after which the heroine engaged in a lightning counterattack, shopping off an arm or skull, before proceeding to the next.


    The pattern seemed chaotic, though easy to discern for an experienced heroine. Sliding through the strikes like a needle through cloth, she performed a vertical chop, slicing the large torso of a skeleton in two. As the bones separated, the woman rushed in the direction of the sealed chamber entrance. Five steps away, Count Alvare dropped in, blocking her path.


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    ¡°Not so fast,¡± the monocle said. ¡°Mother¡¯s talking with the baron now. You¡¯re here to play with us.¡±


    The bone armor covering his arms transformed into swords as the count attacked. His skill was far better than Liandra expected¡ªsuperior to most adventurers, though not quite at the level of a hero. She could see him causing trouble for a standard army, even without his necromancer skills, though he remained no match for her.


    Parrying his left-hand attack, Liandra increased her force, slicing through his right blade. Using the momentum, she then aimed her sword at the enemy¡¯s breastplate. As she did, the bones quickly rearranged, revealing the man¡¯s unprotected chest. An inch away from its target, the heroine¡¯s sword froze.


    ¡°Coward,¡± she hissed, pulling several steps back as a new cluster of skeleton torsos emerged from the floor.


    ¡°I¡¯d call it clever,¡± the monocle said with glee, as the bone armor reformed. Above him, the girl controlled by the ruby ring giggled. So far, she hadn¡¯t joined in the fight, but there was little doubt she would. The question was when.


    ¡°You¡¯re fighting differently then before,¡± Liandra noted. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you using blood strands?¡±


    ¡°Mother needs that for her conversation with the baron,¡± Count Alvare said, his lips moving into a slight pout. ¡°Until she¡¯s finished, we can¡¯t use any of her gifts.¡±


    ¡°Not that we need them,¡± the girl above said. ¡°As you can see, we¡¯re more than capable of dealing with you on our own. The last few times you simply caught us off guard.¡±


    Internally, Liandra gritted her teeth. If she were to use any major heroic abilities, she could be done with them in moments. Her ultimate skill was more than enough to destroy such low-level necromancers. Winning that particular battle would cost her the war, though. As skilled as the baron was, he couldn¡¯t defeat an abomination alone. The entity knew that, which was the reason for separating them. If one were to guess, it had sacrificed its ¡°children¡± without them suspecting.


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s level the playing field.¡±


    The heroine thrust the legendary sword into the floor. A circle of bright light formed around it, quickly growing in size. Like a flash, it swept through the floor, continuing along all surfaces as it climbed up the walls and along the ceiling. All animated skeletons instantly froze, as if transformed into plaster.


    Minuscule fragments rose up into the air, as they evaporated. Within seconds, there was no trace of even a single bone in the chamber. Even the bone armor covering Count Alvera had dissolved, leaving nothing but his usual expensive clothes behind. However, before Liandra had time to make the slightest witty remark, dozens of bone shards shot out from the dress of the girl floating above. Eight rib-like bones extended from the bottom of her dress, creating a protective cage around the count.


    ¡°Thank you, my dear,¡± the monocle said.


    Bone fragments appeared over the count¡¯s clothes, dissolving soon after.


    ¡°You can use sanctify?¡± he asked, impressed. ¡°You¡¯re really special, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°You should have seen my grandfather.¡± Liandra swung her blade, deflecting all the bone shards aimed at her. ¡°He¡¯d have put you to rest long before setting foot in your castle.¡±


    ¡°Oh my. It¡¯s a good thing he isn¡¯t here, then.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not.¡± The heroine tightened her grip round the hilt of her sword. ¡°But I am.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Though not for long. In a few minutes, at most, Mother will make the baron an offer he can¡¯t refuse. After that, it¡¯ll be three against one.¡± The count smiled. The bone fragments constantly regrowing on his clothes were becoming larger and larger. ¡°Technically, four to one, but it¡¯s not like mother will bother with the likes if you.¡±


    Liandra glanced at the floor. Bone hands were attempting to emerge from the floor as well. The effect of her sword¡¯s heroic ability prevented that from happening, reducing the bone to cinders, yet one had to remember that this sanctified bubble was within a cursed estate. Necromantic powers were gnawing at its edges, weakening it by the second. In several minutes, at most, skeletons would go back to emerging from the floors and walls just as before.


    ¡°Theo will be fine,¡± the heroine said with the calm and certainty of a mountain chain. ¡°Worry about yourselves.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bet on it.¡±


    Another explosive expansion shook the town of Rosewind. Already there had been three new patches of tunnels and buildings going beyond the town walls. The areas were surprisingly well designed with straight roads, adequately placed buildings¡ªof various types¡ªand even some garden-places. The issue was that they were empty, unwanted, and reduced Theo¡¯s core point supply, bringing it to dangerously low levels.


    ¡°Far be it from accusing anyone,¡± Earl Rosewind began while running down one of the many letter-infested corridors, ¡°but this doesn¡¯t feel like a natural tremor.¡±


    ¡°The baron is experiencing some minor difficulties,¡± Spok replied casually, while maintaining a bubble of safety around the noble. It wasn¡¯t lost on anyone that the letters were deliberately avoiding her, twisting to fly through the slits in the earl¡¯s helmet.


    ¡°Of course, of course.¡± The man hurried along towards the door. ¡°Understandable, considering the situation. I do hope the old boy is well.¡±


    The spirit guide had a lot to say on the matter and none of it particularly flattering. Thus, she decided to remain silent while keeping the zombie letters away with her telekinesis. Still, the lack of questions coming from the dungeon concerned her. Normally, that was supposed to be a good thing¡ªa long deserved moment of peace and quiet. Knowing Theo far too well, she could only think of two explanations for his sudden change in behavior: either he was engaged in a desperate fight or had made a massive mess of things. Given the trembling, she could safely assume that it was the latter.


    ¡°Please pause for a moment,¡± the earl said, moving closer to a masterfully drawn painting of a noblewoman. Discretely pressing a few elements along the frame, the man then stepped back, as the entire section of the wall sank in, revealing a hidden door.


    Noticing his actions, the torrent of flying letters intensified, flowing towards the man like a torrent of paper. Their intensity was growing so fast that even Spok¡¯s fire spells were beginning to prove ineffective.


    ¡°Not to rush you, Cedric, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Just a few moments longer,¡± the man took out a key from around his neck, then placed it into the hidden lock. A few clicks later, the door opened. ¡°This way.¡± He drew the key out and hurried inside.


    Stretching her telekinesis ability to the limit, Spok maintained an invisible wall between herself and the entrance. Then, she too, rushed into the secret passage and closed the door behind them. The sound of paper flapping against wood could be heard everywhere. Fortunately, none of the letters had found a way to pass through.


    ¡°That should hold them for a while.¡± The earl removed his helmet. ¡°Much better. My grandfather really didn¡¯t think things through when he made this design. It¡¯s great for a few minutes, but anything more is unbearable.¡± He placed it on the passage floor. ¡°Shall we?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ll be alright without it?¡± Spok asked.


    ¡°At this point, I think we¡¯re beyond helmet protection.¡±


    The spirit guide had to agree. The zombie letters had grown a lot craftier. It was as if the increase in numbers had also boosted their intelligence. A day ago, they relied entirely on victims reading them. Now, not only did they chase after people, but had become very good at sneaking through any opening to achieve their goal.


    ¡°The passage leads directly to the meeting chamber, so we should be relatively safe.¡±


    ¡°Baron d¡¯Argent mentioned there were many secret passages in your castle, but I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d have one leading there.¡±


    ¡°You can never have enough secret passages,¡± the earl noted. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have an appropriate spell to light the way, would you?¡±


    Getting the hint, Spok cast a simple glow orb, providing just enough light to prevent them from tripping or bumping into a wall. Several layers of dust covered the passage floor. By the looks of it, no one had set foot there for years at least.


    For several minutes, the two followed the twists and turns of the passage. It was impossible to tell where it was leading precisely, but even the uninitiated could tell that it was a lot longer than needed. At their current pace, they should have circled the entire castle twice so far, and there was still no sign they were approaching anything similar to a door.


    ¡°That was a portrait of my wife, by the way,¡± the earl said after a while, choosing to engage in small talk.


    ¡°A beautiful woman.¡± Spok nodded.


    ¡°She was, wasn¡¯t she? Passed away over a decade ago.¡±


    ¡°Oh. My apologies.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t mean to burden you.¡± The earl looked over his shoulder. ¡°I still miss her, but given enough time, one gets accustomed to any form of adversity. Avid was devastated when it happened, of course. One might say it might have made him a bit less active, but he managed to pull through.¡±


    A glint of metal glistened in the distance. Soon, a steel door became visible.


    Making his way there, the earl then pulled a series of levers on a nearby wall mechanism. Hidden gears sprang into action, after which the door opened.


    ¡°Here we are,¡± the earl said as the chamber came into view. Unlike the dark passage, dozens of candles on walls and chandeliers instantly lit up, presenting the chamber in all its glory.


    The spirit guide could feel the substantial amount of magic that had gone into the construction of this single room. Given the discussions that took place here, it was probably appropriate. The earl hadn¡¯t exaggerated when he had said that this was the safest place in Rosewind. They could very well weather the chaos outside, provided there was a town left standing by the time everything was over.


    Once both of them were inside the council chamber, the secret door passage was quickly closed and locked.


    ¡°Well,¡± Earl Rosewind began with the calm of a cat in sunshine, ¡°if we somehow manage to survive this, will you do me the pleasure of giving your hand in marriage?¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡± Spok¡¯s eyes widened a fraction, causing her glasses to slide slightly down.


    Leave it to the earl to twist a phrase in such a way that it seemed like everyone else¡¯s responsibility to deal with a request. Yet, it wasn¡¯t the fashion in which the question was phrased that had taken Spok by surprise.


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s appropriate? I¡¯m¡ª¡± There was a slight pause. Admitting that she was a dungeon¡¯s spirit guide would have quickly ended the discussion, yet put the both of them in a very awkward situation. ¡°¡ªnot nobility.¡± She chose to say.


    ¡°Nothing but mere guidelines,¡± the noble waved his hand. ¡°You can cast spells, can¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°So, it will be a union between a noble and a mage. Perfectly acceptable by even the greatest sticklers of etiquette, if that¡¯s your actual concern.¡±


    It definitely wasn¡¯t. And yet, Spok would be lying if she said she didn¡¯t consider the proposal. Having Theo as a dungeon had let her witness a lot of absurdly strange things, many of which would be considered impossible. This was on a whole different level, dwarfing all other experiences combined. It wasn¡¯t enough to say that it was unprecedented; it had required a series of miracles and coincidences, leading to the greatest miracle of all. Never in the history of dungeons had anyone proposed to a spirit guide. The closest comparison was a hero falling in love with an autonomous dungeon minion, then engaging in a fierce battle with a dungeon to free her. As a result, a multitude of safeguards had been requested by reincarnating dungeons to ensure that no such catastrophes occurred in the future. Naturally, no one had ever conceived a world in which the same could happen to a formless spirit guide, so they had remained exempt.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± Spok looked away, adjusting her glasses.


    ¡°Saying something is the easiest thing in the world,¡± the earl pressed on. ¡°Say yes, or say no. Personally, I would very much prefer it if it were the former rather than the latter, but it is for you to decide.¡±


    ¡°You have to admit that it¡¯s a bit sudden.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s very sudden. Before today I doubt we''ve spoken longer than five and a half minutes at a time, and always in matters relating to the baron.¡±


    That was a polite way of saying that she had been serving as Theo¡¯s walking excuse, making decisions in his stead whenever he didn¡¯t want to be bothered.


    ¡°You¡¯re a fine lady. The entire town knows that. And not to speak ill of my good friend the baron, but he does have the tendency to take you and Sir Myk for granted. Especially you.¡± The earl gently took hold of Spok¡¯s hand. ¡°Would it be a surprise that I find you admirable?¡±


    The spirit guide remained silent. Outside the council chamber, the sound of letters slamming into the door intensified.


    ¡°It¡¯s very commendable of you, Cecil, but I¡¯ll need to give it some thought.¡± Even as she said that, Spok didn¡¯t hurry to pull her hand away. ¡°You¡¯re aware it will require considerable changes on all sides? I¡¯ll need to get Baron d¡¯Argent¡¯s approval, and there¡¯s the matter of Avid.¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course. Even rushed things mustn¡¯t be rushed.¡± The earl agreed. ¡°The baron¡¯s a fine fellow. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be easily convinced.¡±


    That was a pretty big ask. Then again, given that Earl Rosewind had managed to force the dungeon on not only one but three quests so far, nothing seemed impossible.


    ¡°As for my son. I believe it¡¯s time for him to start facing life on his own. Within reason, of course,¡± he added with a slight smile. ¡°That¡¯s why I sent him off on a noble quest with the baron. Normally I¡¯d say it takes more than a day for someone to become a man, but given the unusual situation we¡¯ve encountered, I think that¡¯s more than likely.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Cecil, really.¡± The spirit guide slowly pulled her hand away.


    Despite the absurdity of it, she was going to give the matter some serious consideration. After all, there was nothing wrong with spending several decades in the company of a sophisticated and caring person who admired her. For the moment, she¡¯d have to focus on their survival, though. As the earl had said, that was a key requirement for the proposal. If this were to go forward, both Earl Rosewind and the dungeon had to survive.

 (Book 2) 33. The Abominations True Nature

    YOU FEEL DEVASTATING HUNGER!


    ¡°I know! I know!¡± the dungeon hissed.


    Normally, he¡¯d slam half the shutters in town to vent some anger, but with all the cursed letters, griffins, and royal slimes roaming about, he couldn¡¯t even do that. In moments such as these, Theo was glad that no one was left to see what Rosewind had become. The idea of letting the slimes loose on the surface sounded, in theory, like the perfect solution. Slimes dissolved pretty much anything but stone. As part of the dungeon, they were also immune to the curse and didn¡¯t risk getting sent to the abomination¡¯s estate. Unfortunately, providing the creatures with an endless supply of food came with its own problems.


    The first ten minutes everything seemed fine. Theo¡¯s slimes gobbled up the deluge of letters on streets and rooftops, as well as all the fragments shredded by the griffins above. The abundance of food quickly made them grow, which they did at an alarming rate. Soon enough, they filled many of the streets like jelly.


    Some of the more energetic slimes engaged in fights with one another, but even that soon ended as they reached a state at which there was no point in moving at all. Zombie letters continued to appear, providing them nourishment, and nearly nothing in their surroundings was remotely threatening.


    If he could, Theo would have sent out Cmyk to deal with the matter, but the minion had accompanied Switches on a ¡°quick test run¡± of the latest equipment. The way things were going, the gnome wouldn¡¯t be done until half the world had been corrupted by Agonia.


    A spike of blood rose up from the blood-covered floor in the abomination¡¯s throne room. Shattering the ice that surrounded Baron d¡¯Argent, the spike pierced right through him. The pain was significant, sweeping through dungeon and avatar alike as another burst of buildings filled a few fields beyond Rosewind¡¯s walls.


    Gripping the spike, the avatar cast a blessing to sever the connection between it and the abomination. The energy required to maintain his vastly increased main body had depleted a large part of his reserves, forcing him to be a lot more economical with his spells. Thus, Theo was left with the tried, but unpleasant, method of converting part of himself to pure mana. Yet, as he tried to destroy some of the newly formed districts, something unusual happened.


    YOU ARE INCAPABLE OF ENERGY CONVERSION!


    ENERGY CAN ONLY BE OBTAINED THROUGH CORE POINTS.


    It had been a long while since the dungeon had to resort to such a desperate method. That was the whole reason he had built so many mana generators within himself.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± The dungeon converted some of his remaining core points.


    A blessing materialized, burning through the blood spire like fire through wax.


    ¡°Tired?¡± The blood composing the abomination moved to the sides of the room.


    Feeling he didn¡¯t have the energy to maintain his flight spell, the baron dropped to the floor. For the first time since the avatar¡¯s creation, he was breathing heavily, gasping for air.


    ¡°The offer still stands,¡± the abomination said.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t won,¡± Theo bluffed. ¡°My minions are already on their way. When they arrive, they will blot out the sun and purge this entire estate from existence!¡±


    ¡°And kill all those people?¡± A human face appeared in the whirlpool of blood.


    ¡°Better un-heroic than dead.¡±


    Outside the sound of fighting was still going on¡ªTheo¡¯s only realistic hope. If she somehow managed to enter the chamber, they could win. If not¡­ only Liandra would potentially claim the victory.


    ¡°You still refuse to admit defeat? You can¡¯t use spells anymore, which makes you weaker, slower, dumber. I can destroy you here and now if I want.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t,¡± Theo said.


    As he did, he suddenly came to an unexpected realization. Spok had been adamant when she said that abominations didn¡¯t have neither morals nor scruples. The only rules they followed were the rules of their nature. If Agonia wanted, she could have destroyed his avatar without a moment¡¯s hesitation. There¡¯d be no offers of alliance, no discussions. Could this be a hint that had something to do with the entity¡¯s true nature?


    ¡°So, what if you know?¡± All the blood in the room suddenly imploded, giving Agonia human form. ¡°You think you¡¯re so clever, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Wait, really?¡± the avatar asked, surprised that his suspicions were true.


    ¡°The necromancers figured it out ages ago!¡±


    The way she said it, suggested that maybe they weren¡¯t the happy evil family, as the monocle claimed. In a life-or-death situation such as this, the majority of people probably wouldn¡¯t have noticed, but Theo had retained his sixth sense for finding drama. Back in his previous life, careers were made or lost on that skill alone.


    ¡°Sounds like you¡¯re not the happy evil family the marquis made you out to be,¡± Theo pressed on.


    ¡°Family?¡± The abomination tilted her head in confusion. ¡°We aren¡¯t a family. They¡¯re simply part of my collection.¡±


    ¡°Hold on. You have a¡­¡± his words trailed off. A thought had come to him, so horrible that he desperately hoped it wouldn¡¯t be true. ¡°Abomination of fulfillment,¡± he repeated. ¡°Please, tell me your nature isn¡¯t obsessive collecting.¡± Please, universe, anything but that!


    ¡°I prefer the term fulfillment.¡± Agonia raised her chin, confirming the dungeon¡¯s fears.


    ¡°Damn it all!¡± Of all the possible abominations, couldn¡¯t you have sent me a normal one?!


    Theo could safely say that he was less inclined to collect than most, and still even he wasn¡¯t completely immune. All of his notable achievements were framed and placed on the walls of his main body: his mage certificate, his land permit, his family tree, even the fake titles that Earl Rosewind had bestowed upon him were all there.


    ¡°Why so upset?¡± the abomination asked. ¡°You¡¯ll be able to achieve what you¡¯ve always wanted.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll spend the rest of my life obsessively collecting things like a maniac!¡±


    Already he was short on core points and he hadn¡¯t even grown half as much as he wanted to. To make matters worse, he had only been constructing basic buildings. The moment his self-control was removed, Theo would fill Rosewind with large and exotic structures¡ªabove and below ground¡ªeach with ludicrously high upkeeps. Even now, he felt a faint desire to conquer a kingdom or two so he could afford to create a dragon¡¯s nest¡ªthe rarest of the chambers he was capable of building.


    The cursed marquis and his wife were clear examples of what the end result would be like. One was obsessed with collecting weapons and skeletal minions, by the looks of things, and the other kidnapped people for her living-doll collection. If a dungeon was added to the mix, the world might very well be doomed. Although, one had to admit that he¡¯d be able to create the greatest city in all existence.


    ¡°No!¡± The baron shook his head. ¡°You won¡¯t have me!¡± He stood up, looking the abomination right in the eye.


    ¡°You can¡¯t escape my collection.¡± Agonia took a few steps forward. ¡°Or do you think you could call someone to save you? The desire is already running through you. Even if you send a thousand letters telling people of my nature, that will just help me. What do you think the necromancers originally did?¡±


    ¡°The cursed letters weren¡¯t cursed?¡±


    ¡°Not at first. It was just a call for help from a woman concerned about the obsessive behavior of her husband. Most of the puppets in the ballroom were here to help her, just as you were. It was only later that she modified the next batch of letters to be so persuasive and efficient.¡±


    Shivers ran through the dungeon¡¯s main body, causing the entire town to tremble. Spok had been right, although Theo would never publicly admit to it. Abominations weren¡¯t dangerous because they were evil, but because they turned everything on its head. Unlike demons or those affected by them¡ªlike Lord Mandrake¡ªthey never wanted to conquer the world, but be true to their nature. Agonia, despite the unfortunate choice of name, merely wanted to collect. That was her nature and that was what she would be doing for the rest of time. She was a collector of collectors, keeping them safe, providing them with tools and powers, and telling them what they needed to hear so that her collection could grow.


    The avatar let out a deep sigh. As much as it pained him, there was only one thing left to do.


    YOU ARE INCAPABLE OF SEVERING THE LINK TO YOUR AVATAR!


    DOING SO WILL DESTROY IT BEYOND REPAIR!


    ¡°Huh?¡± The baron blinked. ¡°Why can¡¯t I destroy my avatar?¡±


    ¡°Why would you want to destroy such a valuable piece of your collection?¡± the abomination asked.


    The sound of fighting outside the chamber intensified, culminating in a loud slam in the bone wall. Agonia¡¯s face casually disappeared, reappearing on the back of her head so she could get a better look.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± she said. ¡°You won¡¯t be alone. My children seem to be having problems containing your hero companion. Once you¡¯re reborn, you¡¯ll be the one to help me convince her.¡±


    The way things were going, that might turn out to be the case. Apparently, the universe was going to have its way and have Theo and Liandra clash against one another, after all. The only faint glimmer of hope rested in the trio of adventurers, which had indirectly caused this whole mess. Given everything they had learned in the past few days, the dungeon could say with absolute certainty that he was utterly and completely doomed.


    Stolen story; please report.


    Meanwhile, Ulf, Avid, and Amelia were mentally preparing themselves for a daring charge into a room of cursed acquaintances. Not too long ago, their goal had been to desperately block the door in order to prevent people from pouring into the main chamber of the treasury. Now, they had to do the exact opposite.


    ¡°I don¡¯t hear anything,¡± Amelia said, her ear against the door¡¯s surface. ¡°Maybe they aren¡¯t there anymore?¡± She looked at Ulf and Avid, who were busy yet again moving gold bars from one spot to another.


    ¡°This is the only exit,¡± the large adventurer said, brushing the sweat off his forehead. ¡°They can¡¯t have gotten anywhere.¡±


    ¡°Magic made them get in there. Maybe magic got them out?¡± the woman suggested.


    An audible moment of silence followed, after which everyone went back to what they were doing. As logical as the assumption was, they knew better than to rely on something so obvious. As the saying went: ¡°hope for the best, prepare for the worst.¡±


    Bit by bit the pile that had been blocking the door was reduced to a few dozen bars.


    ¡°Listen up,¡± Ulf said. ¡°I¡¯ll lead them out. You two wait for the moment, then rush inside and get the gem. Once you have it, we rush into the tunnels.


    ¡°Octavian could get it,¡± Avid suggested.


    ¡°That would be nice, right?¡± Ulf cracked a smile. ¡°Just be ready in case he doesn¡¯t.¡±


    Avid nodded. Amelia, though, had an expression midway between curiosity and confusion.


    ¡°Why are you acting like bait?¡± She looked at Ulf. ¡°Not that I¡¯m complaining.¡±


    ¡°Better odds,¡± he replied without actually answering. ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve been chased before, so I¡¯m used to it.¡±


    The following silence indicated that everything that needed to be said had been said. The plan was simple and straightforward, fraught with danger. As one would say, it was the stuff adventures were made from. If they managed to survive this, the trio would have a story to share.


    Ulf waited a few seconds for his companions to hide behind a few nearby stacks of gold, then grabbed the handle. This was one experience he didn¡¯t look forward to.


    The door opened with a swing. Initially, there was nothing out of the ordinary, just darkness, as one would expect for such a chamber. As light from the treasury bled through, shapes started to take form. Silhouettes, stoic and motionless as statues, became recognizable a few feet away from the door. The one in front seemed to raise a hand in the air, after which a giant orb of white light appeared right beneath the ceiling, lighting up the entire room.


    Unused to the brightness, Ulf instinctively winced. His adventurer experience had taught him never to shut his eyes, even in such circumstances. In this particular case, he wished he had. The entire space was packed with people from Rosewind. There had to be well over a thousand, neatly arranged in rows one next to the other. All of them were still, only the movement of their eyes indicating they were alive. Standing in the front row, five steps from Ulf was none other than the baroness. Ever since he was a child, Ulf knew to fear and respect her, but all this time, he hadn¡¯t suspected that she was capable of magic.


    ¡°Hello, Baroness,¡± he said, quickly regaining part of his composure. ¡°Fancy meeting you here.¡±


    The noblewoman didn¡¯t move a muscle, standing motionless like everyone else.


    ¡°I¡¯m here in the treasury, stealing everything in sight,¡± the adventurer added.


    Still no reaction.


    This was absurd. Minutes ago, the cursed mob were scrambling to capture them and do goodness knows what and now they were refusing to budge.


    ¡°Won¡¯t any of you chase after me?¡± Ulf tried again. ¡°No one?¡±


    Never before had he encountered such levels of reluctance. There was only one thing left to do¡ªsomething he would no doubt regret in the future.


    ¡°This better be worth it,¡± he said beneath his breath, then rushed forward.


    Extending his right arm, he slapped five people in the front row with one single action. Knowing better than to wait for results, the man then leaped back, rushing out of the chamber as quickly as possible. That turned out to be the correct move.


    The perceived attack had sprung the cursed into action, and not only the first row. The entire crowd reacted as a whole, rushing after him. Like a swarm of lemmings, they poured into the main chamber, knocking over any remaining stacks of gold along the way. None of the people were armed, but they didn¡¯t have to be. None of the adventurers would raise a weapon against people they knew, even if those people were subject to the abomination¡¯s curse.


    ¡°Get in there!¡± Ulf shouted, running into the armory.


    On cue, the griffin swooped through the narrow doorway into the half full chamber. Unimpressive as ever, it still contained a few shelves for magic books, tomes, and other items. Uncertain what precisely he was searching for, Octavian circled along the walls, letting out a loud screech.


    The noise didn¡¯t even register for the cursed horde, which continued shoving towards the exit. Observed from the side, the coordination was outright impressive. There were no yells, fights, or blockages. The people went through the small exit like water, seemingly dozens at a time. In less than half a minute, the majority had filled the main treasure room, blindly continuing towards the armory. Not a single person paused to look around or remain guard.


    As the flow decreased, Avid and Amelia gingerly sneaked under the cover of gold, slowly making their way to the door. Then, at the appropriate moment, both of them rushed in.


    ¡°You know what a mana gem is, right?¡± Avid whispered as he quietly closed the door. Even if there was no way of barricading it from the inside, he preferred that no one could see them ransacking yet another room.


    ¡°Large, expensive, and glowing,¡± Amelia whispered back.


    Above her, the griffin screeched in confirmation.


    ¡°I¡¯ll check the scrolls.¡± The duke¡¯s daughter rushed towards the section in question. ¡°You¡ª¡±


    Before she could finish, Amelia tripped into something, causing her to flop face down on the floor.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Avid whisper-shouted as he rushed towards her.


    Swallowing her pride, Amelia said nothing. She was fully aware that this was the last place she could afford to be clumsy, yet something in the manner in which she had fallen kept bothering her. Most people would instantly put the blame on themselves under the pretext of nerves, stress, or a mere lack of luck. Amelia, however, was a noble and nobles assigned blame to themselves only when all other options were eliminated.


    At first glance, there didn¡¯t seem to be any reason for her tripping. The central area of the vast chamber was completely empty, and the floor was as smooth as a mirror. The woman reached out, waving her hand an inch above the surface.


    ¡°Forget it!¡± Avid urged, rushing past her straight for the shelves. ¡°We don¡¯t have time for that.¡±


    Ignoring him, Amelia stubbornly took a step forward, constantly checking the floor. Everything suggested that she had tripped on her own. Still, no noble of her family would admit defeat to reality without a fight, so she drew her weapon and used the accumulated charge to set a patch of floor on fire.


    A large circular flame lit up, revealing absolutely nothing. As it did, a series of continuous crackles filled the air. Flickers formed, jumping from one to another in quick succession, like lightning in a storm. For several seconds, the intensity increased, until it all suddenly died out without warning.


    ¡°Did you see that?¡± Amelia whispered.


    Standing still with a magic tome in his hands, Avid nodded.


    ¡°What do you think it is?¡±


    Before he could answer, the room flashed, lighting up in a bright yellow light. The entire space in front of the walls had suddenly filled up with displays, statues, and vast selections of shelves, each more impressive than the last. There could no longer be any doubt that this was a magic storage vault.


    ¡°Invisibility spell?¡± Amelia asked, feeling vindicated. ¡°Father uses it a lot to hide things he doesn¡¯t want others to see. Most know about it, but pretend they don¡¯t because he¡¯s the head of the family.¡±


    Dropping the book he was holding, Avid drew his sword.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that shocking,¡± the woman frowned.


    ¡°If you find something so valuable that you have to cast an invisibility spell on it, would you leave it unguarded?¡± He struck the nearest statue.


    Bolts of lightning surrounded the object, cutting through the item like steel. Hundreds of small cracks formed, quickly growing to the point that the entire statue crumbled to the ground.


    Shocked by his easy success, Avid took a step back, glancing at the other statues in his vicinity. None of them displayed any signs of aggression, remaining in their frozen form like they had for centuries. At that point, the door to the room briskly opened.


    ¡°Wrong guards,¡± Avid grumbled beneath his breath. ¡°Octavian, create a distraction!¡± he ordered. ¡°Search through the new displays!¡± he shouted as he toppled the one near him, causing scrolls to spill all over the floor. ¡°We just need to find it before them!¡±


    At the same time, Spok and Earl Rosewind were facing a difficult situation of their own. Despite having made it safely to the council chamber, it didn¡¯t seem that even its magic protections would keep them safe for long. The sound of rustling paper had steadily increased, and was no longer only coming from the doors and hidden entrances, but from the very walls and ceiling itself.


    ¡°Sir,¡± Spok said to her necklace. ¡°Sir, this is no time to be acting irrationally,¡± she added in a level tone.


    Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, it would be safe to assume that Theo had done something rash. He was catastrophe-prone for sure, and would more likely rewrite the laws of nature than suffer through even the simplest task. And yet, the spirit guide couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that this time, the reason could be a lot more sinister than simply negligence on his part.


    ¡°Troubles?¡± the earl asked, sitting at his usual seat at the council table.


    ¡°Potentially,¡± Spok replied in her usual calm fashion.


    ¡°It appears there are dangers in this world that even my good friend can¡¯t handle. A pity I don¡¯t have any brandy here right now. We could have at least shared a nice glass while everything went down.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like a grand wedding,¡± Spok said all of a sudden.


    ¡°A grand what, my dear?¡± For once, the earl was at a lack of words.


    ¡°If we survive through this, I¡¯d like a grand wedding,¡± she repeated. ¡°Since the odds of our safe rescue have largely diminished, I could at least dream big.¡±


    ¡°When everything else fails, aim for the heavens.¡± The earl smiled. ¡°I like your style.¡±


    ¡°Would it be possible to make it a celebratory event?¡±


    ¡°In Rosewind? Naturally. I have organized festivals for far less. Of course, when I say festival, I mean it in the very conservative meaning of the world. Even with the baron¡¯s funds, we don¡¯t have the space for anything as grand as a riding contest or a jousting tournament.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite alright. I prefer to have everything in the town itself.¡±


    ¡°City,¡± the earl corrected, raising his right index finger in the air. ¡°Rosewind will become a city.¡±


    ¡°A City? Can you arrange that?¡±


    ¡°Why not? If we survive this, it would mean that Theo had completed his third noble quest and defeated an abomination, both of which should be enough to have His Majesty make me a duke. And it would be utterly disgraceful if a duke holds a wedding in a mere town. Wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±


    ¡°Quite.¡± Spok adjusted her glasses with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m sure the baron will do the necessary to build up the new city expansions.¡±


    ¡°Quite right. We must keep in mind that Rosewind will become an adventurer hub. Three noble quests completed in less than a year, not to mention we weathered both a goblin invasion and an abomination¡¯s attack. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the hero guild opened a branch here.¡±


    The spirit guide froze. Even in dreams, there were some things that were best not mentioned.


    ¡°Maybe pass on the hero guild branch?¡± She looked at the earl. ¡°The baron wouldn¡¯t appreciate it too much. You know how mages could be sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Really? And I thought he and Liandra handled things so well together.¡± The man shrugged. ¡°Still, if you don¡¯t want a hero branch, there won¡¯t be a hero branch. They¡¯ll need my permission to open it, anyway. Unfortunately, I can¡¯t say the same about the guests. I¡¯m afraid that every noble in the kingdom will crawl out of the woodworks to attend the festivities.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way. I¡¯ll even convince the baron to arrange a visit from the goddess Peris for the occasion.¡±


    ¡°Now that would be the envy of the continent. I¡¯ll have to be careful which clerics I invite. During my previous wedding, I had the misfortune of inviting everyone and the conversation quickly devolved into an argument about historical accuracy.¡± The man let out a bittersweet sigh. ¡°We don¡¯t have much of a chance, do we?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Not terribly, no,¡± Spok admitted.


    If Theo was smart, he would leave his avatar behind, then convert most of his buildings and tunnels into energy with which to change location once more. The spirit guide would, no doubt, survive, yet the theoretical wedding wouldn¡¯t.


    Taking a seat beside the earl, Spok used some of her powers to create a decanter of expensive brandy and two glasses.


    ¡°With luck we might have enough time to discuss the menu and wedding arrangements,¡± she said.


    ¡°I see you¡¯re quite the sly one, aren¡¯t you Spok.¡± The earl waved a finger with a smile. ¡°Bribing me with brandy right before such a vital discussion. Well¡ª¡± he took the decanter and poured two glasses ¡°¡ªI accept your challenge.¡±

 (Book 2) 34. Deus ex Machina plus Hero of the Day

    The south wall slowly dissolved, revealing the room in which Liandra was fighting. She was doing quite well, yet each time she gained the upper hand, the marquis and his wife would use their puppets as shields, forcing her to retreat for just long enough for a new wave of skeletal minions to emerge and join the fight.


    ¡°Victory through numbers,¡± the abomination said, seated on the throne. ¡°Efficient, but unpleasant to watch.¡±


    The dungeon¡¯s avatar nodded. He had about enough for one final small spell, possibly two, yet knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to achieve anything with that. Also, resisting the urge to uncontrollably grow was getting more and more difficult. There were so many chambers he wished to create. Even the prospect of having minions crawl throughout him no longer seemed as unappealing as before. As long as he was careful about it, there was no reason not to have a few minions per type. By his estimations, obtaining a basic set wasn¡¯t even going to cost that much. Diggers practically paid for themselves with the resources they gathered. Warriors and mini-bosses were a different matter. For all intents and purposes, they were useless, so they¡¯d have to be stacked away somewhere. It couldn¡¯t be the same room, either, since there was a good chance they might start fights with one another for stupid reasons such as minion rankings.


    No. Rosewind trembled again, as Theo shook the thought out of his conscious self. No more minions!


    ¡°That¡¯s another wound,¡± Agonia noted. ¡°That would make three in the last minute.¡±


    The avatar glanced at the heroine. He had to admit that there were a few injuries on her, though it was difficult to tell when she had gotten them.


    ¡°Can¡¯t she see us?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Heroes concentrate to the extreme when things get difficult. It¡¯s usually in such moments that they manage to surprise me.¡±


    An unexpected turn of events would have been nice right about now. With the abomination¡¯s defenses down and nothing separating Liandra from Theo¡¯s avatar, they had every opportunity to come up with a hastily concocted plan and do something. Sadly, now that they had the opportunity, they lacked the means. Theo was practically all out of energy, and all the fighting had finally caught up to the heroine.


    ¡°Why the blood?¡± The avatar changed the subject. ¡°What does that have to do with fulfillment?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± the abomination looked at him. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I was created this way. If there¡¯s a reason, I was never told.¡±


    That sounded completely made up, but the dungeon nodded all the same.


    ¡°You still think you can win, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Theo needed time to think of a proper response. Ironically, his hesitation only confirmed Agonia¡¯s suspicions.


    ¡°You remind me very much of the heroes that imprisoned me all that time ago.¡±


    ¡°The great archmage was a dungeon?¡± The question slipped out of the avatar¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Definitely not. He was exceptional at magic, though. His companion did the fighting, giving the archmage enough time to cast his prison. If it wasn¡¯t for my children, the two of you might have managed to do the same.¡±


    Strands of blood shot out from the abomination¡¯s form. Sliding along the floor, through bones and other skeletal remains, they wrapped around Liandra¡¯s left foot, like a snare.


    Without a moment¡¯s delay, the heroine¡¯s blade sliced through the floor, snapping the strands before they could create any imposition.


    ¡°Not bad.¡± Agonia mused. ¡°You probably think it¡¯s too early for me to celebrate?¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡± the avatar replied absentmindedly.


    Back in Rosewind, a few of the larger slimes had started dissolving the walls of buildings. Normally, he¡¯d just use his sacred lightning to put them in their place, but that too required more energy than he had. Someone a bit more paranoid could almost say that the slimes had reached an arrangement with the zombie letters: If they were to breach the walls of the buildings with people in them, the letters could easily spirit away more of the inhabitants, and thus create new letter-spawning locations.


    ¡°It¡¯s impressive how strong willed you are, but there really is no point. My children can¡¯t defeat her, but she can¡¯t harm them either, not if she doesn¡¯t hurt their puppets.¡±


    Theo was just in the process of thinking of a suitable response to disguise the fact that he wasn¡¯t paying attention to what Agonia was saying when the entire castle shook. Everyone, even Liandra and the skeletal minions fighting her, paused in an attempt to assess the situation. A few moments later, the castle shook again.


    Dozens of blood threads shot out from the abomination¡¯s form, all aimed at the heroine. Half of them reached their mark intact, only to be severed soon after. Apparently, even in her current state, the woman proved too strong to just be defeated.


    ¡°You planned this, didn¡¯t you?¡± Agonia stood up from the throne. ¡°Typical for your kind. Regardless, it¡¯s already too late.¡±


    Five new clusters of blood strands shot out from the abomination only this time they weren¡¯t aimed at Liandra, but pierced the avatar instead.


    Pain rushed through the dungeon¡¯s entire body, as he expanded in five more areas around the town. His entire supply of core points was fully depleted, yet his obsession with his own halls and chambers prevented him from converting any of them to energy. A sensation of agony swept through him as Theo felt every part of him being stretched to the point of snapping. Now, he had a pretty good idea where the abomination¡¯s name had come from.


    ¡°Who knows?¡± the baron said, gritting his teeth.


    Elsewhere, fragments of stone fell from the treasury¡¯s ceiling as the shaking intensified. Unfortunately, the only people who noticed were those who couldn¡¯t afford to.


    Octavian screeched as he swooped down towards Amelia. The dust and fragments in the air were making flying a lot more difficult. Swerving to the right, he managed to grab hold of the woman¡¯s shoulders, pulling her out of the mass of people. One tried to grab her by the leg, but a few well-aimed kicks in the head quickly dissuaded him from the notion.


    ¡°It¡¯s not here!¡± Avid shouted from his section of the room, as he struggled to break free from the hands grabbing him.


    It had been a considerable relief that the cursed inhabitants of Rosewind were neither as skilled nor as determined as those in the ballroom. Sadly, he couldn¡¯t use weapons against them, either.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t there, either!¡± Amelia shouted as the griffin flew closer to the ceiling. ¡°That leaves about twenty we haven¡¯t checked.¡±


    The shaking continued, this time accompanied by a series of loud bangs coming from the ceiling. Massive cracks formed as chunks of stone fell onto the people below. Octavian flapped intensely, trying to avoid the ever-increasing dangers. Then, without any warning whatsoever, the ceiling collapsed.


    A large muscular figure in glistening armor fell from above, landing with a metal clang. He was the epitome of what an adventurer was supposed to be¡ªlarge, muscular, stoic, observing his surroundings with a calm, slightly confused expression.


    ¡°Sir Myk?¡± Avid managed to say, before the cursed mob of people pressed him against a wooden display.


    A second, far larger entity, soon landed as well. Fifteen feet tall, with four massive arms, and made entirely of metal, it cracked the floor a few steps from Cmyk and immediately went into an attacking pose.


    The only reason no one was squashed like a bug was due to the crowd being focused on capturing Avid and Amelia, who, in turn, had been busy searching through the wooden displays on the edges of the room.


    ¡°Behold!¡± a loud voice boomed. ¡°It is I, Vlyan Switches, chief engineer in the service of Baron d¡¯Argent. And I have come here to destroy¡ª¡± the voice stopped. The massive metal colossus turned about, searching for something.


    After several seconds, the chest of the construct moved to the side, revealing a gnome seated in a small compartment with dozens of gauges and levers.


    ¡°Where is he?¡± the gnome asked.


    Unfortunately, no answer came. Avid, who was already nearly crushed by the mob even before Switches¡¯ arrival, was in no state to reply, and Amelia was more focused on staying in the air.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Switches grumbled. ¡°If that¡¯s the way you want it.¡± He turned a wheel, then pulled a series of levers.


    All four arms of the metal construction pointed at the corners of the room. A faint humming sound appeared, gradually building up for several seconds, before releasing a web of lightning in all directions.


    Over a hundred people shook violently, then collapsed to the floor. Only Cmyk remained standing, sparks flickering in his hair.


    ¡°Oops.¡± The gnome grinned, resetting a few levers. ¡°Sorry about that. You okay down there?¡±


    Cmyk looked around, then up at Switched and gave him a thumbs up.


    Silence filled the chamber, only disturbed by the wings of the griffin flying about.


    ¡°So, where¡¯s the d¡ª¡± the gnome abruptly stopped. ¡°The baron,¡± he quickly corrected himself. ¡°Where¡¯s the baron?¡±


    ¡°What have you done?!¡± Amelia screamed. Being the only one in the air while the wave of electricity was released, she had remained unscathed.


    ¡°I came in to assist the baron,¡± the gnome said with pride. ¡°Me and Cmyk. Well, mostly me. Cmyk¡¯s here for moral support.¡±


    ¡°The baron isn¡¯t here!¡± Amelia drew her sword and swung in the direction of the gnome. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on the point of view, the sword¡¯s magic charge had yet to be restored. ¡°You killed them all for nothing!¡±


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Killed?¡± The gnome¡¯s ears twitched. ¡°They aren¡¯t dead. Just a friendly shock. I knew that it would be impossible to find the baron in the crowd, so I used the most efficient way to thin it down a bit. Only a person with¡ª¡± he paused again. ¡°Only someone as skilled in magic as the baron would have been able to remain standing after the shock, so he would be easy to find.¡±


    Twisting her body, Amelia broke loose from the griffin¡¯s grip and landed on the floor.


    ¡°Do you see him anywhere?¡± she asked, with the smoldering cold anger of an annoyed noble.


    The gnome raised a finger to say something. Shortly after, he closed his mouth, then lowered his hand. Indeed, with the exception of Cmyk and Amelia, no one else was left standing in the room.


    ¡°Ah,¡± he said at last. ¡°That¡¯s strange. I was sure he had to be here. I detected a large magic source which¡­ could have only come from the baron since he¡¯s so magical.¡± The gnome quickly shook his head and hands. ¡°I mean, he has so much magic power that it could only have been him.¡±


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s not! He¡¯s facing the abomination with the heroine Liandra.¡± Amelia walked up to the metal colossus, not letting the gnome out of sight. ¡°Leave it to a gnome to mess things up.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mess anything up,¡± Switches said defensively. ¡°This was all part of the plan. I came here deliberately to assist you¡­ whoever you are. It¡¯s clear that you wouldn¡¯t have made it without my help.¡±


    Technically, he was correct. His misguided interference had knocked out all the cursed inhabitants of Rosewind, along with Avid. One could say that he had improved the situation. Naturally, after everything that had happened, Amelia would never admit it.


    ¡°What did I help you do, again?¡± the gnome asked.


    While the two were attempting to cram two different conversations into a single interaction, a person entered the room. He was just an ordinary, passably well-dressed resident of Rosewind. Looking closely at his attire, one might correctly assume that he was a tailor. One might even assume that he was an unfortunate captive seeking a way out of the cursed estate.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± The gnome asked.


    In truth, Amelia had no idea, either. However, she had been through this before.


    ¡°Charge up your lighting thing,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Err, that won¡¯t be a good idea,¡± the gnome said evasively. ¡°The d¡ª¡± he paused and cleared his throat. ¡°The baron wanted me to be done as quickly as possible, so I had to cut a few corners. Not that it won¡¯t work, but it might¡­ Why do you want to waste it on a single person?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about the person¡­¡±


    As Amelia said that several more people entered the room. They were unarmed, walking slowly, as if in a daze.


    ¡°It¡¯s about those with him.¡±


    ¡°Hah! I¡¯m not worried. This baby can withstand hundreds of armed enemies. It would take more than a few possessed villagers to scratch it.¡±


    The trickle of people turned into a stream. Dozens rushed in from the neighboring chamber, intent on maintaining the remaining integrity of the necromancer¡¯s collection of treasures. Then, the skeletons poured in. Like an army of rattling ants, they charged at the colossus, considering it the greatest threat.


    ¡°Octavian!¡± Amelia reached up, so that the griffin could lift her into the air once more.


    Now, Switches was slightly concerned. Levers were frantically pulled, closing the compartment just as several skeletons leaped at it. Adjusting the zapping power of his construction to its maximum, he pulled the appropriate levers.


    A loud humming accompanied the built-up energy, creating a bright glow around the end of the four arms. Just as it neared the point of release, there was a loud pop.


    The gnome¡¯s ears perked up. No pops were expected at this point in the procedure. To make matters worse, the noise was accompanied by a dramatic decrease in energy output.


    ¡°What the heck is this?!¡± a grumpy voice asked from the colossus itself¡ªa very familiar grumpy voice.


    ¡°Dun¡ª¡± Switches began. ¡°I mean, Baron?¡±


    ¡°Switches?¡± the voice sounded surprised.


    The greater confusion came from the fact that the dungeon couldn¡¯t confirm what precisely was going on. It was like discovering that part of him wasn¡¯t where it was supposed to be. Theo could sense every part of his main body. He could also sense every part of his avatar¡¯s, and had a pretty good idea where Spok was, even if all sounds coming from there were muffled. In contrast, he had no idea where the part of him talking with the gnome was, and above all, why it was possible to talk to him in the first place.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me!¡± The gnome¡¯s smile covered the majority of his face. ¡°I¡¯m here with your promised reinforcements.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s here?¡±


    ¡°Err¡­¡± Switches looked at the screens in the control compartment. ¡°Some sort of empty room. Lots of people are here, including some girl who said you sent her to find something.¡±


    Theo didn¡¯t have much faith in the gnome¡¯s methods, yet if there was one thing the creature excelled at, it was mechanical marvels. For a moment, there seemed to be a glimmer of hope.


    ¡°I want you to¡ª¡± Theo began, only to stop completely. ¡°Switches,¡± he began in an accusatory tone, ¡°How exactly are you able to talk to me?¡±


    ¡°Ah. Well, you see¡ª¡±


    ¡°You stole a core fragment, didn¡¯t you?!¡±


    ¡°Well.¡± Switches twiddled his thumbs, looking about the compartment with a marginally guilty expression. ¡°Stole isn¡¯t the right word. I just didn¡¯t use everything you gave me for the creation of Spok¡¯s pendant.¡±


    ¡°I knew it!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad. I needed a power source booster. I couldn¡¯t get this to run with airship parts alone. This way I achieved lightning-fast results, and besides¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been siphoning energy from me?!¡±


    ¡°Just a little bit now and then. It¡¯s so small you wouldn¡¯t even notice. Hardly anything, really. Only now and then did I draw some to boost an ability or two.¡±


    ¡°I am out of energy!¡± Theo hissed. ¡°I¡¯m barely keeping it together!¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± The gnome¡¯s expression instantly changed. ¡°That would explain why the second zap didn¡¯t work,¡± he said, drumming on his chin with the fingers of his left hand.


    Leave it to a gnome to mess things up. The dungeon groaned internally. It seemed that this would be the way he¡¯d end¡ªtransformed into an obsessed collector by a conflicted abomination. Maybe he should just give in and ignore that part of his consciousness that kept resisting. If anything, he¡¯d lead a much calmer life, at least until the heroes showed up. At least then he wouldn¡¯t have to deal with annoyances such as Cmyk, Switches, or those pesky adventurer kids.


    Adventurer kids? The dungeon stopped. The train of thought had led him to an interesting possibility. It was a chance in a million, but he¡¯d be damned if he didn¡¯t try it.


    ¡°You said the kids were there, right?¡± Theo asked.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s a girl,¡± Switches replied. ¡°A few hundred other people, and just as many skeletons¡­¡±


    ¡°Is there a mana gem there?¡±


    ¡°There might be?¡± The gnome glanced at one of the colossus¡¯ instruments. ¡°I did detect a spike in mana readings. I actually thought that it might be you here. Heh, heh, heh.¡±


    ¡°Get it and send it to me!¡± Theo shouted.


    Like a dear through snow, the massive colossus plowed through the mass of skeletons and people piled around it.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Amelia shouted, as Octavian flew around the construct.


    Ignoring her, the construct reached out towards the source of mana. Its arm extended, shattering the finely crafted display to splinters, as it took an insignificant orange gem. The moment the metal piece came into contact with the jewel, it transformed into a glowing amber pyramid.


    ¡°Illusion magic,¡± Amelia said in disbelief.


    In hindsight, it was natural that the greatest treasures would have several layers of protection. From what her tutors had said, illusion magic was highly unstable and prone to collapse on contact. She could have sworn that she had checked that particular display case, although it was difficult to be certain with all the people from Rosewind grabbing at her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get the hero scroll from Avid!¡± The girl looked in the noble¡¯s direction. ¡°Then we can send it to¡ª¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± The colossus¡¯ voice boomed.


    Faster than the majority of human actions, its arm detracted, sliding into the massive metallic form. Having worked for dungeons the vast majority of his life, Switches knew more about them than most. He knew a lot of their habits, their capabilities, and their conditions. It was an established fact that only a dungeon¡¯s core could assimilate potent cores and mana gems. However, nothing said that the core had to be located in the dungeon¡¯s main body.


    ¡°Get ready for a boost!¡± Switches shouted in maniacal fashion, then thrust the mana gem straight into the colossus¡¯ power source.


    YOU HAVE ADVANCED TO RANK 3!


    YOUR DEVASTATING HUNGER HAS BEEN SATIATED!


    A surge of energy swept through Theo the instant the gem came into contact with his core fragment. The sensation of hunger and being pulled apart ceased, making him feel better than he had in days. The abomination¡¯s corruption was still causing him to rapidly expand, even more so now that he was no longer limited by energy constraints. It wouldn¡¯t be long before he was driven back to his wretched state. Realistically, he had moments to react, but those few moments made all the difference.


    ¡°Liandra!¡± the avatar shouted. ¡°I¡¯m relying on you!¡±


    Theo cast his ultra swiftness. The point of that was to allow him to cast what he really wanted.


    Sensing something amiss, the abomination diverted five clusters of blood strands from Liandra towards the avatar. Unfortunately for her, that was precisely what the dungeon wanted.


    Spending half of his newly accumulated energy in one massive burst, he focused on his blessed lightning ability. Sparks and bolts burst out of the baron. Lethal to anything cursed, they swept through the throne room and beyond, disintegrating bone and blood alike, while not harming a single hair of the cursed humans.


    ¡°Mommy!¡± the ruby ring and golden monocle screamed in pain as they melted away as fast as the bones covering their puppets.


    In all but an instant, Liandra was free again. There were no strands attached to her, no skeletons or bone walls obscuring her line of sight towards the abomination. As she had told the baron, all she needed was a single opportunity for attack, and he had just provided it.


    A golden glow surrounded the sword, brighter than anything Theo had seen. Its mere presence burned the skin of his avatar as if he were naked beneath a scorching sun. Then, the heroic strike was unleashed.


    Slicing through the air like light through darkness, it passed inches from Baron d¡¯Argent, striking Agonia dead center. The abomination had attempted to cocoon herself against the avatar¡¯s lightning, but her defense was no match for the full force of a hero.


    Before the abomination could scream, the golden light had enveloped her, evaporating her form into nothingness. Alas, that wasn¡¯t the whole of her.


    ¡°Nice try.¡± Agonia¡¯s voice echoed in the dungeon¡¯s mind. ¡°I¡¯ve still won.¡±


    A single strand of blood had managed to survive, shielded by the avatar¡¯s body. It was merely a drop, but a drop was all it took for the abomination¡¯s corruption to continue. Even now, Theo felt a deep urge to keep it alive as a trophy to add to his collection of notable victories.


    ¡°Not this time,¡± he whispered, using what was left of his energy to combine ice and memory magic.


    A new spell took shape¡ªa memory prison given solid form¡ªimprisoning what was left of the abomination in an inescapable ice cube. Visually, it was far from impressive. Many would mistake it as part of an exotic cocktail served at parties. In reality, it was far more. While not as visually impressive as Memoria¡¯s tomb, it was just as powerful, made from a substance that isolated her presence from the rest of the world.


    CONGRATULATIONS!


    You have captured Agonia, the Abomination of Fulfillment!


    While you still lack the ability to destroy her, your rank allows you to keep her imprisoned for as long as you exist.


    ¡°Great,¡± the avatar muttered, feeling the collecting obsession leave him, ending the massive expansion of Rosewind.


    Slowly, he reached into his stomach, taking out the cube containing Agonia. On the surface, there was no indication of the chaos it contained. Even so, he needed to get the hero scroll from Avid and send it away before anyone found out.


    The castle trembled violently yet again. This time, it wasn¡¯t due to Switches¡¯ involvement, but the overpowered lightning blast he had cast. With centuries of curses being dissolved, there was nothing to hold the castle whole for long.


    ¡°We did it.¡± Liandra made her way to the avatar. Although in better shape, her wounds and exhaustion were starting to catch up.


    ¡°We must get out of here.¡± The baron closed his eyes. It was getting difficult for the dungeon to think clearly. ¡°Switches, use the gliders,¡± he muttered from all his parts at once. ¡°Get everyone back safely.¡±


    His vision became blurry. Partial images popped in and out as they faded away. He could see Spok and Earl Rosewind hidden in the castle¡¯s council chamber, parts of the new section he had created, Cmyk standing amid a crowd of people who were just coming to.


    ¡°It¡¯s Sir Myk!¡± someone shouted. ¡°He saved us once more!¡±


    You¡¯ve got to be kidding me! Theo lost consciousness.

 (Book 2) 35. The Relatively Joyous Dungeon Renaissance

    It was often said that cities weren¡¯t built in a day. In the case of Rosewind, though, it had in a tenth that time. If anything, the process of bringing everyone affected by the curse back to their homes took longer than the creation of three new districts, each larger as the initial town itself. Some had remarked that the areas were somewhat bland in appearance, but that was quickly forgotten as people had to deal with a lot more urgent and trivial matters; namely, cleaning their homes, and the city overall, from all the trash that had accumulated in the last few days.


    Led by Earl Rosewind himself, an earnest and thorough combing took place to ensure that not a single zombie letter had survived. Strict safety procedures were applied, including the creation of safety helmets through any available means.


    ¡°And remember!¡± Ribbons shouted from the old town square. ¡°Be diligent in your safety and your search! As Earl Rosewind said, one single letter is enough to make life worse than during the goblin invasion!¡±


    The crowd grumbled. The captain of the guard was, as always, overeager with his duties, gathering every abled person at the square two times a day. Already every scrap of paper that seemed remotely suspicious had been burned, but that didn¡¯t seem nearly enough. Those who had been subjected to the curse had some sympathy. Being slapped in the face by a cursed letter was neither glamorous nor heroic. It also proved how unprepared everyone was.


    A short distance away, Spok was going through a full audit of the town¡¯s resources, while also dealing with a dozen architects and trade organization representatives. The latter, as it happened, were closely associated with members of the inner council. Now that a major crisis was over, there were opportunities to be made. It also helped that an impressive amount of gold and valuables had been ¡°saved¡± from the ruins of a formerly cursed estate.


    ¡°Any chance of reconstructing this section?¡± an architect employed by Marquis Dott asked. ¡°Since it¡¯s bordering the river, having a docking area would be of huge benefit.¡±


    ¡°A docking area¡­¡± Spok looked at the man.


    ¡°A shipyard would also be nice.¡±


    ¡°A docking area and a shipyard,¡± the spirit guide repeated, adjusting her glasses. ¡°You are, of course, aware that the river is far too narrow for ships. From what I¡¯ve been told in some areas even a boat could get stuck.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The architect nodded. ¡°But the baron can change it. Building a city was all in a day¡¯s work.¡±


    All in a day¡¯s work. Spok had lost count of how many times people had used that to defend ludicrous requests. One had to admit that from their perspective, they were in their full right to do so. The baron was well known for being both rich and eccentric. Currently, he personally owned seven-eighths of Rosewind, and that was without revealing all the tunnels and chambers underground. Sometimes there was such a thing as being too successful.


    ¡°The baron is dealing with very important matters at present,¡± Spok said without blinking an eye. ¡°And even if he were to ¡®change the river¡¯ as you put it, who will expand the sections all the way to the sea?¡±


    Stumped by the logic of the question, the architects fell silent. Far from backing down, they were merely searching for the correct argument to get the conversation back on track.


    ¡°Governess d¡¯Esprit!¡± A young woman dressed in expensive adventurer clothes ran through the square. ¡°Governess d¡¯Esprit!¡±


    Internally, Spock sighed. There was only one person in the entire town that addressed her in such fashion.


    Making her way through the crowd, the young woman paused to catch her breath.


    ¡°Yes, Lady Amelia?¡± Spok asked. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°The earl wants to see you, Governess.¡± Amelia quickly straightened up. ¡°It¡¯s regarding the baron.¡±


    ¡°That again?¡± The spirit guide narrowed her eyes. ¡°We¡¯ve been through this already.¡±


    ¡°Please, Ma¡¯am! The ceremony can''t start without him! The earl has already delayed it three times so far. It¡¯s not proper to delay it any longer!¡±


    ¡°Not proper?¡± Spok asked with the voice that could freeze fire. ¡°Well, it seems I¡¯ll have to have a talk with the earl again.¡± She then turned to the group of merchants and architects. ¡°Gentlemen, if you would excuse me.¡±


    The small gathering nodded, muttering words of agreement, then moved away, forming a path for Spok to go along. Straightening her sleeves and the collar of her blouse, the spirit guide briskly went in the direction of the castle. Amelia quickly followed close behind.


    ¡°Your eagerness to have this ceremony,¡± she said casually, ¡°it doesn¡¯t have to do with your desire to officially earn the title of Noble Adventurer, does it?¡±


    ¡°Of course not, Governess!¡± Amelia replied defensively. ¡°I¡¯m hurt that you have such a low opinion of me¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Spok interrupted. ¡°You¡¯ll be recognized soon enough. The way things are headed, you¡¯ll soon be acting as a role model to many junior adventurers.¡±


    Amelia¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°Really? Have you heard anything about that?¡±


    ¡°Oh, someone might have mentioned that your recent adventure has sparked interest in the area. A few guilds might wish to open branches here, not to mention that several local nobles will sponsor the growth of existing guilds. From what I¡¯ve heard, the Lionmane guild might very well be elevated to noble guild as well.¡± The woman gave Amelia a sideway glance. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m just a lowly servant governing Baron d¡¯Argent¡¯s estates. What would I know?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Governess. I understand.¡±


    Guards stood to attention as Spok and Amelia made their way into the castle. By now nearly everyone in the castle had gotten used to her presence, treating her simultaneously as a noble and someone approachable they could share their concerns with. Even the kitchen staff would ¡°happen to¡± pass through the halls each time she was there, always carrying a large tray of freshly baked treats.


    Greeting every person with a curt nod, Spok strode directly up the main staircase, heading straight for the earl¡¯s study. As she was about to enter, the door opened, allowing the previous visitor to leave.


    ¡°Baroness.¡± Spok bowed as she curtseyed.


    ¡°No need to be so formal, Spok.¡± The noble woman waved a hand. ¡°It¡¯s just me and dear little Amelia,¡± she turned to the duke¡¯s daughter. ¡°I never got a chance to thank you for keeping those two numbskulls safe.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, but it was Ulf that¡­¡± Amelia uttered.


    Strictly speaking, she was the only one still conscious when the crowd¡¯s curse had been removed. In the eyes of everyone, that made her far better than the rest. Ulf didn¡¯t seem to mind. The unfortunate adventurer had gotten the most serious wounds of them all to the point that potions had been needed to restore him. Since then, the mass of muscle had spent a large part of his time at bars with Cmyk and his friends, or fighting slimes.


    Avid also hadn¡¯t objected. When Amelia had expressed how guilty it made her feel, he simply stated that she deserved it and even invited her on a ride with Octavian over the surrounding area. He¡¯d always been a strange character, but the latest noble quest had made him even stranger than usual.


    ¡°Yes, yes, Ulf already was an experienced adventurer, but he¡¯s still got a lot to learn. The fact that he composed such a weak plan only proves he¡¯s not yet fit to lead a party.¡± The woman sighed. ¡°Anyway, let me not detain you further. You¡¯re here to see the earl, I assume?¡±


    ¡°He keeps insisting on having a grand celebration to mark the successful conclusion of another noble quest,¡± Spok said. ¡°Meanwhile, my baron insists he doesn¡¯t want to have anything to do with it.¡±


    ¡°Well, you have your work cut out for you. The best of luck to you. Amelia, will you be present at the meeting as well?¡±


    ¡°N-no. I¡¯m just here to escort Governess d¡¯Esprit to the earl.¡±


    ¡°Splendid. In that case, you wouldn¡¯t have anything against helping me inspect the rest of my mansion for letters. The staff assure me they¡¯ve found all of them, but verification is the highest form of trust.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Baroness,¡± Amelia could only respond as she was subtly but incessantly pulled away.


    Grateful for the opportunity, Spok counted to ten, then elegantly knocked on the door and opened it.


    The earl was standing at the window, looking at the town outside, as she came in. His study desk was neat as always, although the official ring seal remained on the table, suggesting that documents had been signed.


    Spok closed the door and wrapped her pendant in a sphere of silence.


    ¡°Wonderful, isn¡¯t it?¡± the nobleman said without turning around. ¡°A city rising from the ashes of paper and slime.¡±


    ¡°You really must start using a different excuse when you want to see me, Cecil.¡± Spok made her way up to the man. ¡°It¡¯s becoming too obvious.¡±


    ¡°Would that be so bad?¡± He glanced over his shoulder. ¡°I strongly doubt it, though. A few more slimes were found hiding in wells. Between that, the letters, and the constant arguments regarding the utilization of the new districts, people don¡¯t have time for gossip and speculation. Besides, this time, I really need to talk to you about the ceremony. Rather¡ª¡± he turned around ¡°¡ªI need to discuss the baron. How¡¯s the old boy doing?¡±


    ¡°Still locked up in his room, insisting he doesn¡¯t want anything to do with adventures ever again.¡±


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    ¡°I can¡¯t say that I blame him. Defeating an abomination is no easy task, but¡­ Any idea when he¡¯ll be in a more sociable state?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try asking him again. Personally, I think it might be preferable that the celebration goes ahead without him. You know what he¡¯s like. Even if we finally convince him, he¡¯ll just stand there and grumble.¡±


    ¡°You might be right. There¡¯s a certain added mystique to having him receive the rewards of his accomplishments while absent. On that note, it¡¯s unfortunate, but the royal palace refused to grant him the title of viscount despite my insistence. Some bureaucratic nonsense about a title quota per year. Apparently, as an earl, I¡¯m only allowed one slot.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll get over it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure. He¡¯s a splendid man, despite all his eccentricities.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Talking about eccentricities, the town architects want him to build a shipyard near the river.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± The earl feigned interest.


    ¡°I¡¯ve half a mind of having him do it, just so they stop with their nonsense and actually focus on important stuff.¡±


    ¡°What about an airshipyard?¡± he suggested casually. It was scary how casually sharp he could be at times. To this moment, Spok couldn¡¯t tell whether he planned all his conversations in advance or had the fastest wit she had seen among humans.


    ¡°An airshipyard?¡± The spirit guide adjusted her glasses.


    ¡°You have a gnome inventor in your employ. I actually got a few notices from him myself before the whole zombie letter debacle.¡±


    ¡°Of course you did.¡±


    It was difficult not to. The gnome had practically flooded the entire town with advertisements regarding his workshop. Relying on Switches wasn¡¯t the safest of ideas, but given that he had come out for the dungeon twice, one could potentially call him reliable.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have a talk with him.¡±


    ¡°The town would be most appreciative. We could be the first region in the kingdom with active airship transport. If we play our cards right, we might even expand it abroad.¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Spok nodded.


    ¡°Oh, and one final thing,¡± the man added casually, almost as an afterthought. ¡°The reason that the palace didn¡¯t agree to grant my friend Theo a higher title was because they had already given me one.¡± The usual business smile on the man¡¯s face softened. ¡°You¡¯re looking at the new Duke Rosewind


    While Spok and the former earl went on to continue a completely different conversation. Theo, or rather his avatar, was reluctantly having one of his own. Although it didn¡¯t show the fight against the abomination had considerably exhausted him, effectively putting him to sleep for two whole days. When he had woken up, his avatar was back in his main body. Since then, the dungeon had isolated himself from the rest of the world, leaving Spok to take care of all mopping up and reconstruction efforts.


    There was a knock on the door. Theo, of course, knew perfectly well who was there to see him¡ªthe same person who carried his avatar to Switches¡¯ mechanical construct after the fight, not to mention consistently checked on his health. Any other person would be grateful, yet the thought of having a hero within his main body made the dungeon very uncomfortable.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming in,¡± Liandra said, then opened the door without a moment¡¯s pause. ¡°How are you feeling today?¡±


    ¡°Hello, Lia,¡± the avatar said in a voice of pure desperation. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Fine, my foot!¡± The woman made her way to the end of the bed and sat down. ¡°You¡¯ve become a permanent part of the bed. Have you even left this room?¡±


    ¡°I like it here,¡± the avatar grumbled.


    ¡°Like it here.¡± Liandra sighed. ¡°For someone who defeated an abomination, I¡¯d have thought that you¡¯d show a lot more enthusiasm. You¡¯ve no idea how many heroes I¡¯ve had to fight off from visiting.¡±


    The mere thought made the dungeon dizzy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, no one will be coming to bore you. Still, you have an open invitation should you decide to join.¡±


    ¡°Me join the hero guild? That would be the day.¡± The baron let out a bitter laugh.


    ¡°Typical Theo. Saves the world, then does everything possible to keep it a secret. My grandfather would have liked you.¡±


    Both the dungeon and his avatar froze.


    ¡°He never liked the hero grading system. Good for determining skills but useless for everything else, he used to say. Still, he expected everyone to follow in his footsteps.¡±


    The heroine looked at the window. With both the shutters and curtains closed, there wasn¡¯t even a crack of light coming from there. In fact, the only source of light came from the faint glow of Liandra¡¯s armor.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving Rosewind,¡± she said in a somber tone. ¡°There¡¯s been an archdemon request and thanks to you I¡¯m back on the grade A roster. There¡¯s a chance that the demon might be linked to the dungeon that killed my grandfather.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still hunting it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll always be hunting it.¡± The woman¡¯s tone sharpened. ¡°Until the day I find and destroy it. Anyway, I had hoped I¡¯d see you getting uncomfortable in public, but I just can¡¯t wait anymore.¡± She stood up. ¡°I¡¯ve left the sword back in its place on the wall. Thanks for letting me borrow it.¡±


    ¡°You should keep it,¡± the avatar offered despite himself.


    Liandra paused a step away from the door.


    ¡°Just to borrow it a bit longer. It¡¯s good for demons, after all. Besides, that way, I know you¡¯ll be coming back.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Liandra said, her back still turned to him. ¡°I appreciate that.¡± She left the room. A few moments later, she left the dungeon itself, leaving Theo simultaneously relieved and panicked.


    Why did he add that part? Feigning concern was a good way for him to keep his nature hidden, yet inviting her to visit back was not. Each time she set foot in his main body, there was a risk that one of her skills or magical items would trigger, making it obvious that he was not at all what he appeared to be. From there, it was one small step of figuring out that he was responsible for the death of her grandfather.


    ¡°Waking up never is easy,¡± Theo grumbled to himself.


    Even with all the silence spells he¡¯d cast, he could still feel the changes taking place throughout Rosewind. The majority of the slimes had been dealt with, the griffins had become a lot less of a nuisance, even the people had become a lot quieter. It was precisely this apparent calm that had the dungeon worried. In his experience, calm always came before a storm and with what the inner council had planned for Rosewind, the storm risked being of epic proportions. However, there was one other issue that dwarfed all those concerns.


    After a few more minutes of doing nothing, the dungeon created a portal next to the bed. He then had his avatar get up and go through the portal to Peris¡¯ temple. As the only structure untouched by slimes and curses, the people¡¯s devotion to the goddess had vastly increased. At the same time, people had more urgent things to do than pray in the early afternoon, giving Theo the opportunity to check on something.


    Still in his pajamas, the avatar went up to the temple altar. An opening formed in the solid chunk of marble, revealing a single cube with a red dot inside. Supposedly, this was the safest place to keep an imprisoned abomination. Spok, while still disapproving of Theo bringing back the abomination in the first place, acknowledged that it was better to keep it somewhere safe than let it loose in the world. Divine power was said to weaken abominations to a certain degree, but even so, the question remained: how long would the new prison hold?


    ¡°Like what you¡¯ve done with yourself,¡± the statue of the goddess spoke.


    ¡°Goddess.¡± The avatar briskly turned around. The opening in the altar quickly sealed off, concealing the abomination within it.


    ¡°At your current size, it¡¯s only natural for you to transform my temple into a citadel.¡±


    ¡°I can do that?¡±


    ¡°Technically, I don¡¯t see why not.¡± The statue shrugged. ¡°You have the heroic trait. There¡¯s nothing I know about a dungeon not being allowed to do so. Of course, if you prefer, I could send some of my followers to do it, instead.¡±


    ¡°No, it''s fine. I¡¯ll get to it right after I come up with an appropriate design.¡±


    ¡°Aww, so very thoughtful of you.¡±


    A vast part of Rosewind¡¯s population felt a sudden draft in their homes, as the dungeon swallowed tensely.


    ¡°Actually, there¡¯s something I need your advice on,¡± the avatar began. He knew first hand that deities weren¡¯t omniscient or omnivoyant, but it was better not to keep massive secrets from them. ¡°You see, I captured an abomination.¡± He braced himself.


    ¡°You did?¡± The statue seemed surprised. ¡°Oh, you mean Agonia?¡± She chuckled dismissively. ¡°That¡¯s just a minor nuisance.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not an abomination?¡±


    ¡°Well, technically, she falls within the category, but her powers aren¡¯t that dangerous. You¡¯re the second person to have captured her so far, so she can¡¯t be that much of a threat.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they?¡± The dungeon vehemently disagreed. Living in a world of obsessed collectors in which every collector was simultaneously part of another¡¯s collection seemed like a terrible thought. One could only imagine the horrors when wars broke out between entities striving for the same ¡°piece¡±. ¡°So, you¡¯re not worried I¡¯m keeping Agonia here?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not. With a bit of luck, she might start collecting people to become followers of mine.¡± The statue chuckled again. ¡°That was a joke, by the way.¡±


    The humor was bad on the best of days. After what Theo had been through, he didn¡¯t even want to think about it.


    ¡°Is that all the advice you wanted?¡±


    ¡°For the moment¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay. I must go now to deal with another matter, but I¡¯ll be back to visit soon and see my cathedral. Have fun, and don¡¯t make it too fancy.¡± The statue returned to its original state and froze up again. Theo waited for a few more moments just to make sure, then cursed beneath his breath.


    It had to be nice being a deity¡ªmoving freely anywhere they wished without a care in the world. Meanwhile, mortals had to do the actual work. True, Peris had granted the dungeon an ability or two when he most needed them, but that had, in part, caused all the subsequent messes to begin with.


    ¡°There you are!¡± a high-pitched voice squeaked, followed instantly by the sounds of tiny footsteps. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for you dun¡ª I mean, Baron!¡±


    Theo growled internally, regretting letting his avatar out in the open.


    The all too familiar gnome rushed up to him, looking at the avatar with an expectant smile.


    ¡°What is it, Switches?¡± the avatar frowned. ¡°I was in the middle of a nap.¡±


    ¡°Good, good. Nothing better than a nap in the open to get the creative juices running. I know from experience. Some of the best ideas I¡¯ve had came to me while I was flying through the air.¡±


    ¡°What. Do. You. Want.¡± The baron clenched his fists upon uttering every word.


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy you asked.¡± The gnome rubbed its hands. ¡°Remember that a while back, we had an agreement? If I were to construct a mechanical colossus and help you reach rank three, you¡¯d create a laboratory just for me.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I remember! We had that talk a few days ago!¡±


    ¡°Ah, how time flies.¡± The gnome nodded, missing the point entirely. ¡°Well, I constructed a mechanical colossus and helped you reach rank three.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you did.¡± The avatar crossed his arms. ¡°Using a fragment of my core without permission in the process.¡±


    ¡°I was only using what was left from making Spok¡¯s pendant. And it turned out for the better. Without it I wouldn¡¯t have known to find the gem or get the hero scroll for you.¡±


    The dungeon felt like having a headache. Three days of sleep was way too little. He intended to go back to bed with his avatar, then isolate himself from the rest of Rosewind again, while leaving Spok to deal with all the daily nuisances. Before that, he had to take care of this.


    Somewhere in the city, a new massive building came into existence, replacing all the ones that existed before. It was quite large, with a workshop section on top and a far larger and ominous section below for the gnome to try out his more destructive devices.


    ¡°There!¡± the avatar snapped. ¡°Done! You have your building. Get Cmyk to clear my halls and move all your stuff into your new lab!¡±


    ¡°Really? Does that mean I¡¯m officially your chief head engineer?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, whatever.¡± The avatar brushed the gnome away as he made his way to the magic portal. ¡°Don¡¯t conquer the world or destroy the city, and if you need to pester someone, pester Spok!¡±


    With that, the avatar abruptly returned to his room in the main building. He¡¯d no idea what problems might occur as a result of his actions, but adventures weren¡¯t going to be one of them. Dungeon ranks and avatar levels be damned! He had come to this world to enjoy a nice long rest and by the deities, that was exactly what he intended to do!


    Meanwhile, outside, the bustle continued as Rosewind took its first step to becoming a fully fledged city.

 (Book 2) Epilogue

    The sound of persistent chatter filled the city. Just over a week since news of the Rosewind adventurer¡¯s feat had spread throughout the kingdom, thousands of people poured into the newly established hub. Guildhalls and trade branches popped up faster than mushrooms in rain. What had been a small insignificant town in the middle of nowhere had quickly become the flavor of the month, attracting all that wanted to make a name for themselves, or in search of profit.


    A large number of thieves had also tried their luck, yet whether alone or in groups, they¡¯d be quickly caught out by the local city guard. Some would swear that the walls had ears in Rosewind, and to a certain extent, they would be correct.


    The city also opened its walls to everyone from the nearby villages. With the expected increase of inhabitants, food and crafts were of key importance. It was said that the local duke offered free lodgings for a whole year to anyone with sufficient skill.


    However, it was neither the talking nor the clamor of hammers that caused Theo to wake up. Instead, it was the faintest of sounds caused by the appearance of a single magical letter. Oblivious to the horror the city had been subjected to not too long ago, the letter came into existence right above the living room table. Ignoring the aether sphere that formed around it, or the blest lightning that attempted to singe its pages, the letter gently floated onto the polished wooden surface, in defiance of the dungeon¡¯s attempts to get rid of it.


    ¡°Spok!¡± the dungeon yelled, as he shook the table itself.


    The letter didn¡¯t budge, as if glued on. When turning the piece of furniture upside down didn¡¯t work, Theo moved the table to another room, only to have the letter detach itself and gently float to the carpet.


    ¡°Spok!¡± Theo shouted again.


    Having Switches construct a core pendant for the spirit guide had proven to be the worst idea yet. Now the dungeon could never be fully sure where Spok was and, more annoyingly, she was increasingly using his own spells to prevent him from reaching her. Normally, Theo wouldn¡¯t make a fuss, but he had come to expect that his spirit guide would be there in the moments he required guidance.


    ¡°Cmyk!¡± the building and all underground tunnels shook. To no surprise, the minion wasn¡¯t there, either.


    With a double grumble, Theo¡¯s avatar got out of bed and started the long journey to the living room. A week ago, the dungeon would have been terrified that this might be another cursed letter sent by an abomination, but the weak of sleep had dulled his fear to the point that he only felt annoyance at being woken up.


    ¡°I save the world twice and can¡¯t get a single moment of rest,¡± he grumbled as doors opened along the way of his avatar.


    Finally arriving, the avatar stopped a step away from the letter and looked at it. It was smaller than the average letter, made entirely of glowing cyan paper and with a seal of blue wax. Just as he was about to reach down and pick it up, he was interrupted by a high-pitched yell.


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    ¡°Baron!¡± Switches drilled Theo¡¯s very consciousness. ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡±


    ¡°Damnit, Switches!¡± Both the dungeon and the avatar snapped in anger. Allowing the gnome to keep the mechanical colossus was the second worst decision he¡¯d made. Apparently, during his name, the small nuisance had further transformed it to serve as an instant communication advice. Now, Theo got a vague idea why Spok kept her pendant silent so often.


    ¡°You have to see this!¡± the gnome insisted, standing next to a small treasure chest of sorts.


    The creature¡¯s current location was five levels down and to the east of the main building, near one of the sections that Theo had used for gold storage.


    ¡°Jewels and golden trinkets,¡± the dungeon grumbled. ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes, but while cleaning up, I also found this among them!¡± Eagerly Switches reached into the treasure, then took out an impressively green gem. Rather too impressive, come to think of it. ¡°Ta-daa! It still needs to be charged, of course, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°A mana gem?!¡± the dungeon couldn¡¯t believe its senses. ¡°Where did you get that?¡±


    ¡°Ah. Well, funny story about that. It seemed to be in one of your treasure chambers all along,¡± Switches said with a chuckle. ¡°From what Spok told me, you took it from the earl¡¯s vault¡­¡± he paused. ¡°I mean the duke¡¯s vault during our little misunderstanding a while back. You must have forgotten in all the carnage and explosions.¡±


    ¡°I had another mana gem this entire time?¡± The baron trembled, as did most of the city.


    ¡°I knew you¡¯d see the funny side of it!¡±


    ¡°I had it all along¡­¡± the avatar went to the nearest couch and collapsed into it. ¡°I didn¡¯t need to go on any of those damned noble quests¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, yes, technically true. But it¡¯s a good thing that you did. Otherwise, we might have never met again.¡± Switches grinned. ¡°That would have been a massive loss for the both of us.¡±


    The dungeon remained silent. There possibly were worse things that could have happened, but right now he couldn¡¯t think of a single one.


    ¡°Want me to charge it up?¡± the gnome suggested. ¡°I¡¯m working on a new device that could charge up mana gems in a tenth of the time!¡±


    ¡°How come Spok didn¡¯t know about this?¡± Theo managed to ask.


    ¡°Well, she was confused herself.¡± Switches shrugged. ¡°She clearly remembered upon seeing it, but for some reason it had slipped her mind. Not impossible with all the destruction and carnage going on back then. So, do you want me to charge it?¡±


    ¡°Do whatever you like.¡± The dungeon¡¯s avatar stood up and made his way to the staircase. ¡°I¡¯m going back to sleep. If I¡¯m very lucky, all this might end up being nothing but a nightmare,¡± he muttered beneath his breath.


    As he did, the letter on the floor unfolded.


    Dear Valued Benefactor,


    We hope that this letter finds you well.


    Our scholars and researchers are working diligently on the issue you brought up to us. We¡¯re confident that an answer would be found shortly.


    In the meantime, we are turning to you for assistance. Being a member of the Feline Mage Tower, we call upon you in this vital junction of our tower.


    Please respond as soon as possible to receive further details!


    Arch council of the Feline Mage Tower

 (Book 3) Prologue

    News of the city of Rosewind had spread far and wide, traversing borders and social status. Nobles and commoners alike knew that if they wanted to become adventurers and make their mark, this was the place to go. Built in less than a day, the city housed over a hundred adventurer guilds and just as many taverns. Branches of kingdom-famous guilds shared neighborhoods with local startups, all eager for members and quests. And why wouldn¡¯t they? This was the home of the legendary mage-adventurer Baron Theodor d¡¯Argent. While not a hero per se, he had completed three noble quests in the span of a year, and saved the city from a massive goblin invasion and an abomination¡¯s curse. It was inevitable that anyone who joined a guild here would be fated for greatness.


    Every week hundreds of starry-eyed candidates arrived on foot, horseback, or the airship¡ªthe engineering marvel of Rosewind. Over three quarters of them would fail the admission trial, putting their aspirations temporarily on hold while they took on local jobs to afford their stay until the next admission. That didn¡¯t shatter their dreams; on the contrary, it filled them with determination to train, learn, and work to be better to achieve what they wanted. In fact, only one being in the entire city remained in a constant foul mood.


    The entity in question had done everything possible to isolate itself from the cheer and bustle of city life, engaging all sorts of spells. It didn¡¯t want anything to do with anyone, especially adventurers, and would gladly have chased them all out with a massive spell of dread, if it wasn¡¯t for its great secret.


    The entity, as it happened, was¡ªin part¡ªnone other than the legendary mage-adventurer Baron Theodor d¡¯Argent, and his secret was that he was nothing less than a dungeon that included seven-eighths of the city of Rosewind.


    Today, the dungeon was woken up by a persistent knocking on the door of its main mansion. A year ago, the stylish and well kept building represented Theo¡¯s entire body. That was before he¡¯d grown to his current size. Unfortunately for him, it was also the designated home of his avatar¡ªBaron d¡¯Argent.


    ¡°Cmyk!¡± Theo shouted. ¡°Open the door!¡±


    To no surprise, there was no response. The dungeon¡¯s minion was out, wasting its time in taverns once more. Given that it was a skeleton given flesh, it had no need for food or drink, yet that didn¡¯t stop it from being the soul of the party, spending ludicrous amounts of gold in the process.


    ¡°The hell with it!¡± The dungeon¡¯s avatar got out of bed, heading towards the staircase.


    In better days, the dungeon would use a bit of magic to change the avatar¡¯s nightgown into something far more presentable. Right now, he couldn¡¯t care less.


    With an expression of cold, unadulterated anger, the avatar made his way to the front door, just as his main body opened it.


    ¡°What is it now?¡± the avatar grumbled.


    ¡°Good morning, Baron,¡± a large muscular adventurer said.


    Many knew him as Ulfang von Gregor, a first-class adventurer and ardent partygoer. The dungeon, on its part, knew him as a nuisance.


    ¡°Cmyk¡¯s not here,¡± the avatar muttered, as he closed the door.


    Unfortunately, before it could slam shut, the adventurer managed to stick his boot inside.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m here,¡± Ulf quickly said. ¡°The Grand Crown Adventurer guild convinced him to share his account of saving the city from the goblin invasion. There¡¯s a chance that he might be there all day and night, so¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± The avatar¡¯s eyes flashed in anger. ¡°His account of saving the city?¡±


    ¡°Well, it was a big thing. People are curious to hear more of our history.¡±


    The avatar clenched his fists. He¡¯d barely enjoyed a few months¡¯ sleep and was woken up to hear that his minion continued to take credit for his deeds. Most astonishing of all, he still couldn¡¯t figure out how Cmyk managed to pull it off, given that he was incapable of speech.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll mention your assistance as well,¡± Ulf tried to smoothen things.


    ¡°Excuse me, excuse me.¡± A gnome with a large pair of goggles, with tools sticking out of its vest, belt, and every other pocket his clothes had, squeezed past the large adventurer. ¡°Glad to see you awake, Baron,¡± he grinned. ¡°I¡¯ve got this genius idea I want to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not now, Switches.¡± Both the dungeon and his avatar sighed.


    ¡°You¡¯ll like it, I promise!¡± the gnome insisted. ¡°You know how everyone¡¯s complaining that we could use a bigger river?¡±


    The dungeon had deliberately spent the last few months ignoring the surrounding world, but even if he hadn¡¯t, he strongly suspected that there hadn¡¯t been any such complaints.


    ¡°I can modify my metal colossus to widen it!¡± the gnome puffed its chest in pride. ¡°Then, all you need to do is add a bit more water, some fish, and we could have water airships!¡±


    ¡°Water airships.¡± The avatar narrowed his eyes.


    The dungeon itched to ask what the fish were for, but he knew better. The fish was the ploy to get him sucked it. The moment he started discussing the idea, the gnome would have already won, and he¡¯d be forced to create another massive building for Switches¡¯ amusement, just as he had built the gnome lab.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be the first city in the world to have them!¡± Switches pressed on.


    ¡°No!¡± This time, the door slammed shut, shoving both gnome and adventurer out.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Stupid idiots, Theo thought.


    He never should have gotten up. He should have ignored the knocking at the door and just¡­


    The dungeon paused, only now becoming aware of the anomaly. How had the knocking managed to wake him up? He had painstakingly coated every inch of himself¡ªroads and buildings included¡ªwith a silence spell. No sound should have penetrated within, and yet it had.


    ¡°Spok!¡± The avatar turned around, arms crossed.


    A figure of an elegant woman appeared a few feet away. To the town, she was Spok d¡¯Esprit¡ªgoverness for the baron. The truth wasn¡¯t that far off. Originally, she had been the dungeon¡¯s spirit guide. At present, she still held that role, but was also responsible for all dealings with the Rosewind council of nobles, the city¡¯s people, and all other ¡°trivialities¡± that the dungeon didn¡¯t want to deal with.


    ¡°Spok, how come there¡¯s no silence spell on the front door?¡± The avatar looked at her.


    ¡°I removed it, sir,¡± the spirit guide replied.


    ¡°You removed it? What would make you do that?!¡±


    ¡°Other than you spending the last two months sleeping?¡± Spok adjusted her glasses. ¡°If I remember, you mentioned that you needed a week or two. That was nine weeks ago.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± All the furniture in the building tilted to the side. ¡°It¡¯s been only nine weeks. After saving the town, again, I¡¯m allowed to have a short nap. And it¡¯s not like I owe anyone an expla¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m getting married.¡±


    The shock of the statement was such that it was initially ignored. For three full seconds, the entire dungeon froze, causing doors, windows, and pieces of furniture to inexplicably remain static. Then, after the shockwave of disbelief swept through, the clash of realization was initiated, pushing Theo into a world of panic and confusion.


    For several long seconds, the avatar looked at Spok, undecided how to proceed further.


    ¡°You?¡± he asked. Part of his mind rationalized whether this all was part of a dream, or a really life-like nightmare.


    ¡°Yes, me,¡± Spok replied.


    ¡°Are getting married¡­¡± he added.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I just said, sir.¡±


    The avatar just stood there.


    ¡°I am getting married,¡± the spirit guide repeated, ensuring that the statement was heard slowly and clearly.


    In the dungeon¡¯s mind, a storm raged, as any and all foundations of logic were in the process of being shattered. In this precise moment, Theo bitterly wished he had continued his conversations with Ulf and Switches. At least there he was, dealing with annoyances he was familiar with.


    Spirit guides weren¡¯t supposed to get married. It was impossible, unthinkable, and yet looking at Spok, she seemed quite serious about it. As a rule, spirit guides weren¡¯t even separate entities. They were a sort of consciousness that was created upon the birth of a dungeon to serve as a living instruction manual. They came with their own specific character and temperament, but that was supposed to be all. Due to his past life, Theo viewed them as a sort of magical assistant. He had no issue delegating her authority, creating an avatar body, or even having Switches use his genius to allow Spok to walk freely beyond the dungeon itself. Even so, not once did he consider Spok someone who¡¯d be affected, far less swayed, by human emotions.


    ¡°When?¡± he asked.


    ¡°A few weeks from now,¡± Spok said. ¡°Possibly a month. It usually takes that long for people to prepare.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right¡­¡± the dungeon replied absentmindedly, thinking three questions ahead. ¡°How did this happen?¡±


    ¡°As these things usually happen. I was proposed to and accepted.¡±


    ¡°Right. So, you¡¯re really getting married?¡±


    ¡°Sir, if you¡¯ll be behaving like that, you might as well go back to sleep. I¡¯ll take care of the arrangements and all the actual work surrounding the wedding. As I always do.¡±


    As much as Theo would have liked to go back to sleep, it was the last thing on his mind.


    ¡°Who proposed?¡±


    ¡°Duke Rosewind, if you need to know.¡±


    ¡°Who?!¡± The entire building trembled.


    ¡°The earl was made a duke thanks to you defeating the Abomination of Fulfillment.¡±


    ¡°Rosewind proposed?¡± Theo always found the ruler of Rosewind to be a snake, but he never believed he¡¯d stoop so low as to steal his spirit guide. ¡°When did that happen?¡±


    ¡°A few months ago, when we were under siege by the zombie letters.¡±


    Of course it would be then. Even after months of sleep, the events of that day couldn¡¯t be forgotten. Still, to think that Rosewind of all people would propose, and even worse that Spok would agree. There had to be something wrong. Maybe the decision was due to the abomination¡¯s corruptive influence? Spok had been slightly forgetful and overstressed back then.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a joke, right?¡± the dungeon asked against hope.


    ¡°I¡¯m very serious and certain on the matter, sir. I¡¯ve had ample time to consider it.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?¡±


    ¡°I did make multiple attempts, sir. But you spent months stubbornly sleeping. If I hadn¡¯t removed part of your silence spell, you¡¯d no doubt be sleeping even now. Now, I understand that you¡¯ve gone through a lot. Facing an abomination, even a minor one, has been exhausting, but enough is enough. The decision has been made, and I expect, if not assistance in hosting the event, no meddling at the very least.¡± Spok made her way past the dumbfounded avatar up to the front door of the building. ¡°Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I have to deal with Switches¡¯ latest idea and a few other urgent matters.¡±


    The door opened and closed, but the dungeon didn¡¯t register it. Theo felt conflicted on so many levels. He had no idea whether to be enraged, supportive, sad, or happy. Part of him still was stuck on the concept that a spirit guide¡ªhis spirit guide¡ªwas going through with this at all. Not to mention that the city¡¯s power dynamic would get all messed up. In terms of hierarchy, Duke Rosewind was his superior. Spok was undoubtedly his subordinate. If the two of them got married, what would that make her? As a duke¡¯s wife, she had power over the dungeon¡¯s avatar. As a spirit guide, she was bound to obey her dungeon.


    As the wheels of logic kept on turning in Theo¡¯s mind, a blue scroll materialized on the floor a step away from him. Normally, the piece of parchment would be instantly surrounded by an aether sphere, zapped by blessed lightning, then have its ashes buried deep underground. The news of Spok¡¯s announcement, however, had stretched the dungeon¡¯s reasoning capability beyond its maximum level, causing his avatar to reach down on autopilot and unroll the scroll.


    The moment the seal was broken, a cyan glow surrounded the avatar, transporting him out of his main body and even the town itself.


    ¡°What the heck?¡± dungeon and avatar asked.


    Terrified, the avatar looked at his hands. There was no sign of the scroll. Only the faint lingering effects of teleportation magic remained, making his fingers feel tingly. Looking about, the baron found himself in a large, majestic hall complete with massive, finely crafted wooden thrones, thick carpets, picturesque stained-glass windows, and dozens of objects floating about.


    ¡°Hello, valued benefactor,¡± a deep voice said. ¡°Welcome to the Feline Mage Tower!¡±


    Oh crap, the dungeon thought. Now, he was absolutely certain that he shouldn¡¯t have gotten out of bed.

 (Book 3) 1. A Most Valued Benefactor

    ¡°Spok!¡± The dungeon quickly began. ¡°I¡¯m in a tough situation¡­¡±


    ¡°Sir, after assisting you through numerous crises and overseen chores that are generally your responsibility, I¡¯m sure that you would at least be supportive in my decision,¡± the spirit guide replied. ¡°It¡¯s not a titanic request, and it won¡¯t be like I¡¯ll drop my duties towards you after the ceremony. Thank you in advance, sir.¡±


    ¡°Spok, that¡¯s not it!¡± The dungeon quickly added, but it was already too late. Spok had cast a silence spell on her core pendant, blocking him out.


    Damn it! The dungeon grumbled. He could have used her help right now. Then again, in order to succeed, one had to be adaptable and, from what Theo knew from his personal life, confidence and a good first impression trumped everything else.


    ¡°Why have you brought me here?¡± Theo¡¯s avatar asked, holding his head high, chest puffed up in confidence. ¡°I don¡¯t remember consenting to spatial displacement.¡±


    He looked around, searching for someone to focus his wrath on.


    ¡°Err, down here, benefactor,¡± the deep voice said.


    The avatar looked down. It didn¡¯t help that the voice appeared to be coming from every corner of the room.


    ¡°The seat left of the center,¡± the voice clarified.


    Instinctively, Theo focused his attention onto the central throne. Within the massive seat, laying upon a fluffy silk cushion, was a white cat, peacefully snoozing.


    Oh, you too, the dungeon thought.


    He, too, was cursed with a pet rabbit in his main body, although one had to admit the creature was too fat to be a pain. Ninety-nine percent of the time, it would be sleeping or eating in a random corner of the building. In the remaining one percent of the time, it was forcefully made to exercises by Spok who insisted that it wasn¡¯t healthy for a pet to be that large.


    Cracking a smile, the baron shifted his gaze to the left as instructed only to see a second cat. This one was pitch black, sitting up straight with its tail curled around its legs.


    ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± the black cat said, still in its deep voice.


    Huh? The avatar¡¯s eyes moved from seat to seat, just to confirm what his conscious mind feared. To his dread, the vast majority of seats were filled with more cats. Two of them were snoozing, one played with the tip of his tail, and all the rest had their eyes fixed on him, with the same expression as Rosewind¡¯s tax collector had whenever he passed by.


    Out of morbid curiosity, the avatar cast an arcane identify spell on the cat.


    ILGRYM SERTERA


    (Feline Grand Mage)


    A former familiar obtained sentience and magic prowess due to frequent spell exposure.


    Two hundred and seventeen years old, the feline was one of the pet minions of Dark Wizard Ulryk Everstone. The creature was the target of frequent experimental spells, aimed at granting his owner knowledge and power.


    After Everstone¡¯s death at the hands of the hero Vallio Tideht, Ilgrym fled the wizard¡¯s lair and continued studying magic on his own.


    ¡°You must be joking!¡± The avatar slapped his head. ¡°The Feline Mage Tower? You¡¯re a tower of cats?!¡±


    ¡°Umm, yes,¡± the black cat said, keeping its eyes locked on the baron.


    ¡°I got my mage permit from a cat tower¡­¡±


    ¡°Let me assure you, valued benefactor, that it¡¯s perfectly legal. Our accounting department has checked and triple checked. We are a fully recognized and functioning tower, approved by the World Mage Society and three active monarchs.¡± The cat¡¯s whiskers twitched. ¡°While we might be somewhat new, your documents are no different than those handed out from more ¡°established¡± towers and, if I might add, we put in a lot more effort communicating with our external members and benefactors than ninety-three percent of magic institutions.¡±


    ¡°Cat tower¡­¡± the baron repeated. If experience had taught him anything, it was that there were no good surprises.


    ¡°In any event,¡± the black cat cleared his voice. ¡°You¡¯re probably eager to learn the details of our request.¡±


    The entire dungeon froze. All the fears he¡¯d come up with were swiftly thrown away, quickly replaced by new ones.


    ¡°Request?¡± he asked, hoping that he hadn¡¯t heard correctly.


    Several cats looked at each other. Several more just yawned.


    ¡°We sent you a letter a few months ago,¡± the black cat continued. ¡°Didn¡¯t you read it? We¡¯re certain that it arrived where it was supposed to.¡±


    The avatar knew better than to offer any hint of acknowledgement. Instead, he just stood there, looking blankly forward.


    ¡°We still haven¡¯t found anything definite on the matter of¡ª¡± a plump orange cat began from a seat at the very end of the row.


    ¡°Assistant mage Gillian,¡± the black cat interrupted in a sharp tone. ¡°This is hardly the time to bother our benefactor with such trivialities. We have brought him here for a far more vital matter.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The orange cat looked down. ¡°My apologies.¡±


    Clearly, bureaucracy thrived even among cats. Or maybe it was merely linked with magic? In his previous life, Theo had been present in enough meetings of this type to have a pretty good idea of what was going on. His involvement was always minor, restricted to carrying printed report copies of questionable significance and little else. It was always the important people in the company that did all the talking, either to investors or to other important people. Judging by the cats¡¯ behavior, he fell in the former category.


    ¡°You¡¯re in need of additional gold?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Your generosity is always welcome,¡± the black cat flicked its tail. ¡°But in this case, the matter isn¡¯t of financial nature.¡±


    ¡°Oh, for stars¡¯ sake, Ilgrym!¡± A beige cat with black paws hissed. ¡°Stop wasting time and just spit it out! This isn¡¯t one of your boring lectures!¡±


    Blue sparks flowed down the black cat¡¯s fur as it looked in the direction of the one who had interrupted him. Not that the beige was bothered. If anything, she was itching to get this whole thing over with.


    ¡°We¡¯ve brought you here to complete a noble quest,¡± she said.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± The avatar¡¯s entire body twitched.


    ¡°What my esteemed colleague wanted to say was that the Feline Tower would be very appreciative if you¡¯d help us in the upcoming Tower confrontation,¡± the cat called Ilgrym went on. ¡°From what we¡¯ve observed you seem to have a knack for completing challenging noble quests, so¡­¡±


    The feline kept talking, but Theo was no longer listening. The dungeon recalled hearing about a noble quest regarding mage towers not too long ago. In fact, he distinctly remembered choosing the only alternative¡ªa cursed quest that had almost unleashed the destructive power of an abomination, rather than deal with mage towers fighting each other.


    Cmyk had to be responsible for this. Either him, or Switches. Both of them were up to no good. It was just like them to open a letter that wasn¡¯t their business and toss it somewhere. There was a faint possibility it could be Spok. She had been a bit absentminded lately. Between her many tasks and the whole wedding obsession¡ªa side effect of the abomination¡¯s corruption, no doubt¡ªshe could have opened the letter and forgotten to tell Theo about it. That had put the dungeon in an extremely uncomfortable and rather awkward situation. Regardless, he knew exactly what he was supposed to do.


    ¡°No,¡± the baron said.


    Silence rang in the room, as all cats, except the white one, stared at him, wide-eyed.


    ¡°No, valued benefactor?¡± Ilgyrm asked.


    ¡°No,¡± the avatar repeated. ¡°I¡¯ve no intention of getting involved with any tower matters. No, I won¡¯t be taking part in any Mage Tower conflicts. And above all, no, I won¡¯t be setting off on any annoying quests to do gods¡¯ know what! I don¡¯t care if the world ends. It¡¯s high time it started to look after itself!¡±


    The silence deepened. Theo had never known for cats to be at a lack of words. Of all creatures, they were masters of getting what they wanted no matter the circumstances. In this case, though, they had lost.


    Puzzled by his reaction, the cats started meowing at each other in a fervent discussion. Thanks to his Concopia of Sounds and Letters ability, Theo was able to follow the panic, as the felines went in circles, quoting rules and analyzing options with the confused certainty of academics who¡¯d never been refused before.


    With every second, the meowing grew louder and louder until, at one point, the cat in the central seat opened an eye. A creature after Theo¡¯s own heart, it had attempted to ignore the cacophony as long as possible by flicking its tail. When that failed, it yawned, stretched, clawed the cushion with its claws, then cast a mass silence spell.


    It took the other cats close to ten seconds of voiceless meowing and tail flapping to catch on. Once they did, all of them turned in the direction of the white cat.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re him, eh?¡± the white cat asked in a voice that made the average old man seem like a teenager.


    Theo was quiet, and cast another arcane identify spell on the creature, though this time nothing happened. In typical dungeon fashion, he kept on repeating the spell over and over.


    ¡°A stubborn one, eh?¡± the cat seemed to smirk. ¡°That¡¯s good. Maybe this hairbrain scheme has a chance of working after all.¡±


    Taking the hint, the dungeon made another few dozen attempts before stopping.


    ¡°I¡¯m Baron d¡¯Argent,¡± he said proudly through his avatar. ¡°Protector of Rosewind, member¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a dungeon,¡± the cat interrupted, then proceeded to lick its paw. ¡°A dungeon with a heroic avatar.¡±


    Cold sweat covered Theo causing a large number of people within Rosewind to get alarmed at the sight of moisture forming in parts of their home. A few quickly sprang into action, heading to the roof in search of holes, no matter that it hadn¡¯t rained in days.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°I assure you, I¡¯m Baron d¡¯Argent,¡± the avatar repeated. ¡°A noble of Rosewind.¡±


    The white feline looked at him, then started coughing.


    ¡°We are not interested in your personal circumstances, valued benefactor,¡± Ilgrym said. Apparently, the silent spell had only a limited effect. ¡°You¡¯ll get no judgment here. As you can see, the majority of the Feline tower are cats.¡±


    ¡°We change appearance when we go out,¡± the fat orange cat jumped in. ¡°Very much like yourself, in a way. Just in a more temporary fashion.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Gillian.¡± The black cat added a subtle hiss to his words. ¡°To expand upon the archmage¡¯s point, your unique qualities are the precise reason we summoned you here.¡±


    ¡°I told you I¡¯m not going on any more quests!¡± The avatar crossed his arms. ¡°Noble or otherwise.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m certain that we could come to a mutually beneficial arrangement,¡± the black cat waved its tail. ¡°Normally, we would have rewarded your service with a fully charged mana gem. However, given the unusual circumstances and the urgency at hand, the arch council has agreed to double the reward.¡±


    The dungeon¡¯s greed kicked in. The unexpected offer shattered his reluctance like a chunk of ice through a flimsy window. Two fully charged mana gems were undoubtedly quite the prize. Statistically, so far every adventure, including the fight against Lord Mandrake, had earned him half a mana gem each. The first the dungeon had received from the Feline Tower as a gift and another he¡¯d found among Duke Rosewind¡¯s treasure trinkets. If he were to get two more¡ªfully charged at that¡ªhe could effectively double his rank.


    The temptation was truly too great for anyone to refuse, and still the dungeon could hear the warning whisper in the back of his mind, warning that he¡¯d likely regret it.


    ¡°Two mana gems,¡± he repeated, as if measuring the offer. ¡°Does that make the task twice harder than usual?¡±


    This was supposed to be the moment at which all felines started meowing in adamant denial. Much to his misfortune, the vast majority looked away, pretending to lick their fur. Even Ilgrym averted his gaze.


    ¡°It¡¯s twice harder?¡± The avatar asked, to no response. ¡°More than twice?¡±


    The licking continued.


    ¡°A lot more than twice?¡±


    ¡°The last time we took part in the trial, we were the first to be eliminated.¡± The orange cat couldn¡¯t help himself. ¡°It was a bit of a disaster, really¡­¡±


    The response was such that Theo couldn¡¯t even muster the energy for an ¡°oh?¡±


    ¡°By eliminated, I assume you mean you were disqualified?¡± he asked.


    At this point, even the orange cat started licking his paw.


    ¡°I see¡­ Well, thank you for your generous offer, but my position remains unchanged,¡± the avatar said as firmly as he could muster. ¡°Good luck finding some other¡ª¡±


    The words suddenly ceased. It wasn¡¯t like the avatar had stopped talking, but nothing he said made even a single sound. Looking back at the cats, he could tell that the one in the central seat wasn¡¯t particularly pleased with his answer.


    ¡°Much better.¡± The cat yawned again, then let out one more cough. ¡°I haven¡¯t been a mage for three hundred years to have such an opportunity slip through my claws. I¡¯ll make it simple for you.¡± He looked the avatar straight in the eye. ¡°If you choose not to fulfill this request, we¡¯ll revoke your magic permit and reclaim any and all assistance we have provided you. That includes asking the hero guild to extract our mana gem from your core and return it to us at their earliest convenience. Do I make myself clear?¡±


    Everyone that had dealt with any sort of corporate business was familiar with the carrot and stick approach. Having it used by a magical feline added a surprisingly ominous edge.


    ¡°Two mana gems,¡± the avatar repeated with a subtle sigh.


    ¡°Along with some personal advice on how to live longer.¡±


    And now I¡¯m being threatened by a cat, Theo thought. After saving the world from a demonically corrupted gnome and an abomination, he never expected that he¡¯d end up being blackmailed by cats. The universe really didn¡¯t like him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get on with it,¡± he grumbled.


    ¡°Of course, valued benefactor,¡± the black cat tried to smoothing things out yet again. ¡°We can continue the conversation during afternoon snacks.¡±


    A silver bell materialized in the air and rang twice. As it did, the long segment of floor in front of the seats rolled up, like a rug changing reality behind it. Bit by bit a massive table emerged like in a pop-up book, complete with large round dishes. Each dish was the size of a buckler and had a distinctly unique napkin on top. The intricacy of the designs resembled family coats of arms.


    It was rather telling that all the dishes were on the cats¡¯ side of the table. The point was moot since neither the dungeon, not the avatar, could consume food, but that still ticked Theo off a bit.


    ¡°Feel free to create a seat for yourself,¡± the beige cat said, as she leaped off her seat cushion and onto the plate. ¡°The food will only take a moment.¡±


    ESMERALDA TENGRAM


    (Feline Grand Mage)


    A former familiar obtained sentience and magic prowess due to frequent spell exposure.


    Vastly experienced, Esmeralda was the childhood pet cat of the prominent Mage Instructor Bravia Linolette. Experiencing magic from an early age, she would frequently encourage and even help her owner with magic studies, inadvertently gaining familiar status through the decades.


    After the passing of Mage Linolette, Esmeralda continued teaching mage apprentices for several years before leaving her owner¡¯s tower in pursuit of solo academic achievements.


    If Spok were available, she might have shed the light on familiars. Despite being viewed as a mage, Theo¡¯s knowledge of the topic was surprisingly shallow. As far as he was concerned, familiars were overpowered magical pets. Following that logic, even Maximilian, his fat rabbit, could fit the bill. Seeing how a clutter of cats had formed their own magic tower, he had to revise his preconceptions on the matter.


    More cats left their seats, some leaping, others walking in dignified fashion.


    ¡°Oh, these aren¡¯t plates for eating,¡± Gillian explained, seeing the avatar¡¯s confusion. ¡°Sorry, we don¡¯t have many human guests, so¡­¡± he offered what could best be described as an uncomfortable smile. ¡°These are our dining seats.¡±


    ¡°He knows that, Gillian,¡± the black cat didn¡¯t miss an opportunity to ostracize him.


    In an attempt to follow some sort of etiquette, the avatar used his dungeon skills to transform the floor behind him into a chair and sat down as well. For several seconds, everyone just sat in silence, waiting for something to happen.


    ¡°So, all of you are former familiars?¡± Theo spoke first, choosing to break the silence.


    ¡°The arch council, mostly,¡± Esmeralda replied. ¡°And nearly all the founders.¡±


    ¡°Nearly?¡±


    ¡°We needed a human associate to deal with the paperwork,¡± the black cat explained.


    ¡°Oh?¡± The dungeon glimpsed a glimmer of hope. ¡°So why not have him do your quest?¡±


    ¡°We did. Five years ago.¡± Ilgrym paused for several seconds. ¡°He did not make it.¡±


    ¡°Worst disaster in decades,¡± the white cat grumbled.


    ¡°Ah.¡± The avatar smiled politely and leaned back.


    The metaphorical light at the end of the tunnel had just been proven to be an approaching supernova. For nearly ten seconds, he looked impatiently around the room, hoping the food would arrive. There seemed to be no indication anything of the sort would happen.


    ¡°So, is that the reason you called me? Because I¡¯m a dungeon avatar?¡±


    ¡°That is merely one of the reasons, valued benefactor. One has to be a member of the tower to be eligible. Also, we¡¯ve been following your exploits and could tell that you have both the skills and mental capacity to¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve consumed a key of the Archmage Gregord,¡± Esmeralda interrupted. ¡°And also, you¡¯re human. That¡¯s it.¡±


    The black cat wagged his tail, annoyed at the interruption, but didn¡¯t refute her.


    Consumed a key? Theo thought back.


    He did remember doing that back during his brigand noble quest. The key was supposedly a rare magic item given to him as a reward. It held the ability to open all locks¡ªor, at the very least, a very large proportion of them¡ªbut other than that, couldn¡¯t be viewed as particularly valuable. The dungeon had found it somewhat suspicious at the time that a fellow adventurer guild would try to get rid of it so easily. Now, he seemed to get an idea why.


    ¡°The open-all key?¡± he asked. ¡°That¡¯s why I was chosen?¡±


    ¡°Dear benefactor,¡± Ilgrym began in a subtly different tone. ¡°You did read the letters we sent you, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Theo replied with the certainty of someone who had been caught skimming an important report minutes before the meeting. ¡°But there were a lot of things going on. I had to deal with the abomination, keeping the town whole¡­¡± he waved a hand defensively. ¡°You know how it is.¡±


    ¡°Let me summarize it for you, then,¡± the white cat intervened. ¡°Every ten years, Archmage Gregord¡¯s tower appears in the world. Most know him for his heroic exploits, but the legendary Gregord was above all else a mage. Many of the founding principles of magic were discovered by him, changing the discipline to a proper academic field of study.¡±


    Several cats meowed in agreement.


    ¡°At the moment of his passing, a spell was triggered, announcing his final will to all mages at the time. I¡¯ll save you the dramatics and the technical details, but in it, he promised he¡¯d share all his knowledge with any mage skilled enough to ascend his tower. To be considered a viable candidate, one must have learned one of Gregord¡¯s high spells or have one of his key artifacts.¡± The cat went into a coughing spree lasting several seconds. ¡°He was a unique mage,¡± he continued, clearing his throat. ¡°He believed that skill and luck were of equal importance, so anyone with those would be allowed admission to his trial. You were lucky to find one of his keys.¡±


    Lucky me, Theo grumbled internally. ¡°And this happens every ten years, I take it?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Every decade, all prominent towers send their best and brightest to ascend the tower. Depending on how well they do, their status increases, plus they get to keep anything and everything they have obtained during their attempt.¡±


    That didn¡¯t sound too bad. If it wasn¡¯t the fact that the previous candidate had died, the dungeon would even welcome this as a distraction from the wedding. Details remained non-existent, but based on everything described, it had to be a sort of magical escape room with prizes.


    ¡°What¡¯s the current record?¡± The avatar leaned forward, both elbows on the table.


    ¡°What happens in the tower remains in the tower,¡± the white cat said. ¡°But it¡¯s claimed that two towers have reached the fourth floor.¡±


    Halfway there. That didn¡¯t sound promising at all.


    ¡°So, people could leave at any point?¡±


    ¡°Naturally, valued benefactor,¡± the black cat said, a bit too eagerly for Theo¡¯s liking. ¡°People leave all the time. They just forgo all the knowledge they¡¯ve gained inside. That includes any details relating to the tower itself. You can say that their entire life within the tower has been erased.¡±


    That stood to reason. The legendary archmage was adept in memory magic and even created Memoria¡¯s tomb¡ªa spell capable of imprisoning an abomination within a memory prison. It would be no issue for him to erase someone¡¯s memory. An interesting question was whether the spell would affect the dungeon in the same way. Technically, it wasn¡¯t him going in there, but his avatar. Would the spell have any effect at all or would it create some sort of desynchronization between him and his avatar, creating two streams of consciousness?


    A door at the far end of the room opened with a slam, causing Baron d¡¯Argent and seven-eighths of the city of Rosewind to jump up into the air. Fortunately for the city, the tons of earth covering the dungeon made the buildings merely tremble.


    ¡°My greatest apologies, grand mages,¡± a young woman rushed into the room. ¡°The kitchen containment spell broke down, and we had to chase the food,¡± she said in apologetic fashion.


    The woman had the air of any mage apprentice who¡¯d messed up. Stains and tears were scattered all over her blue robe, indicating that the ¡°chase¡± was more a combat situation. Her straight brown hair was barely held in a ponytail, with large clusters rebelliously flowing straight down, though not by choice.


    She was soon followed by a half a dozen covered platters that floated in the air, as well as a large young man. The man wore the same type of robes as did the woman, indicating he, too, was an apprentice mage, but the similarities ended there. A full head taller, with broad shoulders, and a dark complexion, he had the frame and stance of an army captain rather than an academic.


    ¡°Another prank, no doubt,¡± Esmeralda said with the scorn a teacher reserved for misbehaving students. ¡°When I get down there, I¡¯ll toad all of them for the rest of the week!¡±


    ¡°Ahem,¡± the black cat said in a stoic attempt to cover up the apparent mess. ¡°Valued benefactor, let me introduce our star students.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re human?¡± Theo couldn¡¯t stop himself from asking.


    ¡°The tower accepts any manner of students.¡± Ilgrym didn¡¯t flinch. ¡°Humans are a substantial minority. We even have a wolf, although if she doesn¡¯t pick up her grades, there might be questions regarding her academic career.¡±


    The platters floated onto the table, positioning themselves at equal distances from each other. Once uncovered, mice of various colors poured out, running chaotically in all directions. Instinctively, the avatar pulled back, capturing half a dozen of them with aether shield spells. All the cats stared at him.


    ¡°You¡¯re really going to eat all of those?¡± one of them asked.


    The avatar looked at the cat, then at the mice he had captured. There was no telling which of the many etiquette faux pas he had broken, but it was obvious he had created a bad impression.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he said with an apologetic smile, popping all six aether spheres, allowing the rodents to return to the chaos below. ¡°I¡¯m not used to lively food.¡±


    Diplomatic silence continued for several seconds more.


    ¡°Well,¡± the black cat continued after a while. ¡°These are apprentice mages Yva, Sandrian, and Ellis.¡±


    Hearing three distinct names, the avatar looked in the direction of the entrance. The door had closed, yet there didn¡¯t seem to be any other apprentice there. Confused, he turned to the two apprentices when he saw it¡ªa small white kitten curled up on the man¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°They¡¯ll assist you in preparing for the challenge to come,¡± Ilgrym went on. ¡°After we¡¯re done snacking, naturally.¡±


    The multi-colored mice kept on running all over the table, only to be snatched by the seated cats. It was notable that at no point did any of them fall or leap off the wooden surface. Apparently, this was a feline¡¯s idea of dinner, which they did with unique elegance as they gnawed into their snacks of choice.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait¡­¡± the avatar leaned back.

 (Book 3) 2. Cats and Weddings—Every Dungeons Nightmare

    ¡°Hey look!¡± A boy no older than fifteen pointed at one of the hundreds of wandering eyes that floated throughout the city.


