《Rise of the Dungeon》


 1. Not again...

    "MWA HA HA HA, FINALLY IT''S FINISHED! I''M GENIUS! HA HA HA HA HA... ARZ!"


    *SLAM!*


    "HEY ARZ! WHERE ARE YOU, BOY?! COME HERE!"


    I let out a sigh when I heard father''s shouting.


    (What is it this time?)


    "COMING," I yelled back.


    Leaving the unfinished laundry, I entered the house through the back door and went straight to his study in second floor. There I saw the door was wide opened and my father, the big bearded man, was examining a crystal-like thing under the sunlight next to the only window in the room.


    Upon a closer look, the door were full of small cracks. I think it was only a matter of time before it broke, again. I couldn''t help but to make a bitter smile.


    (You should restrain yourself from slamming the door each time, you know. As I will be the one who will have to repair it while enduring your endless complaint later.)


    "I''m here, father," I said, letting him knew that I have arrived while making a courtesy bow in front of the door.


    "Hmph! What took you so long, boy? Nevermind. Come over here," he said without looking at me. His eyes were still fixated to the crystal.


    "Excuse me," I said and entered the room. It was the study of my in-famous father, the place where I always had an uneasy feeling no matter how many times I had been inside. As countless diagrams and notes were scattered on the floor, I had to watch my every step.


    He finally turned his gaze when I was close enough. Wide grin was all over his face.


    (Uh, stop it. You''ll make babies cry with that creepy smile.)


    But of course my thought didn''t show on my face. I''m somewhat well-trained in making a facade smile since my previous life.


    "Look, Arz! I finally able to make it," he said, pushing the rainbow-color crystal of a baby-fist size before my eyes, it was so pretty.


    "Behold! This is the legendary artefact, a <soul gem>! Praise me, for I''m the true genius who can recreate the legendary artefact! Mwa Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha..." he exclaimed and laughed to his heart''s content.


    "I see. Congratulation, father," I complimented.


    "However, may I inquire what is so special about the artefact?" I followed with a question.


    Father immediately stopped laughing and gave me a piercing glare. (Uh-)


    *Smack!*


    "Auch!"


    He hit my head, it hurt.


    "Stupid boy! How could you, son of the great me, the best soul-mage master in the whole continent, don''t even know what a <soul gem> is? Blasphemy!" he complaint with an unhappy face.


    (That''s, uh, because I prefer to learn <Elemental Magic> than <Soul Magic>? Since it has more practical usages... But I can''t tell him that, it will only hurt his pride.)


    I scratched my head. "My apologies, father. Please enlighten this stupid son of yours," I said with a wry smile.


    "Hmph! Of course. Listen, <soul gem> is the key to every man''s dream," he explained. His eyes were then sparkling and the stupid grin returned to his face. "Do you know what is it?" he asked.


    "Uh... to become an adventurer?"


    *Smack!*


    "Auch!"


    "Stupid boy! Why would the great me want a trivia dream like becoming an adventurer?"


    (Hey! Don''t insult other people''s dream just because you don''t want to!)


    "Then... to have a harem full of beautiful girls?"


    *Smack!*


    "Auch!"


    "I''m satisfied with your mother alone, and I won''t remarry any other woman no matter how long she will have passed away," he claimed and crossed his arms, still dissatisfied with my answer.


    (Uh, if it''s about you then say so from the start. But, hmm, what could it be? Every man''s dream... Something that father wants and other men want as well...)


    I examined his face, trying to find a clue.


    (...! Ah, if I remember correctly, he told me once his dream, didn''t he? But, that dream, is that even possible? Well, it''s within his area of expertise, so...


    (...


    (... But still, seriously?)


    "Oh, it seems you have figured out something," father concluded from the change of my expression.


    "... Could it be, immortality?" I tried answering.


    "Mwa Ha Ha Ha Ha...  that''s my boy," he laughed and messed my hair with his hand.


    "Seriously, father? Immortality?" I asked, still found it hard to believe.


    "Yeah. But it''s too late for me, so I''m giving it to you," he replied. "Come over here," he said while pulling my arm to a chair.


    I followed his lead and sat down. "What do you mean by too late, father? Why?" I asked again.


    "Hmph! Can''t you think anything by yourself, boy? I no longer wish to live forever, not in a world without your mother. Is that clear enough for you?"