    Even to someone accustomed to magic, the aethereal eyeball only went to confirm that Rosewind was the best city ever. It seemed that every day there was something new to discover. From royal griffins and airships, to a divine citadel, hundreds of adventurer guilds, and even the massive slimes hiding in wells and water tunnels. There was no better way for anyone to start an adventuring career.


    Noticing the boy, the eyeball shifted direction, moving in closer.


    ¡°Hey there,¡± it said. ¡°Have you seen a woman with glasses?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± the boy blinked, not expecting to be addressed.


    ¡°A tall woman in elegant blue clothes wearing glasses,¡± the eyeball elaborated. ¡°Have you seen her?¡±


    Dumbfounded, the boy shook his head.


    ¡°How long have you been here?¡±


    ¡°A few days¡­¡± the boy managed to say.


    ¡°I mean on that spot!¡± the eyeball snapped, annoyed. ¡°How long have you been sitting on that spot?¡±


    ¡°A few hours?¡± The boy suggested, unsure what answer the magic manifestation wanted to hear.


    ¡°Stupid tourists,¡± the eyeball flew off to search through a different part of the city.


    It was annoying how difficult Spok could be to find if she set her mind to it. Theo had been searching for the last hour and still without result. The dungeon had tried talking to her directly; he had made signs form on most of the buildings in the city; he had even resorted to spying magic and yet his spirit guide remained elusive.


    Everything pointed to her being in Duke Rosewind¡¯s castle. As one of the few structures not belonging to the dungeon, it was impossible to say what was going on inside. To confound matters even more, neither Cmyk, nor any of his useless apprentices were reachable either.


    Just great! Baron D¡¯Argent¡¯s mansion shook.


    He desperately needed some assistance. Up till now, his avatar was having a bizarre and utterly fruitless conversation in the Feline Tower. The cats were obviously trying to impress him, but their efforts had missed the mark by a mile. Watching them eat ¡°various flavored¡± living mice had been unexpected, though not nearly enough compared to what had followed.


    With the archmage snoozing off again, Ilgrym had taken it upon himself to ¡°touch upon¡± a few of the basic rules regarding the expected challenge. As any self-respecting academic, he would go on a tangent every few sentences, discussing ancient mage history, relations between past and present towers¡ªincluding notable mages¡ªand magic principles that had more gobbledygook in them than Switches¡¯ research notes.


    Theo had initially tried to follow the cat¡¯s train of thought but had quickly given up, resorting to the familiar practice of blankly nodding.


    As more of the wandering eyes popped or failed to find Spok in the respective area of the city, the dungeon focused all of his attention on the duke¡¯s castle. He knew from personal experience that the noble had a number of anti-spy enchantments mounted within the structure¡¯s walls¡ªeven more since the zombie letter event. Even brute force was unlikely to succeed. Thus, Theo was forced to concentrate on the weakest link¡ªthe human factor.


    Dozens of floating eyeballs clustered around the entrances and windows of the castle, continuously staring inside. All that was left now was someone from the castle to notice and feel uncomfortable enough about it to tell the duke about it.


    ¡°And that¡¯s the brief of it,¡± the black cat finished his long exposition. ¡°Hardly a challenge for you, valued benefactor.¡±


    ¡°Well done, Ilgrym,¡± Esmeralda said, gnawing on a purple mouse. ¡°If he were going to a magic congregation. No one cares about that crap! The important thing is to enter the tower!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good for the tower to show a modicum of decorum.¡± The black cat¡¯s whiskers twitched. ¡°Just because we¡¯re animals, we mustn¡¯t act like such!¡±


    A hissing contest emerged with both mages aggressively meowing insults at each other. The occurrence must have been rather common, for the majority of other cats didn¡¯t seem in the least bothered. Even Gillian continued snacking with as little as a glance.


    ¡°You can leave the table if you want,¡± a soft female voice whispered into the avatar¡¯s ear.


    Turning to his left, the baron saw Sandrian had bent down next to him. In the dungeon¡¯s mind the voice didn¡¯t match at all with the man, but he was the last person to judge.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that you¡¯ll learn much here. We¡¯ve gathered all available resources in the learning chambers below.¡±


    At this point, the avatar noticed that the words weren¡¯t coming from the man, but the kitten on his shoulder. The small creature seemed to look at him in mild amusement, its cyan blue eyes glowing with magic.


    Switching from listening to a bunch of cats to listening to another cat didn¡¯t fill Theo with enthusiasm. Then again, he didn¡¯t see it going any worse than at present, so he discreetly stood up with a quiet excuse and left the hall.


    As the door closed behind him, drowning out the angry mews, the avatar felt an ounce of relief.


    ¡°Sorry about them,¡± the cat said. ¡°They¡¯re always like that. Even worse, behind closed doors.¡±


    ¡°She only gets to say that because she¡¯s the archmage¡¯s granddaughter,¡± Sandrian said with a slight smile. His voice was just as deep as the dungeon pictured it to be. ¡°But she¡¯s not wrong. They¡¯re almost unrecognizable when they¡¯re trying to impress someone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it,¡± the avatar muttered.


    ¡°We¡¯re really, really thankful to you, sir,¡± the other girl joined in. Theo remained uncertain whether she was Yva or Ellis. ¡°Thanks to your sponsorship, we got a second study wing.¡±


    The white cat on Sandrian¡¯s shoulder flicked her tail a few times. For some reason, she didn¡¯t seem particularly happy with the comment.


    Walking down a winding stone staircase, the group descended half a dozen floors before entering a wide-open space. The similarities to a modern office area were uncanny. The vast room was divided into subsections by waist-high stone dividers. The majority were full of scrolls and tomes, with a few reserved for beds¡ªcat and human alike¡ªand a glassed off area that suspiciously resembled a meeting room.


    ¡°Watch your feet,¡± the human girl was quick to say. ¡°Everyone leaves things lying about.¡±


    The avatar looked down. The floor was an unmitigated disaster, covered in equal measure with scrolls, balls of yarn, and unspecified devices of various nature. No wonder that in this world, mages were considered the natural enemy or order.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t anything flying about?¡± he asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s forbidden for apprentices,¡± the girl explained.


    ¡°Something to look forward to, I guess.¡±


    To Theo¡¯s surprise, the area seemed a lot emptier than he expected. All in all, there were barely a dozen cats and a few more humans, all of which were working on something, surrounded by scrolls. Magic symbols were being drawn on a blackboard so large that it would make Switches envious.


    ¡°Finals?¡± the baron turned to his escort.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± All three looked at him, confused.


    ¡°I mean, I expected there to be a lot more apprentices,¡± Theo quickly added.


    ¡°This is the star pupil section,¡± the white cat explained. ¡°Only the best of the best live here. The rest are on the floors below. Closer to the kitchen.¡±


    Sandrian chuckled at the comment.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad,¡± the girl said, apologetically. ¡°At least it¡¯s far from the research wing.¡±


    No one noticed as the avatar was led to a relatively clean area of the chamber. Looking at their dedication was almost heartwarming, or it would have been if the dungeon gave a damn. Right now, there were only two things on his mind: how to get in touch with Spok and to get this whole magic challenge over with.


    With an elegant motion of his hand, Sandrian summoned a small table, and just enough chairs for everyone to sit. The cat on his shoulder didn¡¯t seem particularly impressed, for she leaped straight onto the marble surface.


    The human girl soon followed with a series of spells, each of which brought a large book to the table as well.


    ¡°So, let¡¯s get started,¡± the white cat said.


    ¡°Please.¡± The avatar offered himself a smile. Finally, someone who had a proper attitude.


    ¡°What are you familiar with?¡± She looked up at the baron.


    ¡°There¡¯s a tower that appears every ten years,¡± he said, then paused.


    Ideally, this was the point at which any of the apprentice mages were supposed to jump in. Instead, silence reigned, only broken by the continuous sound of summoned books.


    ¡°And I was volunteered to participate on the part of the Feline Tower,¡± the avatar added.


    Several more seconds passed in silence.


    ¡°And something about tower relations and etiquette and such¡­¡± he waved his hand. ¡°Oh, and only humans are allowed to enter.¡±


    Even the summoning of books stopped. The apprentices stared at him, as if they¡¯d seen a spectacularly bad train wreck. The despair on their faces was apparent to the point that Theo himself felt like an imposter that had been found out.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± The cat broke the silence.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t exactly come here on my own accord,¡± the dungeon went on the defensive. ¡°Up till today, I didn¡¯t even know about the tower.¡±


    ¡°But you know about Archmage Gregord, at least?¡± the human girl said in hope. ¡°Right?¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°Just that he was a powerful mage and part time hero,¡± Theo didn¡¯t even bother to pretend.


    ¡°But you¡¯re supposed to be a famous adventurer with a vast knowledge of the world,¡± the girl went on. ¡°You¡¯ve faced countless dangers and defeated monsters more powerful than entire kingdoms.¡±


    Apparently, the arch council hadn¡¯t shared their findings regarding Theo¡¯s true nature. That was somewhat good, although it didn¡¯t do much to temper the expectations they had. Technically, everything the girl had said was true. He had faced creatures that, at one point or another, could have destroyed kingdoms. Left unchecked, there was a good chance that they would have taken over the entire world. Yet, he had to admit that his victories were a combination of luck, fast thinking, and good support¡­ mostly luck. He wasn¡¯t some deranged swashbuckling adventurer that set out to face all these challenges, no matter what his skills claimed. All he ever wanted was to be left alone.


    ¡°There was barely any magic involved,¡± the avatar said. ¡°One was a maniacal gnome affected by demonic power and the other was an abomination. Oh, and there were a bunch of necromancers as well, but they didn¡¯t do much.¡±


    The precursors of tears formed in the girl¡¯s eyes, as if she¡¯d had the image of an idol destroyed.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°What about Gregord¡¯s key?¡± the cat interrupted. ¡°How¡¯d you get that?¡±


    ¡°Oh. It was given to me as a gift for saving some town from brigands.¡±


    ¡°Just like that?¡±


    ¡°Yep, just like that.¡±


    The tower quest hadn¡¯t even started and already Theo''s feelings on the matter went from bad to worse. As Esmeralda had correctly said, the arch council viewed him as a human who had obtained one of Gregord¡¯s keys, nothing more.


    ¡°It¡¯s a series of trials, right?¡± Theo took the initiative.


    ¡°Well, yes¡­¡±


    ¡°And by completing them, I move from floor to floor?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°Then what is there to it? All I need is to complete the trials and make it out in one piece.¡±


    It was difficult to imagine that there could be anything quieter than silence, but somehow, he had managed to achieve it. The apprentices remained in a near petrified state, uncertain how to react. Having limited interaction with the real world, they weren¡¯t accustomed to the unpredictable. The dungeon, in contrast, had experienced so much randomness since his rebirth that he thrived on it.


    ¡°Listen, Yva,¡± he turned to the white cat. ¡°You¡¯re Yva, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Ellis.¡± The cat flicked its tail in annoyance.


    ¡°Ellis, it¡¯s not like either of us has any alternative. Even if I know nothing, the archmage will still send me. And the less I know, the greater the chance that I mess up and make the tower look pathetic, just like ten years ago.¡±


    The tone was a bit forceful, but there was no arguing with the facts. Even if Ellis was barely a kitten back then, she still remembered the shame that the previous challenger¡¯s death had brought. Mages had been grumbling for years, taking it out on their apprentices both in lectures and everyday duties. Even her grandfather had taken it hard, isolating himself in his room for seven full months.


    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Sandrian said. ¡°He¡¯ll be sent tomorrow. We all know it. Best thing we could do is help him learn as much as possible.


    ¡°By tomorrow?¡± the cat tilted her head. ¡°I¡¯d say that¡¯s impossible, but who knows? He did save the world twice¡­¡± Ellis leapt on her feet, then took a few steps to the nearest stack of books. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start with the basics. The tower is believed to be composed of nine floors. Each floor contains at least one trial that must be completed before the person could proceed to the next.¡±


    ¡°Clear so far.¡± The avatar nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s strongly suggested that the trials might require several people to be completed.¡±


    ¡°Interesting.¡± The baron stroked his chin. ¡°Sounds like one of those cooperatively competitive trials.¡±


    ¡°Competitively cooperative,¡± Yva corrected. ¡°Competition is the main focus, yet the tasks require cooperation so that the group continues forward. It¡¯s one of the interpersonal behaviors that Archmage Gregord researched during his time as a hero.¡±


    All eyes focused on the girl.


    ¡°But of course, you know that,¡± she looked down, visibly ashamed by the awkwardness she had created.


    ¡°Is there a participant limit?¡± the avatar asked.


    ¡°Every tower is allowed to send one participant. Additionally, any mage in the possession of a Gregord key can join in for free.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been the practice of the powerful towers to go key searching when the challenge gets near,¡± Sandrian added.


    Of course they would, Theo thought. That was a clear way to game the system. Why send a single person when you could send an entire team?


    ¡°All who fail the trial are spat out with no memory of what happened inside,¡± Ellis continued. ¡°Sometimes they do so with items from inside.¡±


    Theo leaned forward, listening intently.


    ¡°And that¡¯s it with the basics,¡± the cat said in anticlimactic fashion.


    ¡°Wait. That¡¯s all?¡± the avatar asked. ¡°I got all that upstairs!¡±


    ¡°Those are the basics,¡± Ellis replied and started licking her paw.


    ¡°Well, what¡¯s all this, then?¡± The avatar pointed at the stacks of books.


    ¡°Every spell, theory, diary note and recorded instance of Archmage Gregor that the tower¡¯s managed to get its paws on.¡± The cat looked back at him with her glowing blue eyes. ¡°What did you think it was? As I just told you, all memories about the tower stay in the tower. All information we have is based on what was written in the mage¡¯s will, plus the things that the mage community has reached a consensus on. For example, if a tower sends several participants, only one of them is allowed to cross the first floor¡¯s threshold. It¡¯s also accepted that the keyholders are an exception to that rule.¡±


    Finally, Theo got a glimpse of the actual picture. Back in his previous life, it was said that to know a person, one had to examine his entire life. It was no different here. Everything created, written or experienced by Gregord provided a clue regarding his way of thinking, likes, dislikes, attitude on life and magic, and so on. Seeing how much there was, the Feline Tower must have spent decades collecting the information. Given that it was considered a ¡°new¡± tower, other mage organizations probably had amassed a lot more. It was physically impossible for Theo to read through all that, let alone remember it!


    ¡°Just out of curiosity,¡± he said, opening the nearest tome. ¡°How much of this have you read?¡±


    ¡°All of it,¡± Yva said with pride. ¡°Except the restricted tomes. Only full mages are allowed access to such material.¡±


    ¡°Unless you¡¯re the archmage¡¯s granddaughter,¡± Sandrian said and scratched the cat behind the left ear.


    ¡°I just glimpsed at a few, okay?¡± Ellis protested, but didn¡¯t move away.


    ¡°How much of this is part of the restricted tomes?¡±


    The apprentices looked at each other, suggesting that likely none of it was.


    Just great, Theo grumbled to himself. They had snatched him here to do the impossible and even then didn¡¯t bother to provide him with the appropriate tools. Sadly, beggars didn¡¯t get to be choosers. As the saying went: if life gives you common tomes, you¡¯ve no choice but to read what you got.


    A few minutes in, the dungeon had lost all desire to even try. The tome he¡¯d taken brought boring to a new level. Specifically, the first twenty pages were nothing more than Gregord¡¯s philosophical musing on the tonal frequency of spells. There were no practical applications, no groundbreaking theories, just a long list of metaphors comparing magic to bat calls, moonlight, raindrop ripples, and even less obvious phenomena.


    Thankfully, while suffering through the reading material, back in Rosewind, the floating eyeballs had finally caught Spok¡¯s attention. It had only taken one glance from a castle¡¯s window for her to go to the nearest part of the wall belonging to Theo and place her hand on it.


    ¡°I assume you have a good explanation for this, sir?¡± Spok appeared in the dungeon¡¯s main building.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Theo replied on the spot. ¡°I¡ª¡±


    At this point, hesitation caught up to him. Given the events of an hour ago, he had a pretty good idea that she was displeased with his attitude towards her. Appropriate or not, the notion of getting married clearly meant a great deal to the spirit guide. If Theo were to ignore the topic yet again and bombard her with questions regarding his current predicament, things might get complicated. Gone was the time when he could just bark questions and expect answers. Instead, he had to approach the situation with a bit more tact.


    ¡°I¡¯ve considered your request,¡± the dungeon corrected itself. ¡°And I agree.¡±


    Spok¡¯s glasses slid halfway down her nose.


    ¡°You¡­ agree, sir?¡± Although delighted, she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that Theo had capitulated unusually fast, almost suspiciously so.


    ¡°I can¡¯t deny that you have done a splendid job, taking care of the little things,¡± he said in what was supposed to be a compliment. ¡°You deserve some joy of your own, and a moderately long break.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I really don¡¯t know what to say, sir. Thank you.¡± Spok pushed up her glasses. ¡°This really means a lot.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Also, I have some good news and some bad news.¡±


    ¡°Bad news, sir?¡± The moment of calm and joy quickly vanished, along with the change in the spirit guide¡¯s tone. ¡°What bad news?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s start with the good news. Since this is a one-of-a-kind occasion, I¡¯ll be sparing no expense and effort to make your wedding the greatest the town has known!¡± pieces of furniture lifted into the air, forming what could be described as a clunky smile. ¡°I¡¯ll order Switches to build a few airships to announce the event as well as¡­ well, anything else you¡¯d like him to make.¡± He paused for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll also have Cmyk spin enough gold to buy and hire all the best people for the occasion.¡±


    While the promise only served to increase Spok¡¯s suspicions, she was practical enough to view the situation as what it was. It was obvious that the dungeon was going to ask for a favor, but as long as he offered all that, there was no reason to refuse.


    ¡°There¡¯s no risk that the city will be destroyed, is there, sir?¡± She narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°What? Of course not! How can you even ask?!¡± All the pieces of furniture floated back down, as the dungeon pretended to feel insulted.


    ¡°In that case, you wouldn¡¯t mind to set the wedding date for two weeks from now? Just in case, sir.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s perfectly fine.¡±


    ¡°Very well. So, what¡¯s the bad news?¡±


    ¡°Well, it so happens that I¡¯ve been summoned to the Feline Tower,¡± Theo began. ¡°They were kind enough to offer me two fully charged mana gemstones for a minor favor on my part.¡±


    If Spok had an actual stomach, it would be hurting her right now. That¡¯s how things usually started. The dungeon would ask an innocent question, which would be followed by another, and another, at which point it would turn out that he had rushed straight into a catastrophe he knew nothing about. Using the words ¡°summoned¡± and ¡°Feline Tower¡± was already a bad sign. Mages and dungeons weren¡¯t known to be enemies, but they didn¡¯t get along particularly well, either. Both species considered themselves superior and had the occasional bad apple that wanted to take over the world and enslave everyone in sight. The two sides almost instinctively kept far from each other, only occasionally resorting to the occasional business transaction.


    ¡°By you, I assume you mean Baron d¡¯Argent?¡± Spok asked.


    ¡°Naturally.¡± Theo found no need to admit that the cat council knew of his true nature. ¡°Apparently, there¡¯s this tower of some ancient wizard that appears every ten years, and I¡¯m to go inside and complete a series of trials.¡±


    ¡°Trials?¡± Spok trembled. ¡°In a mage tower?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± he assured her. ¡°It¡¯s a special mage tower! Everything inside is erased from memory, so even if someone uncovers my avatar, they won¡¯t be able to do anything about it because they¡¯ll forget.¡±


    A heroic dungeon avatar in a mage tower¡­ Spok would have considered the sentence the start of a passably good joke if it didn¡¯t describe Theo¡¯s nature to the letter. It took unnatural skill to string together this many impossibilities in a single event. It was a miracle in itself that the deities hadn¡¯t intervened. Although, with Paris establishing her greatest cathedral thanks to Theo, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising for him to get a pass. Then again, it was thanks to the dungeon¡¯s unusual nature that Spok had received so much autonomy, her own avatar, and now her very own grand wedding.


    ¡°How may I assist you, sir?¡±


    ¡°For starters, do you know any spells that might speed up reading?¡±


    ¡°You want a spell that would make you read faster?¡± Spok resisted openly sighing. ¡°That might be difficult, sir. Dungeons don¡¯t normally read. Shouldn¡¯t your swiftness spell be enough for that?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking something more along the lines of me acquiring the information within the books without having to read them.¡±


    ¡°Must the source of this knowledge remain intact?¡±


    Within the Feline Tower, the dungeon¡¯s avatar turned to Allis.


    ¡°Are these the only copies?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Why?¡± the white cat replied.


    ¡°I might have a way of consuming all the knowledge within, but I¡¯ll have to destroy them.¡±


    Across the table, Yva turned three shades paler at the suggestion.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Ellis didn¡¯t seem to particularly care. ¡°Go ahead if that helps.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Theo told Spok back in his main body.


    ¡°In that case, there¡¯s this¡­¡±


    KNOWLEDGE CONSUMPTION


    Spend 10 energy, devour a book, scroll, or scholar in order to obtain all the information within. All information and knowledge will be converted into a memory, regardless of its accuracy and validity.


    ¡°Thank you, Spok!¡± The baron¡¯s mansion beamed with joy. ¡°You¡¯re a lifesaver! Go ahead and tell the duke the good news and start planning your wedding. I¡¯ll get this done and have my avatar back in a few days!¡±


    Meanwhile, the universe that Theo had plagued with the many exceptions he constantly created abruptly flipped by a hundred and eighty degrees.


    The very same evening, a glaring flaw in Theo¡¯s plan became apparent.

 (Book 3) 3. All Mages Welcome, Cats Need not Apply

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe they won¡¯t let my avatar go!¡± the dungeon complained.


    With Spok out at the duke¡¯s castle working to make her grand announcement and Switches being conveniently busy at the city¡¯s airshipyard, Cmyk was the only one left listening¡ªsomething the minion only did begrudgingly.


    Having the doors slam and furniture float about had become a common occurrence. Rarely had Theo been as furious as he was right now at the bureaucratic absurdity of circumstances. The Feline Tower had provided him with all the materials that might aid him in completing his task. Also, Spok had found an extremely useful spell that would allow him to obtain all the knowledge without individually reading every book. And yet, the cat council refused to let his avatar return to his main body to obtain that skill.


    For the first time in his creation, his exaggerated reputation had come to bite him in the metaphorical ass. All the cats that mattered considered him a cunning, powerful entity, who was using the explanation as an excuse to flee the tower and never be seen again. The more Theo insisted that he only wanted to obtain his skill, only made the arch council more adamant in their stance. Even when he had tried to explain that they could reveal his secret should he not return, or even sick the hero guild on him, they had provided him with charts and formulas depicting where he could run off to with the current amount of magical energy he possessed.


    As a result, the avatar had spent what was left of the day, and the night that followed, attempting to go through the books manually. At present, he was halfway through the second one and not an ounce smarter.


    ¡°Do I look like a scam artist to you?¡± Theo asked Cmyk in his main body. ¡°Do you see me dropping everything I¡¯ve achieved here, just to teleport to a hole in the ground who-knows-where?¡±


    If the minion had the ability to talk, he definitely wouldn¡¯t have. This was the epitome of a trick question if there ever was one. For one thing, the dungeon had already done that when threatened once before. Furthermore, given that a moment wouldn¡¯t pass without Theo complaining about noise, adventurers, or something else, one had to wonder if this last quest didn¡¯t end up being the proverbial straw that broke the camel¡¯s back.


    ¡°Treating me as a common criminal.¡± Several doors within the building slammed. ¡°I ought to leave just to show them!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re doing no such thing, I hope, sir,¡± Spok said through her core pendant. Since the dungeon had agreed to her request, the spirit guide had once again returned to her normal duties. ¡°Not with the announcement to be made in the next few minutes.¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡± Theo grumbled. But I ought to, he added mentally.


    Meanwhile, his avatar kept reading the same sentence over and over as he had been for the last ten minutes. The dungeon¡¯s rickety train of thought was further wrecked by the sudden appearance of a fluff cloud a few feet away.


    ¡°How¡¯s progress?¡± the archmage asked, using the cloud as a pillow. ¡°Ready to take on the legendary tower?¡±


    Ellis snorted while the two mage apprentices subtly leaned as far away from the dungeon¡¯s avatar as they could. The girl and the large apprentice had been taking turns encouraging the baron in the hopes that would increase his reading speed. Considering the result, their efforts ranged between useless and counterproductive.


    ¡°Yes.¡± The baron closed the book he was reading. ¡°Just refreshing my memory.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way he¡¯d survive,¡± Ellis said unapologetically.


    The avatar gave the small white cat an angry glare, but that only seemed to encourage her further.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t even know the sequence of Gregord¡¯s favorite colors, let alone¡ª¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± the old cat interrupted. ¡°You raise a good point. It would be difficult to remember all the information after a single cram session.¡± The cloud circled the table, stopping just above the spot Ellis was curled up at. ¡°It would be reckless to pin all our hopes on a single person, no matter how exceptional he is.¡± He paused for a few coughs. ¡°You¡¯ll join him.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Ellis jumped to her feet as if the table beneath her had abruptly heated up.


    ¡°It¡¯s only natural, since you¡¯ve been constantly referring to yourself as the tower¡¯s utmost Gregord expert.¡± The sarcastic note of disapproval was unmistakable.


    ¡°Grandpa! That was just talk! You know that I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Tut, tut, tut.¡± The old white cat flicked his tail.


    ¡°Archmage,¡± Ellis quickly corrected herself. ¡°Yva knows a lot more.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, maybe not. Unlike you, she¡¯s a human. She could never pass as the baron¡¯s familiar.¡±


    With such an intonation, it wouldn¡¯t have been out of place if the archmage broke out in a bout of maniacal laughter. However, he did the next best thing, which was to rush everyone to get prepared for the event.


    Being dressed appropriately in the colors and symbols of the Feline Tower was, apparently, just as important as the event itself. Back in his main body, Theo would have taken less than a minute to magic on the appropriate attire. As usual, the arch council spent most of the time arguing about everything from color combinations to the location and order of the magical symbols.


    Theo was honestly relieved once the portal to the mage tower finally emerged.


    ¡°Best of luck, valued benefactor,¡± Ilgrym said ahead of a large procession that accompanied him. ¡°Remember, etiquette above everything else.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Of course,¡± the avatar muttered. ¡°Won¡¯t any of you be joining us to the site?¡±


    ¡°The rules prohibit any mages other than challengers from being in the vicinity of the tower while it appears,¡± the black cap explained. ¡°Thanks to your unique circumstances, you¡¯re more than welcome to contact us should you require any assistance.¡±


    ¡°I thought that wasn¡¯t allowed.¡±


    ¡°It probably isn¡¯t, but there¡¯s nothing wrong in trying.¡± Ilgrym¡¯s whiskers twitched. ¡°At least that way we¡¯ll know for sure one way or the other.¡±


    ¡°Thanks¡­¡± Even after his death, Theo failed to escape the life of a corporate drone he¡¯d been subjected to in the past.


    ¡°And you better be at your best behavior, Apprentice,¡± the black cat glanced at Ellis, who was seated on the avatar¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re not only representing the Feline Tower, but your family and the Archmage as well!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the white cat replied with the enthusiasm of an under-slept student before an exam.


    Out of habit, Theo cast an identify spell on the portal.


    SPACE PORTAL Level 7


    Radius: 5 feet


    A condensed aether portal, created by a proprietary high-level spell, that allows instant transport between two points, following the principles of the dimension carry items. Since the magic is self-contained, it cannot be negated.


    The space portal must constantly be powered by an energy source in the immediate vicinity.


    The level was impressively high, despite the small size of the shimmering circle. It was the last part of the description that caught Theo¡¯s attention. The lack of visible energy source made it clear that it wasn¡¯t the cats that had created the portal, but an external entity.


    Once the avatar stepped through, he saw exactly how right he was. A tower hundreds of feet tall stood nearby, its very walls made entirely of magic.


    The moment he set eyes on it, the dungeon¡¯s nature kicked in, estimating the amount of energy and core points he could obtain should he consume it. Several attempts were made to identify the tower, but regardless of the persistence, there was no result. Clearly, Gregord wasn¡¯t a legendary archmage only in name.


    ¡°Step aside,¡± Ellis whispered into the avatar¡¯s ear. ¡°You¡¯re blocking the entrance.¡±


    It was only at this stage that Theo noticed the less important elements of the scene, namely the people. There were several dozen of them, dressed in mage robes of various colors. Each had the symbol marking the tower they belonged to, none of which meant a thing to the dungeon. One thing that Theo was more than familiar with was the disdain in their eyes.


    Doing his best to keep a low profile, the avatar walked away from the portal. Unfortunately, everyone¡¯s glances followed him as he did so.


    ¡°Never thought I¡¯d see your kind here,¡± a skinny man in orange and red attire said. The emblem embroidered on his short cloak depicted a crown surrounded by three circles. It was a safe bet that his tower had a very high opinion of himself.


    Theo ignored him.


    ¡°Hey!¡± The other stepped up. ¡°You think you can ignore me?¡± He smirked. ¡°Everyone here knows exactly what you are, so don¡¯t try to pretend.¡±


    A sudden chill swept through the dungeon, lowering the temperature of Rosewind by one degree.


    ¡°I¡¯ve no idea what you¡¯re talking about,¡± the avatar said.


    With so many mages in one spot, it was inevitable that at least some of them would figure out he was a dungeon. The threat hadn¡¯t seemed significant since the cats had assured him that all memories made within the tower remained there. Yet, they had omitted to tell him that the trial began outside of it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you?¡± The crown crest mage stood up on his toes in an attempt to diminish the height difference between them.


    Mentally, the dungeon swallowed.


    ¡°You¡¯re unaffiliated!¡± The mage grinned with such glee that one would think he¡¯d revealed a truly shameful secret.


    Several people from those gathered let out a few judgmental laughs, while others pretended to ignore the whole thing.


    ¡°Everyone knows about the so-called Feline Tower. They haven¡¯t had a human mage there since the last one died at this trial.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Theo said in relief. ¡°Guess you caught me. Really sucks to be me.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    It was uncertain whether it was the phrasing or the avatar¡¯s tone that put the crown mage off, but he took a step back. His face abruptly turned red, as two veins pulsed on the side of his temples.


    ¡°You think you¡¯re a big shot, eh?¡± The mage stomped away, fists clenched. ¡°I bet you won¡¯t get to pass the first floor!¡±


    ¡°Ignore him,¡± Ellis whispered. ¡°The old towers have always hated us.¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re cats?¡±


    ¡°That too, but because we¡¯re new.¡± The cat flicked her tail. ¡°Old towers always hate new ones. They call it mage dilution¡ªmore certificates, less quality.¡±


    ¡°How can you tell which is which?¡± He examined the people gathered.


    All the robes seemed equally expensive, falling squarely in the upper-mid range. No one had particularly flashy jewelry, weapons, or anything else that distinguished them from the rest. Two had familiars: a chameleon snake and a blue flying squirrel.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°See the group closest to the tower?¡± Ellis asked. ¡°Those are the old towers. They usually stick together. That way, they can comment on everyone else.¡±


    It was notable that the representatives of the common towers were standing as far away as possible from one another. The avatar moved casually towards a member of the cannonball-and-grapes crested tower, only to have the person move away before he even approached.


    On Theo¡¯s shoulder, Ellis scoffed.


    ¡°Good luck with that,¡± she said. ¡°All of them are hoping to get invited to the group. Keeping away from others like them boosts their chances.¡±


    More candidates kept on arriving through the portal. When they got beyond one hundred, Theo mentally commented that there were too many towers. If it wasn¡¯t for the hatred between them, the mages could have taken the world ages ago.


    At one point, the portal suddenly vanished, indicating the arrival of all candidates. Moments after it occurred, the whispers ended. All turned in the direction of the tower expectantly. The glow surrounding it changed color, turning from purple to light cyan.


    ¡°Welcome, candidates for knowledge,¡± a deep voice boomed from the structure. ¡°All of you have come to follow in the footsteps of the Great Gregord and for that, you are to be praised.¡±


    Smirks appeared on a few faces.


    ¡°In accordance with his will, representatives of all mage towers containing his spells or keys have been transported to the outside of his challenge, but only the worthy will be allowed to set foot inside.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t mention this,¡± the avatar whispered to Ellis.


    Apparently, he wasn¡¯t the only one with doubts. Several groups of mages were openly discussing the new development, just as surprised as he was.


    ¡°What¡¯s the reason for this?¡± a tall blond woman in the old tower group asked. ¡°The tests have always started within the tower.¡±


    ¡°What happens in the tower remains in the tower,¡± the voice boomed in reply. ¡°When the Great Gregord constructed the tower, he only intended for eighteen hopefuls to partake in his trials: six by skill and six by luck. Up to today, your numbers were reasonable enough to allow the candidates to be filtered on the first floor. That is no longer the case.¡±


    ¡°See?!¡± someone shouted. ¡°It¡¯s all because of these new towers! They increased the mage pool to a breaking point!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only fair that candidates are determined by chronological order,¡± a small old mage said. Looking at him, one could say that he was well over a century old, leaning against his staff for support. ¡°That would be fair.¡±


    ¡°Sure, grandpa!¡± A young mage shouted at him, waving his fist. ¡°How about we go with potential?¡±


    ¡°Actually, he¡¯s right,¡± the blonde woman agreed. ¡°Chronological order of the towers that the candidates are from. Towers that have existed for millennia should have preference over those that have been around for a decade or two.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re only saying that because you bought your tower!¡± A large man crossed his arms.


    ¡°Agreed upon magical merger is considered perfectly legal,¡± the blonde narrowed her eyes. ¡°And accepted by the magical society at large.¡±


    The bickering continued, with claims and counterclaims piling on. Spells flashed on and off, though more for show than actual threats. No one could come to an agreement, until the tower let out a flash of light, covering everyone with silence.


    ¡°Only the twelve strongest mages will be allowed to pass,¡± the tower continued, utterly ignoring everything said so far. ¡°Thus, you¡¯ll have to undergo the Great Gregord¡¯s three-door-trial.¡± The door leading to the tower turned emerald green. ¡°A check of strength, a check of speed, and a check of knowledge. Each of you will be given one chance and one chance alone, so give it your all.¡±


    ¡°What happens if less than eighteen people make it through the doors?¡± Theo¡¯s avatar asked.


    Everyone looked at him as if he were wearing shorts at a black-tie event.


    ¡°Once the three-door has appeared, only the worthy would be allowed,¡± the tower replied. ¡°If all are proved wanting, only the lucky three last ones will be granted entry. Who will be first?¡±


    An interesting loophole, or it seemed so. Theo could see through the deception. Already mages were considering how to game the system by being last, but that was nothing more than an illusion. If someone was so weak as to fail the easiest trial, there was no way they¡¯d progress much further.


    A confident man of the old tower group stepped up to the door.


    ¡°So, I just need to hit the door with my greatest spell?¡± he asked, cracking his fingers.


    ¡°The spell is not of importance, just the amount of effort,¡± the tower replied.


    Without warning, a massive bolt of lightning shot out from his fingers, striking the door¡¯s surface. The light was so bright that even Theo had to shield his eyes.


    ¡°Magni-Lightning.¡± Ellis leaped onto the baron¡¯s head, intrigued by the display. ¡°Eighth level. Was one of Gregord¡¯s favorites during his early years. Most people need three years of dedicated study to learn and at least¡ª¡±


    The door turned red. ¡°Rejected.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± the mage shouted. ¡°What do you mean rejected?! Didn¡¯t you see the spell I used? Only a prodigy is able to cast a spell of such complexity!¡±


    In response, a space portal formed on the ground beneath the man¡¯s feet, causing him to drop out. If nothing else, mages were definitely strict with their rules and requirements.


    ¡°Next,¡± the tower boomed as the door went back to being green.


    None of the mages dared step forward. It wasn¡¯t just that a mage from an ancient tower had been rejected, but a prodigy that had cast a spell that most of the present couldn¡¯t dream to match. Seemingly, he had done everything correct: the spell was powerful, complex, and was created by Archmage Gregord. And still, that had been deemed insufficient.


    Might as well go ahead, the dungeon thought. Normally, he¡¯d view this as a means to get out of his deal with the Feline Tower, but unfortunately, his brief chat with the cat archmage had made it clear that anything less than a valiant attempt would be viewed poorly.


    Surrounded by utter silence, the avatar approached the door.


    ¡°Spok,¡± the dungeon said through the core pendant. ¡°Any thoughts on what might be considered a strong spell?¡±


    On the surface, the correct solution was to use the open spell he had acquired through the consumption of Gregord¡¯s key. A door was a door, after all. As it had been demonstrated, though, the obvious choices weren¡¯t always correct.


    ¡°In what sense, sir?¡± the spirit guide asked. The slight change in intonation suggested that she didn¡¯t appreciate being disturbed at present.


    ¡°Just strong,¡± Theo replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s too vague to give an adequate answer, sir. It could be anything from destructive power to complexity. You¡¯d have to provide additional details.¡±


    Clearly it wasn¡¯t complexity. Ellis had attested to that. Destructive power didn¡¯t seem to be the answer, either. Lightning magic was among the more destructive¡­ unless the show off hadn¡¯t intentionally preserved his mana. After all, the tower had told them to give their all.


    ¡°Thank you, Spok,¡± the dungeon said as the avatar brought his hand to the green surface. Using a common fireball was tempting, but it ran the risk of ruining the baron¡¯s clothes, so he chose to cast an ice spell instead.


    Normally, he¡¯d dedicate a hundred energy to the spell, but given that a lot of big shots were present, he chose to up the ante up to a thousand.


    A freezing ray emerged from his hand, striking the door. There was nothing flashy about it. Most of the mages probably didn¡¯t manage to get a glimpse. The thing no one could ignore was the door opening.


    ¡°Accepted,¡± the tower boomed. ¡°As the first to dedicate over a hundred mana to a spell, you will be presented with one hint at a time of your choosing. Now, enter.¡±


    So, it was mana, Theo thought as he casually made his way into the tower. The moment he crossed the threshold, the door slammed behind him.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t very smart.¡± Ellis said, moving down from the baron¡¯s head back to his left shoulder. ¡°You overdid it.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot more mana from where that came from.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the point. Showing off early makes you a target.¡± The cat flicked her tail.


    ¡°Well, what¡¯s done is done.¡± Theo¡¯s thoughts were focused elsewhere. While his avatar proceeded to the second part of the entrance trial, the whole of Rosewind was witness to the greatest announcement of the last few decades: the planned union between Duke Rosewind and Baron d¡¯Argent¡¯s steward¡ªSpok d¡¯Esprit.


    Other than being ridiculously loud, the event was a topic of gossip and conversation. Opinions varied, but for the most part, the general populace approved. If anything, it was the duke that they saw as being the lucky one.


    Suddenly, the sky thundered with massive explosions. Three small airships burst into green flames, causing the local griffin population to fill the air with loud screeches. For a moment, it almost seemed as if the city was on the verge of another massive disaster, when the flames changed shape, spelling out the words ¡°Congratulations, Spork!¡±


    Spork? the dungeon couldn¡¯t help but wonder. ¡°Switches!¡± he shouted in that section of his main body that constituted the mechanic lab at the airshipyard. ¡°Was that your idea?¡±


    ¡°Oops.¡± The gnome frowned. ¡°I knew I added one too many r-devices. Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll get it right the second time!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Theo sealed off all entrances. ¡°No second time! Once was enough.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± the gnome asked in disappointment. ¡°It¡¯s really much better at night. The darkness brings out the letters¡¯ true beauty.¡±


    ¡°There will be no more exploding explosions! And before you even think about doing anything of the sort, you pass it through me! Understand?¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­¡± the gnome looked at the floor, like a child who¡¯d be denied dessert. ¡°I¡¯ll get back to working on the mechanic servants¡­¡±


    Considering that fairly innocuous, Theo restored the shipyard¡¯s entrances.


    Meanwhile, his avatar was standing in front of the blue door.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ellis asked.


    ¡°Just a few things on my mind,¡± the avatar replied. ¡°So, what am I supposed to do now?¡±


    ¡°To open the door, you must turn the handle,¡± the tower explained. ¡°Touching the handle will trigger a series of attack spells that will test your reaction speed. If you¡¯re fast enough to avoid their effects and pass through the door, you will continue to the final stage.¡±


    That had to be the speed portion of the spell. It seemed straightforward. Theo didn¡¯t see what the big fuss was. Since he was already in the tower, there was no need to hide his identity further. Everything would, supposedly, be forgotten. Although, to be on the safe side, maybe he should keep up the pretense for as long as possible.


    ¡°I know this one,¡± Ellis said from his shoulder. ¡°Gregord loved speed games, so he devised many speed related traps. The trick is to make use of one hand casting. Just open the door with one hand and concentrate on the other to counter all resulting trap spells.¡±


    The well thought out solution was utterly ignored by Theo. With his attention split between two places, he nodded to everything said, then cast a swiftness ultra spell. For an instant, time froze, allowing him to swiftly press down the handle without consequences, open the door, and step through.


    Before the cat knew it, they were on the other side of the second trial. Behind them, the sound of spells triggering¡ªfar too late¡ªcould be heard. Whoever of the mages outside that was unfortunate enough to pass through the green door was going to have a rather unpleasant surprise. Then again, maybe that was for the better.


    ¡°Did you say something?¡± the avatar asked Ellis, as he made his way forward to a glowing white door.


    ¡°Show off.¡± The cat hissed, curling up on his shoulder. If Baron d¡¯Argent was human, he would have felt four sets of claws sinking into his skin. In the grand scheme of things that didn¡¯t even cause a wound worthy of a point of energy.


    ¡°To open the door of wisdom, you must simply place your hand on its surface and name the most important quality of a mage, according to the Great Gregord,¡± the tower said.


    Finally, here it was¡ªthe first stumbling block Theo faced. If this were his previous life, he¡¯d have tried to brute force the answer. With a few dozen swiftness spells, he could set off on a naming spree that had a good chance of eventually finding the word needed. Unfortunately, he was given just one answer.


    ¡°Ellis?¡± he said, after waiting patiently for several seconds. ¡°Any ideas?¡±


    ¡°Oh, so now you¡¯re asking for advice?¡± The white feline reacted in passive aggressive fashion.


    Being who she was, she didn¡¯t like being ignored, and any other time that would be understandable. Right now, the dungeon didn¡¯t have either the time nor the patience for such games. Also, he had developed a method of dealing with such people thanks to his previous adventures.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll just guess,¡± he reached towards the door.


    ¡°No!¡± the feline leaped off his shoulder in panic. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡±


    ¡°I take it you changed your mind?¡± The avatar looked down at her.


    Ellis paused. The situation was humiliating. As any star pupil, she had always been rather easy going when things were in control. That quickly ended the moment she was reduced to a common assistant. Being designated a ¡°technical familiar¡± was bad enough. Being actually treated as such was worse. Sadly, for the sake of the tower and her grandfather, she had to swallow her pride and do what needed to be done.


    ¡°Luck,¡± she said. ¡°Gregord always considered luck to be the most important quality one could have. Strength, speed, intelligence helps a person to achieve the impossible, but only luck allows them to have a second try once they fail.¡±


    ¡°Luck?¡± That sounded na?ve at best and stupid at worst. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Gregord was a unique mage.¡±


    ¡°Apparently¡­ But isn¡¯t it just¡­ a bit obvious?¡±


    The cat didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°Alright.¡± The avatar placed his hand against the white door. ¡°Luck,¡± he said.


    The door dissolved before him, transforming into a space portal. There was no comment from the tower, no announcement that he had successfully passed the three-door trial, not even a word of encouragement. Curious and suspicious by nature, Theo cast an arcane identify spell.


    EXPULSION PORTAL level 5


    Radius: 5 feet


    Well done, candidate! Most would have fallen for the trick and just continued. The answer you gave might have been right or wrong, but only the wise double check to make sure.


    With this, you are officially welcome to the first floor of Gregord¡¯s Tower.


    Ellis seemed to find the portal¡¯s presence more than enough, taking a step forward. Hardly had she done so when the portal dispersed, shifting back to a door. Only this time, it was open.


    ¡°Good job,¡± the avatar said. A lesser person might have rubbed her face in the mistake just for the sake of it. The dungeon, on the other hand, was a lot more mature, and also knew that he still required her assistance for the actual challenges. ¡°I¡¯ll count on you for the wisdom stuff.¡±


    As both of them walked into the chamber of the tower, this was supposed to be the first joyous occasion of the day¡ªa much needed drop of mirth in what was going to be two weeks of intenseness. Unfortunately, before happiness even got a chance to manifest, Spok appeared in the dungeon¡¯s main building.


    ¡°Sir, we have a serious problem,¡± she said in a hurried voice.


    All the furniture in Baron d¡¯Argent¡¯s mansion shook.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Theo asked. This was the first time he¡¯d seen Spok concerned to such a degree.


    ¡°He¡¯s coming here,¡± she said. ¡°The duke is coming here, and he wants to have a word with you!¡±

 (Book 3) 4. The Great Gregords Magical Tower

    The moment there was a knock on Baron d¡¯Argent¡¯s door, the entire city fell still. All inhabitants¡ªlocals and visitors¡ªcould swear they felt a feeling of unease and anxiety coming from everywhere around.


    Within the baron¡¯s mansion, the spirit guide went to the entrance and opened to the expected visitor. None other than the city¡¯s duke stood outside, dressed in the finest of clothes of red, blue, and orange, depicting his new status.


    ¡°Cecil,¡± the spirit guide said.


    ¡°Spok,¡± the man nodded. ¡°He¡¯s in, I hope?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Spok moved to the side, allowing the duke to enter. ¡°To be precise, he¡¯s here in a manner of speaking. You see, he was called to deal with an urgent magical matter. Naturally, he¡¯ll be joining you by magical means,¡± she stuck to the version that had been agreed upon.


    Technically, everything she said was the truth. Theo¡¯s main body was present. There was no reason for him not to be able to hold a conversation with the duke or anyone else for the matter. All that was needed was a bit of smoke and mirrors.


    ¡°That sounds just like him,¡± the duke said with a smile. ¡°One would think that only he could solve the world¡¯s problems.¡± He stepped in and took off his decorative overgarment.


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Spok adjusted her glasses. ¡°Let me get that for you,¡± she took the man¡¯s coat. ¡°I better leave you to your conversation. He¡¯s waiting for you in the living room. Just¡­ try to have an open mind when seeing him.¡±


    ¡°Have I ever not?¡± Duke Rosewind took Spok¡¯s hand and gently kissed it. ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry. Everything will be fine. It¡¯s just a simple conversation between friends.¡±


    The promise didn¡¯t reassure Spok in the least. For one thing, she suspected that the duke hadn¡¯t come just to have a casual conversation. When he wanted one of those, he¡¯d send Captain Ribbons to get the people he wanted to chat with. For another, it was Theo with whom he was having the conversation with. If there was a way to turn anything into a catastrophe, the dungeon would find it and in record time.


    Closing the door, the woman made her way up the staircase.


    ¡°Please, do come in,¡± Theo said, shifting his voice so that it seemed to originate from the living room.


    Duke Rosewind wasn¡¯t used to have anyone other than the king and a few high-positioned dukes invite him anywhere. Rosewind was his small piece of fiefdom and within it, he ruled supreme with a velvet glove and a mountain of compliments. In this case, though, etiquette and common courtesy demanded that he follow suit.


    Pretending to admire the finer aspects of the paintings and other visible decorations, he made his way to the living room. The room was rather small, but comfortably elegant. Everything from the furniture to the burning fireplace to the selection of bottles on the table had been selected with the utmost care. In fact, the only thing that put the entire scene off was a half-finished mechanical construct that sat in one of the large chairs. Without a doubt, someone had made an effort to recreate Baron d¡¯Argent¡¯s features, though had taken a few shortcuts in the process.


    ¡°Baron?¡± the duke asked, just to be certain.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to excuse my appearance,¡± the construct said, its mouth moving in the fashion that no human mouth should. ¡°Switches was a bit overconfident when he said he could have a replacement ready for your meeting.¡± The construct made a welcoming gesture for his guest to take a seat. ¡°I¡¯d have gone with a wandering eye, myself.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no matter. It¡¯s the gesture that counts.¡± The nobleman took his seat. ¡°Although, would it be at all possible for you to speak without moving your¡­ mouth?¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Theo replied, keeping the construct perfectly still. ¡°I see your point. Anyway, welcome to my home, earl. It¡¯s always a pleasure.¡±


    ¡°Duke,¡± Rosewind corrected. ¡°I got a new title during your brief hiatus from the world. I suspect you know why I¡¯m here?¡±


    On the second floor, Theo felt Spok kick a nearby wall. Mistaking the man¡¯s title at the start of the conversation didn¡¯t bode well.


    ¡°I have my suspicions. Congratulations, by the way. I never expected it possible, to be honest, but we live in interesting times.¡±


    ¡°My dear friend, you must think poorly of your steward.¡± The duke reached for one of the bottles on the table, choosing a rather expensive looking green brandy. ¡°The real miracle is that she remained unmarried until now.¡± He poured himself a glass. ¡°Half the local nobility are openly envious; the other half are just good at hiding it. Would you like some?¡± The man offered.


    Both of them knew that Theo was in no condition to drink, yet good matters demanded that the offer be made.


    ¡°No, thank you,¡± Theo replied.


    In all honesty, he failed to see the man¡¯s fascination with Spok, or anyone else¡¯s for that matter. She was definitely not unbeautiful, and her efficiency with day-to-day chores was second to none, yet never in his wildest dreams could the dungeon describe her as warm or charming. Then again, as the saying went, to each their own.


    ¡°You see, tradition usually dictates that a suiter asks for a woman¡¯s hand from her father.¡± The duke corked the bottle, then took his glass. ¡°When Spok persistently avoided giving me any details regarding her family, I tried to find out on my own. Are you aware of what I discovered?¡±


    The dungeon remained still and silent for five full seconds.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Duke Rosewind took a sip. ¡°Not a single thing, which is incredibly difficult given the talents she displays. The world is full of noble families, past and present, but such skills must be developed for decades. Someone somewhere would have noticed, there would have been gossip, rumors, envious rivals. In her case, there¡¯s nothing.¡±


    The only reason that Theo didn¡¯t swallow was that he feared it would further raise the duke¡¯s suspicions if furniture started floating about.


    ¡°In fact, I wasn¡¯t able to find anything about you or Sir Myk, either,¡± the duke continued. ¡°Three very exceptional individuals who have done more than their share of impressive feats, yet have remained hidden from history. Could you imagine that?¡±


    ¡°You flatter me, Duke.¡± The construct¡¯s face twisted in the guiltiest smile a living or non-living entity could make. ¡°I¡¯m sure there must be dozens of reasons for that.¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡± The duke raised his left hand, while taking another sip of alcohol. ¡°I thought the exact same thing, so I went to have a chat with my good friend the Lionmane¡¯s guildmaster. Any guesses what he told me?¡±


    Theo shook the construct¡¯s head.


    ¡°He told me that you were an adulterated, hundred percent hero in hiding. What do you have to say about that?¡±


    At that precise moment, there was nothing that Theo could think of saying. There were hundreds of ways for the conversation to have continued, yet this wasn¡¯t one of them. All this time, he had considered Rosewind a buffoon whose only skill was to convince others to do all the work for him. That remained true, but the man was also terrifyingly sharp when it came to noticing details. Up till now, he¡¯d not said a word regarding dozens of inconsistencies that surrounded Theo, but he¡¯d never ignored them. It was pure luck that a single piece of paper¡ªthe result of the dungeon avatar enlisting in the Lionmane adventurer guild¡ª had brought him to the wrong conclusion.


    ¡°Good work?¡± Theo responded with the first thing that came to mind.


    ¡°A heroic mage appearing out of the blue in a small town, far from any area of interest,¡± the man continued. ¡°Bringing with him an overqualified sword master and a steward that could run a kingdom without batting an eye.¡± The noble leaned forward. ¡°I know exactly what you¡¯re doing,¡± he said in a hushed tone. ¡°It hasn¡¯t escaped me that you brought a rather exceptional gnome in your employ or that at least one goddess has graced you with her presence.¡± Duke Rosewind then leaned back. ¡°However, that¡¯s not the matter I came to discuss.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not?¡± Theo almost felt relief.


    ¡°No.¡± The duke placed his half empty glass on the table. ¡°I promised Spok a grand wedding, and I intend to keep my word. Since I don¡¯t want to stir her past, or yours, I¡¯ll be asking for her hand from you.¡±


    That¡¯s all? ¡°Of course, you can have it,¡± the dungeon rushed to say.


    ¡°Splendid. I knew you¡¯d agree. We both have Spok¡¯s best interests at heart, after all.¡± The man paused for a few seconds. ¡°I¡¯d also like your assistance to transform the scene of our wedding.¡±


    ¡°Naturally. Anything I could do to help.¡± Spots of water were noticed in buildings throughout the city, as the dungeon broke out in a cold sweat. ¡°I¡¯ll have Switches transform the castle if he has to.¡±


    ¡°I knew I could rely on you, my good friend. It¡¯s not just the castle, though. It¡¯s the entire city.¡±


    ¡°The¡­ the city?¡± The dungeon was so shocked that his voice came out from the walls themselves.


    ¡°If you go big, you might as well go all the way.¡± The duke smiled. ¡°I intend to transform Rosewind into our wedding scene. The whole town will be one big spectacle to be displayed to the world. Hundreds of families have accepted my invitations, if only out of fear not to be left behind. I must admit, I might have gotten slightly overboard.¡±


    No doubt he had gotten the idea from the zombie letter invasion of a few months ago. To make things worse, he seemed rather proud of it.


    ¡°You want the entire city to be transformed within a month?!¡± Theo could barely keep it together.


    ¡°Ah. Well¡­¡±


    The moment of silence made the dungeon even more concerned.


    ¡°Actually, the first guests will be arriving in a week. Possibly five days.¡±


    ¡°Five days?! The announcement was only made a few hours ago!¡±


    ¡°Quite, quite.¡± The duke nodded. ¡°I had a good feeling regarding your response, so I sent out invitations a few weeks ago.¡±


    A strong draft passed through the room, randomly knocking a bottle off the table. There was no scientific or logical reason to assume that dungeons could consume spilled alcohol, but right now, Theo seriously needed a drink.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If you had delayed a lot longer, I¡¯d have sent an explanation that the letters were an aftereffect of the abomination¡¯s curse,¡± the duke explained. ¡°A few neighboring regions had also received one or two, so there¡¯d be no reason for them to doubt it.¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Five days¡­¡±


    ¡°Indeed, not much time, is it?¡± The nobleman finished his drink, then stood up. ¡°I¡¯m sure you have a lot to take care of, so I won¡¯t be taking any more of your time.¡± He made his way towards the entrance. ¡°Do keep me informed how things are going. Oh, and I know that you¡¯re dealing with important matters, but it would mean a lot if you manage to attend the actual ceremony in person.¡±


    When the door closed shut, the dungeon was still speechless.


    ¡°Spok,¡± he began after a while. ¡°Did you know about this?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly, sir,¡± the spirit guide replied from the second floor. ¡°I had been made aware that the ceremony would take place in two weeks. However, Cecil omitted to mention everything else. Although, it¡¯s just like him to invite over a thousand people to the occasion.¡±


    And force me to transform the city¡ªagain¡ªfor it! The dungeon grumbled internally.


    ¡°Not to worry, sir. I¡¯m certain that Cecil doesn¡¯t want you to have everything done in five days.¡±


    So, Cecil is it?


    ¡°Knowing him, he probably wants to impress some of his guests. They only need to see progress.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that all?¡± This sounded painfully like most of the managerial meetings Theo had been present in his previous life.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about a thing, sir.¡± Spok went to the nearest wall and gently patted it. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of everything. You just try to complete your magic quest as quickly as possible. Oh, and please take care of Maximilian. With Cmyk and Switches busy, the responsibility will have to fall on you.¡±


    Without another word, the spirit guide disappeared from the main building, re-emerging in the airship yard.


    ¡°Five days,¡± Theo repeated. It wasn¡¯t just the deadline being ridiculous. After five weeks, even more annoying, obnoxious, nitpicky people would pour in; people who were used to getting their way and whom Theo would have to entertain in some fashion.


    While all this pool of chaos was brewing around the dungeon¡¯s main body, its avatar was dealing with a whole other mess elsewhere in the world.


    After a rather long pause, the first cooperative competitor walked through the white door, entering the first floor waiting room.


    Seated in the largest and most comfortable seat, Baron d¡¯Argent glanced at the new arrival. Much to his dismay, it turned out to be the tall, arrogant woman from outside. Her clothes made it clear she belonged to an ancient tower; her meticulous long blond hair and discreet jewelry suggested that her family was at the very least wealthy, and her raised chin and half-closed eyes made it clear that she viewed the baron as being several hundred levels beneath her.


    ¡°Took you a while,¡± Theo decided to hit her where it hurt.


    The woman humphed and turned her head. Seconds passed, then minutes, with neither addressing the other.


    ¡°You should take a seat,¡± the avatar suggested. ¡°If the next one takes as long as you did, you¡¯ll be standing for a while.¡±


    On his lap, Ellis let out a stifled chuckle.


    The blonde glared at him, then at the seats. There were a total of nineteen, arranged in order of importance. This presented somewhat of a dilemma. If she were to sit as far from the man as possible, she¡¯d have to settle for a common stool. In contrast, all the large and comfortable seats were right next to the baron.


    After ten seconds of hesitation, the woman made her way to a seat three away from Theo and sat down.


    ¡°Baron Theodor d¡¯Argent,¡± the avatar decided to introduce himself. ¡°And my exceptional familiar Ellis.¡±


    The white cat in his lap snarled.


    ¡°Ellis?¡± the blonde gasped, focusing her attention on the cat. ¡°The Feline Tower¡¯s Ellis?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± The cat looked back. ¡°Who¡¯s asking?¡±


    ¡°Celenia of the Restored Sky Tower,¡± the woman replied.


    ¡°You two know each other?¡± the avatar couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°We¡¯ve exchanged notes,¡± Celenia admitted. ¡°She¡¯s considered one of the greatest apprentice authorities when it comes to Archmage Gregord. I always pictured you differently, though.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s correspondence between towers?¡± Theo was surprised. The way mages despised each other, he¡¯d have thought the practice was forbidden.


    ¡°Of course there is.¡± The blond gave him a sharp glare. ¡°It¡¯s for the sake of research. Hold on a minute. How come both of you are here? There can only be one candidate per tower!¡±


    ¡°Felines aren¡¯t allowed,¡± Ellis said. ¡°It¡¯s stated that all participants need to be human. Thus, I¡¯m his ¡®familiar¡¯,¡± she added with discontent.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Celenia tapped her top lip with her index finger. ¡°Clever loophole. You¡¯re probably the only one who could take advantage of it. I wonder why you didn¡¯t try it last time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve no idea. Grandfather probably thought we didn¡¯t need to. This time it¡¯s different.¡±


    ¡°Your grandfather must really want you to do well this time.¡±


    The white door opened again, bringing the conversation to an end.


    ¡°Oh?¡± the small old man from outside said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯d have thought that there¡¯d be a lot more people here. Guess the young generation still has a lot to learn.¡±


    ¡°You can say that again,¡± the avatar smiled. ¡°Baron Theodor d¡¯Argent.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Ho ho ho.¡± The old man laughed, slowly moving towards one of the large seats. ¡°You¡¯re a polite one. And rather crafty. I saw what you did out there. Made a lot of people give up on the challenge before it began.¡±


    Taking his seat without further introductions, the old man closed his eyes and almost instantly started snoring. Almost immediately, the door opened again. This time the candidate was more knight than mage, wearing a rather impressive armor beneath his long cloak. Looking at the people gathered, he removed his full iron helmet, revealing a dark ebony face and a pointy set of ears.


    ¡°Greetings,¡± he said in formal fashion. ¡°I¡¯m Novice Mage Stachon of the Elven Tower and acknowledge your skills.¡±


    Celenia looked away, clearly already acquainted with the man. Ellis also chose not to respond.


    ¡°Hi.¡± The avatar waved. ¡°Baron Theodor d¡¯Argent. I didn¡¯t know elves participated in such things.¡±


    ¡°Gregord¡¯s will allows all humanoid spell casters to participate as long as they fulfill the requirements,¡± the elf recited. It wasn¡¯t an answer to Theo¡¯s question, but by the looks of things, the only one that would be provided.


    At that point, the floodgates seemed to open. Candidates came one after the other, sometimes seconds apart. Massa Nyl of the Third Moon Tower was next¡ªA short but bulky young man with bronze skin who could almost be mistaken for a dwarf. Following him was Elaine Windchild¡ªa frail and lanky girl with ginger braids of the Flora Tower. Then came Varata Every of the Sword Crown Tower, Hollo Yearver of Tower Valein, and Klarissa¡ªan unaffiliated keyholder who was very open that she was only there for personal gain. Finally, the ninth person to arrive happened to be the first that Theo had come across upon setting on the challenge.


    ¡°You¡¯re here?!¡± the skinny mage in red and yellow shouted upon seeing the avatar. ¡°You must have been born under a lucky star! There¡¯s no way scum such as you would make it here by skill! Goes to show that even the greatest mages in the world are helpless before lady luck. Mark my words, though¡ª¡± he shook a finger ¡°¡ªyour luck will run out and when it does¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up Laster,¡± Celenia interrupted. ¡°Things are bad enough without your constant yapping.¡±


    ¡°But he¡­¡± the skinny mage shook in anger. ¡°He doesn¡¯t deserve to be here!¡±


    ¡°Maybe so, but he¡¯s here, so that¡¯s that,¡± the blonde replied. ¡°Plus, he¡¯s got Ellis as his familiar.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s allowed?¡± Laster arched both his brows in surprise.


    ¡°Every mage can participate with his skills, spells, items, and familiars,¡± the woman continued. ¡°The fact that the tower has accepted him clearly shows that it¡¯s acceptable.¡±


    An unspoken mage discussion took place with everyone glancing at largely everyone else. Even the old man cracked an eye open to take a look at a few people. It was safe to assume that the competition had already begun. Theo was at a clear disadvantage, since he didn¡¯t know anything about the other participants or their towers. Thankfully, he had Ellis to help with that.


    Amid the silence, the white door opened once more. The mage who entered was by far the youngest of the group¡ªa boy in his early teens, dressed all in blue with a blue flying squirrel on his head. An emblem of an icicle within a white circle was visibly embroidered several times on his cloak.


    ¡°Siaho,¡± the boy said, seeing that all glances had focused on him. ¡°Of the Ice Tower.¡±


    Barely had he introduced himself when the white door vanished behind him.


    ¡°Welcome, participants,¡± the voice of the tower boomed. ¡°You are the only ones who were considered worthy of all the candidates. While you stand at the threshold of your challenge, your skills have been recognized by the Great Gregord himself. Even if you end your journey here, you¡¯ll be able to bear the title with pride.¡±


    ¡°Tower participant?¡± the avatar asked in jest.


    Several people hushed him.


    ¡°But we¡¯re only ten,¡± the girl with the ginger braids said. ¡°Don¡¯t we have to be... more?¡±


    ¡°For the trials to be presented, no less than nine participants must have entered,¡± the tower explained. ¡°You are more, so the challenge can begin.¡±


    Circles of magic appeared beneath every participant without warning. Before anyone could react, the spells had wrapped around them, then quickly shrank, becoming a brand on a part of their bodies. Instinctively, several mages quickly cast counterspells of their own, yet to no avail. The magical brands continued to glitter with the same intensity.


    ¡°A memory spell has been placed upon you,¡± the tower said. ¡°It has already merged with all your memories since hearing my voice. Should you leave the tower, those memories and any you form from here on will be pulled out and kept here.¡±


    This had to be the fabled memory extracting spell everyone spoke of. Theo had to admit that the ancient archmage was rather crafty when it came to spell security. This way he could guarantee that no pieces of knowledge, including the memory spell itself, would leave the tower. The dungeon was curious whether the memory magic he had acquired from Memoria¡¯s tomb would be able to remove the brand, but chose not to experiment at such an early stage.


    ¡°How do we progress through the challenges?¡± Stachon, the ebony elf, asked.


    ¡°I am divided into nine floors,¡± the tower said. ¡°Each floor contains knowledge, tools, traps, and riddles. Solving all riddles will open a passage to the floor above. You are free to work together or alone to solve the riddles and proceed to the floors above.¡±


    Another glancing contest ensued.


    ¡°You are free to take anything you wish from one floor to the next,¡± the tower continued. ¡°You are allowed to help each other solve riddles. You are not allowed to fight with each other while you¡¯re here. Anyone who does will be punished and immediately cast out.¡±


    That simplified things to some extent. At least the mages would have to be crafty in the way they eliminated the competition. Personally, Theo was most cautious of the old man. They usually were the cunning sort that made use of their age and apparent frailness to get ahead any chance they got. Also, for someone so old to have made it here, he must have been at least as good as all the remaining participants.


    ¡°One final rule. Along the many riddles, there are such that will allow you to ask me for advice. This is the only way through which you are able to talk to me until you have reached the ninth floor. Everything else you must discover on your own, based on your skills, knowledge, and luck.¡±


    Everyone waited for a few seconds in case the tower had anything more to add. When it didn¡¯t, they looked around.


    The avatar was the only one who didn''t. He had spent so much time alone in the room after arriving that he knew everything to the smallest detail. It wasn¡¯t difficult considering there was hardly anything there: twelve chairs of various shapes and sizes arranged in a circle. Apart from a few magical torches, there was nothing on the walls or ceiling, no table or other furniture, not even a carpet on the floor.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to search?¡± Laster grumbled at the baron.


    ¡°Why?¡± the avatar crossed his arms. ¡°There¡¯s nothing here. And don¡¯t bother casting identify spells on the chairs. I already tried that.¡±


    ¡°Then try something else! We¡¯re not doing all the work for you!¡±


    ¡°The old man¡¯s not doing anything, either!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s old! Besides, he comes from a very respectable tower, unlike you!¡±


    ¡°They that talk a lot can¡¯t see that which is in front of them.¡± The old man stretched in his seat. ¡°He might be unaffiliated, but at least he knows the importance of patience.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Celenia asked.


    ¡°Ten people, twelve empty seats. Sometimes all one must do is sit a while and listen to have the future open up.¡±


    The blonde looked at the chairs.


    ¡°You¡¯re saying that the solution to the riddle is for all of us to sit down?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Makes sense.¡± Elis climbed up onto the baron¡¯s shoulder. ¡°This is a waiting room. Maybe all we need to do is wait?¡±


    ¡°Sounds like something Gregord would come up with,¡± Elaine giggled, as she leaped onto the nearest seat. ¡°That¡¯s why the tower couldn¡¯t let all the participants here. With only a few, they could compete for chairs to sit while those standing were cast out. With over a hundred, it would have been too random and obvious.¡±


    One by one, the remaining mages sat down. It was as good a plan as any. Besides, there wasn¡¯t anything to lose.


    The moment the last person¡¯s rump touched the seat, the walls surrounding them disappeared, revealing a far larger circular room full of furniture, bookshelves, and all sorts of paintings and decorations. Above all, though, the room was full of clocks of various shapes and sizes.


    The challenge of the first room was now before them.

 (Book 3) 5. Magic Candidates and the Issues of Airship Construction

    The room was rather spacious, round, and roughly divided into three levels. The bottom level contained most of the furniture¡ªtables, chairs, wardrobes, chests of drawers, and a rather comfortable sofa area in one section. Apart from the clocks, there also were some intricate mechanical devices made of wood and metal. Theo had no idea what they were, although he found them aesthetically pleasing. Since the rules allowed it, he could well take a few of those for additional decorations in his main body. Two final points of interest were the portraits and paintings along one of the walls. Judging by the brass name plaques, all of them had been prominent mages at some point or other, although the dungeon couldn¡¯t tell whether they predated Gregord or not.


    The second level represented a ring along the wall. Ten feet above the ground, it was accessible through a curved staircase that came out of the wall itself. The vast majority of it was occupied by shelves of books, neatly arranged in endless rows, with the occasional marble bust or crystal ball.


    Leading further up, a staircase went to the third and final level. Identical in structure to the ring below, it took the role of a storage area where Gregord had stacked things that didn¡¯t fit anywhere else. From the bottom level, Theo could see a few large paintings, several piles of old books stacked one on the other, and a small assortment of wooden chests. What he didn¡¯t see was a flight of stairs leading up.


    ¡°Ellis.¡± The avatar turned to the white cat. ¡°Do any of those look familiar?¡± he pointed to the row of mage portraits.


    ¡°Classical mages,¡± the feline replied with a single glance.


    No sooner had she said so, than Laster rushed to one of the portraits and took it off the wall.


    Standing silently, Theo stared at him with interest. Personally, he strongly doubted that the answer to the riddle had anything to do with paintings. Being somewhat familiar with game theory, the dungeon could safely assume that the answer to the riddle somehow involved clocks. Everything else was either a tool or a distraction.


    Meanwhile, Jaster eagerly cast a multitude of spells on the front and back of the painting, as well as every inch of the frame.


    ¡°Any idea what he¡¯s doing?¡± the baron asked.


    ¡°Mage Valencia the third,¡± Laster said, the smug air of superiority on his face palpable even with his back turned. ¡°Gregord¡¯s early rival. Anyone with a proper magic education would see that of all the portraits, this is the only one that Archmage Gregord hated.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just speculation from the Hourglass Council,¡± Ellis countered, flicking her tail. ¡°That was only during their apprentice days. There was no hostility between the two when they became mages.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± The skinny mage turned around to face the cat. ¡°And I suppose you¡¯ll say it¡¯s a coincidence that Gregord joined the hero guild mere months after Valencia returned to his tower.¡±


    ¡°Only because he was called to assist in the fight against the Abomination Agonia!¡± Ellis snapped.


    ¡°A likely excuse. And why did he reject all previous requests?¡± Laster doubled down.


    A shouting match ensued, which was utterly ignored by all other mages present. The other candidates were clearly too busy with their own theories, and were scouring the room for clues. Several floating eyeballs had ascended to the upper levels, carefully analyzing everything and anything from up close. The only exception seemed to be the old man, who had taken advantage of the large sofa to lie down.


    ¡°Just like someone from the cat tower,¡± the skinny mage kept on going. ¡°You¡¯re so shallow that a desert has more water!¡±


    As far as insults went, this was rather creative. Its owner, though, was loud, obnoxious, and rubbed Theo the wrong way.


    ¡°So, they were rivals?¡± he asked, interrupting Ellis¡¯ turn.


    ¡°They were more than rivals.¡± Laster turned in the baron¡¯s direction. ¡°It¡¯s closer to consider them bitter enemies.¡±


    ¡°Right, right.¡± The avatar waved his hand dismissively. ¡°Bitter enemies. Thus, your conclusion is that out of all the people in the portraits, Gregord would hide the answer to the first-floor riddle within the portrait of his rival.¡± The baron cleared his throat. ¡°Excuse me, of his bitter enemy.¡±


    The silence coming from the skinny mage was deafening. For five full seconds, he remained still as a statue as his mind tried to deal with the mental ambush it had been subjected to.


    ¡°Err¡­¡± he managed to say after a while. ¡°They weren¡¯t that bitter enemies?¡± The mage looked at Ellis, who let out a snort of superiority, then turned around and demonstratively walked away in pure cat fashion.


    As much momentary satisfaction as that brought, it still didn¡¯t solve Theo¡¯s immediate issue. Given that he remained the most clueless as far as magic was concerned, he cast a few dozen wandering eyes in an attempt to appear he was doing something, then joined the old man on the sofa.


    Sensing his presence, the geezer cracked an eye open.


    ¡°You¡¯re not joining the rest of the kids in the search?¡± the mage asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m searching just my way,¡± Theo replied. ¡°Besides, you¡¯re not doing anything, either.¡±


    ¡°Ho, ho, ho,¡± the man laughed. ¡°At my age, one must conserve his energy. Eagerness and recklessness are for the young. Let them have a go. If nothing comes out of it, then I¡¯ll step in.¡±


    ¡°Interesting point of view.¡± Theo mused. ¡°Do you know something the others don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure I know lots of things that others don¡¯t.¡± The mage took the effort to sit up. ¡°As for the trial. Maybe.¡± He smiled in the cunning way only an old man could.


    In his previous life, Theo would have yelled his head off, or at least grumbled internally. What the old mage was really doing was having others do all the work and him sharing the credit. As a dungeon, though, one couldn¡¯t deny the practicality of it. After all, this was just the first floor trial¡ªtoo early for alliances, though required if anyone wanted to go further.


    The avatar leaned forward, then placed his hand on the floor. His dungeon skill appeared to be still in effect, which he used to create an extremely small structure to emerge. The structure was barely two feet in all directions, without a roof, and filled with expensive looking alcohol bottles.


    ¡°Ho, ho, ho,¡± the old man laughed. ¡°You seem to be equipped with some dangerously useful magic. I don¡¯t think I know that one.¡±


    ¡°Professional secret,¡± Theo replied, taking out a bottle of strong spirits and tossing it to the man. Bribes and spirits were always a good way to loosen lips.


    ¡°Wise.¡± The old man used a spell to catch the bottle mid-flight. ¡°If I knew a spell like that, I¡¯d keep it secret, too.¡± He removed the cork and took a swig.


    The dungeon watched the man proceed to drink more from the bottle than his actual body mass, then slam it on the floor with a satisfied expression. Yet, despite the amount of alcohol, there were no signs that he was getting drunk, as if spirits had no effect on him at all.


    Curious, the avatar cast an arcane identify on the man.


    PERPETUITY SHARD


    (Unique Cursed Enchantment)


    Grants superior mana manipulation to the owner.


    Created by Archmage Gregord, the spell causes all the mana within a living entity to condense into a solid shard. The shard replaces a person¡¯s standard mana creation and circulation, allowing them to transform mana out of nutrients the body consumes. As a result, the magical strength and the lifespan of a person are vastly increased at the expense of taste and smell.


    ¡°Being curious is a valued quality for mages and adventurers,¡± the old man said in a much different tone. ¡°Just be careful not to create the wrong impression.¡± A warning glance was darted towards the baron. ¡°Take it from an old man.¡±


    The threat was so unexpected that all Theo could do was nod with his avatar.


    ¡°What was your name again, youngster?¡±


    ¡°Theo,¡± the avatar said, skipping his full introduction.


    ¡°Well, Theo, what do you think of the trials so far?¡±


    ¡°All of them?¡± The dungeon wondered. ¡°The first was pretty basic. The second was useless. I think we could have shared a lot more information there.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°The whole point was to sit down, which usually happens after people introduce themselves.¡±


    ¡°Ho, ho, ho. An interesting take. I like it. And the floor trial?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an escape room wrapped in a riddle.¡±


    ¡°An escape room?¡± The old mage blinked. ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with that.¡±


    ¡°Err, it just means a room from which we must escape. There¡¯s a solution hidden somewhere in the room. We must find the pieces to form a key and get out of here to the room above.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve met anyone like you. You say the most peculiar things, and they¡¯re more correct than you know.¡± The man went to the ¡°room¡± Theo had created and took another bottle of alcohol. ¡°Looking at you, you¡¯ve probably found a solution?¡±


    ¡°Not to brag, but I can get us to the second floor without solving the riddle.¡± It was already proven that room creation worked, so he could use it to create a mini-tower that pierced the ceiling.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush. Do it the proper way. You never know what might get you kicked out.¡± The mage uncorked the bottle and took another gulp. ¡°Or killed,¡± he added. ¡°Besides, things shift quickly in the tower. It¡¯s all fun and games one floor and all-out war the next.¡±


    ¡°You know quite a lot of the tower,¡± Theo ignored the threat. With everything that had happened so far, he had gone beyond the point of worrying what someone could do to his avatar or even whether he might uncover his secret.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°Ho, ho, ho. I just read a lot.¡±


    ¡°I bet. And what did you say your name was?¡±


    The man¡¯s smile widened.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s fair that I tell. You gave me some drink and entertainment, after all. Velinor. Auggy Velinor.¡±


    The name didn¡¯t mean much, but before Theo could ask any more questions, the old mage had lied back on the sofa with his back turned. There wouldn¡¯t be any more questions for a while, which was just as good since thousands of miles away, back in Rosewind, another crisis was brewing.


    When Spok had told the dungeon that she¡¯d take care of everything, it was optimistic to think that to be the case. Sadly, even a spirit guide of such caliber had to deal with matters beyond her control. As much as Theo had delegated, there were certain abilities that only he was able to do, namely any vast changes in the town itself. Since his arrival in Rosewind, the dungeon had dealt with repair and reconstruction: removing drawings on the walls, fixing cracks, and occasionally sealing off doors and windows when needed. He had some vague memory of houses being reconstructed by his spirit guide in the period of his brief two-month nap, but even that was minor compared to what was currently in store.


    Deep within the basement of the gnome workshop, surrounded by giant blackboards and tables with miniature models of the city¡¯s districts, Spok and Switches had been discussing the desired outlook of the city for the wedding event. Voices had progressively been raised higher and higher to the point that both had demanded Theo¡¯s involvement.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯ll be a lot more functional!¡± the gnome insisted, waving an extendable metal pointer. ¡°With a second landing platform on at the castle, guests could come and go to the event directly. We¡¯ll keep the existing one for goods, and common passengers, of course.¡±


    ¡°Do you remember how long it took for the griffins to get used to airships to begin with?¡± Spok countered, her arms crossed. ¡°Definitely more than a week. What do you think that the guests¡¯ reaction would be after getting shat on by a flock of griffins in protest? And if there¡¯s one thing I won¡¯t allow, it¡¯s having my ceremony spoiled by shit from above.¡±


    The gnome considered her words for a few moments. The unfortunate incident had been rather noticeable for several weeks after the launch of the first Rosewind airship. While the craft had been designed to fend off most attacks¡ªa remnant of the gnome¡¯s Mandrake days¡ªthe griffin population had retaliated by covering the airships and landing platforms with excrement. Thus, the profession of platform cleaner was born¡ªa new job that adventurer candidates could take advantage of. Subsequent food bribes had limited the effect of the damages throughout the rest of the city.


    ¡°We can place it on the other side of the river?¡± Switches suggested. ¡°We just can¡¯t handle the influx of guests with the current number of airships. Already there¡¯ve been queues between flights. Just today, three airships had to wait for hours before they could unload. It¡¯ll be worse when the guests start arriving. Ten flights have been booked already, and that¡¯s just the people the duke told me to include.¡±


    ¡°Hold on!¡± Theo stepped in. ¡°Ten flights are booked? We only have five airships.¡±


    ¡°Well, technically you¡¯re correct,¡± Switches replied. ¡°Three more are being constructed, though.¡± The gnome¡¯s ears perked up. ¡°The first will be ready by tomorrow! Guaranteed!¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯ve already filled up ten?¡± the dungeon pressed on. ¡°How does that happen?¡±


    ¡°Well, the guests don¡¯t exactly know there are only five. It¡¯s difficult being the only engineer, even with Cmyk¡¯s help. I¡¯ll need to build more constructs, but for that I¡¯ll need more mana and monster cores.¡± There was a prolonged pause, after which he turned towards the nearest wall. ¡°Of course, you can always share a few more fragments of your core,¡± he added with a toothy smile.


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on, boss! You won¡¯t even feel it! We¡¯ll be able to build airships twice as fast! Scratch that, we¡¯ll be able to build anything twice as fast. I can even throw in a few dozen mechanical carriages, some clockwork servants, and¡ª¡±


    ¡°No means no!¡± Theo said adamantly. He didn¡¯t like the concept to begin with, let alone the consequences. ¡°Can¡¯t you just hire workers?¡±


    ¡°Have unqualified substandard artisans work on my masterpieces? Ha!¡± Switches stomped his foot in defiance.


    ¡°You had goblins for workers when you tried to conquer the world!¡± the dungeon countered.


    ¡°And they were useless! Why do you think I took the effort to kidnap people for mining? Because goblins couldn¡¯t even get that right. All the actual work was done by my constructs, or the demon armors, as you referred to them. No demon cores¡ªno assistance. No assistance¡ªseven airships by the start of the wedding and large queues.¡±


    There had been several occasions in Theo¡¯s previous life when he¡¯d imagined what it would be like if he were the one in charge. In his mind, he had the solutions to increasing productivity, effectively dealing with resources, recruiting talent, and all the minutiae that went into running an organization. All that he needed, he kept telling himself, was to be given a chance. Ironically, after he¡¯d been made a creature that could be said to literally embody a living corporation of sorts, he had done everything in his power to ignore, postpone, and delegate his responsibilities.


    ¡°Will any monster cores work?¡± he asked, as the gears in his mind reluctantly turned.


    ¡°Well, the core determines the efficiency and complexity of the construct.¡± Switches rushed to the nearest blackboard. Activating the magic elevating device around his belt, he floated up into the air and erased a section with his sleeve. ¡°Goblin cores could power a root-and-vine removal tinker for a few years,¡± he jotted a small circle and a surprisingly good sketch of a chest-like entity with four metallic legs. ¡°Perfect for keeping tunnels in good condition, though you¡¯re doing that already. Maybe I could adapt one of my basic worker constructs to use it for a week, but even that¡¯s doubtful.¡±


    The gnome then made a circle three times as large.


    ¡°Orc and troll cores could be good for mechanical horses, possibly carriages.¡± He continued drawing. ¡°Trolls are better, naturally, but even orcs could last a few years. With some effort, they could make a worker function for a month.¡±


    ¡°What about skeleton cores?¡± the dungeon asked.


    ¡°For the most part, useless,¡± the gnome sighed. ¡°They¡¯re pretty much like goblin cores, but a lot more brittle. Most will break in a day or two. My advice¡ªdon¡¯t use them unless you¡¯re selling the constructs to someone. I¡¯ve seen cheap skeleton cores clog an entire tunnel network. Took me ages to clear them, and even then, I got no thanks from my previous boss.¡±


    An interesting distinction, which Theo never had to worry about. When consumed, a core was a core. Skeletons and goblins provided the same amount or core points, which at this point were insignificant.


    ¡°Royal slimes?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Slimes could work.¡± The gnome floated lower, while continuing to draw. ¡°They are a bit finicky, but it should maintain a worker for months, maybe half a year.¡±


    ¡°That would have been nice to know before the cleanup,¡± Spok said in a disapproving voice.


    She was right. The dungeon had accumulated a massive number of slimes he had shot up to the surface, depleting the majority of his slime pits. He could construct more, of course, but even then, it was going to take at least days for slimes to start emerging. Also, Theo wasn¡¯t enamored with the idea of having slimes wandering around his tunnels again.


    ¡°Hold on!¡± A question popped into his mind. ¡°What did you use to power the airships?¡± All the shelves in the gnome¡¯s laboratory moved about. ¡°Did you extract more of my core while I was asleep?!¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡± Switches waved both his hands. ¡°It was too well guarded, so I had to make do with the trinkets I found. On that note, I could use the mana gem. It might take a while to develop the technology, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be using that, thank you very much!¡± The dungeon reacted on instinct.


    For an instant, Theo¡¯s desire to increase his rank surpassed any rational thought. On that note, maybe it was a good idea to send a letter to the Feline Tower regarding an advance on his promised payment.


    ¡°Then we¡¯re back to monster cores,¡± Switched sighed. ¡°By which I mean the lack of. If I had some of my goblin armies, maybe I could patch things until the wedding is over, but with the hordes of adventurers roaming about¡­ Not that I have anything against them,¡± he quickly added. ¡°Wonderful people, every last one of them. They keep the platforms clean, come to me frequently for advanced weapon requests. A few hundred even asked whether they could become my assistants.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± The entire structure shook.


    ¡°Hire them as apprentices?¡± The gnome¡¯s expression shifted into pondering mode. ¡°I guess it could work,¡± he scratched his left ear. ¡°In the long run. Humans could learn the basics¡­ but it¡¯ll take me months to train them¡­¡±


    ¡°Not that!¡± the dungeon snapped. ¡°The adventurer guilds. We have scores of them, and they have quests.¡±


    Both Switches and Spok stared at the nearby wall.


    ¡°I¡¯m a member of the Lionmane guild, right?¡± Theo asked.


    ¡°Actually, sir, you are the duke¡¯s official advisor on adventurer matters,¡± Spok corrected. ¡°At least, the baron is.¡±


    ¡°Even better! I can start collecting a monster core tax,¡± he said.


    ¡°A what, sir?¡±


    ¡°Adventurers don¡¯t use cores for anything, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, they can bring them to me to craft weapon upgrades and¡ª¡± Switches began, but was quickly interrupted.


    ¡°So, the guilds must have loads of them. I¡¯ll just have a talk with the guild masters and have them bring them here.¡±


    ¡°Sir.¡± The spirit guide adjusted her glasses. ¡°While your idea has merits, only the duke could issue and collect taxes. The suggestion should be discussed in the inner council, and you know fully well how long that could take.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s for the duke¡¯s own wedding. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll rush it along.¡±


    ¡°That might be the case, sir, but there are other interests involved. Coming with an exact amount will be complex and time consuming to say the least. Time periods and delays must be discussed, also the basis on which the amount is determined. Not to mention that a system must be devised to account for core type and rarity that is compatible with our needs.¡±


    When the spirit guide stopped, a heavy silence filled the room.


    ¡°Spok, you¡¯ve been hanging around Duke Rosewind far too long,¡± the dungeon spoke at last.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± The normal person wouldn¡¯t have noticed a thing, but for anyone with the ability to perceive mana, they¡¯d see an ethereal buildup on Spok¡¯s cheeks. ¡°I have picked up a few things, sir. The point is that it wouldn¡¯t be as straightforward as you thought.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that, won¡¯t we? If we can¡¯t get it through taxation, there are other ways. All we¡ª¡±


    Both of Spok¡¯s eyebrows rose in concern. Without warning, the spirit guide vanished, leaving the gnome alone in his workshop.


    ¡°Well, I like your plan, boss,¡± Switches said in support. ¡°A few hundred cores will be a great start. If we manage to scrounge a thousand even better. I¡¯ll build a few construct-building constructs, then instruct the rest to join the airship construction force. I still say we need more platforms, though. Maybe you can get the griffins to be more cooperative?¡±


    Theo never had a high opinion of the damned cats on wings, even if his avatar had animal handling skills. No doubt something could be done on the matter, provided he invested a bit more in food to bribe them with. Just as he was about to voice an opinion, Spok appeared in the room again.


    ¡°It¡¯s a disaster,¡± she said, her left eyebrow trembling slightly.


    ¡°Another one?¡± Theo asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me!¡± Switches said defensively. ¡°Nothing has exploded in days.¡± He paused. ¡°Nothing other than the fireworks display has exploded in days,¡± he quickly clarified.


    ¡°Duke Avisian and his entourage are on their way here,¡± the spirit guide said.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Duke Avisian is a rather important figure in the empire and one of the leading forces who opposed Rosewind being given the title of duke.¡±


    ¡°Charming.¡± A chill of discontent swept through the dungeon. ¡°I thought guests weren¡¯t supposed to arrive until the end of the week?¡±


    ¡°They weren¡¯t, but Duke Avisian has decided to show up early. Frankly, sir, this is more than a shock. The man detests Cecil. The only reason he was sent an invitation was because not doing so would have been viewed as a deliberate insult on our part.¡±


    Things kept getting better and better. Theo, of course, knew perfectly well why the duke had shown up. It had nothing to do with Spok¡¯s wedding or the duke¡¯s promotion. What the noble really wanted was to take every opportunity to humiliate his host, possibly causing a rather large scandal in the process.


    Using both of his observatories, Theo focused on all roads leading to the city. It took less than a second for him to spot the mentioned threat. A large extravagant carry pulled by six brown thoroughbred horses was slowly making its way along the main road. Two more carriages of lesser stature were behind, along with several dozen men on horseback. Everyone was dressed in finely polished armor and bright, expensive clothes.


    In total, there were at least thirty horses and at least as many people. Compared to the usual influx of people to Rosewind, these were a drop in the bucket. However, unlike the usual arrivals, anything but the best treatment would be deliberately viewed as an insult and a pretext to cause issues¡ªsomething that Theo, Spok, and Duke Rosewind no doubt wanted to avoid.


    ¡°Switches, drop everything you¡¯re doing and get my construct-double functioning as fast as you can,¡± the dungeon ordered. ¡°And make sure it looks human!¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, boss!¡± The gnome gave what could be liberally interpreted as a salute, then flew towards the exit. Halfway there, his belt abruptly popped, causing him to crash onto the floor. ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Switches said while rolling forward. ¡°All part of the plan!¡± he jumped up, then ran out.


    Internally, Theo sighed. The long period of sleepless days had just begun.

 (Book 3) 6. A Most Unreasonable Noble

    ¡°I think I found it!¡± Elain Windchild shouted in an excited voice, floating three feet from the floor.


    The girl that spent close to an hour using wind magic on everything in sight, to the annoyance of several other participants. It seemed that her approach had finally born fruit.


    Like vultures, all other mages rushed to the spot, eager to see what they had missed. Even the old man on the couch stirred, raising his head to look in her direction.


    ¡°It¡¯s in the painting,¡± Elain said. ¡°When I cast a gentle breeze on the canvas¡­¡±


    The hair of the person in the portrait moved. More importantly, so did part of his oversized cloak, revealing a rather large and unmistakable keyhole.


    ¡°Canvas enchantment,¡± Celenia noted. ¡°Clever. It¡¯s not the way up, though.¡±


    ¡°It could be.¡± Elain¡¯s expression soured. ¡°All we have to do is find the key.¡±


    ¡°Seriously, Elain?¡± The blonde crossed her arms, looking at the other with obvious superiority. ¡°That¡¯s a luck keyhole. I¡¯m sure there are several of them scattered throughout the room. Your discovery, while cute, is a complete waste of time.¡±


    ¡°Ellis,¡± Theo¡¯s avatar whispered a short distance away as a new magic argument started brewing. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Archmage Gregord had a tendency of leaving second chances,¡± the cat replied with a yawn. ¡°It was hinted in his will that there were two ways of every challenge the tower had to offer, from being selected to climbing the floors. Many great thinkers speculated that was meant to say that there were special keyholes within each floor that allowed the owners of his key artifacts to move on without any use of magic. That¡¯s why they¡¯re colloquially referred to as luck keyholes.¡± Ellis licked her paw. ¡°Personally, I thought it was a joke. Looks like you got lucky again.¡±


    ¡°Yes, very lucky¡­¡±


    Or Theo would have been, if he hadn¡¯t consumed the artifact in order to acquire its ability. That did pose an interesting question, though. Since he had obtained the spell within the item, it was theoretically possible for him to open it without the use of the key. Yet, seeing how obsessive and paranoid mages could be, there was every chance that the item had some security feature he had failed to replicate. Thus, his great advantage had been rendered useless.


    One time, the dungeon thought. I¡¯d like the universe to give me a break.


    Having no intention of listening to pointless academic arguments, the avatar moved away. With problems brewing here and in Rosewind, he desperately needed a distraction to occupy his mind with and pretend everything was fine. Therefore, he resorted to a hobby that most middle-aged people acquired back in his previous life: timepieces.


    With several dozen clocks in the room, all synced to show the same time, the avatar focused on the one furthest away. It was a version of those grandfather clocks that would occupy the home of a well off minor noble. Come to think of it, time devices remained a rather exotic element in the world. Even Switches, who¡¯d created all sorts of mechanical contraptions, tended to avoid them. Upon opening the clock, Theo quickly saw why.


    In a world where precision was defined by the movement of daylight, only mages and alchemists would require a detailed division of time. In both cases, the time measurer had to be perfect, which no amount of common gears could guarantee. Sealed hourglasses were a common practical solution for the non-magically inclined. With a set of them, any experiment could be followed to completion.


    When it came to mages, grains of sand simply wouldn¡¯t cut it. Every spring and gear of the clock Theo was looking at, had a series of enchantments on it, guaranteeing everything from indestructibility to perfect temperature tolerance. The mechanism of this simple clock before him could probably show time with absolute precision for the rest of eternity and would only require a constant flow of energy and an occasional enchantment check-up. Come to think of it, the dungeon could create a few of those without issue. With luck, it might impress some of the annoying guests that would arrive and make them shut up for a few minutes during the day.


    Eager to test out the device, he pushed the hands of the clock, advancing time by a few hours. Suddenly, the light in the room dimmed.


    Coincidence or not, the avatar quickly pulled back his hand and closed the clock¡¯s case.


    ¡°What happened?¡± someone asked across the room. ¡°Is there a time limit?¡±


    ¡°Of course there¡¯s a time limit!¡± Laster¡¯s annoying voice could be heard. ¡°This is a trial. If there wasn¡¯t a time limit, former participants would spend months here and there wouldn''t have been any such cases.¡±


    ¡°Shows what you know,¡± Ellis joined in the argument. ¡°Gregord was a master of memory magic. For all we know, this could be a Memoria¡¯s tomb type space with time being frozen. Not to mention he also dabbled in chrono magic.¡±


    ¡°You stupid cat!¡± the skinny mage snapped. ¡°Even if what you¡¯re saying is true¡ªand it isn¡¯t¡ªwhat¡¯s the point of a trial if there¡¯s no time limit? Why would anyone choose to leave voluntarily? We¡¯ll all just stay here on the first floor and do nothing for all eternity.¡±


    Making sure that no one was looking at him, the dungeon¡¯s avatar discreetly pushed back the clock¡¯s hand to where he remembered them being. The light in the room brightened again.


    Interesting, Theo mused, with a newfound sense of achievement.


    No longer concerned with the consequences, he moved the hands again. Light in the room steadily decreased until it vanished altogether, then rose back up again.


    So, that¡¯s why the clocks are here. ¡°Everyone,¡± the avatar said in a firm voice. ¡°I think I found something.¡±


    Waiting just long enough for everyone to look his way, Theo repeated his demonstration. As could be expected, no snarky remarks followed.


    ¡°The clocks are only half the riddle,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s all one giant number combination. As long as we set up the correct time associated with the individual clock, we¡¯ll open a path to the second floor.¡±


    A lot of what he said was pure speculation based on one single observable instance, yet the dungeon¡¯s gut told him he was on the right track. Plus, as every good manager knew, the quickest path to success was to have other people find the solution for him, especially since he was utterly clueless when it came to dates and events in the world of magic.


    ¡°A time combination,¡± the ebony elf knight said. ¡°Gregord used it frequently in his memory spells. Maybe Ellis was onto something when she suggested that we were in a memory prison. There must be an important event that holds the key to our progression.¡±


    ¡°But what event?¡± Elaine Windchild wondered. ¡°His life was full of extraordinary finds. Maybe his birthday?¡±


    ¡°The day he was admitted to a mage tower,¡± Massa Nyl joined in. ¡°The parallels are obvious. All of us were literally admitted to Gregord''s trial in his tower. It can¡¯t be anything else.¡±


    Several people nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Hold on!¡± the annoying skinny mage shouted. ¡°If it¡¯s a single date, why are there so many clocks? Even if we need three clocks to illustrate the year and add two for the month, one for the day, and another for the precise hour and minute, that makes a total of seven. What do we do with all the rest?¡± He crossed his arms in glee.


    Everyone could tell that his argument was out of pure spite. Laster seemed like the type of person who¡¯d prefer that everyone failed if it meant that Theo wouldn¡¯t succeed. Even so, he did have a point. All eyes turned towards the baron, awaiting his response.


    ¡°Clearly, it¡¯s only one element of the puzzle,¡± he said, and just to reinforce the point, moved the clock hands again as a minor form of distraction. ¡°We see this has an effect on the room. As I said, the clocks are only half the answer. Tell me, my undernourished friend, other than the clocks, what else can be found in abundance here?¡±


    All the floating eyeballs on the upper levels looked around.


    ¡°Books,¡± Siaho of the Ice Tower said. ¡°Lots of books.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± The avatar nodded.


    Taking advantage of the silence, he went to the side of the clock.


    ¡°This clock, for example, has a rather elaborate pattern on the side. The sun and moon are especially notable. As we all saw, messing about with it changes the time of day. I¡¯m sure that in one of the books, there¡¯s an answer as to what the correct time of day we must have, as I¡¯m confident that there are books linked to each of the clocks here. The archmage was a scholar, after all.¡±


    No one said a word. For a moment, it almost seemed that everyone had banded together to call out Theo on his bullshit. Then suddenly, the mages rushed into various sections of the room. Books filled the air, snatched by spells, as everyone set on the task with such fervor that the dungeon had never seen in this life or the past.


    ¡°Not bad, youngster,¡± the old mage said, standing a step from the avatar. Theo hadn¡¯t even noticed the man approach. ¡°Never make it too easy for them, that¡¯s what I always say. Ho, ho, ho,¡± he chuckled to himself.


    ¡°You knew the answer.¡± The avatar looked at the geezer. ¡°Didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Well, I might have had some idea,¡± the mage winked. ¡°Just don¡¯t tell anyone. It¡¯ll ruin their fun. Fancy another drink while the kids are at it?¡±


    Theo considered the offer. Two things were made abundantly clear. First, the old man definitely knew more about the trial than he was putting on. If there was someone the dungeon would have to keep an eye on in the future, that was this guy. Second¡ªthe mage was openly asking him for alcohol.


    ¡°Sure,¡± the avatar said. ¡°We could use a break.¡± He made his way towards the sofa.


    ¡°Ho, ho, ho.¡± The old man followed. ¡°That¡¯s precisely what I¡¯ve been saying my entire adult life.¡±


    At the same time, the most definitely unwanted guests were approaching the outer walls of Rosewind. Their arrival had been announced by a set of trumpets, a quickly assembled honor guard at the city gates, as well as a series of hasty reconstructions within the city itself.


    In any other settlement, the local inhabitants would have long run off screaming into the wilderness at the sight of moving buildings or stretchable streets. In Rosewind, only the very recent arrivals took notice. After all, the city protector was an eccentric mage, so it was all good and a part of everyday life.


    ¡°Moving the alchemist next to the airship storage area isn¡¯t the best idea, sir,¡± Spok said in critical fashion.Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°I¡¯ll fix that later,¡± Theo grumbled. ¡°For now, the main road is all that matters.¡±


    Normally, he wouldn¡¯t bother with such a performance. However, as it had been individually pointed out to him by his spirit guide and by Duke Rosewind, the Avisian family was extremely influential in the country, not to mention that they had larger appetites in the area. The latter wouldn¡¯t have been terribly bad if it didn¡¯t involve establishing a major trade route through the area and transforming Rosewind into a third-rate goods depot.


    Rows of buildings moved about, like the sides of a giant Rubic¡¯s cube, as the dungeon put the final touches. Now, finally, the main street had successfully transformed from a serpentine series of roads to a straight, wide stretch connecting the outer city gate, the old gate, and the duke¡¯s castle in one straight line. The process had caused multiple clusters of houses further away to be stacked in an unwelcoming fashion in an action eerily similar to sweeping dirt under a rug. Yet, that was a problem for later.


    ¡°How are things getting along, Switches?¡± Theo asked, as he used his recent discovery in the mage tower to create a few massive clocks on arches and buildings along the main road.


    ¡°Almost there,¡± the gnome replied with the same certainty he had done the last half a dozen times when asked. ¡°Your mouth is the greatest issue, but I¡¯ll fix it! Ten minutes at the most! Possibly twenty.¡±


    ¡°Twenty minutes will be too late!¡± The town shook.


    ¡°Sir, we talked about that,¡± Spok reminded gingerly. ¡°Try to keep your temper during the event. No more than a tremor every few days.¡±


    Ideally, it would have been preferable for there to be no tremors whatsoever until the last of the guests had left. Being a realistic spirit guide, she knew not to ask for the impossible, just to reduce the unavoidable.


    ¡°I would be calm if I didn¡¯t have all these annoyances to deal with.¡± A few days ago, it was all promises of joy, mirth, and celebration. At present, Theo felt that he had been tricked into overseeing a costly wedding in addition to being roped into a magic quest he had no desire to be a part of. ¡°Clearly I can¡¯t go greet them in that state,¡± he referred to the mechanical construct of the baron that currently occupied two and a half rooms of his main building.


    The few minor repairs the gnome had assured him wouldn¡¯t take long had involved the dismantling of what was already done and disassembling it in hundreds of pieces all over the floor. Assembling all that, even through mass telekinesis, would give IKEA experts from Theo¡¯s previous life a hard time, and that was provided that everything was fixed, which it wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°You can always send Cmyk,¡± the gnome suggested.


    ¡°Cmyk?!¡± It took the dungeon a tremendous amount of effort not to tremble in anger. ¡°I¡¯m trying to create a good impression, not give that duke a pretext for leveling the city. Cmyk. That minion is a walking catastrophe.¡±


    ¡°The gnome has a point, sir. Cmyk is rather liked and a local celebrity. Besides, not seeing any representative on your part might be viewed as an insult.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be there!¡± the dungeon snapped.


    ¡°I am Duke Rosewind¡¯s future bride, sir. I have to be there.¡± Spok adjusted her glasses. ¡°On that note, I need to go join Cecil. Applicants for the cooking staff have arrived and I need to evaluate them.¡±


    ¡°Cooking what? I thought you had to welcome the guests.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my evaluations after I welcome them, sir. Unless you are willing to oversee the staff hiring process as well, in addition to everything else?¡±


    The threat shook the dungeon to its core. The thought of having to deal with hundreds more people was as appealing as a flock of griffins living in his main building. Theo already had guests and guildmasters to deal with, provided Switches actually got his construct working anytime soon.


    ¡°Fine,¡± he grumbled. ¡°Go ahead and take Cmyk. Don¡¯t blame me for the consequences.¡±


    Beyond the city walls, Duke Avisian¡¯s carriage approached. The moment it reached the main gate, it was obvious that every bad thing that the dungeon had heard about them had been understated. Such was the disgust of the guests that even the carriage driver scoffed at the guards standing to attention at their arrival. Even Captain Ribbons, who had made sure that all of his men were flawlessly dressed for the occasion, was looked upon as a beggar. The worst part of it¡ªthe Avisians didn¡¯t even seem all that rich. In the eyes of a common villager they no doubt appeared opulent, but neither their clothes, nor the carriage, came anywhere close to the amounts that the dungeon had spent on raw materials¡ªand lately staff for the wedding.


    As the front carriage stopped, a servant quickly rushed to open the door, making a clear sign for the assembled guards not to think of soiling the handle with their greasy fingers.


    ¡°My lord,¡± the man said, his head bowed down.


    ¡°So, this is it, is it?¡± A blob of a man emerged from the carriage. ¡°What a pile of manure.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that the man was overly fat, or even terribly ugly. It was his silhouette that made him amorphous in the eyes of everyone that looked. A tremendous effort had been spent on clothes and jewelry to reduce this natural shortcoming of his, to marginal success at best. The face of the man could be described as being somewhere between round and angular, with brownish, crescent hair, and a body that managed to simultaneously combine skinny and pudgy elements. The eyes and nose were small, unlike the massive mouth that even facial hair failed to hide.


    Each step the man made seemed to make his entire body jiggle, as if he were made of soft lard.


    ¡°Where¡¯s that idiot, Rosewind?¡± the noble asked, fully aware of the power difference between the two. Technically, both of them were dukes, but as everyone knew, there were dukes and dukes.


    ¡°He¡¯s on his way to welcome you, my lord.¡± Ribbons stood to attention. If this were anyone else insulting his ruler, the captain of the guard would have already thrown him behind bars. Yet even he had enough self-preservation instincts to know that would be a fatal mistake.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he is,¡± Avisian snorted in a semi laugh. ¡°Come along, my dear,¡± he reached out to the carriage.


    A slender figure of a woman emerged. The contrast couldn¡¯t be greater. The duke¡¯s wife was beautiful by nature, with defined features and long, flowing black hair. Standing next to him, she seemed nothing less than divine, wearing an elegant green and black dress and a surprisingly modest amount of jewelry.


    ¡°I honestly wonder why I decided to come here,¡± the duke snorted.


    ¡°It¡¯s your obligation towards the crown, dear,¡± the woman reminded.


    ¡°Yes, I suppose,¡± Avisian replied reluctantly and offered his elbow.


    Approximately at the same time, a mechanical carriage arrived, coming straight from Duke Rosewind¡¯s castle. Although smaller, it was arguably more elegant, very sophisticated, and technically belonged to Theo. Since the dungeon had seen no use for it, he had let Spok and Switches do whatever they wanted, which, as it turned out, meant giving it to the local duke.


    ¡°Avisian,¡± Duke Rosewind said with a polite smile as he descended from his carriage. ¡°Such a pleasure to welcome you to my humble city. When I didn¡¯t hear from you, I feared that you might miss the occasion.¡±


    ¡°Rosewind,¡± the other nodded reluctantly. ¡°My expectations were low when I received your invitation, but I must admit that you managed to surpass my concerns by far.¡±


    ¡°Always a pleasure to surprise. Hello, Lady Avisian.¡± He went up to her and bowed down to her hand, falling short of kissing it. ¡°Charmed as always.¡±


    ¡°Why thank you,¡± the woman smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t see your future wife, though,¡± she pointed out.


    ¡°D¡¯Esprit is waiting for you at the castle, as is customary, of course. I just thought I¡¯d come here personally and make sure that everything is to your liking.¡±


    Duke Avisian¡¯s eyes narrowed; or in any event, it appeared they did.


    ¡°It¡¯s just like you to try to save a bad hand.¡± The guest demonstratively looked about. ¡°Is that a timepiece?¡± he glanced at the direction of a newly created arch further down the main road.


    ¡°Why yes, I believe it is,¡± Duke Rosewind said in agreement.


    ¡°A bit too artisanal, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Rosewind started as an artisan town. It¡¯s part of tradition to be reminded of one¡¯s beginnings.¡±


    ¡°I suppose so,¡± the other sighed. ¡°We all bear our burdens. It¡¯s not like we can choose our ancestry, could we?¡±


    Observing the conversation, Theo felt the irrational urge to cause the road beneath Avisian¡¯s feet to give in. The man was beyond insufferable. The dungeon was prepared to deal with the scandal and political repercussions. The only thing he didn¡¯t want to risk was killing the first guest at a wedding. As the local superstition went, doing so would bring seven years of bad luck, and Theo knew from experience that the universe wasn¡¯t merciful.


    ¡°Would you like a ride to my castle?¡± Rosewind diplomatically offered. ¡°After I¡¯ve arranged for accommodations for your entourage, of course.¡±


    ¡°In that thing?¡± Duke Avisian narrowed his eyes further. ¡°My servants will be joining me, of course. I don¡¯t suppose you have an appropriate stable for my horses and carriage? It happens to be a gift from His Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see. Then again, you¡¯ve always surrounded yourself with things of beauty,¡± Rosewind issued possibly the most subtle verbal jab possible. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be more than fine in the newly constructed stables.¡±


    The last part of the comment was an equally subtle reminder for Theo to construct the building. The dungeon strongly doubted that Rosewind was addressing him right now, at least not directly. He was equally certain that the man would, without fail, do so at the earliest opportunity. The best way to deal with the matter was to preemptively construct the building, which Theo did, not too far away from the castle. Some could argue that it was a bit too close to the new airship platform that had emerged less than an hour ago, but that, too, was a problem for another day.


    ¡°Captain Ribbons, would you please escort our dear guest¡¯s men to their lodgings for the occasion?¡± The duke glanced at his captain. ¡°Meanwhile, I¡¯ll accompany Duke Avisian and his wife personally to the castle.¡±


    The soldier stood to attention, then took a few of his guards, leading the large contingent of foreign soldiers to the selected tavern in the adventurers¡¯ sector. Meanwhile, the nobles proceeded to take the mechanical carriage to the castle, followed a short distance away by Duke Aviasian¡¯s carriages.


    ¡°Are you sure this thing is safe?¡± Duke Avisian looked at the metal carriage dismissively. ¡°It looks as trustworthy as you are.¡±


    ¡°It was made by the town¡¯s greatest gnome craftsman,¡± Rosewind was quick to reply. ¡°The very same that built our airships.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, yes. You¡¯ve been having a lot of trouble with those lately. I must say it was a pity to hear that your town was nearly destroyed by a goblin invasion not too long ago.¡± The guest looked Rosewind straight in the face. ¡°A pity that they failed to wipe this place off the face of the map completely.¡±


    ¡°We are all but pawns in the game of the deities. The fate of things is often beyond our control.¡±


    ¡°Not if you mess up. I¡¯ve never liked you, Rosewind. I despite you and your insignificant family that have wormed itself to a position it doesn¡¯t at all deserve. You¡¯ve been very lucky until now, but that won¡¯t last forever.¡± Duke Avisian took a handkerchief from his sleeve and delicately brushed the spit off his lips. ¡°The only reason I came to your disgustingly low-class wedding is to keep a close eye on you. When you trip, and I¡¯m sure you will, I¡¯ll take great pleasure in getting you struck from your noble title, after which I¡¯ll raze this settlement to the ground!¡±


    There was a long moment of silence.


    ¡°So, I take it you¡¯d like your chambers to be on the third floor?¡± Rosewind asked.


    ¡°Yes, that would be suitable.¡± The other nodded. ¡°West section. I hate waking up to the sunrise early in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Quite understandable. I think I have a splendid spot near one of the towers. You¡¯re free to choose, of course, since you¡¯re the first one here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the tower sounds nice.¡± Duke Avisian looked out of the window. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about perfume. I¡¯ve brought my own. I just hate the smell of horses.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t we all?¡±


    The carriage continued all the way to the castle¡¯s main entrance. That, too, had recently been changed to appear a lot more majestic than it was. Technically, Theo didn¡¯t have ownership of the castle itself. With a bit of quick thinking, though, he had extended the parts of the city in such a way as to create a new bridge and fa?ade covering the original one. At some point in the future, he¡¯d have to discuss these matters with Spok.


    A host of twenty metal constructs stood to attention in their highly polished, finely crafted sets of armor. To the untrained eye, they seemed like elite guards. To the dungeon¡ªthey were a lot of smoke and mirrors that he prayed didn¡¯t collapse before the guests had fully entered the castle.


    ¡°My palace guard,¡± Duke Rosewind introduced them as he descended from the carriage. ¡°Selected personally by Baron d¡¯Argent, the protector of the city, and a very good friend of mine.¡±


    ¡°Oh, the meddling mage,¡± Duke Avisian said dismissively. ¡°Why isn¡¯t he here, anyway?¡±


    ¡°The baron is dealing with a magical emergency, although I¡¯m assured that he¡¯ll be joining us shortly. Of course, his champion Sir Myk, the hero of the city, is here to welcome you in his place.¡±


    Taking one look at the muscular minion, the guest straightened up, then hurriedly went up to him. For ten full seconds, he carefully examined everything from Cmyk¡¯s clothes to his overly extravagant weapon and set of armor.


    Deep inside, Theo felt like sinking into the ground with shame. The only issue was that if he did, the situation would be far worse. Of all the things his minion could have taken, why did it have to be the greatest junk on display?


    ¡°I see you have at least someone passable in your small fiefdom,¡± Avisian harrumphed with the closest thing to a compliment he had said the entire day. ¡°Completely wasted on you, I¡¯m sure.¡± He took a step back to collect his wife, then proceeded into the castle.


    ¡°He actually saved the city twice so far,¡± Rosewind added, starting one of his long and vastly inaccurate tales.


    ¡°Success!¡± Switches shouted from within Theo¡¯s main building. ¡°I got the mouth to move! Now I just need to re-assemble the rest and your new you will be up and running.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother¡­ Apparently, Cmyk has it all under control¡­¡± a subtle draft swept through the city. ¡°I¡¯ll get back to rearranging buildings,¡± he grumbled. ¡°Let me know when the construct¡¯s usable.¡±


    In several sections of the city, clusters of buildings began shuffling about.

 (Book 3) 7. Cooks, Clocks, and Collateral Inconvenience

    A total of thirty head cooks had assembled in the castle¡¯s kitchen. Each of them was highly recommended, with years of experience in preparing feasts for wealthy merchants and nobles alike. Several had arrived from the capital itself all for the opportunity to spearhead the feast for the most talked about wedding in years.


    Normally, Rosewind wasn¡¯t a place that anyone other than an overeager apprentice would set foot in. The duke¡¯s personal cook had been just such a person, choosing to try his luck at a minor noble family in the middle of nowhere rather than wait for decades until he was aged up the culinary totem pole in a much larger city. It was purely due to, at the time, Earl Rosewind¡¯s oratory mastery that he had decided to stay.


    The new crop was far different. For the most part, they had learned of the event like everyone else. The only reason the occasion registered in their busy schedule was because of the string of cataclysmic events that had taken place in that region of the kingdom. Above all, however, it was the gossip regarding Duke Rosewind¡¯s future wife. If the rumors were to be believed, she was merely a low-level mage and a baron¡¯s steward. The fact that an established nobleman had not only agreed to the wedding, but wanted to make it the largest wedding the kingdom had seen, had quickly grabbed their interest. A spark of hope buried by decades of cynicism had rekindled, proving that it was possible for someone of the lower classes to achieve, through luck, chance, and good timing, what all of them secretly coveted.


    ¡°Good day to you all,¡± Spok said, walking among the ranks with the dignity of a noble and the no-shit attitude of a strict mother. ¡°I am Spok d¡¯Esprit.¡± She glanced at the cooks as she passed by, paying special attention to the cleanliness of their attire. ¡°As you probably know, the guest list for the wedding included over a thousand people of greater and lesser importance. What you don¡¯t know is that the city itself has a population of at least twenty thousand more.¡±


    Whispers filled the room, their frequency directly proportional to the distance from the spirit guide.


    ¡°Please,¡± she said in a pleasant but stern tone. ¡°The city has the usual amount of tavern cooks that have been doing a good job at keeping them fed. However, as you¡¯ll agree, this is a special occasion and as such some of you would be called on to assist with cooking for the less illustrious of my guests. Let me just stress¡ª¡± she adjusted her glasses, ¡°¡ªthat while not as monetarily celebrated as the guests in the castle, they are just as welcome and deserving of a memorable occasion as everyone else.¡±


    Silence quickly filled the room. While none of the cooks wished to be the ones serving the common masses, they wholeheartedly agreed with the principle of the idea.


    ¡°To determine what role you¡¯ll be assigned, and if you¡¯ll be taken on as cooks at all, I¡¯m here to personally conduct a brief test of your skills.¡±


    Bowls of fresh food appeared on the tables in the kitchen. Many of the cooks observed the magic with interest, even fascination. A few were even started at the suddenness of it all, almost leaping away from the food in question.


    ¡°These are your materials,¡± Spok said. ¡°Use them to make what you think would represent the best snack you¡¯re capable of by mid-morning.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me, ma¡¯am,¡± one of the cooks¡ªa rather muscular man for his profession with short gray hair¡ªraised his hand. ¡°What do we do about cooking space? Even if we take turns, there won¡¯t be enough time to roast, boil, or cook this into a proper dish.¡±


    All eyes fell on the spirit guide, who calmly made her way up to the cook. The silence was so complete that each of her steps echoed in the kitchen as she walked.


    ¡°Your name?¡± she asked.