    "Y- yes!"


    (Father... to think you love mother so much...)


    "Sit still. This may take a while so bear with me. Now, hold this!" he commanded, passing the <soul gem> into my hand.


    Father took a thick book from the table and stood in front of me, opening its pages until he found what he was looking for.


    "Ready?" he asked.


    I took a deep breath before answering. "Yes."


    Then he started to chant in an unfamiliar language.


    As I have nothing else to do, I took a better look at the big man standing before me. I then realized how times had flown.


    (Father, you have grown old in these years, haven''t you? I still vividly remember when we first met.


    (... Annoying as you are, I still owe you this second chance you have given to me. Thank you, I''m very grateful to you. Although you probably never know, but I originally wasn¡¯t from this world. I died in a young age due to a chronic disease in my previous life. Not long after I died, a vortex appeared in the sky and my soul was being pulled in. The next moment I realized, I had been reincarnated in a baby¡¯s body. This body.


    (People said you had performed a miracle back then, reviving your already dead son using <Soul Magic>. I understood, it was my soul that entered your son''s body instead. I don''t know the original soul who is supposed to be your son, but I wish him the best place in afterlife. For me, I plan to use this second chance to the fullest and life a long live this time.


    (And today, you suddenly said you¡¯re going to give me immortality. To me, who yearn for a long live, it was the ultimate gift I can never hope for. I promise I''ll try to pay you back in this lifetime somehow. I promise, even though dealing with you can be such a pain at times.


    (Or rather, most of times.


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    (No, almost all the times.)


    *Sigh*


    (Being unreasonable is a part of your traits after all, isn''t it?


    (... Wait, come to think of it, I''ve never heard the details of what we¡¯re doing, did I? How exactly the <soul gem> is related to immortality? Also, didn¡¯t it just complete a moment ago, then doesn''t it mean it has never been tested before? Uwaah, don¡¯t tell me, he is using me as a guinea pig? Seriously?


    (Not good. He is the type who act first and regret it later. Even mother''s death was indirectly caused by one of his experiment, wasn''t it? Definitely not good. I have to stop him now!)


    As my uneasiness increased, I tried to find an excuse to quit. ¡°Father, I¡¯m not feeling well. I think we should stop now- Father...?¡±


    He didn¡¯t respond, his eyes were focused to the book while his mouth kept on chanting. He probably didn''t even hear me.


    (What a concentration. He is seriously trying to turn me into an immortal, isn''t he? May be... I should try to believe him, just this once.)


    All of a sudden, the gem I was holding began sucking my mana at fast rate.


    "Uwaah-."


    I tried to let it go in my surprise but couldn''t. It sticked on my hand. Fortunately the suction didn''t last too long and stopped after draining more than half of my mana. Nevertheless, I was drenching in sweat and panting heavily.


    Before I could take any break, however, the gem was now started to glow. It got brighter and brighter each second I had to close my eyes.


    When the blinding light was gone, so was the <soul gem>. I looked around to see if it fell from my hand somehow, but it was nowhere to be seen. It vanished without trace just like that.


    "Mwa Ha Ha Ha Ha," father suddenly laughed, made me jumped from the chair. "That light, it has been a big success!" he exclaimed, showing his not-so-white teeth with his wide grin.


    "What has?" I asked to confirm.


    He raised one of his brows. "What, you ask? The <soul binding> spell of course. Now that your soul is bound to the <soul gem>, you will no longer age and even if you''re killed, the bound shall bring you back to life. In short, you''re immortal now, boy. Say, do you feel any difference?"


    I looked at my body, checked both my hands and tried to circulate my mana flow. "Nothing as far as I can tell," I finally replied.


    "Hmm. Is that so?"


    (But still, won''t age, huh? It means I''ll be stuck within this teenager body forever? Uh, if only I know it before, I want to postpone the soul binding ritual for several years until my body is fully grown as an adult. Oh well, it has been done now.)


    Looking up, I found father was silently observing me while caressing his beard. An uneasiness returned to me at once, creeping out from the stomach to the other body parts. "Uh, father...?" I asked in low voice.


    "Hmm."


    After deciding something, he turned and walked to one corner of the room. From the cabinet there, he took out a... knife?


    "Wait, father, what are you planning to do with that knife?"


    "Hmph! Isn''t it obvious? I''m going to give it a test to your immortality."


    "You, what!? No, father, stop it, we don''t need to go that far, right? Stop!" I said, taking a step back against my approaching father.


    "Mwa Ha Ha Ha Ha, what are you afraid of, boy? I told you the spell was a success, didn''t I? Don''t worry, you will return to life before you know."


    "No thanks!"


    I turned and run to the exit. Only to feel disorientated after my first step and fell to four.


    (Uh, father, to think you even use a mind attack. Are you that determined to kill me?)


    I tried to resist and fought it back. However, it was several times stronger than his usual mind attack in my training session. My head became a bit clearer but the rest of my body were still beyond me to control. I could neither lift a finger nor sound a word no matter how much I tried.


    "Mwa Ha Ha Ha Ha, what a strong resistance. As expected from my boy," he said. Squatting down beside me, he continued, "It''s alright, the great me guarantee. There''s a possibility the soul bound effect will wear off after you died once. But don''t worry, I can now make as many <soul gems> as I want since I have figured the materials and method."


    He grabbed my shoulders and rested my back to a table''s foot. Then without further delay he stabbed my chest, piercing through my heart.


    (UWAAAAHHHH!)


    I screamed in my mind as my voice wouldn''t come out. The stupid father forgot to lift his mind attack on me.


    (Uh, not again. To think I will experience the painful dying moment again at even a younger age than before... I curse you, father. I know I should never believe in you in the first place. Uh. Now it has come to this, I just hope your theory is right...)


    Father pulled out the knife and blood gushed out from the opened wound. He then dragged a chair before me, sat down and looked at me expectantly.


    I didn''t know how events should unfold in father''s mind, but I could feel warmth was leaving me as moments passed, starting from the feet. This was a familiar process to me. When the warmth finally left my cantel later, I would die. My soul would leave the body and I would be able to see it from above, before I had to go eventually. At least that was how it went before.


    I thought the feeling of powerlessness in my last moment was the worst until now, but then I found the fact that my father''s loud snore annoyed me even more. Yup, the stupid father dozed off while waiting my supposed to be revival, which never happened. I really wanted to kick his head hard.


    I was never revived, as I was never dead in the first place. The warmth had left me completely hours ago yet I didn''t lose my consciousness. My five senses were still working, although I no longer had control over them. This is the true effect of a soul bound, I think. I wondered how father would fix this mistake, if he could.


    "Yaaaaw~n..."


    (Oh, wake up at last, sleepy head.)


    Rubbing his eyes, he said, "It''s so refreshing, how long did I sleep?"


    "ARZ, WHERE ARE YOU, BOY?" he looked around and stood up. "Hmph! Leaving the door and window opened when it''s already dark outside, what is that brat doing!?"


    "HEY ARZ!" he called again before started walking towards the door. It was then when he stumbled over my leg and caused my body to slip from the table''s foot.


    *Thump*


    Now laying on the floor with a side, I could only see the floor line. In the corner of my eyes, father was looking at me with widened eyes and a hung jaw.

 2. Not a cave, its a dungeon!

    "AAARZ!"


    Father rushed to me. Worry was all over his face.


    "No, no, why are you so cold?!" he said in panic. Touching my chest and grabbing my wrist, he checked my heartbeat and pulse but got no response, causing his face to tense even more. After that he put his finger under my nose to feel my breath, of course there was nothing either.


    "No! WHY!? You should have been revived by now! Why!?"


    His tears was overflowing to my chest and face, which he wiped using his sleeves.


    "Uuu, Arz. *Sniff*. Uuuuuu."


    (Haaah... Stop it, stupid father, so unsightly. That''s why I said we don''t need to go that far. You should listen to your son once in while, you know, especially when you''re going to regret it.)


    "Uuuuuuuuuu...," he wept over my dead body.


    (Uh. It''s heavy, father. And your beard tickles. Uwah. Are you going to torture me even after my death?)


    For reasons unknown to me, my senses were still working albeit I no longer had control. I took an imaginary breath to hold the ticklish. Unfortunately, not knowing to my suffering, father kept on weeping in the same position for... couple of hours, might be more.


    When he finally overcame his sadness and be strong enough to stand, he walked unsteadily to the table, lit a light orb and sorted his books. After that he dragged the chair he used to observe my dying moment back to the table''s side, sat down and started to read his sorted books.