    ¡°William,¡± the man replied. ¡°William Stoat.¡±


    ¡°Good observation, Master Stoat. With guests starting to arrive at the end of the week, time is a luxury none of us could afford. For this task you¡¯ll use only the presented food. I assure you everyone has been given exactly the same ingredients. The point is for me to evaluate your skills as head cooks, nothing more. If everything is satisfactory by mid-morning, we''ll start tackling the menu for the upcoming weeks. Everyone else will be given the option of remaining as guests or to be flown back to the places you were invited from. Any further questions?¡±


    A slender man in his mid-twenties, raised his hand.


    ¡°Your name?¡± Spok turned his direction.


    ¡°E-e-elton Dhier,¡± the man stuttered. ¡°A-a-assuming we stay, w-w-where will we cook? Th-th-this place is too small for even a q-q-quarter of us.¡±


    ¡°Good point,¡± Spok nodded. ¡°This is the workplace of the Duke¡¯s head cook, which it will remain. A series of suitable kitchens are in the process of being built. I expect them to be ready by noon. Once they are, all of you and your assisting cooking staff will move to them, where you will spend most of your time during the event.¡±


    ¡°In the process of being built?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Spok readjusted her glasses. ¡°As I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard the gossip, my employer, Baron d¡¯Argent, is a rather wealthy and eccentric mage. He has taken upon himself to ensure that everything is provided for the wedding, and that includes all the necessary buildings, equipment, and raw resources. He¡¯ll also be handing out your payment once the wedding is over.¡±


    The mention of magic seemed to calm down people. In the mind of people, if something weird happened it had to be evil, yet if something weird happened that was associated with a mage, it was only expected.


    ¡°I believe you¡¯ve received an answer to all your questions,¡± the spirit guide said, in a manner suggesting that she wouldn¡¯t be taking any further questions. ¡°Please do your best, and don¡¯t be alarmed by moving buildings. It¡¯s rather likely the city will go through a few changes before the end of the week.¡±


    Taking a quick glance at the people¡¯s faces, the spirit guide left the kitchen with the same dignity and strictness she had arrived with. Behind her, the cooks hastily started examining the material they had been provided. Many of them found the idea of cooking without fire borderline degrading, but everyone had to admit that it was a novel and relatively objective method of determining their skills. And, if there was one thing that cooks were known for, other than constantly complaining, it was to never allow themselves to show worse results than their competitors.


    Walking through the castle corridors, Spok made her way to the throne room. With the dungeon occupied with reorganizing the city and procuring Switches his monster cores, she could take the time to spend a short while with Lady Avisian, while her husband and Duke Rosewind were busy exchanging subtle insults in the trophy room. After that, there were food purchases and city-wide floral arrangements to deal with. The airship transporting the tailors, unfortunately, had encountered some harsh weather and wasn¡¯t expected to arrive before the evening, creating an opening in the spirit guide¡¯s schedule which she intended to use for tackling the guest arrangement and establishing a timetable for the event.


    ¡°Sir,¡± she said through her pendant as she went up the staircase. ¡°I¡¯ll require a row of kitchens near the castle, in case you¡¯ve forgotten.¡±


    ¡°Of course I haven¡¯t forgotten!¡± Theo lied. ¡°What do you think I¡¯m doing right now?¡±


    An entire row of buildings was quickly moved away from the castle, then filled up by one massive chain of connected kitchens. A few discrete mana generators were also added underneath¡ªa way to ensure that the building had adequate air ventilation, keeping as much of the smells inside from getting to the street. It wasn¡¯t so much that Theo worried that the buildings would stink up the homes of the local nobles¡ªthat would be rather amusing¡ªbut that they would attract a large part of the city¡¯s griffins.


    ¡°I had no doubts, sir,¡± Spok replied. ¡°And just as a reminder, you are still expected to pass by the castle at some point. The duke would very much like to introduce you to the duke.¡±


    ¡°When I find the time!¡± Theo snapped. He had no idea when the roles had suddenly reversed, but he had the distinct feeling that his spirit guide had started bossing him around.


    The dungeon had never been a parent, nor did he have any particular interest in being one. Even so, in his mind he could compare what he was going through now to raising a daughter at an extraordinarily fast pace. Only a year ago, he would be the one shouting orders and requests with little concern, as the spirit guide did all in her power to assist as much as possible. As time went by¡ªmonths in his case¡ªhe had given her more and more responsibilities, until she had effectively become independent. Now he was overseeing her wedding, effectively giving her away. It was a strange, bittersweet sensation he couldn¡¯t exactly explain.


    Only a few weeks, he told himself. The faster this was over with, the sooner things could get back to normal. Once Spok was officially married, Theo planned to spend the rest of his existence holding it against her and make sure he did absolutely nothing but sleep and occasionally build a new structure or two.


    While the city of Rosewind was being reshuffled in various, often inventive ways, the mages surrounding the dungeon¡¯s avatar were doing the same with the books and other objects in Gregord¡¯s tower.


    As the avatar had correctly surmised, each clock was linked to a particular time: the hours in a day, the days in the month, and so on. Initially, that had left the vast majority of other clocks unaccounted for¡­ until Siaho, of all people, had discovered a rather surprising connection.


    ¡°Set it to half-past eleven,¡± Ellis said as she walked along a marble section of the floor depicting a moon.


    As the ice wizard did as she asked, the image of the moon shifted.


    ¡°Stop!¡± the cat shouted. ¡°It¡¯s fully set now.¡±


    Siaho pulled his hand away. The flying squirrel on his head leaped into the air, gliding a full circle ten fifteen feet above the ground, before landing back on his shoulder.


    ¡°Not fully,¡± the boy said, then moved the minute hand of the clock a minute back. The moon on the floor acquired a faint glow. ¡°Now it¡¯s set.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± the avatar said, sitting comfortably on the sofa along with the old man. The baron still wasn¡¯t able to drink, but held a half-full glass out of solidarity. ¡°We¡¯re not trying to find a single time, but the correct time of several elements in the room.¡±


    ¡°Ho, ho, ho.¡± The old man took another swig from the latest bottle he had grabbed. ¡°The room itself is nothing but one element of the whole.¡±If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°The room is but one element,¡± the avatar repeated. ¡°That¡¯s a good one. I¡¯ll have to remember it.¡±


    ¡°You know, I had my doubts when I first saw you. But you¡¯ve turned out alright.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Theo wasn¡¯t sure whether to consider that a compliment. Being praised by an ¡°old wise drunk¡± brought a certain sense of achievement, but at the same time, he suspected that the geezer would be the first to sacrifice him without a moment¡¯s hesitation if there came the need. ¡°And the kids?¡±


    ¡°Bleh!¡± The old mage waved his free hand. ¡°Arrogant, self-centered, overachieving know-it-alls. Trust me, I know. I used to be one of them, once. Still, as long as they do the work, I¡¯m prepared to tolerate them.¡±


    You must be fun at parties, the dungeon thought.


    ¡°Think they need a hand?¡± As fun as it was watching them brute force the solution to the first-floor riddle, the avatar had places to be. More precisely, he didn¡¯t trust Switches¡¯ contraptions to remain functional for more than a few hours.


    ¡°Ho, ho, ho, feeling restless?¡±


    ¡°I just prefer not to waste time. The sooner we reach the ninth floor, the sooner we get to leave this place.¡±


    ¡°You think we¡¯ll reach the ninth floor?¡±


    The mage broke out in laughter that continued for more than a quarter of a minute. The only reason he didn¡¯t attract any attention was because everyone else was so focused on the riddle that they had mentally blocked out everything not associated with it.


    ¡°I forget that you¡¯re a kid as well,¡± the old man said after a while. ¡°Just wiser than most.¡± He brushed the tears from the corners of his eyes. ¡°Since the creation of the tower, no one has been able to reach the ninth floor. In fact, no one has gone beyond the fifth.¡±


    ¡°How can you be certain? Whatever happens in the tower remains in the tower.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not exactly true.¡±


    Upon hearing that, the avatar placed his glass on the floor and leaned closer to the mage.


    ¡°The practical knowledge is permitted to leave. That¡¯s the entire point of the trial. Why would mage towers keep on sending their brightest to this trial if they didn¡¯t get anything in return?¡± the man shook his head. ¡°Everything the tower gives is allowed to leave. All the spells you learn, the enchantment patterns, even bits of wisdom left by Gregord himself, remain in the person¡¯s mind after the trial is over. The great towers have used this knowledge to maintain their power and status. The new ones desperately try to achieve it. I don¡¯t know what you were told when the Feline Tower hired you, but this isn¡¯t just a simple trial of skills, this is an actual mage confrontation. Towers rise and fall depending on the results. Right now, you¡¯re looking at the shiny surface of it all. Arrogance, squabbles, insults. Make no mistake, every single person here is willing to kill to move ahead. As mages, we¡¯re just civilized about it.¡±


    That escalated quickly, Theo thought. He had to admit that it did seem weird that the competition was so amicable. Even the death of the feline tower¡¯s former representative was brushed off as an accident. There was every chance that he was killed, possibly backstabbed, by another tower¡¯s representative. For all anyone knew, the action could have been deliberate.


    The tower forbade violence between participants, but anyone with an ounce of ingenuity could circumvent those restrictions. At the very least, there was nothing that said that they had to save a dying person.


    ¡°So, how about it?¡± The old man grinned at the avatar. ¡°Still want to lend a hand, Theo?¡±


    The avatar hesitated.


    ¡°You never know. Those you help today might be the ones that betray you on the upper floors. As the saying goes, the only ones that can betray you are those closest to you.¡±


    In the dungeon¡¯s mind, the entire atmosphere changed. The old man was absolutely right. When dealing with magic power, the stakes were immeasurably high. Everyone was competing to obtain power that gold couldn¡¯t buy. It was natural that they did whatever it took to earn it.


    The baron looked at the old mage. His mouth opened to say something, but before the first sound could emerge, a sudden chill filled the air. Heavy snow emerged out of nowhere, covering everything in a flash blizzard.


    ¡°Sorry! Sorry!¡± Elaine Windchild said. The blizzard instantly stopped, yet the gathered snow remained as it was. ¡°I think I¡ª¡±


    A heavy downpour followed, melting the snow, as well as soaking everything else. Mages instinctively cast protection spells, creating bubbles of shelter around them. Theo¡¯s avatar didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Still think I should leave them to find the answer on their own?¡± he glared at the old mage beside him.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± The other mused from within the comfortable safety of a wind bubble. ¡°I see your point.¡±


    Without another word, the avatar stood up and joined the rest of the mages. By then, the sleet and rain had ended, restoring the room to what it originally was. The only element of it that remained soaking wet was the avatar.


    ¡°Ha, ha, ha!¡± Laster pointed at the baron. ¡°You¡¯re still wet behind the ears!¡± he uttered the most cringeworthy joke one could come up with. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Can¡¯t handle a bit of rain?¡±


    The rest of the mages shared the sentiment, for they looked away, as if ashamed to be associated with such a person through magic. Only Ellis intervened, quickly casting a drying spell, to reduce the shame of being Theo¡¯s familiar.


    ¡°You could have cast a protection spell,¡± she whispered, her words full of disapproval.


    ¡°I¡¯m done playing,¡± the avatar said in a dry voice. Being utterly humiliated and with no actual idea of how to proceed, Theo did the first thing that came to mind, which was going to the wall with the portraits.


    Ignoring Laster¡¯s insults and several other sarcastic comments, he just stood there, looking blankly forward. Right now, his only goal was to get everyone else to ignore him and return to what they were doing so he could think. Unfortunately, the plan backfired. He could feel the subtle sensation of claws moving up his back at a fast pace as Ellis made her way to his head.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± she asked.


    ¡°The portraits,¡± Theo lied. ¡°You said they represented important people in Gregord¡¯s life.¡±


    ¡°Sort of. Some of them are important in their own right. I know it¡¯s probably inappropriate to say this in the great archmage¡¯s tower, but there were a lot of other important wizards, some a lot more vital in the development of magic than he was.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s this one?¡± The avatar pointed at the portrait of a rather frumpy woman in purple clothes.


    ¡°The Great Enchantress Kalina,¡± the cat said. ¡°Referred to as the Mother of Magic. Many credit her for synthesizing the principles of enchantment, although some modern scholars argue that the real discovery was made by one of her apprentices and only refined by¡ª¡±


    ¡°When was she born?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Ellis moved about, making herself more comfortable on the avatar¡¯s head. ¡°Seven oh five?¡± The cat hesitated for a moment. ¡°Seven or six. Been a while since I held that exam.¡±


    ¡°Seven oh six,¡± the avatar repeated. From his previous life, he had learned that the best way to appear informed was to repeat something in a confident manner, creating the impression that he was onto something. ¡°And that?¡± he pointed at a portrait of an old frowning man dressed in sinister black clothes.


    ¡°The Wizard Spargen,¡± Elis quickly said. ¡°He''s a controversial character. There¡¯s no denying that he created the basic principle of magic conversion, but there¡¯s talk that he also dabbled in necromancy in his free time. Born on the first of the third month, seven forty-one.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s rather precise.¡±


    ¡°He came from a noble family, so his date of birth was well documented.¡±


    ¡°So, it¡¯s only the year of birth that¡¯s known for all of these?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes. There are a few cases in which the exact year is unknown, but usually there¡¯s a consensus on what to use in historical records, so that¡ª¡± The cat abruptly stopped. ¡°You don¡¯t mean to say that¡­¡± she paused again. ¡°No, it can¡¯t be. Can it?¡±


    Ellis looked at all the portraits in turn. Even before she had said anything more, Theo knew that she had found a pattern; and given the topic of the conversation and the trial at hand, he could only come to one conclusion.


    ¡°The portraits are linked to the clocks,¡± he said with confidence.


    ¡°Of course! Why didn¡¯t I see that earlier?¡± Ellis leaped off the avatar¡¯s head, landing softly on the floor. ¡°The date of birth is always three figures, which correspond to the time on a clock. The hour hand shows the century and the minutes are for the precise year in question.¡±


    The cat rushed towards one of the clocks. Instead of focusing on the time it showed, though, she examined the device itself.


    ¡°You were right!¡± she shouted. ¡°The clock is covered by the butterfly of Kalina!¡±


    Ellis¡¯ voice was loud enough to attract the attention of half the people present. Seeing this as the perfect opportunity, the avatar cast multiple swiftnesses onto himself and went up to the time dial. His plan was to discreetly brute force the dial and watch for changes on the portrait. Of course, it would be stupid not to start with the year of the enchantress¡¯ birth.


    Setting the time to six past seven yielded no result. Moving the minute hand a minute back, though, caused the woman in the portrait to smile.


    ¡°Seven oh five,¡± the avatar said. ¡°Seems you were right the first time.¡±


    A wave of envy filled the room as numerous mages glanced at the avatar, officially acknowledging him as competition. Moments later, they were rushing from clock to clock, searching for anything that would connect them to the portraits on the walls.


    One by one, the figures illustrated brightened up, smiling in approval. With each correct date, the number of unassociated clocks decreased. Statues, astral charts, and even the position of the level rings moved into their correct position until finally a new flight of stairs emerged, connecting the third level of the room to the floor above.


    Anywhere else, one would have expected cheers and congratulations, acknowledging that teamwork that had brought to the solution. These, however, were mages. As such, they glared at one another, rushing towards the exit like a pack of shoppers before a sale.


    ¡°Happy that you lent a hand?¡± the old mage asked, standing a step away from the avatar. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, speed doesn¡¯t always bring an advantage. In the future it might, though.¡±


    ¡°You seem to know an awful lot about the trials.¡± The avatar looked at him. ¡°Are you telling me it¡¯s all luck, Auggy?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s as much luck as was in your involvement.¡± The man grinned. He looked up. Someone had blocked the exit with an aether wall, forcing two other mages to cast their own spells to break it. ¡°I honestly enjoyed our talks. Sadly, I feel they¡¯ll come to an end once we go to the second floor.¡±


    ¡°So, that¡¯s it? No more booze or words of wisdom?¡±


    ¡°Ho, ho, ho. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I enjoyed your booze, but there comes a time when self interest and mutual interest collide. Once that happens, self interest always has the upper hand.¡±


    Waiting for everyone else to make their way out of the floor, the old mage then cast a flight spell and made his way to the upper section of the tower as well.


    ¡°What are you waiting for?!¡± Ellis shouted, leaping onto the avatar¡¯s head again. ¡°Hurry up there!¡±


    ¡°No need to rush,¡± Theo grumbled. ¡°It¡¯s not like they¡¯ll start before we get there.¡± Or so one could hope. ¡°Rather, tell me if you noticed any books about dungeons on this floor.¡±


    ¡°Dungeons? Why would we be interested in dungeons?¡±


    ¡°Humor me.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ actually, there are a few books that Gregord wrote on the subject. Mind you, he was just an apprentice back then, and most of his conclusions were dead wrong.¡±


    ¡°Show me.¡±


    As the cat flicked her tail, half a dozen books floated down to the avatar. All of them were thin, bound in cheap green leather. The title written on their covers was highly pretentious: A Deconstructive Analysis of the Dungeon¡¯s Paradigm volumes one to six. Under normal circumstances, Theo wouldn¡¯t have touched them with a ten-foot pole. Having experienced Gregord¡¯s dry style, even now he had his doubts.


    ¡°Are you seriously going to read those?¡± the cat asked.


    ¡°Why not?¡± the avatar placed them in his dimensional ring. ¡°Everyone needs a hobby.¡± He cast a flight spell on himself, then floated up to see what was on the second floor.


    The moment he passed through the ceiling, the avatar was greeted by a massive stone hall. There wasn¡¯t a single amenity or piece of furniture. Crude slabs of gray stone covered the floor, walls, and ceiling, only occasionally covered by oil lanterns and large colored mosaics.


    Four archways led out of the initial chambers, arranged according to the four cardinal directions.


    A maze, Theo thought. As a dungeon, he excelled in mazes, yet it was the mosaics that sent shivers down his metaphorical spine. Mosaics were usually linked to riddles, and if past experience was to go by, that was an area that Theo was terrible at.

 (Book 3) 8. The Riddle on the Second Floor

    ¡°Four paths,¡± the ebony elf said, closely examining one of the mosaics.


    Some would describe it as a tree blossoming within a wind cone. Others might have a more magic-oriented view on the matter, focusing on the series of symbols surrounding the piece of art.


    Two wandering eyes emerged from his left hand, then floated into the corridor. Moments after crossing the threshold, the magic was pulled out of them, causing the eyeballs to be shredded apart.


    ¡°Anti-magic?¡± Celeina asked. ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware that Gregord researched that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s part of the basics,¡± Massa Nyl explained with a smug smile. ¡°Obviously, he knew enough to protect his tower.¡±


    ¡°If he¡¯s using anti-magic here, there¡¯s probably something to hide,¡± the ebony elf scratched his chin. ¡°And I do not believe that to be treasures. Historically, anti-magic was also used to shield traps and valuables from detection. I would speculate that once we set down a certain path, we won¡¯t be allowed to go back.¡±


    No one argued. While not everyone was convinced, no one was willing to test it out. Furthermore, there was the unspoken danger that once one path was sealed, it might become unavailable to everyone else.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we just pick one of them and go along with it?¡± Theo asked. ¡°Strength in numbers and all that.¡±


    Everyone, including Ellis, stared at him as if he¡¯d put salt in his wine.


    ¡°Is there some deep rooted piece of wisdom that proves me wrong?¡± The avatar crossed his arms. To his surprise, there was no immediate response.


    ¡°What will happen if we choose the wrong path?¡± Siaho asked faintly. ¡°It¡¯s always better to explore all available options.¡±


    ¡°How is it different? Individually, all of us have the same chance,¡± Theo attempted to explain. ¡°If there¡¯s no way back, it doesn¡¯t matter. If there is, it¡¯ll matter even less.¡±


    This caused considerable confusion. The present mages were clearly the cream of the crop, capable of complex spells, intricate enchantments, and mindboggling devices out of magic, and yet they failed to understand common statistical logic.


    ¡°Look,¡± he went to the center of the room. ¡°There are four doors. You¡¯re assuming that we¡¯re only able to make one choice.¡±


    ¡°Which is a very reasonable assumption.¡± Celenia couldn¡¯t help herself from making a snarky comment.


    ¡°So, effectively, whichever choice we make, we have a three to one chance of failure.¡±


    The mages looked at each other.


    Come on, the dungeon grumbled to himself. This is an elementary calculation.


    ¡°Look,¡± Ellis whispered into his ear. ¡°It¡¯s not that you¡¯re wrong, but we¡¯re still better off splitting up. That way, at least someone will be able to get to the second floor.¡±


    ¡°Ellis, it doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s not like the ones who make it will go back to help those that didn¡¯t.¡± The avatar did his utmost to remain calm. ¡°Everyone makes the same choice, so the best all of us can do is make the right one and go along it together.¡±


    Judging by the uncertain nodding, his argument seemed to be seen as having some merit, but not enough to the point that anyone was willing to openly agree. Facing such mental resistance, the dungeon decided to modify his approach.


    ¡°Do any of you know which is the correct path?¡± he asked. ¡°More specifically, who will volunteer to go along the wrong one?¡± Theo grinned to himself. ¡°As you said, at least three of them are wrong.¡±


    The reaction was not at all what Theo expected. A few mages shook their heads, then along with the rest returned to analyzing the situation. It was just like Ellis had said before the avatar had entered the tower¡ªsmall groups formed based on tower importance. Celenia, Stachon¡ªthe ebony elf¡ªand Laster were discussing something between them in hushed voices. Elaine, Massa Nyl, Varata and Hollo had banded together on their own as well. Only the old man seemed utterly uninterested, taking the opportunity to sit down, leaning against a wall for a brief nap.


    Only two others remained unaffiliated: Klarissa, who was observing both large formations, estimating which to join and Siaho. The boy from the ice tower remained a few steps away from the dungeon¡¯s avatar, looking at him with a combination of interest and confusion.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t understand anything you said,¡± the boy admitted. ¡°But I¡¯ll be with you.¡±


    That was the worst reason anyone could give for joining. Hearing it, Theo instinctively felt like shooing the boy away.


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Ellis said, before the avatar could make his opinion known. ¡°You¡¯re from the Ice Tower, right?¡±


    The boy nodded.


    ¡°I heard you were a prodigy.¡±


    ¡°No. That¡¯s my brother. I was just considered good enough to be sent here.¡±


    ¡°I bet,¡± the cat almost purred. ¡°Have any theories?¡±


    ¡°Each of the path¡¯s a season,¡± the boy said. ¡°I don¡¯t recognize the symbols, though. They aren¡¯t something the archmage used in any of his writings.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Ellis leaped off the baron¡¯s head, landing in front of Siaho. ¡°They aren¡¯t magic runes, either, which means they have to be part of the riddle.¡±


    Ignoring them, the avatar went to the nearest mosaic and cast an arcane identify spell. Nothing happened. If there was an enchantment, it was well hidden with anti-magic.


    ¡°Any thoughts on this, old man?¡± he asked. ¡°I know you said that you won¡¯t help, but¡ª¡±


    Theo stopped. The old mage who had been there only moments ago had vanished.


    ¡°But?¡± Ellis asked, as she and Siaho looked at the avatar.


    ¡°Did any of you see where the old man went?¡±


    The white cat and Siaho looked around. They too hadn¡¯t noticed a thing. There was no point in asking any of the other mages. The two groups had no interest in anything that didn¡¯t concern them. The prestigious group was examining one of the mosaics, while the other seemed to be casting a combined spell on the floor.


    ¡°You sneaky geezer,¡± the avatar said beneath his breath. ¡°You knew which way to go from the start.¡±


    There was no doubt about it. The old man had tricked them all.


    ¡°He spent most of the time there.¡± Klarissa walked up to the avatar. ¡°That means there¡¯s only two ways he could have chosen. Summer or autumn. Which one should we pick?¡±


    ¡°We?¡± Ellis asked, almost with a hiss. ¡°I don¡¯t remember any of us saying that you could join.¡±


    ¡°No one asked you, little girl.¡± The woman glanced down at the cat with a smile of superiority. ¡°You¡¯re just a familiar, aren¡¯t you, after all?¡± She turned back to the avatar. ¡°So?¡±


    Attitude aside, the woman had a point. The old man clearly knew a lot more than everyone else, so following him was almost certain to lead them to the third floor; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have just snuck out like that.


    The avatar¡¯s glance moved between each of the archways. Any guess he made had a fifty-fifty chance of being wrong. It was better than the previous odds, though not enough to have him simply do it. If he did, there was an even greater risk that the Feline Tower would consider this a betrayal and exact the punishment they had threatened Theo with.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± he admitted. ¡°I think I need to think a bit more on this.¡±


    Specifically, he needed to ask someone with greater knowledge on the matter. Spok was useless when it came to riddles, even if she had the time to look into it, and Switches was¡­ well Switches. Thankfully, there was one person in the city that held a deep fascination for riddles who had helped the dungeon in the past. The issue with him was that the man might not be willing to help. Given that he was the best option there was, Theo would have no choice but to pay him a visit; after he finished dealing with the adventurer guilds.


    Accompanied by Switches, the incredibly lifelike construct of Baron d¡¯Argent made its way along the streets of Rosewind. The people that knew him were all too happy to wave and wish him a good day, thankful to everything he had done for the town. Naturally, they didn¡¯t miss the opportunity to express their joy regarding Spok¡¯s upcoming wedding, as if he were the spirit guide¡¯s father.


    Fake smiles would be flashed, niceties uttered, yet deep inside, Theo absolutely hated it. In his mind, every passing moment came with the risk of someone noticing that what was believed to be him was actually nothing more than a sophisticated puppet controlled by the very pavement it was stepping on.


    ¡°See, what did I tell you?¡± Switches asked, his small chest puffed up as far as the gnome could manage. ¡°You¡¯re just like the real thing!¡±


    ¡°Keep. Your. Voice. Down.¡± Theo whispered, maintaining a fake smile on the face of the construct.


    ¡°Oh, right!¡± The gnome covered his mouth with both hands. ¡°Sorry, boss,¡± he added in a whisper. ¡°I mean, Baron.¡±


    The pair kept on walking until they reached the vast building that represented the Lionmane¡¯s guildhall. Since successfully defeating the abomination, the guild had seen an incredible influx of candidates requiring a building large enough to house them. As a result, the original guildhall was re-classified as the guildmaster¡¯s personal residence, where only a select few of the upper tier adventurers were permitted. The new guildhall was four stories high and large as a small warehouse, proudly built in one of the new city sections, not too far from the main airship platform.


    Normally, the Lionmane guildmaster would spend all of his time in the comfort of his residence, far from the noise and commotion of guild business. Today, however, Baron d¡¯Argent had specifically requested that they meet at the guildhall. The reason for this was simple¡ªwhile significantly closer, the old guildhall didn¡¯t belong to Theo, so he didn¡¯t have the ability to use his construct to enter. In the eyes of Guildmaster Karlton Gerard, it had to be because the baron had come to speak with him regarding an official matter.


    Going to the back of the building, the dungeon caused the ground beneath the construct¡¯s feet to rise, elevating him to the guildmaster¡¯s window. Then, after a brief tap on the glass, he opened a section of the wall and walked inside.


    ¡°Err, Baron?¡± a large and very surprised man asked, seated behind a small desk. The ratio of scrolls to mugs of ale was such that one could come to the inevitable conclusion that office work had a whole different meaning here.


    ¡°Tell your uncle to stop hiding,¡± the construct of the baron said, just as Switches flew in from outside. ¡°I know he¡¯s here!¡±


    As Theo¡¯s former apprentice, the large muscular man knew that he didn¡¯t have much room for maneuver. Outright lying to a mage, especially the baron, was never a good idea. It also didn¡¯t help that, unknown to him, Theo knew exactly where the Lionmane guildmaster was.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°He just stepped out for a moment, sir.¡± Ulf quickly stacked up the scrolls in an attempt to make the desk more presentable. ¡°Would you like something to drink while we wait?¡± he took one of the somewhat full mugs and offered it.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just here to have a few words.¡±


    ¡°Oooh, nice trophy.¡± The gnome said, looking at a plaque on the wall with a large skeleton hand on it. ¡°From the cursed estate?¡±


    ¡°It belonged to my father, actually,¡± Ulf replied. ¡°Uncle decided that it was better to have it here.¡±


    ¡°Nice. Nice. Very solid work. The dungeon who created it must have been really skilled.¡± He paused, then looked around as if caught doing something that he wasn¡¯t supposed to. ¡°Not that I would know. Haven¡¯t seen dungeons in years. Decades even.¡±


    The only reason that Theo didn¡¯t slap himself on the face was because he wasn¡¯t sure the construct wouldn¡¯t fall apart if he did so. Instead, several rows of buildings within the city had their shutters rattle inexplicably.


    ¡°And how have you been, sir?¡± Ulf asked. ¡°Getting ready for the grand event?¡±


    ¡°As if I have a choice,¡± the dungeon grumbled.


    ¡°Spok has definitely earned it,¡± the large adventurer continued in his annoyingly cheerful fashion. ¡°We¡¯ve been discussing it with Cmyk for ages. I told him that it was only a matter of time before someone snatched that woman. I didn¡¯t expect it to be the earl, I mean duke, though. Between you and me at one point, I had my suspicion that my uncle might ask her out.¡± He started laughing.


    Theo deliberately refrained from doing so. The notion of Ulfang becoming part of the family, no matter how indirect, was anything but pleasant.


    Thankfully, just then the door opened, putting an end to the increasingly uncomfortable situation. Karlton, dressed in the official Lionmane attire, stepped in and slowly looked over the scene.


    ¡°You finished going through the new applicants, I take it?¡± he turned to Ulf.


    ¡°I was just in the process of doing so,¡± the large man said. ¡°A few of the recommendations are fake and I don¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then hurry up and finish. I¡¯d like the guild captains to get things moving quickly before the next batch arrives,¡± the man interrupted. ¡°And close the door behind you.¡±


    Ulf looked at his uncle, then at the baron, then at his uncle again. Quickly he gathered the scrolls, grabbing a mug as well, then left the room.


    ¡°I was expecting you to send an eyeball,¡± the guildmaster said, making his way to the desk. ¡°Must be a big deal for you to come in person, and with Switches, no less. How have you been, master engineer?¡±


    ¡°Oh, absolutely wonderful!¡± The gnome smiled. ¡°I''m almost done with your weapon upgrades. Orders might be a bit slower in the next few weeks.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be surprised if they weren¡¯t. This is a monumental occasion to be sure. I¡¯m sure someone is keeping you rather busy,¡± he glanced at Theo¡¯s construct.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± the dungeon said. ¡°The reason we¡¯re here is partially related to that. I hear your guild has been rather busy lately. Lots of your members have been using monster cores to have their weapons upgraded.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± the guildmaster arched a brow. ¡°All the guilds are doing well. I can¡¯t say we¡¯re the exception.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get to the other guildmasters eventually, but I thought I¡¯d start with you because of our personal relationship.¡±


    ¡°Why do I get the impression that it wouldn''t be to my benefit?¡± The man crossed his arms. ¡°Well, get on with it. What is it this time? You want to go off on another noble quest to escape the wedding?¡±


    ¡°Of course n¡ª¡± Theo began. ¡°Why, do you have anything?¡± he asked more out of curiosity than anything else.


    ¡°Oh, yes.¡± The other narrowed his eyes. ¡°Half a dozen arrived, and I¡¯m not giving you a single one. If you hadn¡¯t helped me out and brought Ulfang back in one piece I¡¯d have kicked you out the same way you came in! Rushing off from your own steward¡¯s wedding.¡± He shook his head.


    ¡°No, no, no!¡± Switches quickly rushed to the rescue, quickly climbing onto the guildmaster¡¯s desk. ¡°That¡¯s exactly why we¡¯re here. We need monster cores to¡ª¡±


    ¡°You need monster cores?¡± The man¡¯s tone softened.


    ¡°Yep, yep. I¡¯ll use them to make worker minions so I can build airships for the guests faster. Oh, and also a few of the metal knights for the castle. Possibly a mechanical carriage or two. And maybe a few more trinkets here and there.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re looking for cores to help with the wedding?¡± Karlton shifted his attention onto the construct of the baron.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been trying to tell you,¡± the dungeon grumbled.


    ¡°Well, that changes everything. How much do you need?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking of about ten¡ª¡± Theo began.


    ¡°How much can you give?¡± Switches interrupted.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± The guildmaster stroked his beard. ¡°I can ask the members to give up half their cores as a one-time donation. And three quarters of what¡¯s in the guild vault. Provided you make me a few training knights. I feel the new members have been getting a bit lax.¡±


    ¡°Deal!¡± The gnome grinned. ¡°Want a carriage or your own airship?¡±


    ¡°A guild with its personal airship?¡± The man laughed. ¡°Maybe after the wedding. Would be in poor taste to take the shine from the event.¡±


    ¡°Got you!¡± Switches gave him two thumbs up.


    Observing the conversation, Theo felt the unnatural urge to vomit. It wasn¡¯t that he wasn¡¯t pleased with the results¡ªon the contrary, things had gone a lot better than he could have hoped. Rather, it was the fact that the gnome had also turned into a respected, even valued, member of Rosewind. And to think that less than a year ago, the little creature had almost leveled the city to the ground.


    ¡°I can always count on you, my friend. So¡ª¡± the guildmaster glanced at the baron¡¯s construct ¡°¡ªanything else? Or was that all?¡±


    ¡°Nothing else.¡±


    ¡°Then, you have nothing to worry about. I¡¯ll make sure some of our newbies bring the cores to your workshop. Also, I¡¯ll have a talk with the other guildmasters on the matter. They¡¯re a good lot, so they will be glad to help. And if they aren¡¯t¡­¡± the sentence was left unfinished.


    The dungeon was left speechless. Apparently, it wasn¡¯t only the city that had changed in the last few months, but the people as well. If he didn¡¯t know better, he¡¯d almost say that he had woken up in a new reality.


    Suffering through another half minute of the gnome and the Lionmane guildmaster chatting, the construct of the baron left through the window. Switches soon followed, thanks to his flying belt.


    ¡°What did I tell you?¡± the gnome asked, grin on face. ¡°Everything¡¯s going perfectly. With the cores I¡¯ll be able to build more builders to build more workers to build more airships to¡ª¡±


    ¡°I got the picture,¡± the dungeon grumbled. ¡°Get on that. I need to take care of something else.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± The gnome¡¯s ears perked up.


    ¡°Something private.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Sure thing, boss!¡± Switches took a step back. ¡°I¡¯ll just focus on my work. You know where to find me if you need me.¡±


    Considering that the gnome¡¯s lab was part of the dungeon, that was a rather elementary task.


    Waiting for the gnome to disappear in the bustle of the city, Theo then directed the baron¡¯s construct back towards the old section of Rosewind.


    ¡°Spok,¡± he said through the core pendant hanging from her neck. ¡°I want you to see if you can make the mana gem charge faster.¡±


    ¡°I doubt it¡¯ll be ready earlier than two days from now,¡± the spirit guide replied. ¡°Why? You¡¯re not intending on growing or constructing any more useless buildings or chambers, are you, sir?¡±


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m constantly obsessed with growing?!¡± the dungeon snapped at her.


    ¡°So, you won¡¯t be growing, then?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Theo paused for a moment. ¡°Well, yes, but not in the way you think! I won¡¯t be making any new buildings for the moment. I just want to stretch a bit. The streets have become far too small, and the distance between buildings is unacceptable.¡±


    Three quarters of the local inhabitants would agree. Despite his best efforts, space in Rosewind had been disproportionately distributed. Some pleasantly large roads had appeared in the central areas of the city, while in others the roads had been pretty much reduced to alleys. In that regard, growing a bit wouldn¡¯t be considered a bad thing. Where Spok¡¯s doubts arose from was the small detail that rank increase had nothing to do with actual growth.


    ¡°Are you sure, sir?¡± she asked in a skeptical voice.


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m sure! I¡¯m doing all this for your wedding, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    That was difficult to argue with, and one had to admit that even if the abomination hadn¡¯t been consumed, the last noble quest had earned him a small reserve of core points. Whatever Theo¡¯s real intentions were regarding the mana gem, one could give him the benefit of the doubt.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do, sir,¡± she replied. ¡°And also, to let you know, I¡¯m thinking of utilizing some of the space you¡¯re so graciously willing to provide to request a few parks and gardens.¡±


    The buildings in several city sections trembled.


    ¡°Parks and gardens,¡± the dungeon repeated.


    ¡°I feel that it¡¯s a shame to keep them hidden underground, sir. A few glowing trees and flowers here and there would do wonders for the city¡¯s outlook. You have to look your best for the occasion, after all.¡±


    ¡°Spok, have I mentioned you¡¯re spending far too much time with the duke?¡±


    ¡°On many occasions, sir. That¡¯s the entire point.¡±


    As the dungeon grumbled, the construct of the baron made its walk along the roads. On occasion, someone would notice that the ¡°mage¡± was sliding along the pavement, instead of walking, but that was quickly disregarded as a trick of the light.


    On several occasions, the construct almost crashed into some junior adventurers who were rushing through the increasingly narrow streets. Thankfully, the dungeon managed to maintain the integrity of the mechanical puppet, taking it all the way to the only alchemist shop in the city.


    Strictly speaking, the arrival of Switches had rendered all alchemist services redundant. While it was true that there were certain services that only a seasoned craftsman of that profession could offer, they were few and vastly overpriced. As a result, the shop owner¡¯s resentment had visibly grown as illustrated by the many ¡°DOWN WITH THE GREEDY BARON!¡± signs all over the shop and nearby buildings.


    As the construct stood in front of the door, a small wooden box filled with a substantial amount of gold coins emerged from the pavement nearby. Since Theo was about to go begging, it paid to be prepared.


    ¡°Here goes nothing,¡± Theo muttered to himself, then picked up the box of coins and entered.


    The shop was very much the same as it had been upon his first visit. Salves and potions covered the shelves, largely untouched despite the vastly increased adventurer presence. One would have thought that at least some of them would venture in out of curiosity, but that clearly hadn¡¯t been the case.


    ¡°Well, well, well,¡± an old man said, peeking above the counter. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be shameless enough to set foot here.¡±


    ¡°Why, hello, old friend.¡± Theo tried to make the construct smile. The result could be called passable, but had no effect on the alchemist whatsoever.


    ¡°Friend, ha!¡± the old man snapped. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for me, you wouldn¡¯t have been able to spot the goblin armies, let alone defend the city! I spent countless nights creating glass the likes of which this entire kingdom hasn¡¯t seen!¡±


    ¡°Actually, you only spent about¡ª¡±


    ¡°And how do you show your thanks?¡± The alchemist interrupted, pulling himself as much up the counter as he possibly could. ¡°You build a gnome workshop next door!¡±


    In all honesty, Theo had done so by accident. At the time, he had a lot of other concerns on his mind, so he had completely forgotten the existence of the alchemist and just built Switches¡¯ laboratory at the first place he found suitable.


    ¡°And now, you no doubt come crawling back to me for a favor of some sort, am I right?¡± The alchemist narrowed his eyes. If looks were able to kill, they wouldn¡¯t have just drilled through the construct¡¯s head, but through the dungeon underneath as well.


    ¡°Of course not. I¡¯ve just come to stock up on potions and¡ª¡±


    ¡°You think you can buy me off? I don¡¯t need your charity! I might be going through hard times, but I remain a respectable alchemist and I¡¯d sooner go out of business than stoop so low as to help you again!¡±


    Definitely not a good start. Theo knew all too well from his past life that once a person¡¯s trust had been lost, it was nearly impossible to regain. Then again, given enough subtle persuasion, impossible things occurred nine times out of ten.


    ¡°I just thought you might assist me with a new riddle,¡± the construct said, its voice somewhat fainter due to the distance from the dungeon¡¯s body.


    Just don¡¯t fall apart, Theo prayed.


    ¡°And what makes you think I¡¯ll help you with that?¡± The old man looked away. ¡°What sort of riddle?¡±


    ¡°A mage riddle. To a mage tower riddle, to be precise.¡±


    ¡°A mage tower riddle? Hmm. There aren¡¯t many of those. Very temperamental and difficult to¡­ Hold a moment!¡± The alchemist shouted, then slammed his hand on the counter. ¡°You thought you¡¯d trick me, eh? Nice try! It¡¯ll take a lot more than that to get me to throw away my principles!¡±


    ¡°Look, I really need your help,¡± Theo resorted straight to groveling. ¡°I really, really, need it right now. It might be a matter of life and death, and also will affect the duke¡¯s wedding. So, just tell me what I need to do to erase the shameful mistake of my past.¡± He placed the box on the counter and opened it. ¡°Gold? Your own workshop? I can even arrange that you share Switches¡¯ workshop anytime you like.¡±


    The dungeon would have continued more if he hadn¡¯t noticed the star-struck expression that had appeared on the alchemist¡¯s face.


    ¡°You¡¯ll make me a gnome¡¯s assistant?¡± he asked in a voice trembling with excitement.


    ¡°I thought you hated gnomes?¡±


    ¡°Hate gnomes? It¡¯s every alchemist¡¯s dream to become a gnome¡¯s assistant. Generations of my family, on my mother¡¯s side, have tried to obtain the position with no success. Assisting a chief engineer is the same as¡­¡± he waved his hands in the air, finding himself at a lack for words. ¡°Hold on.¡± The man¡¯s eyes narrowed again. ¡°This isn¡¯t one of your tricks, is it?¡±


    ¡°Tricks? I can make you his assistant right now.¡±


    ¡°Prove it! I want a binding contract and I¡¯m not lifting my finger to help you, no matter how interesting the riddle may be.¡±


    ¡°You want a contract to work for me?¡± This was borderline ridiculous.


    ¡°And not just any contract, but a clerical contract! The magic ones have too many loopholes in them. Bring me that and I¡¯m willing to forget the past!¡±


    It was difficult not to be overjoyed, but the dungeon managed to retain a healthy air of concern. Two positive outcomes in a day were certain to cause problems. Theo had no idea what those problems might be or when they¡¯d take form, but he knew the universe well enough to be sure they were on their way. All that he could do now was take advantage of his gains and brace himself for what was to follow.

 (Book 3) 9. The Map Mosaic

    The second group of mages had long vanished along the spring path, leaving Theo¡¯s avatar and his band of misfits behind. It was difficult to describe them otherwise: a cat, a freelance mercenary, and a child prodigy with a flying squirrel. If he were a suspicious type, the dungeon would have wondered why either of them had agreed to stick around. The mercenary seemed to do things on her own, and the Ice tower mage could have taken a spot in one of the other groups, if he so wished. From what Ellis had explained, his tower wasn¡¯t particularly old, though respected enough for exceptions to be made when it suited those making them.


    ¡°Done thinking?¡± Klarissa asked, chewing on a food ration.


    The woman had taken advantage of the pause to have a bite, while Ellis and Siaho were discussing magic related stuff that Theo couldn¡¯t remotely keep up with.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so impatient!¡± the avatar snapped. ¡°This is a complicated process.¡±


    In truth, he had split his attention between readjusting the city of Rosewind and dealing with his new employee. Switches had been extremely skeptical about taking on an assistant, be it an alchemist. The ever-cheerful gnome had suddenly transformed into a mini-tyrant, eyeing the alchemist in disdain, as if he was applying to a job fresh out of college. It was only after examining several of the other¡¯s masterpieces, and a serious nudge on Theo¡¯s part, that he had relented, taking on the old man as a junior assistant.


    ¡°These are obviously the four seasons,¡± the alchemist said, looking at perfect reactions of the tower¡¯s mosaics in his very own room of the gnome laboratory. ¡°And also the four blights of nature: hurricane, earthquake, flood, and fire.¡±


    ¡°I know that already,¡± the dungeon replied under the guise of ¡°distant talking¡± since his construct was out of commission. ¡°What are the symbols?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± the alchemist stroked his beard. ¡°Can you remove them from the walls?¡±


    ¡°Hold on.¡± In the tower, the avatar took a step forward and touched the edge of the mosaic.


    The moment he tried to pull it off, a flame emerged from it, covering his entire hand. The effect was easy to ignore for one who wasn¡¯t human, yet even so, the spike in energy consumption was more than a mere wound.


    ¡°It¡¯s protected by a spell,¡± both the dungeon and his avatar said simultaneously. ¡°The one indicated on the mosaic.¡± He kept on pulling until a fragment snapped off the wall.


    ¡°There are spells for that, you know,¡± Ellis said, not remotely concerned with the avatar¡¯s health.


    ¡°I know.¡± The avatar glanced at her. ¡°Take off all the symbol pieces.¡±


    All three members of the small group went to their own mosaic and proceeded to do so. The initial spells were quick to trigger a defensive reaction, surrounding the mosaic by a spell linked to the image within. Anyone too careless would have instantly suffered a serious wound. Since they were already aware, thanks to the baron¡¯s experience, the mages were quick to cast counterspells of their own, preventing any disastrous outcomes.


    ¡°Yes, the symbol layers can be removed, though not the rest of the picture,¡± Theo said back in the gnome lab.


    ¡°Ah, must be a key riddle, then.¡± The alchemist snapped his fingers. ¡°That used to be popular in mage trials five hundred years ago. You¡¯re lucky to have found one intact. It¡¯s believed that the symbols must be arranged to form a phrase. The phrase indicates the starting point and the order of the pieces used must form a map.¡±


    ¡°A map?¡± the dungeon asked.


    ¡°Four mosaics¡ªfour elements, four seasons, four directions. Each piece is a step in the respective direction. Of course, that¡¯s just the leading theory. Literature on the topic is extensive, but only one intact key riddle has been found so far, and some have expressed doubts whether it¡¯s the real thing or an intricate forgery created by combining elements of three separate¡ª¡±


    ¡°Jimmy!¡± Switches stormed into the room. ¡°What are you doing?!¡±


    ¡°Helping the baron with a puzzle, chief engineer?¡± the alchemist turned three shades paler.


    ¡°A likely excuse! Now stop slacking and get here! I want to create a new model using your glass formula.¡±


    ¡°Now, chief engineer?¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know why I hired you.¡± The gnome rolled his eyes. ¡°Now, of course! I need to send the first batch of construct guards to the castle by evening.¡±


    With no further explanations, the gnome turned around and stomped his way out of the small room.


    ¡°Sorry, Baron,¡± the alchemist whispered. ¡°I need to get to work. You got the gist of it.¡± He rushed out of the room.


    So much for turning over a new leaf, the dungeon thought. Maybe getting a subordinate for Switches wasn¡¯t the best idea. Still, what was done was done.


    ¡°I think this is a message,¡± his avatar said out loud. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what language it is, but if we arrange the symbols to form a message, we¡¯ll get a map of¡ª¡±


    ¡°A key riddle,¡± Klarissa interrupted. ¡°Haven¡¯t come across one in years. Nice catch, old man. You¡¯re not all talk, after all.¡±


    ¡°You know about them?¡± Theo was more surprised than insulted by her comment.


    ¡°I¡¯ve come across a few, but nothing as elaborate as this. If you hadn¡¯t pointed it out, I wouldn¡¯t have made the connection.¡±


    ¡°And where exactly did you come across them?¡± Ellis asked, her tail wagging about in a sign of displeasure.


    ¡°No one asked for your opinion, little girl,¡± the woman said with a sarcastic smile. ¡°Get back to your flirting and leave the grownups to business.¡±


    ¡°Business, my ass!¡± the cat hissed. ¡°You¡¯re not even a full mage! The only reason you got here is because you were lucky enough to find a Gregord key! And for your information, I have a boyfriend back in my tower, not that it¡¯s your concern.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the time¡ª¡± Theo¡¯s avatar began.


    ¡°She¡¯s a grave robber!¡± Ellis shouted, rushing up to him. ¡°She¡¯s not here to gain knowledge, just to plunder anything she can and sell the knowledge to the highest bidder!¡±


    ¡°So?¡± Klarissa crossed her arms. ¡°Knowing the value of that knowledge, you should have been showering me with compliments and promises. That¡¯s why you¡¯re just a little girl¡ªyou¡¯ve no idea how the world works. He knows.¡± The woman glanced at the avatar.


    ¡°You can¡¯t trust her!¡± The white cat insisted.


    ¡°No one can trust anyone, little girl.¡± Klarissa walked up to Ellis and bent down. ¡°There¡¯s no friendship here, just a series of useful alliances. For the moment, our goals align. Up to when ¨C depends on you.¡±


    Unwilling to have this grow into a perpetual argument, the avatar cast a series of silence spells on everyone in the chamber. To no surprise, his spells were instantly disenchanted. Thankfully, he was able to get his point across. Both Ellis and Klarissa took a step away from him in complete silence.


    ¡°As I was saying,¡± the baron continued. ¡°We get the pieces, form the phrase, then solve this labyrinth. You can either help out with this or shut up. Your choice.¡±


    The continued silence let him know what they had decided on.


    ¡°Good. Now, let¡¯s get to it.¡±


    Arranging the pieces was more difficult than Theo had initially thought. Ironically, that proved to be a welcome distraction from events in the city. The influx of goods and people combined with airships in production had stirred up the griffin population. Normally, Spok and Switches would deal with that, but with the latter busy with creating constructs, and the former occupied with Lady Avisian and servant selection, the role fell on the dungeon. Even more annoying, scuffles had broken out between the guests¡¯ men and the local adventurers. Captain Ribbons had attempted to remedy the situation for the moment, but with questionable results. With most of his guards focused on the nobles¡¯ security, there wasn¡¯t much he could achieve and anyone seeking trouble knew it.


    Only in the past six hours, Theo had tripped a dozen would-be thieves, slammed doors and window shutters on the fingers of seven more, and gotten one stuck in a chimney. And all this was weeks before the event had even started. Just thinking about how things would escalate gave him a virtual headache, which was why he focused more of his attention on the tower trial.


    ¡°Any idea what language this is?¡± Siaho asked.


    So far, everyone had been matching the symbol lines of the pieces, rather than making out the meaning of the message itself. It was a slow and inefficient process, but with just a bit of magic, one could see that there was only one correct way in which the pieces fit together. Even the original placement had been ever so slightly off.


    ¡°It might be Kalian,¡± Ellis said, using telekinesis to match four pieces simultaneously. Out of the entire group, she was doing most by far. ¡°It¡¯s one of the languages that Gregord studied during his apprentice years.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± the avatar said. Thanks to his Cornucopia of Sounds and Letters ability , he was able to understand any language past and present in the world, and the symbols weren¡¯t one of them. ¡°It¡¯s probably a cypher used by the archmage.¡±


    ¡°Why do you think that it has to have a meaning?¡± Klarissa asked lazily. ¡°Something so obvious would have been instantly spotted. Most likely it¡¯s a spell instruction.¡±


    Spell instruction? That was a new concept. Up to now, the only way that Theo had learned spells was by converting core points or defeating enemies.


    ¡°Spok,¡± he whispered from the spirit guide¡¯s pendant. ¡°Can you talk?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m alone, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking, sir,¡± she replied, indicating that it wasn¡¯t the best time.


    ¡°Perfect. What are spell instructions?¡±


    The question made the spirit guide pause. For the last few hours, she had been giving Lady Avisian a tour of the castle, and then the city itself. Naturally, that only involved places that were worth seeing: the nearby airship platform, the more presentable griffin nests, and the local nobles. It was inevitable that along the way, the noblewoman would pause to explore any fine craftsman that caught her fancy. Currently, that happened to be one of the local jewelers. And, of course, the woman had insisted on doing it alone.


    ¡°Spell instructions are the principles by which people learn magic, sir,¡± Spok whispered to her pendant. ¡°As a dungeon, the knowledge was assembled for you by the goddess, and you merely have to convert your core points to acquire it.¡±


    ¡°So, I¡¯m buying magic from the deities?¡±


    ¡°No, sir.¡± Spoke¡¯s left eyebrow twitched. ¡°You are spending core points to recreate the magic pattern within you. If dungeons were born with all their accumulated spells active, they would shatter their core.¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Alright. So, can I learn new spells through instructions?¡±


    That was a slightly more difficult question.


    ¡°Attempts have been made, but no,¡± she replied. ¡°A person¡¯s mind and magic flow are too different from that of a dungeon core. However, since you have an avatar, it¡¯s possible for you to learn through him.¡±


    ¡°So, using your method for knowledge accumulation, I can learn all the spells of a magic tower?¡±


    ¡°I suppose. But I don¡¯t see why you¡¯d need to, sir. The spells that have been selected are superior in many ways, not to mention that they were carefully selected and assembled by the goddess after generations of dungeon reincarnations¡ª¡±


    ¡°Spok,¡± a female voice said, coming from the jeweler''s shop. ¡°Could you come for a moment? I need your opinion.¡±


    ¡°It will be my pleasure, milady,¡± the spirit guide replied. ¡°I¡¯m needed, sir,¡± Spok whispered before walking in.


    A number of doors in the city spontaneously creaked. Everyone the dungeon could rely on was constantly busy with one thing or another. Technically, all except Cmyk, but the skeleton wasn¡¯t someone Theo could rely on by any stretch of the imagination. For all intents and purposes, he was on his own. And as the saying went, if you want something done right, one had to do it himself. Unfortunately, even with his new found determination, Theo¡¯s avatar was unable to match the speed and precision of Ellis.


    Faced with the humiliation of being outdone by a cat, the dungeon was left with one single recourse: to find a way to cheat, which he did by casting arcane identify on a random mosaic piece. When that didn¡¯t work, he resorted to the first thing he could think of¡ªcasting a memory spell.


    CONGRATULATIONS!


    You have used a memory spell on the Mosaic Fragment, breaking the Memory Knot curse cast on it.


    The curse is no longer in effect.


    MEMORY ECHOES spell obtained.


    1000 Avatar Core Points obtained.


    MEMORY ECHOES - 1


    Spend 100 mana to see a minute of an object¡¯s past.


    Using the skill increases its rank, reducing the mana required.


    A hidden curse? Theo wondered.


    Apparently, just because the identify spell hadn¡¯t shown him anything, didn¡¯t mean that there weren¡¯t hidden curses within the tower. In this case, the curse only affected the mosaic, but it was a reminder that mages could be a lot more devious and dangerous than the dungeon thought. No wonder that even the hero guild didn¡¯t mess with mages.


    The knowledge Gregord had promised to everyone in his tower wasn¡¯t just books, but was scattered about acting as both lock and reward.


    ¡°Luck and skill,¡± the avatar said.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Everyone looked at him.


    ¡°I was just thinking about the principles the archmage followed,¡± the avatar lied. Right then, he cast the memory echoes spell.


    Given that the test had been going on for centuries, the dungeon assumed that he¡¯d have to invest heavily in the spell. To his surprise, time seemed to react differently. One minute was more than enough to see the piece cut out of the full set of spell instructions. The ancient archmage had initially come up with the instructions, then cut them up into small pieces he had used as part of the mosaics.


    Since he didn¡¯t know that, Theo had cast the spell with over a thousand mana. Anything more would have invoked Spok¡¯s sarcasm. Yet, even such an amount was more than enough to portray the journey of the block of marble, a large chunk of rock, and a part of a quarry.


    The experience was unfamiliar in a familiar type of way. The important thing was that it let Theo get a look at the big picture and that, in turn, let him join in the jigsaw process.


    In ten minutes, the entire pattern had been arranged. Theo cast his new spell several times to make sure.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he said, noticing the suspicious silence. ¡°Any idea what that means?¡±


    ¡°Like the old hag said, it¡¯s a spell,¡± Ellis all but purred.


    ¡°And?¡± The avatar looked at the cat, then at the other two. ¡°No link to the archmage or anything?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t look familiar,¡± Siaho said. ¡°Must be proprietary.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Gregord didn¡¯t share all his spells. Most of them are believed to be locked in his tower.¡±


    The avatar paused again.


    ¡°Alright. So, we¡¯re in a mage tower. All of you are mages.¡± He paused for a moment. ¡°To some degree,¡± he corrected himself, glancing at Klarissa. ¡°Can¡¯t any of you cast that spell?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re afraid it might be a trap,¡± the woman said. ¡°And I¡¯m not stupid enough to check if they¡¯re right.¡±


    The avatar shook his head. When it came to it, even mages were useless. Either that or extremely paranoid. Since it was clear that none of them would take the risk, he decided to have a go. Concentrating, he focused on the pattern taking it in.


    No one had explained what was needed to learn a spell, so the avatar just put a finger on a part of the pattern, while trying to keep it in mind. A hundred mana was sucked up from the dungeon¡¯s reserve.


    MAGIC REVELATION - 1


    Spend 10 energy to remove a magical mask, revealing what it covered.


    Using the skill increases its rank, allowing for larger masks to be removed.


    That was rather useful, unlike the trash skills he received upon leveling up.


    ¡°It¡¯s a magic revelation spell,¡± he said. ¡°Go ahead and take it.¡± The avatar stepped back, then moved to the nearest mosaic. ¡°Let¡¯s see what you¡¯re hiding,¡± he cast his new spell.


    Nothing changed. After trying a few more times, the avatar tried the same on another mosaic, then another and another.


    ¡°Anything?¡± Ellis asked, running up to the avatar. As any proper mage, she, too, cast a spell of her own, just to double check.


    ¡°The spells are probably for later,¡± Klarissa said. ¡°The only reward here was getting them. On that note.¡± She cast a spell on the assembled composition, breaking it up into pieces again.


    ¡°What the hell was that for?!¡± Ellis leaped as far away across the room as possible.


    ¡°Some of the others might come back. Why give them any advantage?¡±


    Another argument erupted. Unwilling to get involved, the avatar stepped to the side, pretending to examine the wall. The action made him think of the old mage. He, too, had been leaning against the wall before disappearing. Was it possible that he had managed to fool ten mages and sneak away using a proprietary spell without anyone noticing?


    When the avatar cast the spell again, a new archway emerged in front of him.


    ¡°You sneaky old bastard,¡± the avatar laughed. ¡°Found it.¡±


    The magic words quickly restored order, causing the mages to join him. Siaho created a wandering eye and sent it further. The spell fizzled upon passing the threshold. Clearly, all restrictions remained in effect.


    ¡°Anyone remember the pattern?¡± The avatar looked over his shoulder. Both mages he could see nodded. Something told him that Ellis had as well. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s see where this takes us.¡±


    Without hesitation, the avatar crossed the threshold and continued onward. The journey through Gregord¡¯s labyrinth had begun.


    Meanwhile, events were progressing at an ever-faster pace. Thanks to the monster cores, more of Switches¡¯ constructs had been put to work, completing an airship early. The event was celebrated, not because there was a particular reason for it, but because Duke Rosewind couldn¡¯t miss the opportunity to brag in front of his unwelcome guest. All the local nobles and people of importance were invited to the castle from where they¡¯d be able to observe the majestic contraption fly by.


    A few people pointed out that doing so after dark wasn¡¯t the best idea, but Duke Rosewind was adamant. Aware that the gnome had cut a few corners, he planned on having the demonstration after dark, so all the imperfections would be hidden by the darkness.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see what the big deal is,¡± Duke Avisian said, holding a handkerchief in front of his nose. As it turned out, to Rosewind¡¯s delight, the nobleman had a slight allergy to griffins. Given that the air was filled with parts of fur and feathers, that made his nose spontaneously start dripping without warning. ¡°It¡¯s just some chest in the air. Not even a dragon.¡±


    ¡°Definitely not a dragon,¡± Duke Rosewind nodded. ¡°But as we are a small city, any mark of progress is to be celebrated. Did I mention that we¡¯re planning to have thirty of them by the end of the month?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t recall,¡± the other glanced him in the eye. It was obvious that both dukes were adept at that game.


    ¡°Announcing Viscount Dott,¡± a royal guard said loudly. ¡°And entourage.¡±


    Protocol dictated that Spok be the one to greet them and take them to their seats arranged on top of the largest tower. Although the dungeon would have frowned upon the activity as a waste of time, the spirit guide was perfectly aware of the political significance of the event and acted appropriately.


    ¡°My lord Dott,¡± she said with her usual expression. ¡°Please, this way if you would, sir.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Spok.¡± The man nodded. ¡°I guess congratulations are in order.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, my lord.¡±


    ¡°That sly old fox couldn¡¯t help himself, could he?¡± The nobleman turned in the direction of Duke Rosewind. ¡°If I was a few decades younger, I¡¯d have given him a run for his money.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you would, sir,¡± Spok smiled politely, as was expected of her. ¡°On another topic, you wished for some changes in your warehouse district?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes,¡± the viscount added in a whisper. ¡°With the airships booming, I¡¯m thinking of buying one of my own for fresh produce. It¡¯ll bring the goods here, then send them off to where it¡¯s most profitable.¡±


    ¡°Seems to be a sound plan.¡±


    ¡°Of course it is. What I need from the baron is to add an ice spell or something on a few of my warehouses so the goods don¡¯t spoil. Talking about the baron, where¡¯s that old rascal?¡± he looked around.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid he was urgently called to assist with a matter regarding his tower. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    ¡°Mages. Never could stand the lot. Tell him to let me know the moment he arrives. I don¡¯t want anyone else to copy my idea.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be certain to do so.¡±


    The viscount mumbled away as he made it a point to go to the seat alone. Following close behind was his steward¡ªElric Valence. While skilled, the man was utterly dislikable and, worst of all, he and Spok had several unpleasant encounters.


    ¡°Elric,¡± Spok said, acknowledging his presence.


    ¡°Spok,¡± the man responded in kind. ¡°Or should I say ¡°milady?¡±


    ¡°Once it¡¯s official.¡±


    ¡°Once it¡¯s official,¡± the man nodded. ¡°Provided the deities don¡¯t change their mind.¡±


    The man glanced at the other nobles. All of them were preoccupied exchanging subtle insults while looking at the distance from where the new airship rose up into the sky.


    ¡°I too was part of the nobility once,¡± he continued in a whisper. ¡°Some said that my father could have become a marquis. That would have made me next in line for the title. Unfortunately, the deities had other plans, and what could have been never was.¡±


    ¡°You definitely landed on your feet. And if your current job doesn¡¯t work out, I¡¯m sure you could live quite comfortably as a traveling poet.¡±


    Elric frowned. Even now, he could see the difference in their ranks. Although, technically, Spok remained a steward, her influence in the city had long eclipsed his.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tend to the viscount,¡± he muttered, passing by. ¡°Congratulations on the wedding,¡± he added as an afterthought.


    Watching him move up to his lord¡¯s seat, Spok glanced at the crowd. A few chairs remained unoccupied. Avid was supposed to be there, but he had chosen to spend the night flying about on his griffin as usual. It was more surprising that Amelia wasn¡¯t present, either. The girl had been more than enthusiastic regarding the event, volunteering for everything from assisting Spok to cleaning the wells from slimes. For her to miss an occasion such as this, especially since her lineage had earned her a seat in the front row, was highly unusual.


    A series of hushed ¡°oohs¡± filled the air, as the elite crowd looked at the airship flying in their direction. From this angle, one might say that Switches had outdone himself. The massive hunk of flying alloy floated majestically, covered in bright blue lights, placed at strategic spots on its hull. The crest of Rosewind was proudly on display, leaving no doubt as to the origin of the vessel.


    Spok was just about to take her seat in proximity to Lady Avisian, when the faint flapping of wings caught her attention. Turning towards the source of the sound, the spirit guide was able to see Avid waving to her from his griffin over a nearby segment of the city wall.


    ¡°Sir,¡± Spok whispered to her pendant. ¡°Has anything strange occurred recently?¡±


    ¡°Define strange,¡± the dungeon grumbled.


    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡±


    ¡°Why? What happened?¡± A moment ago, Theo had been annoyed by the question, but seeing that she had found an answer it piqued his interest.


    ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure, sir, but I¡¯ll find out.¡±


    Discreetly, the spirit guide walked past the guards, continuing down the flight of stairs that brought her into the castle proper. From there, she quickly, though with dignity, proceeded to make her way to the nearest section of the castle that was in contact with the city wall. Once her hand came into contact with the dungeon¡¯s main body, Spok instantly vanished, transporting herself near to where Avid was circling.


    ¡°Avid,¡± she said. ¡°I hope there¡¯s a reason you¡ª¡±


    ¡°You must come quickly!¡± the young man interrupted. ¡°It¡¯s bad. Amelia wanted to see the new airship up close, so we flew with Octavian there and¡­ You must see it! Climb on. Amelia is waiting for us there.¡±


    ¡°Avid.¡± Spok adjusted her glasses. ¡°We are in the middle of a rather important event for your father and the city in general. It¡¯s bad enough that you aren¡¯t there to mark the occasion, but it will take a lot more than your insistence for me to rush off for no reason whatsoever.¡±


    ¡°A mechanic fell off the airship!¡± Avid said in a hushed voice. ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡±


    ¡°Dead?¡± the spirit guide asked. ¡°I would have been aware of that.¡±


    On his part, Theo thought the same. As a dungeon, he was supposed to see and hear anything within his body, but there hadn¡¯t been anything suggesting someone had fallen off an airship, let alone a body.


    ¡°No, you wouldn¡¯t. The mechanic was wearing a cloak of invisibility, a highly expensive one. And that¡¯s not all.¡±


    ¡°What else was there?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Avid hesitated. ¡°You really should see for yourself.¡±

 (Book 3) 10. Hints and Secrets

    In his current life and the past, there were a plethora of things that annoyed Theo. The constant noises, the chatter, the thousands of feet stepping onto him, the griffins screeching and covering rooftops with shit, even all the clothes that didn¡¯t get destroyed after a few weeks of being worn. The dungeon had spent large amounts of time, materials, and energy isolating himself from all that, so he could hear himself think. This evening, the greatest annoyance of all was something he was unable to see.


    ¡°He¡¯s dead alright,¡± Spok said, standing above a corpse on the edge of the airship platform.


    The unfortunate man must have fallen from a slight height¡ªapproximately fifty feet, or slightly less. The fall might even have ended with severe injuries, but not death, if it hadn¡¯t been for the solid metal door that had crushed the upper part of his body.


    ¡°When did you find him?¡± The spirit guide turned to Amelia, who remained near the body.


    ¡°We saw him fall, ma¡¯am,¡± she said. ¡°We wanted to see the new airship up close and when we did, one of the doors fell off and¡­ well, that happened.¡±


    ¡°Spok,¡± the dungeon grumbled. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why can¡¯t I see anything?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s wrapped in invisibility fabric, sir,¡± the spirit guide explained, not even bothering to hide it.


    ¡°Then how could you see it?!¡±


    ¡°The other kind of invisibility, sir. Send a few wandering eyes and you¡¯ll get the idea.¡±


    How many types of invisibility are there? The dungeon grumbled internally. Still, he cast the spell. Not only that, but he also cast several dozen more floating eyeballs he sent to the castle. Lethal accidents were bad enough. Having this happen on this particular occasion risked creating more commotion than he needed.


    At this point, most people would have asked where Switches was. The gnome was responsible for the architecture, construction, and launch of the airship, so many of the questions would be directed towards him. Being a dungeon, Theo knew exactly where the gnome was. What was more, he had already ordered the gnome¡ªand his assistant¡ªto get to the location as quickly as possible.


    ¡°He¡¯s definitely not someone I¡¯ve seen,¡± Spok said. Although, with all the guests and adventurers coming in, even she was starting to lose track. ¡°Almost looks like a mechanic or a thief.¡±


    ¡°Those again?¡± Theo grumbled as a cluster of eyes emerged on the scene. A few moments later, they were joined by a dozen sphered fireballs. ¡°I thought we¡¯d gotten rid of all that.¡±


    ¡°There are still some who try their luck, sir,¡± Spok said. ¡°Amilia, take a step back, please.¡±


    The spirit guide cast a telekinesis spell, lifting the airship door to reveal the dead mechanic-slash-thief in his entirety. Even after the damage inflicted, one could tell he was well toned and rather athletic. If indeed he had come to steal something, he wasn¡¯t doing it as a hobby.


    ¡°He¡¯s an adventurer,¡± Avid said without hesitation. ¡°Custom daggers and a short sword.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s local,¡± Amelia mused. ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like he had any of his gear upgraded.¡±


    ¡°Spok,¡± Theo¡¯s voice came from the eyeballs, completely ignoring the young pair. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult to say, sir. He clearly has a set of mechanical tools and a few dimensional satchels.¡±


    ¡°A few?¡±


    The one Theo had taken from the thieves during his first noble quest was enough to contain more than enough treasure. If the dead man had several, then there were only two targets he had come to rob from: Theo¡¯s avatar¡ªknown to be a tremendously rich and a big spender¡ªor everyone at the wedding event. With a thousand nobles, it was a given that there would be a lot of valuable trinkets, excluding the obligatory gifts that the happy couple would receive.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± A squeaky voice asked, as a gnome rushed to the scene. ¡°Someone died on my landing platform?¡± Switches made his way to the corpse, faithfully followed by his new assistant.


    ¡°Yes.¡± The floating eyes glared at the gnome in accusatory fashion. ¡°Crushed by the door of the latest airship. I thought that the whole point of creating constructs was to make construction faster and safer.¡±


    ¡°Faster,¡± Switches corrected.


    ¡°Any chance he could be part of the decorative crew?¡± Spok asked. By that, she meant the people charged with making the airship more complete than it actually was. ¡°You did cut a few corners.¡±


    ¡°Turned a square into a triangle, I¡¯d bet,¡± Theo grumbled.


    ¡°I sent all those to help with the next one.¡± The gnome activated his belt, rising several feet in the air


    The gnome¡¯s answer made the dungeon feel worse.


    ¡°The door looks fine. Assistant,¡± he added over his shoulder. ¡°Make sure they use that for one of the next models. No use in wasting a perfectly good door.¡±


    ¡°Yes, chief engineer.¡± The alchemist was quick to nod.


    ¡°I expect there won¡¯t be other parts falling off the airship as it flies over the castle?¡± Spok said in a warning tone. ¡°I would very much hope that you don¡¯t plan on embarrassing my future husband in front of the guests.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, most of them haven¡¯t arrived,¡± Switches flashed a smile. Unfortunately, he had chosen the worst time and topic at which to do so. A single glare on the spirit guide¡¯s part and his smile lost ninety-five percent of sincerity. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s solid as a rock.¡±


    ¡°Where exactly did the door come from?¡± Theo asked. ¡°It¡¯s too small for a hangar door and it¡¯s definitely not a hatch.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re talking ancient designs.¡± The gnome turned to the cluster of eyes. ¡°We use standard doors in a few sections now. Faster to get people in and out. I¡¯m not dealing with goblin hatches anymore.¡±


    A sudden silence fell. Half of the people had no idea what the gnome was referring to. The rest were equally curious and concerned that he had.


    ¡°Because it¡¯s such an old-fashioned concept,¡± Switches quickly added, the droplets of sweat visible even in the darkness. ¡°Practically antique!¡±


    ¡°We saw him fall off near the back of the ship,¡± Amelia said.


    ¡°The mana generator section?¡± Switches¡¯ ears twitched. ¡°Now, I¡¯m sure that¡¯s in perfect order. Probably some tourist who got lost.¡±


    ¡°Or a thief,¡± the dungeon insisted. ¡°From now on, make sure you put guard armors on each airship! I¡¯ll be damned if thieves use them to flood the city! Things are bad enough with the ones we have.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, Baron!¡± Switches nodded. ¡°Take note, assistant!¡±


    ¡°Yes, chief engineer,¡± the alchemist said, quickly writing it down on a small scroll.


    ¡°Err, head engineer Switches,¡± Avid said in a concerned voice. ¡°How many doors does an airship have?¡±


    ¡°Depends, but generally a dozen. Give or take. The larger ones have four sets of boardings doors, plus four for cargo and¡ª¡±


    ¡°I mean, of this type,¡± the young nobleman interrupted.


    ¡°Oh. Well, this particular type. Depending on the airship, about six. This one had two because we switched to construct building.¡± The gnome puffed up his chest, pleased with the remark.


    ¡°What are the chances of both breaking off?¡± Slowly, Avid pulled out a metal object from one of the corpse¡¯s dimensional satchels. A second metal door soon emerged, falling on the ground, and part of the corpse, with a thump.


    Everyone looked at what had happened. Even in a world of magic and mystical beings, this went well beyond what was ordinary.


    ¡°Spok,¡± the cluster of eyeballs began, ¡°check what else is in there.¡±


    As it turned out, the thief¡ªif he really was a thief¡ªhad stolen no less than six airship doors, along with parts of at least twelve other large vessel components. The moment each segment crashed onto the landing pad, Theo proceeded to cast a quick identify spell, as well as sample the metal they were made of.


    While relatively close, it soon turned out that the alloy composition was different from the one Switches used for his fleet. The materials were considerably cheaper and lacked the expected amount of anti-magic materials. Normally, one would think that the gnome had sacrificed quality to gain speed, but that wasn¡¯t the case. The dungeon knew perfectly well all the materials used¡ªhe couldn¡¯t get rid of the smell of the airship furnaces if he tried. Without a doubt, these could not be them.


    ¡°What does it mean?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°Is someone trying to kill Duke Rosewind?¡± She turned to Spok. ¡°Or you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Theo said as the spirit guide adjusted her glasses. ¡°It¡¯s political sabotage. This isn¡¯t a thief. He¡¯s the opposite¡ªsomeone who was supposed to sprinkle doors and other ¡°genuine¡± parts as the airship passed over the castle.¡±


    ¡°That way Duke Avisian could take the opportunity to feel insulted by the display and leave.¡± Avid clenched his fists in anger.


    ¡°It¡¯s more than that,¡± the dungeon continued. ¡°I bet he¡¯d make sure that the entire kingdom heard of this incident, claiming that Rosewind airships weren¡¯t safe. That way, a lot of the guests would refuse to come and if they didn¡¯t, it would take considerably longer to arrive here by carriage. That¡¯s the entire reason he came early. I¡¯m almost certain that the thief was part of his large escort.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s worse, sir,¡± Spok joined in. ¡°Depending on how close to the castle a door fell, Duke Avisian might claim that an attempt was made on his life. Everyone would see through it, of course, but it could be used as a pretext to force Rosewind to relinquish his new title.¡±


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s a good thing he fell all the way here, then,¡± Switched said, being the only one to see something positive in the situation. ¡°I¡¯ll just tell the pilot to fly extra slowly above the castle so everyone could see that nothing is missing. Assistant!¡±


    ¡°Right away, chief engineer!¡± The alchemist rushed off to perform the unspoken order.


    ¡°Find a way to put guards on the outside,¡± Theo said. ¡°If he failed once, he might try again.¡±


    ¡°In the meantime, we must return to the event before they notice,¡± Spok told Avid and Amelia. ¡°You¡¯ll have to pretend that I went to bring you, which was the reason for our absence.¡±


    ¡°But how will we get back there in time?¡± Avid asked. ¡°Even if Octavian can carry all three of us, it¡¯ll be at least¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish, Spok grabbed him and Amelia by the hand, then disappeared, re-emerging at the castle gates. Any other day the guards would have been startled by the sudden appearance, but thanks to Switches, the front gate was protected by a set of brand-new armor guards. Noticing Spok, all of them stood to attention.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    With a nod, the spirit guide hurried the two very confused nobles with her, muttering something about magic. While she did, Theo¡¯s avatar was occupied with a challenge of his own.


    CORE CONSUMPTION


    3 Fire Elemental core fragments converted into 1500 Avatar Core Points


    AVATAR LEVEL INCREASE


    Your Avatar has become Level 28


    +1 Mind, ESCAPE ARTIST skill obtained


    5400 Core Points required for next Avatar Level


    ESCAPE ARTIST - 1


    Allows you to escape from holds, ropes, and tight spaces.


    Using the ability increases its rank, allowing for escaping greater restrictions. ¡°


    The remaining flames shrunk, solidifying into embers that fell on the floor. A short distance behind, Ellis and Siaho were finishing off an earth elemental. Unlike the calmness so far, the second floor turned out to be more maze arena than riddle. That was the good news. A bit more core points were just what Theo needed to level up his avatar, and based on the tower¡¯s generosity so far, there was every chance he might reach level thirty and earn another class choice. The bad news came upon the realization that the ¡°puzzle¡± wasn¡¯t exactly a map, but rather an indication of what traps and challenges they¡¯d find on the way.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to turn back?¡± Ellis asked, leaping onto the avatar¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Gregord wasn¡¯t known for his violent nature. This is clearly a hint we¡¯re going the wrong way.¡±


    ¡°People usually put traps to keep others out,¡± Klarissa said in a sarcastic tone. ¡°Besides, we¡¯re halfway through. It¡¯ll be more painful to go back than to continue forward.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s always darkest before the fall,¡± the cat countered.


    Ignoring them, the baron continued onwards along the winding corridor. Based on what they had gone through so far, it would be a short while before they came across the next set of elementals.


    The pattern was straightforward¡ªthere¡¯d always be a few hundred feet of calm followed by an encounter or trap. Each time there was, the group would continue in the direction of the type of elemental that corresponded to the mosaic that had composed the spell. Ignoring the current predicament, it was an ingenious idea, combining puzzle solving and combat skills. Apparently, the ancient archmage was of the opinion that both skills were required for an adequate mage.


    ¡°I need to rest a bit,¡± Siaho said, breathing heavily. Unquestionably, the boy had significant skill, but he tended to overextend himself in battle.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a break.¡± The avatar turned around. ¡°One minute.¡±


    The boy nodded appreciatively, then sat on the floor. Catching his breath, he summoned a mana vial, which he downed in one go. If the dungeon had known that so much mana would be required, he¡¯d have filled his dimensional ring with mana potions.


    ¡°I think you should let us handle enemies in future,¡± the avatar said. The main reason for him doing so was outright greed. There was no telling whether they¡¯d face more enemies in the further trials, so he wanted to consume as many cores as possible here. ¡°We¡¯ll take care of this. You just rest up for the next challenge.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re offering to do his job?¡± Klarissa asked in accusatory fashion.


    ¡°You prefer that you do it?¡± The avatar glared at her.


    ¡°Nope, nope.¡± The woman raised her hands in front of her chest. ¡°You can do all the fighting for all I care.¡±


    ¡°Good!¡± the baron said more aggressively than he was supposed to.


    It was only a moment later that he registered that the conversation had gone in precisely the opposite direction he had expected. The woman never wanted to take on more fights. She wanted to slack as much as the ice mage. At present, both parties had achieved their goals, yet were still bitter and unhappy about it.


    ¡°Ellis, there¡¯s no need for you to get involved, either,¡± Theo added. ¡°Just look out for traps. I¡¯ll be dealing with the rest.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± the cat asked, trying to find a comfortable spot on his shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯d prefer if you save your strength as well. Also, maybe have someone else carry you until this is over.¡±


    At a moment¡¯s notice, the cat leaped off the avatar, climbing onto Siaho¡¯s free shoulder. The flying squirrel didn¡¯t seem to mind, still snoozing in the boy¡¯s shirt.


    ¡°You definitely made her day,¡± Klarissa whispered, approaching the avatar. ¡°Leave it to a cat to find loopholes in flirting.¡±


    ¡°She actually has a boyfriend,¡± the avatar said, almost in disbelief they were even discussing the topic. ¡°I should know.¡± The feline tower archmage had grumbled his disapproval on several occasions before the dungeon had set off on this trial. Seeing no point, Theo had agreed to everything the old cat had said, even if he hardly remembered half of it right now.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she has. But whatever happens in the tower remains in the tower. It¡¯s not cheating if you can¡¯t remember it, right?¡± The woman smirked, giving the cat and Siaho a glance. ¡°But what do I care? They¡¯re both old enough to make up their minds. More importantly, what¡¯s your rank?¡±


    The whole of Rosewind shook, using up a slot of the dungeon¡¯s weekly trembling quota. He had expected some of the mages to find out, but Klarissa was just a mercenary with an understanding of magic. If she could tell, there was a good chance that others who had failed the entry trail had done so as well.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± he pretended not to understand.


    ¡°That¡¯s an adventurer guild ring,¡± the woman pointed at his hand. ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with the color.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± the avatar looked down. He had completely forgotten that. ¡°Advisor or something,¡± he said dismissively. ¡°The guildmasters are supposed to report to me. Not that they bother much.¡±


    ¡°Quite the big shot. Is that how you got into the gig?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it a gig.¡± If it wasn¡¯t for his selfish curiosity, the avatar would give up right now. The puzzle and the promise of easy monster cores had gotten him invested enough to reach the next floor. ¡°I¡¯m just doing a favor.¡±


    ¡°Favors among mages don¡¯t exist,¡± Klarissa¡¯s tone suddenly sharpened. ¡°That¡¯s why I want to make a deal.¡±


    ¡°A deal?¡±


    ¡°Carry me up to the fifth floor and I promise I¡¯ll let you use the shortcut. You and the little girl.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite an ask,¡± Theo played for time. One thing that his past life had taught him was that the less he committed to anything, the better. ¡°Can you deliver?¡±


    ¡°I have the fifth Gregord key.¡±


    So, it¡¯s number five, Theo thought. It had been obvious that the woman had joined thanks to her key. According to the consensus, keys were supposed to skip floors offering a quick path to the floor above. Naturally, as with everything else, there were mages who disagreed with that hypothesis, claiming that keys merely allowed ¡°the unqualified¡± to participate in the trial.


    ¡°So? I¡¯ve got the second key and I haven¡¯t seen any lock so far.¡±


    The moment he finished speaking, Theo knew that he¡¯d made a mistake. Only Ellis and the cats of the Feline Tower knew that particular detail.


    The statement startled Klarissa. For several seconds, she looked right at the baron¡¯s face, trying to figure out whether he was being truthful. On his part, the avatar stared back, unsuccessfully coming up with excuses to explain away the admission.


    ¡°You¡¯re that unfortunate bastard?¡± she laughed. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for you. Guilds have been passing that one around like a hot ember for months.¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t they supposed to be rare and valuable?¡±


    ¡°Not if no one¡¯s willing to buy it. Don¡¯t you know anything?¡±


    Theo pretty much didn¡¯t. In an attempt to mask the fact, he crossed the arms of his avatar, looking at the woman with a pronounced frown.


    ¡°They¡¯re cursed. Anyone who has them for long enough has random memories locked up. The only time when they¡¯re useful is right before the trial, at which point all dark wizards come out of the woodworks, eager to snatch the thing by force.¡±


    Is that why you gave it to me?! The dungeon fumed. Maybe he should have found it slightly suspicious that a guild would give such a legendary gift to a rival adventurer that they¡¯d just met. Now, he knew the reason. Once this and the wedding were over, he planned to go back to that town and show the adventurer guild his thoughts on the matter. Or could he? If all memories in the tower were locked, he wouldn¡¯t remember this conversation to begin with.


    ¡°Would have been nice to know about that before we set off, though,¡± the woman continued after she had finished laughing. ¡°There¡¯s always a shortcut at the start. Now, it¡¯ll take us just as long to get back.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about the journey, not the destination.¡± The avatar walked off. ¡°I¡¯ll think about your offer.¡±


    Being reminded how he¡¯d messed up was the last thing Theo wanted right now. If he¡¯d known, he¡¯d have just gone to the next floor. The only excuse he could find for calling this turn of events good was the fact that he¡¯d earn a bit more avatar experience along the way.


    The rest was abruptly ended, and the group continued along the corridors of the labyrinth.


    Time and time again, swarms of elementals would appear, attacking the mages; and time and time again, Theo would destroy them for their cores. Sometimes the elementals were a batch of weaklings, others¡ªa single massive being would offer some resistance, before inevitably being destroyed. In normal conditions, the baron would have died a dozen times by now. He had received at least that number of lethal injuries and twice as many serious ones. Since he was a dungeon¡¯s avatar, all that had instantly been converted in a spike of the daily consumed energy in his main body.


    As more cores were consumed, enough was amassed to bring the avatar one step away from the coveted level thirty. The new skill¡ªEnchant Object¡ªwas, to his great surprise, rather useful be it in a limited way. The objects had to be small, and the enchantments were only based on magic he already knew. The thought of creating a whole bunch of bloodsucking carpets for the wedding came to mind, or at the very least a bloodsucking blanket that would ¡°accidentally¡± make its way to Duke Avisian¡¯s room, or any other nobles that caused trouble. It was a solid idea, but sadly unusable for the moment.


    Hours passed. Even with the avatar doing all the work, the mages accompanying him were getting more and more tired. Two fights before what was believed to be the exit, his three companions insisted that they take a nap. The argument was long and arduous, but ultimately, complaints and whining prevailed. Ellis, Siahi, and Klarissa sat down on a section of the maze and, after a series of protective spells, went to sleep. Baron d¡¯Argent, on the other hand, was left with the unenviable task of trying to find something to do for the remaining five hours of the night.


    Left with few alternatives and even less of them good, the avatar decided to spend the time wandering the corridors in acquiring core points.


    Initially, things went well. The avatar dispatched a batch of ice elementals on his way to the exit. Upon taking a new direction, everything changed. The enemies ended, replaced by annoying undetectable traps that did nothing but waste time and energy.


    After a few hours, it became obvious that the enemies were nothing but an indicator. Klarissa had been right¡ªthey were only placed to indicate the correct direction a person must take. If someone knew the principle, they could navigate through the floor without the riddle¡¯s solution.


    The realization made Theo feel cheated.


    ¡°Damnit!¡± He grumbled, kicking the nearby wall. ¡°What am I supposed to do now?¡±


    ¡°Do you wish to use your hint?¡± The voice of the tower boomed, causing the avatar to launch a series of ice shards all around him.


    ¡°What?¡± he asked after a few moments.


    ¡°The hint that you earned upon entry. It allows you to receive the answer to one question, within reason. Do you want to use it now?¡±


    The dungeon thought about it. He hadn¡¯t considered the gift particularly valuable. From experience, he knew that a hint¡¯s only purpose was to trick people into paying enough to have the answer shown to them. They¡¯d be vague enough to remain true in a strictly legal view, but rarely useful.


    ¡°Sure.¡± The avatar raised his hands in the air in desperation. ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± the booming voice sounded confused. ¡°You¡¯re near the exit. A bit more and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Just get on with it.¡± The avatar interrupted. ¡°And yes, I¡¯m very sure.¡±


    This was peculiar. In the past, challenge candidates had killed each other to obtain hints and refused to use them even if their life depended on it. The baron almost seemed to want to get rid of it, as if it were a nuisance.


    ¡°Every floor has a hidden chamber that can be only opened using the floor key,¡± the tower said. ¡°Finding it will earn you a unique reward that¡ª¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re not telling me where that is,¡± the avatar instituted again. ¡°Typical.¡±


    ¡°The reward is rather unique,¡± the tower insisted.


    ¡°Was that it?¡±


    The tower was too taken aback to answer.


    ¡°Look, I know that hints are meant to be useless, but this takes the cake. It was clear that there were special rewards on every floor. Or am I wrong?¡±


    Any sensible person or magical entity would have answered yes just out of spite. The tower, however, had been constructed by Gregord with the purpose of guiding, testing, and assisting candidates. There was nothing incorrect about anything that the baron was saying. The tower had been following all discussions taking place within it, and could confirm that the topic had been discussed several times.


    ¡°You are correct,¡± the tower said. ¡°You will retain your hint for use at a later point.¡± The entire corridor floor turned purple. ¡°For pointing out my mistake, I have also granted you a path that will lead you to the room in question. Good luck, candidate.¡±


    The avatar looked at the floor, then at the surrounding walls. This wasn¡¯t what he expected or wanted. He would have preferred a bunch of elementals, or even skeletons, he could fight. Given no choice, and with hours left until morning, he decided to make the best of the situation and went along the purple floor.


    For over twenty minutes, he followed the path, twisting and turning in sections with multiple exits and, of course, more annoying traps. In the end, he finally reached his destination: a dead end. Suspecting shenanigans in play, the avatar cast an arcane identify spell. When that didn¡¯t work, he followed up with a magic revelation. A single keyhole emerged on one of the stone tiles.


    That had to be it¡ªthe room that could only be opened by one of Gregord¡¯s special keys. Since Theo had consumed the artifact in question, he had two choices: either cast the open spell in the hopes it would unlock the door, or use his artifact creation ability to create a duplicate of the key in the hopes it would work. Being of the lazy inclination, Theo decided to do the first.


    Placing his right hand on the keyhole, he cast the spell.


    CONGRATULATIONS!


    You have found the second floor¡¯s secret room!


    Feel free to make use of anything you find within.


    News of your achievement shall be known throughout the entire continent.

 (Book 3) 11. Magic Revelations and Other Surprises

    When people tended to use the phrase ¡°mixed reactions¡± in Theo¡¯s previous life, it usually stood for a polite way of saying ¡°bad.¡± Also, by pure coincidence, things never mixed in his favor. In this case, it was such a surprise having to use the phrase in its originally intended meaning, that for several moments the dungeon found himself at a loss for words.


    Having his avatar¡¯s exploits announced to the entire world was a big negative. It would have been even worse if it had been associated with Theo¡¯s true nature and not solely to his avatar. Peris had, thankfully, provided him with a shield to keep his identity hidden. Sadly, him growing in fame would mean that Duke Rosewind, and any other annoying noble and adventurer, would have further requests in the future.


    On the positive side, the room was indeed filled with a variety of useful items. Treasure, weapons, and assorted magic items were on full display, in addition to the numerous tomes of books. Furthermore, the contents of the room weren¡¯t shielded from Theo¡¯s arcane identify spell, making it possible for him to see exactly what he was dealing with.


    If Klarissa had ended up here, she¡¯d have robbed the place bare. The weapons and items alone were enough to transform an average person into a high-level mage¡ªperfect for someone who had entered the tower through luck. There was the usual downside that all the items would only be available while the person was in the tower, but that increased the chances of going to another floor.


    Theo, though, was more interested in the non-material aspect of the rewards, spending a significant amount of time in search for a mana gem. While there already one was charging back in his main body and two more promised from the feline tower, one could never have enough mana gems. Increasing in rank was, without a doubt, the most significant for the dungeon¡¯s development. As Theo liked to think, quality was always better than quantity; besides, the way things were going, he¡¯d naturally expand again in a matter of years, or even sooner if Spok¡¯s wedding concluded without any further hiccups.


    ¡°Tower,¡± the avatar said, after creating an extensive inventory of the room¡¯s contents. ¡°Is there any¡­¡± he stopped.


    ¡°Any what?¡± The tower¡¯s voice boomed.


    A thought had occurred to the dungeon. Gregord was obviously a fan of hiding things with magical illusions. That was the first test the challengers had been subjected to upon arriving on the floor. Magic revelation had shown them which passage to follow and it had revealed the secret keyhole. As someone familiar with game mechanics, the dungeon strongly suspected that there would be another instance where the spell would have to be used.


    Taking a step back, the avatar cast a spell on the closest magic trinket. The item abruptly vanished.


    ¡°Any what?¡± the tower repeated.


    ¡°Never mind,¡± Theo said, as he went on a revelation spree.


    With each use of the spell, an item disappeared, be it a book, a weapon, or even a single gold coin. If the baron had been anything other than a dungeon avatar, he would have stopped after the tenth or twentieth time. Having a nearly endless amount of magic energy and infinite stubbornness, the avatar kept going.


    MAGIC REVELATION - ULTRA


    Spend 100 energy to remove all magical masks in a 10-foot area, revealing what they covered.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± the avatar muttered. That was definitely going to speed up the process, not that he had anything better to do right now.


    Never turning down the opportunity to use a new spell, the baron cast his ultra magic revelation. Causing everything in the room to vanish. In its place, an old man appeared, in a heavily embroidered deep purple robe.


    ¡°Hello,¡± the man said, extending his hand forward.


    Before he could finish the action, ice shards and sphered fireballs emerged and flew about, covering the entire chamber with frost and explosions. The old man, though, seemed completely intact.


    ¡°Well.¡± The old man looked about. ¡°I see you¡¯re one for action,¡± he added, amused. ¡°I was about to congratulate you for your insight and dedication. Looks like you¡¯re a bit overcautious as well.¡±


    ¡°One could never be too careful,¡± the avatar said, still keeping a pair of sphered fireballs.


    There was no reason to ask who the man was. Even if aged, he could see the resemblance with the statues and portraits. There could be no doubt that the person in front of him was none other than the Archmage Gregord.


    ¡°You¡¯re Gregord, aren¡¯t you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Indeed, I am.¡± The other smiled. ¡°And you are a very curious individual.¡±


    ¡°Seems like the rumors of your death were greatly exaggerated.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I like that. I¡¯ll have to remember it. Unfortunately, they aren¡¯t. I¡¯m as dead as could be. This is a conscience spell I placed on the tower. For all non-legal intents and purposes, you can consider me the real deal.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± The avatar crossed his arms. ¡°So, you¡¯ve been watching us struggle since the start?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m only here to provide a few words of encouragement to those who have what it takes. Would you believe that you¡¯re only the second person who¡¯s gotten this far?¡±


    ¡°No one went beyond the second floor?¡± That would be too shocking if it were true.


    ¡°No,¡± Gregord laughed. ¡°You¡¯re the second to see through the hidden rooms. Originally, I created them to help any lucky bastards that got here with a key alone.¡±


    ¡°Everything in this room is useless?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and no.¡± A mana gem appeared in the man¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s very useful, but it also doesn¡¯t exist. Everything from the items to the knowledge within the books themselves is only meant to help candidates such as yourself reach further. The rewards that the tower gives are things that you get to keep.¡±


    That was better than nothing, but Theo couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed. He had spent all that effort and energy just to play himself. If Ellis or any of the other mages were here, they¡¯d probably have experienced the dream of a lifetime¡ªa talk with their legendary hero, the great archmage himself.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the tower?¡± the avatar asked.


    ¡°Oh, of course not. It would require too much magic energy to maintain me non-stop. I just appear on important occasions.¡±


    ¡°Great. I earned myself an audience.¡± Theo wasn¡¯t even bothering to hide his sarcasm. ¡°Do I get an autograph?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a funny one.¡± Gregord shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll give you something better. This you get to keep beyond the tower.¡±


    Beams of light shot from the man¡¯s eyes, hitting the avatar in the forehead.


    MIND INCREASE


    Gregord has increased the mind of your avatar by 5.


    ¡°Hope to talk to you again.¡± Gregord vanished, leaving the avatar in an empty room covered in charred ice.


    There were a lot of things that the avatar wanted to ask, far more so now that the magic hologram had disappeared. Mainly, he wanted to know whether there was a way of leaving the tower, and whether he¡¯d retain his memories if he did so. In the end, he was forced to content himself with what he had received, which in the grand scheme of things didn¡¯t amount to much.


    The hours of the night dragged on. With no enemies in the maze, the baron went through the final two combat sections of the maze, killing off the remaining elementals there. Naturally, the core points consumed were less than what he needed to reach level thirty.


    In the meantime, events in Rosewind were just as boring. With the death of the saboteur covered up, nothing of any interest took place. Switches continued overseeing the construction of palace guards and airships, with the assistance of his new alchemist subordinate. It was impossible to tell whether the two could even tolerate each other in a world environment and the results they produced were highly questionable.


    If anything, the only person who got something right was Spok.


    ¡°I expect the mana gem to be fully charged by morning,¡± she said, appearing in her study within the dungeon¡¯s main building. ¡°And here are a few requests for minor city adjustments.¡± She placed a stack of paper on her desk.


    No sooner had she done so than the stack vanished, devoured by the piece of furniture.


    ¡°Ice spells?¡± Theo grumbled. Using knowledge consumption on blueprints proved a lot faster than having Spok go through them one at a time. Sadly, it also had the tendency of increasing his stress and resentment. ¡°They¡¯re having me do refrigeration now?¡±


    ¡°Viscount Dott wants to start a fresh produce trade operation,¡± Spok explained. ¡°I think it¡¯s a rather good idea, to be honest. He¡¯ll also ask to buy an airship once the wedding is over. My advice is to refuse.¡±


    ¡°Well, at least you¡¯re showing some sense.¡±


    ¡°It would be far better to lease it to him, sir. Although I initially had my doubts, Switches is an excellent engineer and it would be a waste not to take advantage of his discoveries.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just saying that because he made you your pendant,¡± Theo grumbled.


    Yet, at the same time, his corporate senses from his previous life tingled. Leasing airships wasn¡¯t a terrible idea. The world obviously had them, and they were frequently used. The main issue was that for whatever reason, people only viewed them as equivalents for ships. Other than Switches, airships were mostly used for war and transporting people across the world¡¯s oceans. As far as Theo could tell, Rosewind was the first city to use them inland and at such a scale.


    ¡°Very well,¡± the dungeon conceded.


    ¡°Thank you, sir. And maybe you could use a similar design to improve the kitchens? It would be a considerable help. I¡¯ve already reduced the selection to the final¡ª¡±


    ¡°Spok,¡± Theo interrupted. ¡°I¡¯m not at all interested! And what¡¯s this about having gardens throughout half the city?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad that you asked, sir. With the reorganization underway, I believe it would be most beneficial for you to show off some of the plants you¡¯re keeping underground. After all, it¡¯s always a good idea to look your best, and since you¡¯re intent on growing a bit anyway, having a bit of glowing greenery would be nice.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    The sentence made the dungeon pause. The last time he¡¯d felt a similar concern was the first time he experienced his hunger condition.


    ¡°It would be a huge benefit, sir. Remember the terrible way you used to construct your initial chambers and tunnels? This is exactly the same, only on the surface.¡±


    ¡°Spok. You already mentioned that.¡± There was the slightest note of concern in the dungeon¡¯s voice. Being who she was, Spok instantly caught it.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, massaging her left temple. ¡°Indeed, we have. My apologies, sir. I seem to have forgotten for a moment.¡±


    ¡°And when we talked back then, you only mentioned a few small parks and gardens, not transforming me into the hanging gardens.¡±


    ¡°Sir,¡± Spok sighed, ¡°It won¡¯t be just a few gardens, and they¡¯ll be no more hanging than the streams and pavement that¡¯s already there, just a bit different. Progress is not always a bad thing¡ªthink of all the peace and quiet it would bring once the event is over.¡±


    ¡°Promises, promises,¡± the dungeon grumbled. ¡°Alright, what¡¯s next?¡±


    The vast majority of the requests ended up being purely cosmetic. The local nobles wanted better houses, larger and more stable warehouses, and above all, griffin and airship free areas. By coincidence, Theo did as well. Airship lanes were something that everyone could agree to. If he combined Spok¡¯s idea of open ¡°plant¡± spaces, he could ensure that everyone knew where they were and didn¡¯t care about it. Before that, he needed to grow a little.


    Silently throughout the night, the districts of the city expanded like an inflated bagpipe giving the concept of rapid development an entirely different meaning.


    Adventurers, partying on both sides of a street, suddenly saw the distance between them grow. At this point, even the newbies had become accustomed, laughing at the matter with the standard ¡°here we go again.¡± Some even joked that a few months living in Rosewind was enough to prepare anyone for mid-ranking adventurer missions.


    In dozens of taverns, innkeepers hastily scribbled odds on boards, as people bet on what would change next.


    ¡°A warning would have been nice, Baron!¡± a woman in one of the packed districts of the city shouted, as the laundry lines between her building and the next snapped.


    Before even a single piece of clothing could fall to the ground, thin pillars of stone emerged from the ground, grabbing hold of both ends. It wasn¡¯t the prettiest result, but at least it reduced the amount of shouting for a while. At some point in the future, Theo was going to have to tackle the laundry problem, but that was for another time.


    Another new addition the dungeon decided on was adding a pair of tower bastions to the city walls at the points over which the airships would enter and leave. That way he could easily construct ballistas and catapults where necessary, should the need arise.


    By morning, everyone woke up to an entirely new city, double in size than what it had been before. At some point in the future, mages and architects would marvel how such a magnificent and sophisticated city had managed to appear seemingly out of nowhere. With luck, Theo would be still alive then and listen to the undoubtedly mistaken conclusions that the scholars of the time would come to. For the moment, though, he decided to resort to a bit of local pettiness.


    Making use of the modified construct Switches had made of his avatar, the dungeon walked into the castle, just in time for the duke¡¯s breakfast. He did so very much to the guests¡¯ annoyance, and Duke Rosewind¡¯s delight.


    ¡°Ah, Baron.¡± Rosewind greeted him as he was finishing a rather fine-looking piece of confectionary prepared by the new cooks in the kitchen. ¡°Such a delight to see you. All well with your mage tower?¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Your Grace.¡± The construct made a stiff bow. Clearly, Switches hadn¡¯t gotten all the kinks out. ¡°It¡¯s a work in progress. I have to get back there and deal with matters. However, I decided to pass by before that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, wonderful, wonderful. Duke Avisian,¡± he turned to the other noble, who was sipping wine with the most sour expression one might have, ¡°this is my good friend and protector of Rosewind, Baron Theodor d¡¯Argent.¡±


    A look and a grunt was all that the construct got. Knowing the reason behind it, the dungeon felt pleased.


    ¡°Duke Avisian,¡± the construct bowed again. ¡°Apologies that I wasn¡¯t able to welcome you to the city in person.¡±


    ¡°Well, yes.¡± Duke Avisian turned around to look out of the window. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have been here in person, either, if I didn¡¯t have to.¡±


    ¡°I take it you enjoyed the setting off of the city¡¯s new airship last night?¡± Theo pressed on with great pleasure. ¡°I was told it was a magnificent sight.¡±


    ¡°Yes. It was a relief that it didn¡¯t break while flying over us.¡± The nobleman took a sip of his wine, then looked out of the window again. ¡°Doesn¡¯t the city look a bit different?¡± he finally forced himself to ask.


    ¡°Different?¡± Duke Rosewind asked, feigning ignorance the way only he could. ¡°In what way?¡±


    ¡°It seems¡­ larger.¡±


    ¡°Ah, probably just a trick of the light. We did rush you to the castle, after all.¡±


    ¡°That wall tower. I don¡¯t remember it being there. And neither was that meadow.¡±


    ¡°How very interesting.¡± Duke Rosewind stroked both sides of his chin with his thumb and index finger. ¡°Baron, maybe you should add more street lights. It doesn¡¯t speak well if people mistake gardens for buildings.¡±


    ¡°Ah, of course,¡± Theo played on. ¡°Forgive me, Duke. My fault entirely. I¡¯ll see to it at once. It will be done by evening. Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, magic duty awaits. Please, enjoy your stay in Rosewind, Duke Avisian.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Duke Avisian didn¡¯t seem at all convinced. He was more than certain that the city had been a lot smaller when he¡¯d arrived. Now, it almost resembled an actual city. Etiquette prevented him from openly accusing them of lying, but he could tell that something was not right and he intended to find out what.


    Meanwhile, the mages on the second floor of Gregord¡¯s tower started waking up. Unlike normal people, the first thing they did, before even opening their eyes or stretching, was to remove part of their protective spells. That was soon followed by some hygiene magic and the summoning of what would pass as food rations.


    ¡°Finally,¡± the dungeon¡¯s avatar said with the attitude of a father eager to get his family off to a road trip. ¡°Done?¡±


    ¡°Just because you¡¯re an insomniac who doesn¡¯t eat doesn¡¯t mean we have to be,¡± Ellis said in an annoyed tone as she finished eating the purple mouse she¡¯d summoned for breakfast.


    ¡°I have to agree with the little girl on that,¡± Klarissa said, finishing a more adventurer-style road ration. ¡°It¡¯s never a good idea to fight on an empty stomach. Besides, bet you already killed all the enemies up to the exit?¡±


    ¡°Someone had to.¡± The avatar looked at her.


    ¡°So, the question is, why didn¡¯t you leave us behind?¡±


    That was a rather good question. In all honesty, the dungeon had been so preoccupied with a series of minor things that he hadn¡¯t thought of it. Nothing prevented him from leaving the floor on his own. Now that he had killed the guiding enemies, it would have taken the rest of the group a while before they found the exit. Maybe he should have just used stealth to grab Ellis and rush on.


    ¡°I thought it would be better this way,¡± the avatar replied.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you made the correct decision.¡± The woman finished her ration. ¡°So, shall we?¡±


    After everyone was set up, the group made their way through the final stretch of the second-floor maze. Once again, they reached what seemed to be a dead end, but each of the participants had the insight to know they had to use the magic revelation spell.


    As they did, a flight of stairs appeared, leading to darkness above.


    Two sets of wandering eyes emerged and flew up in an attempt to see what lay beyond. Same as before, none of them managed to cross the threshold of darkness.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go first,¡± the avatar said with a sigh. ¡°Ellis.¡±


    Not needing to be told, the cat rushed up him, until she positioned herself on the baron¡¯s head.


    ¡°You said no one has reached room three?¡± he whispered as he set up the steps.


    ¡°No, I said that most don¡¯t make it beyond room two,¡± the cat replied. ¡°There¡¯s a difference.¡±


    Darkness enveloped the avatar. It was a strange kind of darkness¡ªthe one felt knowing they were inside something. In his previous life, the dungeon had gone through a similar experience after a fuse had given out while he had been in the bathroom. He wasn¡¯t able to see anything, but he still could ¡°feel¡± the wall of the room around him.


    Sparkles of light suddenly emerged, starting to rotate around his head. Within a few seconds, they quickly faded away, returning to the state the room was in before.


    ¡°Did you do that?¡± the avatar asked, suspecting the cat on his head.


    ¡°Someone had to,¡± Ellis replied unapologetically. ¡°There¡¯s no telling what you might walk in.¡±


    ¡°As if that would happen.¡±


    ¡°You think Gregord is skittish about casting people out?¡±


    ¡°No, but he won¡¯t do it at the start of the floor. There won¡¯t be anything learned that way.¡±


    As the baron walked on, a faint sound emerged accompanying every step. The moment he stopped to listen closer, so did the sound.


    ¡°You heard that, right?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Ellis replied. At least if this was an illusion, it affected both of them.


    Cautiously, the avatar continued. The sound steadily increased up to a certain point when it started to fade down again.


    ¡°The tower¡¯s blocking all of my spells,¡± the cat replied.


    ¡°Klarissa! Siaho!¡± the dungeon shouted. ¡°Can you hear me?¡±


    Not even an echo replied.


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re on our own,¡± the cat said. Theo could feel her tail flicking about, indicating she was nervous.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you have any insight?¡± he asked.


    ¡°What insight could I have? We¡¯re surrounded by darkness. There isn¡¯t even anything I could refer to.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Gregord have any relation to darkness?¡±


    ¡°You know, that¡¯s probably the stupidest thing I¡¯ve heard my entire life. And I¡¯ve heard a lot, trust me.¡±


    The insult was completely lost on the dungeon. After everything he had witnessed in Rosewind and beyond, he was certain that the cat didn¡¯t even come close to seeing the face of stupidity. Right now, he was focusing on the only thing that would help him figure out what was going on.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Theo shook the alchemist¡¯s bed.


    The old man had finally been allowed a break at seven in the morning, which he used to get some sleep.


    ¡°Hey! Wake up!¡± Theo shook it more intensely.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sleeping, chief engineer!¡± He waved his hands about, still unable to open his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m just resting my eyes!¡±


    ¡°Relax,¡± Theo said. ¡°It¡¯s not him.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank the gods.¡± The alchemist turned to the other side.


    ¡°Hey!¡± The dungeon shook the bed again. ¡°I need your help with a riddle. Imagine you¡¯re surrounded by darkness and no spells work. What do you do?¡±


    ¡°I go to sleep,¡± the other said in a semi-conscious state.


    ¡°Snap out of it!¡± Theo lifted the bed, then slammed it into the floor. This made the Alchemist sit up. Already it was doubtful for how long. ¡°Think. Darkness. Riddle.¡±


    ¡°Are there any lights anywhere?¡± the man¡¯s puzzle mind activated on its own accord.


    ¡°I would have mentioned that. No, it¡¯s just darkness and nothing else.¡±


    ¡°Well, then¡­¡± There was a long pause. ¡°How did you get into my bedroom?¡±


    Technically, this wasn¡¯t his bedroom, but part of the gnome laboratory, which was, in turn, part of the dungeon. Lacking the time for complex explanations, Theo decided to resort to the tried-and-true answer.


    ¡°Magic,¡± he said briefly. ¡°There are no objects, no traps, no one can hear me shouting. For a moment there was some sound coming from the floor when I walked, but that also faded away.¡±


    ¡°No objects, no light, no sleep, no shouting¡­¡± The alchemist started dozing off again.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Theo shook the bed again.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sleeping!¡± The man lied. ¡°Go towards the sound.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ Hold on.¡± In the tower, Theo¡¯s avatar turned around and went forward. ¡°There is no source. The sound increases at one point, then fades away.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re in a sound maze.¡± The alchemist fell back in bed. ¡°The sound will get louder when you walk in the right direction. If it starts to fade, change direction.¡±


    Theo gave it a try. The moment he took a step perpendicular to his previous path, the level of the sound increased again.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he said, finally allowing the alchemist to collapse back to sleep.


    ¡°How¡¯d you figure that out?¡± Ellis asked as the sounds coming from the avatar¡¯s steps now resembled taps of a musical instrument.


    ¡°Skills and experience,¡± Theo lied and continued.


    As the sound grew, circles of light emerged beneath his feet. They, too, got brighter and brighter until it was as if the baron was walking on disks of light itself. Then, dozens of more light disks of various colors emerged. Far more important was what was on them.


    ¡°So, you made it,¡± Celenia said, her words dripping with disappointment. ¡°I¡¯d hoped that the maze would have gotten you.¡±


    Looking around, many of the other mages had successfully made it there. Yet, Theo couldn¡¯t help but notice that a number of them were missing. The old mage was also there, laying down comfortably on a large circle of green light.


    ¡°As if!¡± Ellis kissed from the avatar¡¯s head. ¡°It¡¯s a greater miracle that you¡¯re here. What happened? Bribed your way up?¡±


    ¡°If it helps,¡± Celenia said without a hint of shame. ¡°Is that all of you?¡±


    ¡°There are two more,¡± the avatar replied. ¡°I think they should be fine.


    ¡°In that case, we keep waiting.¡±


    ¡°Waiting for what?¡±


    Instead of an answer, the woman cast a fire arrow, aiming it up. A bright bolt of orange flames split the air for several seconds before crashing into what seemed to be an invisible barrier.


    ¡°Please wait for all contestants to gather,¡± the tower¡¯s voice boomed throughout the darkness.


    ¡°For that.¡±

 (Book 3) 12. Wisps and Expansion Plans

    When Klarissa arrived, only eight mages of the original group remained, along with two familiars. This marked the first casualties of the trial. Theo had no idea whether the missing three were dead or just cast out of the tower. Hopefully, they¡¯d be back to their towers with no memory of what they had been through. Even so, their disappearance was a stark reminder that this wasn¡¯t a stroll in the park. The old mage had been right when he said that things would get a lore more lethal.


    A large ring of light appeared on the floor, surrounding the group. It was followed by glowing flickers flying in the air above. Like fireflies, they moved about at various speeds and patterns.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose anyone has any idea what that is?¡± the avatar asked.


    He expected the question to remain unanswered. To his great surprise, that turned out not to be the case.


    ¡°Guardians,¡± Siaho said in a calm voice. ¡°Archmage Gregord mentioned several times that in his view fireflies are the most powerful guardians in the world of magic.¡±


    The explanation sounded rather far-fetched, even for the world of magic. Eager to look into the matter, the avatar cast a flight spell on himself and floated upwards. The moment his feet left the ground, Ellis jumped off his shoulder.


    Paying her no notice, the baron went up to the nearest speck of light and cast his arcane identify.


    YELLOW WISP Level 10


    An incorporeal magical entity whose role is to guard passages from trespassers and unwanted visitors.


    The entity is powered by lightning and will zap anyone who it considers a threat.


    Intrigued by the wisp¡¯s nature, the avatar reached out towards it. A bolt of lightning emerged from the entity, striking his hand.


    The energy drain in the dungeon¡¯s main body was noticeable. Had he been an ordinary person, he¡¯d have been severely hurt, at the very least. Taking the hint, the avatar lowered his hand, then slowly floated back down to the floor.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll let us pass,¡± he said.


    ¡°Show off!¡± Lasker hissed. Based on their expressions, several others were of the same opinion, but none were willing to say it openly.


    Fifty feet away, the ebony elf moved his hands through the air, leaving a trail of glowing lines. An intricate magical pattern formed releasing a torrent of paper swallows.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± the avatar asked Ellis.


    ¡°Replacement summoning,¡± she replied. ¡°Proprietary spell of the Elven Tower. I prefer the butterfly version, but they say this is a lot more economical.¡±


    ¡°Alright, but what does it do?¡±


    The flow of glowing paper birds flew straight up through the cloud of fireflies. A light show ensued as hundreds of them were zapped, set on fire, or sliced and diced by the multitude of fireflies. The higher the flock reached, the more it thinned, until at one point it could continue no further.


    Stachon doubled the size of the summoning circle, determined to overwhelm the tower¡¯s defenses, but the gains were minimal. Whatever the solution to this trial was, brute forcing it wasn¡¯t the answer.


    After ten more seconds of magnificent fireworks and light effects, the elf put an end to the summoning circle.


    Who¡¯s showing off now? Theo grumbled to himself. It was obvious that whatever the mage was attempting didn¡¯t work. On that matter, it was difficult to say precisely what he was aiming at. The entire group had become so tightlipped that they¡¯d probably refuse to reveal their own names. Since everyone had become equally unapproachable, the dungeon decided to ask the only person who potentially knew what was going on.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem too surprised,¡± he went to the old mage. ¡°Any words of wisdom you can offer?¡±


    ¡°Ho, ho, ho.¡± The mage laughed. ¡°Why would you think that an old man like me might know anything?¡±


    ¡°You knew about the fifth archway,¡± the avatar said in a hushed voice. ¡°Maybe you know more about this as well.¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡± The man revealed a toothy grin. ¡°All I can say is that some people will have an advantage over others.¡±


    Rather cryptic and not in the least helpful. The logic could be applied to absolutely every question. Some would have an advantage over others when it came to finishing their breakfast or getting out of bed.


    ¡°Pair clearance.¡± Siaho joined them.


    For some reason, the ice mage felt appreciative of Theo for taking them through the second floor. It wasn¡¯t like there was any reason or that. Theo had just gone with basic logic, then done things his own way. Siaho and Klarissa had just tagged along for their own personal reasons.


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± The avatar scratched his ear.


    ¡°The guardians attack anyone who approaches a certain distance, but only if it¡¯s one person. Two people flying by at the same speed and an equal distance will be spared.¡±


    ¡°Gregord¡¯s opposition paradigm,¡± Ellis also joined the conversation. ¡°He did mention it to be a common weakness in ancient enchantments. Do you think that applies in this case, though? We might just be dealing with a standard air-maze.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± The ice mage said, then grabbed his familiar and tossed it into the air.


    The flying squirrel sprang its wings, picking up speed as it flew in the direction of a yellow wisp. Not to be outdone, Siaho himself rose into the air, darting the same way.


    Several people held their breaths as the flying pair flew past the first guardian. One person even winced, expecting for both to get struck by lightning. Surprisingly, no such thing happened. The pair flew past the wisp as if it were an air buoy. The same happened when they flew by the next guardian and the next. It wasn¡¯t so much a matter of speed, but perfect precision. Both mage and familiar knew the exact speed and trajectory of the wisps, moving past them in perfect sync.


    ¡°They have really good coordination,¡± Ellis said in a subtle hint to the avatar. ¡°I don¡¯t know if anyone else will match that.¡±


    The concept of forced cooperation wasn¡¯t new, but this brought it to extremes. With the second floor pushing the concept of competition, it was going to be more difficult to get to trust everyone else. If nothing else, Siaho had chosen to undertake this on his own rather than rely on the baron, Ellis, or anyone else.