    "Not here...," I heard him muttered many times, accompanied by the flipping page sounds. Father diligently tried to find something, a way to help me I assumed, and only took a break to get a drink or go to toilet. The sun already rose and once again set outside, which I could tell thanks to the still opened window. On that second night, father finally gave up.


    He rested his shoulders weakly on the chair. Books were piling up around him on either the table and floor. Rubbing his forehead, he mumbled, "Forgive me Mirana. To think I would be the one who end our son''s life... If only I didn''t fall asleep back then, I could try to summon his soul back like when he was still a newborn. But, his body was already so cold when I came to. *Sigh*. I shouldn''t be so eager to test the <soul binding> effect to begin with. Or at least prepared a countermeasure beforehand. *Sigh*. Nevermind, it''s too late now."


    He turned his face and looked at me with a sorrowful eyes. "Please forgive this useless father of yours, Arz."


    After emptying his cup with a gulp, father moved from his seat to my side. I could sense magic power filled the air as father used <body strengthening>, the most basic spell taught to every kid that would make any physical laborers, athletes and soldiers of my previous life be jealous


    He then lifted my body with ease and put me on his shoulder before went downstairs. We left through the back door, which fortunately he didn''t forget to close afterwards like he usually did. The unfinished laundry from the other day that we passed by felt like something from a distant past now.


    From the direction father took, I could guess where we were going. It should be the family''s tomb. People of this world, rather than bury or cremate, put the dead in a cave. Either a natural or a man-made cave using the <Earth Elemental Magic>. Our family''s was a natural one, located near the entrance of the forest next to the town.


    However, we never arrived at the tomb. Since our house was at town''s outskirts, it should only take half-hour to cover the distance, at most. Yet we hadn''t arrived after walking for the whole night. There was only one explanation.


    "Hmm, why can''t I find the right path. Are we lost? No, that''s not the case. It''s unthinkable for the great me to get lost after all."


    (Yes, we ARE lost! Stupid father, why can''t you admit it already? *Sigh*)


    "Wait here, Arz. I''m going to check the surroundings. The right path must be around here somewhere," he said while putting me down to a big tree. He then walked away and disappeared behind the trees.


    (Uh, I should have expected this much, I guess. Considering father''s bad sense of direction in addition to the dark night. Fortunately no animals attacked us so far. Wait, probably that''s not it. Animals have strong instinct, they must have sensed how dangerous father is. As useless as he may, he still one of the strongest mage in the continent.)


    The sun had risen while father gone. I began to worry that he got lost again. However, he showed up not so long after. Even with a big grin on his face, his weariness was clear as day, reflected in his eyes and the bags under them. The sunlight shined upon his face showed the many wrinkles on it. Looking at that, I could only smile bitterly in my mind. I was sure my eyes would be watery by now if my body still functioning.


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    (Stupid father, you''re old now. You should care for yourself more. Take a rest for a while and eat something in the meantime. Last time you eat was breakfast two days ago, wasn''t it? And please marry a good woman once you have returned, one who can take a good care of you. Otherwise I can never rest in peace, you know. I''m sure mother will agree with me.)


    "Hey, Arz," he happily said, didn''t know how to read mood as usual. "I have found where we are. Look, that mountain on the left, we¡¯re actually come from the other side last night. Mwa Ha Ha Ha Ha.¡±


    (Uwaah, seriously, father? From the other side? We have crossed the mountain last night? I didn¡¯t feel you¡¯re that fast. Uh, should I say, as expected from you?)


    ¡°The problem is, I don¡¯t think I will be able cross it again right away. I need to have some rest first,¡± he said.


    (Of course. Please take your time, father.)


    ¡°But you have been dead for too long now. It¡¯s not good if you have to wait until then. That¡¯s why I took my time to check this area,¡± he continued and took me back to his shoulder.


    (...? What are you trying to say, father?)


    ¡°Come, boy. I have found a nice cave suitable for your last resting place,¡± he said, as if replying to my unspoken question. ¡°I may not be able to pay you a visit as often as to your mother here though.¡±


    Within the next minutes, father brought me to a rocky hill. "Here we are," he remarked as we arrived. A cave entrance as big as a standard double-door was come to sight, it should be easy to miss in the tight forest if someone didn''t pay enough attention.


    Yet, when entering the cave, I came to confirm something else.


    (-! This atmosphere, could it be... No, there''s no mistake. Father, this is not a cave, it''s a dungeon! How could a high-ranked mage like you not able to tell the differences?! No, but, mana in the atmosphere isn''t that thick, it''s probably a new dungeon. That''s why the tired father couldn''t tell. That''s not the case with the always very mana-sensitive me however.)


    It seemed the first room we entered was quite big, although it was hard to estimate the exact size in my position on father''s shoulder. He took me to a corner and put me down. I was about to be laid on the floor at first, but since it was hard to do so with my already stiffened body, I ended up being rested to the wall.


    "Don''t you think it''s quite nice here, boy? I personally think it may even better than our original family''s tomb, Mwa Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha. There are several animals that make nest in this cave, but you don''t need to worry, I have put a ward around this corner. They won''t dare to approach or touch you," he said.


    (A ward? I see, so that''s the tingle sensation I felt when we came to this corner.)


    Father looked at me with teary eyes and wry smile. "I guess this is farewell, Arz, my boy," he said, then reached and caressed my hair with his hand. "I''m not a good father, I know. I''m sorry for all the bad things you and your mother experienced because of me. To be honest, I don''t even know how I can live without you from now on, but I will manage somehow," he continued.


    (It''s alright. I know you didn''t mean ill. I accept my fate with a straight head, so you too must continue your life without regret, father. Thank you for everything.)


    He kissed my forehead before standing up. "Good bye, Arz," he said, then turned and walked to the exit.


    (Good bye, father. Take care and stay health, okay?)


    After father''s figure disappeared from my view, I began to wonder what would happen to me.


    (Hmm. Since I don''t how long I will stay conscious, dungeon is indeed more preferable than a mere tomb. At least I can hope that things will become interesting later with adventurers come to raid the dungeon. Even though I can only watch part of the first room. Uh.


    By the way, will the ward be strong enough to repel even the incoming adventurers? Will it be weaken and fade with time?


    What will happen to my consciousness if my body perish? It will perish sooner or later, right? Either by the adventurers, animals or natural cause... If, say, an animal eat me, will I be looking at its internal stomach for the rest of my life? Will I be excreted as a dung? Yuck.


    Also, what will happen if the dungeon is conquered? Will the cave shut in?


    Uwaah, too many unanswered questions. I wish I know more.)


    While I was busy wondering, light began emitting and distracting me from my thought. I then realized the light source was none other than me. My body slowly turned into light particles.

 3. Life is a cruel place, isnt it?

    Author note:


    I change the way to write MC''s inner thought from () into italic  in this chapter.


    There''re also several abbreviations you may need to know beforehand so it won''t disrupt your reading experience:


    - MMORPG: Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game(s)


    - RPG: Role-Playing Game(s)


    - TD: Tower Defense


    - RTS: Real Time Strategy


    - PC: Personal Computer


    <hr />


    My body is turning into light particles.


    Of course, it''s like that.


    If an adventurer die in a dungeon, his party''s member must bring him out of the dungeon soon.


    Otherwise, his body will be absorbed by the dungeon after sometime.


    This is also true for lost items and equipments.


    It''s a common knowledge among the adventurers.


    I know, since becoming an adventurer has always been my dream.


    And it''s what happen to me now.


    I''m being absorbed by the dungeon.


    I wonder what''ll happen to me?


    Will I finally die?


    Like, really die?


    Slowly but steady, I''m being levitated upwards.


    Uh, I''m going to crash the ceiling at this rate.


    Uwaaaah, I''m crashing!


    ...Not.


    ...


    ...?


    Nothing happen?


    I mean, I know my body has gone.


    But my consciousness is still here.


    Nothing happen.


    I''m still myself.


    Except I can''t see a thing now.


    All black.


    Ah! May be, I can turn around?


    Yup, right on the mark.


    I''m seeing the dungeon room from above now.


    Below me is the corner where I was resting before I turned into particles.


    Oh, and now I can move my view as I please too!


    Then, since it''s no longer fixated, that means I can look to other rooms as well, can''t I?


    Ah, it works! Woohoo!


    To top it, I can even zoom my view when I focus to an object.


    Now I can follow any interesting event happen in the dungeon from a close.


    Nice!


    Uh, my head, I suddenly feel dizzy.


    Even though I no longer have a head.