    New clusters of light appeared the further the ice mage went. Red, green, and purple dots twinkled in the darkness, without a single clue as to what their effects were. Lines of light emerged soon after, snapping together as they formed a curved flight of steps leading up through the darkness.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe he made it,¡± Laster grumbled, his face already acquiring the all too familiar red shade of rage. ¡°Just because he has a familiar. Some people get all the luck.¡±


    Suddenly, the ice mage and his squirrel were covered by a bright green glow.


    PARTICIPANT has failed Archmage Gregord¡¯s trial and has been expelled out of the tower.


    A bright purple message appeared. Apparently, the skinny mage had spoken too soon. The staircase of light crumbled before everyone¡¯s eyes, dissolving into nothingness.


    For half a minute, everyone remained silent, staring at the fireflies in the hope that they had seen wrong. Although no mage appreciated someone else beating them to the next floor, it would have at least provided a clue as to the trial¡¯s solution. As things stood, none of them were any wiser and the group of candidates was with one member less.


    ¡°Now I see why no one reaches floor four,¡± he said. Unlike the previous trials, here experimentation came with its own cost.


    ¡°I was so sure he¡¯d make it.¡± There was a mild note of disappointment in Ellis¡¯ voice. Her calm was a perfect example of the shifting allegiances between mages. Up to recently, one might say she was too friendly with the ice mage prodigy, though not anymore.


    Silence shifted to discussions, which quickly gave way to arguments. Spells filled the air, as mages probed the wisps, aiming to prove their point of view. Uninterested and unwilling to take part in that, the avatar found a nice secluded spot within the glowing circle and summoned the dungeon books he had taken from the first floor. This was one trial he was going to leave to the others.


    Meanwhile, back in Rosewind, life and chaos continued their usual course. Other than a few amateurish thieving attempts, things ran relatively alright. The streets had grown in size and all the parks, gardens, and decorative forests had been arranged according to Spok¡¯s requests. Unfortunately, that didn¡¯t stop the spirit guide from requesting additional changes. Apparently, glowing trees and wheat weren¡¯t enough for the public, and the dungeon had to create more of a variety. The annoying part was that out of the many gardens he could create with his dungeon powers, the vast majority were lethal to people. Everything beautiful was poisonous, venomous, or carnivorous. Most of what was left was thorny and ugly. In the end, a compromise was found in the form of bell flowers. The plants were glowing, passably pretty, and tended to ring like miniature bells whenever a person came within three feet of them.


    Theo had suggested covering them in a silence spell, but Spok had insisted that they remain as they were until a suitable replacement was found. As for where he¡¯d find such a replacement, there were two options: either urgently hire a small army of professional gardeners and landscapers, or use the available mana gem to increase his rank and check for new plant varieties. Ultimately, both the dungeon and Spok had agreed to do both.


    All local talent was summoned to the duke¡¯s castle, and magic invitations were sent to other large cities in the kingdom. While that happened, the dungeon patiently waited for the mana gem to charge up.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be ready shortly, boss. Just a few more hours, boss.¡± Theo grumbled in his main building in a mocking recreation of Switches.


    Lately, the gnome had developed the tendency to overpromise. In the grand scheme of things, the delay was negligible, but with boredom and stress building up within Theo in equal measure, waiting was the last thing he was willing to forgive. It didn¡¯t help that the gnome kept on pestering for a second airshipyard.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    From a purely logical aspect, the request had merit. Two construction yards would build twice more airships than one. Knowing the gnome, the dungeon preferred he be on hand should anything go wrong. If there were two points of potential disaster, it was guaranteed there would be problems in at least one of them.


    The deep green glow within the mana gem suddenly turned into a bright light. Finally, the thing was charged. Using telekinesis, Theo took it out from the mana generator and floated it all the way to his core.


    YOU HAVE ADVANCED TO RANK 4


    A notification emerged.


    Theo felt an increase in understanding deep within, as if his potential had been unlocked. He didn¡¯t know what he had gained, naturally. That would require a lot of concentrating and skimming through hundreds, if not thousands, of irrelevant spells and abilities. Rather, he was going to use the dungeon tried-and-true method of finding information.


    ¡°Spok,¡± he said through the spirit guide¡¯s pendant. ¡°What new can I build?¡±


    ¡°Nothing that can¡¯t wait until after my wedding, sir.¡± The response was short and to the point.


    ¡°What can I build theoretically?¡± he repeated, stressing on the final word.


    ¡°For one thing, lots of new minion types. Command minions, to be specific?¡±


    ¡°Command minions?¡± The fact that the word minion was present made the option unappealing to the extreme. Even so, the dungeon would be damned if he didn¡¯t ask.


    ¡°Mini-bosses, dungeon bosses, and champions.¡±


    ¡°Champions?¡± Half the shutters in the city creaked, as Theo twitched at the word.


    ¡°Powerful minions that could be sent to roam throughout the world on your behalf,¡± Spok explained. ¡°Some refer to them as a dungeon¡¯s heroes, although in your case, the phrase might be slightly redundant.¡±


    Concentrating, the information popped into Theo¡¯s mind. The minion specializations were so many that one would get dizzy just by looking at them. For the most part, the resource and digger minions were no different from the basic type, with the sole exception that they were significantly faster in their area of specialization.


    The available monsters and mini-bosses were in the hundreds, ranging from humanoid to all varieties of snakes, spiders, rats, skeletons, and humanoids. Finally, there were the dreaded champions. From the explanation, they were autonomous and had the ability to grow in power by killing adventurers, heroes, and other champions. Of course, eighty percent of the core points obtained were sent directly to the dungeon.


    ¡°Is there anything special about rank four?¡± the dungeon asked, skimming through the more elite looking champions. All of them, without exception, seemed a lot better than Cmyk.


    ¡°It¡¯s generally the stage at which dungeons are in control of their local area, sir. Since normally rank and core points come hand in hand, by this point, a dungeon has gained a certain degree of notoriety and must be prepared to withstand adventurer and hero raids.¡±


    Having seen firsthand what a hero of Liandra¡¯s caliber was capable of, Theo strongly doubted that a few more minions would make a difference.


    ¡°Not to worry, Cmyk has automatically been improved to champion.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± It took all of Theo¡¯s mental strength not to cause the entire town to tremble in anger. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s your only minion, sir. When you boosted his power upon arriving in Rosewind, you made him special.¡±


    ¡°Just great¡­¡± Obviously, nightmares did come true.


    ¡°If it¡¯s any consolation, you can build a weather tower, sir. It allows control of the weather in a small area, so you can ensure that the city and surrounding fields get enough rain and sunshine whenever you wish.¡±


    ¡°And why would I¡ª¡± Theo abruptly stopped. Spok¡¯s explanation had reminded him of something he had read back in his previous life. No doubt the weather tower was her way of hinting that she preferred that it didn¡¯t rain during the length of the wedding, but it also opened a whole lot of other possibilities. ¡°I can control rain and sun? What about the soil?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to build an earth elemental pit for that, sir.¡±


    ¡°So, they take care of it for me?¡±


    ¡°No, sir.¡± Spok¡¯s alarm senses were tingling. Each time Theo was interested in something specific, the results were from absurd to dangerous. No doubt he had something in mind, though what exactly remained unclear. ¡°You¡¯ll have to kill them on the plot of land you want to enrich.¡±


    ¡°Perfect! Teach me.¡±


    ¡°Which one, sir?¡±


    ¡°Both of them!¡±


    EARTH ELEMENTAL PIT


    (Rank 4)


    Requires 5000 energy per day.


    Creates two medium earth elementals per day. Earth elementals have strong regenerative abilities and are immune to non-blunt damage.


    While in contact with soil, Earth elementals grow at a rate of 1% per day and can perform minor earth spells.


    WEATHER TOWER


    (Rank 4)


    Requires 10000 energy per use.


    Modifies the weather in a 10-mile radius. Effects last for one day, unless explicitly stopped.


    Note! Destructive weather (hailstorms, thunderstorms, hurricanes, floods, blizzards, etc.) is not available.


    That felt much more like it. Already, the dungeon felt re-energized, as if Cmyk had never been mentioned.


    ¡°Might I ask what you plan to do, sir?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± A tall marble tower with a roof of thunderclouds appeared on the south wall. ¡°Vineyards! Controlling sun and rain are the most important, so I¡¯d easily be able to grow the best wine there is and serve it to the guests fresh!¡±


    Every now and again in a person¡¯s life, there were times when the best and worst ideas merged into one catastrophic bundle of confusion. Making and serving local wine came with a lot of benefits, not least of all high prestige. Growing a vineyard in less than a week, on the other hand, bordered on impossibility, even for a dungeon.


    Spok could understand slaying earth elementals to enrich the poor soil surrounding the city. She could even accept procuring the plants through monetary means. There was no way they¡¯d be able to ripen, let alone be harvested and turned to wine.


    ¡°That¡¯s an excellent idea, sir,¡± she said diplomatically. ¡°With luck, the first batch will be ready for my first anniversary.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± the dungeon grumbled. ¡°I plan to start serving it by the time the guests arrive. The proper guests. All we need to do is¡ª¡±


    YOU FEEL DEVASTATING HUNGER!


    YOU NEED TO CONSUME A MONSTER CORE!


    FAILING TO DO SO IN ONE HOUR WILL HALVE YOUR CURRENT ENERGY!


    Everything seemed to freeze, as an eerie air of gloom and uncertainty covered seven-eighths of the city. Even Spok stopped overseeing the head cooks¡¯ performance, concerned by the new development.


    ¡°Spok,¡± Theo said slowly and with absolute calm. ¡°You caught that, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid so, sir.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful. Could you please go fetch Switches for me?¡±


    On the surface, the request didn¡¯t make sense. The gnome was, as always, within the dungeon itself. There was no reason Theo couldn¡¯t talk to him directly, not to mention that he didn¡¯t need to be brought anywhere. As any good spirit guide, however, Spok knew precisely what had to be done. Hurriedly walking to the nearest spot in the building in which she wouldn¡¯t be seen, she then disappeared, reappearing a step away from the gnome.


    Without pause or warning, she grabbed the creature by the scruff of his neck, then disappeared again, transporting both of them into Baron d¡¯Argent¡¯s study.


    ¡°Switches,¡± Theo began, before the unfortunate gnome had a chance to react. ¡°I distinctly remember you telling me that the devastating hunger was a mild, easily fixable condition.¡±


    ¡°Err, right, boss.¡± The gnome nodded. To a certain degree, he could feel that something wasn¡¯t right, yet he was yet to pinpoint the precise source of discontent. ¡°All you¡ª¡±


    ¡°All I had to do was consume another gem and everything would be alright,¡± Theo continued. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    ¡°Maybe?¡±


    ¡°Well, I just happened to have consumed my third gem a few moments ago. I even constructed one special building¡ªa weather tower.¡±


    ¡°Oooh! Good thinking, boss! A bit of wind will increase airship traffic by¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then why the hell am I affected by the hunger again?!¡±


    The answer didn¡¯t arrive straight away. For starters, Switches was just as surprised as everyone else. He had witnessed the affliction before, though never on the same target twice. For the most part, his previous dungeon sought out smaller rivals with devastating hunger to conquer or destroy. Having Theo get it again and so soon after last time went against all of the gnome¡¯s data.


    ¡°Maybe you consumed it too fast?¡± he suggested, scratching his ear, deep in thought. ¡°It¡¯s always important to chew your food, even if it¡¯s magi¡ª¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me?!?¡± The entire building shook. ¡°I¡¯ve been spending energy left and right for this event, building your landing pads, improving your lab and now you tell me I have to deal with that again?!¡±


    ¡°Err¡­ what¡¯s the correct answer?¡± Switches asked.


    The desk in the study rose up, then slammed back down, a foot away from the gnome.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, boss!¡± The gnome grinned, taking a cautious step back. ¡°Nothing to worry about! All you have to do is consume another gem and you¡¯ll be as good as new! Just like last time.¡±


    Theo¡¯s first thought was to squish the gnome, then to tell him that mana gems don¡¯t grow on trees. After a few moments of internal shouting and a bit of thinking, he stopped himself. Apart from not being able to afford the gnome¡¯s death with the wedding preparations underway, the initial statement wasn¡¯t exactly true. There were two charged mana gems promised to him by the Feline Tower.


    Strictly speaking, the reward was promised for after his ascent was over, but given the current circumstances, he could well ask for fifty percent to be sent in advance. After all, Theo¡¯s avatar had entered the tower. Not only that, but he had already made it to the third floor.


    ¡°Spok, send a letter to the magic tower,¡± the dungeon ordered. ¡°Tell them that I¡ª¡± the dungeon¡¯s voice suddenly went silent.


    This was rather unusual. He was certain that he had said several words more, yet there didn¡¯t seem to be any trace of them.


    ¡°That you?¡± Spok asked as a scroll and quill appeared in the air next to her.


    ¡°Tell them that I¡¯d like part of my compensation,¡± the dungeon continued. ¡°I have already ¡ª¡ª¡ª so it¡¯s only fair that they send a mana gem here.¡±


    ¡°You have already what, sir?¡± The spirit guide adjusted her glasses.


    ¡°Damn it all!¡± All internal doors in the building opened and slammed. ¡°It¡¯s the¡ª! It¡¯s keeping me from sharing my thoughts.¡±


    Gregord wasn¡¯t joking when he said that everything in the tower remained in the tower. Yet, there was no way that could be right. Theo had requested assistance numerous times, so far. He had described, in great details, the mosaics on the tower¡¯s second floor. What possible reason was there for the restrictions to kick in now?


    ¡°Say that my task is progressing smoothly,¡± Theo tried again. ¡°And that I¡¯ve already accomplished a third of it.¡±


    This time, nothing was blocked. Clearly, mentioning the floor was discouraged. At some point, it would be interesting to experiment a bit and see which words exactly were censored, but right now he had more serious concerns.


    ¡°Anything else, sir?¡± Spok asked.


    ¡°No. Just mark it very urgent.¡±


    The quill scribbled a few more words on the scroll, after which the piece of parchment rolled up and disappeared.


    ¡°It might be a while before they respond, sir. As you know, mages aren¡¯t always the most reliable.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll respond alright.¡± It was in their interest, after all. ¡°Go back to doing what you were doing,¡± Theo added. ¡°Both of you. If there¡¯s anything, I¡¯ll let you know.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, boss!¡± Switches rushed out of the room, eager to get back to work. There were constructs and airships to be done, after all.


    Spok took a more sympathetic approach. Although pragmatic to the extreme, she also shared the concern of her dungeon. Even if the affliction was merely a minor annoyance, getting it so often wasn¡¯t normal. In fact, getting it the first time wasn¡¯t normal, either. While the gnome assured her of the contrary, Spok still couldn¡¯t remember it happening to any dungeon prior to Theo¡¯s reincarnation.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ll be alright, sir?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Theo grumbled. ¡°The mages can¡¯t afford to let me down. Go, focus on your wedding. Lady Avisian is probably itching to go on another shopping spree.¡±


    ¡°Unlikely. She¡¯s caught a slight cold and preferred to remain in her guest chamber. The duke, meanwhile, is busy sparring verbally with Cecil. I¡¯m certain that the new tower will inevitably become part of the discussion within a few minutes.¡±


    Somehow, Theo could see that. The annoying visiting duke seemed to hate everything in the city, from the people to the materials the buildings were made of. One could almost assume that he was paid by the insult. At least, no new successful sabotage attempts had followed.


    ¡°Let me focus on my other headache,¡± the dungeon said. ¡°I¡¯d tell you what it involves, but I¡¯m not sure how much of it you¡¯ll be able to hear.¡±


    ¡°Well, I wish you luck, sir¡­ in both cases.¡± A slight smile emerged on the woman¡¯s face. Placing the quill back on the baron¡¯s desk, she nodded, then disappeared from the building once more.


    All that was left now was for Theo to sit and wait. Hopefully, the cats would send their reply before the devastating hunger halved his energy.

 (Book 3) 13. Charred Aether and Other Ancient Feline remedies

    Dungeons are, for the most part, viciously harmless. It could be said that they are one of the world¡¯s most documented mysteries. Strictly speaking, there are no firm classifications that contain them all. Alounce¡¯s metric only focuses on size, yet as heroes from the hero guild have confirmed, one might come across a dying mountain, just as much as a lethal carnivorous well.


    The Lei-Augustus-Pragen classification focuses entirely on rank, but that doesn¡¯t tell anything about the nature or capabilities of the dungeon. While it is acknowledged that rank five dungeons are generally more dangerous than those of lower ranks, even that is no guarantee.


    Even the core point per square foot ratio has produced mixed results at best, bringing all previous authorities in the area of dungeoneering to take a bestiary approach, amassing all notable dungeons and classifying them per danger level¡ªmostly in terms of heroes and adventurers killed. While the method has its merits, it¡¯s mostly aimed for heroes and dungeon explorers, not mages or academics. Thus, I have decided to review all the gathered material from the lens of someone who is both, and hopefully develop this area of study.


    Theo¡¯s avatar closed the book. It read just like all the pretentious academics that the dungeon had seen and written in his previous life. Archmage Gregord definitely had a high opinion of himself, even as a young man. If anything, reading the ¡°bestiaries¡± would have been a lot more useful, not to mention amusing.


    The sound of an explosion sounded above, sending a mage crashing back down in a ball of red flames. The avatar glanced at the unfortunate victim. There were a lot of curses and swears, but by all accounts, the mage seemed in a well enough state.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± Ellis said next to the avatar. ¡°I so hoped he¡¯d get thrown out.¡±


    ¡°Laster?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Who else? The idiot¡¯s been trying to break through by surrounding himself with aether orbs.¡± She let out a dry laugh of disapproval. ¡°As if that would ever work. You have to be really stupid to even think that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± the avatar nodded. ¡°Really stupid.¡±


    While struggling through the pages of the book, he had considered using his indestructible aether bubble to do just that. In his mind, it sounded like a foolproof plan. The sphere had protected him from physical and magical attacks, not to mention a minor abomination. And even if the ten seconds weren¡¯t enough, Theo would have no issue encapsulating his avatar in a second indestructible aether bubble, or even more.


    ¡°What did he do wrong?¡± he casually asked.


    ¡°Other than being born?¡± The cat was vicious in its reply. ¡°He was caught in a fire net. Probably took him half his mana to break free of that and crash back down.¡±


    ¡°Fire net¡­¡±


    There went that plan. If there was one weakness, the sphere bubbles had, it was getting stuck. Although he was the first to have failed, Siaho¡¯s approach remained the best. The ice wizard had reached far more than anyone else, even after half a day of attempts. Half the mages were busy with probing and analyzing the problem, which in Theo¡¯s book meant they were doing absolutely nothing. The rest had engaged in a series of forceful attempts to overpower the trial. Only the old mage didn¡¯t seem to care, spending most of the time napping. The single occasion he had approached the baron was to ask whether he could summon a few more bottles of brandy. Upon attempting, Theo had found that his create room ability had been rendered ineffective.


    ¡°Ellis, is your grandfather prone to answer letters fast?¡± the avatar asked.


    ¡°No, not really. He spends most of his time sleeping. Why?¡±


    ¡°No reason.¡±


    ¡°Grandpa isn¡¯t what you call the typical archmage. Don¡¯t get me wrong, he¡¯s extremely powerful, but also really, really old. It¡¯s the arch council that runs the tower, really.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get the impression he was someone to allow that.¡±


    ¡°Really old, remember? Unless it¡¯s something that interests him, he hardly bothers dealing with it.¡±


    ¡°And Gregord¡¯s tower is something he¡¯s interested in.¡± Just my luck. No wonder that the cats had been so insistent on Theo participating. It wasn¡¯t about the quest, the tower rivalry, or even the fine print that came with his magic license, but being the archmage¡¯s pet project.


    ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m into it? I was surrounded by this growing up.¡±


    ¡°Same as your parents, I bet.¡±


    ¡°Oh, they left the tower over a decade ago, just like my grandparents.¡±


    ¡°Wait. You¡¯re not related to the archmage?¡±


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re definitely related,¡± the white cat chuckled. ¡°He¡¯s just not my grandfather. More like, he¡¯s my great-great-and so on grandfather. Like I told you, he¡¯s really¡ª¡±


    ¡°Old,¡± the avatar finished the sentence for her.


    No wonder the dungeon hadn¡¯t gotten a reply even after half a day. Most likely the Feline Tower archmage was asleep and the arch council couldn¡¯t care less. Being the cynic he was, Theo suspected that the only reason they had agreed to send him to this absurd set of trials was to get the old cat off their backs. Well, two could play at that game.


    ¡°Spok,¡± Theo said through the spirit guide¡¯s core pendant. ¡°Send a new letter to the cat tower.¡±


    ¡°Sir, now might not be the best time,¡± Spok replied.


    ¡°Have it say ¡®I quit¡¯.¡±


    It was never a good idea to agree with the dungeon without carefully exploring the potential consequences of his action. In this case, unfortunately, Spok was preoccupied with issues of her own. The competition between head cooks had become a bit too competitive for everyone¡¯s taste, leading to a series of minor mishaps in the kitchen. For the most part, it was only the food that suffered: a bag of salt and sand in someone¡¯s soup cauldron, a charred boar, and a handful of caterpillars let loose in several salads. Spok had questioned the people involved, and each of them denied it. A few hours ago, one of the prospective cooks had vanished without explanation. The worst part was that no one, not even Spok, was able to find him.


    ¡°Very well, sir.¡± The spirit guide shifted location, appearing in the dungeon¡¯s main building.


    The scroll was written and sent off. Spok was just on her way to make a sarcastic remark and return to the grand kitchen, when a blue envelope suddenly appeared on the study desk. It had a blue seal, clearly marking it as belonging to the Feline Tower, so the spirit guide opened it.


    ¡°You seem to have a response, sir,¡± she said.


    ¡°I knew it!¡± Theo said triumphantly.


    ¡°All it¡¯s says is ¡®why?¡¯¡±


    Most people would have seen this as a bad sign, but Theo saw the positives: he had gotten them to respond and in record time.


    ¡°Send a reply,¡± he said, moving the furniture around in glee. ¡°Say ¡®See previous letter.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Is this really necessary, sir?¡± Spok sighed as she did as she was asked. ¡°You have the power to send letters as well. All you have to do is¡ª¡±


    Before she could even send the letter, a second one had appeared from the tower.


    ¡°That is a matter only the archmage can deal with and currently he¡¯s indisposed,¡± the spirit guide read out loud. ¡°I expect you want me to add that you¡¯ll quit until he becomes available?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a rather nice touch, yes. Spok, you know me too well.¡±


    ¡°At this stage, it¡¯s impossible not to, sir.¡±


    The letter was sent, followed almost immediately by another reply. This time, along with the blue envelope, there was a small wooden box. Not sensing anything menacing within, Spok opened it. A small crystal ball, the size of a grape, lay inside on a silk cushion.


    ¡°Huh?¡± All the furniture movement in Theo¡¯s main building stopped. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    It definitely wasn¡¯t a mana gem¡ªthe dungeon had enough experience to be able to recognize those at a mere glance. The ball wasn¡¯t it. Thankfully, the dungeon had a way of finding out exactly what it was.


    LONG DISTANCE SCRYING CRYSTAL


    (Feline Tower)


    Allows instant communication between two locations, but requires a constant supply of energy to remain functional.


    ¡°A scrying crystal,¡± Theo grumbled.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a wonderful idea, sir.¡± Spok placed the block on the study desk. ¡°This way, you could continue your discussion without my assistance. Oh, and¡ª¡± she opened the latest envelope ¡°¡ªbe sure to dedicate ten energy per hour for it to function.¡±


    Without further delays, the spirit guide vanished, returning to her kitchen catastrophe. Theo, on his part, concentrated on the item. He was hoping for better, but given the alternative, this could be considered a passable start. There was little risk for it to be a trap or magical bomb of some sort, but just in case, an aether bubble was created around it. Only then did the dungeon dedicate the necessary energy.


    On cue, the crystal lit up in a deep cyan blue.


    The first thing that came from the crystal ball was the sound of heavy coughing.


    ¡°Perhaps it would be better if I conducted the negotiations, archmage?¡± Ilgrym¡¯s familiar voice was audible in the background. ¡°He is a valued benefactor and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Theo,¡± the old white cat interrupted. ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a dungeon,¡± Theo replied in a level tone. ¡°Where would you expect me to be?¡±


    ¡°Right. So, you¡¯re unhappy with our arrangement?¡±


    ¡°In one word, yes. I¡¯m not changing any conditions, but I strongly believe I have earned at least half of the reward.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡ª¡± the dungeon¡¯s words were cut off by silence. It would have been too easy if he could directly explain what was going on. ¡°Because I¡¯ve made progress.¡±


    ¡°How do I know you¡¯re not lying?¡±


    ¡°If I was lying, you would have known! Didn¡¯t you say that everyone who fails is cast out of the tower?¡±


    ¡°Of course I said that,¡± the old cat snapped. More heavy coughing followed. ¡°But how can I be sure you¡¯re not taking a nap on the first floor?¡±


    ¡°Why would I do that?!¡±


    ¡°To create the impression that you¡¯re actually doing something.¡±


    The accusation was rather well founded, though directed towards the wrong person. If Cmyk were in the tower, Theo had no doubt that was what he¡¯d do. He, on the other hand, wanted to get his avatar to be done with this whole mess so he would return to Rosewind as quickly as possible. Come to think of it, maybe it wasn¡¯t a bad idea to quit the trial. No one would suspect a thing, and Theo wouldn¡¯t be able to tell anyone even if he tried.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m really there,¡± the dungeon insisted. ¡°And I am making progress. I can¡¯t make it more clear because Gregord put a spell that doesn¡¯t let me.¡±


    ¡°And you don¡¯t find that convenient?¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    The archmage had a point there.


    ¡°Okay, it¡¯s not like I want the entire reward, just an advance. It¡¯s due to necessity.¡±


    ¡°What necessity exactly?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m suffering from¡­¡± Theo stopped.


    ¡°From?¡± the cat asked after a few minutes. ¡°Are you affected by another blocking spell?¡±


    ¡°No, not quite. The devastating hunger¡¯s back,¡± he said.


    ¡°Hunger?¡± the cat mused. ¡°You want to use a mana gem to fix that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like you helped me last time.¡±


    ¡°Last time?¡± Ilgrym, I thought you said you¡¯d fixed that.


    ¡°Indeed, archmage,¡± the other cat said from the background. ¡°We were about to, but since we didn¡¯t receive any further letters from our valued benefactor, we decided that it was a temporary hiccup and focused on more important things. If you remember, we were a few months away from the tower¡¯s reappearance.¡±


    ¡°Always excuses.¡± The white cat started coughing again. ¡°Dungeon, stay there.¡±


    It¡¯s not that there¡¯s anywhere I could go. Theo thought. While waiting, his avatar made another attempt at reading Gregord''s treatises on dungeons. Having an index would have been nice, but apparently, the ancient archmage had been above that as well.


    A larger wooden box appeared a few inches from Theo¡¯s study desk, falling down with a loud thump.


    ¡°Still there, dungeon?¡± the white cat asked through the crystal ball.


    ¡°Where else?¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s a solution for your problem.


    Using telekinesis, Theo opened the box. Yet again, disappointment followed. The dungeon had been convinced that there would be a mana gem inside. He didn¡¯t expect it to be charged, but he definitely didn¡¯t think he¡¯d get a box of coal instead.


    ¡°Coal?¡±


    Was that some sort of hint? In Theo¡¯s previous life, some believed that people who misbehaved received coal for their holiday gifts. There was nothing magical about it, just a stern reminder that they wouldn¡¯t be getting what they want until they got their act together. Had the cat just done the same?


    ¡°Consume one per day and you¡¯ll be fine,¡± the archmage replied. ¡°Just don¡¯t overdo it.¡±


    ¡°You want me to eat coal?¡± Theo cast an arcane identify on the black chunk.


    CHARRED AETHER


    A byproduct of concentrated fire aether. It is a key alchemical component in potion making.


    ¡°You wanted a solution? Now you have it.¡±


    ¡°I wanted a permanent solution,¡± the dungeon shouted. ¡°That¡¯s why I needed an aether gem.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯ll get both once you reach the ninth floor.¡±


    Ninth floor? That had never been a condition of the deal.


    ¡°I only agreed to do my best,¡± Theo protested. ¡°Who said anything about reaching the top?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve found that it¡¯s always a question of adequate motivation,¡± the cat said. ¡°Just one more detail. Let me know when you get close. There¡¯s something I wish you to do before you get there.¡±


    ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡± Theo always suspected that cats were vile, vicious creatures, but he never expected he¡¯d be blackmailed into compliance due to his unfortunate affliction. ¡°You¡¯re going to leave me rot if I don¡¯t reach the final floor?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m not a monster. No matter how far you get, I have confidence that you¡¯ve done your best. Naturally, the tower will continue supplying you with charred aether¡­ as much as possible. It¡¯s a rather rare element, as you might not know.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a byproduct!¡±


    ¡°A very rare byproduct, and a solution to your immediate problem. You want another solution, a permanent solution, then get to the ninth floor.¡±


    The crystal abruptly lost its glow.


    ¡°Archmage?¡± Theo shouted. ¡°Archmage!¡±


    No response came. For all intents and purposes, it could be said that the head of the Feline Tower had ended the call. Never before had Theo felt so infuriated in his life. He had half a mind to have his avatar put an end to the trial there and then. However, his instinct for self-preservation activated, doing what it was supposed to do.


    As good as such a rash action would feel in the short term, it would also bring considerable long-term issues, chief of which was the cats outing him out as a dungeon in the middle of Spok¡¯s wedding. Not only would that prove hazardous to his health, but there was no way that Spok would ever forgive him. For better or worse¡ªmostly worse¡ªhe was forced to play the game. On the positive side, though¡­


    Popping the aether bubble, Theo proceeded to consume the crystal ball.


    CONGRATULATIONS!


    You have consumed a long-distance scrying crystal!


    2,000 Core Points obtained.


    LONG DISTANCE SCRYING - 1


    Allows you to spend 50 mana per hour to communicate with a scrying crystal within 5000 miles.


    Using this ability will increase its rank, increasing the distance in which you could scry.


    Now, he¡¯d be able to bother the Feline Tower at any time without the need for letters. Also, two thousand core points were a nice little treat, in case the daily coal refused to have any effect.


    The more Theo looked at the box of black chunks, the more he viewed it as medicine¡ªsomething that had the potential to make him feel better, but which he absolutely refused to consume. All sorts of excuses ran through his mind, convincing him to leave the attempt for later. There was still plenty of time before the hunger consumed half his energy. It would make no difference whether he took a piece of coal now, or at the very last moment.


    ¡°Spok,¡± the dungeon said. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Take it, sir,¡± the spirit guide said without hesitation. ¡°That way, you¡¯ll have time to consider other solutions if it doesn¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Spok.¡± The words were drenched in bitterness. There was nothing wrong in being direct, but there was such a thing as being too direct.


    Against his better judgment, Theo moved the box through several floors to where his core chamber was. There, he cautiously lifted up a smaller chunk with telekinesis and moved it into his core.


    Consuming the Charred Aether has satisfied your hunger.


    All hunger penalties for the day have been negated.


    What do you know? Theo thought. The coal had an effect, after all. He¡¯d have to keep consuming it daily, which meant that he was good for another month or so. Not the best outlook should he fail, but more than enough for him to succeed.


    ¡°Ellis,¡± the dungeon¡¯s avatar stood up. ¡°Other than the bad poetry, did Gregord mention fireflies or colors anywhere else?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡± The white cat tilted her head as she looked at him. ¡°He was a mage. I doubt there¡¯s a book in which he doesn¡¯t talk about colors. It would be easier to say which books didn¡¯t have them mentioned.¡±


    ¡°And fireflies?¡±


    ¡°I already thought about that. It¡¯s possible that he mentioned them in passing in a few works, but for the most part, you know what I know. He was fascinated by the insects, liked playing around with guardian spells. Unless you fancy making a few guardians yourself, I don¡¯t see what else is relevant.¡±


    This clearly wasn¡¯t going to work. If there were any obvious clues, at least one of the group of Gregord maniacs would have spotted it. Then again, there was a good chance that the hint wasn¡¯t obvious. After all, according to the tower¡¯s rules, a person was free to return to the lower floors without restriction. The only reason such a harsh person such as Gregord would allow that was if it were necessary.


    The baron looked around. If he was right, he needed an assistant¡ªsomeone who was just as incentivized as he was to reach the top of the tower. With Siaho gone, one¡ªpossibly two¡ªpeople came to mind.


    ¡°Ellis, hop on,¡± the avatar said. ¡°Time to go to the next floor.¡±


    ¡°You figured it out?¡± The cat rushed up his clothes, ending up on his head in less than a second.


    ¡°I figured out how to figure it out. Klarissa!¡± he shouted.


    The woman was busy keeping a low profile while observing everyone else¡¯s attempts. Drawing attention to her was the last thing the freelancer wanted. In part, that was precisely why Theo was so insistent on making it a big deal.


    ¡°Hey, Klarissa! Come over here!¡± he waved with both arms.


    ¡°Why must we call her?¡± Ellis hiss from the top of his head.


    ¡°Because I think Siaho was right. You can¡¯t complete this floor alone. And I don¡¯t trust your flying.¡±


    Finding herself the center of attention, Klarissa had no choice but to come over. As she did, a series of light beams shot up into the air, aiming at the lowest wisps. Loud zapping sounds were heard everywhere, accompanied by the thick smell of ozone. For a moment, it almost seemed as if the initiator of the spell had successfully found a solution to the third-floor riddle.


    Everyone held their breaths, waiting to see what would happen. Moments later, a new series of yellow dots emerged, popping into existence.


    ¡°You remain a failure, Celenia!¡± Ellis shouted from the avatar¡¯s head. ¡°Hope you didn¡¯t waste too much mana!¡±


    The mage in question darted a glare at the white cat, then turned around demonstratively.


    ¡°Is there anyone you don¡¯t hate, little girl?¡± Klarissa asked as she got near. ¡°Or just other women?¡±


    The cat flicked her tail, refusing to give a response.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± she addressed the avatar.


    ¡°An assistant to get out of here,¡± he replied.


    ¡°You found a way out?¡±


    ¡°Something like that.¡± The avatar went to the old mage still lying on the floor.


    Sensing someone approach, the man cracked an eye open and looked up.


    ¡°Coming along, Auggy?¡± the avatar asked. ¡°Or will you pretend to sleep until you¡¯re out of options?¡±


    ¡°Ho, ho, ho. Someone¡¯s become confident.¡± The old man grinned. ¡°Better you than someone else.¡± He stood up. ¡°At least you haven¡¯t been running around in circles.¡±


    ¡°You know the answer as well?¡± Ellis asked, shocked.


    ¡°Ho, ho, ho. I¡¯m just an old man. I have a few ideas about this and that, but not as much as young Theo here, it seems.¡±


    Hearing him be called young made the dungeon feel strange. Maybe because of the adventurers he had to watch over a few months ago, he always saw himself as a lot older.


    ¡°All of you can fly, I hope?¡± the avatar looked at each in turn.


    Both nodded, as did the cat on Theo¡¯s head.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he cast a flight spell on himself. ¡°I¡¯ll check on something first. Be ready to follow when I tell you.¡±


    Calmly, the baron made his way to the nearest wisp. One couldn¡¯t deny that up close, it seemed somewhat fascinating. No wonder Gregord had mentioned it in a few poems. Right now, it wasn¡¯t the outside that mattered.


    Casting a revelation spell, Theo followed up with his usual arcane identify.


    YELLOW WISP GUARDIAN Level 10


    An incorporeal magical entity whose role is to guard passages from trespassers and unwanted visitors.


    The entity is powered by lightning and will zap anyone who it considers a threat.


    Groups of two or more living people are not considered a threat as long as they remain at approximately the same distance


    Siaho indeed had been a prodigy to have figured all that just by looking at the patterns and associating the wisps with a few sentences in Gregord¡¯s works. It was a pity he hadn¡¯t made it all the way. At the same time, his failure served as a cautionary tale for Theo.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he told his companions below.


    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± Ellis whispered. ¡°A hit of that will be painful.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine even if no one else is,¡± the avatar whispered back.


    While Auggy and Klarissa flew up to join him, Theo had already started plotting his next move. Being a dungeon, he had a substantial advantage above most people. For one thing, he could see the lanes of space between the wisps¡¯ paths. Everything from the floor to the invisible ceiling was nothing more than a moving labyrinth. All one had to do was follow the correct path, and carefully read the instructions Gregord had hidden in the description of each wisp, to complete the trial.


    Once the small group went beyond the first layer of guardians, the people below took notice. When they made their way past a dozen wisps without any mishaps, everyone else stopped whatever they were doing and focused on figuring out the secret. Most likely they wouldn¡¯t manage, of course. They had skipped the second real second floor trial and failed to obtain the magic revelation spell. It was going to take a lot more than a keen eye for them to solve this riddle.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s so simple,¡± Ellis said once they approached the point Siaho had met his demise.


    ¡°Most things are,¡± the avatar said, even if he was the last person to believe it. ¡°The real challenge starts now.¡±


    Not too long after, the lines of light emerged. Before the staircase had the chance to fully form, the dungeon¡¯s avatar stopped in place, making a sign for the others to follow suit. If there was a moment when something could go wrong, it was now.


    LIGHT SPIRAL


    A staircase created entirely of light that can transport a person through solid matter.


    The rays of light are easily broken by any threat that doesn¡¯t share color with them.


    An explanation emerged after the avatar cast the usual magic revelation and arcane identify spells. Clearly, this was meant to be the way out. All they had to do was follow the staircase up to the fourth floor. At the same time, the description wasn¡¯t nearly as helpful as those of the wisps.


    ¡°Looks like we must¡ª¡±


    ¡°We saw,¡± Klarissa interrupted. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who could think. Besides, we all know the spell.¡±


    ¡°Then, I suppose you know how to continue?¡±


    Theo¡¯s intention was to ask a normal question in the hopes that the woman might know. What came out was a challenge, mocking her ingenuity. Unfortunately for everyone, the woman hadn¡¯t gotten where she was by backing down and had no intention of doing so now.


    ¡°Of course I do,¡± she said in a firm tone. ¡°We just make ourselves to be the same light as the staircase.¡±


    The woman grabbed hold of a small silver band on her pinky finger and turned it around. Instantly, she lost all texture, changing into a bright yellow light. The effect continued to spread along the rest of her body, transforming her bit-by-bit into a luminous figure.


    ¡°Nice party trick.¡± Ellis didn¡¯t miss an opportunity to insult.


    ¡°The pleasure¡¯s mine, little girl,¡± Klarissa said. ¡°Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡± She floated towards the lowest step and stepped on it.


    Her leg passed through the line of light, breaking the connection.


    No, you don¡¯t! The avatar instantly cast his swiftness-ultra spell. Everything around him seemed to freeze still. Now he had a few moments to decide on a single action that could save everyone.


    It definitely wasn¡¯t going to be easy. He could already see a circle of light surrounding her foot. If Siaho was any indication, the light of the staircase would envelop her and cast her out, then vanish. Lacking any spells dealing with light, the avatar couldn¡¯t hope to fix the beam. Looking up, there didn¡¯t seem to be any path to the next floor, either, not that he had the speed to drag everyone up.


    A sense of urgency swept through Theo. Even with the spell in effect, he didn¡¯t have much time to waste. With limited options, he tried to remember if there was anything special about the staircase itself. The description said that it had the means to take anyone to the next floor. If that were true, it had to be similar to a door portal: do everything right, and you get teleported up, fail and you get teleported out. The entrance doors followed a similar principle. But what could someone do if a door was on the way to open in the wrong direction?


    I better not regret this! Theo cast an open spell on the staircase.


    Time instantly returned to normal. A layer of yellow light enveloped the avatar, preventing him from seeing. When it vanished, a second later, everything had changed.


    ¡°We made it?¡± Klarissa asked, just as surprised as Theo.


    All four of them had ended up in the center of a large arena surrounded by stone statues of giant monsters.

 (Book 3) 14. The Unspoken Fourth Floor Barrier

    A second airship launch took place, though with far less fanfare than the first. It was done in the middle of the day, before everyone¡¯s eyes. Since most of the local population were used to the presence of airships, Switches had focused on making the appearance of the new model as flashy as possible. In truth, the idea had come from his assistant¡ªearning the alchemist the first recognition the gnome had ever made. The entire hull of the ship was sky cyan with elements of the city painted on top. The Rosewind crest was most prominent, but the more observant could also see that of Baron d¡¯Argent, the emblem of Switches¡¯ Workshop, and a scattering of adventuring guilds.


    While most of the populace had found the sight amusing, it had caused a great furor among nobility and merchants alike. Everyone with power and a bit of gold to spare flooded the gnome with requests to have their own crest or organization emblem added in the next one built.


    This was a huge boost to the gnome¡¯s ego and his monster core gathering capacity. With the demand for constructs and airships increasing, he had already sent adventurer quests to all existing guilds in search of the vital materials. Even that, though, ran short. It seemed that the moment he had budgeted enough for one thing he planned, another idea popped up in his mind that required more. At present, a not insignificant part of the castle was guarded by his living armor constructs. All the airships were equipped with them as well, although in those cases, the gnome had made sure to place them on the outside of the hull similar to decorative mastheads. He had even made attempts to boost the city guard with more of his constructs, but Captain Ribbons was having none of that. Guardian was for proper guards, he said, and being someone who didn¡¯t take no for an answer, unless it came from Duke Rosewind, he had gotten his way.


    With his hunger crisis dealt with, to a degree, Theo went back to surrounding the city with farmland. It was, without a doubt, a novel approach that had earned him a few grumbles from some nobles, and a surprisingly large number of local artisans. Their concerns, as they put it, were that having farmland so close to the city would increase the amount of vulgar odors in the city. Given how less than a year ago, the ¡°city¡± was in a far worse state and people would freely relieve themselves on walls and other spots, the dungeon didn¡¯t find the arguments convincing. Even so, he made a point to leave a one-mile band of ¡°nature¡± between the city walls and the actual farmlands. Since his avatar wasn¡¯t present, he had sought the aid of people from his hamlet to do the earth golem killing and soil distribution. The people had gladly agreed, especially the dozen that had helped him in the battle against Lord Mandrake.


    For all intents and purposes, it could be said that things were going fine. As was tradition, everything going well was a provocation for the universe to start meddling again. In this case, the meddling took a slightly more sinister form.


    ¡°People can¡¯t just vanish,¡± Theo said. ¡°Are you sure you looked everywhere?¡±


    ¡°I see everything you see, sir.¡± Spok adjusted her glasses. ¡°In the last two days a total of seventeen people have gone missing, among which my most promising head cook.¡±


    ¡°People don¡¯t just vanish. They¡¯ve probably snuck on Switches¡¯ new airship and have rushed off. There¡¯ve been lots of such cases lately.¡±


    ¡°Those were children and young adventurers who decided to have an adventure, sir. And I have already spoken with Switches, who assures me that boarding any of his airships after the latest incident would be impossible.¡±


    ¡°Like he¡¯s right about anything,¡± Theo grumbled.


    Dealing with disappearing people in his city was the last thing he wanted to be busy  with right now. Everything else aside, with so many noble guests expected, it was a certain way to attract unwanted attention, namely heroes. One concerned request was all it took to have a bunch of do-gooders rushing to investigate.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell Ulf to send some adventurers out,¡± the dungeon said reluctantly. ¡°Any issues with the duke?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Spok gave him an angry glare.


    ¡°Not your duke, the other duke.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Annoying as always. Right now, he¡¯s criticizing the central garden. Claims that it¡¯s not glowing brightly enough.¡±


    ¡°Of course it isn¡¯t¡­ Once the wedding is over, I¡¯ll throw him in the river.¡±


    ¡°I prefer you didn¡¯t, sir. That might give him an excuse to return.¡±


    ¡°Good point.¡±


    ¡°Also, apparently, I¡¯m going to the jeweler¡¯s shop again. Lady Avisian has recovered and wishes to see if there are any new trinkets on display.¡±


    ¡°Of course she does.¡±


    Even the dungeon had noticed the woman¡¯s fancy of jewelry. She¡¯d never buy much, but she¡¯d spend ludicrous amounts of time examining them. In more cases than not, Spok would be asked to assist, which both the spirit guide and the dungeon viewed as a total waste of time.


    ¡°Well, have fun.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir. And how goes your progress in the mage quest?¡±


    ¡°Waiting.¡± Several doors in the dungeon¡¯s main building opened slightly as a gust of a sigh swept through the rooms. ¡°A large part of it is waiting. Gregord is obsessed with second chances. We can¡¯t start the next trial before all participants gather or are kicked out of the tower.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s surprisingly even handed for a mage. Usually, they tend to grab anything remotely powerful just to deprive everyone else from having it.¡±


    ¡°Maybe his hero trait rubbed off on him, or he had a difficult childhood. Either way, I¡¯m stuck there.¡±


    ¡°In that case, good luck to you, sir.¡± The spirit guide vanished, appearing elsewhere in the city.


    Theo twiddled his metaphorical thumbs a bit, then took his daily chunk of charred aether and continued to observe the progress of his future vineyard. While the soil was coming along nicely, that was only one factor. He was already expecting a shipment of premium grape seeds via griffin courier. That was another of the strange professions that had recently emerged and entirely by accident at that.


    It could be said that Avid was to blame for its popularization, but since the discovery was actually useful, the dungeon spent little time acknowledging the fact. The practice had made the griffin population significantly more organized, making the young ones strive for good riders rather than spend most of their time begging for food as they had in the past. On the downside, Octavian had become a sort of celebrity, being the first griffin mount and all.


    One was tempted to say that Rosewind was going through changes, but everyone familiar with the recent history of the city would consider this almost tame. For a place that had been destroyed and rebuilt twice, any minor changes were all but ignored in a couple of days.


    Meanwhile, back in Gregord¡¯s tower, the center of the arena changed color.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Allis leapt off the stone dragon head she¡¯d been laying on and rushed down to the large circle of light that had formed. ¡°Someone else has made it.¡±


    Two days ago, she couldn¡¯t stand the other mages of the group. All the people on the fourth floor were of the same opinion. Learning that the trial wouldn¡¯t start until all candidates were present changed their thoughts on the topic. To make things worse, there was no way of returning to the floors below, or even communicating with them for that matter.


    ¡°Who do you think it will be?¡± she asked the dungeon¡¯s avatar.


    ¡°Hopefully, someone competent,¡± the baron replied.


    After seeing that neither his reveal magic nor his arcane identification spells worked on the floor, he had spent most of the time reading through the dungeon books he had taken from the first floor. To his pleasant surprise, it had turned out that after the extremely boring opening things picked up. It was amusing to read a mage¡¯s view on dungeons. Half of everything speculated was completely wrong, but amusing in a comical way.


    ¡°Everyone here is competent.¡± Klarissa approached, causing Ellis to move to the other side of the avatar. ¡°Even the little girl.¡±


    ¡°You must be really bored.¡± The avatar put the book away. ¡°Next, you¡¯ll say that the old man is useful as well.¡±


    ¡°The old man¡¯s probably more skilled than you know.¡± She glanced in Auggy¡¯s direction.


    More could have been said if a pair of figures didn¡¯t emerge, rising up from the shining floor. The first was the ebony elf, his silhouette recognizable even before the light covering him had faded away. As for the other, it turned out to be Celenia of the Restored Sky Tower.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you.¡± Ellis didn¡¯t bother hiding her disappointment. ¡°Did you get help again?¡±


    ¡°Look who¡¯s talking,¡± the other scoffed. ¡°Theo has literally been carrying you through the trials.¡±


    ¡°What can I say? I know how to pick them.¡± The cat flicked her tail a few times.


    ¡°The way you cleared the trial was most impressive.¡± The ebony elf said. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that I won¡¯t be able to remember it once the trial is over.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Theo wasn¡¯t certain whether that was a compliment or not, but chose not to cause a stir for the moment. ¡°How did you get through?¡±


    ¡°We took a yellow wisp with us as we ventured into the staircase.¡±


    Thinking about it objectively, that method made a lot more sense. Likely it was the proper solution to the riddle. It was specified that wisps only attacked people they considered to be threats. Nothing was said about grabbing hold of one. As long as there were people roughly the same distance from it, there was no reason for it not to be transported.


    ¡°Good thinking,¡± the avatar tried not to sound bitter. ¡°So, if you¡¯re here, does that mean that¡ª¡±


    A second pair of figures emerged. Both Laster and Elaine Windchild had made it. That marked all of the candidates. In recognition, the arena lit up.


    ¡°Congratulations, candidates,¡± a voice boomed. ¡°You have passed a third of your path to knowledge. In recognition, you have earned the right to learn the spell that brought you here.¡±


    LIGHT SPIRAL - 1


    Spend 50 energy to create a short distance portal that can help you cross solid matter up to ten feet.


    Using this ability will increase its rank, increasing the amount of solid matter you can cross through.


    ¡°Your determination has also earned you a hint,¡± the booming voice continued. ¡°One of your arena opponents holds the key to the next floor. Choose your opponent wisely and defeat them for it to become yours.¡±


    Aether spheres and other protection spells instantly emerged. Everyone, except the old man, grouped together, expecting the massive statues to spring to life. Nothing happened.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°Choose your opponent,¡± Ellis said from the avatar¡¯s head. ¡°We must choose our opponent. That must mean that only after afterwards will it attack.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean that if we choose the wrong one, we fail the trial?¡± Laster asked. ¡°All of us?¡±


    The bubbles popped out of existence. A new discussion began in which the mages shouted over each other, comparing passages from various Gregord¡¯s works. The dungeon¡¯s avatar completely ignored them.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t cast any spells, Auggy,¡± he said. ¡°Did you know nothing would happen?¡±


    ¡°Ho, ho, ho. I¡¯m just a good listener,¡± the old man laughed. ¡°And if one of those monstrosities had come to life, I doubt it would have attacked a weak old man first.¡±


    This was the third time the mage had known things he shouldn¡¯t have. Either he had some clairvoyance spell that Theo didn¡¯t know about, or he was using some other hidden method to guess what was coming. Either way, it was something the dungeon found could be useful for his other situation. With the guests expected to start arriving en masse after a few days, seeing the future could save a lot of headache.


    ¡°You really must teach me how to do that.¡± The avatar bent down and put his hand on the floor. Same as before, his attempt to create a room was negated. ¡°I guess no brandy here, either.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well.¡± Auggy sighed. ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll get a chance to return to the first floor for a drink.¡±


    ¡°Is that your way of giving me a hint?¡±


    ¡°Ho, ho, ho. Just an old man and his dreams. And as for my knowledge, maybe I¡¯ll tell you further up¡­ if we ever get there.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s unlike you to be so pessimistic. Any reason?¡±


    ¡°They say that no mage has gone higher than the fourth floor. Why do you think that is?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the middle of the tower, so it¡¯s as good a guess as any,¡± the avatar said. ¡°Might just as well have been five.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Well, I suppose you¡¯re right. No one really remembers what happened in the tower. But there¡¯s one pattern that has been found. You¡¯ve noticed, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡± The dungeon wasn¡¯t sure what the other was going at, but not wanting to seem like a complete idiot, pretended he did.


    ¡°Each candidate gets to remember all the spells provided by the tower. One floor¡ªone spell. The most anyone has returned with is four.¡±


    I knew that! Theo grumbled. It was obvious when said out loud. Naturally, the mages would find a pattern that would help them create a new classification.


    ¡°You must admit, it¡¯s a bit messy,¡± the avatar said, trying to poke holes in the hypothesis. ¡°We didn¡¯t get anything from the first floor, and the voice told us there might be hidden pieces of knowledge.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s possible, but only if we¡¯re dealing with a single person. No mage has returned with more knowledge than four spells. It¡¯s a safe bet that the top participants have either reached the fourth floor or completed it.¡±


    ¡°How many have returned with none?¡±


    The old man shook his head.


    ¡°I hope there¡¯s more alcohol in our future.¡± He walked away. ¡°I really enjoy the taste.¡±


    Theo was just about to pursue the matter when a griffin flew up to his main building in Rosewind. Initially, he hoped for that to be his grape seed delivery. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a very alarmed Amelia. The woman was wearing the expensive, but highly impractical, armor she¡¯d set off on her first noble quest in. Just looking at her made the dungeon cringe. After everything they¡¯d been through, he had hoped she¡¯d have retained her good sense for slightly longer.


    ¡°Baron!¡± The woman banged on his door. ¡°I need to talk to you!¡±


    On most days, Theo would have ignored her. Most of her concerns were usually pointless or had nothing to do with him. With the recent sabotage, though, he couldn¡¯t afford to take the risk. Dedicating a small amount of energy to his construct, the dungeon activated his ¡°physical self¡± and proceeded to open the front door.


    ¡°Baron!¡± Amelia rushed in. ¡°I¡¯m so glad I caught you. I was afraid that you were off dealing with your magic troubles.¡±


    Theo didn¡¯t like how that came out, but his construct didn¡¯t have the ability to convey complex expressions. At the time, the focus had been on smiling, so that was the range of emotions available.


    ¡°What happened this time?¡± Theo asked, keeping the construct¡¯s neutral expression.


    ¡°My parents!¡± Amelia grabbed her head with both hands. ¡°They¡¯ve decided to come early!¡±


    Given that her father was a duke and nearby, it was natural for him to show up. Theo knew that he and Rosewind had some sort of understanding, potentially a political alliance. The former earl had agreed to take in his daughter to play adventurer, after all. That had worked up quite well, resulting in Amelia being officially proclaimed a ¡°noble adventurer¡± and senior member of the Lionmane guild.


    ¡°It¡¯s only a few days,¡± he said. ¡°Most of the crowd will start showing up next week.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand. My father isn¡¯t coming here. He¡¯s here! And he¡¯s brought my entire family.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± Theo still couldn¡¯t see the issue. ¡°Duke Avisian brought a carriage of servants and his own personal guard.¡±


    ¡°My father¡¯s come to have a conversation with everyone involved with me. That means he¡¯ll have a chat with Ulf, Avid, and¡­¡± she paused.


    ¡°And me.¡± Now the dungeon glimpsed the root of the problem.


    The woman nodded.


    ¡°And because I¡¯m his youngest, he tends to be a bit overprotective¡­¡± she added.


    ¡°Overprotective? He sent you here when the town was overrun by goblins to become an adventurer!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just it. He sent me here because it was the most boring place in the kingdom. Nothing used to happen in Rosewind. Having me fight goblins and necromancers wasn¡¯t what he had in mind, so he might be a bit¡­ upset. I was going to have a talk with him before he arrived, but between Avid and everything else¡­¡± her words tailed off.


    ¡°He arrived before you were able to.¡± Once again, Theo was reminded why Amelia was nothing but trouble. She had a tendency to complicate things ever since her arrival. ¡°Where is he?¡±


    Hardly had the dungeon asked than he felt a carriage stop outside his main building. With the number of carriages¡ªnormal and mechanical¡ªmoving about, he had stopped paying attention to most of them. In this case, though, he should have.


    Similar in size to Duke Avisian¡¯s, the carriage outside was large enough to comfortably hold eight people. Made entirely of polished redwood and decorated with gold leaf, it clearly illustrated that the person inside was of the high nobility. The small cadre of elite guards on horseback made it clear that the duke wasn¡¯t showy, but not to be trifled with.


    The driver of the carriage¡ªa large man with bushy black mustaches¡ªclimbed down and opened the door with the Goton family crest.


    As the door was opened, the person who was Amelia¡¯s father stepped out unassisted. In nearly every aspect, the man was what Duke Rosewind wasn¡¯t. If Theo had met him for the first time, he¡¯d see him as a pirate or criminal who fought his way to a noble title. All the expensive fabrics and elegant designs in the world weren¡¯t able to hide the scars and muscles covering the man. If he were just a decade younger, he¡¯d give Cmyk and Ulf a run for their money in terms of physical appearance. Unlike them, his hair was reddish gray and also, he was actually intimidating.


    The duke was soon followed by two far less muscular, though still fit, men in their thirties. Given the red hair, one could assume them to be his sons.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want me to accompany you, father?¡± a female voice asked from within the carriage. ¡°You know how you could be at times.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! I¡¯m just here to spend some quality time with my daughter and her mentor,¡± the man said. ¡°I¡¯ll join you in the castle soon enough.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± the sigh was audible even from a distance. ¡°Very well, father. Please don¡¯t make us wait too long.¡±


    The driver closed the door, then jumped back up, driving towards the castle along with the guards. Already the dungeon had a bad feeling. There was only one type of person that preferred not to have guards around him.


    ¡°He¡¯s outside,¡± Theo said through his construct.


    Amelia nodded.


    ¡°I tried to get here as quickly as possible, but I had to get dressed first. Dad paid a lot of money for this set of armor, so not greeting him with it¡­¡±


    If the dungeon could narrow the eyes of the construct, he would have. There was no doubt in his mind that Amelia must have spent weeks demanding it from her father, just as she had demanded that she be sent somewhere to ¡°adventure¡± about.


    There was a knock at the door. Just as Theo was about to open the door, Amelia did it for him.


    ¡°Father,¡± she said with the most charming smile possible. ¡°I thought you¡¯d arrive the day after tomorrow.¡± She rushed to the mountain of a man and gave him a hug. ¡°You should have told me you¡¯re arriving early.¡±


    ¡°And miss the surprised look on your face?¡± Duke Goton smiled. ¡°How have you been, Ame? No one¡¯s been giving you a hard time, I trust?¡±


    ¡°Of, of course not.¡± Amelia let out a giggle. ¡°You know I would never stand for that.¡±


    ¡°Damn straight, you won¡¯t.¡± The duke¡¯s focus shifted from his daughter to Baron d¡¯Argent, or at least the construct of the baron. The moment that happened, the smile quickly faded away. ¡°You must be the one giving her a hard time.¡±


    ¡°Lord Goton.¡± The construct bowed. ¡°An honor to finally meet you in person.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got Cecil to thank for that,¡± the duke all but growled. ¡°I¡¯d have stormed here after that goblin incident if it wasn¡¯t for him.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been through that, father,¡± Amelia said, her face pink with embarrassment. ¡°I was fine. Besides, the baron¡¯s house was the only thing left standing. Even the castle¡ª¡±


    ¡°No need to worry, Ame. I¡¯m here now, and we¡¯ll have a nice family chat with the Protector of Rosewind.¡± He stormed in.


    ¡°Looking good, Lia,¡± the taller of the duke¡¯s sons stepped in. ¡°A few more years and it might actually fit,¡± he let out a laugh. ¡°Marcus,¡± he introduced himself to the baron in passing, as he followed his father into the first floor living room.


    ¡°Ignore him.¡± The second son went up to Amelia. ¡°He¡¯s just upset that you became a noble hero before him. You¡¯ve done great, sis.¡± He winked.


    ¡°I bet he is. Where¡¯s¡­¡± she peered into the street behind him.


    ¡°Mother and Nelina went straight to the castle.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Well, I guess I¡¯ll see them soon enough.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± The man then turned to the construct of the baron. ¡°Lilac Goton. Thank you for taking care of my sister.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a quick learner.¡± Theo had the construct nod.


    He could probably have come up with a better compliment, but being put on the spot after the duke¡¯s reaction had managed to ruin his mood even further. Looking at them, one would think he¡¯d asked for the woman¡¯s hand in marriage. Having uninvited guests was bad as it is. Having this lot was no doubt going to give him a migraine.


    Sadly, since the person in question was a duke, all he could do was smile and bear through to the end.


    ¡°Would you like some refreshments, Lord Goton?¡± The construct asked upon entering the room. ¡°I have a rather fine selection of¡ª¡±


    ¡°I heard you sent my youngest daughter to a cursed estate.¡± The nobleman didn¡¯t give him a chance to finish. ¡°Without weapons.¡±


    ¡°Umm, yes, yes, that¡¯s true.¡± Theo had almost forgotten about that part.


    ¡°From her letters¡ª¡± the duke reached out to his right. His second son quickly took out a white scroll and placed it in the man¡¯s hand¡± ¡ªI learned that your exact words were¡­¡± he paused, skimming through the contents of the message. ¡°They were ¡®it builds character¡¯. Is that right?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, yes, I did say that.¡± The construct nodded.


    ¡°Facing gargoyles, cursed blood carpets, and a skeletal revenant? And all that a few days after facing a band of dangerous brigands?¡±


    ¡°The brigands were more show than substance. But to answer your question, yes, we did face all those things, and as you can see, it all turned out well in the end.¡±


    Everyone froze. An air of shock and disbelief filled the room. Apparently, this was the first time that anyone of lower standing had openly contradicted the duke. The man took a deep breath, then slowly rolled up the scroll and handed it back to his son.


    ¡°All turned out well in the end.¡± The man took a few steps forward until he was in front of the construct. ¡°You deliberately put my daughter in danger, forced her to fight unspeakable evil¡ª¡±


    ¡°They were just minions, father,¡± Amelia whispered, covering her face with both hands. This was so embarrassing that right now she wished there were a necromancer or two she could fight, just to escape the shame.


    ¡°And during that time, you did absolutely nothing but watch from the sidelines?!¡± the duke¡¯s voice boomed, growing progressively louder.


    ¡°I would have stepped in if there was any actual danger,¡± Theo lied, though only to an extent. He had taken care to put Amelia and her companions in as little danger as possible.


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m talking about! Well done, man!¡± The duke grabbed the construct¡¯s hand with such strength that Theo had to spend some additional energy to keep the arm from snapping off. ¡°When Cecil told me about you, I had my doubts. Everyone knows that mages are useless. When I heard that he had entrusted my little Ame to you, I thought you¡¯d be one of those charlatans that transform a puppy slime into a dragon, tricking tourists into thinking that they are heroes. I couldn¡¯t have dreamed that you¡¯d throw her in the deep and watch her learn to swim.¡± A single tear formed in the corner of the duke¡¯s eye. ¡°My only regret was that I wasn¡¯t there to watch my little girl kill off her first major minion.¡±


    ¡°Dad, please!¡± Amelia shouted. ¡°You always embarrass me in front of my mentors! I¡¯m not your little girl anymore! I¡¯m a noble hero and I¡­ I¡¯m going to see Mom!¡±


    She stomped out of the room, attempting to slam the door behind her. Since things had taken a good, be it surprising, turn, Theo let her.


    ¡°That¡¯s my little girl,¡± Duke Goton said, letting go of the construct¡¯s arm. ¡°I won¡¯t lie. I never thought she¡¯d follow in the family path. She¡¯s a delicate child. Takes it from her mother.¡±


    ¡°Well, even delicate flowers could be lethal,¡± Theo said the first thing that came to mind.


    ¡°Hahaha.¡± The duke waved a finger. ¡°I knew I¡¯d like you ever since I heard how your champion saved the town from goblins. A mage that keeps a guard like that nearby must be good for something, right?¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡± It took great effort of will for Theo to retain a calm voice.


    ¡°Now, you can bring out the refreshments! I want to learn all about my Ame¡¯s adventures!¡±

 (Book 3) 15. Gregords Battle Staff

    ¡°It has to be a dragon!¡± Laster insisted. ¡°There are over a hundred references to dragons in Gregord¡¯s early works.¡±


    ¡°He was a child back then, idiot!¡± Ellis all but snarled at him. ¡°Most boys talk about dragons around that age. You¡¯re probably the only exception.¡±


    The skinny mage¡¯s face turned as red as a radish.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the point,¡± he said through gritted teeth. ¡°Mathematically, that¡¯s the best option. Which of the other creatures has been mentioned even half as many times?¡±


    ¡°It might not be about the creature,¡± Stachon, the ebony elf, said. ¡°All the statues have symbols on them. There¡¯s a very good possibility that they are an indication of which creature we should challenge.¡±


    Theo¡¯s avatar stood in the center of the arena, speechless. He had observed the mages quarrel for hours. At first, he thought they might come to a common conclusion and start working together, but the logic splintering only intensified to the point that it had become a free for all. Even worse, in a free for all, one would expect for there to be action. Here, mages kept on arguing with one another, not once swayed by another¡¯s logic. Even when caught in an obvious error, they¡¯d shift to a new idea and continue arguing about that.


    ¡°Fascinating, right?¡± Auggy asked beside the baron. ¡°I¡¯ve witnessed fellow academics argue for weeks. Usually, the person with the most potent stamina spells and magic potions is considered the winner.¡±


    If Theo had known that this would take so long, he¡¯d have kept on reading Gregord¡¯s dungeon musings. Maybe it was the circumstances, but the books were actually starting to be interesting.


    The legendary archmage had created a classification system based on personality characteristics. Elements of psychology were mixed with magic, biology, and pseudoscience to create a system that sounded amusingly logical and couldn¡¯t be dismissed without at least ten times as much work being done on the topic.


    The major distinction, separating dungeons into two groups, was suggested to be their feeding habits. The vast majority were extropotent¡ªsending minions outside in search of resources¡ªwhile others tended to be intropotent¡ªthey attracted victims into them.


    Theo had found a few obvious errors in the examples provided, but he appreciated the classification. That said, he himself couldn¡¯t put himself on that scale, not since his avatar had been created in any event. For one thing, he didn¡¯t fancy either. His goal, even now, remained to get through the current series of annoyances and get back to sleep. He didn¡¯t particularly want to grow further, and he didn¡¯t consider the inhabitants of Rosewind as food. At the same time, if he were to make a choice, he could see himself being extropotent in nature. Suffering the presence of Cmyk, Switches, and all the people within his buildings was challenging enough. Only someone insanely brave and stupid would be willing to attract random people inside.


    ¡°Any fatalities?¡± the avatar asked, in a casually non-interested fashion.


    ¡°Ho, ho, ho. Not in most cases,¡± the old mage replied. ¡°It usually takes a lot of spite for someone to resort to combat spells. Not that it hasn¡¯t happened.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± The avatar nodded, not even bothering to let out a polite chuckle. ¡°This might be a dumb question, but what happens when the thing we fight kills us?¡±


    ¡°What usually happens when someone is killed?¡± Auggy seemed confused.


    ¡°We¡¯re not just dying anywhere. Things in the tower are different from what they seem. No one knows what actually happens, so how can we be sure that the tower kills anyone?¡±


    ¡°By the dead that come out of the tower.¡± The old man¡¯s tone quickly acquired a dark edge.


    Theo was instinctively about to argue. Being forced to suffer through a discussion of Amelia¡¯s childhood with her family had created the urge to counter any argument. Duke Godot would ask questions, then interrupt Theo on every turn to the point that the dungeon found it difficult to keep track of which discussion branch they were along. It was nothing but a series of arguments and counterarguments with seemingly no point whatsoever.


    In this case, a thought came to him slightly faster than it could be uttered. No one remembered anything of what happened in the tower, and that included internal conflicts. Several mages might slaughter one another and the only thing the world would know is that some of them had died during the trial. Even the survivors would have no memory, continuing to live their lives in blissful ignorance. Good thing Theo was a dungeon. Otherwise, his life expectancy would have significantly decreased.


    I knew I shouldn¡¯t have gotten involved with mages, Theo thought. It was just as messy as everyone claimed.


    ¡°Which one do you think we should fight?¡± the avatar asked.


    ¡°Any of them?¡± Auggy shrugged. ¡°All of them? Who knows?¡±


    Theo could appreciate his reasoning. Technically, it wasn¡¯t said that they had to get the right enemy at the first go.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be all luck.¡± The prospect terrified the dungeon a lot more than being teamed up with potentially homicidal mages.


    ¡°Gregord believed in luck very strongly,¡± the old man said, nodding his head. ¡°It¡¯s well known.¡±


    ¡°Well, yes, sure. But it can¡¯t all be luck. There must be¡ª¡± the avatar looked around ¡°¡ªover a hundred creatures in here. Do we have to defeat them all?¡±


    ¡°Ho, ho, ho. Of course not.¡± The old man laughed. ¡°Just enough to get the key.¡±


    At first glance, that didn¡¯t seem like an issue. All the mages who had made it so far had to be powerful. Even so, it was highly doubtful they had enough mana to deal with all the creatures. The size of the statues was impressive, with most being considerably larger than a building, not to mention that there was no telling how strong each individual creature would be once challenged. Theo had never faced a dragon, but from what he gathered from Liandra, they were almost as strong as the abomination they had faced. On the other hand¡­


    The avatar looked around again. Among the massive stone monsters, there were slightly smaller stone monsters. Some of them seemed easy enough to be taken by a single person¡ªnamely him. The positive aspect of that was that he wouldn¡¯t have to share any cores obtained, and thus finally boosting his level.


    ¡°Just enough to get the key,¡± the avatar muttered, then quietly walked away.


    The baron¡¯s behavior caused the old age to arch a brow, but a new argument that exploded nearby caught his attention once more. The mages were now arguing about the materials the statues were made of, theorizing whether the material could have something to do with the correct opponent.


    Paying no notice to them, the avatar made his way to what looked like a wild bear with six paws. The creature was rather large, towering five feet above Theo, but compared to most of the others, it was like a cute puppy.


    ¡°Alright,¡± the avatar said. ¡°Let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got.¡±


    A fireball appeared in his hand. It was quickly blessed and surrounded by an aether bubble. Initially, the plan was to shove it into the bear¡¯s mouth and cause the creature to die before it could start moving. The abundance of light, though, revealed a mark on the monster¡¯s chest. Rather, it was a symbol of some sort.


    Curious, the avatar approached. He knew from experience that most of his spells didn¡¯t work while in this room. That didn¡¯t stop him from casting a few dozen magic reveals. Nothing changed. The bear remained a bear, and the mark remained just as mysterious.


    The avatar was just about to return to his head-blasting plan, when he remembered that there was one spell he hadn¡¯t tried. The reason for that was that he wasn¡¯t in possession of it when first reaching the floor.


    ¡°Light spiral,¡± he whispered, casting the spell.


    A miniature yellow portal emerged inches away from the bear¡¯s chest. More specifically, the portal covered the mark that was there.


    Most normal people would have exerted caution, but already lacking time, the baron reached in without hesitation, grabbed something and pulled it out.


    CORE CONSUMPTION


    Converting 1 Great Ursapod core into 6000 Avatar Core Points.


    AVATAR LEVEL INCREASE


    Your Avatar has become Level 30


    +1 Speed, LONGBOW MASTERY skill obtained


    4200 Core Points required for next Avatar Level


    LONGBOW MASTERY - 1


    Allows you to perform even the most intricate shot using any kind of longbow.


    Using the skill increases its rank, increasing the speed at which you can perform a shot.


    The bear statue crumbled to dust. The avatar looked around with the guilty expression of someone who had broken a museum exhibit. Thankfully, the mages were too busy discussing issues to notice things less loud than a massive explosion.


    HEROIC SPECIALIZATION


    (Level 30 requirements met)


    Based on the life you have led so far, the deities have granted you the opportunity to select a secondary specialization complementing your heroic trait. Further specializations are also possible based on your future development.


    The choices provided to you are as follows: PALADIN, MAGIC BARD, and CLERIC.


    The dungeon felt that it was high time that his avatar gained a new secondary specialization. Unfortunately, none of the offered choices were remotely appealing. It was as if the deities, along with the universe, had conspired to give him the worst possible choices just to watch him squirm.


    PALADINYou could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    (Offered due to combined use of magic and combat skills)


    Allows detection and smiting of evil, such as demons, dungeons, and corrupted animals, plants, and objects.


    The paladin remained a hard pass, although it looked preferable to all the other options.


    MAGIC BARD


    (Offered due to combined use of magic skills and Mandolin Mastery)


    Allows casting mass spells through music.


    Now, that was the worst option possible. No dungeon would tolerate having such an abomination come ten miles from its main body. Making his avatar become that was a special kind of masochism reserved for the highly disturbed. Although, with it Theo could use his avatar to threaten virtually everything else. No dungeon would dare mess with him, and likely no hero, either.


    CLERIC OF PERIS


    (Sponsored by the Goddess Peris)


    Increases the effects of blessings performed and immunity to evil.


    And finally, there was that¡ªa not too subtle reminder from Peris that she wanted her new cathedral even larger. One cannot blame her, though. When Theo had turned the small temple into a cathedral, he hadn¡¯t put in too much effort. The building was definitely an improvement, but a lot of creative freedom was necessary to call it a cathedral. If one were to be generous, they could say it was halfway there.


    ¡°Of all the possible specializations, you had to give me this,¡± the dungeon grumbled in his main body.


    For several seconds, the avatar stood there motionless as if he¡¯d become a statue himself. Yet, the longer he looked at the provided options, the more he realized the horror of it all¡ªhe was given a single choice and it was the worst of all.


    Obtaining the paladin specialization was extremely risky, potentially creating a paradox in which he had to smite himself in order to free himself from himself. The situation was just as bad if he chose to become Peris¡¯ cleric.


    ¡°Any chance you can give me something else again?¡± he asked.


    Nothing changed. Fate, it seemed, wasn¡¯t in a generous mood towards him.


    ¡°You can¡¯t seriously force me to accept this! I¡¯d rather remain at level thirty than¡ª¡±


    MAGIC BARD specialization chosen.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± The avatar propelled the fireball forward.


    His goal, in a fit of rage, was to destroy the message, as if that would change anything. The sphere flew through the room for a hundred feet, where it struck a massive statue in the leg.


    Suddenly, the entire arena lit up. All the conversations stopped. Even those mages who were generally bad at self-preservation had an automatic response to changes in light. As the popular saying went, something is always brightest before an explosion.


    Aether spheres emerged as mages scattered, flying off in different directions.


    ¡°What the stars did you do?!¡± Ellis shouted as she floated in the avatar¡¯s direction. Around her, statues crumbled to the ground, becoming gray dust as the pieces touched the floor.


    Theo remained silent. He had no idea what was precisely was going on; the only thing he was certain about was that he had caused it.


    In all the arena, a single statue had remained. Some would argue that it wasn¡¯t the largest one, but it was close enough for no one to care. Cracks formed all over its surface, then turned bright orange, growing like magma cracks in granite. Before everyone¡¯s eyes, a massive scaly creature took form, its wings extended in a brisk flap, which sounded like a whip breaking air.


    The creature roared, breathing a torrent of fire as it did. For the first time since his new existence, Theo got to see an actual dragon, and part of him wondered what it would be like to construct such a structure as part of himself. The beast was as terrifying as it was magnificent. There was no bloat or blubber, as many depictions of the creature in his previous life suggested. Looking closely, it resembled a mix between a lizard and an alpha-wolf, only with wings.


    The creature snarled, observing the flying mages as a person would react to a swarm of annoying mosquitos.


    ¡°See,¡± Laster said in the silence. ¡°I told you it had to be a dragon.¡±


    The dragon didn¡¯t even provide anyone to utter the obligatory ¡°I told you so,¡± leaping right at Baron d¡¯Argent. Its speed was ludicrous. It was only through his swiftness ultra spell that the avatar managed to avoid a serious energy drain.


    To everyone else, it seemed that the avatar had teleported to safety just as the monster slammed onto the floor where Theo had been moments ago.


    ¡°Spok,¡± the dungeon urgently said through his spirit guide¡¯s pendant. ¡°Tell me all about dragons!¡±


    ¡°What sort of trouble have you gotten yourself into, sir?¡± Spok asked. She was in the middle of giving the young Lady Godot¡ªAmelia¡¯s older sister¡ªa tour of the castle and didn¡¯t appreciate the disturbance.


    ¡°Do I always have to be in trouble when I talk to you?¡± Theo went on the defensive, as his avatar was furiously launching ice shards at the creature without result. Apparently, magic ice and magic fire didn¡¯t get along together. Who would have known?


    ¡°That has consistently been the case, sir,¡± Spok replied without hesitation. ¡°Please excuse me, Lady Nelina. My baron¡¯s having a magic conversation with me.¡± She tapped her pendant.


    The faint glow clearly showed that the item was magic, causing Nelina to nod with an understanding smile.


    ¡°You are not building one, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re aiming at.¡± Spok went a short distance away. ¡°Especially not during my wedding.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to create a dragon¡¯s den!¡± the dungeon said, although he was starting to find the prospect more and more appealing. ¡°I¡¯ve come across one.¡±


    ¡°Oh dear,¡± the spirit guide said in the tone one would use if a child had spilled milk on the floor. ¡°What kind, sir?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s big, winged, and flamy¡­¡± Theo did his best to describe the beast that seemed to direct all of its attention to his avatar. ¡°Just look at the central park.¡±


    Calmly, the spirit guide went to a nearby window and looked outside. A large red and black statue of a dragon had emerged in the center of central park very much to her dismay and the joy of all of Rosewind¡¯s children in the area.


    ¡°I see, sir. That¡¯s a young firetongue.¡±


    ¡°Young?!¡± Theo shouted. ¡°That¡¯s young?¡±


    ¡°Some specimens have been known to grow to the size of this castle. There are arguments that if left un-killed dragons could keep growing in perpetuity.¡±


    A flock of flying paper sharks surrounded the ebony elf, then swooped down at the dragon. Each sunk its teeth into part of the monster, focusing on the wings. The magic surrounding them kept the paper from the scorching heat, but even it wasn¡¯t capable of piercing through the solid magma scales.


    Torrents of hardened wind encircled the creature as Elaine Windchild attempted to entangle it. Each of her spells snapped like cheap strings, barely slowing it down.


    ¡°How do you kill it?¡± Theo asked Spok.


    ¡°It¡¯s mostly heroes that do that, sir.¡± The spirit guide thought for a moment. ¡°Dragons are usually tasked with defending your vital chambers. Maybe you have a skill that might be of use?¡±


    Half the doors in the city slammed for no apparent reason. As it happened, Theo did have a legendary heroic sword in his possession. Unfortunately, the weapon was placed on a wall in his main building. There was a chance that a blessed-tip weapon might have an effect, although a blessed fireball certainly hadn¡¯t.


    ¡°Can I control it then?¡± the dungeon asked.


    ¡°Only if it swears loyalty to you, sir.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. How do I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Swearing loyalty can only be done when the dragon is in its early infancy,¡± the spirit guide interrupted. ¡°If the dragon den is yours, that¡¯s hardly an issue. In the case of a wild dragon, it might be prudent to do so no later than a few months after hatching.¡±


    A few months. Theo didn¡¯t know how fast dragons matured, but he strongly doubted this to be less than a year old. If he had to make a guess, it seemed to act as if it were in its late teenage years, not to mention that for some reason, it absolutely hated his avatar. Half a dozen mages were constantly casting spells at it, and all that time the dragon hadn¡¯t paid any attention to them once. Its glowing eyes remained fixed on the baron.


    ¡°If that would be all, sir, I really need to get back to my other duties. We¡¯ll continue the conversation later tonight, in one way or another.¡±


    Using a substantial amount of energy, the dungeon avatar cast a massive aether bubble surrounding the dragon. Snarling, the dragon tried to break out, clawing at the indestructible barrier and even slamming its tail against it. When that didn¡¯t work, a torrent of flame covered the entire inside of the sphere.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± Ellis asked again, floating by the avatar¡¯s head.


    ¡°Indestructible aether sphere,¡± the avatar replied. ¡°Nothing will break it for the next eight seconds.¡±


    ¡°Not that.¡± The white cat flicked her tail several times. ¡°What did you do to make it attack?!¡±


    ¡°How the hell should I know?¡± Theo feigned ignorance. ¡°It just came at me.¡±


    There wasn¡¯t a soul present that didn¡¯t doubt his explanation, but right now they had more important matters than calling him out. It remained uncertain whether the creature held the key that would lead them to the next floor. What was certain, though, was that it would kill every single one of them if they failed to defeat it first.


    Freezing rays concentrated on the sphere. To Theo¡¯s surprise, they didn¡¯t come from him. Apparently, he and Siaho weren¡¯t the only ones who knew ice magic.


    Grey steam formed inside the sphere on the spot where the ice beam hit fire. Within moments all the flames were gone, replaced by light greyness. Just in case, the avatar cast a second indestructible aether sphere around the first.


    ¡°Now I see why no one passed the fourth floor,¡± Celinia said, ending her freeze ray spell. ¡°Because there¡¯s always some idiot around.¡± She glared at the baron. ¡°We could have challenged any creature, and you decided for it to be a dragon.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like you did anything!¡± Ellis shouted. Deep inside she agreed with the mage, but she wasn¡¯t going to let any opportunity to shout at Celinia go to waste.


    ¡°And how do you propose to kill it? The last tower that took on a dragon got destroyed seventeen years ago.¡±


    Were dragons really that dangerous? True, the creature was rather fast and destructive, but an entire tower of mages had to be sufficient to deal with it.


    The avatar looked at the aether sphere. The inner one had lost its invulnerability, yet still remained intact. From experience, and his past life, Theo knew that fire tended to die out in a confined space. In this case, it was very likely that the dragon had died as well due to lack of oxygen. All that remained was to take the key and proceed to the next floor. At that point, maybe he¡¯d pester the Feline Tower again.


    ¡°That was a brave thing you did, Theo,¡± the old mage whispered to the avatar. ¡°Few would go straight for the throat. It was stupid, though.¡±


    Theo didn¡¯t agree with either adjective, although he wouldn¡¯t say no to being called brave.


    ¡°Why stupid?¡± he asked on instinct.


    ¡°Making yourself the target of a dragon is a certain way to get yourself killed.¡± There was no laughter among Auggy¡¯s words anymore. ¡°It¡¯s safe to say that you sacrificed yourself so that everyone else can continue.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t feel like I sacrificed myself.¡± The dungeon couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly concerned.


    For the most part, he was confident in the strength of his avatar. The number of ultra skills he¡¯d raised were supposedly the envy of millions. Each required decades of attempts and dedication to achieve; or in his case, a lot of stubbornness and energy.


    ¡°Give it a while,¡± the old mage murmured.


    This made the avatar look at his aether sphere once more. Everything seemed unchanged.


    ¡°You know that fire dies without air, right?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes, I am familiar with the notion.¡± The old man cast a spell, causing an impressively looking staff to emerge in the air a step away. The object was at least six feet long, made entirely out of platinum, and decorated with ten massive gems, each the size of a small apple.


    Incapable of resisting his curiosity, the avatar cast an arcane identify spell.


    GREGORD¡¯s BATTLE STAFF


    (Unique artifact)


    The battle staff of the legendary archmage Gregord, created during his time in the hero guild. Made entirely of moon platinum, the staff contained core fragments of ten dungeons that Gregor helped destroy.


    The battle staff draws from ten of the twelve basic elements, providing its owner with a virtually inexhaustible amount of mana.


    Gregord¡¯s battle staff? Theo thought. The notion that it was decorated with dungeon cores prevented him from speaking the words out loud. Moral issues aside, that was an almost unimaginable amount of core points. However, a far greater question was how did such a staff make its way to anyone? While Theo knew practically nothing about Gregord, he would have expected that someone would mention an artifact of this nature being about.


    ¡°Where did you get that?¡± he asked in a hushed voice.


    ¡°Ho, ho, ho.¡± The old mage laughed again, but this time the laughter was forced. ¡°I didn¡¯t doubt for a moment that you¡¯d recognize it. It¡¯s a pity. I would have loved to have chatted a bit more with you, possibly even had another drink.¡±


    Fireballs wrapped in aether bubbles appeared around the avatar.


    ¡°Never thought you¡¯d be the first to fight me,¡± the baron said with a slight sigh. Out of the entire group of mages, the old man was probably the only one that he could get along with up to now.


    ¡°You misunderstand, Theo. I won¡¯t be the one killing you. I summoned my staff for protection.¡±


    A loud series of cracks was heard. Looking in the direction of the noise, the avatar was just in time to watch as the aether spheres crumbled, filling the arena with slow flowing smoke. Like jelly in water, it descended towards the floor until one brisk flap of a pair of wings caused it to disperse.


    ¡°Oh, crap.¡±


    The dragon that Theo expected to have suffocated was very much alive. Any trace of flames and burning magma had completely vanished, turning the creature coal-black. The hatred in the bright amber eyes, on the other hand, was as potent as ever.

 (Book 3) 16. Of Dragons and Griffins

    Theo had no idea why a dragon would specifically target his avatar. The creature displayed too much rage for being hit with a single fireball. Most of the contestants had attempted far worse. The creature had been zapped and blasted multiple times, frozen, entangled, and ever swarmed by a flock of paper entities and yet it kept chasing after Baron d¡¯Argent.


    The dungeon had lost count of how many times the dragon had come near to destroying his avatar so far. It was only through the swiftness ultra skill that he managed to escape at the very last moment. To make matters worse, it didn¡¯t look like any of the avatar¡¯s spells had any particular effect on the creature, either.


    ¡°Keep at it!¡± Ellis shouted. ¡°We¡¯ve almost figured it out! We¡¯ll kill it any moment now.¡±


    Theo didn¡¯t believe a word of it. The moment the mages had realized that they weren¡¯t the target of the attacks, they had gone back to what mages do best¡ªvehemently discussing theories. Even Auggy had proved reluctant to cast any spells, though given how much he knew about the trials so far, it seemed that he was preparing for something.


    ¡°Does anyone have a sword?¡± the avatar asked.


    Suddenly, silence broke out. With the dragon constantly trying to devour him, the baron didn¡¯t immediately notice. As the silence continued, he suspected something not to be right.


    The dragon spread its wings, swooping down at the avatar¡¯s position. The series of aether barriers that the baron created in its path crumbled like old cookies. It was only near the end that the creature slammed into an indestructible one, stopping its advance.


    Not taking any chances, the avatar cast half a dozen more swiftness spells on himself and flew as far away from the creature as possible.


    ¡°Hand me¡ª¡± He turned in the direction of the mages. Seeing them clustered together, looking away in guilty silence, instantly made him stop. ¡°You can¡¯t summon a sword?¡±


    No one responded.


    ¡°Not even one of you?!¡±


    ¡°Swords are for heroes and mercenary losers,¡± Laster said without an ounce of shame. ¡°Why would we waste time learning that?¡±


    ¡°Even Gregord couldn¡¯t summon swords,¡± Celenia added. ¡°He used staffs and aether weapons.¡±


    ¡°Can you summon an aether weapon, then?¡± the avatar asked. He would have said a lot more on the topic if it wasn¡¯t for the torrent of fire directed right at him.


    Even at his current speed, he only managed to partially evade the attack. The scorching flames went through his legs, melting everything up to his knees. Being an avatar, the only thing that suffered were his clothes, not that Theo liked them, anyway.


    Finding himself at an impasse, the avatar resorted to the only spell that he knew would have an effect, summoning an ice golem.


    A block of ice appeared in the arena, quickly sprouting arms and legs. A giant entity formed, rising up in search of something to attack. Although impressive, the issue with the spell was that Theo didn¡¯t have the requirements to maintain control of the being. As such, it was just as likely to attack him as anyone else. Fortunately, the dragon was kind enough to make the decision for it, attacking the elemental as if it were Theo¡¯s minion.


    Giant masses clashed with a thundering bang that shook the entire arena itself.


    In a bout of panic, the avatar repeated the spell. Normally, nothing should have happened. The ultra spell only allowed for the creation of one ice elemental per day¡ªa limitation created by the deities for some, yet unknown, reason. Yet, against all odds, a second chunk of ice emerged.


    This was a rather pleasant surprise, especially since the second elemental joined in the fight. Apparently, egos tended to attract each other, causing all three giant entities to battle it out, if only to determine who would have the honor of killing off everyone else.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could do that.¡± Ellis floated up to the avatar.


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned a few tricks,¡± Theo replied with false modesty. ¡°Ice magic isn¡¯t that big of a deal.¡±


    ¡°Not that. You created two of them.¡±


    Theo¡¯s immediate reaction was to discreetly try and cast another spell. Thanks to the Feline Tower¡¯s temporary cure, he didn¡¯t have to worry about mana halving too much. Sadly, the restriction kicked in. Two single day spells were all he could manage at this point.


    ¡°Any idea how to kill a dragon?¡± he asked the cat.


    ¡°We¡¯re still coming to a consensus,¡± Ellis replied. ¡°Don¡¯t hold your breath, though. By the looks of things, it¡¯ll be death by a thousand zaps.¡±


    In other words, no one had any idea. The avatar took a quick glance at Auggy. The old mage smiled back, still holding his battle staff. There were so many things that Theo wanted to ask him. For the moment, though, the dungeon could only come to the conclusion that the man didn¡¯t have a solution, either. If he had, he¡¯d be doing it right now. After all, the way to the fifth floor was through the creature¡¯s death, and with it obsessively focusing on the baron, there¡¯d be no better time to execute even a slow casting spell.


    ¡°What would Gregord do?¡± the avatar mused.


    ¡°Against a dragon?¡± Ellis flicked her tail. ¡°Kill it, probably. He was a hero, after all.¡±


    ¡°What would archmage Gregord do?¡± the avatar clarified.


    The question made the cat think. The other mages did the same. The ice elementals had given them¡ªor rather the baron¡ªa reprieve, but everyone knew that it wouldn¡¯t last forever. Already one of the ice monsters had lost an arm and didn¡¯t seem capable of regrowing it. The other was attempting to freeze the winged monster with an ice ray, but to no avail. The dragon would shatter the layer of ice the moment it formed, barely slowing down.


    ¡°The thing is that Gregord had a fascination with dragons when he was a child,¡± Ellis said after a while. ¡°He didn¡¯t want to kill them, just have one, so¡­ he wouldn¡¯t have killed it.¡±


    That was the worst possible answer. The avatar¡¯s animal handling skill seemed to have the opposite effect on the beast, and beating it into submission was highly unlikely. The only hope was that the two ice elementals would manage to tire the creature to the point that the mass of mages would finally be able to do something about it.


    Just as he was thinking it, the dragon sank its teeth into an ice element¡¯s neck, breaking the entire head off in one swift action. The rest of the ice giant froze up perfectly still. Massive cracks spread along the being¡¯s body, causing chunks of ice to fall to the floor. Now, only one ice elemental remained.


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me that there isn¡¯t a single spell that could slay a dragon?!¡± the avatar shouted.


    ¡°Dragons are beings of pure magic,¡± the ebony elf said. ¡°Defeating them with spells is like trying to burn a flame. It¡¯s only possible if the spells against it are stronger. That¡¯s why only heroes are up to the task.¡±


    ¡°You realize that after it¡¯s done with me, the dragon will kill you, right?¡±


    Several mages began discussing matters amongst themselves. By the looks of it, they weren¡¯t particularly convinced or alarmed by such a prospect.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± Auggy said. ¡°Normally, you¡¯d be right. Dragons tend to devastate whole cities until there¡¯s nothing left. In this case, though, it¡¯ll only take one. Remember how fond Gregord is of luck?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± The avatar crossed his arms.


    ¡°What do you think is the opposite of luck?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the opposite? There''s no¡ª¡± The avatar abruptly stopped as the terrifying realization hit him like a ton of bricks. ¡°This is an unlucky trial?!¡±


    ¡°Ho, ho, ho.¡± The old mage laughed. ¡°Now, you understand.¡±


    The avatar looked at the dragon again. Could the entire point of the trial be to fail the unluckiest person in the group? If the accepted theory that mages didn¡¯t go beyond the fourth floor held true, that suggested that there was more to it. One might assume that the dragon would become weaker after every candidate it killed. If Theo was responsible for constructing a maniacal magic trial, that¡¯s what he would do. And, of course, the universe had chosen him to be the one unlucky person for the dragon to target.


    ¡°As for your earlier question¡ªaether blades,¡± Auggy added.


    ¡°Huh?¡± The avatar stared at him.


    ¡°You asked what spell Gregord would use to kill dragons? He used an aether blade both as a hero and as an archmage.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember reading that,¡± Ellis commented. ¡°I mean, he knew the spell, but no one mentioned him using it to fight dragons with it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve still a bit to learn, little one.¡± The old man smiled. ¡°Gregord used it to defeat an arch demon and an abomination.¡±


    The latter was only partially true. Theo, to his misfortune, knew more on the topic than he would have liked. Even so, there was a glimmer of hope in the mage¡¯s words.


    Spending over a thousand energy, the avatar cast a spell. A dagger made entirely of blue aether formed in his hand. It was not at all what the avatar had envisioned. As far as he was aware, aether objects were semi-transparently purple in color. This appeared more like a physical shard than an aether item.


    The tip and edge were sharp to the point that they caused a minute mana drain as the avatar cut his hand checking.


    ¡°Blue aether?¡± the old mage asked. ¡°You¡¯re quite the show off. Might be a bit short to bring you victory. A blade that length won¡¯t even pass through the scales.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to see, won¡¯t we?¡± the avatar replied. The last thing he wanted was to admit that he only had the power to cast aether daggers.


    Another loud crushing sound followed as the second ice elemental crumbled. Its assistance could be called minimal at best. A few spots with missing scales were visible on the dragon, but for two ice elementals to have achieved just that, Theo had to reconsider the usefulness of the spell or the energy dedicated to it.


    Targeting the dragon¡¯s throat, the avatar threw the aether dagger.


    The dragon noticed the attack, leaping away before the weapon could hit him. Possibly, there was some truth in Auggy¡¯s words, and dragons were indeed afraid of aether weapons. If the monster was created by Gregord, that wouldn¡¯t be unusual¡ªhe had used such to defeat demons, after all.


    Creating another aether dagger, the avatar tried again. This one missed by inches, forcing the dragon to retreat further back.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°That¡¯s your weakness, isn¡¯t it?¡± the baron shouted as if he¡¯d already won the fight. ¡°Well, what do you say about this, then?¡± Abandoning his previous approach, he flew straight for the creature, summoning aether daggers as he did so.


    Spok was probably highly displeased with his waste of energy. Thankfully for the dungeon, and unfortunately for her, she was fully engaged by a noble lunch at Duke Rosewind¡¯s castle. Three dukes and their families were present, along with a few other lesser nobles of major importance, making it impossible for her to even mumble into her core pendant. Any and all criticism would have to wait until the eating was over.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t your son here?¡± Duke Goton asked, indiscriminately devouring everything on the plate in front of him. ¡°I would have very much liked to see him.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you will, old friend. You definitely will.¡± Duke Rosewind smiled, taking a sip of wine. ¡°Avid is dealing with a minor griffin issue. The birds still aren¡¯t fully used to the number of airships in our skies.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I bet he is.¡± Duke Goton snorted. ¡°I¡¯ll have to talk with him about that as well. He¡¯s been flying a lot, from what I hear.¡± He gave Amelia a not very discreet glance. ¡°Have you tried a griffin, Ame?¡±


    The girl¡¯s facial expression combined elements of reproach and embarrassment reserved for children presenting their parents to their friends. If etiquette didn¡¯t demand it, she wouldn¡¯t even have been there.


    ¡°Yes, father,¡± she managed to say. ¡°I wrote to you explaining that I was on a griffin during my second noble quest.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right, right. The curse one.¡± The duke nodded. ¡°That was a good one, wasn¡¯t it? It put your town on the map, didn¡¯t it, Cecil?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s agree to disagree,¡± Duke Avisian grumbled. ¡°To become a cursed letter nest¡­¡± he shook his head. ¡°Utterly disgraceful, if you ask me. You¡¯re fortunate that there was an abomination hiding about. If it hadn¡¯t been for that technicality, you would have lost everything.¡±


    He cut off a piece of roasted fish, took a bite, then left it half uneaten back on the plate.


    ¡°I believe I specified that I cannot stomach sweet water fish,¡± he said with a frown.


    ¡°Oh, my,¡± Duke Rosewind said with fake concern. ¡°I¡¯ve no idea how this might have happened. Must have been a mixup in the kitchen. You¡¯ll have to forgive them. They¡¯ve come from all over the kingdom, so not all of them might be familiar with the local language nuisances.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll immediately go and rectify the mistake.¡± Spok made an attempt to stand up.


    ¡°Oh, nonsense, my dear.¡± Duke Rosewind quickly stopped her. ¡°No need to worry. There are bound to be a few hiccups before the big event. After all, we haven¡¯t even officially started. After all, we¡¯re all friends here. Who else but close friends would come to visit so early?¡±


    Duke Avisian let out an annoyed sigh, but didn¡¯t argue.


    ¡°The city has grown a lot since my last visit,¡± Lady Godot changed the topic of conversation. ¡°You must tell me what artisans you used. To achieve this after rebuilding it twice would make anyone envious.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Lady Goton, but it¡¯s mostly my baron¡¯s doing.¡± Spok adjusted her glasses. ¡°Being a mage comes with certain benefits.¡±


    ¡°So, I¡¯ve heard.¡± The woman looked at her husband. ¡°A pity that the baron isn¡¯t here, so I could talk to him about it in person. I trust you didn¡¯t tire the man, dear?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± Duke Goton said. ¡°The man¡¯s quite the character. I won¡¯t hold him being a mage against him. If nothing else, he¡¯s been a good influence on Ame. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± He grinned at his daughter, whose face was fighting to keep from turning pink.


    ¡°The glowing gardens are especially magnificent,¡± Lady Goton calmly continued. ¡°They must be fascinating during the night.¡±


    ¡°Not as fascinating as they were,¡± Duke Avisian said, taking a sip from his wine, then placing the glass back down. ¡°They used to shine a lot brighter just a day ago, but are fading away. A shame since they were one of the few passable things in this entire town.¡±


    ¡°Really? Oh dear,¡± Duke Rosewind reacted in identical fashion as he had before. ¡°Well, we can¡¯t have that. I¡¯ll be sure to discuss the matter with the gardeners right after we finish.¡±


    Spok remained quiet, but deep down, she suspected she knew the cause of this anomaly. It hadn¡¯t been lost on her that the dungeon had gone into another energy spending spree. Given that he was facing a dragon, it was expected that he¡¯d resort to more powerful spells, but siphoning energy from the glowing plants was a step too far.


    ¡°So, Duke Goton, what do you think of the adventure guilds? Since Amelia has already become a celebrity, maybe some of your other children would like to join any of our guilds?¡± Duke Rosewind asked. ¡°On an honorary position, of course. I¡¯m aware of how busy you must be.¡±


    ¡°Cecil, you¡¯ll never change,¡± the other duke laughed.


    The conversation shifted to other adventuring politics, the state of the kingdom, and the ¡°good old days¡± as things usually did. Spok did her best to keep her stoic expression, all the time counting how much energy Theo was wasting.


    ¡°Spok,¡± Viscount Dott said in what he would consider to be a whisper. Everyone else at the table could clearly hear him, but etiquette and politeness demanded that they pretend they didn¡¯t. ¡°Have you found a solution to my warehouse problem?¡±


    Being a vital member of the inner council, the man was placed directly beside her. Normally, the arrangement would be completely different, but since the wedding ceremony hadn¡¯t officially started yet, Spok remained nothing more than Baron d¡¯Argent¡¯s steward.


    ¡°Warehouse problem, sir?¡± the spirit guide turned towards the viscount.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Elric tell you about it? The freezing spell in one of my new warehouses isn¡¯t working. When I went to check, it wasn¡¯t cold at all. There¡¯s no way that would keep any fresh produce. The food would rot so fast that even the griffins won¡¯t tough it.¡±


    ¡°I see your concern, sir.¡± Many things came to mind. The prospect of rotten fruit stinking up half the city wasn¡¯t at all appreciated. ¡°It must have slipped Elric¡¯s mind.¡± More likely, the viscount¡¯s subordinate had chosen not to tell her. ¡°From what I was told, all your warehouses were in perfect order.¡±


    The spirit guide checked. From what she could tell, all the warehouses¡ªor even the buildings¡ªin the city were in perfect order. On closer examination, though, there was one which remained oddly empty, as if someone¡¯s magic was interfering with the dungeon.


    ¡°Have you added additional protection spells, by chance?¡± Spok asked.


    ¡°Of course. The cost of my investment is significant. I wouldn¡¯t want griffins or some low-life adventurers sneaking in to steal my merchandise.¡±


    ¡°Of course, sir. We couldn¡¯t have that. Well, I suspect the magic of the spell might be interfering with the baron¡¯s freezing spell. I¡¯ll personally look into the matter at my earliest convenience.¡±


    ¡°Good, good. And don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s your wedding, after all. I won¡¯t be making the order for a few days at least. I still have to get an airship. Do you believe that the sneaky gnome wouldn¡¯t sell one to me? Insists that I must rent it from him.¡± The nobleman snorted in disapproval.


    ¡°Scandalous, sir. We do, indeed, live in challenging times.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. At least there¡¯s someone sensible at the table.¡± The viscount nodded in approval. ¡°Well, one and a half,¡± he glanced at the head of the table. ¡°That fox Rosewind was sensible to get you to marry him, after all.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re just as good a judge of character, Viscount.¡± Spok took a sip from her wineglass.


    And while the conversation continued, on the fourth floor of Gregord¡¯s tower, the battle between the dragon and Theo¡¯s avatar continued. Considering the amount of energy that he had used up so far, one could say that he was in a far worse state than the creature; not that it was apparent to anyone. Other than still being barefoot, the baron seemed to have the upper hand. He had inflicted an impressive number of wounds, even if each individual wound was little more than a scratch.


    Dragon and avatar flew through the air above the arena, engaging in vicious battle. Barely a speck compared to the monster, Theo would continuously cast indestructible barriers and massive chunks of ice to shield himself from the dragon¡¯s fangs and fiery breath. At the same time, he¡¯d use telekinesis to direct his aether daggers into any unprotected spots he could see. The dungeon was able to tell that the attacks caused the dragon pain, though not enough practical harm. Even if taking a death by a thousand cuts approach, the fight was going to take days.


    The dragon roared, sending a torrent of flames straight at the avatar. In the past, Theo had attempted choking the dragon, throwing daggers in his mouth, or even filling his mouth with ice. All these merely managed to anger the creature further. Clearly, dragons were created with the sole purpose of being anti-mage predators.


    ¡°Switches!¡± the dungeon shouted, his voice echoing throughout the entire shipyard. ¡°I need something from you!¡±


    The gnome, who was in the process of creating his latest greatest creation, jumped up, startled by the sudden shout. In his experience, dungeons had a tendency to be cranky, but none acted as abruptly as Theo.


    The aether torch he was holding moved erratically, slicing through a set of meticulously crafted and expensive gear wheels, ruining a mechanism that had taken weeks to design and execute. A lesser soul would have succumbed to anger or depression, but Switches was someone who looked on the bright side. Every destroyed experiment was merely a stepping tone to further success. Still, he couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly saddened looking at his ruined creation.


    ¡°Did you hear me?¡± the dungeon asked.


    ¡°Yes, Boss. I was just¡­ doing nothing important.¡± He turned the aether torch off. ¡°The next airship will be ready by tonight, as promised. I¡¯ve increased the cargo area and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not that!¡± Theo snapped. ¡°I need a sword!¡±


    While the smile remained on the gnome¡¯s face, he could only blink in silence several times.


    ¡°A what?¡± he asked after a while.


    ¡°My legendary sword. I want you to send it to me.¡±


    ¡°You want me to use an airship to send just one item?¡± Switches asked. ¡°That¡¯s some healthy ego, Boss! I fully approve. I can get the airship done in half an hour. It might have a few minor issues, but it¡¯ll fly and since we don¡¯t need to worry about passengers, I can¡ª¡±


    ¡°No! I need the sword now!¡±


    The gnome¡¯s smile vanished.


    ¡°Err, I know you demand perfection, but that¡¯s a bit much, even for me. Maybe I can redirect one of the ones in the air. The people inside might complain a bit¡­ I¡¯ll just have my assistant give them some knick knacks in compensation.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want any airship! You still have the hero scroll, right?¡±


    During the dungeon¡¯s last noble quest, he had convinced Liandra to give her single hero scroll to Avid. The plan was for the young nobleman to find a mana gem in the cursed treasury, then use the hero scroll to send it to the dungeon¡¯s main body. Since Switches had dropped into the scene and used a workaround to acquire the mana gem, the scroll had remained unused and, thankfully, still in the dungeon¡¯s possession.


    ¡°Sure, sure,¡± the gnome said, with a slightly guilty expression. ¡°It¡¯s here somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Find it, wrap it in the hero scroll and send it to me!¡± Theo shouted as his avatar sent another aether dagger flying right at the dragon¡¯s left eye. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t hit its mark.


    ¡°Okay, Boss.¡± Switches nodded, then turned around. ¡°Assistant!¡± he shouted.


    Within moments, the alchemist popped up from the entrance as if he had been standing there all along.


    ¡°Go through my sketches and find the baron¡¯s hero scroll,¡± the gnome said with absolute authority. ¡°Oh, I may have scribbled some sketches on it. If so, copy them before bringing it here.¡±


    ¡°At once, chief!¡± The old man nodded and rushed off.


    ¡°Chief?¡± Theo couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°Short for chief engineer. I decided to promote him to senior assistant.¡±


    There was no point in pointing out that the gnome only had one assistant. All the rest were low paid heroes, who acted as temps, and artificial constructs.


    Three agonizingly long minutes passed. Whatever the gnome had done with the scroll wasn¡¯t at all good. Theo observed the alchemist go through stacks of notes in a room that had so many it put most bureaucracies of his previous life to shame. Even if the scroll was there and still functioning after the gnome¡¯s abuse, it didn¡¯t look like it could get the legendary sword on time. Not only that, but the dungeon just realized that he had no way of determining where his avatar actually was. Hero scrolls required specific instructions, which at the moment were lacking.


    ¡°Not to worry,¡± Switches said, while whistling an annoying tune. ¡°He¡¯ll find it any moment now.¡±


    The dungeon found himself at a crossroads. He could continue wasting energy to maintain his fight until the scroll was found, or he could gamble it all on one powerful spell. Having seen the results of either approach in his previous life, Theo decided to do both, so he spent a tenth of all his available energy to cast a memory spell.


    So far, he¡¯d only done it before, but he knew from experience that it was perfectly combined with ice magic. As the dragon flew towards his avatar with the aim of devouring him, Theo cast his spell combination.


    An enormous block of ice encapsulated the dragon mid-flight. Normally, that wouldn¡¯t even phase the creature. This time, though, there didn¡¯t seem to be any reaction. The frozen dragon remained perfectly still, while the ice block floated in the air for several seconds, before falling to the floor with a loud slam. Cracks emerged on the transparent surface, but unlike all previous ice cracks, these were strangely precise, spreading along straight lines as they created what appeared to be a three-dimensional maze.


    Relieved that he was no longer the target of attacks, the avatar floated back down.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± Laster asked.


    The avatar was just about to make a highly non-censored comment when he found that everyone was staring at him with a combination of awe, envy, and fear.


    ¡°You cast a Memoria¡¯s Tomb?¡± Ellis asked, eyes as wide as buttons.


    ¡°Of course not.¡± The last thing Theo wanted was to explain where he knew the spell from. ¡°Just an advanced ice prison,¡± he lied. ¡°I can only use it once per day, so that¡¯s why I was saving it for something big.¡±


    For close to ten seconds, no one reacted.


    ¡°Blue aether daggers and now this,¡± Auggy said. He wasn¡¯t laughing this time. ¡°You¡¯re a lot more than you seem.¡±


    A stone slab rose up from a part of the arena floor. It was followed by several more. Slab after slab rose up, each higher than the last, forming a very peculiar stairwell leading to the ceiling and the floor above. Somehow, Theo had completed another floor trial, keeping his avatar in the process.


    ¡°Found it!¡± The alchemist shouted back at the shipyard. ¡°I found the scroll!¡± he waved a piece of parchment that could well be the hero scroll or one of the gnome¡¯s material lists.


    Of course you would, the dungeon grumbled to himself. Precisely one moment after I no longer need it.

 (Book 3) 17. Use of the Second Key

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you could do that?!¡± Ellis whispered straight into the avatar¡¯s ear.


    ¡°I thought anyone could,¡± he replied, fishing for compliments. Arguably, Gregord hadn¡¯t meant for the trial to be passed in such fashion, yet a win was a win.


    ¡°Oh, come on!¡± The cat didn¡¯t believe him in the least.


    ¡°Would you prefer that I had shown all my cards on the first floor?¡±


    The question, in retrospect, made a great deal of sense. If Theo had shown his avatar to be remarkable, he would have earned a lot of praise and avoided all the hostility. That said, he¡¯d have united everyone else in plotting ways to get rid of him. From the little he knew about mages, the dungeon could tell that they resembled him more than anyone liked to admit. Sure, they could be intelligent, civilized, and well mannered¡ªif a bit eccentric¡ªthough only as long as they had lots of space and no immediate competition. Two mages in the same spot were like two dungeons in the same mountain. The only difference was that mages hid it a lot better, developing the practice into an artform.


    ¡°You should have told me,¡± Ellis insisted.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to in future.¡±


    With the staircase present, a few of the mages present had made their ascent to the fifth floor. There had been hesitation, of course. The accepted rumor that no mage had managed to go beyond had firmly taken root in the minds of anyone engaged in Gregord research.


    To Theo¡¯s slight surprise, it was the old mage who had first set off to leave the floor. No longer holding his battle staff, he went up the stairs until he disappeared from view. The second to follow was the ebony elf. A lot more cautious, he had surrounded himself with a small flock of paper hornets as he made his way up.


    Possibly the only people who were taking their time on the arena floor were Baron d¡¯Argent and Klraissa.


    ¡°Locked in a maze of ice,¡± the mercenary said, looking at the huge chunk of ice. ¡°Remind me never to get on your bad side.¡±


    ¡°I doubt I¡¯ll need to,¡± the avatar said. ¡°Although you could have lent a hand while it was chasing me.¡±


    The woman merely smirked. In her mind, Theo had evolved from a na?ve pushover to an overpowered force of nature that was exceedingly good at hiding his true strength.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make up for it,¡± she whispered. ¡°You kept your end of the deal and now I¡¯ll keep mine.¡± The mercenary looked up. All but two mages had gone onto the next floor. ¡°The moment we¡¯re alone, I¡¯ll use my key to get us to the sixth floor. You can even take the little girl with you.¡±


    ¡°As if we¡¯ll trust you.¡± Ellis flicked her tail from the avatar¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like you did anything to earn it,¡± the mercenary countered.


    The offer was tempting, but the dungeon saw an even greater possibility. For that, he needed to make a few changes to their arrangement.


    ¡°She¡¯s right, though,¡± the avatar said. ¡°I can¡¯t trust you after what happened. Not unless you give me the key.¡±


    ¡°And be left behind?¡± The woman smirked.


    ¡°Seems you trust me as much as I trust you.¡±


    ¡°I could have just gone for the shortcut without telling you.¡±


    Theo strongly doubted that. If the fourth-floor trial was a dragon, one could only imagine what would be expected of them on the fifth. The woman still needed his protection, which was the entire reason she had chosen to remind him of their arrangement.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you get to the lock, but you hand me the key after you unlock it,¡± the avatar said. ¡°That way, I¡¯ll know you won¡¯t close the door behind you.¡±


    Klarissa gave him a long look, then nodded.


    ¡°Sure. If you insist, that¡¯s how it¡¯s going to be.¡±


    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Without fear or hesitation, the avatar led the way up the staircase. Each of the steps was impressively large, more like platforms than steps. Out of habit, he cast an identify spell on every single one of them. As it happened, there were no traps or hidden curses.


    After a quarter of the minute, the arena below disappeared along with the ice-cubed dragon. It was as if the avatar was in the middle of nowhere, with darkness above and below. Only the steps continued, winding up and up, until all of a sudden an opening became visible. It was square in shape, emanating light, yet refusing to reveal anything that lay beyond.


    This better be good, the dungeon told himself as he took the final steps. A moment later, the universe smirked at him, yet again.


    ¡°Curse it,¡± the avatar managed to say.


    He and all the other mages were standing in a comfortable room-like area. Finely crafted chairs, sofas, and even beds were all about on top of a thick woolen carpet. Even a few tables covered in food and refreshments were present. None of those worried Theo. Rather, it was the multitude of walls, staircases, and bridges that sprouted beyond the initial section continuing to infinity.


    ¡°Why did it have to be this?¡± he couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been here before?¡± Auggy asked, intrigued.


    The baron didn¡¯t reply, but his surroundings held a striking resemblance of the time he and Liandra had been locked in Memoria¡¯s tomb. All that was missing were the hordes of ever appearing skeletons, but if any of the previous floors were an indication, those were going to appear soon enough.


    ¡°This clearly is a Memoria¡¯s tomb,¡± Celenia said in an awe-filled voice. ¡°To think we¡¯d actually get to see one from the inside.¡±


    ¡°Must be one of his earlier attempts,¡± Elaine Windchild added. ¡°All the arches are flat.¡±


    ¡°Obviously, this is the unadulterated original.¡± Celeina narrowed her eyes as she gave the other a glance of unadulterated superiority. ¡°Before Gregord complied with the universal mage restrictions of the time. All the spheric tombs were pale imitations only used to capture rogue mages and lesser demons.¡±


    ¡°I was just commenting on the chronology of things,¡± Elaine said defensively.


    ¡°If it¡¯s the early models, there must be a guardian,¡± Laster joined in the conversation.


    ¡°Or several,¡± Celenia added. ¡°It¡¯s more than likely that there¡¯s a guardian individually created for each of us.¡±


    ¡°Why are you so sure?¡± Ellis asked.


    ¡°Memoria tombs is my mentor¡¯s research specialty,¡± the blonde said with pride. ¡°I¡¯ve been assisting in the spell-recreation efforts.¡±


    ¡°Welcome to the fifth-floor trial,¡± the tower¡¯s voice boomed all around them. ¡°A handful of candidates have made it this far. In recognition of your efforts, all of you will be given a reward.¡±


    FUTURE ECHOES -1


    Spend 100 energy to see a minute of an object¡¯s future.


    Using the skill increases its rank, reducing the mana required.


    The spell was remarkably useful, similar to all the ones the tower had provided so far. Maybe the mages were onto something. It certainly was better than anything that one could get through normal leveling, at least in the dungeon¡¯s experience. He¡¯d need to ask Spok whether the skill was prophetic in nature, or merely presented a possible future, similar to a simulation of sorts. Either way, it seemed perfect for the next trial.


    ¡°Be warned, however,¡± the tower continued. ¡°From here on, the challenges will get more difficult. Of all the mages that came this far, only a handful managed to reach the next floor. The Great Gregord wishes you good luck.¡±


    Mages moved about the safe area. Some sat down, while others sampled the food. The stiffness of their actions suggested that all of them were trying out the new skill. Even Ellis had leaped off the avatar¡¯s shoulder and joined in the experimentation.


    ¡°You¡¯re not curious how it works?¡± Auggy asked the avatar.


    ¡°Will it tell me how to reach the ninth floor?¡± The avatar looked at the old mage.


    ¡°Ho, ho, ho. I see you¡¯ve kept your sense of humor.¡±


    Maybe I should have used my hint on the tower, Theo grumbled internally.


    ¡°I guess you were wrong,¡± the avatar said instead. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re not the only ones reaching so far.¡±


    ¡°Remains to be seen. None of us have made it to the next floor yet.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the tower just tell us they had?¡±


    ¡°Ho, ho, ho. The tower says many things. Are you willing to trust it?¡±


    The avatar opened his mouth to answer, but then thought a bit more. As far as he could tell, the tower had been truthful so far, but at the same time it was constructed by a mage. And mages could only be trusted so far.


    ¡°Hope to see you on the next floor.¡± He cast a flight spell on himself and shot up into the maze of stairs and archways.


    The old mage¡¯s sudden departure acted like a horn marking the start of a contest. Within seconds, a gust of wind lifted Elaine up, heading along a different path in the maze. Laster followed, surrounding himself with three consecutive aether spheres. Finally, Celenia and Stachon, the ebony elf, flew off as well. Every mage had gone in a distinctly different direction. All that remained were Klarissa, Ellis, and the dungeon avatar.


    For once, the white cat didn¡¯t seem concerned. Elegantly walking on the tables with food, she dipped her paw in what seemed like a large cake, then licked it.


    ¡°This is rather good,¡± she said, scooping a second helping.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it,¡± the avatar replied.


    ¡°Maybe you should listen to her.¡± Klarissa joined the cat at the table, then took a tall crystal glass. Barely had she lifted it than she placed it down again and took the one next to it. ¡°It would have tasted bitter,¡± she said, then downed the drink in one go.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel hungry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take some for later.¡± Ellis leaped to the floor, then cast a spell circle.


    Green and purple lights mixed to form an octagonal pattern within two circles. In less than a second, the shape grew multiple times in size, then in an instant sucked in the table along with everything on it.


    ¡°Oops,¡± the cat all but purred with glee. ¡°Were you done eating?¡± She looked at Klarissa.


    ¡°You little bitch.¡± The woman¡¯s tone was a lot sharper than before.


    Theo could feel the tension in the air. This was no longer a petty rivalry, the two really were ready to go at each other¡¯s throats. It seemed almost surreal how allies of a few floors ago could have transformed so much on the verge of reaching the next floor. Auggy had warned that something of the sort would happen. The suddenness with which it had, was outright terrifying, though.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Casting a future echoes spell, Theo saw the mercenary drawing a rather nasty magic dagger, while Ellis hissed, surrounding herself with magic circles of various colors. The experience caused a large part of Rosewind to become a few degrees colder, as chills ran through the dungeon¡¯s corridors and tunnels.


    ¡°Cut that out!¡± the avatar said, pulling himself a minute back into the present. ¡°We¡¯ve got more important things to do.¡±


    Cat and mercenary kept staring at each other for several seconds more, after which each backed down. Possibly they had used the new spell as well. Either that, or their common sense, had won over.


    ¡°Ellis, come here. Klarissa, you can have some food from the other table.¡±


    The mercenary gave the table a glance, but didn¡¯t move, opening her fingers instead so that the glass she was holding fell and shattered on the floor.


    ¡°I lost my appetite,¡± she said.


    ¡°In that case, where do you think the keyhole would be?¡±


    ¡°Somewhere here. Since the keys are for candidates without magic, they¡¯re always in the starting areas.¡±


    ¡°Ellis?¡± The avatar turned to the white cat.


    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± the cat said reluctantly. ¡°Gregord hated the concept of partial help. He believed that it had to be everything or nothing at all. It has to be in the safe area, although not obligatorily part of the floor.


    ¡°So, it could be in an item, as it was on the first floor?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Klarissa nodded. ¡°It could even be somewhere on the table that the spoiled little girl magicked away.¡±


    ¡°As if!¡± Ellis flicked her tail. ¡°And if it happens to be the case, I can bring the table back anytime.¡±


    ¡°Before that, let¡¯s check everything else. Also, use revelation spells. Gregord tends to hide things a lot.¡±


    The dungeon¡¯s suspicion turned out to be true. Every single piece of furniture turned out to be something that it wasn¡¯t. And it wasn¡¯t only the large bits, but the individual parts they were composed of as well. Sheets and pillows turned out to be scrolls, chairs were mana potions, even the rug itself ended up being a painting of Gregord containing the open-all spell. Sadly, even after spending hours, they were no closer to finding any clue regarding their shortcut.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep,¡± Klarissa said, casting several protective spells around her. ¡°We¡¯ll continue after a few hours.¡±


    ¡°I thought you wanted to be done as quickly as possible,¡± Ellis mocked.


    The mercenary didn¡¯t even bother replying.


    Pleased with having the last word, the cat ran up to the avatar who, at the moment, had two major problems on his mind. The amount of energy he had spent on issues in the tower hadn¡¯t gone unnoticed by Spok who was very displeased with him, for draining the luminosity of the city plants. He had tried to deny it, of course, but as night came even Theo had to admit that the glowing trees and grass were a lot less glowing than usual.


    The second problem was that even if he was certain that he didn¡¯t do anything to the plants, his energy reserves had gotten rather low. The dragon had exhausted him quite a bit, and if he were to face anything similar to the Memoria guardian he had fought in the past, his avatar would certainly lose.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± the cat asked. ¡°You think she already found it?¡±


    ¡°She hasn¡¯t,¡± he replied. ¡°And even if she has, so what? I don¡¯t need sleep.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± Ellis sighed. ¡°Where have I heard this before? Every apprentice claims the same before an exam, then collapses halfway through it.¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t need any sleep,¡± the avatar insisted. ¡°What I need is to know more about the archmage.¡±


    The unusual question made the cat¡¯s eyes widen.


    ¡°Grandfather?¡± She tilted her head. ¡°Well, he¡¯s old, strict, with very outdated beliefs.¡± She paused for a moment. ¡°Brilliant, though. He used to be a respected mage in a different tower before he set out to make his own. If he wasn¡¯t acknowledged by the mage society, that wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡±


    ¡°Can he be reasonable?¡±


    Ellis snorted, covering her mouth with a paw. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a complicated one. In general, yes, but it very much depends on what he wants. He still doesn¡¯t approve of me having a boyfriend, as if I¡¯m still a kitten. And I don¡¯t think you volunteered for this trial, did you?¡±


    Being blackmailed into it was a lot more accurate.


    ¡°He¡¯s fair, though,¡± the cat continued. ¡°If he promised anything, he won¡¯t go back on his word if that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about.¡±


    That was a relief, at least.


    ¡°What about making exceptions? If I ask for something beyond our arrangement, is it likely that he¡¯d give it?¡±


    ¡°In general, no, but it depends on the circumstances. Why?¡±


    ¡°Just curious,¡± the avatar lied.


    ¡°Do you know what I did to get him to accept my boyfriend?¡± Ellis asked with what looked like a cunning smile. ¡°I threatened that I¡¯d run off and become a familiar.¡±


    ¡°That can¡¯t have gone down well.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it didn¡¯t. He kept the entire tower a hundred feet off the ground for a week, just out of fear that I might actually do it. The Arch Council finally convinced him that it wasn¡¯t good optics, so he begrudgingly relented. In the end, he preferred to cave to my demands than risk losing me altogether.¡±


    Now that was interesting.


    ¡°He must value you a lot,¡± the avatar said.


    ¡°He¡¯s my grandfather, after all. My very old, very strict, very distant grandfather, but still.¡±


    Clearly, there was a lot more to the old cat than Theo knew. The conversation gave him an idea. It wasn¡¯t foolproof, but at least it gave him a shot, and right now, that was a lot better than nothing.


    Concentrating, the dungeon cast a long-distance scrying spell targeting the Feline Tower and waited. Normally, spells were instant. Calling the feline archmage, though, felt no different from making a long-distance phone call back in the childhood of Theo¡¯s previous life.


    ¡°You again?¡± An annoyed voice asked. Theo could almost hear the yawn. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Thought I would¡ª¡± the dungeon began, but was forced to pause because of the heavy bout of coughing. ¡°I thought I¡¯d update you on my progress,¡± he said at last.


    There was a momentary pause.


    ¡°I¡¯ve made progress.¡±


    ¡°I never would have guessed,¡± the old cat said with more sarcasm than his own bodyweight.


    ¡°I also need a mana gem.¡±


    ¡°That again? I told you. Reach the top and you¡¯ll get both.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of want. I need the gem. I had to¡ª¡± Theo wanted to say that he¡¯d fought a dragon, but the words never came out. ¡°I had to¡ª¡± he tried again. ¡°I went through a lot of difficulties,¡± he managed to say at last. ¡°If I keep it up, I won¡¯t make any more progress.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you won¡¯t,¡± the archmage yawned again. ¡°Thanks for letting me know. Now I¡¯ll¡ª¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t give me the gem, I¡¯ll run off and become a familiar.¡±


    The phrase sounded stupid in all sorts of ways. A familiar dungeon was a concept that even Theo couldn¡¯t see himself as. Although, with the wedding going on, wasn¡¯t he going to effectively become just that? Even before the ceremony, Duke Rosewind had effectively manipulated him to do all sorts of things to the nobleman¡¯s benefit. The noble quests, restoring the town, rebuilding it, turning it into a city¡­ Not that they were bad things¡ªTheo had to admit that he had benefited as well, but still, one couldn¡¯t help but wonder.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± There was a note of anger in the old cat¡¯s voice. Clearly, he had understood the message.


    ¡°You heard me. Without energy, I won¡¯t make it much further anyway, so if I can¡¯t have it I¡¯ll just run off now. I¡¯m sure some tower will appreciate the benefits I can bring.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve talked to Ellis.¡±


    ¡°Yes. And you know she wouldn¡¯t have shared this if things weren¡¯t going well.¡±


    There was another pause.


    ¡°That still doesn¡¯t guarantee anything.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t, but she told me you¡¯re fair. Also, you want something from the top floor very badly. As much as I hate to admit it, the trip so far has been beneficial to me, so I¡¯m more inclined to get there, but in order to do so, I need energy. I¡¯m barely maintaining my integrity as it is. The next serious problem might be my last.¡±


    A long cough followed.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I hate about dungeons,¡± the archmage finally said once he had cleared his throat. ¡°You scheme at the slightest opportunity. I¡¯ll send you your mana gem, but watch yourself. If anything happens, the Feline Tower will pour onto Rosewind like fire from a mountain.¡±


    A horrifying description, to be sure, but it got the point through. Moments later, a glowing yellow pyramid appeared in the dungeon¡¯s main building. It was, without a doubt, a mana gem and fully charged at that.


    Without wasting any time, Theo transported it through floors and walls to his core chamber and promptly consumed it.


    RANK 5


    A wave of potential swept through his very being. All of a sudden, a lot more chamber options became available, each more interesting than the last. If he wanted to, the dungeon could have a whole range of exotic buildings in town if only to make the annoying visiting nobles envious. For the moment, he had to restrain himself. The guests were expected to start pouring in the day after tomorrow, making the timing inappropriate.


    ¡°There,¡± the archmage said. ¡°Happy now?¡±


    ¡°Very appreciative. Thank you, archmage.¡±


    ¡°Anything else you need?¡±


    ¡°What exactly is on the ninth floor?¡±


    ¡°If anyone knew that there wouldn¡¯t be any point in the challenge, would there?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re searching for something. Something in particular¡­ It would help if I know what it is.¡±


    ¡°Good day, dungeon.¡± The cat abruptly disrupted the spell.


    Obviously, whatever the cat was looking for was at the top of the tower, and it was unlikely to be the reward Theo would be awarded. The dungeon got a sense there was more than tower rivalry at play.


    It was said that the magic society had a vast number of stars and luminaries. Yet, when it came to practical magic, the number fell to several dozen at most. Gregord was unique, both due to his development of memory magic and being the only significant mage to actually become a hero. From what Spok had said, such cases were rare. Most heroes tended to know a few spells to complement their heroic skills, but a few of them excelled beyond basic magic.


    A hero, a mage, and a puzzle maker, Theo thought.


    No wonder he had become so famous. What Gregord couldn¡¯t enchant, he could destroy, and what was indestructible, he could lock away in a magically created puzzle box.


    Coming to a realization, the avatar stood up.


    ¡°What happened?¡± back in the tower Ellis asked. ¡°You thought of something?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the best way to hide something?¡± he asked, making his way to the center of the safe area.


    ¡°In plain sight?¡± The cat didn¡¯t sound at all sure.


    ¡°No, behind a door without a key.¡± The avatar cast a light spiral on the floor.


    Once the portal appeared, he sent a bubbled fireball and a few wandering eyes through.


    ¡°Klarissa,¡± he said in a loud voice. ¡°You can stop pretending to sleep.¡±


    There was no reaction from the spells surrounding the mercenary.


    ¡°I found the keyhole.¡±


    Instantly, all spells were gone. The woman was not only fully dressed, but didn¡¯t seem remotely tired. Without explanations or apologies, she walked up to the portal and looked at the baron.


    ¡°There¡¯s another room below,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s almost as large as this one, but with one addition.¡±


    ¡°The keyhole.¡±


    ¡°Accessible only if someone is extremely lucky and uses a spell from a lower floor.¡± The avatar straightened up. ¡°See you there.¡± He stepped inside.


    The moment he appeared in the new chamber, all the walls lit up as if they were made out of soft light. The floor and ceiling were the only parts that remained dark, though even they were lit up by everything else.


    Unlike the safe area above, there wasn¡¯t a piece of furniture to be seen. In fact, other than a keyhole in one of the walls, there was absolutely nothing, not even insects, dirt, or even the smell of foul air. It was almost as if this whole room had come into being moments ago.


    The yellow portal of the spell kept on, swirling in the center of the ceiling. After a few moments, Klarissa emerged, falling to her feet. Shortly after, Ellis followed.


    ¡°You actually found it,¡± the mercenary said, barely capable of hiding her excitement. ¡°It was here all along.¡±


    ¡°See? I told you it wasn¡¯t on the table,¡± the cat said, but was completely ignored.


    ¡°This is it.¡± The woman turned one of her rings, causing a large silver key to emerge. The moment she placed it into the keyhole, a series of ice spears and magic circles emerged, surrounding her on all sides.


    ¡°Nothing personal, but I wouldn¡¯t want for you to break our deal,¡± Ellis purred. ¡°Unlock the shortcut, then throw it here.¡±


    Klarissa hesitated. Anyone could tell that she didn¡¯t want to part with the artifact. Yet, she wanted to reach the next floor even more.


    ¡°Of course,¡± she slowly turned the key.


    A large section of the wall vanished, forming an archway with a white portal inside. With the utmost caution, the woman pulled out the key.


    The avatar was about to tell her to toss it in his direction, when Klarissa turned around and violently threw it in the direction of Ellis. Although by no means sharp, the item was rather heavy, smacking the cat on the head. The impact caused Ellis to fall to the ground with a painful meow. Losing concentration, all of her spells fizzled out, ceasing to be a threat. Taking advantage of the fact, Klarissa jumped through the portal. The moment she did, the wall reformed once more, only this time without a keyhole left behind.


    The avatar used telekinesis to quickly pick the cat up.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Ellis managed to say. Healing circles had already surrounded her head, doing what Theo was incapable of.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Using his room creation skill, Theo caused a small bed to emerge from the floor.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± The cat snapped. ¡°Just¡­ Damn it!¡±


    Leaving her to her own devices, the avatar went to the walls. Sliding a hand over the spot where the keyhole had been revealed nothing. Neither did any revelation or light spiral spells.


    ¡°It¡¯s no use. Gregord believes in single luck. The moment that she took out the key, she knew we couldn¡¯t follow her.¡±


    ¡°Seems so.¡± It was annoying to be sure, but Theo was never focused on the shortcut. What he really wanted was the key. ¡°Guess we¡¯ll have to reach the next floor the old fashioned way.¡±


    ¡°How can you be so calm?! We had a way to get there for free and because of me we¡­¡± the cat stopped.


    Theo hadn¡¯t seen a cat cry before. To be honest, he wasn¡¯t even sure how that was supposed to work. What he did know, though, was that Ellis was crying now. Despite everything, she really was a little girl when it came to the world. Life in a magic tower was many things, but it didn¡¯t prepare for the frustrations of reality.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± the avatar said, using telekinesis to catch the key. ¡°We got what¡¯s important. The main thing is that she didn¡¯t break your skull.¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t understand you. How can you be so calm? I¡¯ve spent my entire life learning magic. Gregord¡¯s research alone took me over a decade, and I can barely keep up here. While you go through everything that the tower throws at you as if it¡¯s a joke.¡±


    Some might have considered the question a heartfelt compliment, but deep inside the dungeon, wanted to cry.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he said in a deep voice. ¡°There¡¯s a reason I¡¯m the Feline Tower¡¯s most valued benefactor. Now, let¡¯s get out of here.¡±

 (Book 3) 18. Words of Wisdom (Worth +5 Mind)

    ¡°Avid.¡± Duke Goton placed his arm on the young nobleman¡¯s shoulder the same way a tiger would hug a gazelle. ¡°I hear you¡¯ve been taking Ame on griffin rides a lot lately.¡±


    Everyone, even Theo, was clear on the implication. Unfortunately, since only nobles were involved, everyone had to pretend they weren¡¯t. To make matters worse, Duke Rosewind seemed to be in full approval of the development. He had often shown concern that his son had been a bit too isolated from the world for his own good. That was the main reason he had sent him on a noble quest under Baron d¡¯Argent¡¯s care, and the experience seemed to have paid off.


    ¡°Err, yes, your grace,¡± Avid said in a relatively calm fashion. Deep inside, he found his experience in the cursed estate preferable to what he was going through now. ¡°She has her own griffin,¡± he was quick to add, glancing at his father for support.


    Judging by the smile coming from Duke Rosewind, the request was entirely misinterpreted or, more likely, fully ignored.


    ¡°Her own griffin?¡± Goton turned to his daughter, whose face remained several shades pinker. ¡°Is that what you call it nowadays?¡±


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s doing it, father,¡± Amelia managed to say. ¡°I¡¯m far from the only one. And it¡¯s only when I¡¯m not busy assisting Governess Spo¡ª I mean Lady Spok,¡± she quickly corrected herself.


    ¡°Why anyone would want to ride those filthy creatures is beyond me,¡± Duke Avisian, who was already having a rotten experience, made his opinion on the matter known. ¡°Royal griffins,¡± he snorted. ¡°Whoever came up with the name probably lived in a mud hut. The creatures are a blight on the empire. Then again, it¡¯s usual for any form of infestation to spread from filthy, vermin ridden spots in the empire.¡±


    Several stones near the duke¡¯s seat rose up. A year ago, Theo didn¡¯t think much about the town. Now, after all the time, effort, and resources spent consuming and improving it, he wasn¡¯t going to let that blob of a man insult him like that. Coincidentally, tripping on an uneven stone of pavement was what the man deserved. It would be quick, effortless, and above all, seen as perfectly natural.


    ¡°And what would your solution be on the matter, your grace?¡± Spok asked, stomping her foot on the ground. It had been her idea to have a picnic in one of the new gardens, to hopefully reduce the political tension. Also, she was overseeing an investigation in the castle and the surrounding royal kitchens and didn¡¯t want any nobles there to create further annoyances.


    ¡°Kill them off, of course,¡± Duke Avisian said without hesitating. ¡°And all of their nests.¡±


    ¡°You are aware, of course, that there are individual nests in many buildings within Rosewind, sir?¡± Spok adjusted her glasses.


    ¡°That¡¯s truly unfortunate. Yet, the good of the kingdom outweighs any individual city. Don¡¯t you agree, Rosewind? After all, I¡¯m sure we could find you another plot of land for you to enjoy your married life.¡±


    ¡°How very thoughtful of you.¡± Duke Rosewind didn¡¯t flinch.


    ¡°And how often have you been doing it?¡± Duke Goton continued to press his point, uninterested in the political squabbles. ¡°If everyone¡¯s doing it, maybe you could take my sons along. I¡¯m sure they¡¯d be interested. Right?¡±


    ¡°Of course, father,¡± the larger of the two said as both nodded in near unison. ¡°We¡¯re always for new experiences, especially when they involve our kid sister.¡±


    A very minute part of the dungeon almost felt pity for Avid. Unfortunately, it was quickly drowned away in the myriads of other problems he currently faced. While the majority of the important guests were days from arriving, the same couldn¡¯t be said for everyone else. Servants, trade merchants, even adventurers of minor and major renown were pouring in by land and airship. That was without counting the temporary staff that Spok continued to hire. Some of them¡ªartisans, crafters, and the like¡ªwere quite acceptable. Others, like bards, minstrels, and landscapers, were not at all appreciated. The former were noisy, and the latter were doing things that the dungeon was perfectly suited to do by himself. All they actually achieved was to create further commotion in the city, leading to brawls, fights, and disputes at such a scale that even Captain Ribbons and his city guard couldn¡¯t deal with all of it.


    Then, there was the issue with his fading glowing plants. When it had first been pointed out, the dungeon barely took any notice. It was one of those insignificant things that he¡¯d blame on energy usage, sunlight, or any number of randomly concocted explanations. Yet, it had been a while since he had consumed a fully energized mana gem, restoring his energy reserves to peak levels, and the plants continued to lose their glow. It wasn¡¯t only the plants on the surface, either, but the underground fields and orchards as well. The only conclusion Theo had come to was that it was somehow related to his devastating hunger¡ªa condition that had annoyingly persisted even after he had consumed a mana gem.


    Last, but far from least, there was the matter of his avatar. Even if Klarissa¡¯s betrayal had been expected, the dungeon remained annoyed by the arrogance with which she had done it. If he were to ever come across the woman in the real world, the two of them would have more than words. And just to ensure that he wouldn¡¯t forget her, Theo had constructed a statue in the likeness of the woman, adding a metal plaque that explained who she was and what she had done to slight him.


    Until then, all that he had left was to venture through the Memoria¡¯s tomb like everyone else.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you cast a compass spell?¡± Ellis asked from the avatar¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It should work quite well, even in a Memoria¡¯s tomb.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not lost,¡± the avatar grumbled. The truth was that he couldn¡¯t cast that spell even if he wanted to.


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying. It¡¯ll be a lot faster.¡±


    It was of note that the cat hadn¡¯t actually offered to cast one herself. One could come to the inevitable conclusion that she was either low on mana or was saving it for later. Given the challenge of the fourth floor, Theo couldn¡¯t blame her. After all, she was only mortal.


    For several more minutes, the dungeon¡¯s avatar walked aimlessly about, picking corridors, bridges and stairways at random. Now and again, groups of elementals would emerge, only to be quickly dispatched and drop a pitiful amount of core points. It had taken over twenty of them to finally advance the avatar another level, boosting his mind to eighty-six and granting him another useless skill, more specifically weaving.


    After a while, the avatar finally stopped.


    ¡°Up for a rest?¡± Ellis asked. ¡°I can summon some of the food I got.¡±


    ¡°No. Tower,¡± the baron said loudly. ¡°I want a hint to the secret room.¡±


    Nothing happened.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± the cat asked.


    ¡°Just speeding things along. Tower,¡± the avatar repeated. ¡°I need that path. Your choice whether you use up my hint or not.¡±


    A line of purple light emerged on the floor, starting from the avatar¡¯s feet, then continued along the stony surface, along corridors of the maze.


    Ellis watched it, her left ear flicking several times in disbelief.


    ¡°You really are valuable,¡± she said at last. ¡°Does that lead to our challenge?¡±


    ¡°Somewhere better,¡± the baron said with a smile, then cast a flight spell on himself and went forward.


    To his surprise and minor disappointment, the path provided made sure to avoid any elemental spots. Not a single enemy emerged while they were following it. That didn¡¯t mean that it was easy, though. The light didn¡¯t always conform to the laws of physics, often going up walls, on the bottom of bridges and, on one occasion, across a large open chasm. Using magic, Theo wasn¡¯t concerned in the least. If anything, it was the time wasted that preoccupied him more than anything else. Despite everything, he still intended to have his avatar present at Spok¡¯s wedding. It was a useless illustration of sentimentality, but if his spirit guide was going to have a wedding, he intended to make it as grand and memorable as possible, even with all the annoying nobles present. Also, from experience, he knew that the grander and more open such an event was, the faster everyone would actively try to forget it.


    Finally, the path came to an end, stopping in an empty corridor.


    ¡°Illusionary wall?¡± Ellis asked, looking at the dead end.


    ¡°Something like that.¡±


    The avatar went forward, then cast a revelation spell. A keyhole formed among the bricks of stone. This time, the avatar took out the key he¡¯d gotten from Klarissa and put it inside. Waiting for the click, he then turned. As expected, an entire section of the wall faded away, revealing a large library room.


    ¡°Now, that¡¯s something!¡± Ellis leaped off his shoulder.


    Naturally, she was cautious enough not to let her feet touch the floor. Maintaining a flight spell of her own, the cat floated in, stopping just above a shelf of impressively bound books.


    ¡°Did you know about this?¡± She glanced back at him.


    ¡°I did enter the tower thanks to a Gregord key,¡± the avatar said in false modesty.


    ¡°The first tome of Gregord¡¯s Mythica Patterns,¡± the cat said in awe of a blue leather-bound tome. ¡°It was referenced so few times that a large part of the magic society believed it to be a joke on his part. And look at this.¡± She floated to a thick green book. ¡°The Complete Classification of Heroic Deeds! I¡¯ve only heard about this. It¡¯s said that he recorded all his experiences during his hero days. This is invaluable!¡±


    ¡°I hope it¡¯s better than his dungeon books,¡± the avatar said beneath his breath.


    ¡°Everything here is priceless. Even the tomes that have been copied are worth more than half the library in my tower. Do you know what this means?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The avatar extended his hand forward. ¡°That¡¯s you¡¯ll be very disappointed.¡±


    He cast another magic revelation spell. The entire shelf, with all the books on it, promptly disappeared, leaving nothing but a bare wall behind.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± Ellis shouted in panic. ¡°You¡ª¡±


    ¡°Illusions,¡± the baron continued, disappearing more shelves. Unlike the white cat, he was not at all interested in academic accomplishments and magical history. All that he wanted was a repeat of the reward he had earned on the second floor.


    ¡°Can¡¯t I at least read some of them?¡± Ellis tried in vain to snatch a book before its existence was rendered nul and void.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Theo ignored her, casting the ultra variant of the spell. A moment later, the room was completely empty.


    ¡°You know,¡± Ellis flicked her tail three times in a row, ¡°I¡¯m not sure I like you very much.¡±


    Given how easygoing the cat usually was, the books had probably meant a lot, even if she knew that they were illusions. It was very likely she would have said more if a new person hadn¡¯t appeared in the center of the room. He was dressed in a deep purple robe, same as he had been on the second floor.


    ¡°Hello, again,¡± he greeted the avatar. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect to see you again.¡±


    ¡°What did you expect?¡± The avatar crossed his arms. Secretly, he was expecting to receive a few compliments and some praise. Instead, the magical embodiment of the tower¡¯s archmage turned towards the white cat.


    ¡°A-a-a-archmage Gregord?¡± Ellis stuttered, star-struck by the experience.


    ¡°Hello, Ellis,¡± the archmage replied with a warm smile. ¡°A pity that you had to resort to such methods to take part in my trial. If I had a bit more foresight, I¡¯d have paid more attention when imposing restrictions.¡±


    ¡°N-no, not at all, Great Archmage.¡± The cat floated to the floor. The way she kept her head low, Theo could almost swear that she was bowing in reverence. ¡°Your wisdom is beyond what¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on now.¡± Gregord waved a hand. ¡°No need to be so polite. I messed up. Never thought that cats could reach this level. Although, in retrospect, I might have known. Familiars were always a lot smarter than people gave them credit for, even me.¡±


    The archmage reached out and petted the cat softly on the head.


    ¡°You did another first, you know,¡± he turned to the avatar once more. ¡°It¡¯s the first time anyone has managed to enter with two keys.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d have thought that would be easy.¡± Theo felt genuinely surprised. Getting a key didn¡¯t seem that hard. After all, he¡¯d received one without even trying. If he really wanted to, he could easily have bought out all the rest. Even if some of their owners weren¡¯t inclined to sell them, he had more than enough money to hire people who¡¯d be willing to procure them on his behalf.


    ¡°On the outside, definitely. You could get all nine, if you want. To enter here, there can only be one key per person. I don¡¯t believe in people amassing luck.¡±


    An interesting point, but Theo could see the logic to it.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯d like my reward now,¡± he said with the pragmatism of an accountant.


    ¡°So soon?¡± Gregord arched a brow. ¡°Don¡¯t you have any questions?¡±


    ¡°Nothing you could answer,¡± the avatar lied. In truth, he had plenty of questions, but none he could ask in front of Ellis. Despite everything, the cat wasn¡¯t aware he was a dungeon, and he wanted to keep it that way. It wasn¡¯t so much that he was worried about what might happen on the outside. Rather, he didn¡¯t want her to start acting weird while they had four more floors to climb.


    ¡°That¡¯s your choice. What about you, little one?¡± Gregord gently lifted up Ellis as if she were an ordinary kitten. ¡°Anything you¡¯d like to know?¡±


    ¡°I-i-I can ask?¡± Ellis¡¯ eyes widened.


    Normally, she wasn¡¯t one to allow anyone to treat her this way. Even as a kitten, anyone who¡¯d pet her without permission, let alone lift her up, would receive a pattern of claw marks and several spells of minor discomfort. This was the Great Gregord, however. Ever since she could remember, Ellis had been reading his works. The first spells, the first words even, she¡¯d learned from the pages of his tomes. Until she was five, she¡¯d even sleep on the covers of his books, much to her grandfather¡¯s annoyance.


    ¡°Of course you can.¡± Gregord placed her on a purple cushion that appeared in the air in front of him. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I can answer everything. That honor is only for those that reach the ninth floor.¡±


    The cat nodded. Her first instinct was to ask how many questions she had. Fearing the answer might be one¡ªwhich would, in practice, mean none more¡ªshe remained silent. Since she was a kitten there were so many things she wanted to ask him: clarifications regarding unclear phrasing of his books, secrets that were only vaguely hinted at in the more exotic tomes she¡¯d gotten her claws on¡­ Ellis felt as if she''d been given a thimble and asked to scoop up some water from the ocean of knowledge.


    ¡°Will you ever return?¡± she asked after a while.


    Gregord laughed.


    ¡°She¡¯s a bright one, isn¡¯t she?¡± he turned to the avatar.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it.¡± The baron shrugged. The only thing he wanted right now was to get his intelligence boosted.


    ¡°The quick answer is no,¡± he told the cat. ¡°The real Gregord died centuries ago. I¡¯m just a spell made up of his nature, memories, and emotions. In a way you can say that I am him, but also, I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Ellis meowed sadly, her tail and ears flopping.


    ¡°In the same way, you can say that I never left, at least not really. My tower has been appearing every ten years since the creation of the spell and will continue to do so for centuries more. As long as there are candidates seeking my knowledge, I¡¯ll always be here.¡±


    The cat¡¯s ears perked up as she looked at the archmage.


    ¡°So, if I enter the tower after ten more years, you¡¯ll still be here?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± He scratched her behind the left ear. ¡°As long as you remember to visit again and find your way to one of the hidden rooms, we¡¯ll be able to talk some more.¡±


    Two beams of light shot out from the archmage¡¯s eyes. One hit the avatar in the forehead. The other struck Ellis.


    MIND INCREASE


    Gregord has increased the mind of your avatar by 5.


    Increasing the avatar¡¯s mind was difficult to explain. For the most part, Theo felt no difference. It was the notification that gave him a sense of grand achievement.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± He turned to the archmage, but only Ellis was there, sitting on the floating pillow, looking at the air.


    ¡°Theo,¡± she said, unable to look aside. ¡°Forget everything I said about you. This was¡­ I can¡¯t even describe it.¡±


    ¡°Feeling starstruck?¡±


    ¡°I just spoke to the Great Gregord! I still can¡¯t believe it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be the envy of the entire magic society,¡± the avatar let out a subdued sigh.


    ¡°Forget envy. I actually spoke to him! This is¡­ have you ever spoken to a deity? This is like that. He¡¯s one of the greatest mages there is, and the only one who actually continued to teach mages after his death.¡±


    In the past, Theo wouldn¡¯t have missed the opportunity to point out that he had spoken with two deities, one of which he continued to do on a frequent basis. Yet, seeing the cat glow with admiration, he chose to give her that victory. She had helped him, be it indirectly, to wrangle a mana gem from the Feline Tower, after all.


    For several minutes, the two just remained there, doing nothing in particular. Finally, the cat leaped off the cushion, landing on the floor. As expected, she didn¡¯t forget to cast a magic circle that snatched the soft relic in her magical dimension pocket. Theo would have been more concerned if she hadn¡¯t. Historical significance aside, the cushion did look rather comfortable.


    Not too long after, the pair were off through the endless maze, only this time aiming to reach the location of their challenge. Normally, this process involved a decent number of complex spells and magical scouts. While Theo easily had the knowledge and the energy to cast hundreds of wandering eyes as well as bubbled fireballs to scry on, he had already found that he didn¡¯t need any of those to get him where he wanted to go.


    A normal person would hardly have noticed, but as a dungeon, he remembered with perfect clarity every step they had made since entering the floor. More importantly, he had also seen the parallels with something else he¡¯d seen¡ªThe Memoria¡¯s tomb that Agonia had been locked in. With the exception of the starting point, the two mental prisons were a perfect match, and since he had already made his way to the guardian chamber once, he had the means of doing so again. Given that the distance was impressive, he even had a realistic chance of boosting his avatar another level or two.


    The hours flew by in the blink of an eye. For better or worse, the dungeon only noticed once the sun had made its way all the way to the horizon. It seemed that yet again the chaos of Rosewind had returned to its acceptable level of order. There were still a few incidents here and there, mostly caused by alcohol, pride, and some unfortunate pickpocket trying his luck. It was ironic that the duke¡¯s castle and surrounding noble mansions happened to be the parts of the city where one was most likely to lose a purse. Everywhere else, thieves would suffer unusual accidents: tripping, getting hit on the head by roof tiles and flowerpots, or getting blocked by a wall that people would swear wasn¡¯t there moments ago.


    Creating a few hundred wandering eyes, the dungeon sent them to observe the areas that weren¡¯t under his direct control. In doing so, he noticed a small cluster of nobles and griffins gathered on one of the castle towers. The combination of creatures was weird, so he sent a group of wandering eyes to get a better look. Soon enough, one of the nobles spotted him as well.


    ¡°Hello, dear friend,¡± Duke Rosewind said with a beaming smile. ¡°Come to admire the evening?¡±


    With the number of lights that Theo had placed within the city, it was easy to say yes. Right this moment, though, he had done so mostly through semi-boredom while his avatar was making its way through the tower¡¯s labyrinth.


    ¡°I thought I¡¯d see what the commotion was¡­¡± he replied through the wandering eye. ¡°Problems?¡±


    Given that Avid and the entire Goton family were present, one might think that the answer would be yes. Curiously, the duke seemed overjoyed.


    ¡°Avid will teach one of Goton¡¯s boys griffin riding,¡± the duke said. ¡°Wonderful idea, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Do you want an honest answer?¡± Theo countered.


    In response, Duke Rosewind only laughed.


    ¡°Our other esteemed guest isn¡¯t here?¡± the dungeon asked.


    ¡°Tragic, I know. Duke Avisian had to retire early. His stomach just can¡¯t seem to agree with the local food. A real tragedy, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely.¡±


    ¡°As for his wife, she seems to have a liking for gems and other valuables. Spok is escorting her to the jeweler¡¯s again. Not that I know why. She¡¯s already bought everything there. I suppose there might always be a necklace or two that she missed last time.¡±


    Theo could sympathize. It was strange that the spirit guide hadn¡¯t asked him for assistance, though. With a bit of help from Switches, he could easily create a few chests of golden trinkets. Likely, it was the act of shopping that the woman enjoyed, not the items that she bought.


    ¡°Relax!¡± Avid shouted as a griffin split the air with a terrified member of the Goton family on its back.


    The bird clearly didn¡¯t enjoy the force with which its rider was holding it by the throat. In turn, the nobleman was holding on for dear life.


    ¡°Don¡¯t choke it! Just think of it as a horse!¡± Avid rode Octavia after them.


    Meanwhile, Amelia was doing her best to pretend she wasn¡¯t related to anyone involved.


    Her mother and sister, on the other hand, found the sight rather amusing.


    ¡°You¡¯ll make sure he doesn¡¯t fall to his death, won¡¯t you?¡± Duke Rosewind whispered to the wandering eye. ¡°Would be bad luck so close to the wedding. Not to mention that I don¡¯t want to ruin a good thing.¡±


    ¡°If it comes to that, I¡¯ll catch him. I could always allow for a few broken bones, though.¡±


    ¡°My friend, you¡¯re absolutely hilarious,¡± the duke laughed. ¡°But seriously, no. All this is a rite of passage. It reminds me of the time I dared ask for Avid¡¯s mother¡¯s hand in marriage. Granted, I didn¡¯t have to go griffin riding to prove my worth back then.¡±


    ¡°You think something will come out of it? I didn¡¯t know it was that serious.¡±


    ¡°Well, nothing is guaranteed. You know how the young are. There¡¯s hope, though, and at this point that¡¯s more than what I could ask for.¡±


    To some extent, Theo could appreciate the notion.


    ¡°And once again, I have to thank you, my friend. I tried everything to get him out of the castle and interested in life. It was only after you arrived that he finally came out of his shell.¡±


    ¡°Having the town overrun twice tends to have such an effect on people,¡± the dungeon noted.


    ¡°Always refusing to take credit,¡± Duke Rosewind shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re modest to a fault, my good friend. Sadly, it¡¯s neither the goblins, nor the letters that deserve the praise. I know I¡¯m definitely not. To be honest, I always thought that there might be a spark between him and Liandra, but that wasn¡¯t to be.¡±


    ¡°Avid and Liandra?¡± Hundreds of windows in the city opened and closed as the dungeon blinked. ¡°They¡¯re nothing alike. Besides, isn¡¯t she far older?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re only a few years apart. They used to play together when her father came to discuss matters with me. Did I mention that the two of us were good friends?¡±


    Theo remembered the duke vaguely mentioning it at some point. Then again, the man claimed to be friends with a whole lot of people. In fact, the only person that he was definitely not on friendly terms was Duke Avisian.


    It was far more shocking that the age difference between the two was just a few years. Maybe it was because Liandra was a heroine, but Theo always assumed her to be at least five years older than his former junior adventurers. She seemed a lot more mature, not to mention stronger. Clearly, in his youth, her grandfather must have been a power to be reckoned with to have trained her to such an extent.


    ¡°There,¡± Duke Rosewind said. ¡°See that? Goton has all but accepted him.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± From what Theo could see, Amelia¡¯s father was observing Avid¡¯s flight with arms crossed and a stern expression on his face. ¡°He looks to me like he¡¯s thinking about ways of killing your son and Octavian.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s precisely the point. If he wasn¡¯t considering it a serious option, he¡¯d be making crude jokes and remarks. On another note, any chance of you appearing in person soon?¡±


    ¡°Soon. The tower loves to keep me busy.¡± Almost as much as you. ¡°Hopefully, I¡¯ll be done in a few days.¡±


    ¡°Splendid. I¡¯ll be looking forward to it.¡±


    As Rosewind said that, Duke Goton¡¯s eldest son fell off his griffin.

 (Book 3) 19. The Sacrificial Stage

    ¡°Wake up,¡± Theo¡¯s avatar whispered to the cat on his shoulder.


    Ellis remained still, only one of her ears flicked several times as if to get rid of a fly.


    ¡°Ellis,¡± the avatar repeated.


    The cat¡¯s ear flicked again. This time the action was also followed by a stretch and a yawn. Then and only then, did the cat crack an eye open.


    ¡°What happened?¡± she said in a sleepy voice as she sat up, then started licking her paw.


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± the avatar replied.


    A giant archway filled the majority of the wall, leading to complete darkness. On either side stood two statues: one of Gregord and another of some famous hero whose name Theo had completely forgotten. Unlike the other Memoria¡¯s tomb he had been in, this one was gracious enough to have its walls glow, providing light to anyone within. Possibly, this was a minor addition aimed at making the participants feel more comfortable.


    Mages, the dungeon grumbled to himself. Back when he had experienced the real thing, he had to create his own light, not to mention that the hordes of skeleton minions were a lot more aggressive than the elementals he¡¯d encountered so far. Even without magic, he could have easily killed them off.


    ¡°He must have made this during his hero days,¡± Ellis said, looking at the statues.


    The avatar cast a fireball and casually threw it through the archway. As expected, the flame was instantly consumed by darkness and quickly extinguished. Clearly, some things remained the same.


    ¡°When we go through, I want you to keep as far away from the guardian,¡± the avatar said.


    ¡°You know what it¡¯ll be?¡± the cat asked, intrigued.


    ¡°I have a gut feeling. The main thing is not to have anything but ice come into contact with it.¡±


    ¡°A puzzle guardian?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s¡­¡± the avatar stopped. ¡°What¡¯s a puzzle guardian?¡±


    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t have an exact name. Gregord¡¯s original guardian tome changed hands a lot throughout the centuries and suffered a bit of damage as a result. A few pages were torn off. There¡¯s a description of a guardian that transforms everything it touches into puzzle pieces. It had something to do with transfiguration magic, but that never was my area of expertise. I¡¯ll have to ask my boyfriend when we get back to the tower.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t remember anything when you get back to the tower,¡± the avatar reminded her. Furthermore, she¡¯d remember even less if both of them ended up dying on this challenge.


    ¡°You never know.¡± Defensive magic circles formed around Ellis. ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying, though. Ranged fighting, no direct contact.¡±


    ¡°Any chance you read how to kill it off quickly?¡± Theo didn¡¯t want a repeat of the method he had used to destroy it last time. For one thing, Liandra wasn¡¯t with him right now.


    ¡°That particular page was also missing¡­ Actually, the tome is more a collection of pages. Thirty-seven to be exact.¡±


    ¡°Only thirty-seven pages survived?¡± Even in this world bureaucracy was so bad that they couldn¡¯t do the one thing they were set up to do.


    ¡°It went through a lot of towers. And even the ones we know about are split among three towers. I¡¯ve no idea how my grandfather managed to make copies, but he must have given a lot in return.¡±


    By the sound of it, they were going to have to destroy it using the slow approach.


    ¡°Just keep close. I¡¯ll tell you what to do.¡±


    Casting an aether bubble around the two of them, the avatar then floated through the archway. For a moment the darkness surrounded them on all sides, then suddenly vanished, revealing a giant white chamber. White walls rose up from a white floor all the way to the white ceiling over a hundred feet above. From what Theo remembered, there was supposed to be a tomb in the center of the room. Instead, he saw an enormous hourglass and a group of people beyond it.


    ¡°You must be kidding!¡± Lastar shouted from the other end. ¡°How did you idiots manage to get here?¡±


    All five mages with which he had parted ways at the start of the trial were there. With the exception of Auggy, none seemed particularly pleased to see him. Simultaneously, they also appeared slightly on edge. Defensive spells appeared around them for no apparent reason.


    The actions were mirrored by Elis, who also cast another half a dozen magic circles around her, in anticipation.


    Without warning, the purple sand in the giant hourglass stopped flowing.


    ¡°Congratulations, candidates,¡± the tower¡¯s voice boomed. ¡°You managed to reach the trial chamber within the required time frame. Now your trial can begin.¡±


    The hourglass disappeared, leaving the chamber bare. Everyone looked at the spot on which it had stood, expecting the guardian to emerge. As the seconds passed, though, nothing appeared.


    ¡°Aside from luck, skill, and wisdom a mage also requires strength to make it in the world,¡± the tower continued. ¡°To determine your strength, no more than half your current number will be allowed to proceed to the sixth floor.¡±


    That was an unexpected twist. The mages looked at each other. All this time they had been so convinced that they¡¯d face their own challenge that they hadn¡¯t even considered the possibility they might have to fight each other. Going by the numbers, seven of them had made it so far. That suggested that at the very least three would have to be eliminated.


    In Theo¡¯s past life experience, when presented with a similar situation everyone would scurry to attack each other or join whoever they considered the strongest. Yet again, the universe didn¡¯t fail to surprise him.


    ¡°If we don¡¯t take him out now, we won¡¯t be able to later,¡± Laster said, with a smug expression. ¡°Five of us should do it.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± the ebony elf said. ¡°We¡¯ll settle things between ourselves after the major threat is dealt with.¡±


    If the dungeon could facepalm, he would. That made no sense whatsoever. It wasn¡¯t even going to benefit them, just force him to waste a lot of energy for no good reason.


    ¡°You remember the previous floor, right?¡± he asked in an attempt to shake their resolve. ¡°I promise to carry the first person who joins me.¡±


    ¡°You think that will work?¡± Laster laughed. ¡°We¡¯ve already reached the sacrificial stage. More people will have to be sacrificed further up. Anyone who joins you is saying that they¡¯re tired of living.¡±


    ¡°Is that true, Ellis?¡± the avatar asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s no clear proof,¡± the cat began evasively. ¡°But based on Gregord¡¯s works it¡¯s speculated that the tower is divided into three sections: cooperative, competitive, and sacrificial. I expected the sacrificial part to be reserved for the final three floors, but if we¡¯re at this stage already¡­¡±


    That would have been useful to know a bit earlier. Theo could have asked the spell of Gregord back in the secret chamber about it.


    In-between his mental grumblings, the dungeon also noticed that the other side hadn¡¯t attacked yet. All of them had cast multiple spells, yet without exception they had been all defensive. It seemed that they were neither as stupid nor as reckless as one might think. Just as they had determined that this was the optimal time to take him down, they were also aware that some of them would end up being ejected out of the tower. The reason they weren¡¯t attacking was because none of them wanted to be the ones to end their ascent here.


    ¡°My offer stands.¡± The avatar took Ellis off his shoulder and gently placed her in the air near the wall they had entered from. The cat remained static, floating above the ground. ¡°One of you will at least get to reach the sixth floor. Everyone else will end here.¡±


    No one reacted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me do something that you¡¯ll all regret,¡± he said in a firm tone.


    Up to now, Theo had focused on the tower¡¯s puzzles, and ignored the others¡¯ abilities. He vaguely remembered that the elf could create paper creatures and that Elain Windchild excelled in wind spells, but that was it. As far as he could tell, the old mage had never openly cast a spell, and the rest had kept to basic magic.


    Suddenly, Auggy cast a flight spell and darted straight at the avatar. He had already summoned his ominous staff, illustrating that he was serious. Of all the mages, he was probably the worst opponent Theo could have. The dungeon cores on the battle staff alone filled him with dread.


    Without hesitation, the avatar cast the most destructive spell he was capable of. It missed Auggy, who avoided it with ease, making his way up to the baron himself. There, the old mage stopped.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that deal,¡± he said.


    ¡°What?!¡± Laster shouted from the other end of the room. ¡°You old traitor! Why the hell did you do that?¡±


    ¡°Better odds.¡± The old man turned around. ¡°Only half will continue and something tells me that once the greatest threat is dealt with, I¡¯ll be next.¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe, but that isn¡¯t a reason to ally yourself with¡­ him! He¡¯s not even a real mage!¡±


    While the conversation continued, Theo¡¯s spell was taking effect. A massive chunk of ice had formed on the chamber floor, quickly growing to three times its size. Four large spikes appeared, quickly developing into limbs, forming what was the start of the largest entity anyone in the room had seen since entering the tower.


    ¡°Ho, ho, ho,¡± the old man laughed. ¡°A giant ice elemental. You¡¯ve been hiding your strength, haven¡¯t you?¡± He looked at the opposing group of four. They, too, had created a number of minions, all of which were insignificant compared to the ice entity. ¡°I think the fight is already over.¡±


    ¡°About that¡­¡± the avatar took a step back. ¡°You really should have told me that you¡¯d be joining my side sooner.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Why is that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t exactly have full control over the elemental.¡±


    Hardly ever was a sentence able to change a person¡¯s point of view so utterly in such a short amount of time. A mage controlling a monster of that size was guaranteed to win, regardless of any opposing spells. No one had the monstrous amount of mana to match the entity¡¯s size, and ice had the annoying tendency of reducing the effectiveness of most spells. Sadly, such an outcome was only true if Theo was in control of the minion.


    ¡°Any reason you¡¯d summon a minion you can¡¯t control?¡± Auggy asked, joining the avatar in slowly walking backwards towards the wall.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°I thought you were going to attack me,¡± Theo replied. ¡°It¡¯s not the first time I¡¯ve summoned elementals to bring a bit of chaos to a battlefield.¡±


    Although there were elements of truth to that statement, the number of lies was far more. All the times Theo had resorted to this summoning were out of ignorance or desperation. In this case, he had secretly hoped that he¡¯d be able to level up enough times for his avatar to reach the required one hundred mind points that guaranteed control over the minion. Unfortunately, the combined amount of core points the elementals of the maze had provided him had only gotten him to level thirty-four and mind ninety-four, respectively.


    Coming into existence, the massive ice elemental slowly looked around. It could sense the presence of numerous strong entities, none of which it liked. Free of anyone¡¯s control, it felt justified in making this room the heart of its domain. The only question was who to attack first.


    The mages standing in front of it were relatively harmless, although some of the spells they had surrounded themselves with were rather powerful. At the same time, there were two powerful entities behind¡ªincluding its creator¡ªwho hadn¡¯t bothered casting a single spell. The creature¡¯s nature drove it to attack the strongest potential threat. Yet, as it happened, one of the other mages made the choice for it.


    A web of wind strands struck the torso of ice, slicing several feet into it. The strength of the spell was enough to cut through stone, though in this case all it managed to do was irritate the entity. The cuts closed up within moments of appearing and were instantly followed by two freezing rays from the elemental¡¯s eyes.


    The mages scattered. A paper tiger leaped into the air, instantly turning into a chunk of ice. A torrent of fire shot through the air, but it wasn¡¯t targeting the ice elemental. Instead, it made its way between the minion¡¯s legs, striking Baron d¡¯Argent dead center.


    Flames engulfed the avatar, resulting in a substantial energy drain back in the dungeon¡¯s main body.


    ¡°Not again,¡± the avatar said through gritted teeth.


    His clothes had already suffered from the encounter with the dragon. Now they were completely gone.


    ¡°Who did that?!¡± he shouted.


    Across the room, he caught a glimpse of Celenia pointing a staff his way. Seeing the consequences of her actions, the woman looked away, flying into the air so that the ice elemental became a shield between the both of them.


    ¡°You¡¯ll regret that.¡± Dozens of fireballs appeared in the air surrounding the now naked avatar. They were quickly surrounded by aether spheres, keeping them in the air.


    A swarm of paper swallows emerged from behind the ice elemental¡¯s left shoulder, flying straight at the increasing cluster of fireballs. A quarter of the distance to their target, they were blocked by a magic circle that sucked them all in, trapping them in a dimensional pocket.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so reckless!¡± Ellis shouted. ¡°If those things explode, it won¡¯t be just you who¡¯d be hurt!¡±


    It was a reasonable remark. The blast would hardly do much to the avatar, but Auggy and Ellis wouldn¡¯t be so fortunate. Casting a series of swiftness spells on himself, the baron then propelled the cluster of fireballs in all directions. Explosions filled the chamber like one of Switches¡¯ new firework experiments.


    Most of the mages managed to cast their own spells to counter the threat. The ice elemental, though, was caught completely unprepared. Taking the brunt of the explosions, it fell forward, incapable of maintaining its balance. Both its legs were already locked in place by a pride of paper lions, leaving it no other option but to extend its arms forward in an effort to diminish the fall¡¯s impact. That turned out rather unfortunate, for one particular mage.


    Relying on his teammates to create a distraction, he had started a long-sequence spell to destroy the elemental, Theo, or both. That process had kept him in one spot and focused on the intricacies of the spell. Thus, by the time he noticed the hand of the falling ice elemental heading his way, it was too late to react.


    ¡°Crap¡­¡± Laster managed to say moments before he was squished out of the tower trial.


    The entire chamber shook as the rest of the elemental crashed down.


    ¡°Finish the elemental,¡± Stachon, the ebony elf, shouted. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with them.¡±


    Swarms of paper insects emerged from him, flying at the avatar and his companions. None of the creatures had the strength to cause any serious damage, but they obscured the view to the point that targeting was impossible.


    ¡°Heat up my wind,¡± Elaine said, casting another series of wind spells.


    Celenia wasn¡¯t at all used to being addressed in such a fashion, let alone by someone of lower stature. Nonetheless, she was smart enough to see what was at stake, so she complied. A layer of red-hot flames stretched out from her, spreading out like an aether barrier.


    Flying above it, Elaine Windchild completed her spell, sending hundreds of wind currents through the heated area. Like red hot wires, they cut into the elemental¡¯s body.


    Steam filled the air along with the sound of sizzling. Already weakened by Theo¡¯s attack, the entity was no longer able to withstand the attacks. The cracks and cuts covering its surface got deeper and deeper, no longer capable of being closed up as before.


    Even so, the ice elemental refused to surrender. Turning around, it let out its ice rays. Cold met heat in an air explosion that pushed everyone back.


    Everyone except Elaine surrounded themselves with air spheres to guard against any other attacks of similar nature. Windchild, on her part, was determined to continue with the attack. Using every ounce of mana that she had gathered, she cast a new spell, combining hundreds of wind currents into one.


    A butterfly five feet in length formed, created entirely of air. The creature had no form, but if one were to look closely, they¡¯d see its outline bend the image of anything behind it, like a localized mirage that moved about.


    ¡°Destroy him, Raggio,¡± Elaine ordered.


    Without mercy or delay, the wind creature flew straight into the ice elemental, carving its way inside like a worm drilling through an apple.


    ¡°Great,¡± the dungeon¡¯s avatar grumbled as a swarm of paper insects squished into his indestructible aether sphere, like bugs on a windshield. ¡°Now there¡¯s two of them.¡±


    And to make matters worse, back in Rosewind, a whole different emergency was demanding his attention. Standing next to a formerly glowing tree, Spok reached out and plucked off a leaf from a branch.


    ¡°Sir,¡± she said in a serious tone. ¡°I believe the state of the garden is no longer possible to deny.¡±


    The nearest hundred doors and shutters creaked in disapproval. From Theo¡¯s point of view, this was the worst time to have this discussion, especially since Spok had insisted on there being gardens in the first place. If all the glowing plants had remained underground, where they were supposed to be, none of this would have occurred; and even if it had, no one would have noticed. Now, both Spok and Theo were a hair¡¯s length away from extreme ridicule.


    ¡°The problem isn¡¯t magic,¡± the dungeon said. ¡°I have plenty of that.¡±


    ¡°I do not doubt you, sir, but as you can see¡­¡±


    ¡°can¡¯t your gardeners do something about it?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯ve spent a small fortune getting them here.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be bothering you if they could, sir. And I¡¯ve already had a stern conversation with Switches.¡±


    Since the fading had started from the airshipyard district, the gnome and his new assistant were the immediate suspects. However, Spok had thoroughly inspected all their latest work and hadn¡¯t been able to find anything that would cause such an effect.


    ¡°Are you certain? He¡¯s a tricky little pest.¡±


    ¡°Even so, his actions wouldn¡¯t cause the fading to spread to the opposite part of the city. And the airships aren¡¯t to blame, either.¡±


    ¡°Well, it isn¡¯t sabotage,¡± Theo insisted. ¡°I¡¯d have spotted that.¡± Not to mention that he could easily have replaced the plants, should that have been the case. As things stood, no matter how many new batches of trees and flowers he planted in the place of the old, they¡¯d still fade and at far faster rates.


    ¡°I have no doubt, sir.¡± Spok let go of the leaf and adjusted her glasses. ¡°There¡¯s only one thing left to do, then.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m listening,¡± Then snapped. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°You need to have a talk with Peris.¡±


    The suggestion had a greater impact than any spells in Gregord¡¯s Tower possibly could. Theo hadn¡¯t spoken with the goddess ever since he had transformed her temple into a cathedral, and for good reason. Even after expanding several times, the overall size of the cathedral remained somewhat unimpressive. It was larger than most common buildings, but definitely not large enough to hold hundreds, let alone thousands, of people inside. The location also left a bit to be desired. When expanding the roads, the dungeon had chosen to use it to fill in an empty spot of buildings. From an organizational point of view, that had done the job nicely, yet he suspected that the goddess might not be entirely pleased by the new neighbors her temple had acquired.


    ¡°Any reason you can¡¯t?¡± Theo asked in hope.


    ¡°Please, sir. It¡¯s highly improper for a spirit guide to make demands from a goddess. You¡¯re the one who has an established relationship with her, so it¡¯s only proper that you bring the matter up.¡± There was a long pause. ¡°Naturally, if you so prefer, I¡¯ll accompany you for moral support.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± the dungeon grumbled.


    On cue, the spirit guide disappeared, reappearing at the entrance of the deity¡¯s cathedral. A few moments later, she was joined by a cluster of wandering eyes.


    ¡°Maybe Cmyk should handle this,¡± Theo said, having second thoughts already. ¡°He still comes here to clean every day.¡±


    ¡°Cmyk can¡¯t talk, sir.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. That lazy bag of bones has an excuse for everything.¡± With a mental sigh, the wandering eyes floated towards the cathedral entrance.


    Even at its current size, the cathedral seemed rather impressive on the inside. The large hall was filled with pews, placed in-between statues of the Goddess of Journeys and praying altars. Theo had done his best to combine elements of cathedrals of his past life with the temple blueprints of this world. It would be a lie if anyone were to claim that the result wasn¡¯t good. The atmosphere conveyed a certain mystique with the warmth and calm of safety. For the thousands of locals and adventurers who frequented the cathedral, this was a place of worship, where they would ask for blessings before setting off on a long journey.


    Walking through the main hall, Spok and the eyeballs went directly to the inner sanctum, where the original statue of Peris was kept.


    ¡°I knew you¡¯d show up,¡± the statue came to life. ¡°Took you long enough.¡±


    As conversations went, this was definitely a bad start. The dungeon¡¯s mind instantly filled with possible things that he could be blamed for.


    ¡°The wedding is just over a week away and we haven¡¯t discussed the preparations.¡± The statue turned to the cluster of eyeballs.


    A series of emotions swept through Theo in rapid succession. Initially, there was relief that he hadn¡¯t been blamed for anything. It was quickly followed by concern, then alarm as he realized exactly what the goddess was implying.


    ¡°I want my appearance to be memorable, but not overshadow the occasion too much. Oh, congratulations, Spok,¡± she turned to the unusually tense spirit guide. ¡°Well done. As usual, you and Theo have managed to bring another first to the world.¡±


    ¡°I am honored by your praise, goddess.¡±


    ¡°Please, no need to be so formal. We¡¯ve known each other for most of your life. I¡¯ve made arrangements for my best cleric to come and start the ceremony. I¡¯ll play the central role, of course, but tradition expects that a human oversees things.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fascinating, but it¡¯s not the reason we¡¯re here,¡± Theo said through his wandering eyes.


    The pair of glances he received from Spok and the statue of Peris suggested that his eagerness to change the topic might have been somewhat misguided.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the only reason,¡± the dungeon corrected himself quickly. ¡°We were considering enlarging the cathedral and moving it to the center of the main park,¡± he made it up as he went along. ¡°But for that to work, we need to deal with the plant problem first.¡±


    ¡°Plant problem?¡± The statue blinked, unprepared for the unexpected twist following such a buildup.


    ¡°Allow me to explain, Goddess,¡± Spok came to the rescue. ¡°Theo created a series of parks in the city. Each of them is composed of glowing trees and other plants. Lately, they have stopped glowing.¡±


    ¡°Stopped glowing?¡± The statue mused. ¡°Just like that?¡±


    ¡°Just like that,¡± Theo said. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the ceremony, we¡¯d look into it more, but with time being short, we thought we¡¯d come to you for assistance.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see¡­¡± For some reason, the deity sounded a lot less enthusiastic than moments ago.


    A long pause began, lasting half a minute. Peris was clearly in no mood to add anything else, and Spok didn¡¯t feel it proper to press on with the matter.


    ¡°So, can you do anything about it?¡± Theo asked, incapable of waiting any longer. ¡°You¡¯re a deity, so this should be easy for you.¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s not much that us deities can¡¯t do,¡± the statue said with a giggle. ¡°Nature, sadly, isn¡¯t my domain.¡±


    That was the most bureaucratic answer Theo had ever heard. Worst of all, he could actually see the logic in it. While the goddess had helped him in a number of ways, all her assistance was either tangentially related to her domain of power, or generic enough to be considered the sphere of any deity.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you ask the goddess of nature for a favor?¡± the dungeon pressed on.


    ¡°God of nature. And, sadly, no. He¡¯s one of the major deities, so I can¡¯t just go up to him and ask directly. I could ask Luminaria, but she, too, has been preoccupied lately and I doubt she¡¯ll respond on time.¡±


    ¡°Of course she would be,¡± Theo grumbled.


    ¡°Have you considered using a gardener for that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve hired a small army of gardeners and they¡¯re as useful as a waterless lake.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no,¡± the statue laughed again. ¡°I meant a gardening spirit. They¡¯re extremely dedicated and can have partial domain over nature, so they could use their powers to make your plants glow again and even more.¡±


    ¡°Gardening spirit?¡± the clusters of eyeballs turned towards Spok.


    ¡°I¡¯m unfamiliar with that, sir,¡± the spirit guide replied defensively. ¡°I¡¯m definitely not aware of any suitable minions that would do the job. Not without creating mass panic.¡±


    For a split second, Theo imagined Cmyk tending the fields in a pair of gardener overalls. The image was promptly expunged from his consciousness.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be creating them, just establish an adequate contact and instruct them what to do.¡± The statue of Peris clapped its hands. ¡°You already have the perfect candidate, after all.¡±


    ¡°Perfect candidate?¡± Now it was Theo¡¯s turn to feel concerned and, for some reason, extremely worried.


    ¡°Agonia, of course,¡± the statue said, as if it were the most natural thing in existence. ¡°You placed her in my altar, didn¡¯t you?¡±

 (Book 3) 20. Gardeners, Betrayals, the Old Man No One New Anything About

    Both in this world and Theo¡¯s last, it was said that the notions of deities were incomprehensible to mere mortals. So far, that had been partially true. However, there were times in which the dungeon considered the allegedly all-powerful beings to be completely out of their minds.


    ¡°Agonia?!¡± the cluster of floating eyeballs asked.


    Having her responsible for anything, let alone a town full of overzealous servants, nobles, and adventurers, was the worst thing that could happen. All it would take was for the abomination to get her clutches on a handful of people, for the entire kingdom to be transformed into a realm of obsessive collectors. Even the hero guild wouldn¡¯t be able to handle that, not to mention that if, by some miracle, they did, Theo would be completely exposed and destroyed as a result.


    ¡°Goddess, are you sure that would be the best solution?¡± Spok conveyed Theo¡¯s thoughts in a far more diplomatic manner. ¡°She is an abomination, after all.¡±


    ¡°Just a minor nuisance,¡± the statue of Peris waved dismissively. ¡°Her exploits were vastly over-exaggerated. She did do some damage, I admit, but that was because there were other things in play at the time that had divided everyone¡¯s attention. Besides, since she was captured by Theo, she¡¯s practically a minion. A minion to the both of you, I might add.¡±


    The last made Spok view the situation in a new light. While she had no issue dealing with the now hundreds of daily tasks, both dungeon and personal, that were in her prevue, having a reliable assistant of her own was rather tempting. The dungeon was too chaotic, Cmyk¡ªuseless for the most part, and Switches had the temperament and moral fiber of a good-natured sack containing a herd of cats.


    ¡°Spok,¡± Theo said in a warning fashion as he noticed the lack of refusal on her part. ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going through another cursed letter situation.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware of what transpired, sir,¡± the spirit guide replied. ¡°But if the goddess believes that¡¯s the best solution to our current issue, it would only be practical that we hear her out.¡±


    A few people in and around Peris¡¯ cathedral could almost swear that they saw the stained-glass windows of the building narrow a bit, as if attempting a squint.


    ¡°You just want a maid, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t at all the case,¡± Spok lied with a perfectly straight face. ¡°And even if I did, there wouldn¡¯t be anything wrong with that. Switches has his own assistant, and he¡¯s been in your employ for a fraction of the time I have.¡±


    The dozens of thoughts that the dungeon was about to voice vanished in a puff of smoke. There was no way to deny her statement. She had been assisting him since his rebirth, and done more than her share of tasks. Originally, spirit guides were only supposed to advise their dungeons. It was Theo that had delegated all his responsibilities to her, granting her autonomy and a functional avatar to do so. If he were a company, one might say that she had obtained the position of president, while the CEO was constantly out and about dealing with completely different matters.


    ¡°What if she tries to affect me?¡± he asked, cracking the door of discussions open. ¡°Spok, are you sure you want us to experiment so close to your wedding? The guests will start coming tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I believe it¡¯s an acceptable risk, given the overall state of your surface plants,¡± the spirit guide said unapologetically. ¡°And I have full confidence in the goddess. Being the one to officiate the wedding, I¡¯m certain that she won¡¯t do anything to place the ceremony at risk.¡±


    You¡¯ve really been spending too much time with Rosewind, Theo thought.


    ¡°Very well,¡± he said reluctantly. ¡°But you¡¯ll owe me one,¡± the eyeballs said in vague fashion, making it unclear whether they were addressing Spok, Peris, or both. ¡°Just one thing, though. Why do you think that Agonia will be any good as a gardener?¡±


    ¡°Oh, didn¡¯t I tell you her origin?¡± the statue asked casually.


    ¡°I know,¡± Theo grumbled. ¡°Abomination of obsessive collecting.¡±


    ¡°No, no, no. That¡¯s her nature. She came into being as a result of unrequited love.¡±


    Never in a thousand years would Theo have guessed anything of the sort. Thinking about it, it made some sort of twisted sense. Wanting someone could lead to obsession, and if the abomination was lacking a specific target, it would have latched on to anything, creating a being solely obsessed with obtaining things¡ªobtaining one¡¯s desires as one might say.


    ¡°There was a time when she was called ¡°Blood Rose¡± and, in a way, served as a reminder to why deities and mortals shouldn¡¯t mix,¡± Peris continued.


    ¡°Abominations are the result of sex between mortals and¡ª¡± the dungeon began.


    ¡°Of course not!¡± Peris didn¡¯t let him finish. ¡°Emotions alone are lethal. The abomination was caused by the tears of a god when he became aware that he¡¯d fallen in love. Normally, that¡¯s not supposed to happen, but every now and again there¡¯s a special type of person that appears in the world. A hero, a mage, someone blessed by the fate of the universe. Mostly the first two.¡±


    If the dungeon could cross his arms, he could, but his avatar was too far away, and he didn¡¯t want to disturb the city again in case there was a more violent reaction on his part coming up.


    ¡°Agnia was born out of his tears,¡± the statue continued. ¡°I wasn¡¯t there in person, but from what I remember, it was said that a rain of tears fell near the heroine¡¯s house, sprouting into blood roses. When she died, decades later, all the crimson rose petals melted away, transforming into  blood droplets that seeped into the ground. The agony of love.¡± The statue sighed. ¡°Some considered it rather romantic.¡±


    ¡°That must have been before she started corrupting people with collecting tendencies,¡± the floating eyeballs grumbled. ¡°Well, it¡¯s your call Spok. If this goes wrong, we won¡¯t have to go through a city cleanup. We¡¯ll have to move somewhere far, far away.¡±


    There was a slight pause.


    ¡°I understand, sir,¡± Spok said with a curt nod. ¡°Thank you for caring. What do we need to do, goddess?¡± She turned to the statue.


    Although unsurprising, her reaction wasn¡¯t what Theo hoped would follow. Confirming he had enough energy and core points to respond should anything go wrong.


    ¡°It¡¯s Theo¡¯s spell,¡± the statue stated. ¡°All he must do is undo it. Simple.¡±


    The cathedral altar opened up, revealing an ice cube with a single drop of blood inside. To the casual observer, this would seem no different than a cocktail curiosity. Having faced the entity before, Theo surrounded the cube with a series of aether spheres. Only then did he concentrate on breaking his memory spell.


    Unlike what his avatar was going through in Gregord¡¯s tower, disenchanting one¡¯s own spell was ominously easy. A moment¡¯s thought was all it took for the cube to lose its inner maze-like structure and melt away like a snowball in the sun. The blood drop fell to the bottom of the aether sphere, instantly doubling in size. For the next several seconds, the amount of red liquid consistently increased until a pool had formed. Strands of blood rose up, forming the outline of a human figure with a woman¡¯s face. It was a very basic form, but for an entity created out of liquid, nothing more was needed.


    Somewhat confused by her surroundings, the abomination looked around. Her abilities and the experience she had gathered throughout the years told her that she was in a divine temple, in the presence of a goddess and another powerful entity she couldn¡¯t quite determine. She also sensed the faint presence of a dungeon coming from somewhere, though she remained incapable of pinpointing it.


    ¡°What now?¡± Theo asked.


    ¡°Form a contract with her,¡± the statue of the goddess shrugged. ¡°I thought that would be obvious.¡±


    Obvious, my walls, Theo grumbled internally.


    ¡°Agonia,¡± he said in a whole octave deeper than it normally was. ¡°Do you remember me?¡±


    ¡°Baron Theodor, the dungeon,¡± the abomination said without fear or hesitation.


    ¡°Close enough. Just so you know, if you try anything funny, I¡¯ll put you back in the ice cube for all eternity.¡±


    ¡°What do you want me to assist with?¡± the abomination asked.


    The question caused the dungeon to pause. He was expecting defiance, groveling, or some long-winded explanation. Switches had done it, and he had been corrupted by a demon lord heart. The abomination, on the other hand, seemed to lack any emotion, but rather was asking like a bureaucrat near the end of a very long day.


    ¡°Why are you so sure I need assistance?¡± Theo asked on instinct.


    ¡°When the necromancers contacted me in my previous prison, they demanded unlimited power. I granted it to them. You freed me from my second prison after defeating me, so you must need assistance as well.¡±


    ¡°He wishes to form a contract with you.¡± Spok took the initiative. ¡°I understand your power is limited,¡± she adjusted her glasses, ¡°but you have everything needed to take on an important and fulfilling role.¡±


    There were several words that the abomination didn¡¯t know the precise meaning of, but she could feel the intrigue held within the offer.


    ¡°What are you?¡± her face floated along the crimson blood silhouette, looking at Spok.


    ¡°I¡¯m the spirit guide of the dungeon that captured you,¡± Spok said, keeping her calm. ¡°And the one you¡¯ll work under once the contract is complete.¡±


    ¡°Spirit guide? Spirit guides don¡¯t have avatars.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a unique spirit guide of a very unique dungeon.¡±


    Despite everything that had been and was taking place, Theo couldn¡¯t help but feel flattered.


    Damned right, he thought.


    ¡°Your dungeon gave you an avatar?¡± Agonia asked.


    ¡°Indeed. As I told you he¡¯s unique.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I suppose so. I remember that his obsessions were¡­ strange¡­¡±


    ¡°So,¡± Theo quickly returned to the conversation. ¡°Here¡¯s my offer. If you willingly enter into a contract, you¡¯ll be made my official gardener, working under Spok. You¡¯ll have your own avatar, if you wish, but you must do a good job maintaining the plants within the city. At no point are you to corrupt anything or anyone, even the really annoying people. You¡¯re also not to discuss your nature, my nature, Spok¡¯s nature, or¡ª¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°A gardener?¡± Agonia asked.


    ¡°Err, yes. A gardener.¡±


    ¡°What is a gardener?¡±


    The question caused some confusion. It was as if the abomination was a type of Schrodinger¡¯s entity. Back during their fight, she had shown great knowledge in terms of people, cities, countries, and whatnot. And yet, she claimed not to know what a gardener was? Could it be that part of her memories had been destroyed by Liandra¡¯s heroic strike?


    ¡°You¡¯ll be taking care of plants,¡± Spok explained. ¡°Grass, trees, flowers¡­¡±


    ¡°I remember flowers,¡± Agonia said. ¡°A long time ago. I wanted every single one to be perfect, but they weren¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°See?¡± the statue of Peris asked with a smile. ¡°What did I tell you? She¡¯ll be absolutely perfect.¡±


    Having doubts on the matter was an understatement. In his mind, Theo could picture the entity turning into a quiet maid who tended every blade of grass with care and pierced anyone who stepped on it with hundreds of blood tendrils.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think this will work.¡± The floating eyeballs moved away from the aether spheres containing Agonia. ¡°I¡¯ll ask for a mage. That should do in the short term.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make a contract,¡± the abomination told Spok.


    ¡°I said no and that¡¯s¡ª¡± Theo began.


    CONGRATULATIONS!


    Agonia, Abomination of Fulfillment, has entered into a contract with you!


    The abomination is now a high-level minion in your care.


    ¡°¡ªfinal,¡± he finished the sentence, a moment too late. ¡°You gotta be kidding!¡± The city trembled. ¡°Doesn¡¯t she need to go through a ritual or something?¡±


    ¡°Being a goddess, I can cut through the bureaucracy,¡± the statue of Peris said. ¡°It¡¯s mostly ceremonial, anyway. No need to thank me.¡±


    Theo had no intention of doing so. This was as far from an ideal outcome as one could imagine. Sadly, there was a whole host of other less ideal things that had the potential of occurring, especially to his avatar. Apparently, the most desperate a mage became, the more destructive the level of their spells grew.


    Elaine Windchild and Stachon had gone all out in their efforts to take him down. The fact that it was supposed to be a three-versus-three battle didn¡¯t make things any easier in the least. Theo had never expected paper magic and wind magic to complement each other so well. Unfortunately for him, his opponents had already come to that conclusion. It didn¡¯t help that the wind butterfly was a monster in its own right, to the point that Auggy had to focus all his effort on countering it.


    ¡°Careful!¡± Ellis shouted from the avatar¡¯s shoulder.


    The cat and Theo had also formed a team in an attempt to counter the destructive combination of the ebony elf and Elaine. Sadly, their particular types of magic didn¡¯t combine as well.


    A swarm of paper swallows burst into confetti, which were sped up by a gust of wind from Elain straight at the baron. Aether bubbles shattered one after the other, incapable of withstanding the ferocity of the attack. Ellis had barely managed to cast a portal to consume a large part of them, but her main priority had been to protect herself, leaving large parts of the dungeon¡¯s avatar exposed.


    Had he been human, the flesh on both his legs and part of his torso would have been scraped off to the bone. Thankfully, all the annoying papercuts did was to consume a small amount of energy from his main body, without even leaving a mark.


    ¡°Your regeneration spell is getting annoying!¡± Elaine Windchild shouted, throwing a net of air currents straight at him.


    A massive ice shield emerged in front of the avatar, only to be cut up into perfectly uniform fragments. It was outright terrifying watching a chunk of ice thicker than the avatar was wide get rendered useless in real time. In an outburst of genius¡ªor desperation, depending on the point of view¡ªTheo used a combination of flight and telekinesis to propel all the fragments forward. Like a violent hailstorm, they darted at Elaine, catching her completely by surprise. The mage was so focused on all-out attacks that she had never considered that her opponent could do the same. The wind currents under her control sliced up the ice fragments into even smaller bits, but that only made the situation worse. Thousands of minute ice shards slammed into her, shattering any aether barriers she managed to cast. A moment later, her entire form was surrounded by a layer of yellow light, causing her to disappear altogether.


    ¡°Good thinking,¡± the old mage said from a distance away. He was still battling the air butterfly, which didn¡¯t seem at all concerned about the disappearance of her creator.


    Theo didn¡¯t have long to celebrate, however. Seeing that the other attacking force had vanished, the ebony elf summoned an even greater number of paper creatures, creating an ever-moving protective sphere of paper around him.


    Magic circles of various colors emerged around the avatar, yet there were more than enough gaps for any paper swarm attacks to ignore them.


    ¡°Celenia,¡± the elf shouted. ¡°I¡¯ll give you time to cast long term spells.¡±


    ¡°What about the old man?¡± the blonde asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s pragmatic. When we cast out Theo from the tower, he¡¯ll change sides again.¡±


    An ominous thought, yet the dungeon had to admit that it rang true. For all his jokes and occasional advice, Auggy had changed sides once, which meant he could do it again when it was in his best interest. The only way for Theo to prevent it was to win the fight and defeat his opponents first.


    ¡°Holy fireballs!¡± he shouted, launching a multitude of spells in the elf¡¯s direction. It wasn¡¯t only sphered fireballs that flew forward, but ice chunks, aether daggers, and low-level zaps.


    Fire engulfed half the chamber. Sadly, while visually impressive, the layers of paper summons prevented any actual damage from reaching the elf. Through a combination of paper and aether shields, the mage kept retreating, keeping the force of explosions at bay. The avatar¡¯s other spells proved more of a challenge. A few ice shards even struck the elf¡¯s shoulder. Paper insects immediately covered the wound, making it difficult to tell how deep it was.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Ellis said. ¡°You don¡¯t have to hurt him.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± the avatar asked as he kept on filling aether spheres with fireballs. ¡°He¡¯s out to kill us.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but he¡¯s cute.¡±


    There were many things that came to mind, but Theo didn¡¯t voice any of them. It was bad enough watching Spok discuss Agonia¡¯s responsibilities with her back in Rosewind. There simply were days, or hours, when the best solution was to ignore everything and pretend it never happened.


    Right now, the main focus was on the paper elf. More annoying than anything was the mage¡¯s way of fighting. He wasn¡¯t overly powerful or destructive as the other ones had been. His fights were won entirely based on the principle of a thousand cuts. Up to this point, he had maintained a slight but consistent drain on the dungeon¡¯s energy, occasionally summoning larger paper creatures as a form of distraction.


    ¡°Any time you¡¯d like to lend a hand, old man,¡± the avatar shouted as he kept casting explosions to counter the waves of paper.


    ¡°Elementals are rather annoying, as you know,¡± Auggy shouted back, slamming the air butterfly with his staff.


    The weapon didn¡¯t harm the creature, but the magic it emitted managed to push the air currents that composed it back, launching it into the wall behind. A large impression in the form of a butterfly was created. There was no sign of the creature, of course. But to those with aether vision and a trained eye, it was perfectly obvious that it was there, gently peeling itself off the stone.


    ¡°It won¡¯t give up until its owner is dead or says otherwise,¡± the old mage added.


    ¡°You seriously think that Elaine is that petty?¡±


    ¡°Doubtful, if she could remember casting the spell to begin with. Everything that happens in the tower stays in the tower, remember?¡±


    That was a rather interesting loophole that didn¡¯t at all work in Theo¡¯s favor. The fact that the elemental was still there suggested that Elaine Windchild was alive somewhere outside the tower. Yet, since she was outside the tower, she had lost all her memories of the challenge except for the spells she had won. That meant that the butterfly was stuck with the last command given to her, which was to kill Theo and anyone who interfered.


    A shoal of paper piranhas ate their way through the avatar¡¯s barriers, devouring several of Ellis¡¯s magic circles in the process. Half a dozen went straight for the cat, but were instantly slashed to ribbons by one of the avatar¡¯s aether daggers. Unfortunately, several dozen more had successfully sunk their teeth into the baron himself.


    That was ridiculous. Back in his previous life, Theo had a similar view of bureaucrats. Somehow, they always managed to use their creativity to strangle anyone with paper, metaphorically. The ebony elf was the living embodiment of that. If the avatar squinted, he could almost see hundreds of tax forms attack him in vicious ways.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way you¡¯ll keep up with my mana,¡± the avatar shouted, casting several unenveloped fireballs to remove the piranhas on him. ¡°Just give up now.¡±


    ¡°I think not, Baron,¡± the other replied. ¡°You¡¯re a strong opponent, but in nature it isn¡¯t the strongest that win, but those who are best at adapting.¡±


    ¡°What does that have to do with all this?! There¡¯s nothing natural in anything we¡¯re doing!¡±


    Just as he finished the sentence, a bright purple light filled the chamber, shining through all the layers of paper creatures. Its source was somewhere behind the ebony elf. Initially, Theo thought that the old man might have finally gone on the attack. Sadly, a quick glance to the side revealed the source of the new spell to be someone else completely.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Using his ultra swiftness spell, the avatar wrapped Ellis in an indestructible aether sphere, then propelled her towards the chamber ceiling with such force that the aether bubble got half buried into the stone.


    A split second later, a massive beam of purple light burned through all the paper creatures, striking the avatar in the chest. Celenia had completed her spell, and it was a powerful one indeed.


    Back in the dungeon¡¯s main body, a third of all his energy reserves were exhausted just to keep the integrity of its avatar. Any human, golem, or even demon would have been evaporated on the spot, let alone cast out of the tower. A few days ago, Theo would have as well. It was only thanks to the energy he had obtained from the Feline Tower¡¯s mana gem that he had replenished his reserves to the point where he could withstand this.


    The mages were no longer playing. This wasn¡¯t merely a lethal spell, it was a city destroying spell. The avatar narrowed his eyes. If his opponents had reached the point that they were using spells of such magnitude, only a fool would hold back.


    Without hesitation, Theo cast another ultra swiftness spell. Time stopped, allowing him to see the situation in detail. The spell had indeed been cast by Cecilia. The blonde mage was on the floor, her staff extended in the avatar¡¯s direction. The ebony elf had also been caught slightly off guard, for he was in the process of looking over his shoulder on reflex. At the same time, the vast tunnel within his defensive layers remained. Some of the paper summons had begun moving to close it, but it was going to take them a few seconds at least.


    So, you want to act big? Theo thought. Let¡¯s act big!


    He cast the most destructive combination of spells he was capable of.


    As time resumed, the entire body of the elf was encapsulated in a large cube of ice. Yet, this wasn¡¯t just any cube¡ªthousands of small corridors and staircases were created within, trapping the mage in Theo¡¯s variant of the Memoria¡¯s tomb spell. A split second later, the elf vanished.


    All the paper entities burst into confetti, when then lifelessly began their slow descent to the floor. It was a rather suitable way to mark the avatar¡¯s victory. Now that the heavy lifting was over, it felt rather satisfying. Only one member of the opposing team remained, and she was in no condition to cast any more spells in the immediate future.


    Being in a stingy mood, Theo decided not to waste another Memoria spell on Celenia, but resorted to a less powerful, but just as lethal, multitude of ice shards he launched her way. The lethal chunks split the air when they were unexpectedly struck by a wave of wind from the side, causing them to miss the blonde mage by five feet.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that,¡± Auggy said, holding his battle staff with both hands. ¡°We¡¯ve won.¡±


    ¡°Huh? She¡¯s our enemy!¡± Theo shouted. ¡°That spell was meant to kill me!¡±


    ¡°Ho, ho, ho,¡± the old mage laughed. ¡°You look fine to me. More importantly, we need her for the sixth-floor challenge. It¡¯s impossible to complete with three alone.¡±


    Theo didn¡¯t know how to think about that. He honestly wanted to cast Celenia out of the tower for what she had tried to do. At the same time, the old man knew a lot more about the challenges than anyone else.


    ¡°I know I told you not to trust anyone, but trust me on this. You can easily kill her, but your trip will end here. All of us will end up stuck.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Auggy, but you¡¯ll have to tell me how you know so much about the trials.¡± The avatar pointed at him.


    ¡°Deal.¡± The old man started his way towards Celenia. ¡°Girl, just say that you surrender.¡±


    The blonde woman looked at him in utter disbelief.


    ¡°I surrender?¡± she said, uncertain what that would do.


    The moment she did, the center of the chamber¡¯s ceiling opened up. A winding staircase descended, making its way all the way to the floor. There could no longer be any doubt¡ªthe trial of the fifth floor had been completed.


    Everyone remained still and speechless. Even Ellis brought through her sphere, once it had lost its indestructibility, and floated down.


    ¡°Let me get this straight,¡± the avatar began. ¡°If everyone had just said they surrendered, we could all have gone to the sixth floor?¡±


    ¡°Funny, isn¡¯t it?¡± The old mage unsummoned his battle sphere. ¡°I¡¯ve no idea whether Gregord planned it this way, or it¡¯s just an oversight on his part, but those are the conditions: one group must win. Well, as you can see, one group did win.¡±


    ¡°You could have said that before the fight!¡±


    ¡°And you think anyone would have believed me?¡± the old man shook his head. ¡°Everyone was free to surrender at any point, but no one did. Even this one,¡± he glanced at Celenia, ¡°only did so when defeat was obvious. Anyway, what¡¯s done is done. We¡¯ve completed the trial and are free to continue to the next floor. That is, after you¡¯ve taken care of another important matter.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± The avatar crossed his arms. ¡°And what might that be?¡±


    ¡°Summon a new set of clothes. Or do you intend on continuing the trials completely naked?¡±

 (Book 3) 21. Facing Gregords Future, Present, Past, and Earlier Past

    Sleep was a constant nuisance. Theo used to think so in his previous life, and he definitely thought so now. All they had to do to reach the sixth floor was to take a minute¡ªor less if they used flight spells¡ªto go through the opening in the ceiling. And yet, the old man was adamantly against it. According to him, everyone had to be in top form before the next challenge started. Furthermore, he stressed on mana conservation. Celenia had backed him up, of course. Advanced spells apparently tended to drain people. Unexpectedly, Ellis had also agreed. That left Theo the only one against and, ironically, the only one that didn¡¯t need the sleep even if he very much wanted years of it.


    Time passed slowly. Even Agoina¡¯s recent addition to the dungeon¡¯s staff had soon enough become background noise. It wasn¡¯t so much that Theo had lowered his guard; rather, since the abomination inadvertently remained always in view, he kept an eye on her without even trying.


    Switches¡¯ constructs business appeared to be booming to the point that he had several orders from the nobles present. Even Duke Avisian reluctantly had mentioned that he could use a few of them for purely decorative purposes. It was only a matter of time before all the noble guests to arrive did the same. That was going to prove to be a substantial new source of income, not that the dungeon needed more. Lately, he didn¡¯t even have to resort to hay transformation. Between his real estate, Switches¡¯ ingenuity, and Spok¡¯s management skills, he had more resources than most nobles in the kingdom¡ªa fact that he was desperately trying to downplay. Money led to attention, and that was the last thing that he wanted.


    ¡°Is everything alright, sir?¡± Spok asked within his main building. ¡°You¡¯re been unusually calm and quiet lately.¡±


    ¡°You mean since Agonia started gardening?¡± Theo grumbled, but his heart wasn¡¯t in it.


    ¡°Precisely, sir. Is everything going well with your trials?¡±


    ¡°As good as could be expected.¡± The dungeon paused for a moment. ¡°What about you? Why aren¡¯t you with ¡®Cecil¡¯? Nothing further to discuss?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s in poor taste for the bride-to-be to share her husband¡¯s room before the wedding.¡± Spok adjusted her glasses. ¡°Most everyone else is sleeping at this point. I have several good hours of calm before I¡¯m dragged off shopping for jewelry by Duke Avisian¡¯s wife.¡±


    A few pieces of furniture moved in a snort.


    ¡°There¡¯s still no trace of the missing cook,¡± the spirit guide said. ¡°If anything, that¡¯s what¡¯s troubling me the most.¡±


    ¡°People come and go.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, sir. However, they don¡¯t do so without me knowing. I even had Switches check the airships. There¡¯s no indication he took one of them to leave. Of course, it¡¯s possible that he snuck aboard, but that¡¯s highly unlikely.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll find him. You always do.¡±


    A new bout of silence followed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you for the evening then, sir,¡± Spok said. ¡°A lot of guests are expected to start arriving tomorrow.¡± She vanished from the dungeon¡¯s main building.


    Theo didn¡¯t even grumble. He had already built a fake expansion around the castle, increasing it dramatically in size. Looking at it, most people wouldn¡¯t even know that there were two separate structures. The moat was transformed into a richly decorated inner courtyard while a whole ring of buildings, in the exact same style, had been erected on the outside. The inhabitants of Rosewind¡ªused to the uniqueness of the place to the point that they had started calling it the ¡°Everchanging City¡±¡ªpaid no notice. The Goton family found it charming, although they were far more focused on the developing relationship between Amelia and Avid. With the way the Rosewind family¡¯s star was rising, it was very likely for the two families to merge sooner rather than later. Only Duke Avisian felt that he was going mad, to many¡¯s delight. While a good orator and exceptionally skilled in politics, he was utterly incapable of adapting to the ever-changing environment. It didn¡¯t help that the entire castle staff insisted that things had ¡°always been that way¡±.


    By daybreak, people had started to wake up. Surprisingly, that included the mages in Gregord¡¯s tower.


    ¡°Do we seriously have to do this?¡± the avatar asked.


    Ellis had made use of the table of food she had snatched at the start of the floor trial to whip a breakfast for everyone.


    ¡°Some of us have to eat,¡± the cat replied. ¡°Unlike you.¡±


    ¡°Ho, ho, ho,¡± the old mage laughed. ¡°The kids have you there. Maybe you could also summon a bit of the good stuff as well?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t,¡± the avatar said flatly. ¡°The chamber doesn¡¯t allow me to modify it.¡±


    ¡°A pity. I hope you managed to get some sleep, at least. We¡¯ve got a few long days ahead.¡±


    ¡°Days?¡± Celenia asked.


    ¡°How long did it take us to complete this trial?¡± The man looked at her. ¡°Even without the fighting. Do you suppose the next one would be easier?¡±


    That was a good point, but Theo knew that the old man wasn¡¯t telling the entire truth. At this point, everyone suspected, though they didn¡¯t want to openly ask.


    ¡°I¡¯d suggest you save up a bit more of that food, little one,¡± Auggy continued. ¡°We might need it further on.¡±


    ¡°I plan to,¡± the cat replied, nibbling on the meat of an opened sandwich.


    With a sigh, the avatar went to the base of the staircase. He had spent most of the night looking at it, considering whether he should just climb up alone. The rest was wasted reading Gregord¡¯s musings on dungeons.


    After another few minutes, once everything that wasn¡¯t eaten was sent back into Ellis¡¯ dimensional spell pockets, the four finally started their ascent to the sixth floor. When they reached it, Theo was in for another surprise.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± The avatar looked about.


    It was a given that every floor would be larger than the last, just like an inverse pyramid. Yet, it was difficult to fathom how different the sixth floor would be compared to all the rest. The environment no longer shared the same closed characteristics of rooms, chambers, mazes, and the like. Instead, they were in an open field. Mountains were visible in the distance, along with forests, valleys, rivers, even a sky above, be it covered in grey clouds.


    ¡°This must be where Gregord was born,¡± Ellis said, her voice ringing with excitement. ¡°It¡¯s just like in his letters.¡±


    ¡°It might be,¡± Celenia quickly corrected. ¡°It could be where he went into seclusion after his hero days.¡±


    ¡°Come on.¡± Ellis flicked her tail. ¡°There¡¯s virtually no mention of that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s said that there was an oak-pine forest.¡±


    ¡°Oak-pine forests were prevalent back then. Besides, we can quickly find out. All we need is to fly south to his home village and¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s both,¡± Auggy interrupted. ¡°It¡¯s where the archmage was born, where he returned when he had a crisis in faith, nudging him to become a hero, where he returned for some rest, and where he made his first attempt at establishing a magic tower.¡±


    Everyone stared at him.


    ¡°Welcome to the sixth-floor trial,¡± the tower¡¯s voice boomed. ¡°You¡¯ve shown intelligence, luck, and magical endurance to reach this far. But now you¡¯ll face the greatest challenge of all. In recognition of your efforts, all of you will be given a reward.¡±


    Theo waited, but nothing happened.


    ¡°Memoria¡¯s tomb?!¡± Elis almost shouted. ¡°This is¡­ this is unbelievable.¡±


    The avatar looked at her. Back on Rosewind, the dungeon felt a chill through his underground tunnels.


    ¡°Let me guess,¡± he said. ¡°You were rewarded with a Meomoria¡¯s tomb spell.¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah.¡± The cat looked back. ¡°You expected more?¡±


    The avatar didn¡¯t comment, but the answer was yes. Rather, he expected to be given something as a replacement. Apparently, that wasn¡¯t part of the tower¡¯s initial spell. Each floor came with a reward, regardless if they had it or not. One could say that it was fair, but Theo wasn¡¯t someone. From his point of view, if he had put in the effort, he deserved to get something in return.


    Within moments, the grumpiness was replaced by concern. So far, it had been Gregord¡¯s practice to have the participants use a spell that they had previously learned to complete the next trial. It wasn¡¯t a firm requirement, but it made things easier. For four mages to be expected to use a Memoria¡¯s tomb, their opponent had to be worse than anything they¡¯d come across so far.


    ¡°We have four opponents,¡± Auggy continued. ¡°As you¡¯ve probably guessed, they have to be imprisoned with a Memoria¡¯s tomb. For that to happen, however, they have to be defeated. Simultaneously.¡±


    ¡°How do you know all that?¡± Celenia asked.


    ¡°Ho, ho, ho. Asking the obvious question,¡± the old mage smiled. ¡°Given that you¡¯re here, you know how valuable anything relating to the Great Gregord is. There¡¯s barely anyone alive that doesn¡¯t know something about him, but when it comes to the really important things, the towers keep it to themselves.¡±


    Everyone remained silent.


    ¡°And not only the towers, either,¡± he went on. ¡°Mages keep information from apprentices. Archmages keep details from mages.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve an archmage,¡± Ellis said.


    ¡°Honorary,¡± the old man smiled. ¡°I gave up the post a few decades ago. But knowledge has a way of sticking to you.¡±


    ¡°An archmage?¡± The avatar looked at the old man with narrowed eyes. Nothing in Auggy¡¯s behavior gave any indication he was particularly important. On the other hand, it was unlikely that just anyone would go about with Gregord¡¯s battle staff at hand.


    ¡°Honorary,¡± the old mage repeated. ¡°What we have here is Gregord¡¯s four paths of life¡ªthe place in which all his major decisions were made. He also mentioned that before each new path could start, he had to close the last.¡±


    ¡°Defeat your past self to start with your new self,¡± Celenia recited. ¡°We¡¯re going to face incarnations of the archmage?¡±


    ¡°Precisely. His childhood self, his apprentice self, his heroic self, and his mage self. All four have to be placed in a Memoria¡¯s tomb for the trial to be considered complete.¡±This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± the avatar asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s no telling what each of the avatars is capable of. Gregord was considered exceptional at magic even before gaining any training. And we definitely know that in his elder years, he was considered one of the greatest spellcasters of his time. I¡¯m confident that the scales would be balanced so that both ends are closer to the middle.¡±


    Four opponents, each at least as powerful as anything they¡¯d faced so far. It wouldn¡¯t be a stretch to say that they might be as powerful as the dragon. Gregord the boy, Gregord the mage, Gregord the hero, and Gregord the archmage. It all sounded so very logical, and still Theo had the distinct impression that the old man wasn¡¯t telling everything.


    ¡°How do we decide who to fight?¡± the avatar asked. ¡°Or will luck decide?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything random about this one,¡± Ellis said. ¡°The village where he was born was described as being south of here. The forests are west, so that must be the place where he went into seclusion after being a hero.¡±


    ¡°Correct, little one,¡± the old mage said. ¡°We¡¯ll choose our opponents now. From what I¡¯ve seen of your skills, Theo would be best suited to take on Gregord as a hero. I¡¯m not as physically sound as I once was. Ho, ho, ho.¡± He laughed.


    ¡°And I guess you¡¯ll take him as an archmage?¡± The avatar crossed his arms.


    ¡°It takes an archmage to defeat an archmage,¡± the other nodded. ¡°That leaves the young ones to decide who they want to take. The boy or the apprentice.¡±


    Ellis and Celenia looked at each other. Neither wanted to appear weak, but at the same time both were silently terrified of having to face a version of their cherished hero.


    ¡°Oh, come on!¡± The avatar used his ice magic to create an ice coin. ¡°I¡¯m tossing for the apprentice,¡± he said and tossed the coin. Everyone watched it spin in the air and fall to the ground, showing an impression of Celenia¡¯s face.


    ¡°Guess you get the boy,¡± the blonde mage said. ¡°Figures, you¡¯ll get the easy one.¡±


    ¡°Oh? How about we swap, then?¡± Ellis countered. ¡°You take the boy and¡ª¡±


    ¡°You take the boy, you take the apprentice!¡± The avatar snapped at them. ¡°I take the hero and I pray to the deities that all this doesn¡¯t get more messed up than it already is!¡± The silence that followed suggested that everyone was in agreement, at least to the point that they didn¡¯t want to argue. ¡°Whoever defeats their Gregord first goes to the nearest location to help the rest deal with theirs.¡±


    ¡°Commendable idea,¡± the old mag clapped. ¡°Just as I would expect from you. Unfortunately, it¡¯s completely wrong. Each of the four representations of Gregord¡¯s paths of life can undo a Memoria¡¯s tomb spell. That¡¯s why I told you we needed four participants for this trial.¡±


    That complicated things considerably. So much for Theo doing all the work. Now he had to rely on others¡­ this sounded typical of one of Gregord¡¯s trials.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get going,¡± he sighed.


    Meanwhile, back in Rosewind, the expected guests had started to arrive. Those of lesser significance had bought passage on the city¡¯s growing fleet of airships, eager to witness the event with their own eyes. Those of more noble persuasion were arriving the old-fashioned way, with guards, servants, and carriages adorned with their family seal. So far none of them were important enough to merit Duke Rosewind¡¯s presence¡ªor Theo¡¯s, for that matter¡ªbut it was only a matter of time before they, too, started pouring in.


    On the positive side, the glowing plants were glowing again. Theo had no idea what the abomination had done, and he didn¡¯t want to know. All that mattered was that the gardens were returning to their presentable state, and no one had been corrupted, as far as he could tell. All in all, it seemed to be a relatively good start to the day, until the universe decided once again to intervene.


    As usual, it all started with a knock on the door of the dungeon¡¯s main building. Normally, only a handful of people would dare knock. Until recently, the tax collector tended to do so in increasing frequency. Since the growth of the city, and the deals that Theo had made with the council, the visit had significantly decreased. Captain Ribbons was second on the list, but he was far too busy with overseeing city security.


    ¡°Baron,¡± Ulf shouted from outside. ¡°We really need to talk.¡±


    The door creaked open with a lot more noise than it used to. Of all the people who the dungeon could tolerate, Ulf was at the bottom of the list. Far more worrying was the fact that he had decided to come in person, rather than send a messenger from his guild.


    ¡°Yes?¡± A dozen wandering eyes emerged within the building. ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡±


    ¡°I know, but¡ª¡± the muscular man began, but was rudely interrupted.


    ¡°And if it has anything to do with Cmyk, I¡¯m not interested. That idiot can take care of his own mess for once.¡±


    ¡°Sir Myk is also there, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°I knew it!¡± The eyes surrounded Ulf. ¡°He just couldn¡¯t keep out of trouble, can he? Go tell Spok to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Lady Spok is there as well,¡± the adventurer interrupted for once. ¡°As is Switches. Avid and Amelia were also there for a bit, but Lady Spok sent them off so as not to attract too much attention.¡±


    That didn¡¯t sound good at all. Yet, most alarming of all was the fact that the dungeon wasn¡¯t able to see any of the entities mentioned.


    ¡°Where are they, exactly?¡± Theo asked.


    ¡°At the edge of Peris¡¯ garden.¡±


    That was even more concerning. The garden was part of Theo and as such, wasn¡¯t supposed to create any blind spots, and yet as much as he concentrated, he wasn¡¯t able to see any of them.


    ¡°Lead the way,¡± he said with a note of annoyance.


    The local inhabitants made way as Ulf ran through the streets, followed by a swarm of eyeballs. The locals barely gave the event a second glance. Some even greeted the baron as the eyeballs flew by. It was almost alarming how people had the capacity to get used, even with the strangest things.


    After a few minutes of running, Ulf finally arrived at the scene. It was a small circle of glowing trees not too far from the main city entrance. Theo didn¡¯t remember planting the trees, so that had to be the doing of the new gardener.


    ¡°Just through here,¡± Ulf made his way to a spot in the circle where the trees weren¡¯t as dense.


    One by one, the eyeballs followed. Upon squeezing through he came upon an open area in which all above mentioned entities had gathered. Octavian was also there, as was Switches¡¯ assistant.


    ¡°Glad to have you join us, sir,¡± Spok said in a firm tone. ¡°I have been calling you for a while now.¡±


    ¡°Really? I didn¡¯t hear anything.¡± A few of the eyeballs floated towards her. ¡°Actually, I can¡¯t sense anything in this spot. Is that supposed to happen?¡±


    ¡°Normally, no, sir. I must admit, I find myself in a similar predicament. That¡¯s not the main object of concern, though.¡±


    Cmyk and switches stepped aside, revealing the abomination. She had modified her form to match her female face, and adorned an outfit that could only be described as a cross between a maid and gardener¡¯s outfit. At her feet lay a body in a very different, though still recognizable, uniform.


    ¡°Great,¡± all the eyes said in unison. ¡°Spok, I warned you this would happen.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, you did, sir,¡± Spok muttered, sending a warning glance to Ulf. ¡°However, it was Agnoia that found the head chef, not myself.¡±


    ¡°She did?¡± Several eyeballs moved in closer.


    ¡°Yes, Baron Theodor,¡± Agonia said. ¡°I found the body while I was tending the garden. This area needed a lot more work, so I started rearranging the blades of grass. He was underneath.¡±


    There was a long pause as everyone focused on the body without saying a word. In general, it looked rather well preserved. There were no stains, other than a bit of grit from the ground he had been buried in, no significant shredding¡­ just one massive chunk was missing, right where the man¡¯s stomach was supposed to be.


    ¡°It has to be a beast attack, Boss,¡± Switches said. ¡°You can tell by the edges of the bite mark.¡±


    ¡°I gathered¡­¡±


    ¡°Nasty critter. Picky, too. Anything with a mouth that size could have easily chomped him up, but chose to leave him after a bite.¡±


    ¡°Clearly, the creature wasn¡¯t hungry. Any idea what exactly it is?¡±


    Silence resumed.


    ¡°None of you?¡± the eyeballs stared at everyone present.


    ¡°There are a few creatures I¡¯m familiar with that devour in such fashion,¡± Spok said. ¡°However, none of them are capable of entering the city unnoticed.¡±


    The explanation would have sounded a lot more reassuring if the group wasn¡¯t in an invisible spot right now. Were the dungeon¡¯s avatar here, Theo would have cast a revelation spell on the area and possibly a past-echoes on the body. Unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t an immediate option.


    ¡°Any of those creatures invisible?¡± he asked, instead.


    ¡°Yes, some of them could be. But that wouldn¡¯t make a difference. Creatures of this nature have only one purpose¡ªkill. Even if they somehow managed to get here undetected, they wouldn¡¯t have stopped at one person, and at present, no one else is missing.¡±


    ¡°That scheming Avisian!¡± Theo grumbled. ¡°He¡¯ll never let it rest until the wedding is over or ruined.¡±


    ¡°As much as I share your concern, sir, it¡¯s unlikely he¡¯s involved. I¡¯ve been keeping an eye on him since the last incident, and I¡¯m not the only one. Captain Ribbons and a few of Duke Rosewind¡¯s guards have been following the actions of all of Duke Avisian¡¯s guards and servants.¡±


    ¡°Well, something killed him. And someone got that something here. If it isn¡¯t that obnoxious swine, who¡ª¡±


    Theo stopped mid-sentence. Spok, too, appeared more alarmed than a moment ago.


    ¡°You okay, Boss?¡± Switches asked.


    ¡°Spok,¡± Theo continued, his tone of voice completely different. The sharpness was gone, replaced by calm, smooth, contained fear. ¡°I thought you told me that no heroes were invited to your wedding.¡±


    ¡°That is indeed so, sir. Cecil was adamant that no members of the hero guild were invited. In fact, he explicitly requested that they not attend.¡±


    ¡°Well, he missed one!¡± All eyeballs but one popped out of existence. ¡°Deal with this and hide Agonia somewhere!¡± The final one popped out of existence as well.


    Many would call this an irresponsible thing to do, yet thanks to his specially constructed telescopes, the dungeon had spotted something far more concerning than an abomination and a mysterious killer beast roaming loose in the city.


    A considerable distance away, a carriage was approaching. The carriage was a lot less impressive than many of the ones that had arrived so far. The only reason it passed as nobility was the presence of a family crest. The carriage was driven by a single driver, no attendants, and only one lone accompanying rider. Unfortunately, Theo knew the rider far too well. In fact, he had been on two noble quests with her, and in both cases saved Rosewind, the kingdom, and possibly the world itself, from being conquered. The issue was that both threats were currently residing in the city and were part of his minions.


    Using all the spells he had at his disposal, the dungeon activated the baron construct that Switches had built for him, and rushed out of the main building in the direction of the main gate.


    Of all the people, why did it have to be Liandra?! Any other time, he¡¯d be more than glad to see her, though not now.


    This is your doing, isn¡¯t it? The dungeon thought, referring to Duke Rosewind.


    Leave it to him to find some loophole to ensure that his promise to Spok had been kept while also inviting a hero to the city. Now, he¡¯d have to be twice as careful as before. While most people would be content to explain everything away with ¡°magic¡±, heroes, especially experienced ones, were different. One glance of Agonia, one inappropriate squeak from Switches, and Theo was a step away from losing his core.


    Arriving at the gate, the dungeon straightened the clothes of his construct and waited. Soon enough, the carriage arrived at the gate.


    ¡°Theo?¡± Liandra asked, pleasantly surprised judging by her expression. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, you came all the way here just to welcome me.¡±


    ¡°How could I not?¡± the construct replied, smiling as much as the parts of its face would allow. ¡°I wasn¡¯t in the best condition when we last spoke, so I thought I¡¯d make up for it.¡±


    The heroine shook her head.


    ¡°Typical Theo,¡± she said, stopping her horse a few steps from him.


    ¡°You should have told me you¡¯d be visiting,¡± Theo continued. ¡°Rosewind didn¡¯t mention a thing. If I had known, I¡¯d have prepared better.¡±


    ¡°By the looks of things, you¡¯ve done plenty. Just look at this place. I can barely recognize it. No wonder they call it the ever-changing city.¡±


    ¡°Ha, ha, ha,¡± the construct let out a tense laugh. ¡°Do they? I just used a bit of magic to repair this and that. After the flood of cursed letters, the place needed it.¡±


    ¡°I bet.¡± Liandra glanced at the carriage following her.


    The driver didn¡¯t seem at all charmed that they had stopped. On the positive side, he didn¡¯t seem to pay any particular attention to what was supposed to be the Baron. That was good, although to some degree, the dungeon couldn¡¯t help but feel insulted.


    ¡°Sorry, I must go,¡± she said. ¡°Etiquette and all. I¡¯ll be glad to spend some time together later, though.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be staying at the castle?¡± That was a relief. At least, it reduced the chances of her figuring out how much of the city was a dungeon.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet. All depends on my father.¡±


    ¡°Your father?¡± For some reason, Theo didn¡¯t like the sound of that. From what he remembered, Liandra¡¯s father was also a hero, even if he hadn¡¯t met the approval of her grandfather.


    ¡°That¡¯s the reason I¡¯m here. He and Rosewind go a way back, so he took the occasion to come here and talk business on behalf of the hero guild.¡±


    The carriage went past. For the briefest of moments, Theo was able to catch the glimpse of the person in the carriage. There didn¡¯t seem to be anything overly special about him, though even so, the essence of a hero emanated from him, like poison on a snake¡¯s fangs.


    ¡°It¡¯s great to see you up and about. We¡¯ll talk again soon,¡± Liandra rode after the carriage.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± the construct waved, expressing what the rest of the dungeon felt. ¡°We¡¯ll talk again¡­¡±

 (Book 3) 22. Becoming the Horror of a Thousand Generations

    It took an hour of walking for the avatar to spot something resembling a structure in the distance. Upon arriving closer, he saw that it was more than a simple building in the wilderness. Made of stone and bronze, a four-story structure resembling a miniature castle stood at the very base of a mountain. It was finely crafted, with statues depicting various men and women in heroic poses, and a large metal sign that had nothing more than a picture of a sun on it. It didn¡¯t take many guesses to figure out that to be the heroes¡¯ guild. Considering the might of its members, it was rather simple, almost spartan. There were adventurer guilds in Rosewind more impressive, let alone the large cities of the kingdom.


    ¡°Cute, but sweet,¡± the avatar said.


    Just as a precaution, he cast a flight spell and surrounded himself in two aether spheres as he approached.


    With everything experienced so far, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if the entire structure exploded, revealing a giant representation of Gregord. At least, that¡¯s what the dungeon would have done had this been his trial.


    A few hundred feet from the entrance of the building, the avatar stopped. Even now, he knew very little about Gregord¡¯s past. Supposedly, he relied on magic even as part of the hero guild. Auggy had mentioned that he also resorted to aether weapons, but that was as vague as could be.


    Wrapping a fireball in an aether sphere, the avatar propelled the explosive spell forward, then used a fire scrying spell to get a look at the inside of the structure. The massive metal door moved aside as the fireball approached, yet no sooner had Theo¡¯s spell proceeded further than he saw nothing but a solid stone wall.


    Was that an illusion?


    Thrusting the fireball forward, an explosion echoed, tossing the metal door fifty feet away from the building. Despite that, not a single crack formed on the stone wall.


    ¡°It¡¯s just for decoration,¡± a male voice said.


    Theo instinctively cast an ultra swiftness spell, then cast a Memoria spell onto the source of the voice. A cube of ice appeared, encasing the unfortunate target. Moments later, however, the mental prison burst open. Thousands of miniature ice corridors and stairways hung in the air like pieces of a puzzle that had been undone.


    ¡°Interesting take,¡± a young man said.


    He had Gregord¡¯s features, though resembled more the statue that Theo had seen during his previous noble quest than the aether representation in the tower. This version had long hair, neatly kept in a ponytail, basic travelling clothes, and the simplest leather armor covering his upper torso. If anything, the leather boots he was wearing provided greater protection than anything else. No weapons or magic spells were visible, making the dungeon even more suspicious.


    ¡°I never considered mixing the spell with ice,¡± he said, taking a winding staircase from the air. ¡°Would have been perfect against magical entities. I don¡¯t even want to think how many of them must have broken loose.¡±


    ¡°We all make mistakes,¡± the avatar said. ¡°I take it you¡¯re Gregord the Hero?¡±


    ¡°The hero,¡± the man laughed. ¡°There was a time when I yearned to be called that. That was until I joined the hero guild.¡±


    ¡°Really? Why?¡±


    ¡°Everyone there¡¯s a hero. That¡¯s why I settled for the Gregord the Archmage. But I doubt you¡¯ve come here to discuss my past.¡±


    A circle of aether daggers appeared around the avatar, just outside the second aether sphere. That much was true. They hadn¡¯t come here to talk, but to fight.


    ¡°I take it I must defeat you and then capture you in your own spell?¡± he asked.


    ¡°You just have to defeat me,¡± Gregord said, amused. ¡°That¡¯s all. It would have been too easy to use a spell that you just got to pass this trial. The reason participants are granted this spell is to know how to defend themselves against it.¡±


    Theo was about to ask what the man meant when it suddenly came to him. Auggy had lied. It wasn¡¯t the participants that had to capture Gregord. They had to be able to counter the memory spells that he cast on them.


    ¡°Spok!¡± he yelled through the spirit guide¡¯s core pendant. ¡°How do you counter a spell?¡±


    All aether daggers flew in the direction of Gregord, but as they did, the outlines of a maze had already started forming around the avatar. In the blink of an eye, the surroundings changed. The daggers continued forward, striking a wall and burying themselves halfway in.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± The avatar cursed. For the third time in his existence, he was trapped in a Memoria¡¯s tomb. ¡°Some hero you are!¡± he shouted.


    Barely had he done so, when a large earth elemental emerged thirty feet away. The creature was meant to be impressive, but after Theo¡¯s unsuccessful ice elemental summoning, it looked laughably small.


    The elemental grunted, slamming its giant fists against one another in a show of force.


    The avatar didn¡¯t even delay to create the appearance of being intimidated. A dozen entangle spells were cast on the entity, followed in immediate proximity by ice shards, exploding fireballs, and aether daggers for good measure. Theo was just in the process of considering what else to add to the mix when he was informed that the fight had already finished.


    CORE CONSUMPTION


    1 earth elemental shard converted to 3000 Avatar Core Points.


    The reward wasn¡¯t too bad, for the ease with which the elemental had been destroyed. As anyone familiar with Memoria¡¯s tomb spells, the creatures weren¡¯t meant to kill its prisoners, but rather keep them too weak to destroy the actual guardian. A normal person would slowly run out of mana and stamina, wandering through the endless maze, while the same monsters emerged again and again.


    For Theo, though, this couldn¡¯t have come at a better time. Fighting elementals was the perfect means for him to vent a bit of aggression. Casting a new flight spell, he went down a random corridor.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the dungeon to find that the layout of the Memoria spell followed the general mold. Apparently, memory spells had to be extremely complicated and creating variants took a lot more effort than one would imagine. That posed an interesting question¡ªwere the spells that the avatar had cast compliant to the general principle, or did they have differences? Maybe at some point he¡¯d have to go into his own Memoria¡¯s tomb and find out.


    The second group of enemies appeared fifteen minutes later. This time there were three of them, all earth elementals as before. The bunch had learned from the mistakes of the first and instantly made massive shields grown from their left arms. When the avatar inevitably proceeded with his attack, the damage wasn¡¯t even close to destroying them.


    Mildly annoyed, Theo cast a light spiral on top of the nearest stone shield, then shoved a series of fireballs inside.


    The glowing eyes of the earth elemental flew out along with two flames, while the rest of his body remained perfectly intact, like a statue.


    CORE CONSUMPTION


    1 earth elemental shard converted to 3000 Avatar Core Points.


    Funny, Theo thought as his avatar kicked the statue¡¯s shield. The entire entity fell backwards, shattering to pieces on the floor like a broken vase.


    ¡°Sir?¡± Spok replied through her core pendant, just as the other elemental went on the offensive. ¡°Why would you need to counter a spell?¡±


    The massive shard cut through the avatar¡¯s body, like a skewer. The only thing that resulted from it, other than a slight energy drain back in the dungeon¡¯s main body, was a sense of annoyance.


    ¡°Work on your timing.¡± The avatar cast a multitude of entangling spells, immobilizing his attacker.


    The entity tried to use its superior strength to break loose, but after a few seconds, it quickly found that it couldn¡¯t compare to the intensity of the spell cast, slowly turning into a cocoon of rock.


    ¡°If I know a spell, how can I counter it?¡± the dungeon repeated.


    ¡°That is a rather long conversation, sir.¡± The sigh could be heard through her pedant. ¡°There are a number of spells that can help you disenchant, complicate, or fizzle spells. Are you dealing with something rudimentary?¡±


    ¡°How can my avatar counter a spell?¡± the dungeon clarified. ¡°A spell that I already know.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    The word contained both alarm and relief. Relief that the issue in question was as far from the city as conceivably possible. That meant that Spok wouldn¡¯t have to deal with any consequences that might arise. At the same time, having to resort to countering magic didn¡¯t bide well.


    ¡°Am I to assume you can¡¯t provide any additional details, sir?¡± she asked.


    Theo tried to convey that memory spells were concerned, but no matter his approach, the words refused to come out.


    ¡°Nope. I¡¯ve said all I can,¡± he said after a while.


    ¡°Well, I am aware of one method used in the past, but it¡¯s not the most reliable. For one thing, you¡¯ll have to use the same amount of energy, or even more.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not an issue right now.¡± As the dungeon spoke, the avatar cast a giant shard of ice¡ªfifty feet in height¡ªand sent it slamming down on the earth elemental¡¯s head. The noise that followed was similar to two pieces of flint slamming together, only on a much larger scale.


    CORE CONSUMPTION


    1 earth elemental shard converted to 3000 Avatar Core Points.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Could you repeat that, sir?¡± Spok asked.


    ¡°Just tell me the method!¡± The dungeon grumbled.


    ¡°If you insist. All you need to do is cast an identical spell with the same target and the same location,¡± the spirit guide explained. ¡°In short, two spells can¡¯t exist at the same spot at the same time. When that happens, both of them are driven out of existence and the mana used on both sides is wasted.¡±


    ¡°That actually works?¡±


    ¡°It was discovered by accident during a period known as the dungeon wars. Back then, dungeons viewed themselves as apex predators and chose to destroy each other quickly so they could conquer and expand at their leisure.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess how that worked out.¡±


    It must have taken a special type of arrogance to think that the only thing that could stop a dungeon is another dungeon. It was a good thing that dungeons tended to reincarnate often, or they would have gone extinct pretty fast.


    To make matters worse, the advice was only partially helpful. If Gregord were to cast another memory spell on Theo¡¯s avatar, there was no guarantee that the dungeon would be able to cast one of his own in the same spot.


    ¡°What happens if the spells only partially overlap?¡± Theo asked.


    ¡°Depends,¡± Spok replied. ¡°If you¡¯re talking about low-level spells, I expect there might be a slight explosion. Should they be of the more powerful variety, there might be more severe consequences. Hopefully, you don¡¯t intend on doing anything of the sort before or during my ceremony, sir?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have shopping to go to?¡± The dungeon snapped.


    Not only had the spirit guide been late to respond, but she constantly assumed that he¡¯d do something to jeopardize the wedding. If he hadn¡¯t invested so much time and effort, Theo had half a mind to just that. Possibly just convert the majority of himself into energy and teleport somewhere. That would definitely bring a new case of having Rosewind¡¯s bride run off on the day of the ceremony. Not only would Spok me gone, but the entire city along with her.


    A loud thump in the upper floor of the dungeon¡¯s main body snapped him out of his train of thought. Maximilian, the fat rabbit, had fallen off something again. Normally, Cmyk was supposed to oversee the creature, but the skeleton was too busy taking on the role of local celebrity to bother with even the most rudimentary tasks assigned to him.


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Theo levitated the rabbit up, then gently floated it to the room that was designated to be his. ¡°I won¡¯t be ruining the wedding. Just try to stay in one spot, okay?¡±


    A large pot of glowing carrots emerged from the floor.


    ¡°Have some snacks,¡± the dungeon said. ¡°Just don¡¯t overdo it, okay?¡±


    The rabbit moved its nose and whiskers, potentially in agreement. Right now, that was good enough for Theo, who continued to fly through Memoria¡¯s tomb with his avatar. As he did, the enemies along the way increased. It wasn¡¯t long before he reached level thirty-five. The skill given was eagle eye¡ªa mediocre skill, but far better than the last three received. Sleep sense, weather tolerance, and sleep transfer might have been useful skills for people, but for a dungeon, they were worse than useless.


    Soon, hesitation crept into the dungeon¡¯s mind. While the mind prison was an utter waste of time, it was also an endless source of core points for his avatar. With the energy reserves in his main body, Theo could well grind his way up to level forty, where he¡¯d hopefully get a good specialization. It was unlikely there¡¯d be another opportunity such as this again. On the other hand, there was no telling how much time that would cost him. Since time continued to pass as normal in the real world, that suggested that the remaining three candidates had already engaged with their respective opponents.


    What was better? The dungeon pondered on the question.


    In order to leave the tomb, he had to defeat a guardian¡ªlikely an easier variant of the one that he, Liandra, and the adventurer trio had faced in the cursed estate. And that was just the beginning. The real fight would take place outside, on the sixth floor.


    After a few minutes of intense thought, Theo decided to focus on leveling after all. Furthermore, he made sure to only use magic spells to up his mind trait.


    The closer he came to the guardian¡¯s chamber, the larger the earth elementals became. Fights that used to take seconds now stretched into the minutes, with some of the monsters actually managing to land a few hits in the process.


    Thankfully, the core points awarded for their destruction also grew, even if by lesser amounts. Upon obtaining level thirty-six, the avatar was given the ability stone skin. It, too, required energy, yet after a quick calculation, Theo noticed that it would reduce his energy consumption by roughly a third, at least in casual combat.


    The next two levels once again brought disappointment, granting him appraisal and haggling. The first was already covered by a similar ability Theo had as a dungeon. The only difference was that he was able to put an actual monetary value to items and materials¡ªsomething that Spok took care of, at present. The second, the dungeon initially viewed as pointless. After a few moments¡¯ consideration, however, he thought he might make use of it during his next conversation with the feline tower.


    Yet, it was the following skill that rendered the dungeon speechless.


    AVATAR LEVEL INCREASED


    Your Avatar has become Level 39.


    +1 Mind, HEROIC STRIKE skill obtained.


    10900 Core Points required for next Avatar Level.


    HEROIC STRIKE - 1


    Allows you to perform a strike blessed by the deities. The raw power of the attack is enough to harm through any corrupted being, demon, dungeon, and abomination.


    Can only be performed once per day.


    Using the skill will increase its rank, causing it to deal further devastation to its target.


    ¡°You have to be joking,¡± the avatar whispered. Theo wasn¡¯t certain whether to laugh or cry.


    He had just obtained a skill that would instantly welcome him into the ranks of heroes, earning him a spot in the hero guild. Yet that very same skill had the ability to harm him just as much as the thing it was used against. There was a very good chance that his avatar might get completely destroyed in the process, ironically losing all skills, including the heroic strike. Yet, there was this voice in the back of the dungeon¡¯s mind, urging him to give it a go and see what happens.


    ¡°You really want to get rid of me, don¡¯t you?¡± the dungeon asked the universe. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll make you work for it.¡±


    Resisting the temptation, he continued towards the center of the maze. Once he reached it, Theo made the conscious decision to roam a bit more, searching for earth elementals to kill. It was annoying that the entities that had emerged at great frequency once he was in a hurry now were nowhere to be found.


    For a quarter of an hour, the avatar roamed about, picking corridors at random, until finally, he had amassed the required amount of core points to reach his next specialization.


    AVATAR LEVEL INCREASE


    Your Avatar has become Level 50


    +1 MIND, EARTH MAGIC obtained


    12600 Core Points required for next Avatar Level


    EARTH MAGIC - 1


    Allows creation of earth, clay, and rock objects.


    As the skill¡¯s rank increases, additional earth abilities will become available.


    HEROIC SPECIALIZATION


    (Level 40 requirements met)


    Based on the life you have led so far, the deities have granted you the opportunity to select a secondary specialization complementing your heroic trait. Further specializations are also possible based on your future development.


    The choices provided to you are as follows: GRAND BARD.


    Never before had Theo felt such joy and disappointment in rapid succession. Gaining a new type of magic was, as he had seen, always good. Being offered a single choice, which upon reflection was the worst of all, was anything but pleasant.


    GRAND BARD


    (Offered due to your multifaceted development and experience)


    Combines the strengths of magic, heroic, and battle bard into one.


    Not once had Theo wondered what types of bards roamed the world. Becoming a magic bard in his previous specialization was bad enough. Now, it seemed he had gone beyond terrible into the realms of unmentionable. What could a battle bard even do? Slam enemies¡¯ heads with a mandolin? And heroic bard sounded like a minstrel that tagged along for no particular reason.


    ¡°At least give me something to choose from!¡± the avatar shouted.


    The choices provided to you are as follow: GRAND BARD, GRAND BARD, GRAND BARD.


    The message changed in mockery.


    With a grumble, the avatar picked the middle one. On the surface, nothing happened. Neither the dungeon nor the avatar seemed different in any way, nor had any of their skills changed. Even so, there was no hiding the shame. If Spok didn¡¯t know by now, she soon would, and the same could be said for every adventurer, if Theo ever was forced to update his adventurer status at a guild.


    With a sour expression, the avatar went through the entrance to the maze guardian chamber. If nothing else, he had boosted his mind to a hundred, ensuring that all summoned ice elementals would no longer rebel. That was definitely going to make the fight against the geometry guardian a lot more manageable, although last time a heroic strike had been required to ensure victory.


    Darkness surrounded the avatar. When it dispersed, he found that he was no longer in the maze. Instead, nature was all around him, along with everything that encompassed: fresh air, sunlight, mountains, and the sound of nearby clapping.


    ¡°You really are exceptional,¡± the heroic version of Gregord said. ¡°Nearly all give up at this stage.¡±


    The man¡¯s right hand moved forward, but before it could fully extend, Theo had cast an ultra swiftness spell, leaping away from the spot, while also summoning an ice elemental.


    The outlines of a cube emerged where the avatar had been. For several seconds, they remained there in a semi-existent state¡ªjust long enough for Theo to cast an arcane identify on them.


    ¡°Another Memoria¡¯s tomb?!¡± the avatar winced.


    ¡°It¡¯s my spell,¡± the other replied. ¡°Who¡¯s to say I can only use it once?¡±


    The avatar¡¯s eyes narrowed. This was very different from what he expected. The trial wasn¡¯t meant to test one¡¯s skill or strength, but the level of their determination. Other than mana, nothing prevented a candidate from breaking free from the maze. Technically, not even mana was needed as long as one didn¡¯t engage with the elementals spawning within. Rather, it was the experience of getting entombed time after time in a memory prison that shattered one¡¯s confidence.


    ¡°How many made it past this floor?¡± the avatar asked, ready to use his swiftness spell again, should Gregord try anything funny.


    ¡°Asking the right questions.¡± Gregord smiled. ¡°Just one. The rest didn¡¯t even make it this far.¡±


    Another attempt was made to trap the baron in a Memoria¡¯s tomb, and once again he reacted faster than the spell could take hold.


    ¡°And how many are out there using your memory spells?¡±


    Gregord paused for a moment.


    ¡°That¡¯s an interesting question. Before today I¡¯d have thought none. Although it¡¯s always possible that someone has managed to duplicate my spell. You managed, after all.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t entirely the case, but the dungeon didn¡¯t want to argue. For the moment, he was more focused on how to defeat his opponent.


    Casting a multitude of swiftness spells on himself, the avatar attempted to entangle the hero. Sadly, that would have been too easy. As the threads formed around the young man, an aether blade emerged in his left hand, slicing through them in one strike.


    ¡°Left handed?¡± the avatar asked. He didn¡¯t remember any of the mages he was with mention it until now, yet it wasn¡¯t like he was paying particular attention.


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± another blade emerged in his right. ¡°In your case, I¡¯ll use both.¡±


    Just my luck, the dungeon thought. Of course, it would turn out that one of the magic prodigies of the world would end up being ambidextrous. Still, he had one ace up his sleeve.


    ¡°Elemental!¡± he shouted to the chunk of ice that had gained form a few hundred feet away. ¡°You know what to do.¡±


    Up to this point, the ice giant had remained perfectly still, calmly observing the exchange between the two without taking any action. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to, but rather he hadn¡¯t been given any instructions. Since the mind trait of his creator covered the minimal requirement for full obedience, the entity was nothing more than a vessel for his will.


    Receiving the instruction, the giant head looked down, paused for a few seconds, then the elemental shrugged.


    ¡°You must be joking,¡± the avatar said beneath his breath.


    ¡°First time ordering an elemental?¡± Gregord asked with a sympathetic smile. ¡°You must be very specific about it. Most of them aren¡¯t good at interpretations. Just tell it to attack me. That should do the trick.¡±


    That was rather sporting of the man, which was precisely why Theo didn¡¯t trust him.


    ¡°Ice elemental,¡± he began, ¡°Attack my opponent.¡±


    This time, the ice colossus sprung into action, shooting a pair of freeze rays straight at the Gregord.


    Waiting till the very last moment, the man leaped into the air, where he broke out in a flight. Both his swords split the air, flying straight at the ice elemental¡¯s head.


    The entity was intelligent enough to grasp the attack, so it quickly raised its hand to block their path. Unfortunately, that only caused the weapons to swerve to the side, flying on both sides of the palm of ice, then target the elemental¡¯s eyes once more.


    ¡°Targeting charm,¡± Gregord explained from the air, as the ice elemental¡¯s head exploded in a cloud of ice. ¡°Picked it up from the hero guild. Rather useful, when combined with arrows, but even more when used with spells. Took me a while to make enough modifications so that the blades don¡¯t hit anything on the way, but it was worth it.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± The avatar cast a flight spell on himself. ¡°I¡¯ll have to copy that one day.¡±

 (Book 3) 23. Part of the Tower

    Ice and aether blades clashed against one another as Baron d¡¯Argent and Gregord exchanged blows midair. Both were exceptional when it came to swordsmanship and both had a large number of supporting magic spells. The speed was such that hummingbirds would get busy. Just as the avatar casted a dozen swiftness spells onto himself, so had Gregord.


    ¡°Using ice to stop aether,¡± the archmage said. ¡°Very clever.¡±


    Floating back, the hero performed a double vertical strike using both swords. The weapons were blocked by the ice blades the avatar had created, yet the raw strength proved too much, causing them to shatter.


    Ice fragments flew everywhere as the aether blades sank into the avatar¡¯s shoulder. Having lost a large part of their strength, they only penetrated half an inch, but that was enough to cause the dungeon¡¯s energy consumption to spike. Maintaining his avatar was getting more and more difficult.


    Taking every opportunity provided to him, Theo used telekinesis to propel the ice fragments straight into Gregord¡¯s face. From this distance, this was no different than a precision blast directed at a single target.


    Both flew back, while casting their most potent spells. Two outlines emerged in the spot where they had been. For close to a second, the two overlapping rectangles struggled to remain in reality, then spontaneously disappeared just as fast as they had emerged.


    It actually worked, Theo thought. It didn¡¯t look like he could rely on the method to counter Gregord¡¯s spells, but it was amusing to see, nonetheless.


    ¡°Where did you learn to fight like that?¡± Gregord asked. The right part of his face was covered in small holes, as were a large part of his clothes. There was no blood to be seen, though.


    ¡°It¡¯s a gift,¡± the avatar replied. ¡°Why don¡¯t your wounds heal? You¡¯ve an avatar.¡±


    ¡°Realism. Wouldn¡¯t be fair to the candidates if I appeared indestructible. Although in your case¡­¡± The holes covering Gregord quickly shrank to the point of vanishing altogether. ¡°We¡¯re both avatars, after all. The only difference is that I don¡¯t have to hide it.¡±


    The statement annoyed Theo somewhat, mostly because it was true. Gregord the hero, and all other Gregords for that matter, were merely the result of a spell¡ªan afterthought left by a once great now dead mage. None of them had to hide anything or be ashamed of it. Then again, they didn¡¯t have a horde of heroes ready to leap at the opportunity to destroy them.


    ¡°You¡¯re doing better than most of the rest, by the way. There¡¯s a good chance our fight will be over first.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re surrendering?¡± the avatar asked. He knew that it was too good to be true, but he couldn¡¯t stop himself from uttering the words.


    ¡°No. We just fight faster.¡± Gregord summoned multiple new aether swords, throwing each one at the baron.


    In response, Theo¡¯s avatar cast aether shield after aether shield, blocking the blades before they could reach their target. Hundreds of sphered fireballs were cast in response, creating a series of explosions in a two-hundred-mile radius.


    The blast engulfed the dungeon¡¯s avatar as well, causing a certain amount of damage, but that wasn¡¯t of consequence. As long as Theo could come on top, he didn¡¯t care how much energy he¡¯d spend, at least not in the immediate future.


    Sending shards of ice in all directions, he then quickly cast an invulnerable aether sphere around his avatar, just in case. No sooner had he done so, than a massive lightning bolt struck the surface of the aether sphere. Unable to destroy the barrier, the bolt split, sending electric charges all over the sphere.


    Quickly taking advantage of his indestructibility, the avatar flew forward, straight in the direction where the bolt had come from. There was a sudden sense of propulsion followed by a sudden thump as the sphere slammed into Gregord as both sped out of the cloud of post-explosion smoke.


    Without delay, the avatar cast several hundred entangle spells, wrapping his opponent in a cocoon of aether threads. In normal circumstances, the spell wouldn¡¯t have a chance of success, but the unorthodox way of using an aether bubble had stunned Gregord for a fraction of a second, creating a momentary opening.


    ENTANGLE - ULTRA


    Spend 100 energy to magically bind a creature or object for one minute. The bind may be broken depending on the amount of strength exerted on it.


    Another ultra? That was rather handy. It would be a lie if Theo didn¡¯t consider this particular spell useful, although having it reach this level just now was the last thing he expected. It wasn¡¯t that it mattered. At this point, he could freely call the fight won without the fear of jinxing it. Regardless of Gregord¡¯s abilities, even he had to admit defeat. There was literally nothing that he could do to break free from the aether cocoon.


    Theo¡¯s mind drifted away, thinking what sort of opponents the rest of the group had faced. Without a doubt, the archmage version had to be the toughest of all. Even with Auggy being a former archmage himself, going against such an opponent was no easy feat. Logically, the best thing to do was to head in the direction of the old mage and help him win his battle. Afterwards, it was all a matter of¡ª


    A dot of light emerged on the surface of the aether sphere. Most people would have paid no notice. After all, Gregord was utterly helpless; he didn¡¯t even have the freedom to move his fingers. And even if, by some miracle, he did manage, Theo¡¯s aether sphere had several seconds of invulnerability left. Having been burned more often than not, the dungeon spent a substantial amount of energy to cast a swiftness ultra spell.


    Reality froze, right on time for the avatar to notice several rather significant developments. For starters, the dot of light had grown transforming into the tip of a luminous blade. Not the usual purple color of aether weapons, it was glowing in a golden yellow light.


    The second important change was that the glowing blade had caused the indestructible aether sphere to crack. According to all magical principles, that was supposed to be impossible. Magic rules superseded those of nature, and were supposed to be absolute. The only thing powerful enough to negate a spell was a more powerful spell.


    Suddenly, a cold chill swept through the dungeon. There was one other thing that had the power to achieve the unachievable.


    Using the time given to him by his ultra swiftness spell, the avatar quickly knelt down, pressing against the bottom of the aether sphere. No sooner had he done so than time returned to normal.


    A golden cyclone of pure force shattered through the sphere, ripping the cocoon of aether threads in the process.


    ¡°You used a heroic strike?!¡± the baron shouted, doubling the distance between himself and Gregord.


    ¡°Why not?¡± the other sounded confused. ¡°I¡¯m a hero. Just because I never used it in the past doesn¡¯t mean I never learned it. I just preferred capturing and subduing the things I was sent to fight rather than outright killing them.¡±


    ¡°So, you used it on me?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fairly sure nothing would have happened to you,¡± the hero said with a dismissive shrug. ¡°You¡¯d probably have just been cast out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a dungeon avatar!¡±


    An uncomfortable moment of silence followed. Neither of the two could be certain what would follow. On the one hand, it was said that all that failed in the tower were cast out. At the same time, it was well documented that accidents were frequent. It wasn¡¯t a rarity that mages emerged dead.


    I bet you don¡¯t even know what¡¯s going on outside your tower, Theo thought. That sounded just like what some academic would have done¡ªconsider every theory to the smallest detail, and completely ignore the practical implications.


    Instead of admitting to his oversight, Gregord responded to the awkward situation by immediately going on the offensive again. His aether blades were golden now, as he resorted to more of his heroic skills in the fight. As part of the trial, he knew that he had to be fair to any participants, granting them a possibility of moving onwards. As a hero fighting a dungeon, however, he couldn¡¯t ignore such an obvious advantage.


    More ice shields surrounded the baron. Even at reduced efficiency, they remained the best defense he had in the current circumstances. Attempting other spells, even the newly obtained entangle ultra variant proved ineffective. Gregord would simply slice through them, or pull back out of their radius of effect.


    This was what it was like fighting a hero. They were powerful, calculating, with powers that far exceeded anything Theo had. Flying to the ground, he made an attempt to create a room. The effort yielded a result, causing the start of a tower to shoot up from the ground. No sooner had it done so, when the upper half was sliced clean off in a single strike.


    The dungeon mentally swallowed. If it ever came to fighting Liandra, he had this to look forward to. It was largely thanks to his swiftness that the avatar was even alive.


    As the blade passed inches from his face, the avatar cast an arcane identify spell on it.


    AETHER BLADE ¨C ULTRA HEROIC


    An advanced variant of the aether blade that grants heroic qualities to the weapon. As such, it is no longer subject to standard magical limitations and has the ability to purge evil.


    ¡°An ultra skill,¡± the avatar grumbled beneath his breath.


    Of course, someone like Gregord would have it. That suggested that he had been either exceptionally lucky while alive, or he had spent a significant amount of time and effort casting that particular spell to reach its pinnacle. Clearly, he hadn¡¯t become a hero for nothing.


    Facing an opponent with such an obvious skill advantage, the dungeon had no choice but to rely on the method that had managed him to survive the bureaucratic existence of his previous life¡ªpsychological pressure and distractions.


    ¡°Why did you leave your mage tower?¡± he asked, avoiding a series of thrusts and arc strikes. ¡°You were claimed to be a prodigy, so why become a hero?¡±


    The question had the effect that Theo wanted. Although barely visible, Gregord paused for a moment. His next series of attacks didn¡¯t follow until two full seconds later, although when it came it had double the ferocity.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t like the way things were run?¡± the avatar poked further.


    ¡°You¡¯ve never lived in a mage tower,¡± the other said, proving Theo¡¯s point. ¡°It¡¯s different when you¡¯re a valued benefactor.¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen prodigies.¡± The avatar cast a series of ice shards, sending them straight at his opponent. ¡°They seem to have it easy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Gregord pulled back, shattering each of the ice projectiles with ease. ¡°We¡¯re subjected to a different type of pressure. We¡¯re cursed to follow paths plotted down for us by people who don¡¯t have the skill to tread down them themselves. I was too na?ve when I was brought to a tower, too na?ve and too skilled. A terrible combination. It made me think that people treated me nice because of who they were. It took me years to see that they were only behaving that way out of fear and want.¡±


    Memoria¡¯s tombs appeared one after the other, each narrowly avoided thanks to the avatar¡¯s use of swiftness ultra spells.


    ¡°How did you find out?¡± he asked.


    ¡°The price of excellence.¡± Gregord allowed himself a sigh. ¡°After I created the memory echoes spell, I kept pushing to see how far back it could go. It was a pointless exercise, and one that even an established mage couldn¡¯t get any practical application of. Being a prodigy, however, came with its indulgences. It took me a month, but I managed to sneak away a hundred advanced mana potions. A mana gem would have been preferable, but there are limitations to even what a prodigy could get.¡±


    Theo could empathize. Even with all the wealth provided to the Feline tower, he had only managed to get two mana gems, one of which was depleted.


    ¡°I used them all up, driving the spell past the one-hour barrier,¡± Gregord continued on his own. ¡°I still remember how excited I felt back then, so eager to go further back. I had chosen to see the past of the feasting table, because I wanted to know what people talked about when I wasn¡¯t there. Well, I got my wish.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess. They hated you.¡±


    ¡°That would have been preferable. They were outright terrified of me. Terrified that I might be distracted by lesser things, terrified that I might have a tantrum. The whole discussion was mages discussing guardrails and methods now to keep me in line and deal with potential issues with the least amount of time and effort. It was as if they were talking about a chained monster.¡±


    Ouch, the dungeon thought.


    That was definitely one aspect he never experienced. Ever worse, thinking back to his past life, there might have been a few cases when he had participated in similar meetings. No one liked a Primadonna and there were always systems in place to diminish the risk of erratic behavior. Having the ability to turn back time and witness such a discussion would definitely make things awkward, especially for the person discussed.


    ¡°All the talk of bettering the world was nothing but manipulation to keep me in check. All the mages knew it was said for my benefit, half of them didn¡¯t even believe in it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you left?¡± Theo was already thinking how to take advantage of the chink on Gregord¡¯s mental armor. Memoria¡¯s tomb wasn¡¯t an option, so he had to use something else.


    ¡°More or less,¡± Gregord said. ¡°You know what they say? Too early to know, too late to not care. Adventuring with the hero guild helped me figure out a lot of things. That¡¯s why I left them. After I had learned enough of how the world worked, I went into seclusion to create the perfect magic tower.¡±


    ¡°And then you did.¡±


    ¡°Not quite. I came close, but as long as there are people, there¡¯d always be good and bad opinions. I¡¯m not narcissistic enough to think that all my thoughts are good, but I tend to hope they are. That¡¯s why I created this trial. The perfect tower, containing all the knowledge I never shared with anyone else. Some might say it¡¯s a risk giving it out to anyone who could reach my chambers. Yet, what more could one hope for? Losing the knowledge would be as big a tragedy as giving it to someone to abuse it. This way there¡¯s always a chance that worthy people learn it as well.¡±


    ¡°Sounds a bit idealistic.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it?¡± Gregord laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you a secret. Ever after all this time, I never lost my naivet¨¦. I just grew a thicker skin.¡±


    Casting a multitude of swiftnesses on himself, the hero darted forward straight at the avatar.


    Theo didn¡¯t have enough time to form a plan, only bits and pieces of multiple ones. In a split second of desperation, he mangled them altogether.


    Once again, time froze to a standstill. This time, inspired by Gregord¡¯s talk, the dungeon cast a future echoes spell on his opponent¡¯s blade.


    The spell took effect, showing him the movement of the weapon. Gregord was aiming to execute a series of piercing attacks, then twist the blade and try to slice the avatar in two. There was no way that the attack would be successful, not with Theo¡¯s legendary swashbuckling skill. On the other hand, there was no reason to not let it happen. Knowledge of the future position of the blade provided knowledge of Gregord¡¯s arm, and a good idea of where the rest of the hero¡¯s body would end up. As long as he made sure not to get affected, all was going to be well.


    A series of multiple new spells followed, after which time quickly returned to normal.


    Gregord followed up with his attacks. His thrusts were easily avoided by the dungeon¡¯s avatar, forcing the hero to take a different approach and slash through the baron¡¯s torso. As the blade did so, it suddenly hit an unbreakable surface. A small unbreakable aether shield had formed precisely in the spot where the golden aether weapon would have cut through the avatar¡¯s body. Simultaneously, a light spiral had been cast just above Gregord¡¯s chest.


    Casting another swiftness ultra spell, Theo had his avatar cast a blessed fireball and shove it through the glowing portal of the light spiral.


    ¡°You used two of my spells,¡± Gregord said with a smile. Within him, the fire was already taking effect, devouring the magic that held him together. It had been an insanely risky move. It was a miracle that it had worked at all, but it had. ¡°Well done,¡± he managed to add, just before being consumed in a burst of fire.


    The avatar quickly flew back, surrounding himself with another indestructible aether shield out of necessity. Thankfully, there was no need for it. No other attacks followed; for that matter, Gregord the Hero remained completely gone, as if he¡¯d never been there. The ground and mountains had removed all the scars of the battle that had occurred, returning to their beautifully serene state.


    ¡°You¡¯re defeated, right?¡± the avatar asked.


    Cautiously, he created another sphered fireball and sent it to scry in the hero¡¯s guild building. The structure was just as fake as before, revealing nothing but solid rock inside.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s one,¡± the avatar thought.


    The only annoying thing was that it didn¡¯t come with any reward. Theo didn¡¯t expect a floor prize, but he had hoped to receive the equivalent of a monster core. Thinking back, maybe it would have been better if he had allowed himself to get captured by a few more Memoria¡¯s tombs. At least the earth elementals there would have boosted the level of his avatar.


    Crap! The dungeon suddenly remembered.


    The trial on this floor wasn¡¯t a single battle. There were three more people facing entities just as annoying as the one he had defeated. Adding to that, thanks to his experience in the memory prison, a considerable amount of time had passed.


    Renewing his flight spell, the avatar darted in the direction of Auggy. If there was anyone who needed help urgently, it had to be the old man. Ellis and Celenia were likely facing lesser versions of Gregord, so even if they were having a difficult time, Theo felt confident that he could win the battles on his own. It was Gregord, the Archmage that he was worried about. One could only imagine in terror what kinds of spells that one would use.


    The landscape sped past. The avatar didn¡¯t take notice, focusing only on what was ahead. After a while he saw a small settlement of stone houses with a tower in the middle.


    ¡°Spok!¡± he shouted through the spirit guide¡¯s core pendant. ¡°Is there anything special about mage towers?¡±


    ¡°Sir?¡± The response came almost instantly, along with a note of alarm. ¡°Is there a particular reason for that question?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m about to do something and would like to know more on the topic.¡±


    ¡°Well, other than having their own defenses, magic towers are mostly ordinary structures. You could consider them to be similar to your main building, but with a lot more defensive spells.¡±


    That already caused problems. It suggested that the moment Theo got close enough, the tower could start launching fireballs and lightning bolts at him.


    ¡°There have been ten cases in which dungeons and mage towers have gone into direct conflict,¡± Spok continued. ¡°In the majority of the cases, the mage tower won.¡±


    ¡°What do you call a majority?¡±


    ¡°Nine out of ten,¡± the spirit guide replied. ¡°The only time was when a small mage order erected their tower next to a rather large ancient dungeon without knowing it. The building was consumed within a week.¡±


    ¡°What about the surrounding buildings?¡±


    There was a momentary pause.


    ¡°It¡¯s rather unusual to have buildings around the mage tower,¡± Spok said. ¡°The practice was abandoned centuries ago, mostly because opposing towers, nobles, and others would place spies in the buildings along with the occasional saboteur.¡±


    That made sense. Gregord¡¯s original tower was centuries old. It did post an interesting question, though: in the trial¡¯s version of events, would the buildings be empty, and if not, whose side would their inhabitants take?


    ¡°Thank you, Spok.¡± The dungeon concentrated on his avatar.


    Aether spheres preemptively emerged around him. Soon enough, he was well within the settlement around the tower. Nothing happened. There were no attacks, no traps, and¡ªabove all¡ªno people. The few sphered fireballs that the avatar had sent out told him what he already suspected¡ªeverything was fake. It was all one giant decoration for the fight. On that note, there didn¡¯t seem to be any fighting going on.


    ¡°Auggy?¡± The avatar stopped at the base of the tower.


    Damn it, old man! Theo grumbled internally. There could only be one reason for a fight to end: one side had been defeated. Either that, or the old man was wandering the inside of a Memoria¡¯s tomb.


    Normally, this would be the last thing on the avatar¡¯s mind, but given he had no alternatives, he resorted to one of his less useful skills: tracking.


    At first glance, everything seemed completely undisturbed, just as things were before a battle or after it. Soon, though, thanks to his fire scrying skill and the dozens of floating fireballs, he found out that most structures were nothing more than a chunk of stone. Among them, though, there was one which appeared slightly different. For starters, it had a faint trail of blood leading in. For another, once the fireball flew inside, Theo was able to see a fully functional room, with the old mage lying on the floor, his clothes largely covered in blood.


    Without delay, the avatar flew in the direction of the man. By the time he arrived, three green aether circles had emerged around the body.


    ¡°Auggy?¡± the avatar began. One of the things Theo hated in his previous life was to ask pointless questions. As it turned out, though, there were times when people were left with no alternative. ¡°Are you alive?¡±


    ¡°Ho, ho, ho.¡± The old mage managed to laugh. ¡°Still here.¡± He turned to get a better look at the avatar. ¡°I knew you¡¯d win. You even kept your clothes this time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had a lot of practice.¡± The baron approached. It was ironic that of all his spells and abilities, there weren¡¯t any that could be useful right now. Even the arcane identify spells showed nothing.


    ¡°Well, I won mine as well,¡± the old man said. ¡°Just give me a while to rest up. We¡¯ll need to go help the kids. They¡¯re skilled, but young, not yet used to the cruelty of the real world.¡±


    Theo didn¡¯t know how to react. In his experience, mages did seem overly arrogant, especially the tower academic types. At the same time, he could clearly recognize the concern in the old man¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll rest,¡± he said. ¡°I think I know a minor healing spell, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not a good idea to mix spells. The circles will patch me up. It¡¯ll just take me a while.¡± Auggy closed his eyes, relaxing on the ground. ¡°Any chance you can summon a healing potion of the alcoholic type?¡±


    Theo¡¯s first reaction was disapproval. Looking at things, he decided why not? It wasn¡¯t like things could get tremendously worse from a small sip. Using his room creation skill, he formed a second room within the structure, this one full of any type of alcohol he could think of.


    ¡°Here,¡± he used telekinesis to fetch one from the shelves. ¡°I¡¯ve no idea how you¡¯ll drink it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll find a way.¡±


    To the avatar¡¯s amazement, the old man managed to reach out, grab the bottle and even remove the cork from it. Moments later, he downed down the entire thing as if it were made of air.


    ¡°That hit the spot,¡± he said, dropping the empty bottle next to his head onto the floor. ¡°It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve appreciated the taste. I¡¯ve this condition that doesn¡¯t allow me to enjoy it. Well, unless I gulp down a large enough quantity.¡± He attempted to laugh, but the sound was closer to a series of coughs.


    ¡°What¡¯s your definition of large enough?¡± The avatar smiled, fetching another bottle.


    ¡°Good question,¡± the old mage half opened an eye. ¡°Maybe leave that for a bit later.¡± He took a deep breath and exhaled. ¡°I promised to tell you how I know so much about the trial, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Yes, there was that.¡±


    ¡°Would you believe if I told you I got my hands on some of Gregord¡¯s secret writings?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the avatar replied firmly. ¡°Not while holding Gregord¡¯s battle staff.¡±


    ¡°So, you noticed that? I thought you might have. That¡¯s why I wanted to sacrifice you during the fourth-floor trial. Good thing I didn¡¯t. It would have made things a lot more uncomfortable. Ho, ho, ho.¡±


    The avatar shook his head.


    ¡°Well, here¡¯s the truth,¡± Auggy continued. ¡°Many, many times. I was arrogant and young and made a serious mistake. I¡¯ve been trying to correct it ever since. You could say I¡¯ve been drawn to the tower like a moth to the flame. I always knew it would destroy me, but I just couldn¡¯t keep away. Not after what I did.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± Alarm bells were ringing in the dungeon¡¯s mind. ¡°I thought it was absolute that everything done in the tower remains in the tower,¡± he said.


    ¡°Oh, yes. All memories are locked in tight, except possibly if you reach the final floor. However, they don¡¯t just fade away. Each time I set foot here, I remember everything that¡¯s happened before. In a way, I¡¯m cursed to always remember it as if it was the first time.¡±

 (Book 3) 24. Heroic Presences and a Royal Prince

    After he had been reincarnated into this world, Theo had a single regret¡ªthat he had never got the chance to enjoy the centuries of sleep that he had been promised. Looking back, it almost seemed funny. The series of unexpected events had set him down a path he was both prepared and unprepared for. Ever since he could remember, the dungeon had spent the majority of its existence grumbling at one thing or another, but with each following day he had adjusted to the world, changing it and himself with it.


    Initially, his only goal had been to blend in with the other buildings of Rosewind. Then, it had been to prevent everyone from learning his secret. After that, he wanted to cure his hunger and construct a few nice additions here and there. Before he knew it, he had become a city, the skies of which were full of royal griffins and advanced airships, where everyone knew him by name. What was more, he was soon going to witness the wedding between his spirit guide and the duke of the city where he was hiding.


    Things didn¡¯t end there. Despite his grumbling, often short temper, and reluctance to perform tasks he didn¡¯t want to, he had become accustomed to some of the people he had crossed paths with. It was still difficult to tell whether the old wounded mage had become part of that group, but Theo definitely didn¡¯t appreciate seeing the state he had been driven to.


    ¡°So, how many times have you been here before?¡± he asked in an attempt to maintain a conversation.


    ¡°I¡¯ve honestly lost count,¡± Auggy muttered. ¡°Seventeen, eighteen¡­ something around that.¡±


    ¡°That would make you two centuries old? Not bad for an old man.¡±


    ¡°Ho, ho, ho. Trying to hurt me more with your sense of humor? You¡¯re about right, though. There was a time when I looked at those wrinkly old archmages and thought, must be fun to live that long. Well, having done it myself, I can¡¯t say that I was completely wrong.¡±


    ¡°How did you remember to keep coming back?¡±


    ¡°That was the easy part. Every mage dreams of trying his luck in the trial. The difficult part was getting selected. Surviving Gregord¡¯s trial and returning with a few spells does wonders for one¡¯s career. The first time I did that I was instantly made apprentice to my tower¡¯s archmage. I worked under him ever since.¡±


    ¡°Until you took his place.¡±


    ¡°Something like that. It wasn¡¯t like the tower could complain. Each time I came back, I brought them new and wondrous spells for them to try to analyze, dissect, and replicate.¡±


    ¡°But they weren¡¯t Gregord¡¯s spells, were they?¡±


    Even if he didn¡¯t know the first thing about advanced magic, Theo was familiar with the art of making oneself indispensable. Most likely, the old man had managed to snatch Gregord¡¯s battle staff and used it to compose unfamiliar spells. Had he revealed the staff¡¯s existence, he would have received a huge boost in praise, but that would have ended it. Doing what he did guaranteed he was the best candidate to be sent to the trial time after time.


    ¡°How did you get it out?¡± the avatar asked.


    ¡°Even great mages make mistakes. Anything of the tower remains in the tower, except for what the tower grants as a prize. On my second attempt, I already knew a lot more than my first.¡± The old mage attempted to sit up, but the healing circles hadn¡¯t managed to heal him to that point yet. ¡°That wasn¡¯t the best part. Since I had already gotten the early rewards, the tower offered to provide me with hints instead.¡±


    ¡°You used them to get ahead.¡±


    ¡°To get further ahead,¡± Auggy corrected. ¡°That, plus I traded a few favors with some of the participants. We got way further than anyone had until that point. Finally, we got here.¡± He made another attempt to sit up, this time using a spell for assistance. The effort appeared painful, but ultimately brought the desired result. ¡°Then I decided to become sneaky. Thanks to the tower hints, I knew the opponents we¡¯d face.¡±


    Mixed with the sigh of pain was a grain of regret.


    ¡°It was my idea that we take on the archmage first. And when we did, I snatched his weapon.¡±


    ¡°That must have been impressive.¡± Theo would lie if he didn¡¯t admit he wanted to hear a few details. Unfortunately, his attempt to change the direction of the tale was ignored.


    ¡°I snatched his weapon. The fabled battle staff. Only it wasn¡¯t a battle staff, just an illusion.¡±


    ¡°Whatever¡¯s in the tower stays in the tower,¡± the dungeon avatar repeated out of habit.


    ¡°Except what the tower gives you,¡± the old man added again. ¡°And what¡¯s the difference between a spell and an item created by magic?¡± He looked the avatar right in the eyes. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    For several seconds, the baron could only nod blankly, while shifting his expression in an attempt to create the sense he understood the specifics of the explanation.


    ¡°I thought that if I could merge the magic that composed the staff within myself, I might be able to recreate it outside.¡±


    ¡°I take it it didn¡¯t work,¡± the avatar said, maintaining his serious expression.


    ¡°Oh, it worked. I got it out. With a bit of effort, I could even summon it. That wasn¡¯t the problem. When taking a piece of the tower, the tower takes a piece of you as well.¡±


    Theo never thought that he¡¯d meet someone quoting Nietzsche in this world. Yet, never was there a more apt way to describe what had happened. It was similar to what had happened when Theo had given part of his core to Switches.


    ¡°You¡¯re part of the tower,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re drawn to it each time it appears.¡±


    ¡°Ho, ho, ho. Indeed. I¡¯m fated to come here all the time, having no idea why. One can almost call it a modern-day curse.¡±


    Upon hearing that word, both the avatar and the dungeon shivered. He¡¯d had enough of curses.


    ¡°The only way to break it is to reach the top and claim the prize,¡± Auggy said. ¡°But for that I need some help.¡± He closed his eyes again. ¡°Some help and a bit more rest.¡±


    ¡°Do that.¡± The avatar went towards the exit. ¡°I¡¯ll go help the others in our group. After all, there are two more Gregords out there.¡±


    As he set off, morning broke in Rosewind. That came with a river of crested carriages making their way to the main entrance¡ªthe first day of the week-long ceremony had begun. Numerous nobles, minor and major alike, had taken the initiative to rush through the lands with the goal of being the first there in order to avoid the crowd. Even the griffins had sensed the commotion, flying about the skies with greater frequency than before. Like all cats, they were curious who was arriving in town and what sorts of treats they would bring. Their efforts were only marginally hindered by the multitude of airships coming and going. After spending all the ores and raw materials that one could procure, the gnome had reluctantly agreed to stop building new vessels for the time being. It also helped that Spok had explicitly forbidden him to cause any chaos during the week of her wedding.


    As annoying as massive overindulging crowds gathered in one spot could be, Theo had a far greater concern. Ever since Liandra¡¯s arrival, the heroine had spent all her time in Duke Rosewind¡¯s castle. Even more ominous, other than a brief introduction to Spok and the other nobility present, the woman had remained out of sight. Occasionally, the duke would disappear and join her as well, suggesting that the visit was far from a social call. To make matters more complicated, neither Spok nor Switches were in a position to be of any assistance. The spirit guide had to be available to personally welcome the guests, lest any of them feel they were treated worse than the rest, and the gnome¡¯s engineering reputation had soared to such levels that everyone with a bit of free money wanted to lease one of his exceptional airships. It was outright ludicrous how everyone was so eager to acquire something that only a year ago was viewed as the greatest threat in the kingdom and beyond.


    Ironically, despite the surface chaos, the dungeon had never been disturbed less than right now. With everyone focused on everyone else, no one bothered with Baron d¡¯Argent. His name would be uttered, of course, though mostly in relation to Spok. No one was even interested that he was the one who had rebuilt Rosewing, making it the city it was today, as well as the reason it had started being referred to as ¡°the ever-changing city.¡±


    ¡°Spok, just tell me if you learn anything more about Liandra, alright?¡± the dungeon whispered in his main building. He knew that his spirit guide had no way of responding, but he felt better while under the illusion that someone was looking out for him.


    Why didn''t Liandra herself come to see him, though? After everything they had been through, she could do at least that much. If Theo had his avatar, he could go to the castle and use his influence to ask what¡¯s going on. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t want to rely on a construct in front of two heroes.


    There was a knock on the door of the baron¡¯s mansion. Being focused on numerous other things, Theo chose to ignore it. He knew perfectly well who was outside and had no interest in having a conversation with him right now. As the knocking persisted, however, it quickly became obvious that the easiest solution was to simply open the door and be done with the whole thing.


    Mid knock, the door swung open without warning, revealing an empty room. The lack of people startled the alchemist slightly. Since the baron¡¯s arrival he had gotten used to much of the weirdness taking place in the city, yet now and again he¡¯d still bump into something marginally unsettling.


    ¡°Baron?¡± he asked, taking a tentative step inside.


    The floor creaked loudly in response, causing the man quickly to step forward. As he did, the door slammed shut behind him.


    ¡°I¡¯m away on important business,¡± Theo said in an angry voice. ¡°What is it, alchemist?¡±


    ¡°Err, it¡¯s senior gnome assistant,¡± the man corrected.


    ¡°What is it, senior assistant?¡± the dungeon asked again. ¡°I¡¯m in the middle of some very important business.¡± Technically, the dungeon was correct. The reason for him to utter the phrase, though, was meant to get rid of the man.


    ¡°I was just wondering¡­ you haven¡¯t been asking me for riddle advice. Given that was the reason you hired me, I thought¡­¡±


    Indeed, that was true. However, the events of a week ago seemed so distant now that Theo barely remembered. For better or worse, the riddle part of the tower trials had long gone. Now it was all a matter of might and magic.


    ¡°I just didn¡¯t want to burden you. Given the amount of work you and Switches had to set things up for the wedding, I dealt with matters on my own,¡± he lied.


    ¡°Oh.¡± There was a note of disappointment in the former alchemist¡¯s voice. ¡°Err, well, I also brought you this,¡± he took out a scroll from his pocket. You said you needed a hero scroll, but with everything going on, we never got a chance to bring it here.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right. Thank you,¡± The¡¯s voice was soaked in disinterest. ¡°Put it somewhere. I¡¯ll deal with it later. Anything else.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± the man gingerly went to the nearest shelf and placed the rolled-up piece of parchment there. ¡°You see¡­¡± he hesitated. ¡°I think someone¡¯s trying to kill master Switches.¡±


    The sentence made Theo choke, causing the furniture in the entire building to hop up, then fall back down in one simultaneous thump. That was a very corporate way to bury the lead¡ªmentioning the worst at the end. Above that, hearing the phrase ¡°master Switches¡± spoken unironically made the dungeon question the universe he was in.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°What do you mean kill?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Well, a few things have been exploding at his lab lately¡­¡±


    ¡°Things are always exploding. That¡¯s the result of bringing you two together.¡±


    ¡°Well, yes, but now they are exploding more intentionally,¡± the man explained. ¡°Work accidents happen, but when a plant spontaneously combusts as the master is passing by, it starts looking suspicious after the fifth time.¡±


    ¡°Plants have been spontaneously exploding?¡± That was strange. Theo didn¡¯t have any knowledge of that. Spok hadn¡¯t mentioned it, either, although it wasn¡¯t the sort of incident she¡¯d bother herself with. ¡°Are you sure?¡± The dungeon examined every part of the goblin lab. True to the senior assistant¡¯s words, there were charred spots throughout several rooms.


    ¡°Absolutely. One of them damaged master Switches¡¯ new blueprints so he was very upset. We had to work overtime to recreate them from scratch. It¡¯s not something one tends to forget.¡±


    That sounded typical of the gnome. When he wasn¡¯t busy flattering Theo in exchange for demands of some sort, he was obsessed with his work.


    ¡°And it¡¯s not just the potted plants,¡± the man continued. ¡°When we were walking through one of the parks, discussing the location of a new airship hangar, the grass extended and attempted to ensnare him.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on!¡± Theo snapped. ¡°I would have noticed that.¡±


    ¡°It happened, I swear! If the new gardener hadn¡¯t appeared to assist, things could have ended in a sticky situation.¡± There was another pause. ¡°On that matter, what¡¯s her name? I was wondering if¡ª¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Theo said firmly, cutting off the premise in the bud. ¡°When did this happen?¡±


    ¡°The last time?¡± The assistant thought for a moment. ¡°A few hours after we found the body. Before that it was more annoying than anything. Master Switches thought it was your way of incentivizing him to move faster. Up till then, the grass would only entangle his foot.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re telling me this just now?!¡±


    The man was taken aback, inadvertently retreating towards the door.


    ¡°It never was a big deal before,¡± he said. ¡°Even Miss Spok didn¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°Well, of course she¡ª¡± the dungeon stopped just as abruptly as he started. ¡°Wait. You told Spok?¡±


    ¡°Err, yes. Quite a few times. She had expressed concerns with the state of the parks, so it was only reasonable that we informed her of the grass behaving¡­ erratically.¡±


    That was one more thing that Theo hadn¡¯t noticed. That didn¡¯t matter, though. There was no way Spok wouldn¡¯t tell him of something of such significance. Risking the newly created parks and gardens¡ªwhich composed a substantial part of Rosewind¡ªto attack guests was a big no-no. Surely, she would have said something.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t think of telling me?¡± the dungeon asked.


    ¡°Miss Spok said she would when you weren¡¯t as busy. I thought she had.¡±


    Apparently, the spirit guide had forgotten things again. So far, it seemed to happen when she was under heavy stress. Most of the time, she wasn¡¯t even aware. Theo couldn¡¯t exactly blame her. He had forgotten more things that he liked to admit. Half the time, he¡¯d suddenly discover one among his many skills that he could use in a number of vital situations. Yet, his role wasn¡¯t to remember things. It was Spok¡¯s.


    ¡°What exactly did she say?¡±


    Before Theo could get his answer, there was another knock at the door. Another time, the dungeon would have ignored it, possibly coating the inside of the building with a potent silence spell. Unfortunately, being the city, he was able to see the person outside. For one thing, the person wasn¡¯t a single person, but a whole host of them. For another, Spok was also there, accompanying them.


    ¡°We really need to talk, old friend,¡± Duke Rosewind shouted from the outside. ¡°I know you¡¯re rather busy, but open the door, would you?¡± There was a long pause. ¡°I would really appreciate it if we could discuss this as civilized people.¡±


    Curses! The dungeon thought. He had had enough dealings with the noble to know when a matter was serious and when the man was merely trying to get him to do something. In this case, it sounded like both. What was more, he thought, he could sense a note of worry, which given the duke was exceedingly rare.


    ¡°This conversation isn¡¯t over!¡± Theo whispered, moving the portrait of himself in front of the alchemist¡¯s face.


    The door opened yet again.


    Dressed in his best set of clothes, duke¡¯s jewels of power and all, was Duke Rosewind. Behind him was a small procession of highly polished city guards, assorted servants, and a few lesser nobles. It was notable that a few guild masters were also visible in the crowd, as was¡ªto the dungeon¡¯s great annoyance¡ªCmyk.


    ¡°My good friend,¡± the duke began. ¡°Apologies for the sudden¡ª¡± he suddenly stopped. ¡°You look a bit different,¡± he said, looking at the floating portrait.


    ¡°Never mind that,¡± the dungeon quickly slapped the painting back onto the wall. ¡°We were just finishing our discussion.¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course.¡± The duke nodded. ¡°Oh, and that new airship design,¡± he turned to the alchemist. ¡°Absolutely outstanding. You and chief engineer Switches absolutely outdid yourselves.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, your Grace.¡± A beaming smile emerged on the old man¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to tell him.¡±


    ¡°Splendid, splendid. Any chance he could join us? We are expecting a rather important guest.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, your Grace. He¡¯s getting treatment after¡­ an unpleasant accident,¡± he glanced in the direction of the baron¡¯s painting.


    ¡°Unpleasant accident? Oh dear. I do hope he¡¯s alright.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing serious. He¡¯ll be back on his feet in a few hours at most. You know master Switches.¡±


    ¡°Quite, quite. Then, please wish him my best and let him know I expect him in the castle. A very important guest would be very eager to have a word with him.¡±


    All the talk of very important people forced Theo to use his observatories to look out of the city. The procession of carriages remained impressive. They had filled up the road, moving almost directly behind one another. Among them, one particular one stood out. It was entirely white, decorated with elegant designs of gold leaf. One would definitely say that their owners had style. Yet, it wasn¡¯t the carriage that attracted the dungeon¡¯s attention, but the people around it. They were guards, of course, but not the common type. These were fully fledged knights in heavy battle armor. Each of them appeared massive and experienced enough to take on a dozen royal slimes without issue. An elaborate crest shined on their breastplate, the same that adorned the carriage.


    Multiple city wells gurgled as the dungeon audibly swallowed. There could be no doubt about it; soon he would be in the presence of royalty.


    ¡°Duke,¡± he said, his voice an octave higher than usual. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m mistaken, but I thought royalty rarely left the capital.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s mostly true,¡± Duke Rosewind turned to him. ¡°I remember telling you that members of the royal family were invited,¡± he said, wagging his finger with a cunning smile.


    ¡°Yes, but I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d actually come here!¡±


    From the little that the dungeon had learned of kingdom politics, he¡¯d gotten the impression that the kingdom royals always promised to go everywhere, though never did so. It was speculated to be a means of keeping their subjects on their feet and their alliances open.


    Supposedly, the old king was old and his sons were quietly building up their political support for the inevitable day when the throne would be up for grabs.


    ¡°A most welcome surprise, for which we¡¯re all extremely grateful, I¡¯m sure,¡± the duke said.


    ¡°Extremely grateful,¡± Spok repeated a few steps behind. ¡°The Baron is simply fussing that the city might not be at its best.¡±


    ¡°Oh, nonsense,¡± Rosewind waved a hand. ¡°You¡¯ve both done a marvelous job. Oh, and that new gardener? Absolutely lovely girl. She¡¯s done wonders to the park. I especially like the roses, although maybe you should tell her not to tend them one by one? I wouldn¡¯t want the poor thing to get overworked.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure the baron would allow no such thing,¡± Spok said, implying that he keep an eye on her.


    ¡°Of course. He¡¯s the protector of the city, after all.¡± The duke nodded. ¡°Now, I know that you¡¯re busy with your magic affairs, but any chance you could pause that for a few hours?¡±


    ¡°Trust me, if it depended on me, I¡¯d be here,¡± the dungeon said.


    ¡°Yes, yes, of course.¡± The duke sighed. ¡°We must all put our duty before ourselves. It¡¯s our lot in life, after all.¡± He peeked further inside the house. ¡°Seems you¡¯ll have to use your machination for this.¡±


    ¡°My what?¡±


    ¡°That wonderful puppet that Switches made for you. I admit it won¡¯t be like the real thing, but I¡¯m sure the prince will understand. One of them will even applaud it. He¡¯s learning at a tower, you know. Quite a massive endorsement, although there¡¯s no telling how many people would be willing to have a mage king. You know better than most how much effort that involves.¡±


    Theo didn¡¯t reply. The construct of the baron was already on its way down from the attic to the first floor. Although he didn¡¯t want to admit it, he had gotten pretty good at controlling it. It also helped that Switches had used a few monster cores to boost its efficiency.


    ¡°How do I look?¡± Theo asked through the construct as it reached the door.


    ¡°Very acceptable, sir,¡± Spok said, adjusting her glasses. ¡°Although maybe keep a lower profile.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± the duke said, tapping the construct gently on the back. ¡°As I said, depending on which prince it is, we might have a wonderful time.¡±


    It was rather concerning that the nobleman stopped here, strongly suggesting that less favorable options existed.


    The whole procession made their way to the city entrance. Given the number of other carriages, the dungeon conveniently created a special entrance, just for the royal carriage. Everyone involved clearly got the intention since none of them attempted to take advantage, almost pretending that they didn¡¯t see it.


    A squad of griffin riders zipped by above, making their way to the white carriage. Avid was among them.


    Everyone watched as Duke Rosewind¡¯s son gracefully descended, instructing the driver of the carriage how to enter the city. Shortly later, the royal group changed direction.


    ¡°Just to be sure,¡± Theo whispered through his construct. ¡°Having a prince here is a good thing, right?¡±


    ¡°Marvelous, absolutely marvelous.¡± The duke nodded. ¡°Your actual presence would be all the more required. We wouldn¡¯t want to insult a member of the royal family by having the Protector of Rosewind be absent, can we?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you use Cmyk for this?¡±


    ¡°Well, having a chat with the champion of the city is memorable indeed, but he¡¯s your champion. Also, why would I dream of depriving a potential future monarch from the pleasure of your company? There might come a time that he requires your advice as much as I do.¡±


    That made the dungeon tremble. It was only Spok¡¯s cough that put an abrupt end to the tremor shaking the city.


    No one said a word as the royal carriage approached. All the people held their breaths, witnessing what none of them had in their lifetime. Only the duke had seen a member of royalty in person, and he knew better than anyone what the consequences would be should their very important guest be displeased.


    Six of the knights entered the city first. Up close, they appeared even stronger than Theo. On instinct, the dungeon cast multiple arcane identify spells, revealing more enchanted items than there were in Duke Rosewind¡¯s entire castle. Furthermore, there was something a lot more troubling. While casting the spells, Theo had also cast one other spell¡ªhero revelation.


    HEROIC PRESENCE REVEALED!


    3 heroic presences are present within you.


    Barely had he cast the spell, than the sound of galloping hooves emerged from Rosewind¡¯s castle. Two riders¡ªone of which was Liandra¡ªgalloped down the wide and straight street all the way to the entrance. Their skills were tremendous, allowing them to avoid any moving and static obstacles on their way, even leaping over an entire carriage at one point.


    The dungeon¡¯s immediate instinct was to shoot spikes from the road in an attempt to stop his natural enemy. Good manners and a deep sense of self-preservation kept him from doing so. It was just as well, as the riders went all the way to the royal carriage, where they stopped.


    The royal knights didn¡¯t remain idle, quickly forming two rows between the carriage and the riders. None had drawn a weapon, but if their skill was half what Theo suspected it was, they could do that in a split second.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, highness,¡± one of the riders¡ªLiandra¡¯s father¡ªsaid. ¡°Forgive the breach of etiquette, but I¡¯m sure that my good friend Cecil will allow me to be the first to welcome you.¡±


    The carriage door opened. A thin man with a golden coronet emerged. He seemed rather well for his years, considering he was well into his sixties. What he lacked in muscles he made up for in sternness, reminding Theo of a middle school principal he¡¯d had in his previous life.


    ¡°That¡¯s one of the king¡¯s sons?¡± Theo whispered. No wonder the country was speculating who would take the throne.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Duke Rosewind whispered back. ¡°It¡¯s his brother.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d also like to welcome you to our fine city, Prince Thomas,¡± the duke took a step forward. ¡°We¡¯re enchanted by your presence.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so dramatic, Rosewind,¡± the royal glared at him. ¡°It¡¯s just me. My nephews had better things to do than come along.¡±


    ¡°All the more enjoyment for you, your highness.¡±


    The man kept on looking at Rosewind for several more seconds, then let out a single laugh.


    ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to it. Anyone worthwhile here yet?¡± He stepped onto the ground. As he did, the knights quickly surrounded him, keeping a distance of six feet.


    ¡°A few of the dukes are here, and half a dozen marquises, among others, your highness.¡±


    ¡°Good. I hate to eat alone.¡± The royal glanced at Spok. ¡°And you must be the lovely wife to be.¡±


    ¡°You flatter me, your highness,¡± the spirit guide curtsied as she was addressed.


    ¡°That¡¯s the reason I¡¯m here.¡± The prince made his way up to the two heroes, who had promptly descended from their horses and bowed down. ¡°You better have something refreshing ready, Rosewind. The journey here was terrible.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll make up for your discomfort, your highness. You are one of the highlights of the event, after all.¡±


    ¡°One?¡± The royal arched a brow. It was rare for him not to be the center of attention, even if he were at someone else¡¯s wedding.


    ¡°Yes, your highness,¡± Spok added before her future husband could. ¡°The goddess Peris will be present during the ceremony.¡±


    ¡°An actual goddess?¡± A smile formed on the prince¡¯s face, making him look more scary than pleased. ¡°Then coming here will definitely be worth it.¡±

 (Book 3) 25. A Wedding Tournament Always Sounds Like a Good Idea

    Bolts of lightning flew everywhere, like eels in a fishbowl. They didn¡¯t bother to target anyone, but rather flew about along an oval trajectory, relying that someone would walk into them. It was a simplistic, almost childish approach. At the same time, one had to admit the method was terrifyingly effective.


    Gritting her teeth, Celenia cast a series of aether barriers around her, then summoned a mana potion and gulped it down. By now, she had consumed so many potions that the mere act felt repulsive. The sweetish aftertaste had become intolerable, and even the amount of liquid itself was too much. Never in her life had she imagined that she¡¯d end up in a situation such as this.


    On the one hand, she had to feel proud of herself. According to Gregord¡¯s tower itself, few had reached this challenge. What was more, she was even given the honor of facing a magical representation of the great archmage. Alas, once she left the tower, no one, not even she herself, would believe this ever happened.


    ¡°There¡¯s no shame in defeat,¡± Gregord said, as if reading her mind. ¡°You were skilled and lucky enough to get here. Next time, you might do even better.¡±


    This made the woman even more furious. Next time, as he put it, would be after ten years. By then she would be an old woman, and hopefully, on her tower¡¯s council. Locked memories or not, there was no way she¡¯d ever volunteer to go through all this a second time. One time was enough. Still, she was damned if she didn¡¯t do everything possible to reach the next floor.


    Holding her breath, the blonde cast half a dozen enchantments on herself, increasing her speed, strength, perception, and reflexes. That made her feel on an equal footing. Then she cast a burst of smoke bolts in Gregord¡¯s direction.


    Of all the opponents Celenia could have, apprentice Gregord was the worst. He was fast, energetic, relying on brute force rather than sophistication to win. In short, he was everything that the scrolls and tones said that the great archmage wasn¡¯t. No wonder that everything written about Gregord¡¯s childhood was vague. He was a prodigy, true, but still a child. Thus, he fought like a child.


    In contrast, Celenia specialized in slow but powerful spells. When it came to real world matters, her job security was guaranteed. Armies would be lucky to have her on their side, and would also gladly provide her the time to cast one of her destructive spells. Here, she had to constantly be in motion to avoid getting hit by the simplest of spells.


    The smoke bolts spiraled around their target, obscuring the apprentice¡¯s view. That didn¡¯t affect the bolts, but it didn¡¯t have to. All Celenia aimed for was to move further away so she could cast one of her destructive spells.


    Without warning, a cluster of ice shards darted past inches from the woman. A thunder of explosions followed as various spells collided in a destructive display of fireworks, blowing out the smoke cover.


    ¡°Who was that?!¡± Celenia shouted, turning in the direction the shards had come from.


    She half expected to see Theo. Instead, the massive form of an ice elemental made a giant step forward.


    Disbelief paralyzed the woman. How had the creature appeared so close? Something that size should have been easily noticed, and yet she could swear that she hadn¡¯t seen even a hint the entire time she had fought against Gregord.


    Ignoring her, the elemental marched on. As it did, its right hand rose, casting another wave of ice shards.


    ¡°Did you tire him, at least?¡± a familiar voice asked.


    Looking up, Baron d¡¯Argent floated down from the sky, surrounded by an aether sphere.


    ¡°Well?¡± he asked, annoyed.


    ¡°Err, of course,¡± Celenia lied. ¡°He¡¯s almost drained.¡±


    Theo found that difficult to believe. Even now, it didn¡¯t seem that his ice elemental was capable of bringing a swift victory to the situation. There could be no doubt that this version of Gregord was considerably less powerful than the last. That didn¡¯t prevent the archmage from having a few tricks up his sleeve.


    The entire ground the ice elemental was walking on suddenly transformed into a mass of earth elementals. Each of them was no larger than a pony, but their number and location made the ice giant sink into the ground as if he had entered a pool of quicksand.


    ¡°That clever bastard,¡± the avatar said with a smirk. ¡°Even as a brat, he can be annoying. How many times did he trap you in a Memoria¡¯s tomb?¡±


    ¡°None.¡± Celenia replied, for some reason incapable of looking away from the ice elemental being devoured. It was like watching a bird struggle to escape from an ant colony¡ªterrible, grotesque, and yet guiltily fascinating. ¡°It¡¯s a general misconception that he developed the spell while an apprentice. He learned memory magic, but it was only after he became a hero that he¡ª¡±


    ¡°Good to know,¡± the avatar interrupted. ¡°Any news from Ellis?¡±


    ¡°Well, she can¡¯t be doing much better than me.¡± Even in a situation such as this, petty rivalry and arrogance quickly gained the upper hand. ¡°She¡¯s considerably weaker than me, even if she¡¯s facing Gregord as a child.¡±


    That was hopeful, suggesting there was a large chance that the cat was still in the fight. Before Theo could go there to assist, however, he had to deal with the present situation.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that neither your nor her Gregord know a thing about Memoria¡¯s tomb?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way to be certain, but they shouldn¡¯t. Maybe the apprentices might know some basic theories or principles relating to the spell. It was never confirmed whether Memoria¡¯s tomb was an original creation or had elements borrowed from existing magic. Magic patenting rules weren¡¯t firmly established back then, so¡ª¡±


    ¡°So, no?¡± the avatar interrupted again.


    ¡°If you want to oversimplify it, then no.¡±


    That was everything Theo needed to know. Casting a multitude of swiftness spells onto himself, he flew straight at Gregord. This version looked a lot younger than the last. It was like looking at a college freshman full of optimism and confidence. The spells he was using seemed basic, but well coordinated to achieve victory.


    The apprentice opened his mouth, starting a sentence, but the avatar didn¡¯t give him the chance. A massive block of ice emerged amid the swarm of lightning bolts, trapping Gregord within it. For several seconds, it seemed that reality had shattered.


    Celenia covered her mouth as if witnessing the impossible. Theo¡¯s avatar also was on edge, bracing himself for the response that would follow. All the attention was on the block of ice. For several moments, it remained in place, the Mamoria maze forming within it like glittering white lines. Then, the lightning bolts lost their coordination, scattering about aimlessly with a series of manor zaps. Several hit the avatar, causing negligible damage and a few holes in his clothes.


    The earth elementals also lost their consciousness, reverting to solid earth with the ice elemental still firmly imprisoned. Then, all of a sudden, Gregord¡¯s form poofed out of existence.


    ¡°That can¡¯t be it,¡± Celenia said, looking around in all directions.


    ¡°Why not? Seemed pretty decisive to me,¡± the avatar allowed himself to float onto the ground.


    ¡°That¡¯s the Great Gregord,¡± Celenia raised her voice. ¡°He¡¯s¡­ one of the epitomes of magic! I spent hours fighting him!¡± She didn¡¯t add that several times she was on the verge of losing.


    ¡°He¡¯s a know-it-all apprentice with a few extra spells. I bet he was meant to be the distraction rather than the challenge.¡±


    Of course, there was one small detail that he omitted as well. None of the Gregords had any mana restrictions. Similar to the dungeon¡¯s avatar, they could cast an unlimited number of spells. Even a capable mage would eventually get tired, especially if they didn¡¯t have the means to achieve a swift victory.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go help Ellis,¡± the avatar said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s,¡± the slightest of smirks appeared on Celenia¡¯s face. If there was something capable of improving her mood, it was the thought of the feline mage being in just as much trouble as she was. With a little bit of luck, she might have even lost.


    The flight was long and uneventful, and entirely using Theo¡¯s energy. Normally, he¡¯d be annoyed at the principle of the whole thing. Having arrogant mages mooch on him tended to rub him the wrong way. For the moment, they were on the same side, though. What was more, there was no telling how many additional mana potions she had on her.


    ¡°How¡¯s the old man?¡± Celenia asked as they flew.


    ¡°Mostly fine. Do you have any healing potions?¡±


    ¡°Healing potions?¡± the woman scoffed.


    ¡°Something wrong with that?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­¡± she cleared her throat. ¡°No, I don¡¯t have any potions, but I¡¯m known to have a healing spell or two.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t the answer that Theo was hoping for. Auggy was already using numerous healing spells just to remain stable. Potions, as the old man had explained, worked on a different principle, doubling the effect of healing. Sadly, the dungeon never needed healing, and mages were above such crude concoctions.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope so,¡± the avatar muttered.


    After a while, a picturesque village became visible in the distance. A single look was enough to make it clear that it was fake. The houses were far too clean and colorful, surrounded by an air of calm, warmth, and coziness. Looking at it evoked emotions from every children¡¯s book and story, and also every nostalgic memory.


    As could be expected, Theo saw nothing positive about it. In his mind, it was nothing but a fake fa?ade covered in nostalgia.


    Arriving a few hundred feet from the furthest structure, the avatar ended the flight spells.


    ¡°Stay close and be ready,¡± he whispered. ¡°I¡¯ll take on Gregord. You¡¯ll get Ellis and keep her safe.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re having me babysit a cat?¡± Celenia asked, her mouth curving into a smile despite her attempts to maintain a neutral expression. ¡°That will be good.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like you can take him on,¡± the avatar grumbled, instantly souring her mood again. ¡°We go on three.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°On what?¡± The blonde mage blinked.


    ¡°Three,¡± the avatar uttered in childish pettiness and had both of them split the air well before Celenia could prepare for the flight. It was a terrible waste of an ultra swiftness, but very much worth the expense.


    Crisscrossing the narrow streets of the village, Theo kept an eye open for Ellis and her opponent. There didn¡¯t seem to be any signs of a fight, but as one had seen, any debris tended to vanish within moments. The lack of sounds and spells, though, was a bad sign. If the white cat had won, she¡¯d let the others know. If she had lost, on the other hand, it was time for Gregord to appear and¡ª


    Turning a corner, the avatar witnessed a sight that he didn¡¯t expect he would see. Laying on the ground was a boy of twelve, surrounded by large crab-like rock elementals with exceedingly sharp pincers. If the avatar had cast an arcane identify, he would have learned that these were dark stone elementals¡ªa combination of stone and volcanic ash that rendered them immune to most physical attacks and resistant to most magic spells. Clearly, even as a boy, Gregord had ways of defending himself.


    The source of confusion, however, didn¡¯t lay in the crabs, but another creature, resting calmly on the boy¡¯s head.


    ¡°Ellis?¡± the avatar managed to say after several seconds. ¡°Are you¡­ alright?¡±


    Both Ellis and the boy turned in the avatar¡¯s direction. The crab elementals, thankfully, didn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°Hey, Theo!¡± The cat waved a paw. ¡°I see you won your battle.¡± Ellis then glanced at Celenia. ¡°Oh, so did she,¡± she added with a note of bitterness.


    ¡°Is she the old lady you told me about?¡± the boy asked with the cruel innocence that would twist the stomach of any adult.


    Celenia took it extremely poorly. The insult was bad enough, but hearing it from a version of Gregord made it intolerable.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s her.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t win her battle,¡± the boy continued, adding insult to injury. ¡°Theo won it for her. He also won his own.¡±


    ¡°Well, he is rather powerful,¡± Ellis said, flicking her tail. ¡°A bit odd, though.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because he¡¯s a¡ª¡±


    ¡°And did you win?¡± the avatar quickly interrupted, suspecting what the child version of Gregord might say. Even if nothing mentioned here would be remembered outside of the tower, he preferred not to have everyone know that he was a dungeon avatar.


    ¡°Yep. Hours ago. I just decided to rest and spend some time with Gregord,¡± the cat said innocently.


    ¡°How?¡± Celenia asked through her anger. ¡°How on earth could someone like you win against the Great Gregord?¡± she glanced at the boy. ¡°Even if he¡¯s a child.¡±


    ¡°Oh, simple. Gregord surrendered.¡± The cat said with glee. ¡°He loves cats.¡±


    ¡°U-huh.¡± The boy nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to fight her, so I surrendered.¡±


    ¡°And these?¡± The avatar pointed at the crab creatures.


    ¡°Oh, Gregord simply taught me a spell to pass the time. I told him that you¡¯ll come along any moment, so we had a bit of time to kill. I didn¡¯t expect it would take you that long.¡±


    A large distance away, the city of Rosewind inexplicably trembled. There was no explanation for the occurrence. Even Spok was somewhat puzzled. Still, there were some things the dungeon simply couldn¡¯t accept and having Ellis be given a victory and a spell just because she was a cat was among them.


    ¡°Of course he would,¡± he grumbled.


    This version was a child, after all. Whether that was part of the trial was immaterial. One might even say that it worked to the group¡¯s benefit, even if half the mages didn¡¯t see it that way.


    ¡°If you like cats so much, why do you prevent them from entering the tower on their own?¡± the avatar asked.


    ¡°It was an oversight.¡± The boy turned away. ¡°I didn¡¯t think any would be able to come. I did allow for familiars, though.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t the same thing at all. Saying that would start a long argument with a twelve-year-old boy, which was the last thing that Theo wanted right now.


    ¡°So, did we pass the trial?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± the boy said, petting the cat on his head. ¡°The staircase starts at the mage tower. If you follow it you¡¯ll reach the seventh floor.¡± There was a pause. ¡°You don¡¯t have to go right away.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Celenia asked, full of na?ve curiosity. ¡°Will you teach us a spell as well?¡±


    Theo, on the other hand, was far too cynical to hope for that. He could clearly see the real intent of the child¡ªhe just wanted to play a bit more with Ellis. Considering that was likely the first and only cat that had ever entered the tower, one might almost understand him, but there was a time and place for everything. Theo still had a mana gem to collect, not to mention a wedding to attend. What was supposed to be a one-day noble quest had stretched to a full week and even more. Given that the complexity and size of each next floor grew following a geometric progression, there was no telling how much more time and energy he¡¯d waste.


    ¡°Maybe?¡± There was anything but certainty in the boy¡¯s voice. ¡°At least stay another ten minutes.¡±


    The ten minutes quickly turned to half an hour. By the time an hour had passed, Theo threatened both Ellis and the young Gregord with trapping them both in a Memoria¡¯s tomb if they didn¡¯t stop wasting his time.


    Irony aside, the threat did work. While having an entirely different attitude to life, Gregord had retained all the knowledge of the tower and, at some level, knew that they had to continue with the trial. That didn¡¯t keep him from being upset about it. One of the crab creatures ¡°accidentally¡± charged at the avatar, attempting to cut him in two.


    The attempt was unsuccessful, though not due to lack of trying. Rather, Theo suspected that would be the child¡¯s response from the start. If anything, he was astonished it had taken Gregord this long to make an attempt. In response, he too didn¡¯t hesitate to cast a spell, though his was faster.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Ellis asked in a sarcastic voice as she cast a flight spell on herself. ¡°You had to cast a Memoria¡¯s tomb on him?¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be my first,¡± the avatar grumbled. Deep inside, he felt a sense of accomplishment. Out of the four Gregords he had defeated three.


    With that done, the usual exchange of snobbish insults between Ellis and Celenia ensued, along with the flight to the fake tower.


    Meanwhile, back in Rosewind, the grand hall of the castle was holding a massive feast. With a member of the royal family present, everyone and everything was at its best. Both guests and servants were wearing their most expensive clothes, along with heirlooms that normally would never see the light of day. Tables, banners, and decorations had been completely replaced by better ones, at Spok¡¯s insistence, and all the new cooks had foregone all kitchen rivalries to create the greatest series of culinary wonders the kingdom had seen. Without a doubt, this was a scene for sagas and history books, as a pair of bards were eagerly jotting down.


    Only the most illustrious nobles were allowed in the hall, with many more enjoying minor feasts of their own in neighboring rooms. Sadly, much to Theo¡¯s displeasure, he was also part of the main event. Even worse, thanks to Duke Rosewind and Duke Goton, his construct was no further than six seats from the aging prince. That, too, would have been tolerable if the royal and the dukes didn¡¯t constantly insist on talking to him.


    ¡°So, it was your idea to let griffins nest in the city?¡± Prince Thomas asked in an expression that could be interpreted as both friendly and hostile.


    ¡°Yes, your highness,¡± Theo replied with his construct. ¡°It seemed like a good idea at the time.¡±


    ¡°Filthy creatures,¡± Duke Avisian didn¡¯t miss an opportunity to point out the many failures of the city and everyone in it. ¡°All they do is squawk, shit, and beg for food. Usually in that order.¡±


    ¡°I rather fancy the creatures myself,¡± Duke Goton said in-between eating the overly large steak he was served. ¡°I¡¯ve already chosen a small group to bring with me. If there was more time before the ceremony, I¡¯d have loved to have a joust.¡±


    Sitting a seat away from the throne, Liandra¡¯s father cleared his throat.


    ¡°Griffin jousting is banned for a reason,¡± he said.


    ¡°Oh, shut it, Lerman,¡± the large duke grumbled. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with a little harmless jousting?¡±


    ¡°For one thing, we aren¡¯t children anymore,¡± the hero said. ¡°For another, having an incompetent knight fly into someone''s house by accident isn¡¯t a good look.¡±


    Duke Goton just grabbed a large glass of wine, ignoring the comment.


    ¡°A jousting tournament sounds like a good idea,¡± the prince said, making Theo¡¯s heart sink metaphorically. ¡°None of that griffin nonsense. Just a plain old-fashioned jousting competition. Back in my day, all the great weddings had one.¡±


    ¡°Very true, your highness,¡± Avisian was quick to agree, pushing his plate as far away from him as possible. Apparently, there had been another mix up in the kitchen, serving him a combination of things he disliked and couldn¡¯t handle. ¡°Sadly, what could you expect from a third-rate town? It speaks loudly enough that your newest duke hadn¡¯t even considered the matter. Otherwise, he would have bothered to spend the time to mark the occasion. Given that it¡¯s his own wedding, I can only assume that he was a bit absentminded on the matter,¡± he added with a slimy smirk.


    ¡°Actually, if you would forgive the intrusion, your highness, a tournament could very well be held,¡± Spok said from behind her future husband¡¯s chair.


    Up till now, none of the guests had noticed her there. If anyone were to think more on the matter, they would swear that she had just moments ago discussed something with a servant across the hall.


    ¡°What do you have in mind, my dear?¡± the prince asked, adjusting his moustache with his left hand.


    ¡°Baron Theodor d¡¯Argent had already considered this weeks ago, your highness,¡± the spirit guide lied with a straight face. ¡°The reason nothing was done till now was that he wanted to be certain to fulfill the expectations of the guests before he set up the jousting area.¡±


    Several dozen sets of eyes turned to the dungeon¡¯s construct in unison. Deep inside, Theo was absolutely furious at his spirit guide. Unfortunately, all he could do was make his construct smile.


    ¡°Umm, yes,¡± he began. ¡°I was hoping to discuss the matter with your highness later this evening in a more private setting, but since the cat¡¯s out of the bag, we might do it now. That is, if Duke Rosewind doesn¡¯t have anything against it?¡±


    ¡°Please, my good friend, no need to be so modest on my account.¡± Rosewind displayed his typical support, which was to say, taking most of the credit while placing all the responsibility on Theo. ¡°You know you have my full confidence. You are the city¡¯s protector, after all.¡±


    ¡°How could I forget?¡± the construct of the baron replied, the wide smile never leaving the artificial face. ¡°No griffins, I take it?¡± he glanced in the direction of Liandra¡¯s father.


    The stern look quickly answered his question.


    ¡°You¡¯ll make one of the big ones, right?¡± Duke Goton asked. ¡°I¡¯ve no idea who started this mini-tournament fad, but if I get my hands on him, I¡¯ll¡­¡± he slammed his fork into what remained of his steak. ¡°Ruining a centuries long tradition.¡±


    ¡°And none of those modern obstacles, either,¡± the prince added. ¡°They¡¯re worse than bards.¡±


    Hearing that, the two bards in the hall gingerly moved further away from the main table.


    ¡°Large, with no obstacles,¡± Theo repeated. As he did, the area in question emerged outside the city walls. Originally, the dungeon had planned to use the area for a vineyard. He had even gone through the pains of fertilizing the land with earth elemental remains and planting exotic seeds. The only thing missing was a proper time spell. Come to think of it, maybe it would be a good idea to pester the Feline Tower for that. The cats were adamantly against giving him the second mana gem, but when it came to other favors, maybe they would be more inclined.


    ¡°What are your thoughts on weather effects?¡± the dungeon made the mistake of asking.


    Everyone stared at him as if he had a frog¡¯s leg hanging from his mouth.


    ¡°Your highness?¡± the construct added.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± The prince scratched his moustache.


    ¡°The city has a few weather towers,¡± Theo explained. ¡°Just to ensure no storms during the week of the ceremony, of course.¡± The construct glanced at Liandra¡¯s father. Unfamiliar heroes tended to make him nervous. ¡°I could use them to create mud, rain, or even snow and sleet. Only for the participants, naturally.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me that we can watch those miserable bastards sweat in snow while we enjoy the fine weather?¡± the prince asked in a stern tone. ¡°Baron, that will be a sight to see. You have my blessing.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, your highness.¡± For some reason, the entire city felt a deep sense of relief coming from everywhere and nowhere in particular.


    ¡°You¡¯ll participate, won¡¯t you, Lia?¡± The prince turned to the heroine. The woman was seated eight seats down, placing her at the same level the baron¡¯s construct was just on the other side of the table.


    ¡°That would be against the hero¡¯s code, your highness,¡± Liandra replied. ¡°It would be unfair to the other participants.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, yes I suppose.¡± Prince Thomas sighed. ¡°What about your local champion?¡±


    ¡°Sir Myk?¡± Duke Rosewind asked. ¡°While he isn¡¯t a hero, he¡¯s a battle-hardened veteran. Having him face the adventurers of today would prove a bit too much of them. I suppose he could hold a few demonstrative rounds.¡±


    ¡°Well, he probably is the only passable thing in the city,¡± Duke Avisian said. ¡°It might be a good method to measure the best or Rosewind against some of the noble families.¡±


    ¡°By Luminaria, we¡¯ve got a plan!¡± The prince said, excitement shining through parts of his stoic expression. ¡°When can we have it?¡±


    ¡°The terrain and stands will be available first thing tomorrow, your highness,¡± Spok said in full confidence. ¡°It might take a few days longer to get the participants ready. That is one of the downsides of surprise tournament announcements.¡±


    Although, truth be told, rumors of the wedding tournament had already made their way out of the castle and into the city itself. By half an hour at the most, there wouldn¡¯t be a single person in Rosewind who hadn¡¯t heard the news. Some would say it was typical for the everchanging city. Others would view it as a welcome surprise. The only person who viewed it as more work and hassle was Theo. The only bright side was that he might use it as an excuse to keep Liandra and her father as far away from his main city as possible.

 (Book 3) 26. Left Deliberately Incomplete

    There always were events that could electrify a city. Since its latest reconstruction, a few months ago, Rosewind had seen more changes than one could believe possible. Local sculptors and artists were almost exclusively focusing on recreating old pieces of art to present an image of what the city had once been. The more entrepreneurial nobles had even sent messages to noble towers and free mages, inquiring quotes to look back in time and create an image of the town years ago.


    Amid all the buzz and changes, the announcement that a wedding tournament would be held made everything in the last few months seem almost tame. It wasn¡¯t just that most of the local inhabitants had never witnessed an actual tournament. As with everything else, it was the participants that caused the greatest stir. With over a thousand noble guests, even if a tenth were eligible, that would instantly put it in the vein of a royal jousting tournament, which itself hadn¡¯t occurred in the last seventeen years.


    That wasn¡¯t all. Despite massive signs and notices of the contrary, there was speculation whether heroes and griffins would participate. The fact that Sir Myk was going to hold a few demonstrative rounds was enough for numerous eager nobles to send messages home, requesting that their weapons and armor be immediately sent via magical means.


    On the flip side, everyone known and unknown had flooded Theo and Spok with various requests, ranging from permission to sell their goods at the tournament to participating in some unspecified capacity. Things had gotten so bad that even Cmyk had sought refuge in the underground gardens of the dungeon. Others, unfortunately, weren¡¯t so lucky.


    ¡°Just because we¡¯ve had a few minor disagreements is no reason to bite a hand offered in friendship,¡± Elric said. ¡°Even with the baron¡¯s magic, you wouldn¡¯t be able to find weapons for all the participants. Not even close.¡±


    The spirit guide continued looking at the man with her emotionless expression. It seemed that the closer the day of her wedding got, the more the man was trying to worm himself into her good graces. Considering the open hostility only months ago, he had to be commended for his flexibility.


    ¡°Viscount Dott sent you, didn¡¯t he?¡± Spok adjusted her glasses.


    ¡°The viscount was fortunate to have a large supply of armor sets in one of his warehouses. It was meant for a few of the central kingdoms, but given the circumstances, they would understand.¡±


    ¡°And it just happened to be here?¡± That was too much of a coincidence, even for the spirit guide.


    ¡°The central kingdoms have been ordering a lot since the goblin incident. Normally, my viscount would send everything to them directly, but thanks to our arrangement with the gnome engineer, it was seen to be more profitable to gather the armor sets here until an airship could be leased. It¡¯s the way of the future.¡±


    Spok did not comment. If the man was trying to impress her with his foresight, he was way off point. One had to admit, though, that there was just enough truth in his words for her to consider the proposal. It wasn¡¯t a lie that a large part of the nobility had flooded all local blacksmiths, guild artisans, and Switches, for gear. Only the richest were able to afford magic letters and spells to have the gear sent back to Rosewind. Everyone else had to do with what was at hand, which wasn¡¯t much.


    ¡°I suppose I could use them for their material,¡± Spok said. While her response was meant to annoy Elric, there was also a certain amount of truth to it. ¡°What would you and your noble want in return?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely nothing, of course.¡±


    The spirit guide narrowed her eyes. Usually, no price was the highest price of all.


    ¡°Consider it an additional wedding present,¡± Elric was quick to add. ¡°And front row seats.¡±


    Spok¡¯s eyes narrowed further. The plan was so obvious it was laughable. Dott wanted to get a chance to make deals directly with dukes and other high nobles. Not that it concerned Spok in the least. Her main task remained the dungeon and the city, and conveniently they were pretty much the same thing.


    ¡°Very well. Please thank the viscount for the generous gift. I¡¯ll make sure that he and you have seats in the special section.¡±


    ¡°Very much obliged, lady Spok.¡± Elric bowed down. ¡°I¡¯ll arrange the sets of armor be transported to the gnome¡¯s workshop.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡¯ll see to that myself. You and your noble just continue to have fun. This is a week of celebration, after all.¡±


    Anyone would have tried to dissuade her, but since this was a business transaction, the steward left things as they were and left. Clearly, relations between them remained tense; they were just good enough at etiquette and politics to not let it show too much.


    ¡°Sir,¡± Spok said. ¡°I¡¯ve procured some more raw material. If you make use of what¡¯s left of the airship frame, there should be enough.¡±


    A series of doors and shutters along the road creaked. Theo was already having a hard time ignoring people knocking on the door of his main building. Additionally, he had gone through all the current dungeon spells in search of armor customization abilities. Given his dungeon rank, one would have thought for them to be abundant. Unfortunately, that turned out not to be the case.


    Theoretically, the dungeon had the ability to create any item, weapon, armor, and piece of attire, from the cheapest to the most extravagant. Sadly, in most cases, the pieces of armor were nothing more than shiny lures whose goal it was to devour their occupants so that the dungeon could consume later. That aside, even the ones that could be considered safe were highly generic. Theo had the ability to create entire armories, and he had. Yet never in his past or present life had he seem such a picky bunch of individuals. Compared to them, even Amelia and Avid could be said to be the paragons of understanding.


    Last, but not least, the final nail in the coffin had come from Liandra¡¯s father. The no-good hero had taken one look at the sets of armor and declared them ¡°too magically enhanced¡± to be allowed in the tournament. According to him, crafting a set of armor with magical tools and constructs was perfectly acceptable. Doing the same with a single spell wasn¡¯t. As a result, one of the airship yards was temporarily transformed into a ¡°mechanical forge¡±¡ªa phrase coined by Switches. Now, only two things were missing: raw material and a means to create family crests quickly. The former, Theo planned to have the gnome to modify sets of armor that Spok had just procured. As long as they looked flashy¡ªsomething the gnome was extremely good at¡ªno one would be the wiser. It was the latter that was a problem due to a combination of bureaucracy and tradition.


    For some unclear reason, only nobles themselves, or artisans of noble lineage, could place family crests on suits of armor. That was annoyingly specific, since there were no such restrictions for clothes, buildings, or carriages.


    ¡°Give them to Switches,¡± the dungeon grumbled.


    ¡°I already have, sir.¡± The spirit guide disappeared from the street, reappearing in her room in the baron¡¯s mansion. ¡°Also, Agonia has assured me she¡¯d be able to make enough glowing cloth for at least a hundred of the participants.¡±


    ¡°How did we get here, Spok?¡± the dungeon asked. ¡°What was so wrong in the simple way of life we had before?¡±


    ¡°Do you really want me to answer that, sir? If I recall, it was your inability to put up with the discomfort of a few cicada squirrels that made you to attract the attention Liandra¡¯s grandfather and kill him.¡±


    The dungeon didn¡¯t respond. For starters, he still refused to take responsibility for the old man¡¯s death. It was the old fool that had charged into the dungeon and inconveniently tripped, killing himself inside. That had started the long chain of events that had transformed Theo into what he was today. It seemed that the saying from his previous life was true¡ªit was the coverup that complicated things, requiring further coverups, until the whole thing snowballed out of proportion. Now, he was forced to oversee the most extravagant wedding imaginable so as not to break character. With three heroes in town, all it would take was one person to suspect something and the whole house of cards would come tumbling down.


    ¡°Go keep the geezer prince and Liandra¡¯s father occupied,¡± the dungeon snapped. ¡°I¡¯ll figure this out on my own.¡±


    ¡°Of course, sir. If you need assistance, don¡¯t hesitate to let me know.¡±


    The dungeon patiently waited for his spirit guide to leave the building, then slammed every piece of furniture into the ceiling. It wasn¡¯t so much what Spok had said, but his opportunity to relieve the accumulated stress.


    This is it! The dungeon told himself.


    He was going to see the wedding to the end, after which he¡¯d spend the rest of his existence doing absolutely nothing. With the wealth he¡¯d acquired, there was no reason for him to lift a finger. Spok would take care of everything¡ªshe owed him that much. Between her, the duke and Switches, there was no reason anyone should even remember him. It was going to be pure bliss.


    Alright, just one final push! Theo encouraged himself, then used the long-distance scrying spell he had acquired from the Feline Tower archmage.


    ¡°Hello?¡± an unusually young and uncertain voice said.


    ¡°Hi. Give me the archmage,¡± the dungeon said, as if he were talking to an office assistant.


    ¡°Err, the archmage is occupied at the moment.¡± There was a moment of hesitation. ¡°Is that you, benefactor?¡±


    ¡°Who else would it be?¡± Theo snapped. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s me, Gillian, sir.¡±


    Gillian? Theo vaguely recollected the name. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, that was the fat and meek cat on the council. He was orange, if memory served. Or maybe yellow?


    ¡°Is there anything I could assist with, sir?¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Normally, Theo would feel insulted that his scrying was transferred to a lowly assistant. That did present him with certain opportunities, however. Gillion wouldn¡¯t be able to stand up to him, and could well be tricked into sending the second mana stone for free.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m calling for the second part of my payment,¡± the dungeon said shamelessly. ¡°When should I expect it?¡±


    ¡°The second part, sir? That¡¯s¡­ I thought that the arrangement was for you to receive it when you reached the nineth floor of Gregord¡¯s tower.¡± There was another pause, this time three times as long as the previous one. ¡°You¡¯ve reached the top floor?¡±


    ¡°Gillian, you seem like a good guy, but you know that I can¡¯t give any details.¡± Theo did his best to sound as vague as possible. ¡°I¡¯m just calling to ask¡ª¡±


    ¡°Just a moment, sir. I¡¯ll let mage Ilgrym know!¡±


    ¡°No! Wait!¡± Theo shouted, but it was already too late. There was no response, indicating that the cat had already run off.


    That was possibly the worst outcome that could happen. The dungeon had been too convincing, causing the fat cat to rush off directly to his superiors. Fooling them was out of the question. Most likely he¡¯d get an earful from the archmage once the news reached him. Getting any sort of assistance now seemed even less likely.


    ¡°I should have just adopted Switches,¡± Theo grumbled. That would definitely have resolved the crest problem¡­ unless there were some other weird hereditary restrictions in play.


    ¡°Valued benefactor,¡± a new voice said. There was little doubt who it belonged to. ¡°Is it true that you completed Gregord¡¯s trial?¡±


    ¡°Hello, Ilgrym,¡± Theo said with a sigh. ¡°As I mentioned, I can¡¯t give you any details, even if I wanted to.¡±


    ¡°That would be expected. It also means that your avatar must still be in there. That¡¯s quite promising. A number of participants have already been ejected so far. All except four, if I¡¯m correct.¡±


    ¡°You seem pretty well informed.¡±


    ¡°It is my duty to be, valued benefactor. The archmage is brilliant when it comes to magic, but when it comes to administrative duties, someone else must watch out for the tower¡¯s best interests. Thus, it is regrettable, but the council cannot be of further assistance to you on this matter.¡±


    It almost sounded as if Theo was talking to a lawyer.


    ¡°You promised assistance in other matters,¡± the dungeon went back to the main reason for his call. ¡°I¡¯d like some books from your library.¡±


    ¡°Books, valued benefactor?¡± The surprise came through as if the black cat were inside the dungeon¡¯s main building.


    ¡°Nothing major. I¡¯ll be very appreciative of any crafting spells that you might have.¡± He paused for a moment. ¡°And grape growing, and wine making, and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Are you by chance planning a preemptive party to mark your success?¡± Ilgrym interrupted. ¡°Some might consider that bad luck. Besides, did you ever doubt that we wouldn¡¯t hold the celebrations here? The cooks will be overjoyed for a chance to make a massive feast with never before tasted mice.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Theo instantly reacted. A massive magical feast in which most of the food consisted of living mice wasn¡¯t his idea of a good time, even if he could eat. ¡°It¡¯s not for me. I¡¯m helping with the wedding of a close friend. Normally, I¡¯d have everything under control, but there were a few minor complications that¡ª¡±


    ¡°See? I¡¯ve been telling you, Ilgrym!¡± a female voice joined the scrying. ¡°A quarter of the continent is talking about it.¡±


    ¡°What? You mean the fool who spent a fortune on the event is our valued benefactor?¡±


    Theo didn¡¯t know whether to feel honored or insulted by the question. It was somewhat worrying that news of his wedding had spread so far. Yet, as he knew well, that¡¯s usually what occurred when vast amounts of money and magic were present. Having a goddess promise to witness the union¡ªand mention that to all her followers and an unspecified number of other deities¡ªonly attracted more attention.


    ¡°Of course it is!¡± the female cat replied. ¡°Having it occur in the same region should have been your first clue. Not that you¡¯d know anything about the world, if it hit you in the paws.¡±


    ¡°Some of us are keeping an eye on the other towers as we should, Esmeralda,¡± Ilgrym said, annoyed. ¡°We are esteemed mages, after all. Weddings do not affect us unless necessary.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯ll remain a dried-up cat for the rest of your life!¡±


    The insult was rather mild as far as insults went, but it managed to render the black cat speechless. Clearly, that was the point.


    ¡°Never mind him, Baron,¡± Esmeralda continued. ¡°Just tell me what you need and I¡¯ll see that you get it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be most grateful,¡± the dungeon began.


    ¡°In exchange for a small favor,¡± the female cat quickly added. ¡°I¡¯d like an invitation.¡±


    Adding a herd of magical famines to an already highly delicate situation wasn¡¯t among the best ideas. On the other hand, there wasn¡¯t much that could go wrong. After all, pretty much everyone else was already there.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Theo said. ¡°Just tell me what you want your lodgings to be like and I¡¯ll take care of that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s actually very kind of you. At least some aren¡¯t allergic to good manners. We¡¯ll bring our own lodgings, though. It¡¯s a lot more convenient that way.¡±


    The scrying abruptly ended, leaving the dungeon wondering whether they were going to actually bring what he requested or not. Thankfully, his concerns were fruitless. Within minutes, books started appearing in his guest room. They varied on subject and usefulness, but thanks to his knowledge consumption spell, it didn¡¯t matter much. All the information on the pages was quickly converted into memories that Theo was free to ignore.


    By evening he had amassed enough trivial and obscure knowledge to guarantee him a lifetime of victories on any quiz competition, not that this world had them. After a few more hours of pondering, a bit of ingenuity, and some assistance from Spok, he found the perfect spell that would solve his predicament.


    POLTERGEIST


    Spend 1000 energy to control and move an entire room of items as you wish.


    Originally, the spell had been created as a means to deal with magic bards and heroes who managed to make their way to the innermost chambers of the dungeon. In this case, Theo swallowed his pride and used it to command a multitude of chisels, hammers, and other tools to create small plaques with the emblem of the respective crest.


    For a while, it almost seemed as if things were in control. Alas, while everyone was working on creating the most remarkable tournament in a generation, darker events were taking place in the city. Unseen by Spok or even Theo, more people in Rosewind were disappearing. For the most part, they were people of little significance: drunken adventurers, small-time merchants, villagers come to witness the grand event. There was no logic or reason surrounding their disappearance. The only common element was that they were people that would be missed the least. Even more alarming, there wasn¡¯t anything left behind.


    Only in a handful of cases did anyone suspect a thing, but even then, there was a logical explanation that put their minds at ease. It wasn¡¯t uncommon for adventurers to set off for some training without telling anyone. It wasn¡¯t rare for people to run out of money and be forced to leave for their home towns and villages without witnessing the wedding. Yet, in all of Rosewind, one person started noticing the alarming trend.


    Sitting in the chair of his uncle, Ulf kept on staring at the piles of paper on the desk. All of them contained names and statistics of present, past, and potential members of the Lionmane guild. Out of them, about a dozen weren¡¯t accounted for. Some of them had missed their guild trials, others had yet to reclaim their new guild gear.


    That wasn¡¯t, usually, a reason for massive concern, yet the magic adventurer earring that Ulf had in his hand was glowing red, indicating unspecified danger of some sort. Normally, it would only act this way in dungeons or monster layers, but now it was doing it in the city itself.


    The large adventurer looked at the earring, then tapped it with a finger. The red glow remained unchanged.


    ¡°Just great,¡± he sighed. Not too long ago, he would have appreciated anything that would save him from the paperwork his uncle had dumped on him, though this wasn¡¯t what he had in mind. ¡°Well, Cmyk, it seems I¡¯ll need your help again.¡± He glanced at the pile of missing adventurers. ¡°I just hope I¡¯m wrong.¡±


    Meanwhile, Theo¡¯s avatar had started his way to the seventh floor. Through the combined efforts of Ellis and Celenia, the old mage had been healed to a state in which he could walk on his own.


    Everyone remained on edge. From here on there was no telling what trap or enemy they¡¯d face and at what time danger would strike.


    Two floors separated them from the top, where they would have an actual conversation with the Great Gregord himself, or a proper magic version of him. That means that the challenges would be all the more difficult.


    ¡°What do you think will be on the top?¡± the avatar asked. ¡°Other than Gregord.¡±


    ¡°According to some of his personal letters, the final floor is a trial of character,¡± Celenia said. ¡°Suitable candidates would be given a choice of multiple items to keep, while others would have to settle with one.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nonsense,¡± Ellis countered from the avatar¡¯s shoulder. ¡°The ninth floor is obviously Gregord¡¯s mind. Everyone who makes it will get a chance to see his thoughts, including any spells he has gathered throughout his life.¡±


    ¡°Ho, ho, ho,¡± the old mage laughed. ¡°The truth is that no one knows. It is said that the greatest prize awaits those who reach the ninth floor, along with all of Gregord¡¯s knowledge. And still, that could be anything. Or maybe it¡¯s nothing?¡±


    ¡°I think I liked you more when you were wounded and less philosophical,¡± the avatar muttered.


    The staircase went on and on. It almost seemed like deliberate torture forcing the group to walk all the way up. Special care had been made to ensure that no flight or levitation spells could work while on the steps, making the experience utterly draining.


    Glancing down below, one could see that the vast land that made up the floor had vanished. For all intents and purposes, it seemed that they were walking up a pitch black abyss with the only bubble of reality being their immediate surroundings and the sky above. Soon even the sky was gone, replaced by the glowing circle of a portal.


    SPACE PORTAL Level 15


    Radius: 5 feet


    A condensed aether portal, created by a proprietary high-level spell, that allows instant transport between two points, following the principles of the dimension carry items. Since the magic is self-contained, it cannot be negated.


    The space portal must constantly be powered by an energy source in the immediate vicinity.


    ¡°That looks like the exit,¡± the avatar said after casting an arcane identify spell on it. It would be careless to lose caution at this point. ¡°Any hint what¡¯s up there, Auggy?¡±


    ¡°Would you believe me if I told you?¡± the old mage asked.


    To be perfectly honest, Theo wouldn¡¯t have. Not that he particularly cared. Thanks to his ultra swiftness variant, he could deal with pretty much any attack regardless of how sudden.


    As they walked through the portal, the group was briefly surrounded by an endless white space. Moments later, it suddenly shrank, leaving them in the middle of a small green circle. Theo tried to cast a flight and aether shield spell around himself, but found that those, too, couldn¡¯t appear. Whatever the tower was using to negate magic, it was highly thorough and highly selective.


    Streaks of multi-colored lights appeared, flying all around, all at a safe distance from the group.


    ¡°This again?¡± Celenia complained.


    ¡°Looks like Gregord is repeating himself,¡± the avatar noted.


    This seemed very familiar to the third-floor trial. Yet, when he tried to identify any of the lights, nothing happened.


    ¡°He¡¯s limiting what spells we can use,¡± the avatar noted. ¡°Seems that¡¯s the new part of the trial¡ªwe have to do more with less. Is there anything mentioned about that in Gregord¡¯s works?¡±


    For once, none of the mages had anything to say. Unlike the previous floors, there was nothing to go on. There were no creatures, no surroundings, just a series of colored beams moving along predetermined patterns.


    Silently, the avatar kept casting spells to see which of them were blocked. The ice spell proved functional, which was a good thing. A lot of the spells that the tower had granted them as rewards could also be cast, although not Memoria¡¯s tomb.


    ¡°You know,¡± the old mage began. ¡°I don¡¯t think limiting our spells was done for the reason you think. It¡¯s to help us.¡±


    ¡°How did you figure that?¡± Celenia asked before the avatar could.


    ¡°It keeps us from doing something that would mess everything up. We¡¯re inside a spell,¡± Auggy said, looking up. ¡°All this is one of Gregord¡¯s spells and I¡¯d say it¡¯s a safe bet that it¡¯s deliberately left incomplete.¡±

 (Book 3) 27. The great Wedding Jousting Tournament

    ¡°Congratulations, participants!¡± The tower¡¯s voice boomed. ¡°You¡¯ve reached the highest anyone has reached so far. You¡¯ve proven your knowledge, strength, and determination.¡±


    Internally, Theo felt slightly guilty regarding that statement. While it could be argued that he was determined to get this over, his strength was entirely due to him being a dungeon, as for knowledge¡­ that was a topic he preferred not to get into.


    ¡°Now, you must prove your spell craft,¡± the tower continued. ¡°You¡¯ve figured out where you are. Now, you must figure out what is needed to reach the next floor. As the Great Gregord would say, good luck.¡±


    ¡°Has everyone tested their spells?¡± the avatar asked.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear?¡± Celenia scoffed. ¡°It¡¯s not about spells. It¡¯s about fixing what the archmage intended to create without having it kill us.¡±


    Magic can kill? Theo wondered. He knew that the effects of magic could kill, but magic itself¡­ Yet, this wasn¡¯t a question he wanted to ask in a room full of mages. Thus he resorted to his usual option.


    ¡°Spok,¡± he said in the newly created armory. ¡°Can magic kill?¡±


    The spirit guide looked up. Having taken the trouble to suggest the tournament, she had every intention of making sure everything was executed to near perfection. The question caused the usual concern she had become used to.


    ¡°In what way, sir?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s assume¡ª¡± the dungeon began, but Gregord¡¯s tower prevented him from going into specifics. He tried using clever language to go around the restrictions, but the archmage had done a good job covering all the bases. ¡°Raw mana,¡± he managed to say at last. ¡°Is it capable of doing actual damage?¡±


    ¡°Depends, sir. Stopping its flow might cause harm. You are far too young to worry about such issues. It only affects older dungeons that are overstretched.¡±


    Spok paused. An element on one of the crests was slightly blurry. Clearly, the dungeon was unwilling or distracted to follow the design fully. Given that he had done most of the work, it was permissible for his spirit guide to fix things up using a bit of magic and telekinesis of her own.


    That was the issue with mass spells¡ªthey never got all the details right, especially if someone wasn¡¯t focusing on his work.


    ¡°It could be possible to use energy to burn someone,¡± the spirit guide continued. ¡°But that would be highly inefficient. You could use flame or lightning spells to achieve the same result in a fraction of the¡ª¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Spok,¡± Theo cut her short. He had learned enough, proving that the seventh floor trial was just as lethal as all the ones before, maybe more so. At the very least a massive mistake might get a person ejected.


    Auggy summoned his staff and waved it around beyond the circle the mages were standing on. Nothing seemed to happen. Reaching into his pocket, he took a pouch of coins and tossed one. The coin fell down, disappearing into the darkness.


    ¡°Theo¡¯s right. We¡¯ll need magic to affect magic.¡±


    Lights flickered around the old man with extreme intensity. Out of habit, Theo tried to cast a swiftness on himself, but nothing happened.


    Moments later, similar displays surrounded the remaining two mages. They were a lot less impressive than they had been on the previous floors. Even Ellis managed only to create three magic circles around her.


    ¡°Flight is still out,¡± the cat said.


    ¡°I can¡¯t, either,¡± Celenia added. ¡°There are a few that work, though.¡±


    ¡°I can still use ice magic,¡± the avatar said, though mostly to boast. ¡°So, I can make bridges to reach the beams, at least.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s clearly a portal spell,¡± the blonde mage said with absolute certainty. ¡°That¡¯s the only thing that would take us to the next floor. Besides, we¡¯ve seen it used before.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you¡¯d think that,¡± Ellis said, her voice brimming with disapproval. ¡°So far, each new floor has presented us with a new spell. If anything, it¡¯s only logical that this is something we haven¡¯t seen so far.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? In that case, what spell did we get on the previous floor?¡±


    The cat leaped off the avatar¡¯s shoulder as a new argument began in full force. As amusing as it was to listen to it, Theo had an idea to try out. Since most of the spells given by the tower were active, he decided to use the future echoes to get a sneak peek at the solution. There was no guarantee that light, or even a spell, should be treated as an object, yet since the tower had given it form, everything was possible.


    Using his ice magic, the avatar created a massive block of ice leading from the circle to the nearest beam. Naturally, Theo had made sure to extend the chunk of ice on both sides, so as not to have it tip over.


    Cautiously, the avatar jumped on and cast the future echoes spell. The block seemed solid and stable for a minute ahead. Cautiously, the avatar walked all the way to the beam.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know what spell this is,¡± Celeina said, giving him a sideways look. ¡°What do you expect to accomplish?¡±


    The white cat flicked her tail. By now, she knew better than to argue against anything the avatar might do.


    Here we go. The avatar cast a future echoes on the beam. Initially, nothing happened. Ten seconds into the beam¡¯s future, it flickered, letting out a strong discharge. For fractions of a second, the outline of a human figure became visible¡ªthe avatar¡¯s figure.


    The avatar took a step back. The spell had proven to work, but it had also shown him what would happen if he carelessly tried to touch the beam.


    ¡°Ho, ho, ho,¡± the old man laughed. ¡°You saw it, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Saw what?¡± Ellis asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s what would happen if one gets too reckless.¡± Auggy tapped on the ice block. ¡°And I¡¯ve no idea how to arrange the beams to form a spell.¡±


    ¡°So, you have been here.¡± The avatar glared at him.


    ¡°Just once. Wasn¡¯t able to pass the sixth floor trial for a while. It always takes four.¡± The mage¡¯s voice suggested that he had tried with less. ¡°We¡¯re all on an equal footing now,¡± he added. ¡°If anyone has any ideas, I¡¯m all ears. Ho, ho, ho.¡± He looked at Celenia and Ellis in turn.


    Without a doubt, this presented a rather interesting problem. Exploring a spell from the inside was clearly a lot more cumbersome than one might think. If adept mages weren¡¯t able to do it, it had to be extremely complicated. At the same time, Gregord wouldn¡¯t have made it a trial if there wasn¡¯t a way for it to be completed. Even more curious, where was the hidden room supposed to be? According to what was said, there had to be a key to allow a participant to bypass the trial and move directly to the next floor.


    The avatar looked at the glowing circle on which they were standing. That was the usual place to hide, which meant there had to be more than light there. Driven by complete randomness, he cast a light spiral spell on the nearby beam.


    A miniature portal emerged, drilling into the magic itself. Against all odds, there was a message there¡ªone that the avatar was able to read thanks to Theo¡¯s Cornucopia of Sounds and Letters. The message read: IOP3 + 3 IDJ.


    While the solution of the trial became even more distant, events in Rosewind were proceeding almost without a hitch. The field, stands, and everything else relating to the tournament had been set up in such fashion as if the event had been planned for months, if not years. Duke Rosewind did his best to convince everyone of the fact, while the ever-negative Duke Avisian was downplaying every single element at every opportunity. For the moment, the two seemed to cancel each other out, creating a non-stop background buzz. Despite that, the atmosphere was rather cheerful.


    The dungeon had created several unicorn stables to deal with the horse issue. It was ironic that despite the hundreds of horses that the guests had arrived with, none of the people were willing to risk them in an actual jousting tournament.


    BATTLE UNICORN PEN


    Requires 1000 energy per day.


    Creates a pen with a dozen unicorns. Each unicorn is resistant to magic, light or moderate wounds, and has the ability to pierce thick armor. Additionally, they are capable of casting glamour, lightning, and rain spells through their horn.


    Feeding unicorns human flesh increases their skills and level.


    Initially, Spok had been resistant to the idea of having over a hundred bloodthirsty monsters loose in the city right before her wedding. Switches, however, had assured her and the dungeon that he had a foolproof plan of rendering the creatures obedient and docile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve done this dozens of times,¡± the gnome explained, as he placed a mechanical bridle round the neck of a unicorn. Of course, Cmyk was also there, holding the unicorn tightly so the creature couldn¡¯t move. ¡°My previous dungeon used to do this all the time.¡± He tightened the bridle. ¡°Well, he used fire breathing nightmares, but the principle is the same. I had to find a way to keep them from scorching the minions he gave the horses to. It was rather embarrassing when the reward for a good conquest ended up being a painful death.¡±


    For some reason, Theo had to admit there was a hint of humor in the situation. Just to be on the same side, the dungeon sent out a few hundred roaming eyes above the area of the tournament field.


    Everything seemed in order. The crowds were gathering. Most of the first day participants were there in their new suits of armor, mentally preparing for the clashes to come. This was an opportunity of a lifetime. Anyone who showed sufficient skills would be noticed by a royal prince, a veteran hero, and a group of dukes and marquis. This was an opportunity for alliances to be made, favors exchanged, and lots and lots of gambling. Incidentally, the odds of Cmyk being victorious were at a hundred to one. Naturally, there were a few people who chose to try their luck betting against them. Theo was one of them, using his construct to bet a hundred gold coins against his minion. The money was of no concern¡ªwin or lose, he had more than enough. It was a matter of principle.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    By noon, Prince Thomas and the rest of the dukes had taken their seats. Then it was time for Duke Rosewind to do the expected and mark the start of the event. Doing so required a short speech, which, like any good noble, he excelled at.


    ¡°Friends,¡± the duke began, his voice amplified by a few spells, courtesy of the dungeon. ¡°Guests, adventurers, and citizens of Rosewind. As you probably know, we are in the middle of one of the most important ceremonies the city has ever had. Naturally, the event is of special significance to me as well. In but a few days, I and the charmingly magnificent Spok d¡¯Esprit will be joined together in sacred union.¡±


    The crowd erupted in cheers. Some knew Spok, others were just drawn by the emotion in the air.


    ¡°Since it would be unfair for me alone to have all the fun, with His Highness Prince Thomas¡¯ permission, it was decided that the event would hold a wedding jousting tournament!¡±


    Cheers erupted twice as loud.


    ¡°Over a hundred brave people have declared their participation, coming from some of the greatest noble families in the land,¡± the duke continued. ¡°To think that such an event could be done so soon after the utter destruction of the city is a testament to our strong will, dedication, and belief in the future.¡±


    There was nothing said about Theo. The dungeon had specially requested to remain as anonymous as possible, and yet there was a sense of disappointment deep inside. Part of him wanted to be celebrated for everything he had done: the victories achieved, the reconstruction of the city, even the establishment of the new network of adventurer guilds. In Theo¡¯s previous life, there was a saying that Rome wasn¡¯t built in a day. That was only because a dungeon hadn¡¯t been in charge.


    ¡°But you haven¡¯t gathered here to just listen to me,¡± Duke Rosewind went on. ¡°In a few moments, all participants will face one another in full armor, riding battle unicorns. Out of them, only half at most will prove themselves victorious and continue to tomorrow.¡±


    This time the cheers were a lot more sporadic, filled with confusion. Everyone was aware of the right schedule, but having a hundred people joust in one day was unheard of. Looking at the field, no more than three pairs would manage to charge at one another, at least if the quality of the tournament was as advertised.


    ¡°The number will then be reduced to four, which will face off on the first day, right before the pre-wedding feast.¡±


    The confusion grew.


    ¡°I see you¡¯re confused.¡± The duke¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Don¡¯t be. All will become clear soon enough. But before that, this wouldn¡¯t be Rosewind if we don¡¯t start the event with a special spectacle as well.¡±


    A series of banners were raised, showing off the family crest and colors of House d¡¯Argent. For the most part, Theo didn¡¯t bother to use it. It was nice to have on the wall of his main building, but in nearly all other aspects, it was completely useless.


    I hate this part, Theo grumbled to himself.


    ¡°Among all participants, three will be given the chance to test their skills against our very own champion, the brave adventurer who has saved the city twice, the person who rarely says a lot but everyone knows¡ªour very own Sir Myk!¡±


    The cheers turned into roars. The dungeon¡¯s minion was one of the highlights of the city. People in neighboring lands and even foreign kingdoms have heard about him. Somehow, the less the former skeleton did, the more famous he became. His adventures had taken on a life of their own, including three different accounts of his mysterious past, and speculation that he was related to over a dozen ancient noble families of which he was the sole survivor.


    Even now, Cmyk had no idea what was going on. His lazy nature continued to be allergic to hard work, but he was smart enough to know that skipping the tournament would end up being more cumbersome in the long run. Thus, his plan was simple: ride onto the field and let the first competitor knock him off the horse. That way, he¡¯d be done fast and likely invited to a drink in many of the local taverns.


    Glad in blue metal armor, the minion made his way onto the field, under the incessant cheers of the crowd. Leaving the unicorn to take him to the starting spot, Cmyk waited.


    It didn¡¯t take long for an opponent to emerge on the other side of the field. Like in all high-end tournaments, a fence split the land in two, ensuring that they wouldn¡¯t crash head on.


    The opponent seemed rather young, no older than eighteen at most. He was dressed in one of Switches¡¯ modified armors, with a crest depicting what appeared to be a crow holding an apple.


    Cmyk didn¡¯t care in the least.


    ¡°Receive lances!¡± someone shouted.


    Two wooden lances floated to each contestant. Since he had no intention of winning, Cmyk kept his lance held high. His opponent lowered it.


    ¡°Ready!¡± the same annoying voice shouted. ¡°Charge!¡±


    Both unicorns rushed forward. The animals were powerful and vicious enough, knowing what was expected from them without any instructions from their riders.


    Fall off. Theo said to himself, even if he were supposed to be beyond pettiness.


    There was a reasonable chance that things would go his way. Although large, Cmyk wasn¡¯t putting any effort into the joust. One good hit could well knock him off the horse, sending him flying away.


    As the two flew towards one another, though, the most extraordinary thing happened. Just as the tip of the crow boy¡¯s lance was feet away from hitting Cmyk in the chest, a creature emerged out of thin air. It was so fast that even people who were looking right at it never caught a thing. In all honesty, the dungeon didn¡¯t either. Rather, he noticed everything surrounding the creature.


    Whatever the thing was, it took the full brunt of the knight¡¯s strike, giving an equal amount of pushback. Cmyk¡¯s young opponent was thrown off his unicorn with tremendous force, requiring the dungeon to use several spells to cushion his fall. Meanwhile, the invisible creature let out a burst of energy, draining the mana from everything in a three-foot radius. It was only due to the lack of plants that the effects remained invisible to all, yet Theo felt them. It was like getting stung by a bee¡ªslightly painful and very itchy.


    What the heck happened? The dungeon wondered, as cheers erupted. He expected Spok to react, but the spirit guide just sat in her designated seat, politely clapping at the minion¡¯s victory.


    ¡°And we have our first victor,¡± Duke Rosewind said. ¡°Our very own champion of Rosewind. Of course, it took great courage to face a man of such skill, so let us also cheer for his brave opponent and the son of a very good friend of mine.¡±


    ¡°Something is wrong,¡± Theo whispered to himself. ¡°Spok, did you feel it?¡± he asked through her core pendant.


    The spirit guide cleared her throat, indicating that it wasn¡¯t a good time for her to talk.


    ¡°Switches!¡± The dungeon¡¯s voice boomed in the gnome¡¯s location. ¡°What are you up to?¡±


    ¡°What now, boss?¡± the gnome asked. ¡°I¡¯m fixing your unicorns, just as you asked.¡±


    ¡°Not that! What happened at the tournament? Why did Cmyk win?¡±


    ¡°He won?¡± Switches¡¯ ears perked up. ¡°That¡¯s good. I bet a lot on him. Given the odds, I should have made eleven silver coins.¡±


    ¡°Forget the odds. He wasn¡¯t supposed to win! The other¡¯s lance was about to skewer him, when something blocked it. Did you give Cmyk any magical devices?¡±


    That was a tricky question. The gnome very much wanted to give about a few gadgets just to measure their efficiency. Unfortunately, Spok had warned him in no uncertain terms that if he were to do anything of the sort, he¡¯d find himself on a one-way trip aboard one of his own airships.


    ¡°Not at all, boss!¡± the gnome insisted.


    ¡°Then¡­¡± Could it be that Cmyk had learned magic? That was even more disturbing than having an invisible creature run about. Or maybe it wasn¡¯t just any creature? There was one entity that had been brought back, one that was obsessed with caretaking.


    While Cmyk was showered in ovations, Theo uses his wandering eyes and his senses to focus on Agonia¡¯s location. To his utter horror, someone else had already gotten the same idea and was way ahead of him.


    ¡°Oh, crap!¡± The dungeon¡¯s construct leaped out of its seat and rushed out of the special section of the stands. Running faster than most animals could manage, it went along streets and parks, dashing in the direction of the abomination-made-gardener.


    ¡°Liandra!¡± he shouted, reaching a hundred feet from her. ¡°Liandra, wait!¡±


    The heroine stopped walking. Casually, she glanced over her shoulder to see a perfect simile of Baron d¡¯Argent run up to her.


    Anywhere else, the woman would have been glad for him to approach her. Maybe now, she would have as well, yet her keen observational skills had let her see what Theo had desperately tried to hide from everyone else.


    ¡°Theo.¡± She turned around calmly, her expression remaining neutral. ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    A few hundred feet behind her, Agonia was busy planting a new set of roses in the section of the park.


    ¡°I just haven¡¯t seen you since you got here,¡± the construct said. ¡°We parted under strange circumstances last time, so¡ª¡±


    ¡°You spent weeks in bed to regain your strength and I had things to do,¡± she said in a slightly cold voice.


    ¡°Well, true, but¡­¡± How was he to continue? He couldn¡¯t address the topic of the creature without risking revealing that he was a dungeon. ¡°Is your father enjoying the city? It¡¯s the first time I actually get to see him.¡±


    ¡°Theo,¡± the woman sighed. ¡°Please don¡¯t pretend. Duke Rosewind told us all about it.¡±


    ¡°Us?¡± Theo asked. ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t you. It¡¯s just a magic construct to take your place while you¡¯re doing another noble quest for your mage tower.¡±


    A large part of town sank several inches into the ground.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, though,¡± Liandra continued. ¡°I¡¯m also here on other business. Meeting each other would have been unfair on my part.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that.¡± Theo was feeling more and more tense. ¡°I did think that you might have come for the wedding, though.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± There was hardness in the heroine¡¯s voice. ¡°Maybe I would have, but it was only an excuse so my father could speak to Duke Rosewind and the prince.¡±


    Theo was starting to like this less and less.


    ¡°Did you find it?¡± He forced the words out of his construct. ¡°The dungeon that killed your grandfather, I mean.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. That¡¯s part of why we¡¯re here.¡± She paused again, looking over the construct¡¯s shoulder.


    Another roar of cheers came from the tournament stands. Cmyk had just won his second fight, although less dramatically than the first. Terrified of the results of the first joust, the second opponent had made an unforced error, effectively knocking himself off his unicorn.


    ¡°A new evil has emerged,¡± the woman said. ¡°The entire hero guild has been called. With all that happened here, my father came to ask assistance from Rosewind. I know it¡¯s the worst timing, but life happens regardless of what we want.¡±


    The part about the new evil was marginally disturbing, but it paled in comparison to the relief that Theo felt upon learning that she might have put hunting him on hold.


    ¡°Is that why so many dukes gathered?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I doubt it. The prince has, though. This is big enough for the royal family to be involved. It¡¯s not just a kingdom matter anymore.¡± She stopped, then shook her head. ¡°Listen to me, discussing things as if we¡¯re on a quest again. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t come to see you. Even if I know this isn¡¯t the real you, I¡¯ll start talking about work again, and you and Spok deserve a bit of calm and joy, at least for this week.¡±


    Clearly, she had no idea what it cost to get all this going. The dungeon would lie if he said he wasn¡¯t proud of the results. There were a few rough edges here and there, and definitely some compromises he wished that he didn¡¯t have to make, but on the whole¡ªvanishing cooks and invisible monsters excluded¡ªthe celebration was going rather well.


    ¡°So, fancy going back to the stands?¡± Theo urged. ¡°The best part¡¯s to come. The field is just about to increase in size and, hopefully, amaze the crowd.¡±


    ¡°Should you be telling me such secrets?¡±


    ¡°What are friends for?¡± The construct gently guided the heroine away from the gardener and in the direction of the tournament fields. ¡°And I promise we won¡¯t talk about work.¡±


    ¡°One could hope.¡± Liandra hesitated for several seconds, then went forward. ¡°Alright. Just one question. This entire wedding, do you consider it work? Or is it just a hobby?¡±


    As the pair moved away, a clump of nearby grass suddenly grew into a bush, making the dungeon¡¯s presence known.


    ¡°Agonia,¡± Theo whispered. ¡°Did you feel something strange just now?¡±


    ¡°Strange?¡± The gardener asked. ¡°There have been a lot of strange things since you freed me.¡±


    ¡°Not that,¡± the bush snapped. ¡°I mean something really strange, like invisible creatures moving about, draining energy from everything they touch.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know, but something is draining mana from the plants. I can¡¯t seem to catch it.¡±


    That was bad.


    ¡°I¡¯m more annoyed by the corpses left behind,¡± Agonia continued casually, as if she were discussing weeds or insects. ¡°They make the parks so much more difficult to maintain.¡±


    That was worse.

 (Book 3) 28. For the Diary of an Archmage

    The beams of light flashed, glowing even brighter. In his mind, Theo had naively imagined spells to be elegant patterns of perfection. What was around him was anything but that. Ellis had made use of her magic circles to make various connections while bypassing others the same way one would make a wooden scaffolding to support a semi-complete metal one. It was ugly, unsafe, and of questionable efficiency.


    Standing on a block of ice, the group of mages watched the green circle beneath them turn yellow, sending off flashes of power that made the ice vibrate. Even a non-expert could tell that the tower was reacting negatively to the connection. After a few moments, the light in the beams increased, causing all of the cat¡¯s spells to fizzle out of existence. Once that was done, the circle turned green again.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t it,¡± Ellis said. ¡°Give me a moment and I¡¯ll start with the next one.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it isn¡¯t a spell.¡± Celenia cast a spell, causing a series of scrolls to appear around her. For some reason, she was the only one allowed to summon things. Ellis, who knew the same spell, seemed to be unable to cast it.


    ¡°Gregord¡¯s tower said it had to be a spell, so it has to be a spell,¡± the cat countered in a semi-bored voice.


    ¡°Gregord also taught his students to check everything, regardless of what was told.¡±


    ¡°Cel, if it isn¡¯t a spell, what could it be?¡± Ellis looked at her, her tail flicking continuously.


    There was no answer. Although seemingly innocent, the trial was the most difficult of all. They had no enemies, no traps to fear, just an endlessness of darkness with multi-colored beams of magic inside, and no clues whatsoever.


    ¡°Get some sleep,¡± the avatar said. ¡°We¡¯ll continue when you¡¯ve restored some mana.¡±


    By normal standards, he himself had used a lot to identify each of the beams. In reality, the amount was negligible when compared to what he had spent on the first day of the jousting tournament.


    The avatar was about to add something, when without warning both Ellis and Celenia dropped to the ice block unconscious.


    Several thoughts went through Theo¡¯s mind. Most of them had to do with annoyance. Yet, spending so much time among mages had taught him to always be vigilant, especially of people who claimed to be friends.


    Shards of ice appeared around him, bursting in all directions. A multitude vanished into the darkness; some flew through the mana beams, weakening them temporarily. All that flew at Auggy, though, bounced off, without hitting the man.


    ¡°No surprise you¡¯re awake,¡± the old mage said, holding Gregord¡¯s battle staff. ¡°Still, I''d hoped the spell might affect you.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you make up your mind?¡± the avatar snapped. ¡°Are you helping me, or trying to get me killed?!¡±


    ¡°Neither, actually.¡± A new spell emerged, surrounding the mage with a bubble of aether.


    ¡°You never had any spell restrictions.¡±


    There was no way that Theo could have suspected this, but he was still mad at himself for not considering the possibility. Just because the man was almost killed on the previous trial was no reason to think of him as weak. Actually, it was the opposite. The encounter with Gregord the Archmage had caused the old man to receive multiple serious wounds, some of them lethal in ordinary circumstances. Even so, the tower had refused to eject him. That suggested that the old man had the strength to keep on going.


    ¡°The tower can always cast spells,¡± the old man said. ¡°And thanks to the staff, I¡¯m part of the tower. Ironically, the spell we must complete to pass this trial is a sleep spell. I figured it out the moment you told us what you saw within the beams. It¡¯s one of the old magic theories. Mages of that age were obsessed with formulas, believing they could measure anything and everything.¡±


    ¡°Magic is like chemistry?!¡± Theo asked, both shocked and disappointed. Suddenly, all his desires to become a mage vanished.


    ¡°Ho, ho, ho,¡± the old man laughed. ¡°Saying that is like saying that painting is just drawing a series of lines. Having some knowledge definitely helps, but magic is more art than science. Well, maybe equally art and science. The point is Gegord believed it to be science, thus the trial.¡±


    A yellow beam of light shot out from one of the battle staff¡¯s dungeon cores, hitting one of the surrounding beams of similar nature.


    Theo thought of casting a chunk of ice to block it, but after some consideration chose not to do so right away. Without his ultra swiftness, he might only have one chance to react and he didn¡¯t want to reveal his hand so early on.


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking of stopping me, aren¡¯t you?¡± the mage asked. ¡°It¡¯s not like I can change your mind, but I¡¯d ask that you didn¡¯t. It would be better for everyone if I see this through.¡±


    ¡°And why¡¯s that?¡± In truth, it wasn¡¯t a block of ice that Theo intended to summon. In this limited space, an ice elemental was going to be a lot more powerful than even a capable mage could handle.


    ¡°As I said, there¡¯s just something I need to do. An old debt, you might say. Thanks to you bringing me here, I can repay it.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess,¡± the avatar scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re going to return the staff to Gregord.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t difficult to guess.¡±


    Really? Theo thought. All this time, he thought that the man had planned to go to the ninth floor to return the staff. If not, why hadn¡¯t he returned it much earlier?


    ¡°The staff is part of the tower. By using it, I can fill the blanks in the spell.¡± Another ray of magic emerged from the staff, linking to its corresponding beam. ¡°The only thing I needed was to figure out which spell it was.¡±


    ¡°And what happens then?¡± the avatar asked, considering the best time to cast his ice elemental. Three beams seemed too soon. Anything above five was dangerously close, though.


    ¡°That¡¯s one of the things about this place¡ªyou never know,¡± the old man laughed. ¡°I assume with the trial completed, all participants will be moved to the next floor to possibly start the final trial. Given the choice of spell, I strongly suspect that everyone would be forced to experience a brief nap in-between.¡±


    A third ray shot out from the staff. Already the first two beams had unraveled, becoming closer to double helixes than anything to do with light. Theo would be lying if he wasn¡¯t just a fraction curious. Even all the grumpiness and cynicism couldn¡¯t keep all of his inquisitiveness buried. He had no intention of allowing the spell to be completed, of course, but there was nothing wrong in admiring it a bit longer.


    ¡°As for myself,¡± a fourth ray emerged.


    Before the old mage could continue, the avatar cast his ice spell, aiming it at Auggy.


    The old man easily avoided it, rising up in the air thanks to a flight spell only he could use. That was just part of Theo¡¯s plan, though. The chunk of ice filled the spot where Auggy had been, quickly expanding upwards. Massive arms emerged along with a head with icy cold eyes.


    ¡°Freeze him!¡± Theo ordered, casting another ice spell at the mage. ¡°Freeze all the beams of light, too!¡±


    Freezing beams shot out of the elemental¡¯s eyes as it continued to grow. One of the giant hands reached to grab the old mage. As the grip closed, the fingers were suddenly transformed into cubes of ice that dispersed in all directions.


    ¡°Wind magic?¡± the avatar asked. ¡°That¡¯s Windchild¡¯s magic.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a quick learner.¡± The old mage pointed the head of the battle staff towards the avatar and cast a spell. It was sheer luck that Theo was fast enough to move his avatar.


    The semi-transparent outlines of a Memoria¡¯s tomb emerged inches away. As much as that was fortunate, it confirmed that the old man had used the spell before and likely more than once. No one was as calm when using the spell. Theo remembered the mental pressure he had been under during his first and second time. Furthermore, this was an exact copy of Gregord¡¯s spell¡ªthe real deal, possibly up to the guardian. Of course, the dungeon had no intention of finding out.


    Increasing the number of ice blocks, the avatar kept on targeting a single beam. Like an old neon light, it flickered several times before disappearing altogether. The beam that had connected it to Gregord¡¯s battle staff also disappeared as well.


    ¡°This whole fight is pointless, you know.¡± Auggy cast another spell, sending a flutter of wind butterflies right at the still-growing ice elemental. Far less aggressive than Elaine¡¯s had been, they pierced through the frozen mass as if it were nothing.


    Icicles quickly formed, attempting to fill in the holes, but for every one that was filled up, ten more emerged. Anyone could tell it was a losing battle, even if the elemental kept on attacking, remaining just as stubborn as its creator.


    ¡°I might be stronger than you think,¡± the avatar hissed, casting a light spiral at Auggy.


    It was done purely out of desperation, yet it drilled through the old mage¡¯s aether shield, missing his shoulder by an inch. Now, it was Auggy¡¯s turn to feel lucky. Had the spell succeeded, there was no telling what might have happened.


    Unwilling to take the risk, the man suddenly split into eight identical copies, each flying off in a different direction.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I had in mind,¡± all eight of them said in perfect unison. ¡°You¡¯re fighting against your own interests. Even if you can complete the trial on your own, it would require a lot of effort both from you and the little ones. Let me complete it. You¡¯ll move on for free.¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to trust the person who told me not to trust anyone?¡± The avatar cast a light spiral at one of the Auggies. The mage vanished, leaving seven of him behind.


    ¡°Good point,¡± the remaining said. ¡°In this case, though, I would urge you to trust me. I helped you pass the last two trials, after all. That must count for something.¡±


    Another spell and another Auggy vanished.


    ¡°You see that I can defeat you, right?¡± A note of alarm crept into the old mage¡¯s otherwise calm voice. ¡°A single memory prison and you¡¯d be trapped longer than it would take me to solve the trial. I can use that method if you want, but I prefer not to.¡±


    The comment made the dungeon think. Even a simple Memoria¡¯s tomb would take hours to escape from. Even doubling his efforts, he wouldn¡¯t be able to get out in less than ten minutes.


    ¡°Why did you put them to sleep, then?¡± the avatar asked. ¡°If everyone falls asleep either way, it wouldn¡¯t matter, right?¡±


    There was a long silence.


    ¡°Ho, ho, ho,¡± the Auggies laughed. ¡°I suppose even at my age, vanity remains. I didn¡¯t want the little ones to see what I was about to do. Even someone such as me doesn¡¯t want to see the shame in their eyes when I confirm that I stole not only Gregord¡¯s Battle Staff, but part of the tower itself. It¡¯s far better if they sleep through this.¡± A pause of silence followed. ¡°Also, they might have made me reconsider.¡±


    Four beams of light shot out from the battle staff simultaneously. One of them hit the blocks of ice that had made the beam vanish.


    In a matter of seconds, all of them had changed form, creating the outlines of a spell.


    ¡°When I said that all the participants will be sent to the next floor, I lied a little.¡± More beams emerged, linking with their counterparts. ¡°The truth is, the three of you will be going there without me.¡±


    Webs of light emerged as the beams broke up further into individual strands.


    ¡°When I return the piece of magic that belonged to the tower, I¡¯ll be cast out.¡± All of Auggy¡¯s copies had vanished, leaving only one. ¡°The price of stealing. The irony was that for decades, I¡¯ve tried to give it away. I hoped I could do so on the sixth floor, but the Gregord I faced refused to accept it.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t it hurt?¡± the avatar asked the first question that came to mind.


    ¡°I doubt it. Most likely I¡¯ll just be ejected. Hopefully, without any of my memories inside. That way, I could enjoy the rest of my life in peace.¡±


    ¡°Wait! If you remember everything, won¡¯t you¡ª¡±


    Suddenly, the dungeon lost touch with his avatar. Fear swept through the entire city. Thankfully, casting a few status spells quickly revealed that the link hadn¡¯t been severed. For all intents and purposes, one might just say that the avatar had fallen asleep, which was weird since the rest of the dungeon hadn¡¯t.


    ¡°Auggy, you maniac!¡± Theo shouted in his main building.


    ¡°Auggy, sir?¡± Spok asked from the guest room.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± the dungeon grumbled. Maybe it was better for him to have his attention focused on events in the city for a while. Of course, that would only half be true since even now he was constantly asking himself when his avatar would wake up.


    On the surface, the day had gone rather well. Some would be tempted to call it a magnificent success. Sadly, all it took was for Agonia to look beneath the surface¡ªliterally¡ªto find a large number of dead bodies. Their state was far worse than that of the missing cook. Everything but their clothes and bones was absent, making it impossible to tell who they were when alive.


    ¡°What killed them wasn¡¯t fire,¡± Switches said, examining the skull he was holding through his large set of goggles. ¡°Maybe there¡¯s a runaway slime? They were found close to the adventurer section.¡±


    That did make a bit of sense. Ever since the slimes had been cleaned out, the Rosewind council and the local guild masters had come to an agreement to have an active slime put in a section of the city. Officially, that was supposed to be the ¡°old¡± sewers¡ªwhich Theo was also forced to create¡ªwhere young adventurers would go to test their skills and gain a sense of accomplishment. Duke Rosewind saw it as good fun, and Theo didn¡¯t have the desire to argue.


    There was one small issue with the gnome¡¯s hypothesis, though.


    ¡°We would have known if that had happened,¡± Spok said. ¡°There haven¡¯t been any core point increases lately. Agonia,¡± the spirit guide turned to the gardener. ¡°You didn¡¯t have anything to do with that, I hope?¡±


    ¡°No, Madam,¡± the abomination said. ¡°They were like this when I found them. Clothes included.¡±


    Two things concerned the dungeon; three if one counted Ulf¡¯s reckless decision to get Cmyk involved in searching for the mysterious culprit. For starters, that number of bodies might cause any of the heroes and adventurers in the city to suspect the presence of a dungeon. Even a rudimentary check would quickly reveal that the majority of the buildings weren¡¯t buildings, but the aboveground part of a dungeon. It was the absurdity of the fact that kept people from realizing it.


    Second, and just as important, such a discovery was likely to ruin the wedding, which would be a catastrophe. The dungeon hadn¡¯t put in so much work just to have it ruined days before the actual ceremony. Even a spirit guide would be devastated, not to mention Theo wouldn¡¯t be able to tolerate Duke Avisian¡¯s smugness if that were to happen.


    ¡°It has to be that measly duke!¡± Every bit of furniture within the building shook. ¡°Avisian, I mean,¡± he quickly added, seeing Spok¡¯s questioning look. ¡°He wanted to destroy this place ever since he got here. This is his chance!¡±


    ¡°That would be unlikely, sir.¡± Spok shook her head. ¡°Cecil has been keeping a constant eye on him, not to mention that I have as well. Other than complaining and kissing the prince, all he¡¯s done is complain.¡±


    The furniture rumbled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll build more walking armors,¡± Switches suggested. ¡°Now that the airships are on pause, I¡¯ve plenty of time. Might be a bit low on resources. That tournament wasn¡¯t in the original budget.¡±


    ¡°Cannibalize one of the airships,¡± Theo grumbled. ¡°Say that you¡¯re retiring it or something.¡±


    ¡°The first one is only a few months old, boss¡­¡±


    ¡°No one remembers that! If anyone asks, say that you¡¯re using some new technology or something. I want the city full of guards! But also make them not look like guards¡­¡± the dungeon thought for a moment. ¡°Forget that. Just make them look shiny. When something is shiny, it¡¯s not threatening.¡±


    ¡°Got you, boss!¡± The gnome gave the wall a thumbs up.


    ¡°Meanwhile, Agonia will keep an eye out for more corpses, since we can¡¯t for some reason.¡±


    ¡°I still don¡¯t have any explanation, sir,¡± Spok said. ¡°Maybe you could ask the Feline Tower.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± That would be easy, at least.


    If nothing else, some of them were expected to come to the event any time in the next few days. When he had invited them, the dungeon had assumed that they¡¯d pop up within the hour. However, it seemed that cats could be even more fussy about appearance than human nobility. They had required a ¡°brief period¡± to get prepared before leaving their tower. There was every chance that they might appear only for the ceremony itself.


    ¡°Alright. We keep appearances,¡± the dungeon announced. ¡°Agonia and Switches, do what you do and keep out of sight. I¡¯ll continue to distract the prince and the heroes with the tournament, and hopefully, there won¡¯t be any further surprises for the next few days.¡±


    As it happened, the first surprise came an hour later in the form of a rather large portal opening over the city. The size was reminiscent of the portals Switches used to transport his airships back in his Lord Mandrake days. Instead of an airship, however, a structure emerged. More specifically, a miniature tower floated out. The magic lights and external motifs left no doubt as to who the owners of the tower might be. Even more surprising, however, an unexpected visitor emerged in front of Baron d¡¯Argent¡¯s door.


    No one paid particular attention to the visitor. It was well into the night, after all. Also, the visitor was a rather old cat.


    Stepping forward, the cat politely clawed at the base of the door. Sensing the magic within the creature¡¯s paw, the dungeon was quick to open the door and invite him inside.


    ¡°Archmage?¡± Theo asked, quickly closing the door behind him. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were a fan of weddings.¡±


    ¡°After the first hundred one tends to get tired,¡± the cat floated up in the air as it walked, making its way straight to the comfiest chair in the building¡¯s guest room. ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m here for, though.¡±


    Internally, Theo swallowed.


    ¡°Auggy Velinor of the Circle tower was cast out of the tower,¡± the white cat said. ¡°That means you and my granddaughter are still in there.¡±


    As much as Theo wanted to respond, the unseen force of Gregord¡¯s tower prevented him from saying anything specific. He wasn¡¯t even able to confirm the statement, let alone assure the old cat that everything was fine.


    ¡°That means you must be close to the top,¡± the archmage continued before going on one of his coughing sprees.


    After a few seconds, Theo created a bowl of water near the cat.


    The archmage waved a paw in a sign that he was getting better. After another few seconds, the coughing stopped.


    ¡°So, it¡¯s time to tell you the real reason I sent you to the trial.¡±


    ¡°You mean you haven¡¯t?¡± I knew it! The dungeon shouted internally. The whole ¡®only humans can participate¡¯ rule, while true, seemed a bit weak. There were other humans in the Feline Tower¡ªTheo had seen them. And even if that wasn¡¯t the case, they could have gotten Gregord¡¯s second key at any point.


    Suddenly, Theo mentally froze. It just hit him¡ªthe Feline Tower had gotten the key. Getting such a valuable item as a reward was ludicrous to begin with. Being a dungeon, neither Theo nor his spirit guide had seen the true value of the key, merely viewing it as a magical artifact.


    ¡°When you get to the ninth floor of Gregord¡¯s tower, you¡¯ll be given a choice,¡± the cat said. ¡°Choose one gift that Gregord has to offer. Some say that, depending on a participant¡¯s performance, one can choose more. That¡¯s a lie. Gregord believed that a person has many chances, but only one goal.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± the dungeon lied. ¡°So, if I make the wrong choice, I¡¯ll be cast out.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no wrong choice. Not in the way you¡¯re thinking. You always get to choose one thing. If you ask for something that¡¯s impossible to be granted, you¡¯ll just be asked to make a new one. The point is that you get what you ask for. Ask for a bag of gold and that¡¯s what you get, along with the knowledge you could have gotten so much more.¡±


    ¡°So, I get to keep my memories?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s also a choice. Of course, it¡¯ll mean you¡¯ll get nothing else.¡±


    Now things really were complicated. No wonder that was reserved for the final trial. Theo could ask for Gregord¡¯s battle staff and later consume all the dungeon cores within it. Yet, he¡¯d forget everything that had taken place since stepping into the tower. On the other hand, if he asked to retain his memories, he¡¯d remember everything he could have had.


    ¡°You¡¯re to choose Gregord¡¯s diary,¡± the cat said in a firm tone.


    ¡°That¡¯s a thing?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more than a thing. It contains all of his thoughts¡ªknowledge that he refused to share with anyone else. Everything else that Gregord has achieved will be replicated sooner or later, if it already hasn¡¯t. The diary is unique.¡±


    That made sense. The tower that got their hands, or paws, on that would vastly increase its power and influence. He could assume that Celenia would do the same.


    ¡°Sounds easy enough.¡± Theo displayed a bit of fake bravado. ¡°Go up there, get the diary. Got it.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope so. It would be unfortunate if I have to tell everyone what your true nature is.¡± The cat let out its fangs.


    ¡°What? We had an agreement! I went along with this because¡ª¡±


    ¡°You got part of your reward early,¡± the cat hissed. ¡°That was your choice. I went along with it, and now am changing our agreement in turn. I haven¡¯t waited all this time for this chance to slip through my claws. I don¡¯t know what floor you are on, and I know you can¡¯t tell me. But I know you are close. No one has gone further than Auggy. For him to have returned alone means you have surpassed him. For that exact reason, I came here to give you a bit of further incentive. Don¡¯t you dare take it easy because your greatest opponent has been cast out.¡±


    Take it easy?! That was the last thing Theo had been doing. His avatar had been through a lot¡ªmore than he¡¯d experienced in the past year put together. Once the baron part of him woke up, he¡¯d see the final floor trial before reaching Gregord. He had no doubt that it would be the toughest one yet. The blasted cat didn¡¯t have to add to the pressure by imposing another condition.


    ¡°So much for the nice old cat,¡± the dungeon muttered.


    ¡°Nice old cats don¡¯t live to be hundreds of years old,¡± the archmage curled up on the chair. ¡°Oh, and just in case you decide to have ideas, I¡¯ll be spending the rest of the trial here.¡± He closed his eyes, making himself comfortable for a nap. ¡°In the words of the Great Gregord, good luck.¡±

 (Book 3) 29. Secret of the Eighth Floor Trial

    The arrival of a half a floating mage tower should have created a massive stir. Normally, there were only two reasons for mages to appear in force at a settlement, even in their area of influence. In this case, this was merely seen as part of the wedding preparation. The griffins were most curious of all, circling the floating structure in an attempt to see what was inside. Their nature had taught them to be vigilant, yet at the same time they kept on pushing the envelope, nudging closer and closer to the building itself. The feline mages, on their part, didn¡¯t seem at all bothered, rather observing events from the sky.


    As much as some of them wanted to see things up close, the presence of so much noise and horses caused them to postpone their official arrival. Of course, that hadn¡¯t stopped several of them from congratulating both Spok and Duke Rosewind.


    As usual, the duke took the surprise visit in stride, creating the impression it was semi-planned, and once again thanked the city¡¯s protector Baron d¡¯Argent for arranging that honor. At another time, that might have caused some awkwardness and a lot of questions, but right now everyone¡¯s attention was focused elsewhere. Of the over a hundred initial participants, only thirty-eight remained, each considered a potential hopeful. Avid was among the cut, along with both of Duke Goton¡¯s sons, which made things more than a little interesting. Amelia had also asked to participate, but both her father and duke Goton had been vehemently opposed.


    By noon, the second and third rounds of the tournament were over, reducing the number to nineteen, then eight. With so few remaining, Theo had reduced the number of jousting lanes to two. The crowd wanted to get a better view of the winners, so they were going to have two more rounds. The individual jousts¡ªthe highlight of the event¡ªwere to be reserved for the following day.


    Amid all the chaos and cheers, no one noticed the increasing number of armor guards that emerged within the city. Compared to the grand-scale changes, the additions were outright negligible. A few hundred shiny armors here and there were seen more as a buildup to the tournament finale¡ªor the wedding ceremony, depending on one¡¯s view.


    The only increasingly nervous entity was Theo. Aside from the case of the invisible attackers, he had the archmage of the Feline Tower sleeping within his main building.


    ¡°Mediocre,¡± Duke Avisian muttered, openly displaying his disgust. ¡°With so many noble representatives, I¡¯d have hoped that at least some displayed any refinement.¡± He waved a handkerchief dismissively. ¡°I blame the venue, of course.¡±


    ¡°Avisian, you¡¯ve made your point clear,¡± the prince raised his tone just enough for the noble to get the message. ¡°Let me enjoy the rest of the tournament before you get back to your usual disapproval.¡±


    ¡°Of course, your Highness.¡± The duke bowed. ¡°Already making a note of it.¡±


    ¡°Who do you think will win?¡± The prince turned to Liandra¡¯s father. ¡°Think Rosewind has a chance?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult to tell,¡± the hero replied diplomatically. ¡°Lia tells me the kid showed promise, but so do Goton¡¯s.¡± The man scratched his chin. ¡°Lilac is most likely to be the winner, I think. Marcus, not so much.¡±


    Several seats away, Amelia humphed beneath her breath. She knew she didn¡¯t have the skill or status to interrupt a conversation between an established hero and a prince, but she very well wanted to. This whole thing had spiraled out of control and all thanks to her father and stupid brothers.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sweetheart,¡± her mother whispered. ¡°It¡¯s all part of the journey.¡±


    ¡°Mother¡­¡± Amelia sighed.


    ¡°You¡¯ve always wanted to be like Lady Liandra and Lady Spok, haven¡¯t you?¡± The older woman paused just enough for her daughter to display her silent agreement. ¡°Then you must be strong enough to see this through. Either young Avid is strong enough to best your brothers, or he¡¯s not, in which case you¡¯ll have to make him stronger. A good husband is more than someone who takes you on griffin rides late at night.¡±


    ¡°Mother, please!¡± Amelia whispered as she looked around, flustered. One of the reasons she wanted to become an adventurer was because her parents had started talking about marriage and family more often than she would have liked.


    While this and many other conversations filled the stands, four participants prepped mounted on their battle unicorns. All of them were skilled, coming from high-ranking families. It could be said that there were few surprises. Each of the four deserved to proceed onwards, with the Goton and Melnik family being considered the favorites.


    Once everything was set, the prince raised his hand. Waiting for barely a few seconds, he then let it down, giving the signal of the event. Almost instantly, all four riders charged forwards. Normally, it would take between ten and twenty seconds for the clash to occur. Since everyone in the batch was adept at horseback riding, the time took half that much.


    Metal ripped metal, sending two of the knights flying in the air. This was the part that Theo hated. The amount of energy he had to gradually kill the inertia was enough to deal with a skeletal revenant. Even worse, nobles, onlookers, and participants had become used to this otherwise non-existent safety feature he provided they allowed themselves to be as reckless as possible.


    Granted, having people die in a public, gruesome fashion wasn¡¯t the best fit for a wedding, but the dungeon would be lying if he didn¡¯t feel tempted to let a few bones get cracked, so they could learn their lesson. It wasn¡¯t like jousting didn¡¯t have fatalities before this.


    I¡¯m spoiling people, Theo thought as the crowds cheered to celebrate the winners of the latest jousts.


    On the field, Goton¡¯s son was waving to the crowd, helmet removed. It was difficult to tell how strong he was outside of jousting, but there was every chance he¡¯d be annoying as an adventurer. Going by purely on status, Avid and Amelia were supposed to be stronger, with two noble quests under their belt. In practice, everyone would soon find out.


    ¡°Avid,¡± Theo whispered.


    ¡°Huh?¡± the young Rosewind looked about. He was used to weirdness surrounding the baron, though this was new even for him.


    ¡°The ground,¡± the dungeon added. ¡°I¡¯m using magic to talk to you through the ground. Just act natural.¡±


    The lie made enough sense for Avid to nod.


    ¡°Is anything wrong, teacher?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you can handle Marcus?¡± the dungeon asked.


    There was a long pause.


    ¡°Tell me now if you don¡¯t think you can. I¡¯ll change the lanes, so you¡¯ll face the other guy. I hope you can take him down, at least.¡±


    Some would call this a noble intention, or a selfish desire of Theo to ensure the success of an apprentice. Nothing could be further than the truth. At least, that was what things were supposed to be. The dungeon felt wrong, even entertaining the possibility. He never should have held the conversation to begin with, and yet somewhere deep inside there was a spark of desire to help out. There was no rhyme or reason. One couldn¡¯t even excuse boredom, and yet the offer had metaphorically left Theo¡¯s lips.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Avid put on his helmet. ¡°If I can¡¯t handle this, how can I handle things to come?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been reading too many books,¡± the dungeon grumbled.


    The refusal infuriated him for some unclear reason to the point that his construct stood up from its seat.


    ¡°Sir?¡± Spok whispered, spontaneously appearing beside him. ¡°Is anything wrong?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s an idiot.¡± The construct crossed his arms. ¡°Other than that, nothing.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t made any additional bets, I hope.¡± The spirit guide adjusted her glasses.


    Avid mounted his unicorn. Across from him, Marcus Goton stood ready. He had his own personal armor sent through magic scroll to the city. It was a lot bulkier than Avid¡¯s or all the sets of armor that the dungeon had adjusted. Anyone could tell at a single glance that it was capable of withstanding a much greater impact. On the minus side, that made it a lot less maneuverable.


    Once again, Prince Thomas raised his hand. This time, he took a few seconds to glance at both Goton and Rosewind before marking the start of the round.


    Two sets of competitors charged at one another, but nearly all the focus was on Avid and Marcus.


    Theo had no idea what skill, if any, went into jousting. All he saw were pairs of idiots clashing into one another. From his point of view, it was no different than a coin flip. Well, almost¡­


    Marcus¡¯ much heavier lance struck Avid¡¯s shield left of center. Logically, this was supposed to send the young Rosewind off the unicorn and into the air. That didn¡¯t happen, though. Instead, the lance continued onward, taking the entire shield with it. For a split second, it seemed as if the shield was never attached to Avid, merely stuck on as a separate part.


    The Goton¡¯s eyes widened, as his mind struggled to figure out what was going on. Mentally, he had already seen his opponent dismounted, and yet that vision hadn¡¯t translated into reality. Instead, the shorter and far less sturdy lance of Rosewind hit him in the center of his own shield, tossing him backwards off the saddle.


    Time seemed to freeze. It was a masterful execution of solid planning, perfect execution, and agility that only an expert griffin rider could pull off. Bards would sing of the event for generations to come; or at least they would have if everyone¡¯s attention wasn¡¯t snatched by a far more spectacular event. While two of the favorites to win the tournament had clashed, the other pair had slammed into one another. Armor and weapons had shattered as if they were glass bursting into the air. Most peculiarly, several large pieces of their shields were propelled into the stands, right where Baron d¡¯Argent and Spok were standing.


    Screams filled the air. Dozens of people, far and near, witnessed a metal piece of shield slice the neck of the future bride, while multiple more metal shards ripped through the upper part of her and the baron¡¯s torsos.


    Immediately, the dungeon cast an aether sphere around his spirit guide. An instant later, the sphere was quickly turned opaque.


    ¡°Stop the tournament!¡± The prince yelled, standing up from the makeshift throne.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Both Duke Rosewind and Liandra were on their feet, rushing to assist with the situation.


    ¡°Everyone, stay calm!¡± the heroine shouted, as a circle of orange magic emerged on the floor of the stand area.


    A holy healing spell. It had the power to instantly heal anyone wounded. Unfortunately, it also held the power of purging any and all evil. Since the stand itself was considered a large object made of wood, and not part of the dungeon proper, it wasn¡¯t affected. The Baron¡¯s construct and Spok, on the other hand, were a different matter entirely.


    Without warning, the dungeon lost control of the creature Switches had built for him, causing it to collapse to the floor of the stands. The aether sphere protecting Spok also shattered, revealing¡­ absolutely nothing.


    ¡°What?¡± Liandra¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Where is she?¡±


    The only reason no one else noticed was due to the amount of agitation in the stands. While some of the people in the special section were nobles accustomed to battle, the vast majority weren¡¯t and were scampering about in the most reckless display possible. Duke Avisial was a prime example, managing to flee the scene faster than one might imagine, with no regard for his wife.


    ¡°That reminds me of your uncle,¡± Lady Goton said, remaining perfectly calm in her seat.


    ¡°Mother!¡± Amelia shouted, furious at the comment.


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying,¡± the old noblewoman shrugged. ¡°A piece of lance flew into the crowd and hit him in the shoulder. Good thing it was the left. The healers had to chop off the entire arm.¡±


    ¡°Everything is fine,¡± the familiar voice of Spok said.


    It was somewhat unusual that it had become several times louder, audible even among all the screams. Furthermore, a sensation of calmness swept through everyone, causing the panic quickly to die down. Then waves of confusion followed.


    ¡°You¡¯re alright?¡± Liandra asked.


    Many would have sworn that the woman had been beheaded by the shield fragments. And yet, looking at her, she didn¡¯t seem harmed in the least. Not even her clothes had suffered any damage. The woman was at the edge of the special section, about fifty feet from where she had been. In a perfectly calm and dignified manner, she made her way to Duke Rosewind, taking his arm, as was expected of her.


    ¡°My apologies for alarming everyone,¡± the spirit guide said. ¡°My baron used a spell to take me out of harm¡¯s way.¡± She looked at the jousting field. ¡°It appears that this round has just one victor.¡±


    Once the word ¡®spell¡¯ was uttered, all the mystery of the situation had vanished. People¡¯s minds quickly rationalized the situation, ignoring what they had seen moments ago with their own eyes. After all, there was no way the Protector of Rosewind would allow such a bloody scene to occur at such an important event. He had placed more than enough spells, ensuring that all flying participants were safely slowed down midair and placed on the ground without serious injuries. Naturally, he would provide protection from flying shield pieces.


    On the field, several of Switches¡¯ construct soldiers were already clearing the field from armor pieces, and helping the disqualified participants to their feet.


    ¡°I must say, my dear, you had me slightly worried as well,¡± Duke Rosewind admitted, while looking at his son down at the field. Etiquette demanded that he wave to acknowledge the young man¡¯s victory, and he did. ¡°Are you sure everything¡¯s alright?¡±


    ¡°Of course, your grace,¡± Spok lied. ¡°The baron had it much worse. I believe he might need some attention.¡±


    It was only then that everyone noticed the condition of Theo¡¯s construct. It continued to lay there on the wooden floor, completely still, not even breathing. Now that Liandra¡¯s healing blessing was no longer in effect, the dungeon managed to reestablish a link with the construct and quickly made it sit up. No doubt, his behavior was going to cause a bit of short-term embarrassment¡ªthe coward Duke Avisian was going to see to that¡ªbut that could be remedied. Spok was already doing damage control, as was Liandra. Even Duke Rosewind and the members of the inner council were doing their part to have things return to relative normality. There was another concern, though. The dungeon could tell without an ounce of doubt that the accident wasn¡¯t an accident. He hadn¡¯t felt any magic, but he knew that either Spok or his spirit guide had been targeted.


    First Switches, then me, and now Spok, Theo thought. Someone was targeting him and all his minions. This was more than petty nobles, more than angered mages, or heroes on a vengeance. Some other force seemed to be targeting him, something that kept hidden and didn¡¯t want to reveal its nature.


    Suddenly, amid all the mental speculation, the dungeon sensed his avatar wake up.


    Everything around was grey and blurry. The only thing that he could tell for certain was that the avatar was resting on something solid. Also, he could feel numerous paws on his face.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± Ellis said. ¡°That¡¯s a relief. The hag was driving me crazy.¡±


    ¡°I heard that,¡± Celenia¡¯s voice came a short distance away. ¡°Tell him to hurry up.¡±


    Instinctively, the avatar cast a magic revelation spell. Nothing changed. At least things in his immediate vicinity were real. Just to be sure, he also cast an arcane identification.


    Ellis Vitt


    (Feline Mage Apprentice)


    One of the rising star prodigies of the Feline Mage Tower. An eleven-generation feline mage, Ellis has yet to specialize in magic, although she is familiar with multiple types.


    Left with little doubt that things were as they were supposed to be, the avatar gently moved the cat off his face and stood up. The surroundings were strange in a partially-familiar fashion. Theo was almost certain he¡¯d seen it before, even if he knew that he couldn¡¯t have. A bleak, uneven landscape continued to the horizon. It was as if someone had started building a world, but stopped at the rocky foundation. The sky above was also dark, stuck somewhere between day and night, only without any sun or moon visible.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Auggy?¡± The avatar stood up and cast a flight spell onto him. His feet rose an inch from the ground.


    ¡°No idea. It was only us three when I woke up.¡± Ellis leaped into the air, as if she were climbing invisible steps. ¡°We sent some roaming eyes, but couldn¡¯t find him.¡±


    So, you really did it, you old goat. Theo smiled internally. If their paths ever crossed again, he was going to give the old man a whole carriage of booze. That was assuming he still remembered anything.


    ¡°Welcome, participants!¡± the tower¡¯s voice boomed. ¡°You are the first to have reached the eighth floor of the tower. Congratulations are in order, but just as you have come closer than anyone, so will you face a challenge greater than any other.¡±


    A cluster of clouds emerged in the sky. On them, the outline of a single door became visible.


    ¡°All magic restrictions have been removed. You can use any spells, weapons, and magic items you already know, including everything you¡¯ve learned during the previous trials,¡± the voice continued.


    Damn it! Theo grumbled. Maybe he should have taken a few more books from the first floor. Most of them were useless, but there were a few magic tomes. They were deemed insignificant by all mages of the initial group, yet could prove useful at some point.


    ¡°Furthermore, the Great Gregord will grant you one additional ability for this trial alone: the power of imagination.¡±


    ¡°The what?¡± the avatar asked on reflex, only to get shushed by both Ellis and Celenia.


    ¡°The power of imagination allows you to transform your surrounding landscape into anything you can perceive¡ªdeep seas, massive mountains, endless fields¡­¡± the tower started enumerating. ¡°As long as you can perceive it in your mind''s eye with enough detail, the world will bend to your will.¡±


    The avatar looked at Ellis, then Celenia. On a surface level, he understood what was being said, yet at the same time he remained completely clueless. Was this just another version of his dungeon creation ability? If so, he¡¯d have a huge advantage.


    Bending down, the avatar placed his hand on the ground. A small tower emerged, complete with gargoyles and intricate external decorations. Refreshingly, it didn¡¯t seem to require nearly as much energy as the dungeon usually had to use. In fact, it cost almost nothing.


    ¡°Do you really need to touch the ground for that to work?¡± Celenia smirked. The area around her had turned into a patch of grass in which flowers were quickly growing further. ¡°This will be amusing.¡±


    ¡°Pfft. As if you¡¯re any good at it.¡± Ellis flicked her tail. Surprisingly, nothing had changed around her. ¡°You¡¯re just superimposing layers, not actually changing them. Someone never reached volume three.¡±


    ¡°Why waste mana on that, since the difference is barely noticeable?¡± The blonde mage shrugged. The plants shot up, turning into a giant beanstalk continuing all the way to the door cloud.


    Theo and Ellis looked up. Both of them waited for something to happen. Normally, this was the part of the trial where the complication would be introduced. Either lightning would strike the beanstalk, or a Memoria¡¯s tomb would strike the caster.


    Seconds passed. First two, then five, then ten.


    Aether spheres surrounded all three of them, along with various other protective spells. Still, there was no reaction.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be this easy,¡± Ellis said, surrounded by a dozen magic circles.


    ¡°What¡¯s the trick?¡± the avatar asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to use your hint,¡± the tower replied. ¡°The answer is part of the trial. Only one candidate can reach the top of the tower at a time. In the past, few climbed above the midpoint, and no one reached up to this point. Arriving here proves that you have what it takes. Moving beyond¡ª¡±


    ¡°So, it¡¯s like the fifth trial,¡± the avatar interrupted.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing like that trial.¡± The tower¡¯s intonation became rather defensive. ¡°It¡¯s completely different. Only one could proceed. There¡¯s no surrendering here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same, just with a slightly increased difficulty parameter.¡± There was a note of disappointment in the avatar¡¯s voice.


    There was no reason for him to be displeased. This worked well for him. Finally, he¡¯d finish this magic trial and get the magic cats off his back. And still, the way the trials had been increasing in difficulty, he had expected a lot more. This was nothing more than a standard fight between mages.


    ¡°I suggest that you surrender,¡± Celenia said with a confident smile. ¡°You¡¯ve been kind enough to get me here, so I don¡¯t want to humiliate you.¡±


    ¡°The tower just said that we can¡¯t surrender, airhead,¡± Ellis snapped at her, her tail completely still like a predator before a strike.


    ¡°Just don¡¯t struggle as I take you out.¡± Celenia shrugged. ¡°Our skills have been amplified here, so my massive spells have no disadvantage. I can cast them just as fast as you cast your puny little spells.¡± Massive rays of light shot up from the woman¡¯s head, then arched, falling down onto Ellis and the baron like artillery fire.


    Giant ice shields filled the space between the fire ways and the avatar. Despite their strength and size, the beams shattered through them like glass. Before they could hit their targets, though, the baron used his swiftness ultra spell to fly out of the zone of destruction, grabbing Ellis with him as he flew by.


    Explosions echoed, creating a multitude of massive craters in the ground. It was as if someone had scooped out parts of the landscape. Clearly, when the tower said that a person¡¯s imagination affected the world, they also included spells. That posed an interesting question. If the avatar were to use a Memoria¡¯s tomb, could he make it affect the entire world? Well, there was only one way to find out.


    Theo concentrated and cast a Memoria¡¯s tomb. His goal was to make it as large as possible, large enough to encompass the entire world. Semi transparent lines formed on the horizon, quickly filled up by ice.


    It actually worked? The dungeon thought. Experience had taught him that when something was too good to be true, it usually was. In this case, everything went according to plan. Everything up to the horizon was quickly filled up.


    ¡°Got you!¡± the avatar said.


    Suddenly, all the ice disappeared. There were no explosions, no counterspells, no melting. It was as if someone had just erased the spell¡¯s existence.


    ¡°You forget I know this as well,¡± Celenia yawned demonstratively. ¡°Every spell that the tower taught us, remember?¡± she stressed on the last word. ¡°Your best chance to get rid of me was after the sixth floor challenge. That¡¯s what happens when a freelance mage gets overconfident. They don¡¯t think ahead. The only way¡ª¡±


    A zap of lightning suddenly appeared from nowhere, slicing through the woman. The mage didn¡¯t even manage to finish her sentence as her entire body was surrounded by bright yellow light, then vanished.


    Instinctively, the avatar used his swiftness spell to change location and just in time. A creature that could only be described as lightning with wings appeared in the spot he had been fractions of a moment ago. Remaining there for just a second longer, the being flapped its wings, then fizzled out of existence.


    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± a female voice said. ¡°She only made one mistake.¡±


    A silhouette emerged half a mile away. As it gained texture, the features of someone very familiar took form.


    ¡°Klarissa?¡± the avatar asked. He had completely forgotten about her. Rather, since the group hadn¡¯t come across her since the fifth floor, he had assumed that she had been ejected from the tower. Apparently, that wasn¡¯t the case.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what happens when freelance mages get overconfident,¡± the mercenary said, as other silhouettes emerged around her. ¡°It¡¯s the same for all mages.¡±

 (Book 3) 30. The Hag, the Cat, and the Clerics

    ¡°Old hag?!¡± Ellis asked, casting another dozen spell circles. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Nice to see you too, little girl,¡± Klarissa completely ignored the cat, keeping her focus on the baron.


    Around her, people kept on appearing. There were already over fifty, all wearing expensive, though mismatched, pieces of gear. One look was enough¡ªthey were all mercenaries. There was something more, though; something that made Theo feel simultaneously at ease and competitive.


    ¡°Demon fragments,¡± the avatar muttered beneath his breath.


    There could be no doubt that the people were human, but the heavy presence of evil emanated from them. It was as though this batch had spent a few years in the mandrake mountains, absorbing the effects of the demon hearts there.


    ¡°How did you skip the previous floor?¡± the avatar asked.


    ¡°What makes you think I did?¡± Klarissa crossed her arms, amused.


    ¡°The tower would have told us if you hadn¡¯t.¡±


    The statement was part bluff, part guess, but it did its trick. The mercenary shook her head.


    ¡°There¡¯s always a missing detail,¡± she said. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter, though. We¡¯re already here.¡±


    Several of the mercenaries drew their weapons. Each of them was thick with magic, made all the more powerful thanks to the tower¡¯s boost.


    ¡°Gregord¡¯s tower is a pretty neat spell, but it has its flaws,¡± the woman continued. ¡°His problem, like all mages, is that he thought himself infallible. He considered himself so superior, placing exceptions within his own spells in an effort to mock everyone else. With enough backing, any loophole could be exploited.¡±


    ¡°As if!¡± Ellis hissed. ¡°If there was a loophole, someone would have found it centuries ago.¡±


    ¡°People have been finding it centuries ago,¡± Klarissa laughed. ¡°Over and over again. You were too magey to notice.¡±


    It was a strange insult, but Theo instantly knew what she had in mind. That was something he, too, had noticed. There was rarely anyone so set in their ways as a mage. Having the means to shape reality in one way or another, they were so convinced that they were the only ones capable of doing it that they stopped thinking about it. Laws of nature could be broken only according to their complex rules and in no other way.


    ¡°Still can¡¯t figure it out?¡± Klarissa shifted her attention to the white cat. ¡°The keys. They have the power to unlock most locks, to grant entry into the tower, and also to transport a person from one floor to another. Anyone could tell that adding so many ultimate spells within a single item is a recipe for disaster.¡±


    All that power was in a single key? Theo almost felt guilty for consuming the artefact.


    ¡°Tell me, little girl, what would happen if all the three spells were combined into one?¡± Klarissa¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Not only would you gain the ability to create a portal from one tower floor to another, but also open a door to the outside as well.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± Ellis¡¯ voice clearly showed that the cat was afraid of where that path of reasoning could lead to. Even so, she stubbornly refused to accept it. ¡°If you wanted to leave so badly, you could just have told me. I¡¯d have ejected you out of the tower anytime.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that mean you could bring anyone you wanted to the fifth floor?¡± the avatar asked.


    ¡°I knew you¡¯d get it. A few adjustments and an enchantment that was set to open a door to one place opens a door to another. Seems like there¡¯s one thing you forgot as well.¡± Klarissa took out an item from her belt. It was a crimson key ring, holding two keys. ¡°What if I had two keys all along?¡±


    An arrow split the air. Flying up, it burst, multiplying into hundreds of copies that rained on the avatar.


    The baron was just about to cast an ice shield, when a magic circle emerged above him, swallowing all the projectiles like a black hole. Another soon appeared, throwing them out at the gathered mercenaries.


    Sounds of metal striking stone echoed as the fifty mercenaries scattered, escaping from their own attack. Klarissa didn¡¯t move. In her case, parts of aether bubbles appeared now and again, causing all the arrows to bounce off before they could deal any damage.


    ¡°So,¡± the woman said, not in the least impressed. ¡°The kitten can use magic. And it only took a legendary archmage to boost her abilities for her to make anything useful out of it.¡±


    The spite in the woman¡¯s words was palpable.


    ¡°How about we make a deal?¡± The woman took a step forward. ¡°Quit and I get to owe you one.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± The avatar cast three dozen bottled fireballs.


    To anyone who had seen the destructive nature of that spell, it would have seemed like he was getting ready for a reckless attack. In truth, it was the opposite. Theo needed the fire in order to look in all directions thanks to his fire scrying ability. The end result wasn¡¯t the best, it was as if he was missing his glasses. Still, it was better than nothing, letting him observe the actions of the small mercenary army Klarissa had brought with her. Based on their actions, there was a very good chance none of them were mages, but they had enough enchanted items to be meddlesome opponents, nonetheless.


    ¡°And you¡¯ll remember your promise when you get out?¡± he asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s that, but at least it¡¯s better than the alternative.¡± The woman tossed the pair of keys to the ground a dozen feet away. ¡°The tower might not be fast enough to get you out before I kill you.¡±


    of that, no one had any doubts.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make you the same offer,¡± Theo bluffed, playing for time. He had absolutely no intention of keeping any promises to her. At the same time, he was smart enough to know that his avatar was at a serious disadvantage.


    As destructive as fireballs could become in their present environment, any enemy could boost the effect of their magical shield to withstand them. No doubt there had to be limits to this trial Gregord had set up for them, but it was going to take a bit of experimentation to figure them out.


    Taking a deep breath, the avatar cast a multitude of arcane identify spells.


    DEMON SWORD Level 5


    (Artifact)


    A sword created by an archdemon that is capable of devouring flesh, blood, and bone at contact.


    The sword can slice through most armor and magic barriers, and can only be destroyed by holy swords or items.


    EVIL EYE PENDANT


    (Artifact)


    A magical device capable of paralyzing any human that sees it from a distance of thirty feet or less.


    SHADOW CLOAK


    (Artifact)


    A cloak made of darkness that has the power to render its wearer invisible for a brief moment in time.


    Hundreds of messages emerged before the avatar¡¯s eyes, coming from everywhere. The good news was that the vast majority of items were duplicates. The not-so-good news was that each of them had serious power. Demon heart fragments had proved more than enough to transform ordinary sets of armor into demonic creatures. Given the boost the tower currently provided, the weapons could end up being a lot worse.


    ¡°Ellis, don¡¯t look!¡± The avatar shouted, launching his fireballs in all directions. They were immediately followed by a multitude of ice shards and an ice elemental.


    Explosions blossomed everywhere, transforming the entire area into one big blanket of flame. Theo could feel the sensation of heat as if his avatar had tripped into a campfire.


    CORE CONSUMPTION


    3 Demon Swords, 1 Evil Eye Pendant, 1 Shadow Cloak, and 1 Darkness Shield converted into 5900 Avatar Core Points.


    Learning that blessed flames were capable of destroying demonic weapons, and also that these weapons provided core points, was welcome news. Unfortunately, the low numbers indicated that the vast majority of the mercenaries remained unharmed.


    Theo was just about to cast out a new wave of fireballs when a trio clad in bronze armor ripped through the flames, charging straight at him. Catching the avatar completely by surprise, they struck forward in unison, piercing the baron¡¯s body in three places.


    Everything froze.


    All three of the mercenaries looked at the baron¡¯s face. The avatar, on his part, looked back. Moments later, all four looked down to make sure that the blades had skewered their target.


    Several types of confusion mixed into one. On Theo¡¯s side, he was wondering why the attacks hadn¡¯t caused him to lose even a grain of energy. Even if their descriptions were vastly exaggerated, they were weapons, and as such had to have had some effect.


    From the view of the mercenaries, there was no logical reason for the mage to remain standing. He had to be strong¡ªotherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have made it to this level of the tower¡ªbut not immortal. And as they had witnessed several times in the recent past, these weapons had the power to slice through everything, even heroic armor.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Ah, I get it,¡± the avatar said, causing the trio to look him in the face again. ¡°Devouring flesh,¡± he said in mild amusement. ¡°Pity that you lucked out.¡±


    A new cluster of blessed fireballs emerged, instantly pouring onto the mercenaries.


    CORE CONSUMPTION


    3 Demon Swords, 2 Evil Eye Pendants, 3 Shadow Cloaks converted into 8400 Avatar Core Points.


    The avatar was just about to call out for Ellis again, yet a multitude of spears flew from all directions, piercing him like a pincushion.


    This was mildly annoying. The effects of the spears were no worse than those of the swords. However, as anyone who¡¯d been lucky once, Theo knew that relying on the same luck was a one-way trip to defeat. Too many things were happening at once.


    Once the flames died out, he¡¯d no longer have the element of surprise, not to mention that the mercenaries would adjust their tactics appropriately. And that was just here. Things in Rosewind were getting a lot more agitated on multiple levels. Even at his current rank, energy, and knowledge, there was no way that a dungeon could handle it all.


    Any other time, Theo would have cursed the universe and prepared for the inevitable loss of his much-valued avatar. In this case, though, Gregord had granted him one advantage that could possibly end up being a way out. It was a long shot¡ªthe dungeon had only witnessed what he intended to do. Everything beyond that was left to his imagination.


    ¡°You better have told me the truth!¡± he grumbled and cast what he believed to be a spell.


    Within the tower, nothing changed. The flames of his fireballs died out, revealing a multitude of very angry mercenaries. Klarissa was among them, surrounded by a multitude of dark silver fragments that circled around her like a ring.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± the woman said.


    Almost on cue, the spears ripped out the avatar¡¯s body, flying back to their owners.


    ¡°What are you?¡± Klarissa asked, no longer amused. ¡°Only heroes could destroy those weapons, but even they can¡¯t survive being hit.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m the reincarnation of the Great Gregord?¡± the avatar lied.


    To his own surprise, his words caused the mercenaries to pause, covering themselves with demonic shields, flying artifacts, and the occasional protective spell.


    ¡°No incarnation returns with their powers or memories,¡± Klarissa felt the need to argue.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m a different type of incarnation.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re strong, I¡¯ll give you that, but you¡¯re not infallible. If you weren¡¯t, you wouldn¡¯t be fighting us. Also¡ª¡± a new smile emerged on her face ¡°¡ªyour last spell didn¡¯t do a thing.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? Maybe it was just one big distraction.¡±


    ¡°A distraction for what?¡±


    The ground trembled. Far in the distance, a new entity had gained form. It was a lot larger than any of its kind. Tall as three mage towers stacked atop one another, it looked at the small creatures in the distance. Among them was its creator, so it couldn¡¯t blindly go on a rampage no matter how much it itched for it. For the moment, the entity had to be content to attack some of the creatures to the side, which it did, shooting two freezing beams at them.


    Within moments five mercenaries were trapped in a river of solid ice.


    ¡°For that,¡± the avatar cast a swiftness ultra spell, disappearing from his current location.


    Meanwhile, in Rosewind, the sun was setting. Unknown to all but Theo, a chrono spell had been cast within Gregord¡¯s tower. From the point of view of everyone inside, nothing appeared different. And still, time was already moving at a far slower pace. In fact, it was slow enough that Theo could analyze his next movement on a strategic level, while simultaneously multitasking within the city itself. In fact, he had just done so.


    That was rather good, since even with Spok and Duke Rosewind¡¯s assistance, it had taken a lot to smoothen the events of that morning. To much disappointment, the tournament had been put to an early end. With only three contenders making it to the final found, it was decided that each of them be declared a partial winner.


    There had been a brief moment of boos as the crowd were eager to see a duel between Avid Rosewind and Lilac Goton. It was Liandra who had contained the situation, declaring that she wouldn¡¯t allow anything further to risk the bride. A vague promise was made to continue the tournament as soon as the wedding was over, but it was clear that would likely not happen.


    Either by coincidence or deliberately, the feline mages also helped calm the situation. There was something about cats in clothes floating down from the tower above that sparked the imagination.


    On the other hand, the presence of royalty had also piqued the felines¡¯ interest. Several of them had floated near his throne, only to be replaced by more important members of the tower. Naturally, Duke Rosewind invited everyone to another of the supposedly famous castle feasts. And, naturally, the cats had gladly accepted.


    Ironically, the only person that wasn¡¯t invited, but expected to be there was Theo, or rather the construct Switches had created for him. That had caused some minor issues, since after the damage it suffered, the gnome had to discreetly fix up a few parts. To make matters worse, two of the cats had decided to ¡°drop in¡± while that happened.


    ¡°You made all this?¡± The fat orange cat asked, looking at a scale model of the gnome¡¯s latest airship. It had an unusually square shape, supposedly to set it apart from all the other airships.


    Personally, the dungeon was of the opinion that the shape change was only done for production ease, same as the latest generation of guard constructs that had been built.


    ¡°Sure did,¡± Switches replied while tinkering with the baron¡¯s left arm. Unlike most, he wasn¡¯t particularly bothered by being watched by a large cat mage.


    ¡°Anti-magic coating?¡± the cat asked, tapping the side of the model with a claw. ¡°Does it negate spells in a radius, or just prevents¡ª¡°


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Gillian,¡± Ilgrym interrupted in a sharp tone of voice. ¡°We¡¯re not here to meddle in the personal affairs of our loyal benefactor.¡±


    Theo didn¡¯t believe that statement for a second. Seeing how the black cat disliked grand celebrations, there was only one reason for him to be here.


    ¡°Your presence is a lot more impressive in person, valued benefactor. Doesn¡¯t having a whole population of humans on you prove distracting at times?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve set up boundaries,¡± the dungeon replied.


    ¡°And that¡¯s not a drain on your resources?¡± Gillian asked. ¡°I¡¯d be glad to assist. Making spells more efficient is my second specialty. I can¡ª¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Gillian.¡± The black cat all but rolled his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sure the gnome knows what he¡¯s doing.¡± It was oblivious that Ilgrym didn¡¯t share the other¡¯s curiosity. ¡°Apologies for our impromptu visit. I didn¡¯t expect the archmage to show such interest. I suppose it¡¯s all to congratulate you.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Theo feigned interest. He knew all too well what the real reason was.


    ¡°The last other participant has been confirmed to have been cast out of the tower earlier today,¡± the cat continued. ¡°That leaves only you and Apprentice Ellis left, valued benefactor. That all but guarantees your inevitable success.¡±


    ¡°You know I can¡¯t talk about that.¡± The dungeon felt both threatened and slightly praised.


    ¡°Try to move the arm again,¡± Switches said.


    Theo did so, resulting in the construct¡¯s arm rising into the air. Unfortunately, in the process, it had snapped off the rest of the body with such sudden effectiveness that the tail of the orange cat shot up in alarm.


    ¡°Heh, heh, heh,¡± the gnome laughed. ¡°No issue. I just forgot to fasten the connection. Will have it done in no time, Boss!¡±


    Theo didn¡¯t even feel the desire to grumble.


    ¡°Say, Ilgrym,¡± he began.


    ¡°Mage Ilgrym,¡± the cat corrected.


    ¡°Are you familiar with magical creatures, by chance?¡±


    ¡°Magical flora and fauna isn¡¯t my main specialty, valued benefactor. My main specialization is¡ª¡°


    ¡°Great!¡± Theo interrupted. ¡°What creature is invisible and devours flesh and mana?¡±


    The black cat blinked a few times, then tilted his head, tail flicking.


    ¡°Is that a riddle, valued benefactor?¡± the cat asked.


    ¡°A riddle?¡± The alchemist¡¯s voice came from one of the adjacent corridors.


    ¡°Not now, assistant!¡± Switches snapped with far more viciousness than one might expect. ¡°Keep overseeing the construct construction.¡±


    ¡°Yes, chief engineer.¡± The disappointment in the alchemist¡¯s voice could almost be seen.


    ¡°Invisible, carnivorous creatures,¡± Ilgrym mused. ¡°That¡¯s a bit vague. I assume dragons fit the bill.¡±


    That was the logical answer of anyone who couldn¡¯t think of anything else. Technically, it was correct to a certain degree. While there was a lot known about the creatures, everyone also stressed that there were no two exactly alike. In that way, they were similar to dungeons.


    ¡°Possibly aether beasts, perhaps?¡±


    ¡°What are aether beasts?¡± Theo asked. It was one of those general classifications that didn¡¯t mean anything. Also, he had no memory of seeing that among the giant list of minions he could create.


    ¡°In layman¡¯s terms, creatures made entirely of aether. They live in aether, consume it, and are aggressively territorial. There were times when they¡¯d be a blight on towers, but that¡¯s only if someone is stupid enough to erect a tower without doing proper research of the selected area beforehand.¡±


    As Switches snapped the construct¡¯s hand into place, carefully fastening it to the rest of the torso, the dungeon wondered. Could it be that in his sudden growth spurt, he had disturbed such creatures? There were no indications that could be the case. At the same time, there also were indications it could be true.


    ¡°And they are invisible?¡± the dungeon asked?


    ¡°Technically, they are the color of aether, but depending on the angle of the light and the natural inclination of the observer, it¡¯s possible that they appear¡ª¡° the orange cat began.


    ¡°Thank you, Gillian,¡± the black cat said in a stern tone. ¡°Sometimes,¡± he added. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to tell. The creatures aren¡¯t overly common and always exterminated as fast as possible.¡±


    Semi-invisible aether creatures¡­ it sounded logical. Would they be invisible for a dungeon, though? Theo tried to ask Spok, but the spirit guide was busy with her other duties¡ªensuring that the celebration at the castle was going as well as possible. With luck, the dungeon would be able to talk to her the following morning. Until then, all he could do was to plan the future moves of his avatar. Just because things moved at a snail¡¯s pace outside the tower didn¡¯t diminish the speed and ferocity of what was happening in it.


    Seeing that the demonic weapons didn¡¯t have any effect on Baron d¡¯Argent, Klarissa had started shouting out new orders to the other mercenaries. The issue was that because of the time dilation, she had only managed to utter two syllables, making any speculation on the dungeon¡¯s part ineffective. As much as he didn¡¯t like it he¡¯d have to wait until the early hours of the morning before he could act.


    No new sets of bones were found in Rosewind for the rest of the night. That could be considered a positive development, although Theo hadn¡¯t spotted any of the previous corpses.


    Celebrations continued throughout the city until morning. The drunken brawls and petty fights were abundant, but thanks to the new guards built by Switches, they didn¡¯t cause too much additional damage. The dungeon, of course, kept on observing with his wandering eyes.


    Night slowly dragged up to morning. Before the sun could peek beyond the horizon, a small procession of carriages beat it to it. It was quickly noticed by Theo¡¯s observatories, long before it got anywhere near the city gates. Unlike the many noble carriages before them, these were rather simple in an elegant sort of way. Made entirely of light oak, they didn¡¯t have crests or emblems, nor an armed escort. The only thing that gave an idea of their occupants was the attire of the carriage drivers¡ªwhite and green tunics with embroidered hoods.


    ¡°Good,¡± a young woman said, spontaneously appearing on top of one of the dungeon¡¯s observatories. ¡°They¡¯re here.¡±


    The woman was dressed in a similarly colored, though rather strange, attire. A flawlessly green dress flowed down to her knees, clashing with the pair of white adventurer trousers and ankle length leather shoes. Her hair was long and curly, held elegantly in place by a golden wreath.


    ¡°Huh?¡± The head of the observatory moved slightly.


    ¡°No need to worry,¡± the woman said, gently tapping the dome with her hand. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    It took a few moments for the dungeon to react.


    ¡°Peris?¡± he asked, his voice audible in the area of the observatory.


    The woman nodded with a smile.


    ¡°You look different.¡±


    ¡°Oh, this? It¡¯s based on the new interpretations of my followers. Don¡¯t ask me why. Deity fashion constantly shifts every century or so.¡±


    Other than the face and hair, this version of Peris had nothing in common with the statues of her new cathedral. That just went to show that deities could be fussy about their appearance as well. In typical deity fashion, she had appeared at the very last moment. The actual ceremony was barely a few days away, and no details had been planned.


    ¡°The important thing is that I¡¯ve been granted permission to administer the wedding in my avatar form,¡± Peris said gleefully.


    ¡°Great.¡± The dungeon¡¯s voice dripped with sarcasm. ¡°What are those guys for, then?¡± A cluster of roaming eyes turned in the direction of the approaching carriages.


    ¡°My clerics? It¡¯s tradition. Deities shouldn¡¯t meddle in mortal affairs, so they¡¯ll act as my interpreters.¡±


    ¡°Interpreters? But you¡¯ve visited several times before. Why do you need interpreters?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s tradition.¡± The goddess giggled. ¡°You¡¯ll see. It¡¯ll be wonderful.¡±


    For some unspecified reason, Theo wasn¡¯t so sure.

 (Book 3) 31. Flying Demons and Even More Serious Issues

    A wave of black flames flew past the dungeon¡¯s avatar, scorching land and sky as it did. It would have been a lot more terrifying if it wasn¡¯t approaching with the speed of a drunken snail. Its effects, on the other hand, were a terror to behold. There was no doubt in anyone¡¯s mind that this was demonic magic, more terrifying than what the abomination or the trial had displayed. It was clear that it affected the integrity of the tower itself. Millions of threads shot out from the pieces of the tower, attempting to mend the scar, but their progress was ten times slower than the destructive spell itself.


    Without warning, a massive ice giant emerged, ripping his wave through the black streaks. More flames shot in its direction, yet only managed to melt off a few feet from the elemental¡¯s massive form. Unwilling to retreat, the mercenary kept on spewing demonic flames at the ice elemental. The effort was pointless, resulting in a loud crunch.


    CORE CONSUMPTIONS


    1 archdemon fragment converted into 10000 Avatar Core Points.


    AVATAR LEVEL INCREASE


    Your Avatar has become Level 42


    +1 Speed, ADVANCED BLESS skill obtained


    2300 Core Points required for next Avatar Level


    ADVANCED BLESS - 1


    Allows you to bless small items, no larger than a shield.


    Using the skill will increase its rank, increasing the size of items that could be blessed.


    Archdemon fragment? Theo wondered. That sounded way too high-powered even for a top rated band of mercenaries. There had to be a really powerful organization behind that.


    People were right when they had warned the dungeon that mage quests were always messier than they first appeared. All this had started as an annoying quest to reach the top of a trial tower. By the looks of it, Theo had stumbled into something far more. This had all the markings of a large-scale mage war.


    Several sides were determined to obtain Gregord¡¯s diary and had gone to extreme lengths to obtain it. The tower candidates were only a small part of it. The Feline Tower had gotten a unique dungeon involved¡ªnamely him¡ªwhile another had obtained some very high-powered mercenaries and equipped them with demonic gear. If he didn¡¯t know better, Theo would almost say that Switches was involved.


    Eager to see the origin of the archdemon fragment, the avatar cast a past echoes spell, combining it with an arcane identify.


    DEMON STAFF Level 5


    (Artifact)


    A high-level demonic staff containing an archdemon fragment. The staff has the power to release demonic flames, burning through flesh, steel, stone, and magic alike. Only high-level divine blessings can withstand or even extinguish the flames.


    ¡°Keep your guard up!¡± Ellis shouted from somewhere.


    The innocent-looking cat had turned out to be quite ferocious in combat. Her manner of fighting was typical of the way cats fought: ninety-nine percent running and hiding, with one percent vicious attacks. At the moment, she was making use of the ice elemental as a shield, waiting for just the right moment before sinking her metaphorical claws into an unsuspecting opponent.


    Before the avatar could reply, a massive chunk of ground beneath him split in two, then rose, slamming into itself like a clam closing shut.


    Theo and over a dozen mercenaries vanished between the massive chunks of rock. Even the ice elemental lost three quarters of itself, leaving only a head, an arm, and part of its upper torso intact.


    ¡°You lose, little girl,¡± Klarissa said, emerging through clouds of black dust. ¡°Such a waste, though. Your tower has always been annoying, but I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d have the funds to hire such a mercenary. Sadly, for you, my side is better.¡±


    In one sudden action, all the dust shot down, disappearing from the air. The land continued to the horizon, still scarred in places by the black demonic flames. Both Klarissa and Ellis watched the remains of the ice elemental fall down, shattering into the enormous stone sphere that had been formed.


    ¡°Hag!¡± the white cat hissed.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Klarissa narrowed her eyes. ¡°I would have offered you to just leave, but you had to push it.¡±


    The woman reached behind her belt, taking a small bronze dagger. The moment her grip tightened. Fifteen dark aether blades emerged above the hold, each formed like a whip-blade.


    Dozens of spell circles, all of various sizes, emerged around the woman. Ellis, clearly, had no intention of throwing in the fight.


    One slash of Klarissa¡¯s weapon later, and all the circles were shattered, unable to release the spells they contained.


    ¡°Spell blade,¡± the woman said in glee and amusement. ¡°Supposedly one of Zel¡¯s masterpieces. It¡¯s said that only three similar alchemical artifacts exist, but that¡¯s probably an exaggeration.¡±


    The aether blades shrunk, pulling back to their original size.


    ¡°But it can still cut through anything you can throw at me,¡± the woman concluded.


    Ellis said nothing.


    ¡°Feel like begging for your life?¡± A semi smile formed on Klarissa¡¯s face. In the meantime, her remaining mercenaries had emerged from their spots. All in all, there were seventeen of them left, scattered around the mile-wide stone sphere. ¡°Who knows? If you do well enough, I might just take a paw.¡±


    The glaring between the two intensified, at which point, the cat suddenly broke out laughing. It wasn¡¯t a maniacal laugh or one of desperation. One might even call it cheerful if circumstances were different.


    ¡°You really don¡¯t like mages,¡± Ellis noted. ¡°Do you?¡±


    ¡°Little girl, the only people who like mages are other mages. Everyone else fears or despises you.¡±


    ¡°And all the things you knew about the Great Gregord? Was that an act?¡±


    ¡°All part of the mission. I like to be prepared when I go somewhere new. I never had any actual interest in some ancient has-been.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s too bad. If you had actually done a bit of research, you wouldn¡¯t have ended up looking so stupid.¡±


    Klarissa¡¯s left eyebrow twitched. It wasn¡¯t the insult that got to her. Doing the job she did, she had long become adept in provocation and intimidation tactics. If there was one thing she knew about mages, it was that beneath all their arrogance they remained crafty little critters; they had to be if they wanted to make it up their hierarchies and become recognized in magical society.


    And still, the woman couldn¡¯t help to shake off the faint sense of concern; the sense of forgetting something.


    ¡°Why¡¯s that, little girl?¡±


    ¡°Must I spell it out?¡± Ellis flicked her tail.


    ¡°Indulge me.¡±


    ¡°Since you¡¯re so old you can¡¯t see it¡­ I¡¯m here as a familiar.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± There was no trace of a smile left on Klarissa¡¯s face.


    ¡°What kind of familiar can remain in Gregord¡¯s tower after the death of her mage?¡±


    The answer to the question was obvious, yet it came too late. Klarissa was barely able to glance in the direction of the stone sphere she had created, when thousands of towers shot out from it, like needles through parchment.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Faster than arrows, they targeted Klarissa and the remaining mercenaries, bending when appropriate. The absurdity of the attack proved too much for some of the opponents. Over ten were skewered by the tips of rooftops. The remaining ones managed to dodge the attacks by inches. Unfortunately for them, that didn¡¯t prove enough. A second series of explosions followed from the towers, sending shards of ice in all directions.


    Finding herself a lot further away from the stone sphere, Klarissa activated several of her artifacts, creating multiple sphere barriers around her. The sole tower that ventured all the way up to her slammed into the invisible wall, then was quickly sliced up by her ominous dagger.


    New spell circles filled the sky, courtesy of Ellis. All of them transformed into portals, recycling the used shards coming from the exploding towers. Within moments, Klarissa was surrounded by a cat''s cradle of shards. Her outer barrier cracked, then shattered along with one of the rings she was wearing. Not too soon after, so did another.


    Black flames emerged from the woman, enveloping her like a sphere. Any projectile or spell that hit the black surface was instantly consumed. On the positive side, it didn¡¯t appear that she could go on the offensive, either.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± the avatar shouted as the mile-wide stone sphere disintegrated to pebbles around him. What remained of the towers rained down on the floor in a series of loud bangs, combined with dust. ¡°That¡¯s total crap!¡±


    Thanks to the time dilation, avoiding certain crushing had proven easy. All that he¡¯d had to do was cast an indestructible aether sphere around him and wait. The issue was the lack of subsequent victory on his side. The dungeon had strongly hoped that his tower attack would prove enough to eliminate all the opponents. Clearly, that wasn¡¯t the case. Worst of all, for some reason, none of the attacks had given him any core points. Thus, the avatar remained at level forty-two. Back in his past life, the number was jokingly referred to as the answer to life, the universe, and everything. Right now, he felt that it was eight levels less than he was supposed to have. The only consolation was that he had improved his speed stat twice, and also gotten useful skills for a change. Trickshot had proved exceptionally useful when targeting his enemies just now, and blessings were always good, if a two-edged sword.


    ¡°Took your time,¡± Ellis said, flying down towards him. ¡°I was running out of insults to use.¡±


    ¡°I had to wait ten seconds,¡± the avatar grumbled.


    His intention was to remind the cat of the limitation of his indestructible aether sphere. Unfortunately, it had an additional effect as well. The excuse was also heard by Klarissa with devastating effects to her ego.


    ¡°Ten seconds?!¡± the woman shouted, tearing the flames surrounding her. ¡°You fought me using Adrian¡¯s rules?!¡±


    Theo had no idea what that meant, which is why he asked Spok. As it turned out, Adrian¡¯s rules were the world¡¯s equivalent of Queensberry rules from his previous life. There were numerous rules and exceptions, but the main principle was that the stronger side provided the weaker a ten second handicap to match the strength difference. At some point, the rules might have been cherished, but as with most other things, they had turned into a means to ridicule opponents. For a mage, or spellcaster, to resort to Adrian¡¯s rules was no different than openly insulting their opponent.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant,¡± the avatar waved both hands. ¡°I don¡¯t have to use that.¡±


    The black flames twisted, forming hundreds of curved blades, complimenting the dark aether blades Klarissa was holding.


    ¡°Where did you come from, Theo?¡± the woman asked. ¡°You didn¡¯t exist before Rosewind. You have magic skills you never learned, and immunities that aren¡¯t supposed to work. When the Claws were broken up, everyone thought it was the heroine¡¯s doing, but it was you, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°The thieves?¡± The dungeon tried to remember. It felt like ages when Duke¡ªearl at the time¡ªRosewind had sent him on his first noble quest. Thinking back, it had seemed such an annoyance¡ªdealing with a gang of thieves. Yet, the universe decreed that he¡¯d get involved with a lot more, namely a possessed gnome with aspirations to take over the world.


    ¡°They were more than thieves,¡± Klarissa continued. ¡°A lot of effort and resources were put into them to find Gregord¡¯s keys. We knew that there was one somewhere in this backwater kingdom, yet it remained elusive. Now, I see why.¡± She glanced at Ellis, who had floated her way to the avatar''s shoulder. ¡°Stupid cats ruined something decades in the making.¡±


    There were many things the dungeon could have asked. In her rant, the woman had divulged far more than anyone would. Given that she was confident in her victory, not to mention that all memories within the tower would be lost, there was a good chance she¡¯d tell him anything. And still, in the vital moment, decades of corporate experiences of his past life made Theo utter the well-rehearsed phrase.


    ¡°Who is we?¡± the avatar asked.


    For a moment it seemed that time froze even within the time dilation of the tower. It was as if a switch within the woman¡¯s mind flicked and made her regain her previous calm. A confident smile returned to her face.


    The woman reached for one of her pendants, pressing it to the point it changed from silver to bronze.


    ¡°That¡¯s the reason?¡± She asked, bursting into laughter. ¡°All this time, I wondered who you were and why no guaranteed attack worked on you. And the answer was so simple.¡±


    Theo had a bad feeling about this.


    ¡°You¡¯re a dungeon,¡± Klarissa uttered the phrase he dreaded to hear. ¡°Low level demonic weapons don¡¯t work on you, they only make you stronger. All this time we¡¯ve been feeding you and wondered why there¡¯s no effect.¡±


    ¡°How can I be a dungeon if I¡¯m here?¡± the avatar tried to play it cool. ¡°Everyone kept going on and on that only human-like beings can enter the tower. The fact that I¡¯m here means that¡ª¡°


    ¡°You¡¯re a sentient entity with a human-like avatar,¡± Klarissa interrupted. ¡°Gregord¡¯s spells aren¡¯t perfect, despite what the mages claim. It¡¯s the combination of heroic skills and magic that held the key to his legendary power.¡±


    ¡°And that is described in his diary¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, the diary. Everyone is seeking it, even if they deny it. In the end, it¡¯s all about power. Whoever has Gregord¡¯s diary can change the world or keep it from changing.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    Curiosity made the avatar inadvertently float forward. It was a small, seemingly insignificant change, but apparently all that Klarissa was waiting for before she could launch hundreds of black flame blades in his direction.


    Faster than bolts, they split the air, flying mercilessly towards their target. Anywhere else that would have been an almost certainly lethal attack. Thanks to the time dilation, the dungeon had composed a plan of action in advance. Knowing which of the blades to evade and which to block with ice shields, he effortlessly made sure that none of the attacks were able to harm him or the cat on his shoulder. Within the time dilation spell, it appeared that he was dancing through the blades of fire with unimaginably precise skill. Behind him, reality itself was scarred as each blade of flame burst, creating smoldering holes on earth and sky.


    Looking closely, one could even see the strands of Gregord¡¯s spell beyond the scorch, trying to mend reality back to what it was before.


    Taking advantage of the boost that the tower provided him, Theo cast all the spells he could think of. Ice, shards, fireballs, and lightning concentrated on Klarissa, along with a healthy dose of entangle spells.


    The intensity was such that the woman¡¯s entire body was completely surrounded by multiple types of magic. Flames dissolved anything that the avatar had cast her way, but that only made him double his efforts.


    Two torrents of pure power were crashing against one another, neither willing to give up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so reckless!¡± Ellis shouted, shrouding herself in protective circles.


    Her voice barely registered as both Theo¡¯s avatar and Klarissa kept on putting more and more effort in their spells.


    Then, without provocation, the avatar performed the most reckless thing he had all week. Summoning an ether blade, he then used one of his new skills to bless its blade. The force of the spell was intense, burning his hand in the process. Ironically, that dealt more damage to him than any of the attacks up till now.


    ¡°En guard!¡± the avatar thrust forward using his legendary swordsmanship.


    Bit by bit, Klarissa¡¯s protective spells were torn off and shattered. Neither demonic spells nor artifacts proved capable of withstanding heroic attacks. A long time ago, Gregord must have done the same¡ªone of the great magic prodigies that was blessed to be born with a heroic skill. In Theo¡¯s case, it was all a result of a cosmic accident followed by an atypical series of events, but the result was the same. His avatar had reached a point at which he could take on a demonic foe without breaking a sweat. If anyone were to see him, they might even describe him as a hero¡­ which would be more than a bit awkward, everything considered. At least the dungeon had the relief, knowing neither friend nor foe would remember any of this.


    A gap formed in Klarissa¡¯s defenses. Even using all her artifacts, she proved incapable of matching the avatar¡¯s speed. For some reason, he was always a step ahead. Surprise attacks, forbidden spells, even an attempt to use a Memoria¡¯s tomb on him proved ineffective. If anything, it was thanks to the demonic flames granted to her that she hadn¡¯t ended up being defeated a lot sooner.


    ¡°Why?!¡± she shouted. ¡°Why are you unkillable?!¡±


    ¡°He already told you he¡¯s a dungeon, hag!¡± Ellis couldn¡¯t keep herself from saying. ¡°How stupid can you get?¡±


    There were moments in the universe when a simple phrase was enough to lead to a calamity. Back in his previous life, Theo had strongly believed that despite all the people claiming it to be a superstition. Since then, he had seen it in practice. There were countless times that a clever remark had jinxed reality, making the universe grumble at him with a vengeance. Now, Ellis had done it.


    I didn¡¯t say that! The dungeon thought. For several moments, he remained perfectly still, all attacks and spells, waiting to see whether anything would happen.


    Initially, things in the tower and the real world continued as before. Then, things changed.


    ¡°You¡¯re a dungeon,¡± Klarissa said in a chilling tone. ¡°A hero, and a mage. But there¡¯s one thing that could defeat all three.¡±


    Torrents of black flames show out, but instead of targeting the avatar, they circled back, striking the woman in the face. A series of disturbing sounds filled the air, as the flames entered her body, causing it to shake violently. Patches of skin peeled off, revealing black scales. Horns emerged from the left side of her head. Even the dagger she was holding merged with her right hand, the aether whip blades becoming her nails.


    ¡°Fly back!¡± Ellis shouted.


    The avatar didn¡¯t, casting a blessed barrier in front of him to shield them from the ¡°sudden¡± wave of flames in his direction. Once the blackness cleared, an entirely different being floated in front of him. It was Klarissa, but also not Klarissa.


    ¡°You morphed into a demon?!¡± Ellis asked in near panic.


    ¡°The tower lets you use any spell you can imagine,¡± the demon laughed. ¡°I thought you were the smart one, little girl.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the point! Changing into a demon messes up with your psyche! There¡¯s no telling what you¡¯ll become once you get out of here!¡±


    ¡°Does it matter? As long as I get Gregord¡¯s diary, I can be anything I want!¡± The nails of both hands extended, ready to rip the avatar and Ellis to shreds.


    ¡°Oh, crap!¡± Theo said. ¡°You just had to jinx it,¡± he grumbled at the cat. ¡°And things were starting to look up.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault you stopped giving her the time to turn into a demon!¡±


    ¡°Demon?¡± the avatar asked, as if only now noticing. ¡°Klarissa? I¡¯m not worried about her.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not afraid of a demon given every possible boost by the tower?! What are you afraid of, then?¡±


    ¡°The wedding.¡± The avatar sighed. ¡°Things just got bad¡­¡±

 (Book 3) 32. Aether Claws and a Pile of Bones

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m complaining, but he could at least have given me the day off,¡± Ulf complained to the very silent Cmyk accompanying him. ¡°I¡¯ve known Avid since we were children, not to mention that we were in the same party during the last adventure. I should have at least been able to see how well he did, but no. My uncle always went on and on that I should take on the family business and become a guild master.¡±


    The large man sighed. He had been volunteered to take on the role as acting guildmaster of the Lionmane guild ever since Spok¡¯s wedding had been announced. Ironically, that had decreased the general workload. With everyone focusing on the once in a generation wedding event, there were a lot fewer applicants. The number of drunken brawls, fights, and other annoying disturbances had marginally been on the rise, but that too had been dealt with thanks to the strict efficiency of Captain Robbins of the city guard, and the new magical constructs that were spread throughout the city.


    One issue remained¡ªthe case of the disappearing guild members. Between the ones that Ulf had tracked down and those from other guilds, over a hundred had been confirmed missing in the last few days alone. That was far too much for a random occurrence.


    ¡°Anyway.¡± The adventurer¡¯s mood abruptly changed. ¡°Were you able to discuss what I asked you with the baron?¡±


    Being a skeletal minion given flesh, Cmyk couldn¡¯t discuss anything, even if he wanted to. Yet, since the dungeon was already familiar with the matter, he nodded twice.


    ¡°And what did he say?¡±


    Cmyk gave his friend a long and well-defined shrug.


    ¡°Yeah, makes sense he¡¯d be busy with everything else going on,¡± Ulf nodded. ¡°I have to say, the cats took the cake. Never did I think that I¡¯d get to see so many magical creatures at once. One of them even passed by my guild to drop a whole lot of requests for creature parks and magic materials. Once the meddling is over, there''s enough work to keep the guild busy for months.¡±


    Not in the least interested, Cmyk nodded again.


    ¡°It¡¯s unusual that the baron wouldn¡¯t have gotten to the bottom of this already, though,¡± the large adventurer continued. ¡°He¡¯s the type of man that sees ten moves ahead. I know you probably can¡¯t tell me, but is it connected with the mages appearing all of a sudden?¡±


    Cmyk gave the man a sideways glance, not pausing for a moment.


    ¡°I mean, for a tower of mages to just appear like that¡­¡± Ulf waved his hand as he spoke. ¡°It can¡¯t be a coincidence. Not to mention that we have Liandra and two other heroes dropping by. Any other day, I¡¯d call it a happy coincidence, but with this whole mess, there¡¯s no other way¡ª¡°


    The man paused. The reason he had done so was because Cmyk had suddenly stopped; not only that, but he had also placed his hand on top of the hilt of his sword. Of all the times the two had known each other, Ulf had very rarely seen the baron¡¯s champion draw a weapon on his own accord.


    This night was different. In this case, even the notoriously lazy dungeon minion had sensed a natural enemy and acted on instinct.


    Normally, dungeon minions would have no concern regarding their lives. After all, they were merely tools created in the service of their dungeon. They didn¡¯t have career choices or a particularly long life expectancy. As a digger, Cmyk¡¯s intended purpose had been to dig for minerals¡ªsomething neither he, nor his dungeon, particularly wanted. It was through a chance that he had been granted a name, flesh, and an environment that helped him acquire an appreciation of fame. Despite all that, deep inside, he couldn¡¯t escape his nature and that meant instinctively sensing when a predator was about to eat him.


    ¡°Cmyk?¡± Ulf asked. Before he could say anything else, the earring he was wearing around his neck glowed bright red.


    A set of invisible claws stuck the road on which Ulf and Cmyk were walking. Fortunately, both proved fast enough to evade the attack by leaping away.


    Four lines of decay emerged on the road, as if something had drained all the magic energy, leaving common stone behind.


    ¡°Careful!¡± Ulf drew a hidden dagger, throwing it at the invisible creature. Since it was invisible, it was natural for him to miss. The dagger split the air, then bounced off the stone tiles of the road with a loud clunk.


    Cmyk also swung his weapon, but unlike Ulf, he was equipped with something the other wasn¡¯t¡ªthe ability to sense magic.


    A guttural snarl followed, as the invisible creature was struck by the minion¡¯s blade. There was no blood, no flesh, just Cmyk¡¯s blade suddenly acquiring a lot more magic than it previously had.


    Drawing another two knives, Ulf looked around. This was the first time he¡¯d actually faced an invisible enemy. To make matters worse, there didn¡¯t seem to be any way to determine the attacker¡¯s location. According to all adventurer guides, one had to look for steps in sand, movement in grass or leaves,and even shapes created in the rain. The problem was that none of these methods were applicable right now.


    Fortunately for him, the creature was directing all its attention on the dungeon¡¯s minion. Several more series of lines emerged on the street, along with a loud roar.


    The air seemed to shift as something massive flew straight at Cmyk, thrusting him into the wall of a nearby building. The entire face of the structure changed color, darkening beyond recognition. Even parts of the minion¡¯s body had visibly shrunk, as if someone had squeezed all the water out of them.


    ¡°Close your eyes!¡± Ulf shouted, activating his adventurer ring.


    A flash of energy hit the invisible creature at Cmyk¡¯s throat, pushing both further into the building. had the flesh-covered skeleton been human, this could well have resulted in his death. Instead, he was granted just enough of a distraction to kick the predator off himself, thrusting his sword into it, in the process.


    ¡°Guards!¡± Ulf shouted, trying to attract anyone¡¯s attention. He knew that calling people would only put them at risk. When it came to Switches¡¯ creations, on the other hand, they stood much more favorable odds of success. ¡°Guards, here!¡±


    Another knife was thrown in the direction of Cmyk, sinking into the wall inches from his head.


    The minion looked at Ulf, then at the knife, then at Ulf again.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t create a disturbance.¡± A squad of construct guards appeared a distance away.


    Seeing them proved something of a relief, although it posed the question why hadn¡¯t the baron intervened up till now. Normally, he¡¯d react to far fewer disturbances. Having an invisible creature openly scar part of his city and kill his personal champions wasn¡¯t something that should remain unchallenged.


    ¡°Hello, Ulfang. Is there any reason for¡ª¡°


    One of the shiny guard constructs began. Before it could finish its sentence, the alloy it was composed of suddenly faded to near black. Any amount of energy the monster core within the entity provided quickly stopped functioning, causing it to collapse onto the ground. Within moments, a similar fate fell upon two more of the artificial guards. As strong as they were, they were useless against the invisible attacker.


    At that point, Cmyk did the most atypical things in his existence. The finest of switches in his mind clicked, pushing him to perform a single act of inspirational bravery. Up till now, he had always gotten praise for things that his creator had done. Now, he intended to continue with the same tradition, only adding a slight twist.


    Concentrating, the minion charged forward right at the group of diminishing constructs. His right fist tightened, then struck the spot in which he sensed the invisible monster to be, then he attempted to use one of the skills the dungeon had.


    As a minion, using any skill the dungeon hadn¡¯t explicitly granted him was impossible. Having a name changed that to a certain degree. There was no guarantee it would be enough, but faced with certain destruction, Cmyk had no choice but to go for it.


    Blessed lightning shot out his fist, lighting up the entire area. For several seconds, a form emerged wrapped in lightning. It was massive, wolf-like, composed entirely of sharp edges, as if the artist who created it didn¡¯t believe in curved lines.


    A loud howl filled the air, along with the strong smell of ozone. Then, without any warning, the silhouette burst, sending sparks of static in all directions.


    All remaining guard constructs collapsed to the ground, their monster cores depleted. Silence was quickly restored, broken only by the opening of windows, as curious onlookers peeked out,curious to see what had happened.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Ulf approached the Cmyk.


    The minion looked at its right arm. Of everything that had suffered the most, becoming shriveled in places all the way to the bone. It was only thanks to the long sleeves of his outfit that Cmyk maintained the illusion of still being human and mostly fine.


    ¡°I guess that explains where my guild members have been vanishing,¡± the adventurer noted. ¡°The question is, what was it?¡±


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Looking around, all traces of the creature had completely vanished. The only indication that it had ever existed were the words of the Cmyk and Wolf as well as the damage done to the road and buildings.


    Theo, on the other hand, was having problems of his own. Not once had he noticed anything wrong going on within Rosewind¡ªother than the standard fights, arguments and political plots, that was. Even the roaming eyes had failed to spot anything of significance. And yet, at the crack of dawn, a most unpleasant event had been shown to him.


    ¡°And you¡¯re sure that¡¯s him?¡± Spok asked, standing above a skeleton in a suit of armor.


    ¡°Quite sure,¡± Elric replied. ¡°There¡¯s only one such spear in the city. Besides, the clothes, armor, and artifacts match.¡±


    The spirit guide adjusted her glasses. She couldn¡¯t deny the identity of the man, but even now she didn¡¯t want to give Elric the satisfaction of admitting that safety was an issue,not when the wedding ceremony was just over a day away.


    ¡°What was he doing here?¡± the dungeon asked through his baron construct.


    ¡°I sent him to check on Viscount Dott¡¯s warehouse. There have been a few issues here lately,¡± Elric glanced at Spok, ¡°which is why I took the initiative to ensure that the condition of my master¡¯s warehouse, and its contents, are all as they should be.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t Dott¡¯s warehouse,¡± Spok said. ¡°He¡¯s just renting.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, and while that remains in place, it is to be treated as his exclusive property.¡±


    Theo looked at the warehouse. Since his arrangement with the members of the inner council, he had allowed them to use certain structures for a nominal fee. It had been a mutually beneficial arrangement, though in most cases the nobles had insulated the inside of their buildings with spells that prevented Theo from seeing what was inside. Not that it bothered him. He himself had cast similar spells on virtually every other structure he owned. There were some things that one could do without. In this case, though, nothing unknown was good.


    ¡°What¡¯s inside?¡± Theo asked.


    ¡°Exotic fruit,¡± Elric replied. ¡°At least that¡¯s what¡¯s supposed to be there.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we check?¡± Spok made her way to the entrance.


    ¡°Of course, My Lady.¡± Elric bowed. Some would say that he deliberately overdid it. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we wait for reinforcements, though? Whatever could do this to one of the viscount¡¯s best hired guards is definitely an opponent who shouldn¡¯t be taken lightly.¡±


    ¡°Baron d¡¯Argent is more than capable of dealing with any sort of enemy,¡± the spirit guide replied without hesitation.


    Internally, the dungeon grumbled. He wholeheartedly agreed with the sentiment, but wanted to be the one to voice it.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Elric replied with a smirk, then went to the side entrance of the warehouse. Using a large and needlessly intricate key, he opened the door.


    What Theo saw inside was underwhelming on a whole different level. With the exception of the internal metal structure of metal supports, there was nothing but rows and rows of purple pineapple bushes.


    ¡°That¡¯s exotic?¡± Theo asked.


    ¡°Maybe not for you, Baron, but they fetch a rather high price, considering that they are one of the few transportable magical plants. I wouldn¡¯t recommend eating one. They are poisonous unless adequately prepared.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re selling poisonous magical fruit?¡± The dungeon could believe it even less. ¡°And people pay for this?¡±


    ¡°Of course. If anyone were to become aware of the true contents of this warehouse, some less scrupulous merchants might send a small army to deprive Viscount Dott of them.¡± Elric nodded. ¡°Now you understand why I sent one of our most capable guards to check on the condition of the warehouse.¡±


    Confused, the baron¡¯s construct turned to Spok.


    ¡°What he says is true, sir,¡± the spirit guide confirmed. ¡°Which is also why they affected the standard freeze spell used. You should have told me about them, Elric.¡±


    ¡°With all due respect, Lady Spok, business is business. I gave you the general outline of the situation. The details were to be kept secret on Viscount Dott¡¯s instructions. The only reason I¡¯ve revealed this now is out of concern for the merchandise.¡±


    None of those present believed him.


    ¡°Given the circumstances, I¡¯d like to urge you, on behalf of my noble, that the products be transported onto an airship and sent on their way.¡±


    ¡°No way that¡¯s happening.¡± Now it was Theo¡¯s turn to speak before Spok could. He didn¡¯t give a damn about the fruit, but didn¡¯t like being told what to do. ¡°They¡¯ll stay here until after the wedding. Then, when everyone leaves, we¡¯ll get to the bottom of the mess. Can they last that long?¡± He asked Spok.


    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be an issue, sir,¡± the woman replied. ¡°Given their current state, I¡¯d estimate they¡¯d be in acceptable condition for another three weeks, even if the freeze spell fails.¡±


    ¡°Up to three weeks,¡± Elric corrected. ¡°But, yes, another week won¡¯t do any harm.¡±


    ¡°Is there any chance that the plants might have attracted predators?¡± Theo asked. ¡°Like aura beasts or such?¡±


    There was a long pause, as if the dungeon had broken some unspoken taboo.


    ¡°They contain a high amount of mana, so it is possible,¡± Spok spoke at last. ¡°But I would say it¡¯s rather unlikely. There¡¯s no indication that any attacks have taken place here.¡±


    ¡°Other than the guard.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The spirit guide sighed. ¡°Other than the guard.¡±


    ¡°Not to interrupt, but might we continue outside? Rather,might I ask you to leave, while I examine the condition of the merchandise in greater detail?¡± Elric went up to one of the bushes. ¡°Viscount Dott is expecting an update on the situation.¡±


    ¡°Why, you¡ª¡° Theo began, but was quickly interrupted.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Spok said in a loud, clear voice. ¡°We have matters of our own. I¡¯ll make sure that Captain Ribbons pays special attention to the viscount¡¯s warehouse.¡±


    Before the dungeon could even protest, his construct rushed out of the building. The moment that happened, both of them vanished, reappearing in the dungeon¡¯s main building.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± Theo asked in his own voice. ¡°I should have squished that weasel like the insect he is!¡±


    ¡°Indeed, sir, though not before the ceremony. It¡¯s bad luck. Besides, for all his arrogance, I doubt that Elric knows a thing. If he did, he wouldn¡¯t be spilling his guts to Dott, Duke Avisian, and anyone else he could get to.¡±


    There was a certain degree of logic to the statement. It had to be said that despite his character, Elric was rather efficient. One might even compare him to Spok.


    ¡°There¡¯s no chance the guard could have killed himself?¡± Theo asked. ¡°Set off a magic item by accident and such?¡±


    ¡°That would be impossible, sir. Magic artifacts don¡¯t work that way, unless they are made by an alchemist¡­¡± she added the latter after a moment¡¯s thought. ¡°And even if it were, the person in question was far too skilled to make such a stupid mistake. In all honesty, I was considering recruiting him once the wedding was over.¡±


    ¡°He was that good?¡± A few pieces of furniture rose up into the air.


    ¡°He was among the more capable the city has to offer, yes.¡±


    ¡°Then, it¡¯s safe to assume that whatever killed him tried to kill Ulf and Cmyk.¡± In the back of the dungeon¡¯s mind, there was a grain of regret that the creature hadn¡¯t succeeded. Although, with all his luck, the minion might have been proclaimed a hero posthumously.


    ¡°Maybe your guest might add some clarity to the matter?¡± The spirit guide glanced at the large chair that the Feline Tower archmage had claimed as his own.


    ¡°That old fool?¡± Theo didn¡¯t even bother lowering his voice. ¡°Good luck waking him up.¡± The floating furniture settled down on the floor with a loud noise. The white cat didn¡¯t even flick an ear. ¡°See what I mean?¡±


    There was nothing to argue on that point. The dungeon had tried to pester the old cat for assistance in other matters, yet despite all his attempts¡ªmagic or other¡ªthe cat refused to break his very long cat nap.


    ¡°And the other mages?¡± Spok inquired.


    ¡°The council is split between mingling with the gathered high nobility and being fascinated by all the sharp and shiny objects in Switches¡¯ lab. Trying to get more out of them than they have already told me would be like herding¡­ never mind.¡± There was a long pause. ¡°We could always ask Peris?¡±


    Several doors in the building creaked open, as if looking at the spirit guide. Coincidentally, Spok pretended not to notice, looking in a completely different direction.


    ¡°Spok,¡± Theo said. ¡°Is there anything I should know about?¡±


    ¡°Well, sir, it might not be the best time to bother the goddess right now. She has excused herself with her clerics and requested not to be disturbed.¡±


    Normally, Theo wouldn¡¯t bother with niceties. When dealing with deities, though, he had learned to show some tact. Currently, the goddess and her clergy were in the cathedral, yet a silence spell prevented the dungeon from hearing the actual conversation.


    A series of calculations ran through Theo¡¯s mind. Given Peris¡¯ desire to participate in the event, he could probably get away with asking her a few questions. On the other hand, if something seriously threatened to ruin the wedding event, she would be the first to intervene.


    ¡°Alright, that will also wait till after the wedding,¡± he grumbled. ¡°It doesn¡¯t change the fact that someone¡¯s out to get me!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s highly unlikely, sir. Not to mention practically impossible. The only people who have a chance of destroying you are Liandra, her father, and the Prince.¡± Spok glanced at the sleeping cat again. ¡°And possibly the archmage, but we know for certain that it can¡¯t be him.¡±


    ¡°Someone is consistently targeting my minions,¡± the dungeon continued. ¡°You, Switches, Cmyk¡­ I¡¯ve no idea why they are doing it in such a roundabout way, but that¡¯s the only common element.¡±


    ¡°Sir, we just happen to be among the high-value targets.¡±


    ¡°Have there been any attempts on Duke Rosewind¡¯s life?¡±


    ¡°Not that I¡¯m aware of. At least not directly.¡±


    ¡°There you go!¡± The table slammed into the ceiling, then on the floor again.


    If only Theo could use the skills his avatar had acquired. A few past and future echo spells would have revealed a lot, if not everything. Sadly, due to the time dilation spell, it would be goodness knows how long before the final part of Gregord¡¯s trial was complete. Of course, there was another way to go about things.


    As discreetly as possible, the dungeon swallowed the remains of Gott¡¯s hired guard. As far as anyone was concerned, that was part of the city¡¯s cleaning effort. However, it was also a long-term strategy. The moment Theo¡¯s avatar returned, the dungeon was prepared to spend a significant amount of energy to look back and see exactly what had killed the man and how.


    Meanwhile, in a different layer of reality, a monster let out a low growl. It had sensed the death of one of its spawn, and that irritated it. Within a cocoon of magic strands, the creature stood up. It wasn¡¯t the sentimental kind; the only purpose for its spawn limbs was for them to procure and bring it fresh mana. Having one fail was the same as someone interrupting its snack, and that was utterly unforgivable.


    With one strike of its paw, the monster ripped apart its confines, revealing a far greater cocoon. The difference was that this one was covered with spots of light. Each of them emanated a different reality: some poor in mana, while others were abundant beyond imagining.


    One reality in particular was of increased interest. The monster had sensed the heavy presence of mana even before sending out the first of its spawning. It was a veritable feast that asked to be devoured. Best of all, no matter how much the entity consumed or how fast it grew, there was always more waiting for it¡­ until now.


    Flickers of energy ran along claws of hardened aether. There were still dozens of spawnlings roaming the various realities in search of food to bring back. Leaving the safety and comfort of its cocoon was premature, yet once everyone returned, the beast intended to take matters into its own hands.

 (Book 3) 33. Deities and Spawnlings

    Sipping his morning wine, Duke Avisian had a deep suspicion that something was wrong. It wasn¡¯t just Cecil Rosewind¡¯s unbelievable luck, and the man definitely had lots of it. So far, he had managed to avert total catastrophe a dozen times giving even the mage cats a run for their money. It wasn¡¯t even the city¡¯s increasing political, economic, and military strength. Three years ago, Avisian was all but convinced he¡¯d add the area to his domain, sending off some useless cousin to formally control it until it was slowly added to his other lands. No, the nobleman¡¯s concern was of an entirely different nature.


    ¡°Was that the entrance we came from?¡± he asked as casually as he could. ¡°I could have sworn that it was on the opposite wall¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Duke Goton glanced at the entrance, then at the other wall in question. Any other day he might have paid more attention, but right now his mind was fully occupied with the future union between his youngest daughter and Avid Rosewind. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s always been there.¡± He waved a hand dismissively.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought,¡± Duke Avisian lied, then took another sip of his wine. ¡°Interesting why Rosewind hasn¡¯t joined us. Being the host, he¡¯s supposed to be the first to welcome us here.¡± He glanced at Liandra who was seated a few seats away. ¡°Is your father alright, dear? After all the dreadful food here and that despicable performance at the tournament, I¡¯d understand if he were to leave.¡±


    ¡°He has a matter to discuss with Prince Thomas,¡± the heroine responded, barely giving him a glance. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll join us shortly. And what about your wife? I haven¡¯t seen her this morning, either.¡±


    ¡°Bah.¡± The duke waved his hand. ¡°She¡¯s off shopping again with the bride to be. It¡¯s a mystery what she even finds in this dump of a city. I can easily get all the useless trinkets from a second-rate auction house.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s the activity, not the items,¡± Duchess Goton said. ¡°One can¡¯t help but get a souvenir from the ever-changing city before it changes.¡±


    The comment inadvertently made Avisian glance at a nearby window. It appeared to be raining in the distance, just above the city wall tower. The issue was that the duke could have sworn there had been two towers there just a few moments ago.


    ¡°Apologies for my delay,¡± Theo entered the room.


    This was the very last thing he wanted, but unforeseen circumstances demanded it. With Spok being volunteered to another useless shopping spree, and Duke Rosewind having to absent himself ¡°on urgent business¡± the only person who was left to represent the city was the protector, or his construct as the case currently was.


    ¡°Had to deal with some magic business,¡± the baron casually strolled up to Duke Rosewind¡¯s seat and sat down. It was, no doubt, pure coincidence that it happened to be right next to Duke Avisian.


    ¡°Oh, dear.¡± Duchess Goton feigned concern. ¡°I hope that won''t keep you from attending the actual ceremony. It would be most unfortunate.¡±


    ¡°I hope not,¡± Theo nodded. It remained unclear whether he should address high nobles as equals, but since no one had commented on it, he might as well continue. ¡°It would be awkward with no one to give away the bride.¡± The construct laughed.


    When no one joined in the laughter, he slowly stopped.


    This was just as bad as when he had to fill in during a high-profile company meeting back in his previous life. Everyone had silently tolerated him during the length of the meeting, after which Theo had received a series of harsh emails from his boss and his boss¡¯ boss.


    ¡°So,¡± Theo quickly changed the subject. ¡°Is everyone looking forward to tomorrow¡¯s event?¡±


    ¡°You can say that.¡± Duke Avisian took a sip from his glass. ¡°The faster it¡¯s over the faster I get to leave this dump.¡±


    There¡¯s nothing stopping you from leaving now, the dungeon thought.


    ¡°It will be a grand event, I¡¯m sure.¡± Duke Goton grinned. ¡°After everything I¡¯ve seen, I expect it will put the tournament to shame.¡±


    Theo was about to instinctively agree, when the realization kicked in. For starters he had no idea what the event was supposed to be like. The last he knew, Peris was supposed to ¡°take care of everything¡± which, although a relief at the time, now filled him with renewed concern. Furthermore, the suggestion that it would be even grander than the tournament meant that was what he had to aim for. Anything less and Avisian would become even more unbearable than he already was.


    ¡°You flatter me, my friend,¡± the construct smiled as much as its physical limitations allowed. ¡°There still need to¡­¡± his voice trailed off.


    In the city, the dungeon was able to see a procession of clerics leaving Peris¡¯ cathedral, headed in the direction of the castle. At this point, there were a number of other places they could be aiming for, but Theo knew he wouldn¡¯t be as lucky.


    ¡°Still need to?¡± Duke Avisian asked, for the first time feeling genuine curiosity.


    ¡°There still need to be some discussions with the goddess Peris,¡± the dungeon added. ¡°She will be marking the union, after all.¡±


    That quickly put an end to the conversation. No one in their right mind would argue with a deity, even if there remained some lingering doubts whether she really was the entity she claimed to be. The clerics that had arrived seemed to think so, yet as everyone knew, the last time a deity, even a minor one, had taken on an avatar form was decades ago, if not centuries.


    With each step of the procession, Theo¡¯s concerns grew. It had quickly become obvious that they were headed to his current location. Busy roads quickly cleared, making way for them to pass. Thanks to Cmyk, Peris had become the patron goddess of the region. For the people to witness so many clergymen arriving there only confirmed the suspicion that Theo¡¯s minion was a sacred warrior, sent to protect them from harm.


    In what seemed like a flash, but also an eternity, the group had entered the castle, effectively becoming invisible for the dungeon. Half a minute later, the door of the upper feast hall opened.


    ¡°Peris¡¯ blessings upon you,¡± the head priest said in a very business-like fashion. If Theo didn¡¯t know better, he¡¯d take him for a business lawyer.


    As the man went forward, a few of the other clerics rushed to the seat he was heading for and quickly pulled it out, so he could sit there directly. Once he did, they made sure to tuck it in.


    Interestingly enough, Peris was also present. The glowing golden aura surrounding her made her nature obvious, and yet everyone seemed to avert their glances, as if they didn¡¯t want to notice.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to discuss tomorrow¡¯s ceremony,¡± the head cleric said.


    The lack of responses should have been a clue for Theo to remain quiet. Despite that, he foolishly chose to voice his concern.


    ¡°Don¡¯t we need the bride and groom for that?¡± The dungeon¡¯s construct turned to the cleric.


    An unspoken gasp filled the room. Everyone looked at the fake baron as if he had celery hanging from the corner of his mouth.


    ¡°Why would we need them?¡± The cleric narrowed his eyes. ¡°This isn¡¯t an earthly wedding. The goddess Peris herself has blessed us with her presence.¡±


    ¡°I see that, but¡ª¡°


    ¡°We have already decided the form, order, and elements of the proceeding,¡± the cleric continued. ¡°Naturally, we have kept as many traditional elements, not that there is much traditional about this wedding,¡± he added with a grunt. ¡°In any event, I have been told that you would assist with the required modifications.¡±


    ¡°You were?¡± The baron¡¯s construct looked at Peris.


    What the heck did you tell him? He wondered.


    As if in response the goddess simply smiled.


    ¡°The temple is far too small to hold such an event.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s what?¡± Theo couldn¡¯t help himself. ¡°I just made it bigger a few weeks ago! Much bigger.¡±


    ¡°Ri-i-ight.¡± The cleric gave him the look a schoolteacher would give a student that had come to class without homework. ¡°Regardless, it has to become even bigger. Much bigger.¡±


    ¡°Just how big are we talking about?¡± It wasn¡¯t lost on Theo that most of the otherwise talkative nobles had become exceedingly quiet. Expressions of sympathy were visible on most of their faces. Duke Avisian was the only exception. If anyone were to guess, the noble was enjoying this far too much.


    ¡°I¡¯d say at the very least the citadel should encompass a tenth of the city,¡± the man said, unapologetically. ¡°A fifth would be preferable.¡±


    ¡°A what? You can¡¯t be serious. That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°There are well over a thousand noble guests that have come to witness the event.¡± As the head cleric spoke, one of the lesser ones handed the baron¡¯s construct a large scroll.


    The parchment was covered with numbers and calculations. A cursory glance clearly showed that the number of nobles, including family members and entourage, was significant. The reason the dungeon hadn¡¯t particularly noticed was because he had extended himself enough to house them all. Looking at the raw numbers, one had to admit there was no way even a fraction of that crowd would fit in the citadel.


    ¡°Not to mention adventurers, notable merchants, knights, people of minor importance,¡± the head cleric went on. ¡°And let us not forget the ordinary people as well. For an event of such significance, it would be a shame if they were to be left out.¡±


    ¡°I get the point,¡± Theo grumbled. ¡°But a fifth of the city. It¡¯s not like I can just rearrange things at whim.¡±


    ¡°Oh? The goddess told me that you are quite capable of doing just that. After all, isn¡¯t Rosewind the ever-changing city?¡±


    They had him there.


    ¡°There are limitations, as the goddess would no doubt tell you.¡± Theo glared at Peris with his construct. Unfortunately, the goddess did nothing.


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°The goddess prophesied that might be your response,¡± the head cleric continued after a while. ¡°Which is why she is prepared to compromise. While the size of her new citadel must be as large as discussed, there¡¯s no need for it to be entirely open.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°All that a temple needs is a hall and seats, not a roof or ceiling,¡± the cleric said, drumming on the edge of the table with his thumbs. ¡°Especially when you can control the weather. The greatest challenge would be to ensure a straight path from the castle to the temple altar, but as the goddess wisely said, that shouldn¡¯t be an issue for someone like you, should it, Baron?¡±


    Thus ended one of the most important and briefest discussions that Theo had witnessed. Given what he had gone through, it was no wonder that Spok and Duke Rosewind had been absent. Officially both had good excuses, but deep inside the dungeon knew. Thus, another reorganization of the city took place.


    Unwilling to grow further, the dungeon slowly moved buildings and districts around like on a puzzle board. Things appeared and disappeared to the wonder and dismay of tourists and locals alike. Some would find it annoying that they¡¯d end up further away from their favorite tavern or shop, while others¡ªusually children¡ªwould hold their breaths in excitement wondering what change would follow next.


    The changes continued well into the night. It was only at that point that Spok finally managed to pull herself out of her organizational activities to finally have a proper conversation with the dungeon.


    ¡°You might have gone a bit overboard, sir,¡± the spirit guide said, looking at the open altar that had the size of a small building.


    ¡°You think?¡± Theo grumbled. At least for this conversation he didn¡¯t need to resort to using the construct. ¡°It was the very least that the stupid priest would accept. Initially he insisted on a three-level tower with stairs, archways and dozens of construct priests.¡±


    Spok remained silent. This was one topic she didn¡¯t want to get involved in.


    ¡°Good thing there were no new unfortunate events,¡± he said.


    ¡°As far as we know, sir. There still are a few dozen new reports of people missing.¡±


    ¡°Of course there are.¡± The ground trembled slightly.


    ¡°And how is your brief magic quest getting along? Any chance of you wrapping it up by tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try. I really hate time dilation spells.¡± Theo took a moment to focus on events in the tower. Not that he had to. Despite Klarissa¡¯s attempts and fury, her actions remained at a snail¡¯s pace. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be a problem,¡± he lied. ¡°And you must admit that Switches has done wonders with the new construct. If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d say it was me walking about.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, we know better, sir,¡± Spok countered. ¡°As does Cecil. He hasn¡¯t said anything, but he¡¯s more observant than you give him credit for.¡±


    Just as the dungeon was about to comment, a low growl became audible.


    ¡°Spok,¡± the dungeon said after a moment of silence. ¡°Do you see anything?¡±


    The spirit guide looked around.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Me neither.¡±


    Having no clue whether there was an aether beast nearby or not, the dungeon resorted to the one thing he could think of in order to find out: a mass arcane identify.


    AETHER SPAWNLING


    An aether creature of pure energy that devours anything with mana it comes across. The creature is non-native to the world, only emerging due to celestial accidents, massive mana discharges, or unusual concentrations of energy.


    Normally, one would be pleased at finding a way to see an invisible creature. In this case, however, the discovery filled the dungeon with more dread than not. Thanks to his own explosive growth, Switches¡¯ inventions, the feline presence, and the personal visit of a deity, all three of the prerequisites for beasts to appear were present. There was no telling how many of them were roaming about. Right now, though, he had to worry about this particular one.


    Stone walls shot up around Spok, just in time to be slashed by an invisible set of claws.


    Theo didn¡¯t see or feel anything, yet when he tried to change the shape of the walls, he found that part of them no longer obeyed his instructions. It was as if the clumps of stone had become foreign to him¡ªlike fingernails that had been cut off.


    ¡°Spok, get out of here!¡± he ordered, asking another arcane identify spell.


    Aware of the situation, the spirit guide did just that, disappearing from her enclosure to one of the dungeon¡¯s underground corridors. That didn¡¯t stop the creature from continuing with its rampage, though.


    Losing the scent of the potent source of magic, it slashed at the remaining column, then rushed off throughout the city.


    ¡°Switches!¡± Theo shouted through the gnome¡¯s workshop, while simultaneously casting localized identify spells. While the practice could be considered wasteful, it was the only certain method of keeping track of the aether beast to the area of ten square feet. ¡°I found the creature!¡±


    ¡°The creature, boss?¡± The gnome blinked. He had spent the last ten hours working on a collaboration with Gillian to create the perfect magic-mouse dispenser¡ªa mechanical marvel that combined his elegant designs and feline spells, along with a touch of alchemist flare, thanks to his assistant. ¡°You mean the mice?¡±


    ¡°Forget the mice! The invisible beast that¡¯s been eating people!¡± Blessed tipped spikes shot out from streets, fields, and pavement, seemingly at random. Unfortunately, none were capable of striking their target. ¡°I need an aether destroying device!¡±


    ¡°Err, are you sure, boss?¡± the gnome asked. ¡°That might not be the best idea.¡±


    Hundreds of spikes emerged from the walls of two opposing buildings. The sight caused a few drunken tourists and adventurers to wince, imagining what it would have felt like should they have been there. A minute spark flickered at the end of one of the stone spikes, sadly far too small to indicate a serious wound on the part of the aether beast.


    ¡°Why would it be a bad idea?!¡± Theo¡¯s voice boomed, causing the gnome¡¯s assistant to wake up and jump to his feet.


    ¡°You¡¯re made of aether, boss,¡± Switches explained. ¡°It might not be pure concentrated aether, but any device that destroys aether won¡¯t make the difference. It won¡¯t just drain all energy from an area, but quite likely sever your link to it.¡±


    The beast kept rushing through the streets, followed by a wave of ascending spikes. On a few occasions, lightning flashed, but all that did was to allow the outline of the silhouette to form. It seemed that even blessed magic had no effect.


    ¡°Assistant!¡± the gnome shouted in his workshop. ¡°Set up the latest guard models! We¡¯ll be doing a live run!¡±


    ¡°At once, chief engineer!¡± the alchemist instinctively shouted.


    ¡°Forget it!¡± The dungeon¡¯s voice boomed. ¡°That won¡¯t work. It¡¯ll only drain the energy from their cores.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Switches scratched his left ear. ¡°The safeguards were supposed to prevent that from happening. Maybe if I strengthen¡ª¡±


    ¡°I need a solution now!¡± Theo shouted. ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything?!¡±


    ¡°Sir,¡± the assistant came rushing, still a quarter asleep, and in his pajamas. ¡°What if we use demanifying liquid?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?!¡± Using his flight belt, Switches darted up to the unfortunate man¡¯s face. ¡°Say that again.¡±


    The alchemist swallowed. Just because the gnome was a quarter of his size didn¡¯t make him any less threatening. After all, the creature was a genius and his direct boss.


    ¡°We use demani¡­¡± the man muttered.


    ¡°That¡¯s a brilliant idea!¡± Switches grinned. ¡°Fill a few flamethrowers with it and instruct the workers to do the rest. We¡¯re going hunting.¡± A menacing grin appeared on the green face.


    In other circumstances, one might have been worried, but right now, Theo was willing to accept anything. From what he had seen, and despite Spok¡¯s insistence on the contrary, the aether beast was targeting her. Its seemingly chaotic movements seemed to be directed to the spot where the spirit guide was located, only above ground. Upon reaching the exact spot, there could be no further doubt.


    AETHER SPAWNLING


    An aether creature of pure energy that devours anything with mana it comes across. The creature is non-native to the world, only emerging due to celestial accidents, massive mana discharges, or unusual concentrations of energy.


    Theo cast an identify spell within his very walls. The message was proof that the beast was burrowing through earth, walls, and tunnels, heading towards Spok.


    ¡°Spok, move to the gnome lab!¡± Theo ordered.


    ¡°Sir?¡± The spirit guide wasn¡¯t certain how to react.


    ¡°Just do it! I¡¯ll explain later!¡±


    A split second later, Spok vanished from her previous location, emerging ten feet from where Switches and his assistant were modifying their hopefully anti-aether-beast weapon.


    The one time I need the cats, and they aren¡¯t here! Theo grumbled to himself.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Switches shouted, stretching both hands in Spok¡¯s direction. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous here! One drop of this and you might no longer be you.¡±


    ¡°You might want to explain that.¡± The spirit guide adjusted her glasses.


    ¡°Demanifying liquid,¡± the gnome explained. ¡°We use it to remove static from sensitive equipment. Pretty harmless in small amounts, but in such quantities I¡¯ve no idea what it¡¯ll do to you¡­ or your pendant.¡±


    Spok instinctively put her hand on her vital piece of jewelry and stepped back.


    ¡°You¡¯re planning to demanify the aether beast?¡± she asked. ¡°Won¡¯t that cause side effects?¡±


    ¡°Nah, not to worry. It won¡¯t affect structures, not in a massive way.¡± He grinned. ¡°At most, he¡¯ll experience a slight numbness.¡±


    ¡°Numbness, chief engineer?¡± The alchemist asked, alarmed.


    ¡°Not you assistant. Only mages need to worry,¡± the gnome effortlessly lied. ¡°It¡¯s fine for us. Mostly. For me at least¡­ Just keep doing what you¡¯re doing.¡±


    The exchange had left Theo wondering what was worse. If all this worked out, he¡¯d have a stern talk with the gnome. If it didn¡¯t, there would be far greater problems for him to deal with.


    Elsewhere, the aether beast changed direction. Rushing through the dungeon¡¯s corridors, it was heading straight for the gnome¡¯s laboratory. The creature had never been in the underground system of the dungeon, nor did it have a particularly good sense of orientation. All that didn¡¯t matter, though, since it could still feel the scent of the aether it was chasing and could easily follow a straight line, regardless of obstacles.


    AETHER SPAWNLING


    An aether creature of pure energy that devours anything with mana it comes across. The creature is non-native to the world, only emerging due to celestial accidents, massive mana discharges, or unusual concentrations of energy.


    ¡°It¡¯s coming,¡± Theo said. A new circular opening formed on one of the walls. ¡°Spok, get behind Switches and be ready to change location.¡±


    Flames filled the opening. They weren¡¯t meant so much to hurt the creature, but hopefully render its silhouette visible. If blessed lightning managed to do that, there was a chance that blessed flames would do so as well.


    The seconds flew by. Then, without warning, a shape emerged among the flames.


    ¡°Attaaaack!¡± Switches shouted like a maniac, holding a weapon far larger than his full size.


    Green liquid shot out, from what could generously be described as a flamethrower. Rather, it was closer to a very large firehose wrapped in a solid metal frame.


    The alchemist joined half a second later, as did Theo himself. Using his telekinesis, he aimed and fired all remaining demanifying weapons, unwilling to put his complete trust into the gnome engineer.


    Green splashed onto floors, walls, and ceiling, causing Theo to feel a slight itch along with the promised numbness. The sensation was both irritating and disgusting, but seemed to do the trick. The next ten times the dungeon cast his arcane identify spell, no explanation text appeared.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Theo shouted, letting the weapons he was controlling drop to the floor.


    The assistant did the same. Only Switches kept on pouring greenness with his squeaky battle cry, until the weapon¡¯s reserve came to an end.


    ¡°Did we get it?¡± The gnome asked.


    ¡°Yes, we got it¡­¡± the dungeon said.


    There definitely didn¡¯t seem to be any trace of the beast, but for all the relief, there was one thing that bothered him. Normally, upon killing a creature, he¡¯d get a notification. This wasn¡¯t a firm rule, but a monster such as this that didn¡¯t belong to this reality, should have definitely merited one.


    ¡°Assistant, that¡¯s what I call a job well done!¡± Switches turned to the alchemist. ¡°Now get some workers to clean up the mess. It must be spotless before tomorrow morning!¡±


    ¡°Yes, chief engineer,¡± the old man sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll get right on it.¡±


    ¡°Is anything the matter, sir?¡± Spok asked, shifting location to the dungeon¡¯s main building. ¡°Despite the execution, you managed to kill it.¡±


    ¡°I wonder¡­¡±


    ¡°If nothing else, we¡¯ll be prepared should there be more. So far, they¡¯ve only attacked lone individuals. Everyone should be safe during tomorrow¡¯s event. And not to forget, the goddess will be there herself.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Everything should be fine,¡± the dungeon muttered. ¡°Just to be on the safe side, I¡¯ll be assigning you special protection.¡±


    ¡°Special protection, sir?¡± Spok raised a brow. ¡°No offense, sir, but what could you offer that you haven¡¯t already?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see soon enough.¡±

 (Book 3) 34. A Pack of Aether Wedding Crashers

    Witnessing the crumbling of time was something that wasn¡¯t supposed to be possible. According to the mages of the Feline Tower, reversing the effects of a chrono spell was supposed to be elementary. Of course, their experience was in the field of theory. What Theo had done through his avatar was nothing similar to what should have happened. It didn¡¯t help that the reality within Gregord¡¯s tower changed the aspect of magic, giving it an even more supernatural quality.


    When the avatar¡¯s new time spell clashed with the old, time didn¡¯t simply return to normal, but rather splintered into shards of reality. Suddenly there were hundreds of Klarissas facing hundreds of Baron d¡¯Argents and Ellises. Thankfully, the greatest part of the space had gotten back into sync with the time flow of the rest of the world.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± The demonized form of Klarissa looked around. In multiple fractures of time, a copy of her did the same with a slight to considerable delay. ¡°Chrono magic?¡± she asked in disgust.


    It was so idiotically simple that she hated herself for not realizing sooner. Of course, that would give the dungeon the advantage. From his point of view, all her actions must have been a hundred times slower.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you stop that?¡± Ellis hissed in the avatar¡¯s ear. As she did, dozens of new magic circles formed around her.


    ¡°Stop trying to win and save your life?¡± the avatar snapped back.


    ¡°Stop using magic you know nothing about. Just look at this! An apprentice would be ashamed to cast such a spell!¡±


    ¡°I got instructions from Ilgrym,¡± the avatar narrowed his eyes. ¡°And several more members of your arch council.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± the white cat paused, acknowledging the awkwardness of the situation. ¡°Well, time magic¡¯s always been more art than science.¡±


    Claws of dark aether shot out from Klarissa, flying straight for the avatar. Normally, the attack would be far too slow to cause even a modicum of alarm. With all the time dilation gone, though, the avatar was barely able to cast his swiftness ultra spell.


    Back in Rosewind, the dungeon¡¯s main body suffered a substantial energy drain. It was among the worst that Theo had experienced in a while, and to think that the claws had only managed to scar the arm of his avatar.


    ¡°That¡¯s new,¡± the avatar said, looking at the wounds on his arm.


    ¡°Surprised?¡± Klarissa cackled. ¡°Once I learned what you really are, it¡¯s all over.¡± Her claws retracted. ¡°Demons have ways of dealing with dungeons and their avatars. And now, without your chrono magic, there¡¯s nothing you can do about it!¡±


    In the sky, one of the time distortion fragments imploded out of existence. It was the slowest of them all, barely now starting the action that had concluded elsewhere. Apparently, the feline mages weren¡¯t completely useless. Time was eventually going to harmonize, though until then, it was best to avoid all the ¡°slow¡± zones.


    Blessed tip ice shards appeared around the avatar, shooting off in the direction of the demon. A dozen more torrents also shot out from the slow areas as well, though at a far lesser speed.


    A few of them managed to injure Klarissa, creating black wounds all over her body. Sadly, that didn¡¯t seem particularly damaging.


    ¡°Minor blessings?¡± The former mercenary watched as the wounds contracted, then vanished altogether. ¡°They might have killed me outside. Not while I have a rejuvenation item, though.¡±


    ¡°You have a healing relic?¡± Ellis asked, both impressed and outraged.


    ¡°I have many artifacts, little girl. All of us did, though some have better ones than others.¡± A ring of spikes appeared around the woman¡¯s waist. Quickly expanding, it turned into a spinning ring, then split into three. ¡°Demon thorns,¡± Klarissa said. ¡°They shred anything they touch. They can be destroyed, of course, but in the process they return twice the force, pain, and damage that they have received.¡±


    A large orange magic circle appeared around the demon, quickly contracting. The moment it came into contact with the spike rings, it shattered.


    ¡°Oh, I forgot to tell you.¡± The demon-human laughed. ¡°They consume magic. Perfect for this environment, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Before everyone¡¯s eyes, the rings grew twice in size.


    ¡°They were given to me in case I had to destroy Gregord, but I might just as well start using them a bit early.¡±


    Theo didn¡¯t say anything. Right now, he was dealing with one crisis too many. Things in Rosewind had taken a turn for the catastrophic. The only reason he had reversed the time dilation spell was because he needed his avatar to get done with the tower trial and return as quickly as possible. Only then would the old archmage agree to grant him the second mana gem and assist with the deteriorating situation.


    Relying on artifacts, are you? Theo thought. Well, two can play at that game!


    Within the dungeon¡¯s body, a hero scroll made its way to the living room of the main building. There, it wrapped itself around the legendary sword belonging to Liandra¡¯s grandfather. A split second later, both vanished, appearing in the avatar¡¯s hand.


    Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, Baron d¡¯Argent tightened his grip and performed a hero strike aimed at Klarissa.


    A flash of golden light filled the entire space. Within it, an explosion of blackness blossomed, scattering metal fragments in all directions. The intensity of the light was so big that it made the thorns evaporate mid-flight. The effects of the blast were intense enough that Theo himself experienced another energy drain. It was a reckless action, but preferable to letting the thorn rings consume the entire magic of the tower.


    The black explosion also quickly faded, swallowed up by the incandescence. It took several seconds for the effects of the hero strike to end. The rocky endlessness became visible again, as if completely untouched. The same could be said for the cloud with the door to the final floor. Unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t everything that remained.


    ¡°A hero strike,¡± Klarissa said. The attack had ripped off her right arm, only to have another one take its place. ¡°You¡¯re full of surprises.¡± Her dark aether claws extended again.


    Internally, the dungeon sighed. This had turned out to be a really bad day, and to think the morning had started so well. Two hours ago, Theo had been using a few weather clouds to water his future vineyards. The effect was rather nice, creating a circle of rain around the clear skies above Rosewind itself. Even a rainbow had formed, which Peris claimed credit for creating.


    The entire city had grouped near the bridal path, eager for the ceremony to start. Barely a handful noticed the integration of Peris¡¯ new temple, much to the dungeon¡¯s chagrin. After all the effort to create what could only be described as an architectural marvel, he had hoped that thousands would talk about it. Instead, all he could hear were complaints from people rich and poor, wanting to get a better view of Spok once she passed by.


    ¡°Was this really necessary, sir?¡± the spirit guide asked. As was tradition, she was in her specially tailored wedding dress¡ªone that she herself had created. Being the perfectionist she was, it couldn¡¯t be any other way.


    The dress was rather traditional to the point some might even call it antiquated, combining a long, multilayered dress with a delicate, long-sleeved shirt. Both pieces were made of white silk, combining ethereal elegance with the strictness of a military uniform.


    Tradition demanded that only the person walking her along the very long aisle and her maids of honor could witness the bride before the start of the ceremony. In this case, those were Theo¡¯s construct, Liandra, and the two assassin sisters that had helped Theo in his battle against Lord Mandrake.


    ¡°There are guards everywhere,¡± Spok continued. ¡°As well as constructs, griffin riders, and a few thousand volunteers from the adventurer guilds.¡±


    As much as he hated to admit it, Ulf had done a good job getting the guilds involved. Combining that with Switches¡¯ new anti-aether-creature weapons, everything was supposed to be secure. And still, the dungeon felt uneasy.


    ¡°Having personal guards might be a bit excessive,¡± Spok added.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a precaution,¡± he said. ¡°Just think of them as your bridesmaids. I¡¯m sure this sort of thing happens all the time.¡±


    On a technical point, it could be said that the spirit had known each of the three women for the majority of her existence. In real terms, that only means over a year, and even then, she couldn¡¯t call them close by any stretch of the imagination. Liandra, as a hero, was someone the spirit guide was polite to, but cautious of. The assassin sisters were little more than acquaintances that lived in the baron¡¯s hamlet.


    ¡°Do not worry, my lady,¡± one of the assassin sisters said. ¡°We have plenty of experience in such things. We¡¯ll be discreet.¡±


    ¡°Much appreciated.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll get on with the ceremony, have a huge feast, then everyone will leave and we¡¯ll finally have some peace and quiet,¡± the dungeon¡¯s construct said, more to himself than anyone else. ¡°No more crowds, no more cats, and no more aether beasts.¡± Hopefully, no more devastating hunger, either.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it will be splendid,¡± Liandra reassured Spok. ¡°I must admit I¡¯ve never been a bridesmaid before. Now I¡¯ll get to see what it¡¯s like and kill anything that tries to ruin the moment.¡± She put her hand on the hilt of her weapon.


    One of the reasons that Theo had given the role to the heroine, other than she had suggested it during a brief discussion on aether beasts, was that tradition allowed for her to keep her weapons during the ceremony. It was an old rule, but apparently taught during hero training. Also, it was going to make the entire ceremony even more memorable.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    The sound of trumpets filled the air, indicating it was time for Spok to emerge for the masses.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s a bit impatient.¡± Liandra smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen Duke Rosewind so eager since I was a child.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not him,¡± Spok and Theo said in unison. ¡°It¡¯s the goddess.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± there was a note of disappointment in the heroine¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s not keep her waiting.¡± Theo took his spirit guide by the hand and led forward.


    The amount of cheer that erupted once the castle gates were opened, surpassed those of any sports event Theo had seen in his previous life. The only thing missing were the large TV screens bringing images of the event. With his magic and ingenuity, he could have asked Switches to construct something for the occasion, but it would only cause further pain and disturbance for the dungeon later on.


    The trumpets sounded again, this time joined by dozens of more instruments. The dungeon had no idea whether they were playing the world¡¯s bridal march, the hymn of the kingdom they were in, or something completely different. The only thing he knew was that he didn¡¯t like it, and by the looks of things, neither did the griffins. Startled by the noise, they flew into the skies, moving about chaotically like butterflies. A large part of them even released piss and droppings.


    The things I do for this, Theo grumbled, using his telekinesis at full strength to prevent any discharge from reaching the ground. Spok and Cecil Rosewind had better be grateful.


    While the construct made his way along the wide road, which led to the wedding altar, the dungeon kept casting arcane identify spells at random locations. So far, other than some occasional magic artifact carried by nobles or people of means, nothing out of the ordinary was spotted.


    ¡°Behold, Lady Spok d¡¯Esprit!¡± a loud voice boomed from the air. One didn¡¯t have to look up to know that the sound was coming from several of the airships that were placed at strategic spots above the crowds. Of course, their action even further infuriated the griffins to the extent that even the griffin riders had momentary trouble handling them.


    Theo didn¡¯t even bother to sigh. Once this was over, though, he¡¯d find Switches and kill him.


    ¡°Good luck, Baron!¡± a random person shouted from the crowd. ¡°Hope you manage to keep things up without Spok around.¡±


    Laughter followed. Although there was no indication the comment was malicious, the dungeon found it of poor humor. There was no way he¡¯d surrender his spirit guide and steward. The wedding was merely a side activity he had foolishly been cornered into allowing her. Still, if that was the price for future calm, it would be worth going through this entire ordeal. Just a few more hours, and a very long feast, and Theo could put everything behind him. In truth, he was already counting the minutes.


    ¡°At least she has a smattering of style,¡± the dungeon heard Duke Avisian comment in the high-noble¡¯s section of the cathedral. ¡°Which is why I don¡¯t see the wedding lasting for over a year. That would be longer than any woman could tolerate Rosewind.¡±


    ¡°You are aware that he was married before,¡± Lady Goton said, hinting at the faux pas Avisian had made.


    ¡°Just goes to prove my point, my dear,¡± the duke ignored the hint completely. ¡°Even the best women can¡¯t survive being with Rosewind for long.¡±


    ¡°That idiot,¡± the dungeon hissed in its main building. If it wasn¡¯t going to ruin the ceremony, he would very well have a bolt of lightning strike the annoying noble.


    Three quarters along the way, Spok stopped. A cleric of Peris approached, handing her a glowing laurel. Apparently, that was part of important wedding ceremonies, or had been three hundred years ago.


    With a slight bow, Spok took it, then raised it in the air, displaying it to the entire crowd. After several seconds more of a complete waste of time, the group continued forward.


    Duke Rosewind was waiting at the base of the altar. Upon reaching him, the slightly awkward part of the ceremony ensued. Everyone in the close circle of participants knew perfectly well that Baron d¡¯Argent was actually a construct standing in for the ¡°real¡± person. At the same time, they had to pretend that he wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°My dear close friend,¡± Duke Rosewind smiled at the baron, as if he were the genuine article. ¡°I¡¯ve probably said it before, but I definitely haven¡¯t said it enough. I don¡¯t know where I¡¯d be if you hadn¡¯t shown up in my city all those months ago.¡±


    Deep inside, Theo knew that, in all truth, the nobleman would probably have been dead, along with everyone else in Rosewind. While it was true that the dungeon had attracted the attention of Lord Mandrake, the way the gnome was snatching villages would inevitably have brought the same result. At most, Earl Rosewind and his entire settlement would have spent the rest of their life in the mines within the Mandrake Mountains, digging up demon parts for the future ruler of the world.


    ¡°Several times you and your champion saved the city from complete devastation,¡± Rosewind continued. ¡°You built it up from the ashes, transforming it to the gem it is today. And¡ª¡± he turned towards Spok ¡°¡ªyou brought the most magnificent flower into my life at a time when I thought I wouldn¡¯t find any.¡± He took Spok¡¯s left hand. ¡°For all that, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.¡±


    The crowd quieted down, eager to hear what they tought was a romantic speech. In his cynicism, Theo didn¡¯t believe a single word of it. Not that anything the duke had said was a lie, nor was it under question that he actually loved Spok. It was his ¡°friendship¡± towards Theo that the dungeon had trouble accepting.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Spok will say the same thing,¡± Theo slipped a not-so-subtle reminder as he let go of his spirit guide¡¯s right hand. With that, his role in the ceremony was more or less done.


    The couple-to-be made their way up the altar to the very top. Even the bridesmaids had to stop midway.


    Silence filled the city. Everyone''s attention was focused on the couple. The only other people there were Peris¡¯ head cleric, as well as the goddess herself. To Theo¡¯s eternal annoyance, Cmyk was also nearby, standing at the very edge of the altar, behind the goddess. The minion was clueless as to the reason he was there, but since both Spok and Peris had instructed him to be, he knew better than to argue.


    ¡°Blessed be you, my dear mortals,¡± Peris said, the light surrounding her intensifying. ¡°I have known and watched upon you for quite a while. You protected my temple several times at the risk of your own lives. You increased your faith in me, and helped spread my ideals, even when you didn¡¯t have to. For that, it is only natural that I have descended in my avatar form to bless a union made for the centuries.¡±


    Cheers erupted once more. They were accompanied by confetti falling from the air.


    ¡°No, no, no!¡± a voice squeaked elsewhere in the city. ¡°Stupid assistant! You were supposed to wait until after they were married!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, chief engineer!¡± the alchemist quickly said. ¡°These are the anticipation ones. The real ones will fill the sky later.¡±


    ¡°You set up sets of explosions?!¡±


    ¡°Err, yes? A small one throwing paper, and a big one after¡­¡±


    ¡°Assistant, you¡¯re a genius!¡±


    Once again, the dungeon felt as if he were surrounded by idiots. To make matters worse, the crowd seemed to love it. Even Duke Goton was remarking that he expected nothing less of the wedding, only to have his wife mention that they¡¯d have to do something similar when Amelia and Avid tied the knot as well.


    ¡°As you stand before me, the sky, and all the people gathered.¡± Peris walked forward, stopping a few feet from Spok and Duke Rosewind. ¡°I act as witness and arbiter of your union. It is therefore by my will,¡± she placed her left hand on Spok¡¯s head, and her right on Cecil¡¯s, ¡°that I proclaim that you are now joined in sacred union.¡±


    Barely had she done so, that an explosion a short distance from the altar itself. Unfortunately, this wasn¡¯t another surprise concocted by Switches and his overeager assistant. A large, venomous portal had emerged, destroying several warehouses in the process.


    For a split second, Theo allowed himself to hope against hope that this was part of the ceremony, or a divine manifestation on Peris¡¯ part. When he cast a few arcane identify spells in the area, his final bastion of optimism crumbled.


    AETHER SPAWNLING


    An aether creature of pure energy that devours anything with mana it comes across. The creature is non-native to the world, only emerging due to celestial accidents, massive mana discharges, or unusual concentrations of energy.


    AETHER SPAWNLING


    An aether creature of pure energy that devours anything with mana it comes across. The creature is non-native to the world, only emerging due to celestial accidents, massive mana discharges, or unusual concentrations of energy.


    AETHER SPAWNLING


    An aether creature of pure energy that devours anything with mana it comes across. The creature is non-native to the world, only emerging due to celestial accidents, massive mana discharges, or unusual concentrations of energy.


    AETHER SPAWNLING


    An aether creature of pure energy that devours anything with mana it comes across. The creature is non-native to the world, only emerging due to celestial accidents, massive mana discharges, or unusual concentrations of energy.


    New portals emerged, all of them clustered near the citadel. Liandra and the assassin sisters were already on their way to the altar, aiming to protect the Duke and Duchess of Rosewind from any invisible threat. The only reason that Theo¡¯s construct didn¡¯t join them was because one of the invisible creatures that had leaped out of a nearby portal had bitten the head of his construct straight off. In doing so, the beast had also consumed the core that kept this version of the baron functional.


    Screams and yells were everywhere, as the crowd witnessed Baron d¡¯Argent¡¯s half eaten body crumble to the ground.


    ¡°Just great,¡± Theo grumbled within the main building. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have waited a few hours more?¡±


    Blessed lightning erupted from the buildings, striking the green portals.


    CONGRATULATIONS!


    You have consumed an Aether Portal!


    5000 Core Points obtained.


    The portal imploded, taking several aether beasts with it.


    ¡°See?¡± Duke Avisian sniveled as he sought shelter beneath the nearest chair. ¡°I told you nothing good can come from Rosewind!¡±


    Unlike him, the rest of the nobles had already drawn their weapons. Some, like Duke Goton and Prince Thomas, had already engaged with the invading creatures.


    ¡°Aether beasts?¡± the prince asked, having no trouble spotting the creatures. ¡°This takes me back. Be careful that they don¡¯t touch you.¡± He struck the ground, causing a large golden circle to emerge. The yelps, combined with the rapid evaporation of beastly forms, suggested that he had faced such enemies before. ¡°Remain in the sacred circle,¡± he ordered. ¡°Someone, protect the peasants.¡±


    ¡°Already on it, your highness!¡± Esmeralda shouted, as she and several more cats flew in various directions. ¡°You just protect the couple!¡±


    Hundreds of adventurers and guard constructs unleashed their new weapons, pouring denamnifying liquid onto the portals and anything within sight. Sadly, for each portal that they collapsed, two more would appear.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about,¡± Spok cast an aether sphere around her and her husband. ¡°The baron will get things under control.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Duke Rosewind nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not like we haven¡¯t been in a similar situation before.¡± He then turned to the goddess. ¡°Not to sound ungrateful and disrespectful, but isn¡¯t there anything that you could do to alleviate the current situation?¡±


    The nobleman was undoubtedly about to add more, but seeing the expression on Peris¡¯ face, he stopped silent. In all of existence, there was seldom a sight as terrifying as seeing a deity driven to tears.


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Peris sniffled, glowing tears running down her cheeks. ¡°When I requested that I descend to hold the ceremony, I gave away my ability to act. Other than blessing your union, my divine powers are locked¡­ The whole ceremony is ruined and I can¡¯t do anything about it!¡±


    ¡°There, there, goddess,¡± Spok managed to muster a smile. Having gone through a number of crises, thanks to Theo, she had become accustomed to chaos and had established a way to handle it. ¡°It¡¯s inevitable that there will be a few mishaps even in the best laid plans. I¡¯m sure that once this is all over, this would be nothing more than something to giggle at on a memorable occasion.¡±


    ¡°You, you think so?¡± Peris asked, wiping the tears off her face.


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Duke Rosewind joined in. ¡°Is there any doubt that my wife, my good friend Theo, and Sir Myk would allow a few pesky beasts to ruin such a monumental wedding? The baron will find a way, as always. We just need to display a bit of perseverance until he does.¡±

 (Book 3) 35. Consequences of Losing Ones Head

    Avatar and demon clashed in the air. The ground around them exploded then reconstructed, returning to normal. The amount of destructive magic was stretching the ability of the tower to self-repair its space. More alarmingly, while both forces seemed to be equally matched, the commotion here and back in Rosewind was slowly depleting Theo¡¯s energy reserve.


    Klarissa¡¯s claws extended right at him, like dark aether whip blades. Thanks to his swiftness ultra spell, the avatar managed to avoid most of them, though not without getting a slight nick on the cheek.


    ¡°Careful!¡± Ellis shouted from his shoulder. ¡°She almost hit me that time.¡±


    In the heat of the situation, the dungeon barely restrained himself from commenting. The only thing that might put the Feline Tower archmage in a worse mood than him failing to obtain Gregord¡¯s diary was allowing his great-granddaughter to die. The result was receiving an uncomfortable amount of non-healing wounds.


    The avatar attempted to summon another ice elemental, but this time the restrictions kicked in. So much for anything being possible on this floor of the tower.


    ¡°How much longer will you hold out?¡± Klarissa asked. The number of wounds she had gotten were both more numerous and severe than the ones she had given out. Unlike Theo¡¯s avatar, though, her missing body parts were instantly replaced by demon ones.


    A crimson fireball appeared in front of her forehead, darting straight at the avatar. Its speed wasn¡¯t enough to actually hit its target. Upon coming into contact with the ground, it enveloped a massive part of the area in a crimson explosion miles wide.


    ¡°Pleased with yourself?¡± Ellis asked as an invulnerable aether sphere separated her and the avatar from the destructive power of the explosion. ¡°I can¡¯t believe my grandfather trusted a dungeon with completing the trial and yet never allowed me to have a go.¡±


    ¡°You said cats couldn¡¯t enter.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d have gone with my boyfriend. Did you think grandpa came up with that idea on his own? I suggested the familiar angle years ago. I just didn¡¯t think he¡¯d listen.¡±


    As much as the dungeon would empathize, this wasn¡¯t doing him any good right now. He¡¯d gone through all his spells, and the ones that seemed to have the greatest effect were heroic skills and ice magic. Memoria¡¯s tomb might have been useful if Klarissa didn¡¯t use her knowledge of the spell to negate anything that Theo attempted.


    ¡°So, any plans now?¡± the cat cast several magic circles within the aether sphere, just in case.


    It was a relevant question with no obvious answers. For a moment, Theo considered resorting to his dungeon abilities, but the ground wasn¡¯t stable enough for him to do so. Killing her through conventional means clearly didn¡¯t work, so he had to resort to capture.


    ¡°Plenty,¡± the avatar lied. ¡°The moment the sphere collapses, we¡¯ll take the fight to her.¡±


    ¡°How does that even make sense?¡±


    ¡°Attack is the best¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish, Klarissa¡¯s claws struck the sphere, bouncing off. Moments later, once the flames cleared, the full form of the demon became visible, less than a foot away.


    ¡°Invulnerable,¡± the demon noted, sliding her claws along the surface of the aether sphere. ¡°Nice trick. Pity that they don¡¯t last long.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need them to last long.¡± The avatar frowned, looking her straight in the eye.


    ¡°And what do you plan on doing?¡± The demon cackled. ¡°Creating another once this vanishes? Go ahead. At some point, your mana will run out. And if it doesn¡¯t, you¡¯ll only bring me closer to victory.¡±


    Two seconds remained. Theo¡¯s main advantage was that Klarissa didn¡¯t know the exact moment when the sphere would lose its invulnerability. That gave him a brief window of opportunity to come up with something.


    A new ball of red flame slowly took form in front of her forehead. No doubt the demon was aiming to scorch him from point blank range.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he said.


    The admission made the demon pause for a moment. With most of the woman¡¯s humanity replaced with demonic essence, her ego and spite had significantly grown to the point that she was looking forward to hearing the dungeon grovel. The smile on her face widened to the point of reaching her ears.


    On the avatar¡¯s shoulder, Ellis shivered, disgusted at the grotesque transformation.


    ¡°My mana isn¡¯t infinite,¡± Theo said.


    Using a swiftness spell, he shattered the aether sphere around him the moment it reverted to being normal, then immediately cast a new one. The time between aether spheres lasted barely a fraction of a second. There was one major difference, though. The new aether sphere hadn¡¯t appeared around him, but the demon.


    ¡°Have fun.¡± The avatar slammed the sphere with his sword from above, sending it flying down to the ground. As that happened, the red demonic flame burst, filling it with crimson light.


    It was too much to hope that this would have ejected Klarissa from the tower, but that hadn¡¯t been Theo¡¯s intent. Casting a new set of standard swiftness spells, he flew down after her.


    It took four seconds for the aether sphere to slam into the rocky terrain. One second later, the avatar was also there, reaching for the ground.


    A massive shaft formed in the ground beneath the sphere, heading straight down.


    ¡°You¡¯ll bury her?¡± Ellis asked, completely confused by his strategy.


    ¡°Can you summon water?¡± Theo hurriedly asked.


    ¡°Well, yes, but¡ª¡°


    ¡°Do it!¡± the avatar shouted.


    An orange magic circle formed above the hole, allowing water to pour down. Simultaneously, it was instantly blessed by the avatar, who cast a series of blessing spells.


    ¡°You¡¯ll drown her in blessed water?!¡± the cat all but screamed.


    ¡°It has to work on demons.¡± The avatar kept on casting. Naturally, he had no intention of relying on that alone.


    Two seconds later, the spells came to an end, at which point, the avatar put his hands on the ground again. Deep below, at the very bottom of the created shaft, the Rock solidified, creating an impregnable chamber round the aether sphere and the water it was in. After that, a second chamber formed around it, and another, and another. Using all his knowledge about creating vaults, the dungeon kept on sealing the demon in layer after layer.


    ¡°This will keep her occupied long enough until I reach the cloud,¡± he said, casting a flight spell. ¡°After that¡ª¡° he suddenly stopped mid-sentence.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Ellis asked.


    ¡°I lost one of my observatories,¡± the avatar said. And it was one of the good ones, too.


    Unlike the small, be it questionable, victory he had achieved in Gregord¡¯s tower, things in Rosewind were very different. Technically, the city was winning. The number of heroes, mages, constructs, and adventurers itching to make a name for themselves had quickly tilted the fight in their favor. With several skilled individuals protecting Duke and Duchess Rosewind, and the Goddess Peris¡ªwhich was rather ironic¡ªeveryone else focused on destroying the aether beasts and the portals they came from. Unfortunately, that came at the cost of collateral damage, namely Theo losing his link to an increasing number of surface structures. To a small degree, the aether beasts caused that by going through buildings in their attempt to flee or attack a particular target. Most of the damages, though, were Switches¡¯ doing, be it indirectly.


    ¡°Switches, this severance thing better be reversible,¡± the dungeon grumbled.


    ¡°Not to worry, boss!¡± The goblin replied, observing events from his laboratory. ¡°You just need to consume and reconstruct all that you lost. Piece of cake. My previous dungeon did it all the time!¡±


    That didn¡¯t sound reassuring in the least. The only silver lining was that with the loss of the buildings, the amount of mana required to maintain himself also diminished. It wasn¡¯t terribly much, but in a fight like this every bit helped.


    ¡°Then how about you fix my head?¡± Theo asked. ¡°I can¡¯t join the fight headless.¡±


    ¡°Err, about that, boss¡­¡± Switches¡¯ ears flipped down. ¡°It might not be that simple. You see, that was a custom construct. It took me quite a while to work out the kinks and¡ª¡°


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have blueprints or something?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t have blueprints for a masterpiece,¡± the gnome said with the degree of shock one would get upon seeing someone eat soup with a fork. ¡°Masterpieces are unique, more art than science, more form than function, more¡ª¡°


    The dungeon was no longer listening. At the moment, he had far more serious things to deal with. There were a number of people that he needed to make sure remained alive through all this. The fight, despite the lack of massive destruction the city had become used to, was nothing less than a major battle. Hundreds of people had ended up completely consumed by the aether creatures. Thousands more had been injured in some fashion, including nobles.


    ¡°This brings me back to my adventure days,¡± Duke Goton said, swinging his sword like a veteran. ¡°Haven¡¯t seen this many, though?¡±


    ¡°Probably a nest opened up with all of the rapid city advancements,¡± a cat said from his shoulder.


    She, too, was participating in the fight, casting magic circles left and right. Each circle rendered an aether beast visible, while also stunning it momentarily. On its own, the spell wasn¡¯t enough to deal any significant damage, but one strike from the duke¡¯s blade was enough to settle that.


    ¡°You used to be faster, Goton,¡± Liandra¡¯s father said. ¡°Still, not terrible for someone your age. Good thing your kids are doing better.¡±


    Within Baron d¡¯Argent¡¯s mansion furniture screeched. While the Goton children appeared to be doing well, among other nobles, they were as hopeless as Avid and Amelia had been in the necromancer¡¯s estate. They relied far too much on theory, practice skills, and gear, forgetting that this was real life. If it hadn¡¯t been for the occasional spell of a blessed spike shooting from the ground in their support, they would have been seriously injured or, at worst, killed.


    Thankfully, at least Avid had become aware of his strengths and limitations. The young noble was roaming the skies on Octavian, using his magic sword to launch bolts of lightning when appropriate. Amelia was doing pretty much the same, casting flames from a griffin of her own.


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°Whoever kills a nest automatically gets bumped to a higher grade!¡± Ulf shouted in almost guild master-like fashion. ¡°Whoever gets killed by one will be crossed out from the guild book!¡±


    The members of Rosewind¡¯s inner council were also doing rather well for themselves. Not in the least flinching, they were observing the situation firsthand while guards and assistants were keeping them safe.


    ¡°Elric!¡± Viscount Dott shouted. ¡°Anything we can use from the warehouses?¡±


    ¡°All the armor and weapons were donated for the tournament, sir,¡± the steward replied, piercing through the shape of an aether beast with lethal precision.


    Theo had already cast an identify spell on the rapier the man was holding to tell that it had magic draining effects. With a bit of luck, it would cripple a mage in three or four hits. When dealing with a creature made of magic, it could achieve a similar effect in a dozen strikes.


    ¡°Not to mention that several of your warehouses were destroyed,¡± he continued.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± Viscount Dott grumbled. ¡°I¡¯ll have the baron compensate me for the loss.¡±


    ¡°Baron d¡¯Argeant lost his head when the creatures first appeared, sir.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s terrible luck.¡± The noble grumbled. ¡°I¡¯ll have to get Rosewind to compensate me, and that man takes longer than a blue winter!¡±


    Is that what I am to you? The dungeon hissed internally. After everything I¡¯ve done!


    Arrangement or no arrangement, Theo had every intention of destroying all the properties the backstabbing viscount was renting from him. Given the current situation, he could almost pass it off as an accident, although that wouldn¡¯t be nearly as satisfying.


    ¡°It¡¯s all very nice, but I believe we¡¯re a decade too old for all this,¡± Baroness Eledrion sighed.


    Two maids and a butler with very sharp magical weapons were making sure that no creature got near. It also helped that she remained within the sacred circle that Prince Thomas had created.


    ¡°Does anyone know the cause that brought all these¡­ things?¡± She drew a dagger and threw it straight into an aether beast¡¯s head. ¡°Here?¡±


    The creature let out a whelp, but remained persistently alive. A second knife quickly convinced it to fizzle away into nothingness.


    ¡°I¡¯m not one to point fingers, but this has never occurred since the creation of Rosewind.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that Cecil will come up with a suitable explanation,¡± Viscount Dott grumbled. ¡°He always does. Personally, I think it¡¯s the mage tower.¡±


    Several loud coughs coming from the nearby feline mages let the noble know that the comment wasn¡¯t appreciated.


    ¡°Not that I have anything against mages,¡± the man quickly added. ¡°Been trying to hire one on a permanent basis for years. I¡¯m just saying that it¡¯s well known that mage towers and aether creatures are linked. Add to that the presence of a deity¡ªthe very respected patron of our city¡ªand sparks are bound to appear. Isn¡¯t that right, Elric?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely, Viscount,¡± Elric replied without hesitation, while dispatching another creature.


    ¡°Well, we might add that to the list of Rosewind¡¯s adventures,¡± the baroness said, taking on a glass-half-full attitude. ¡°A pity that¡ª¡° suddenly, she stopped. The earring on her right ear had started glowing crimson red.


    Normally, that wouldn¡¯t have been of particular concern. Enough monsters were around, made visible through spells and other means, for it to sense danger. The real point of concern was upon the realization that through all the chaos so far, the earring had not once changed color¡­ up till now.


    With a massive explosion, a warehouse was torn to pieces. Only thanks to Theo¡¯s quick reaction, and an exorbitant amount of energy, most of the flying fragments were caught before inflicting considerable damage.


    ¡°That was one of yours as well, sir.¡± Elric didn¡¯t miss an opportunity to inform Viscount Dott.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± the noble hissed.


    A new purple portal emerged, far greater than all the rest, and from it an entirely different creature came out.


    Unlike the aether beasts, this one was entirely visible, yet somewhat amorphous. Its massive form vibrated between shapes, as if trying to determine what would best suit this reality.


    Hundreds of griffins, floating eyeballs, not to mention the tens of thousands of people on the ground, looked with terror and fascination as all formerly invisible creatures stopped what they were doing and rushed towards the new mass.


    Like raindrops pouring into a bucket, they leaped into the entity, slightly modifying it as they did. Massive paws took shape¡ªthe first part of the creature to become defined. The legs and torso followed, then the large tiger-like head, and finally five very long and distinct tails.


    The last, and only, time Theo had seen anything remotely similar was back in his previous life when he was doing research on the depiction of chimeras. It had been a well-known fact the Greco-Roman bestiaries were little more than the result of a random combination of creature pieces. This particular monstrosity brought together a tiger¡¯s head, owl eyes, fox paws, and a deck¡¯s body, complete with multiple tails. A thin moss-like layer of purple aether fur covered the scales of the beast, only avoiding its claws, mouth and nose.


    ¡°What the hell is that?!¡± Theo asked through Spok¡¯s pendant. As he did, he also cast an arcane identify spell.


    AETHERION (post Chrysalis)


    An aether based entity that grows in its own reality, before emerging into existence.


    The Aetherion¡¯s development goes through five phases. Egg, Chrysalis, Infant, Morphling, and Adult.


    During its egg phase, the entity lays dormant until a surge of power causes it to establish a connection with one or more realities. Once that is done, it goes through a chrysalis phase during which time it sends out spawnlings to procure food, in the form of mana, so it can grow. Once enough mana is amassed, the creature breaks free and enters reality, as an infant, where it can feed directly, settle on a firm form, and multiply.


    ¡°I believe that would be an aetherion, sir,¡± Spock replied from the top of her wedding altar. ¡°They feed exclusively on mana, which is why it¡¯s so rare for them to appear.¡±


    ¡°Is that the baron?¡± Duke Rosewind asked. ¡°Glad you¡¯re doing alright, my good friend. Any chance of fixing this minor issue? A bit of excitement is always valued during a wedding, but maybe this is a bit over the top.¡±


    ¡°What do you think I¡¯m trying to do?!¡± The city shook. ¡°Spok, duke, goddess, does anyone know how to kill that thing?!¡±


    As if on cue, the aetherion roared in the direction of the baron¡¯s mansion. It was clearly annoyed about something. Theo, on his part, saw this more as a threat than anything else. A creature that lived on mana had just appeared on top of a dungeon, which effectively could be said to be just that. The first opportunity it got, it would probably go for his dungeon core; worse than a pack of determined heroes.


    ¡°I know a few ways,¡± Peris sniffled, whipping off a tear from her face. ¡°But I can¡¯t do any right now. And I can¡¯t tell you directly.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± the dungeon shouted from the Spok¡¯s pendant. ¡°Why not? I built you a cathedral. A grand cathedral even!¡±


    ¡°You did, but that doesn¡¯t make you part of my clerics.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a hero! Doesn¡¯t that count for anything?¡±


    There was a pause of silence. Technically, this was the first time that Theo had openly made the admission. Not that there was any doubt that Duke Rosewind knew. The sly noble had a way of learning everything, not to mention that the Lionmane guild master could have shared that particular fact on his own.


    ¡°It would, but you have to be here,¡± Peris said after a while. ¡°I can¡¯t grant knowledge and blessings long distance.¡±


    Of all the stupid crap! The dungeon thought. He had hoped that upon his reincarnation, he¡¯d be able to break free of any and all bureaucracy, but clearly the universe had different thoughts. Right this instant, his avatar was a heroic part of him, located in some unknown location. There was no way for the dungeon to use any of the skills that he had learned through his avatar, nor was there any easy way for him to send things from his main self, either. Even obtaining information required his avatar and the goddess to be at the same spot.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there anything you can tell me?¡± he asked.


    Peris looked at the sky for several seconds.


    ¡°It can be defeated,¡± she said hesitantly. ¡°You also have the ability to do so.¡±


    A new silence formed. In the background, the massive creature slammed its paw into a building, transforming it into a lifeless husk deprived of energy. Dozens of constructs in the area had their monster cores instantly depleted, falling to the ground like toys whose batteries had given up.


    ¡°That¡¯s all I can say,¡± the goddess added.


    ¡°Surely there¡¯s something more you could advise, Goddess,¡± Duke Rosewind said. ¡°If not the baron, is there anything you could tell me instead?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, no.¡± Peris shook her head. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t descended in avatar form, there¡¯s a lot I could have said and done, but right now¡­¡± she sniffed again. ¡°At least I managed to complete the union before all this happened.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s no small feat, I assure you,¡± the duke quickly moved to make the deity feel better. ¡°That was the whole point of the celebration, after all. The guests, the changes in the city, even all of my good friend¡¯s efforts would have been wasted if you hadn¡¯t done that.¡±


    Theo remained silent. From his point of view, the goddess had done nothing but cause problems. For better or worse, he didn¡¯t have the potential of nitpicking. Roofs flew off buildings, slamming into the aetherion, but to little avail. While the force of impact pushed the creature backwards, no obvious wounds appeared. The dungeon followed up the attack with a focused bout of blessed lightning.


    Initially, the large creature screamed, but as much damage as the lightning dealt it was quickly drained from the ground the monster stood on; in other words, the effect was the same as if Theo was zapping himself.


    ¡°I¡¯m stepping in,¡± Spok said with absolute certainty.


    Instantly, both Duke Rosewind and Theo grabbed her. The duke, since he was her husband, held her gently, yet firmly, by the hand. The dungeon, on its part, caused blocks of stone to emerge from the altar around Spok¡¯s ankles.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not be hasty, dear,¡± the duke said. ¡°I¡¯m sure that there are plenty of people who could handle things. We have, after all, three heroes in the city.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate it, Cecil, but what example would I give if I didn¡¯t take matters into my own hands?¡± The stone blocks sunk back into the altar, purely through the spirit guide¡¯s will. ¡°Not to mention that I¡¯ve inconvenienced Lady Liandra too much as it is.¡±


    ¡°Please, think nothing of it,¡± the heroine said, holding her sword at the ready. ¡°I¡¯ve been through a lot worse adventuring with Theo.¡±


    ¡°That might be so, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± A statue of the baron emerged from the ground. It was very lifelike, yet completely motionless. The only thing the dungeon could manage was to use a bit of telekinesis to keep it above the ground. ¡°I¡¯ll go deal with the monster. Everyone else, keep protecting the couple¡­ and the goddess.¡± The last sounded so absurd, he had trouble voicing it.


    ¡°Not a bad idea,¡± Liandra nodded. ¡°But I¡¯m coming with you.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s really no need¡ª¡± Theo began, but a quick slash chopped off the left arm of the statue in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do anything from a distance, let alone using that.¡± There was no smile on the heroine¡¯s face. The woman was deadly serious, though not in a negative way. ¡°You probably have more than a few tricks up your sleeve, but to manage this, you¡¯ll need my help.¡±


    One more slash and the head of the statue fell off. This time, it was quickly caught by Liandra.


    ¡°We¡¯ll deal with this. You just stay safe.¡± She glanced at the goddess, then at whatever clerics had remained on the altar. It was sad to say that with the exception of the head cleric, who was shivering near sir Myk, all the rest had run off. ¡°Aren¡¯t there some ceremonial things you can come up with? No point in putting this time to waste.¡±


    Without waiting for a response, the heroine leaped off the altar, carrying the baron¡¯s stone head with her.


    ¡°You know that there¡¯s no point in holding that,¡± the dungeon grumbled, focusing his voice to where Liandra was.


    ¡°You never know when you need something heavy to throw,¡± she replied. ¡°So, do you have a plan on how to deal with this, or are we making it up as we go?¡±


    Surprisingly, the dungeon actually had a plan. What was more, it was supposed to be a very good plan. While events in the city had taken a decisive turn for the worst, the same couldn¡¯t be said for events in Gregord¡¯s tower. While it was too much to hope that the hastily blessed water had killed Klarissa, Theo¡¯s efforts seemed to have successfully imprisoned her. Even now, the avatar and Ellis were on their way to the door that would lead them to the final floor of the tower.


    Don¡¯t jinx it! Don¡¯t jinx it! Theo kept repeating to himself.


    ¡°We actually made it!¡± Ellis said. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that your plan actually worked!¡±


    On cue, the ground beneath them exploded. Massive chunks flew up, like floating islands, filling the space between the avatar and his destination.


    Another indestructible aether sphere was cast, preventing the baron and Ellis from being splatted. Unfortunately, it also knocked them off course.


    ¡°You absolute piece of shit!¡± Klarissa screamed, as volcanoes of red flames erupted from the ground below. ¡°You think you can stop me with a bit of water?!¡±


    Numerous holes were present on her face and a large part of her body. At this point, it was only the demonic elements that kept the creature together in a completely wretched state. It was obvious that the dungeon¡¯s idea had dealt a considerable amount of damage, just not enough.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had it with you!¡± The demon ascended, transforming the entire sky crimson red. ¡°I don¡¯t care about the mission anymore. I¡¯ll kill you if it¡¯s the last thing I do!¡±


    ¡°Ellis,¡± the avatar said in a calm tone. ¡°For potential future reference. Never say we¡¯ve done something until we actually do it. Got it?¡±


    On his shoulder, the white cat nodded.


    ¡°Good.¡± At least that was settled. Now he had two undefeatable enemies to face, each of which wanted to devour him whole.

 (Book 3) 36. An Offer a Dungeon Can Refuse at its Own Peril...

    ¡°Just look outside the window, you old cat!¡± Baron d¡¯Argent¡¯s house shook even stronger than the city itself. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about technicalities here!¡±


    ¡°Get the diary and you¡¯ll get the second fully charged mana gem,¡± the archmage of the Feline Tower said. ¡°No diary, no mana gem.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re just ignoring the monster that¡¯s wrecking the city?!¡±


    ¡°A large part of the council¡¯s already helping, which is already a display of good faith.¡±


    ¡°Just to save their own skins,¡± the dungeon grumbled.


    Clearly, neither threats nor logic were able to change the old cat¡¯s mind. Even pleading didn¡¯t have any particular result. Everything circled back to the diary. There was a good chance that the ¡°fragile, old mage¡± was just another world conqueror; one of several that Theo had dealt with lately. It could be argued that he was also the most annoying one.


    ¡°Did you plan all this?¡± the dungeon asked.


    ¡°Plan?¡± The cat flicked an ear. ¡°I did improve the odds a bit. Don¡¯t flatter yourself, though. You just showed more promise than my other options.¡±


    The dungeon ground the furniture along the floor, creating a series of disturbing sounds. He so much wanted to share what was going on in the tower; maybe tell the mage that someone else had also set their eye on the diary in question. Unfortunately, no matter how he attempted to phrase it, the magic of Gregord¡¯s tower refused to let him speak a single syllable.


    ¡°Giving the gem would increase my chances,¡± Theo changed approach.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that things were going well?¡± The cat¡¯s tail flicked. ¡°I know that only you and my granddaughter are still in the tower. Make sure that one of you gets the diary and you¡¯ll have what was promised and more.¡±


    The comment was as startling as it was alarming. It meant that the cat didn¡¯t know about Klarissa¡¯s attempt. What was more, the archmage was somehow convinced that she had left the tower, but that was clearly not the case. The dungeon¡¯s avatar was busy fighting her¡ªor the demon she¡¯d become¡ªright now. Something wasn¡¯t adding up, but it was something that the dungeon could worry about later¡­ if there was a later.


    ¡°I hate your grandfather,¡± the avatar grumbled as he attempted to capture the demon in an aether sphere again.


    Unfortunately, Klarissa had learned from her past mistakes, and split into two versions of herself before the magic sphere could form. The one captured instantly rotted into decaying flesh and demonic ash, while the other attempted to pierce his stomach. That, too, was only partially successful.


    ¡°He refused to give you the gem?¡± Ellis asked as magic circles appeared by the dozen, each releasing attack spells at their enemy.


    ¡°Not before I get the diary,¡± the avatar grumbled, looking at the new scar he had been given. ¡°What¡¯s with mages and that diary?¡±


    An ice wall formed between him and Klarissa. The wall was ten feet thick, continuing up, down, and sideways seemingly to infinity.


    ¡°You¡¯re still asking?¡± The cat snorted, amused. ¡°Aside from the historical significance of being an item that belonged to Gregord, it also contains¡ª¡±


    ¡°Lots of powerful spells,¡± the avatars finished the sentence for her. ¡°It can¡¯t be the only powerful item, though? I mean, there were better mages, right?¡±


    ¡°Archmages,¡± the cat corrected. ¡°And yes, I suppose there were superior mages in certain fields, but most of their possessions have been claimed, or lost. And then there¡¯s the really old mages that we only know of from secondary sources.¡±


    An arms race, Theo thought. That would definitely explain a few things, including the mercenaries with demonic artefacts. By every indication, a war was going to break out, potentially a reaction to Switches¡¯ fleet of battle airships. With a bit of luck, Rosewind would be kept out of it¡­ if there was anything left of it this time.


    Cracks formed on the wall of ice. They quickly froze over thanks to the amount of energy the dungeon had used for the spell, but it was only a matter of time before it shattered. Aiming to delay that, the avatar cast a blessing, shielding a part of the wall, then flew backwards as quickly as possible.


    ¡°Do you think you can pass the final trial?¡± Ellis asked.


    ¡°Huh? What?¡±


    ¡°The final choice. Can you make it?¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about, Ellis? We¡¯re in the middle of crap knows what and¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m asking that if I get you to the next floor, you¡¯ll make the right choice?¡± The cat interrupted.


    Theo was about to shout back at her when he realized what she was really asking. If he were to get to Gregord alone, he¡¯d have the power to ask for anything he wished, not only the diary. There would be no one to ensure that he did as the Feline Tower asked and keep him away from temptation.


    ¡°What aren¡¯t you telling me?¡± the avatar asked, as more cracks appeared on the ice wall.


    ¡°I can take care of the hag, but I want to be sure you¡¯ll do what you promised.¡±


    ¡°Ellis, I didn¡¯t want to get involved with this in the first place!¡±


    ¡°I know, but we¡¯re at the end now. Will you change your mind?¡±


    It was a good question. A lot of mages had started the trial. At times they had helped each other, at times fought against one another, and Klarissa¡­ Well, she was a special case of nasty. Would Theo be different? Actually, was there a reason for him not to take advantage of the situation? The dungeon could use the help. Plus, it wasn¡¯t like he volunteered for the trial to begin with. He was in his right to think of himself. After all, it was the cat archmage that had changed the deal. Initially, it had only been a matter of doing his best, which Theo definitely had. There could be no denying that he was among the first that reached so far high up. Not even the Feline Tower could accuse him of slacking off. This was the moment he was waiting for, the spark of hope that the universe had granted him after all the inconveniences and hardships. And still, he felt a small amount of guilt.


    ¡°Of course not!¡± the avatar said. ¡°Why are you even asking me this?¡±


    The cat didn¡¯t reply, looking at his face from his shoulder.


    ¡°Either way, it¡¯s not like you can handle her in that state.¡±


    ¡°I can¡­¡± the cat said. ¡°The catch is that she won¡¯t be the only one going.¡±


    ¡°What?! If you had any such spell, why didn¡¯t you use it earlier?!¡±


    ¡°There was no reason to,¡± Ellis replied defensively. ¡°Also, there wasn¡¯t any guarantee it would have worked. On this floor, though¡­¡±


    Massive cracks covered the endless ice wall, only this time they didn¡¯t freeze over.


    ¡°There¡¯s only one catch,¡± Ellis added.


    Of course there is. ¡°What is it?¡± the avatar asked.


    ¡°You¡¯ll need to find a way to get to the door unharmed.¡±


    ¡°I thought you said you¡¯d do it?!¡±


    ¡°Look, it¡¯s enough that I¡¯ll get rid of the old hag! It¡¯s not like you¡¯ve had any luck there. We wouldn¡¯t be talking otherwise. That¡¯s all I can give you, so you better not mess things up!¡±


    Theo was about to argue more on the matter, but the decision was made for him. Just as the ice wall shattered, letting red flames burn through the cracks, charring the air itself as they progressed forward. Klarissa was obviously sparing no mana to destroy them, and neither did Ellis.


    A pitch-black magic circle appeared in the air, three feet from the avatar, then quickly expanded. Unlike all the previous circles, there was nothing within this one, nothing but an endless void of darkness.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let me down,¡± the cat said, then cast a second magic circle. This one appeared fractions of an inch beneath her feet, passing through the avatar.


    Before Theo knew what was going on, his avatar had been teleported miles away from its previous location. Then, the void circle imploded.


    The sight was exactly what one would have imagined¡ªinvisible forces pulling everything near and far, mercilessly dragging it into the darkness. The cat was the first to vanish, which didn¡¯t seem to bother her at all. Some of the red flames followed, pulled into the void like burning spaghetti.


    ¡°Oh, crap,¡± the avatar muttered, only now realizing what had just happened.


    One didn¡¯t have to understand the principles of magic to know that the cat had cast the equivalent of a black hole. Normally, the spell would probably have acted like a prison of sorts, or an external space, similar to all the dimensional magic that Ellis was so fond of using. Yet, when cast in a space that endlessly boosted it, it wouldn¡¯t stop until it had swallowed everything within the eighth floor.


    Gritting his teeth, the avatar cast his swiftness ultra spell, then flew in the direction of the cloud door. Initially, it seemed as if he had managed to escape in the nick of time, yet glancing at the ground below, the dungeon found that his avatar had remained static; it was the cloud with the door that was moving towards him, though far too slow to prevent him from being pulled into the cat¡¯s spell.


    Screeching screams filled the air coming from Klarissa. In her desperation, the demon was casting all sorts of destructive spells, yet to little avail. The growing void swallowed them as if they were snack morsels.


    Clever. the dungeon thought. Ellis had cast a spell against which brute strength had no effect. It was rather fortunate that the cat hadn¡¯t used it on him or he wouldn¡¯t have been able to escape. Actually, even now he was having difficulties.


    Another swiftness ultra spell was cast, followed by another flight spell. Once again, time momentarily stopped, then returned to normal, and yet the avatar had remained in the exact same spot. Even worse, it seemed like he had been pulled slightly backwards. The only good news was that the cloud with the door had gotten a whole lot closer.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get you for this!¡± Klarissa shouted from a distance. ¡°No matter the consequences, I¡¯ll get you if it¡¯s¡ª¡±


    The next swiftness ultra spell moved the outskirts of reality closer to the avatar once more, cutting off the demon¡¯s final words. Now, only one obstacle remained¡ªEllis¡¯ spell.


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t have cast something less annoying?!¡± Using swiftness ultra spells at a moment like this wasn¡¯t at all good. It had forced the dungeon to abandon his vineyard and hollow out most of the city¡¯s walls. ¡°This is the last time I¡¯m spending energy on nonsense!¡± Theo¡¯s avatar gritted his teeth as he cast several more spells.


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    The door on the cloud was in front of him now¡ªthe only thing that remained within an ever-hungry void. It was tempting to grab the handle and just open it. The avatar, though, used a bit more energy to cast an arcane identify spell.


    FALSE DOOR


    (CURSE)


    A fake door that sends anyone who comes into contact with it outside the tower.


    Tricky till the end, Theo said to himself as his avatar cast a blessing.


    CONGRATULATIONS!


    You are the first to have reached the ninth floor of The Great Gregord¡¯s tower!


    News of your achievement shall be known throughout the entire continent.


    The surrounding blackness vanished. All of a sudden, the avatar found himself sitting on a rather comfortable couch at a small round table. The room he was in was small; rather, it was more the top of a tower than a room. The single round wall around him was a combination of shelves and windows with the occasional portrait or trophy.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± The avatar looked around.


    Outside, he could see a picturesque panorama of fields, forests, and a rather nice spring. It was so real that he could feel the sunlight, the wind, and hear the sound of birds, leaves, and water.


    The interior of the room was even more fascinating. A simple identify spell showed that every item on display had extremely high magical properties; from golem rings to battle wands, protective garments, and even slice-through daggers. Most notable of all, the staff that Auggy had used during the lower floors was also on display, proudly placed on a wooden frame hanging from the wall.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad it¡¯s back,¡± a voice said.


    Turning briskly around, the avatar saw that the archmage embodiment of Gregord was sitting across from him.


    ¡°The room just didn¡¯t feel complete without it,¡± the man noted.


    Theo thought of what to say. It wasn¡¯t particularly easy with the beast on a rampage back in his main body.


    ¡°I can freeze time if you like,¡± Gregord offered. ¡°Not sure whether that would make things easier or more confusing for you. You seem to have gotten the hang of being in several places at once. Most of the elder dungeons develop that skill. Those that survive, of course. Oh, there¡¯s no need to keep holding those books.¡±


    Gregord¡¯s early writings on dungeons suddenly found themselves on the table in front of the avatar.


    ¡°Not my most accurate work, but I was na?ve and full of enthusiasm back then.¡±


    If Ellis, or any other mage, were here, she¡¯d be beyond starstruck. Many only dreamed they¡¯d be in the presence of Gregord, let alone be offered a meaningful private conversation. The positive thing about only meeting one¡¯s heroes after their death was that the said heroes¡ªif they were mages, at least¡ªwould take measures to only portray themselves in a highly positive light. There would be no awkwardness, no grumbling or shortcomings, just what everyone imagined them to be.


    Theo, of course, had a different view of things.


    ¡°Just stop with the games.¡± The avatar frowned. ¡°I¡¯ve completed your trials, so give me my prize so I can get out of here.¡±


    ¡°Games?¡± Gregord arched a brow, retaining his composure.


    ¡°What else is this? Watching people toil and fight one another for fun.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you think?¡±


    ¡°You really don¡¯t want to know what I think.¡± Although, it had to be admitted that he did gain a lot of experience and a few potent spells in the process. ¡°So, just give¡ª¡°


    ¡°My diary?¡± Gregord asked.


    As he said that, Theo noticed that the only thing on the table was a rather thick, worn diary placed in the middle of the small table. All other books and items had vanished, as if they had never been there.


    ¡°That¡¯s really what you want?¡±


    It was the question that the dungeon expected and simultaneously wasn¡¯t sure he could answer. He had already decided he¡¯d go for something more beneficial, but what exactly? He could only ask for one thing. In a cruel trick of fate, asking what to ask could be interpreted as the reward itself. Yet without knowing, he could well ask for something useless.


    Within the city of Rosewind, windows and furniture creaked in frustration. Despite the calmness and the atmosphere, this remained a tower trial, after all.


    Of course, it had to be psychological, Theo thought.


    ¡°We can chat, you know,¡± Gregord offered. ¡°That¡¯s actually part of the reward of getting here. You¡¯d be surprised what might come out of it. And if you¡¯re really worried about the monster on your main body, I have already offered to freeze time.¡±


    ¡°So, you know about that.¡± The avatar crossed his arms.


    ¡°I¡¯m the Great Gregord,¡± the mage said theatrically. ¡°Of course I¡¯d know. Just because the trial¡¯s taking place here doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m unfamiliar with the outside world. Although, I admit there are a few flaws that I hadn¡¯t foreseen. And by I, I mean the living mage that I was.¡±


    ¡°The mercenaries, you mean.¡±


    ¡°Them, and you as well.¡±


    The avatar leaned as far back in his seat as he could.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Consuming tower keys?¡± Gregord shook his head as a disappointed professor would. ¡°They were never meant to be replaced. The entire idea was that I take them from the participants who used them in the tower, then scattered them away somewhere. Naturally, I¡¯ll need to rethink that entire process.¡±


    The dungeon felt uneasy. At the time, consuming the key sounded quite logical, especially since it had granted him a rather useful spell.


    ¡°I could send you a copy?¡± The avatar offered.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Gregord waved a hand. ¡°I¡¯ll make a new set, this time with a few protection features included. I can¡¯t believe some demon actually tried to take me down, just for a bit of knowledge.¡±


    Inadvertently, the avatar glanced at the diary. If half the things said about it were true, that could well present a dangerous weapon. Even if a demon couldn¡¯t use anything within, there was the guarantee that no one else would.


    ¡°Is it as powerful as they say?¡± The avatar asked. ¡°The diary, I mean.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Gregord sighed. ¡°You could say it has a few rather nasty spells, including some that I specifically didn¡¯t share with anyone.¡±


    ¡°Why did you write them down, then?¡±


    ¡°Ah. That was an author¡¯s vanity. How can I destroy something I have created? The diary is, as the name suggests, an actual diary. It contains my thoughts, my dreams, my musings. A lot of the spells in there are utter failures or works in progress. I couldn¡¯t make myself destroy all that, which is why I locked it in this tower. Here, it would be safely kept until someone with the skill, luck, and intellect managed to pass the trials and get here.¡±


    ¡°You might want to rethink that.¡± The avatar snorted. ¡°I managed to get here and I don¡¯t have any of those things.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I think you¡¯ll find you have a lot more than you think. Besides, there is a safeguard of sorts. Anyone who takes the diary loses their memories.¡±


    An interesting strategy, but it was only a temporary delay. Theo had no idea what the diary contained, but he himself had a spell that let him consume all book contents and transform them into memories.


    ¡°To answer the question you¡¯re about to ask, yes, there are things you could get that would help you in your current situation. If nothing else, I can also give you a mana gem, or a spell that has a good chance of protecting you against the beast in Rosewind. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the best solution, though. For you, I mean.¡±


    That was a bit of a letdown; it was always possible that Gregord was lying, but Theo didn¡¯t feel that to be the case. At the end of the day, he still had the power to demand anything as a reward.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me to go with the diary?¡± The avatar mused.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t say that.¡± A glass of wine appeared in the mage¡¯s hand. ¡°I know that the feline archmage believes that, but he¡¯s also wrong. What he really wants isn¡¯t the diary, but this.¡±


    A glass key emerged, floating in the air above the table.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± The avatar leaned forward.


    ¡°The key to the ninth floor. Unlike all the rest, I never placed it outside the tower.¡±


    Because it¡¯s useless, the dungeon thought.


    Having a key guaranteed three things: entrance to the trial, a hidden reward within the tower, and the ability to skip a trial. That made the ninth key pretty much useless. True, it let someone enter with no other prerequisites, but there were no floor rewards, not to mention there was no part of the trial that could be skipped.


    ¡°No.¡± The mage shook his head. ¡°The key isn¡¯t useless. On the contrary, the reason I didn¡¯t send it out was because it could be abused. Rather ironic that the demons managed to figure that out on their own.¡±


    ¡°Are you reading my mind?¡± The avatar frowned. He was just about to add that he didn¡¯t see in what way the key could be abused when it suddenly came to him.


    Klarissa¡¯s employers, whoever they were, had made use of certain properties of the tower keys to enter at a chosen floor. If they had been in possession of the ninth key, they¡¯d already have obtained the diary and possibly destroyed the tower itself. But what if the nature of the key went beyond that? What if, of all the keys, it was the only one that could legally get an outsider to enter the final floor at will?


    ¡°You mean¡­¡± Theo began. ¡°Nah, it can¡¯t possibly be that¡­ Can it?¡±


    Gregord smiled.


    ¡°Holy crap. The key will let me enter the ninth floor whenever I choose?¡±


    ¡°Close, but not exactly. The key allows me to go to a place in the outside world of your choosing.¡±


    The avatar blinked.


    ¡°Okay?¡±


    A long silence followed, only disturbed by the sounds of birds and flowing water outside.


    ¡°I¡¯m a bit disappointed you don¡¯t see it,¡± the mage said. ¡°The rules of the tower don¡¯t hold true outside. If I leave using the key, I can have a conversation with you or anyone you wish and they won¡¯t forget it. It won¡¯t be particularly long, but it would be memorable,¡± he added with a chuckle.


    As far as jokes went, it wasn¡¯t anywhere good. In terms of reward, one had to admit that it was significant.


    ¡°Does that mean you¡¯ll be able to cast a spell or two?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not that powerful. A conversation is all I could offer.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re offering me a short chat on the outside in exchange for the diary of ultimate power?¡± That sounded like a pretty bad deal. ¡°Do I look stupid?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit more than that. The key is only a bonus. What I¡¯m offering you is for you to retain your memories. Those, too, belong to me, remember?¡±


    Of course, there would be that. Technically speaking, the dungeon didn¡¯t consider anything that occurred in the tower terribly important. Sure, he had learned some interesting tidbits of this and that, including some vague connection between Klarissa, the Claw gang of thieves, and possibly some demons¡­ but all those weren¡¯t his problems to begin with.


    ¡°And one last thing,¡± Gregord went on. ¡°Since you still technically have a free hint, I¡¯ll tell you what¡¯s causing your unusual condition.¡±


    ¡°My condition?¡± The avatar stared at him.


    ¡°Your devastating hunger, your spirit guide¡¯s forgetfulness, and all those other little things that never seemed right.¡±


    For a moment, both the dungeon and his avatar froze.


    ¡°You have to admit, it¡¯s a much better deal now.¡±


    ¡°How do you know all that?¡±


    An indestructible aether sphere surrounded the avatar, cutting off parts of the table, floor, and furniture. Never before had the spell behaved in such fashion.


    ¡°I can read your mind,¡± Gregord laughed. ¡°I know everything that goes on in there, from your memories to the actions you¡¯re about to do. And not just you. I¡¯m aware of all the memories that enter the tower.¡±


    Both this world and the past were filled with people who exaggerated on an hourly basis. Theo had seen his share: managers that exaggerated their importance, specialists that exaggerated their talent, and acquaintances exaggerating their achievements. Anyone who put the descriptor ¡°great¡± before their name would usually fall into that category. Gregord sounded like a prime example, distilling his ego and self-importance into a spell. Yet, what if it were true? It was a proven fact that everything within the tower remained there, to the point that Theo himself couldn¡¯t share his experiences with outsiders. With this in mind, and given what the mage knew about the dungeon¡¯s current issues, it wasn¡¯t a stretch to assume Gregord had been reading the minds of all participants.


    ¡°You¡¯re not exaggerating, are you?¡± the avatar asked, looking the mage in the eye.


    ¡°No.¡± Gregord leaned forward, grabbed the hovering key, then reached through the invulnerable aether sphere and placed it in the avatar¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±


    The avatar watched the mage¡¯s hand move back, exiting the protective bubble, then looked down at the key.


    ¡°There never was a tower,¡± he uttered. ¡°We¡¯ve been in a Memoria¡¯s tomb all along.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit more advanced, but you can say that.¡± The other nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s why some spells could work in some areas and not in others.¡±


    ¡°I feared you might have figured it out when you used the revelation spell. I wouldn¡¯t have let you distort the concept of the tower, but transforming objects into nothing might have tipped you off.¡±


    ¡°There never were any actual objects, were there?¡±


    ¡°Just the keys. Eight of them, at least. Everything else is just memory magic given form. That¡¯s how Auggy managed to get my battle staff¡ªhe smuggled it out in his memories of the place, plus a few strands of aether. One more thing I need to fix now that he¡¯s brought it back.¡±


    ¡°Why have the trial at all? You could have just cast the spell on the candidates you wish and¡ª¡°


    ¡°As I said, even I¡¯m not that powerful. Magic needs to accumulate to allow me to do this. Besides, you¡¯ve seen what mages are like. They love a good performance. Telling them all this is a memory spell plus a bit of portal magic will shatter their minds, not to mention they won¡¯t believe you if you did.¡±


    ¡°Most probably not.¡± Not with the way they idolized the mage. ¡°So why tell me? Because I¡¯m a dungeon?¡±


    ¡°Because I want to convince you of my sincerity when I say I¡¯m offering you a choice.¡± The aether sphere surrounding the avatar vanished. ¡°You can take the diary and return to the Feline Tower. There¡¯s a very good chance that the archmage keeps his word and you¡¯re able to fend off the monster thanks to his mana gem. On the other hand, you can trust me and choose to keep your memories, including what I¡¯m about to tell you about your condition, and return to your cat mage.¡±


    The diary disappeared from the table, reappearing in the avatar¡¯s free hand.


    ¡°Take your time.¡± Gregord took another sip from a wine glass. ¡°I¡¯ll know when you¡¯ve made your choice.¡±

 (Book 3) 37. The Aetherion and Fuzzums

    Clusters of blood threads flew through the air, causing the otherwise trembling city of Rosewind to shake further. Aside from the occasional collateral damage in the form of punctured buildings, they were targeting the aetherion. The reason for the concern, at least for Theo, was the action itself. As it happened, the source of this unusual type of attack was none other than his new gardener. And while her involvement proved more efficient than most of the parties concerned, it risked Liandra recognizing her as being the abomination they faced not too long ago. Thankfully, the chaos created by the beast made her job more difficult.


    ¡°Stand back!¡± Liandra shouted, slicing at the snake-like tentacle that attempted to swallow Spok and everyone around her.


    That was part of the monster¡¯s new repertoire. With the lesser creatures gone, it had resorted to using its body to make up for missing nutrients; specifically, hundreds of tentacles had sprung out from its body, stretching on occasion up to a mile in search of targets. A disturbing detail was that just like the rest of the body, they were covered with scales coated with a layer of fur.


    ¡°Far be it for me to be pentadic, but why isn¡¯t the beast dying?¡± Duke Rosewind asked, remaining close to his wife. ¡°With all the magic, heroic, and standard attacks, one would have thought it dead a while ago. It¡¯s almost as if it¡¯s rejuvenating somehow.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous,¡± Theo quickly said through Spok¡¯s pendant.


    Much to his, and everyone else¡¯s, dismay, the truth was not too far off. Thanks to the valiant effort of everyone combined, the beast failed to procure its main source of food. Sadly, it was smart enough to start draining energy from the buildings instead. Already, a lifeless crust had formed between the creature and the rest of the dungeon¡¯s body. Between that and the mana he was using to fight the entity, the situation was getting a bit tense.


    ¡°When I said to take your time, I didn¡¯t mean for you to die before making your decision,¡± Gregord said back in his tower. ¡°That creature¡¯s one nasty piece of work. At one point, I almost joined a mage expedition to capture one.¡±


    ¡°Stop¡ª¡±


    ¡°Reading your mind?¡± The mage finished the question. ¡°Not possible, I¡¯m afraid. As long as you¡¯re here, I¡¯m aware of every spark of consciousness that goes through your being. This¡ª¡± he looked out of the window ¡°¡ªand the larger part of you. Forgive my indulgence, but you¡¯re a fascinating case in more ways than one.¡±


    Just great, Theo mentally grumbled, fully aware that the other could hear him.


    Lately he¡¯d grown tired of being told how unique he was, especially since the only thing that did was to attract more commotion. Was it too late to teleport back to a hole in the ground and continue life as a one room dungeon? To be honest, after everything he achieved, the thought didn¡¯t seem as attractive as it once had. Besides, Spok¡¯s wedding complicated matters. If nothing else, she¡¯d also likely lose her avatar in the shift.


    ¡°Alright, you win,¡± he grumbled. ¡°I¡¯ll choose my memories and the key,¡± the avatar chose his words carefully. ¡°But not before you tell me what you promised.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± There was a note of disappointment in Gregord¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Huh? But you just told me¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, not the reward,¡± the mage interrupted. ¡°The order.¡±


    ¡°The what?!¡± the avatar shouted.


    ¡°Well, I thought it would be a lot more satisfying if we go to your main building for a chat with the Feline Tower archmage first and then I tell you about your condition.¡± The mage shrugged. ¡°I guess there¡¯s no accounting for taste.¡±


    ¡°Just get on with it!¡± Theo could barely remain calm as another massive building was drained of all energy. In the background, he could also hear the members of the Rosewind council discussing potential damages they¡¯d claim as a result of that.


    ¡°Well, if you insist¡­ You have a parasite.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± The avatar blinked. If the main body of the dungeon weren¡¯t preoccupied with the chaos, he would have done so as well.


    ¡°Unusual, I know. Normally, the only parasites that dungeons are forced to deal with are magic bards, but every now and again it occurs that their being is affected by a parasite. Normally, it would take decades, if not centuries, for the parasite¡¯s effects to become known, but with your rapid growth, it has started manifesting earlier.¡±


    If there was a time when Theo felt at a lack of words, this was it. A parasite? Given that he barely had any minions, that came as a complete surprise. Initially, his suspicions were directed towards Agonia, but that was unlikely. If nothing else, he had felt devastating hunger before going out on his cursed quest.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± he asked in the tone of a concerned patient. ¡°I mean, can¡¯t there be a mistake?¡±


    ¡°Nope. I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s no doubt. Oh, and it¡¯s not the abomination. It¡¯s remarkable that you came across her. I remember I cut my teeth on Agonia shortly after I joined the hero guild. Your approach was a lot better, I have to admit. Of course, I was young and inexperienced back then.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± The avatar waved his hand. ¡°How do I get rid of the parasite?¡±


    Gregord took the time to take a long drink from his glass, giving the impression he didn¡¯t know, as he originally claimed.


    ¡°Well, that would depend on what type of parasite it is,¡± he said at last.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I can examine you. Your memories have no indication of it. The symptoms are obvious, though. I¡¯m surprised no one was able to figure it out.¡±


    ¡°Switches said that I got hiccups from consuming mana gems.¡±


    ¡°Ah, hiccups.¡± Gregord laughed. ¡°Err, no. I suspect the dungeon he previously served also suffered from a similar ailment. It was probably just a matter of time before things became obvious.¡±


    ¡°How can I have a parasite and not notice?!¡± Theo wondered, mentally cursing that he never should have gone to the city. The cicada squirrels weren¡¯t that bad, after all.


    ¡°Parasites don¡¯t have to appear living or even be physical. Do you remember all the stories of hauntings in your previous life?¡±


    ¡°Ghosts are parasites?¡± the avatar asked, boggled by the revelation.


    ¡°That¡¯s just an example I thought you¡¯d understand. It¡¯s possible. As I said. It could be worms, soil, spirits, guests¡­ for all you know, someone in the town could be the parasite.¡±


    Just great. There were far too many suspicious people in the city for the dungeon to single out anyone.


    ¡°The only thing I can say is that it¡¯s a rather powerful one,¡± Gregord continued in a serious tone. ¡°For it to cause you to feel hunger, it must need an extremely large amount of mana. I suspect the reason things quieted down after you consumed your second gem was because the parasite got its fill and left you alone for a while.¡±


    ¡°And you can¡¯t tell me any spells to find it?¡± Theo persisted.


    ¡°I could, but they¡¯ll only work if¡ª¡±


    ¡°If I know what the parasite is,¡± the avatar finished his sentence.


    ¡°Indeed. You can¡¯t just cast them all. To be honest, I doubt you¡¯d be able to cast even one.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Theo felt concerned.


    ¡°For one thing, it¡¯s helping its host, in other words you.¡±


    Disbelief flooded Theo¡¯s mind. A parasite that helped its host? Wasn¡¯t that supposed to be called a symbiont? The fact that Gregord hadn¡¯t used the word probably suggested something. When had it helped him, though? Thinking back as far as he could, Theo couldn¡¯t think of a single instance. It wasn¡¯t like it had done anything against the goblins or the cursed letters.


    ¡°Having trouble seeing when it helped you?¡± The mage seemed amused. ¡°That¡¯s part of its power. The best parasites make sure to conceal themselves, making it appear as if they weren¡¯t there. Haven¡¯t you noticed how powerful your spells are?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because of the amount of energy I put into them.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s that, but energy alone wouldn¡¯t help you ignore restrictions.¡±


    Come to think of it, that was something that Theo had asked himself a few times. In the past, he had always assumed it to be a glitch that came out of him being a heroic dungeon. Apparently, that wasn¡¯t the case.


    ¡°The ability to use spells and skills in atypical ways, the ease with which you obtain ultra skills, even obtaining entire schools of magic.¡±


    ¡°Entire schools?¡± As a dungeon, Theo had the ability to learn anything from a vast unspoken archive of spells and abilities as long as he spent core points for that. Lately, he had become a bit stingy, mostly because he was focusing on his avatar¡¯s development. If someone were to ask him, that was the real overpowered ability: obtaining skills and levels merely through monster cores and then sharing them with his main body.


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    ¡°Mages, even genius ones, learn spells one by one,¡± Gregord explained. ¡°True, we also learn a lot of theory, but that¡¯s so we could later compose the spells themselves. Once a spell has been repeated that many times it becomes second nature and could be performed with a mere thought. No one was able to obtain what you have, though.¡±


    The dungeon didn¡¯t know whether to feel flattered, glad, or further worried. All this time, he¡¯d taken his ability to improvise for granted. Now, he learned that it was all due to some parasite within him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so glum. Your past knowledge and ingenuity are not to be discounted. I¡¯m just saying that you were provided with a rather substantial boost. There¡¯s nothing to be ashamed about.¡±


    ¡°You do know that parasites always kill their hosts, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, in general that is true, but in this case, that might be a long way off. After all, the main purpose of the parasite is for it to protect itself and grow. You¡¯ve been doing a good job, so it won¡¯t be for a while until you have actual problems. Still, I would recommend trying to find out what it is. Better deal with the problem in an early state than have it bite you in the ass later on.¡±


    The avatar did his utmost best not to roll his eyes. This was worse than corporate meeting humor. There was a point in that he had no doubt. It was the lack of practical solutions that worried him. Still, that was for a later day. After all, he had a goddess and, potentially, a mage tower to help him out.


    ¡°Oh, and I¡¯d advise against asking Spok for help,¡± Gregord suddenly added.


    ¡°She¡¯s working with the parasite?¡± the avatar asked instinctively.


    ¡°How do you even think of such things?¡± Gregord blinked, proving that even mind readers could be surprised. ¡°No, I¡¯d advise against it because it would be a waste of time. You¡¯ve noticed that she¡¯s been forgetful of late. That too is due to the parasite. As I said, its main goal is to protect itself. Whenever your spirit guide notices something that risks revealing it, the memory will be erased.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like something that you would do.¡±


    ¡°On a technical level you might be right, but I consider myself more of a symbiont than a parasite. After all, I don¡¯t take anything from the participants.¡± There was an uncomfortable pause. ¡°For the most part.¡± A second pause followed. ¡°Alright, I do sip a bit of mana here and there, but only for maintenance purposes.¡±


    While Theo was assimilating the new information, events in the city had reached a standstill. The amount of energy the aetherion could drain from the dungeon had vastly decreased thanks to the thick layer of dead matter. While unpleasant and unsightly, it had allowed the defending forces to push the creature back. Prince Thomas and Liandra¡¯s father were leading the charge. As heroes, they remained the greatest damage dealers, followed by the feline mages. Like typical cats, the mages had partnered up with adventurers and nobles of worth. To no surprise, Duke Avisian wasn¡¯t among the selected. Then again, he was displaying such a pitiful state that even the beast showed no interest towards him.


    Griffin riders kept on swirling in the air, attacking from above. Despite their enthusiasm, though, the impact was negligible at best. And then there was Switches. After enough consideration, the gnome had commandeered one of his airships and¡ªalong with his assistant and a whole host of construct workers¡ªwas on course to modify the vessel into a battle-airship. Any other day, both Theo and Spok would have disagreed, but right now, they needed every bit of help.


    Slowly, but certainly, the airship moved until it was directly above the aetherion. Without warning, a large part of the hull opened up, dropping a dangerously large and gelatinous sphere onto the creature.


    An indescribable sound of breaking static filled the air, causing everyone¡ªcats included¡ªto cover their ears.


    ¡°Ha haaaa!¡± The gnome shouted victoriously. ¡°I knew that would work! What do you think of me now?¡±


    The static turned into screeching, capable of making anyone¡¯s hair and nails fall off. The giant creature twisted and lurched, as fur and scales violently evaporated, leaving only bones of aether behind. The snake tentacles spun wildly, taking the appearance of enormous spines. Waving about, they struck buildings and people indiscriminately, throwing anyone who didn¡¯t pay attention away.


    One passed inches from Octavian, slashing through two other griffins in the sky. Correctly assessing the danger, Avid instantly pulled away, crashing into Amelia in order to shove her as far away from the danger zone as possible.


    On the ground, things were even worse. Dozens of adventurers were sent flying along with three times more lifeless constructs. A small number of nobles were also affected. Unfortunately for Theo, Duke Avisian wasn¡¯t among them. Unfortunately for Spok, neither was Elric.


    ¡°Look out!¡± Ulf leaped forward, blocking a spine from slamming into the baroness. Unfortunately, the force of the attack sent him flying backwards, past her, instead.


    To that, the woman just indignantly glanced over her shoulder.


    ¡°Rookies these days¡­¡± she shook her head.


    The beast desperately tried to shake off the demanifying substance, but the gelatine component that Switches had added made it impossible. Despite all attempts, chunks stubbornly stuck to the main body, dissolving it away. In a situation such as this, it was almost impossible for the aetherion to survive without a substantial mana source. As any creature, however, it refused to simply give up and accept defeat. All of its tentacles stopped waving about or attacking any threats. Instead, they struck the ground, puncturing through the layer of lifeless dungeon mass until they went through.


    ¡°Curse it!¡± Theo¡¯s avatar grabbed the crystal key. In Rosewind, walls crumbled as he converted the energy, maintaining them to erect new walls between his core and the monster. ¡°Take us¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish the sentence, reality blinked. One moment, the avatar was sitting at Gregord¡¯s table, the next, he and the mage were in the living room of his main building. Things remained a lot calmer there. As a matter of fact, the building was one of the few that the aetherion had made no attempt at attacking.


    ¡°This better work,¡± the avatar hissed, while the chair with the feline archmage shook violently. ¡°Wake up, you old cat!¡±


    There was no response. The white cat continued snoring despite the noise and shaking. Of all the times he couldn¡¯t be woken, it just had to be now. The dungeon was just about to summon a bucket of water to splash on the creature when Gregord cast a spell. It wasn¡¯t a very impressive spell, just a display of multicolored whisps that filled the room, each creating a melody as it flew.


    The avatar looked around in fury and disbelief.


    ¡°What the hell is that?!¡± he shouted


    Yet, the old cat¡¯s ear flicked. Attracted by the sounds, both ears moved, as if trying to focus on something in particular. Eyelids slowly opened, followed by the archmage raising his head.


    That actually worked? Theo couldn¡¯t believe it. Now the hard part began. How would he explain that he completed the trial but failed to bring the diary? Thousands of excuses floated into the dungeon¡¯s mind, each worse than the last. Potentially, the best approach was to feign ignorance and claim that his memories were still held by the tower. That sounded logical, and since Gregord was here, there was a chance that Theo would be believed.


    ¡°Gregord?¡± the old cat asked, staring at the magical representation of the mage. ¡°Can it be?¡±


    ¡°Not quite,¡± the other said. ¡°I¡¯m just a spell that holds his memories of life. But I assume that would be enough for you, won¡¯t it, Fuzzums?¡±


    ¡°Fuzzums?¡± Theo asked simultaneously through the mouth of the avatar and the building itself.


    ¡°You see, I always liked cats,¡± the archmage went up to the couch and gently picked up the old cat. To Theo¡¯s astonishment, the feline archmage didn¡¯t protest in the least. ¡°I had many as a child, and a few even when I was an apprentice.¡± He sat down and placed the cat on his lap. ¡°Yet, it was after my return to the magic that I was blessed with a rather exceptional familiar.¡±


    The old cat attempted to pur, but age had made the sound barely audible.


    ¡°That cat was with me throughout my late career. In time, it became as capable as any mage, surpassing quite a few. One of the first feline archmages of the modern age. At least it was modern when I was around.¡±


    ¡°Master,¡± the cat said. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting so very long¡­¡±


    ¡°Master?¡± The furniture in the room shook. ¡°You mean that this cat is the same that¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no denying it. The moment I went through Ellis¡¯ memories, I knew it. All those centuries, you never gave up, did you, little kitten?¡± Gregord gently patted the white cat. ¡°Sending mages to my trial in an attempt to retrieve my diary. If there was a way, I would have responded, but everything in the tower remains in the tower. There¡¯s only one exception.¡±


    ¡°The final prize¡­¡± the cat said. ¡°You chose to keep your memories, didn¡¯t you?¡± he turned towards the avatar.


    ¡°Look, it wasn¡¯t my idea. He was the one that told me to¡ª¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Gregord smiled. ¡°Fuzzums never was after the diary. He just wanted the answer to a single question. Sadly, that¡¯s something even the diary couldn¡¯t have answered.¡±


    ¡°You never wrote the reason?¡± A wave of sadness emanated from the cat¡¯s voice.


    ¡°No,¡± Gregord shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s why I asked the dungeon to keep his memories. Only that way was I going to be able to reach you. The answer to the question remains in Gregord¡¯s memories. And I am all of his memories from the very first one.¡±


    The silence was palpable, very much in contrast to the noise outside. Even Theo couldn¡¯t make himself break the seriousness of this moment; at least for several seconds.


    ¡°How long do cats live exactly?¡± he finally asked.


    ¡°A few centuries at most,¡± Archmage Fuzzums replied. ¡°I¡¯ve been researching rejuvenation and life-prolonging spells all this time for this single purpose. I never dreamed I would see my old master again, but I wanted to know the answer to a single question.¡± He broke out coughing. Even Theo could tell it was serious. All this time, the dungeon had considered it a quirk of the old cat, but the truth was that Fuzzums was on the brink of death where he¡¯d been for over a century. ¡°Why did you cast me out?¡±


    ¡°Did you think I did it because I didn¡¯t like you anymore?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know. I still don¡¯t. I wanted to ask you, but before I could, you had passed and your entire tower had vanished.¡± The cat started coughing again. ¡°All your colleagues and apprentices claimed to know nothing. When the trials began, I considered asking you myself, but¡­¡±


    ¡°You were never invited.¡± Gregord sighed. ¡°That was an oversight on my part. I was so focused on future mages that I completely forgot to add familiars. I¡¯ll try to rectify the spell, but it will take time.¡±


    ¡°So, it wasn¡¯t to keep me out?¡± The cat¡¯s voice trembled.


    ¡°Silly little cat. Why do you think I¡¯d do that? I didn¡¯t want to hold you back. I had already seen you create your own tower through future echoes. And I knew that while you remained with me, you wouldn¡¯t. I admit that I didn¡¯t think that the reason for you doing so would be so painful.¡±


    Unable to hold his head up, the cat relaxed on Gregord¡¯s lap.


    ¡°I never considered you as my apprentice, despite being better than most,¡± the mage continued. ¡°But I always considered you my friend.¡±


    The cat remained silent.


    ¡°Well?¡± Theo asked after ten seconds. ¡°I don¡¯t want to spoil the moment, but the creature is still out there, and I could really use that second gem right about now.¡±


    Laughter mixed with coughing came from the cat¡¯s mouth, be they faint.


    ¡°Yes, little dungeon. You did more than you can imagine. You failed what I asked, but gave more than I could hope for. One final talk with my master.¡±


    Suddenly, Theo felt something warm and powerful emerge within his core. There was no mistaking it¡ªthe old cat had used a portal to transport the second mana gem as originally promised. Clearly, when it came to portal magic he was as good as Gregord himself.


    ¡°Can you stay a bit?¡± the cat asked, closing his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know the restrictions of your spell, but would like to take my final breath in your lap.¡±


    ¡°Silly little kitten.¡± Gregord stroked the cat from head to tail. ¡°Take as much time as you want.¡±

 (Book 3) 38. The Not Quite Headless Hero

    ¡°Cut the spines!¡± Prince Thomas shouted, casting another protective circle.


    With the aetherion¡®s current erratic behavior, even seasoned adventurers were at risk. The only ones who had the capabilities of going on par with him were heroes and mages.


    Two swords slashed the air, cutting off bone tentacles as if they were grass. The instant each was separated from the rest of the body, it evaporated, with the mist flowing into the beast.


    ¡°It¡¯s cannibalizing itself!¡± Liandra¡¯s father shouted. ¡°Lia, get here. We need to do a pincer.¡±


    The request put the heroine in a somewhat difficult situation. One of the most focal points of the attack remained, for some reason, Spok.


    Liandra wasn¡¯t capable of possibly suspecting that the spirit guide, along with Cmyk, remained the largest sources of available mana. Rather, she assumed that it was the goddess that had been the target. As far as she knew, there was nothing mentioned in any lore or history tomes regarding beasts consuming deities. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean it was impossible. If abominations could do it, why not something else?


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Spok said with a slight nod. ¡°We¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Behind her, Peris was still making an attempt to stop crying. By the looks of it, the goddess was taking the situation worse than the spirit guide, or even Theo himself. Each time a building would be destroyed or a group of people drained of life and magic, she¡¯d hold her breath, fighting back the tears forming in her eyes.


    ¡°Take care of her!¡± Liandra shouted to Cmyk and the assassin sisters.


    Deep inside, she felt conflicted, just as she knew that she didn¡¯t have the luxury of hesitating. Being a hero, she had a duty to fight any and all evil, saving as many people as possible. Spok and Duke Rosewind were close acquaintances, but their lives were by no means more valuable than the thousands that would perish should she miss this chance of eliminating the aetherion.


    Dashing along streets and leaping above crowds, the heroine quickly made her way to the front of the beast. A pair of bone tentacles flew at her, recognizing the woman as a threat. With one single spin and slice, Liandra¡¯s carved them up, slicing between the massive spinal segments.


    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± She landed thirty feet from the beast.


    Gripping the hilt of her sword, the woman mentally prepared for what was to follow. Her breathing relaxed, causing all the shouts and noises to fade away, removed by her concentration.


    ¡°Now!¡± her father shouted, performing a heroic strike.


    Fractions of a second later, Liandra followed, sending a slash of golden light right at the monster¡¯s face.


    Time slowed down to a crawl. Two devastating blows flew at each other, aiming to clash in the middle of the destructive beast. Individually, each strike had the power to shatter walls, topple castles, or destroy entire dungeons. Together, they were supposed to make their target burst like a water balloon. Instead, something completely different happened.


    All the monster¡¯s tentacles pulled out of the ground, forming a protective sphere around the beast itself. The creature had correctly understood that it wouldn¡¯t be able to gain enough energy to survive such an attack, so it had resorted to doing the next best thing¡ªsurround itself with an indestructible shield.


    Once again in the history of the world, an unstoppable force slammed into an unbreakable shield. A shockwave of force followed, knocking thousands of people off the ground and sending them flying into the nearest solid obstacle on the way.


    Duke Goton slashed the air in front of him in an attempt to counter the force, but was pushed back nonetheless.


    ¡°When did I become this old?¡± He grunted, though that did little to stop him from being pushed back even further.


    Other skilled veterans fared no differently. Even Elric, with his host of magical artifacts, was unable to fully shield himself and his noble.


    Aether spheres emerged, hastily cast by the feline mages. While the spells surrounded swaths of nobles and others in direct danger, they were also scattered about like grapeshot.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let go!¡± Avid shouted as he and Amelia clung to Octavian while all griffins were scattered like leaves in the wind. The creatures had the ability to survive storms, but even so, such a sudden flash of wind proved challenging.


    As for the airships¡­


    ¡°I think that went quite well,¡± Switches said, adjusting his goggles. ¡°Just a few repairs here and there. Assistant, make note to coat the hull with an anti-wind mixture next time!¡±


    ¡°Err, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the main problem, chief engineer,¡± the alchemist said.


    ¡°Oh? And what expertise makes you think that?¡± The gnome snapped.


    Instead of an answer, the alchemist pointed straight down.


    Initially, it was difficult to make out what precisely he was pointing at. However, that was the point. While the vessel had suffered hardly any damages¡ªother than having all constructs and non-permanent attachments blown clean off the hull¡ªit had had its position shift a few dozen miles higher than before.


    At present, it was going to take them about an hour, possibly more, to safely descend back to the city.


    The other airships were in an even worse state, some requiring days to return. On the positive side, they were mostly empty of passengers, though one or two merchants might make a fuss about delivery delays.


    And amid all that, the battle against the aetherion was still not over. The unbreakable shield crumbled like dried paper, yet in doing so made both of the unstoppable attacks slightly more stoppable. A second sphere formed from the remaining tentacles, yet it, too, shattered.


    By the time the heroic strikes dug into the main body of the beast, they were no different than two slightly stronger attacks. Maintaining a fraction of their initial momentum, they proceeded forward, yet barely slicing a few feet into the final layer of aether bone that protected the creature.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Liandra¡¯s father cursed.


    Just a little more and they would have destroyed the heart of the beast, permanently killing it off. Now, all they had done was injure it.


    Bone tentacle remains evaporated. Of all the bone tentacles that covered the monster, merely three remained intact. The hulk of the beast also filled the air with aether sparks, reducing its size by half then half again, rendering the creature significantly less threatening. In its current state, even a band of capable adventurers would be able to kill it off. Sadly, such a group no longer existed. Everyone except for the three heroes had been knocked back, mages, griffin riders, and airships included. The only exceptions were Spok and her entourage, which had been surrounded by a spontaneously emerging wall and pulled below ground before the wave of destruction could affect them.


    Gritting her teeth, Liandra attempted a second attack. A slash split the air, striking the reduced monster. Thunder burst, yet that was all. Even in its weakened state, the beast was pushed back no more than a few feet.


    ¡°It condensed its body,¡± Liandra said, gripping her sword. ¡°Nothing but a heroic attack can cut through.¡±


    In a way, that was good. Unable to procure any food, it was only a matter of time before the ether creature died of starvation, dissolving into nothing. Sadly, it was going to be days or even weeks before that could happen. Meanwhile, the city and all of its occupants were defenseless.


    ¡°Girl, get out of there!¡± Prince Thomas shouted. ¡°In this state, it¡¯ll attack anything it sees.¡±


    The heroine was fully aware. She could see the features of the aetherion¡¯s face focus on her. It was difficult to tell with the form constantly morphing, but the woman knew that she had become its target.


    Most would have fled on the moment. Liandra had both the skills and the strength to leap back, far from the beast¡¯s reach. Yet, that was also the reason that she didn¡¯t. The price of being a hero was to allow oneself to face danger, so that others didn¡¯t perish. Unlike the prince, the woman could clearly see what would happen if she fled. Full of rage, the beast would have settled on another target, and the only ones available in the near vicinity were unconscious adventurers.


    Gritting her teeth, Liandra took a defensive stance, then used all the defensive heroic skills she knew. A golden glow emanated from her clothes and armor.


    Better me than them, the woman thought. At least in this case, she stood a chance.


    A screech of static filled the air as the aetherion¡¯s three bone tentacles shot forward. All of them aimed at Liandra. It remained unclear whether heroic energy was something the beast could consume, but it was definitely eager to find out.


    Ten feet from reaching their target, the road suddenly opened up, allowing someone new to emerge on the scene wearing the tattered remains of a mage¡¯s robe and holding a legendary blade of golden light.


    ¡°I better not regret this!¡± Baron Theodore d¡¯Argent shouted as he let out a mighty slash in the direction of the monster.


    A golden beam flew forward, engulfing the aetherion like a river.


    The beast froze. Witnessing this surge of unimaginable power, it already knew it would be unable to survive. Before the fear could fully grab hold of the creature, the torrent of light evaporated it, then continued on, puncturing a massive hole through walls and buildings, leaving people unharmed.


    CONGRATULATIONS!


    You have defeated the otherworldly monster!


    Aetherion essence converted into 100000 Avatar Core Points


    Your Avatar has become Level 48


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    News of your achievement shall be known throughout the entire continent.


    ¡°Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!¡± The avatar let go of the sword.


    The pain was such that he couldn¡¯t even complain about the new useless skills he had obtained. Even now, his hands were smoldering from the heroic strike; and not only them. While most of the buildings destroyed by the blast had been rendered foreign thanks to the aether beasts, a considerable amount hadn¡¯t, making the dungeon feel as if he had a burning needle run through him.


    ¡°Theo?¡± Liandra asked in disbelief.


    ¡°Err.¡± The dungeon paused.


    Strictly speaking, it had been no accident that the avatar had emerged in front of her. Aside from killing off the monster, Theo¡¯s plan was also to be seen by Liandra and the other two heroes. By his reasoning, if they were to witness his heroic skills, they¡¯d drop all suspicions of him being a dungeon, thus eliminating any possible danger. As usual, he had overdone it.


    ¡°Sorry for coming late.¡± He hid his hands behind his back. ¡°The magic business was more complicated than I originally thought.¡± The avatar quickly looked around, afraid to look the heroine in the eyes. ¡°Wow, the beast really made a mess, didn¡¯t it?¡±


    Buildings sunk and rose as the dungeon used a substantial amount of his new energy to consume the drained chunks of rock and stone and rebuild the buildings that were there before. He also made special care to return the nobles and as many of the other people he could manage to the places where they were before the chaotic disruption of the ceremony.


    Considering what could have happened, the number of casualties was remarkably low. Yet, given that there were deaths among the nobility, not to mention that a member of the royal family had been put at risk, Theo doubted he¡¯d be congratulated.


    ¡°Theo,¡± Liandra said.


    ¡°Not to worry.¡± The reconstruction of the city picked up pace. ¡°Just a few small adjustments here and there and¡ª¡°


    ¡°Theo!¡± The heroine grabbed him by the shoulder, briskly turning him around. ¡°Do you know what you just did?¡±


    The avatar remained silent.


    ¡°You killed an aetherion with a heroic strike.¡±


    ¡°I thought it would be more efficient.¡± And a lot less painful.


    ¡°You¡¯re a mage.¡± Liandra looked him straight in the eyes. ¡°There hasn¡¯t been a heroic mage since Archmage Gregord.¡±


    Theo was on the verge of saying that he was aware when he stopped himself. Admitting to have completed Gregord¡¯s trial would have attracted far too much attention. It was bad enough that the feline arch council suspected. That was another mess he¡¯d have to deal with later¡­ along with telling Ellis about her grandfather¡¯s demise.


    ¡°You don¡¯t say,¡± he feigned ignorance. ¡°Well, I better go and¡ª¡°


    ¡°Baron d¡¯Argent.¡± A loud voice interrupted him.


    It was terrifying enough to see that the owner of the voice was none other than Prince Thomas. To further complicate matters, Liandra¡¯s father had also approached. That put all three heroes in the immediate vicinity of the dungeon¡¯s avatar.


    ¡°What am I going to do with you?¡± The royal frowned. ¡°You¡¯ve been flaunting your magic ever since I got here. Organizing a tournament, building airships¡­ and now¡ª¡° he looked in the direction where the aetherion had been ¡°¡ªyou display a superior heroic strike.¡±


    ¡°Just something I picked up, highness,¡± Theo said defensively. ¡°I¡¯m not a real hero, just¡ª¡°


    ¡°Not a hero guild member,¡± the prince interrupted again. ¡°Why not with that amount of skill is simply beyond me. But definitely a hero. Without your timely assistance, half the city would have been gone.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, highness, we can just continue with the ceremony and pretend this never happened?¡± The dungeon tried its luck. At this point, it wasn¡¯t like there was much to lose. ¡°There would be a lot fewer explanations if the day was saved by three official heroes rather than three heroes and an amateur.¡±


    The prince turned to Liandra¡¯s father, then back to the avatar.


    ¡°You¡¯ll so easily give away the achievement of a lifetime?¡± he asked.


    ¡°In every man¡¯s life, there comes a time when calm has a far greater value,¡± Theo went into full bullshit mode. All he wanted was to never see the prince or any other noble for the rest of his existence. He was also aware that he had to be very subtle about it. ¡°Let the young take the glory.¡± He glanced at Liandra¡¯s father; realizing the age of the man, he then quickly continued turning until his glance fell on her. ¡°Let it go to someone who can make use of it.¡±


    ¡°Theo, don¡¯t,¡± the heroine said. ¡°This is more than a noble quest. It¡¯s your hometown. You can¡¯t keep¡ª¡±


    ¡°You know me better than anyone,¡± Theo interrupted. ¡°Do you really think I¡¯ll be happy with even more attention? Heck, it¡¯s bad enough I¡¯m responsible for all the adventurer guilds in this place.¡±


    The comment made the heroine¡¯s father chuckle. Apparently, he was all too aware of the difficulty of managing adventurer guilds.


    ¡°Well, if that¡¯s what you want,¡± the prince shrugged. ¡°I can tell you one thing, though. I won¡¯t forget this and neither will the guild.¡±


    I really, really hope that you do, the dungeon thought.


    ¡°Your request will be granted, but on one condition.¡± Prince Thomas sheathed his sword.


    ¡°Condition, highness?¡± Theo didn¡¯t like the sound of that.


    ¡°I was invited to a wedding and that last part of the ceremony was catastrophic. If you want all this to be forgotten, I want a redo. I trust that could be arranged?¡±


    Theo¡¯s initial reaction was to immediately counter that it was impossible. Years of work negotiation in his previous life had rooted the instinct of instant refusal deep inside him, making it second nature. Thinking about it, though, there was no reason why he couldn¡¯t. He was already repairing the destruction caused by the unfortunate incident, as well as placing the people where they had been when Spok and Cecil were at the altar. There was nothing that could be done with all that had been killed, but given that the city had gone through this several times, it might even be considered a rite of passage; hopefully, the last one Rosewind would see.


    ¡°Done!¡± Theo brought Spok and her entourage above ground again. The bunker he had created had done a rather good job, keeping everyone¡ªeven the fainted¡ªperfectly safe. Now it was only a matter for Peris¡¯ head cleric to come to and¡ª


    ¡°Look, it¡¯s Sir Myk!¡± a voice shouted from the crowd. ¡°He saved the couple!¡±


    Cheers erupted, causing thousands of pieces of furniture to inexplicably creak throughout the city.


    ¡°Of all the¡­¡± the avatar grumbled beneath his breath.


    ¡°Let the credit go to those who can use it, remember?¡± Liandra whispered in his ear.


    ¡°Yes, but¡­¡±


    ¡°I need to take my place. Hopefully, there are no further surprises this time.¡±


    In his past life, Theo had often prayed that he might have a redo of events. For the most part, it was the little things he wanted to change: comments in a meeting, making a new first impression, remembering to turn off the microwave while his food was still edible. Here, he had been given the chance and absolutely no one appreciated it.


    An hour after the near devastation of the city, the crowd was already booing, impatient that the ceremony was taking so long. No one bothered to consider all the new clothes the dungeon had to make, not to mention get the clerics back into a functioning state of mind, as well as wait for Switches¡¯ airship to come down again. Only the goddess seemed to be exalted at the opportunity, making all sorts of promises to the noble couple to make up for the previous ¡°mishap.¡±


    When the wedding was sealed once more, time seemed to pause as everyone looked around, waiting for some traumatic event to follow. When it didn¡¯t, cheers erupted far louder than ever before. It was as if the greatest event on the continent, maybe even in the world itself, had taken place. There was talk that even those who had fallen in the fight against the aether beasts couldn¡¯t have chosen a better day.


    ¡°Weddings always make me tear up,¡± Mage Esmeralda said from the prince¡¯s shoulder. ¡°There¡¯s always something magical about it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been to over a hundred,¡± Ilgrym muttered, floating a short distance away. As acting archmage, the black cat had been forced to attend the ceremony, something he clearly viewed as a nuisance.


    With the act being made official, and Spok earning the title of Duchess, the grand celebrations began. A new chaos filled the city, this time an entirely positive one. People were dancing and drinking in the streets. There were fights, insults, and excessive amounts of vomiting and worse, in small alleys and parts of the newly created parks. Theo, though, couldn¡¯t care less. Such was his relief that everything would soon be over that he paused his grumpiness for a moment and let everything just happen.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, he was killed!¡± Duke Avisian kept on nagging as he had ever since the second ceremony. ¡°Everyone saw him! He was decapitated on the spot! Completely lifeless!¡±


    ¡°Avisian, my friend.¡± Duke Rosewind placed a hand on the noble¡¯s shoulder. ¡°A lot of things happened in the fight. I¡¯m sure that with all the magic and destruction, some things might have appeared different than they were.¡±


    ¡°But, but¡­ I¡¯m telling you!¡±


    ¡°Please, just enjoy your wine. Next, you¡¯ll say that sir Myk is a walking skeleton.¡±


    Both Theo¡¯s avatar and Duke Avisian froze. The comment was too specific to be an accident, seemingly putting both on guard. Had the cunning fox figured out something, or was this just meant to further insult Duke Avisian? The dungeon had no idea. For some unexplained reason, he found that he didn¡¯t feel particularly threatened either way. After all, the duke was married to Spok now, so she¡¯d keep him under control when it came to that.


    ¡°What are you worried about this time?¡± Liandra asked next to the avatar.


    ¡°Nothing, nothing,¡± the baron lied with a smile. ¡°Was just going back through all the events of the past weeks¡­¡± Now that he said it, it all seemed so long ago. ¡°I¡¯ve no idea how this all happened.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s usually like that. You¡¯re on a quest one day, then the world changes around you.¡± The heroine looked at Spok. The spirit guide hadn¡¯t lost a speck of her previous authority, if anything, the consensus was that at least now it was official. ¡°They¡¯re a fine match, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°I try not to,¡± the dungeon replied. ¡°And hopefully I never will.¡±


    ¡°Always the same old cynical Theo.¡± Liandra let out a chuckle. ¡°It was nice that you were able to attend in person. I¡¯m sure both of them appreciate it.¡±


    They better! Theo thought. After saving their lives, the city, and orchestrating the entire wedding event, that was the least they could do.


    ¡°Did you finish your business?¡± he casually asked.


    ¡°My business?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you and your father had come here to discuss something with Rosewind?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± The woman¡¯s expression abruptly changed. ¡°Yes, I think so.¡± There was a note of worry in her voice.


    The dungeon caught it, but quickly ignored it. The last thing he wanted now was to be dragged into something else.


    ¡°I heard about the death of your tower¡¯s archmage,¡± Liandra changed the subject. ¡°Did you know him well?¡±


    ¡°He was old.¡± Theo shrugged. ¡°And he found what he was looking for. You can say that he passed away happy.¡± Though, there still was the matter of talking to his granddaughter. Contrary to his nature, Theo felt an obligation to do so.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity I have to go.¡±


    ¡°After all that fighting, I¡¯m amazed how you¡¯re still awake.¡± The avatar nodded. ¡°It¡¯s impressive, actually.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to sleep. I¡¯m a hero, remember? I¡¯m good for another few days. I¡¯m leaving the city with my father.¡±


    ¡°So soon?¡± Deep inside, the dungeon felt relieved. The fewer heroes there were nearby, the better.


    ¡°And not only him. Prince Thomas is leaving as well.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a shame,¡± Theo lied.


    ¡°We¡¯ve done what we came for. Now there are other things each of us must attend. The life of a hero never ends until it ends.¡±


    The saying had a slightly macabre note to it, bringing back images of the death of Liandra¡¯s grandfather.


    ¡°You handled the sword well,¡± Liandra said, as if she¡¯d read his mind. The notion made Theo more than a bit alarmed.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°My grandfather¡¯s sword. He¡¯d have liked you. Not anyone could be accepted by it. Even I wasn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯ve seen you use it.¡±


    ¡°Anyone can use it, but not like that. In that strike, you unleashed its full power. Only someone worthy would be able to do that.¡±


    Or someone who invested a ludicrous amount of energy in the strike, the dungeon added mentally. One of these days, he was going to stop overdoing things.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it was just luck,¡± he tried to play things down. ¡°The beast was already weakened. I¡¯m sure that anyone would have done the same.¡±


    ¡°If you say so.¡± The woman winked. ¡°And there¡¯s my cue.¡± She glanced across the feast hall to the exit. Her father was already there, dressed in full travelling gear. ¡°Congratulate Spok for me again, and say a few words to the kids.¡±


    Silently, the dungeon observed the three heroes make their way out of the castle, through his streets, and outside the city. They were accompanied by the usual royal procession of guards¡ªnow a bit smaller after recent events¡ªand a few other riders that had joined in.


    Once they had disappeared into the night, beyond the sight even of the dungeon¡¯s observatories, Theo let out a sigh of relief. It was finally over.