    Somebody, or something, has done a sneak attack on me.


    WHO''S THERE!? SHOW YOURSELF!


    ...


    So you like to play hide and seek, huh?


    Uwaah, you even try to push me out!?


    But, seriously, do you really think this level of mind attack can work against me?


    You can''t be serious, right?


    If it''s only this level, my father''s training session is ten times harder.


    And you''re not the only one who can attack, you know.


    I too can push you, like THIS!


    Haa, how''s that? It''s time for a counter attack!


    Push Push Push


    Push Push Push


    Push Push Push


    Want to retreat, huh? Like I will let you.


    Uh, wait, isn''t that...?


    No doubt. It''s the core of the dungeon, the dungeon heart!


    Then, that means, the one who attacked me was the dungeon consciousness?


    Uh, it must have felt threatened by my presence.


    I''m not like a parasite or something for the dungeon, am I?


    Auch! Hey!


    Stop! Let''s talk about it!


    Uh, this guy can''t be reasoned with, attacking whenever see a chance.


    I said STOP IT!


    Haaah... Retreating again now?


    Do you think you''re doing a guerilla warfare or something?


    Hmm, nevermind.


    So this is the last room of a dungeon, isn''t it? I''ve never been in one before.


    Doesn''t look it has a dungeon lord for the last boss yet.


    Auch! Hey! Again?!


    That''s enough of you, now I''m pissed off!


    No, hiding within the heart won''t save you.


    I can break it through easily, like this.


    Stop struggling, where do you think you want to escape now?


    I said, stop struggling!


    ...


    ...


    Uh, I didn''t overdoing it, did I?


    The dungeon consciousness presence is fading somehow.


    Is it dying?


    Uwaah, I have become someone like father before I know!


    No, no, think it over calmly.


    It''s a dungeon, isn''t it?


    So, isn''t it like I''m conquering the dungeon?


    That''s right. There''s nothing to overly conscious or feel guilty about.


    ... But still, what will happen to the dungeon without its consciousness, I wonder.


    And to me...


    *Ding!*


    Hmm, what''s that sound?


    Something is flashing in the bottom-right corner of my view.


    Ah, a notification? For me?


    It has been ages since last time I received one.


    Not one since I came to this world.


    Let see... How do I open it?


    Oh, I just need to focus on it.


    A window is displayed in front of me, showing the message content.


    Let see...


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''3''>Access to Dungeon Heart is acquired!</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''3''>You are now in control of the dungeon.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Wait, what''s that supposed to mean?


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


    Am I the dungeon consciousness now?


    Uh, seriously?


    !!


    Uwaaaah!


    I suddenly feel a surge of power.


    My mana is overflowing.


    And I can sense the whole dungeon!


    Wow!


    Not bad at all.


    Let see... I currently have four rooms, including the heart chamber.


    As for the creatures, hmm... various bugs, frogs, snails, rats and bats?


    I see, it already has quite a variation of animals for a new dungeon.


    Although it''s all small animals.


    But still, tracking them all may become troublesome in the future as the dungeon grow.


    Don''t we have an overview page or something?


    !!


    Oh cool, it''s actually shown up!


    Let see...


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''2''>Dungeon Overview</td></tr><tr><td>Dungeon Type</td><td>Cave</td></tr><tr><td>Levels</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>Rooms</td><td>4</td></tr><tr><td>Biological Types</td><td>13</td></tr><tr><td>Non-biological Types</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>Drops Types</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>Dungeon Skills</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>Titles</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>Mana Points</td><td>3,128</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Interesting.


    When I focus on a particular part, it''ll show additional explanation.


    Levels and rooms are the number of floors and rooms I have respectively.


    That much is obvious.


    Biological types is the number of creature types I have.


    It''s classified further into plants (2) and animals (11).


    And if I focus on either the plants or animals, it''ll show the plant and animal kinds respectively.


    Mosses and ferns for plants, while for animals there''re moths, mosquitoes, ants, flies, spiders, centipedes, cockroaches, frogs, snails, rats and bats.


    Focusing further to either kind will show me the average stats, numbers I have, and any room locations of the said kind.


    Neat, isn''t it?


    I don''t really need the last feature yet with only four rooms, but it''ll surely become handy in the future.


    Non-biological types is the number of trap and other mechanism types.


    And drops is number of drops types that can be acquired in my dungeon.


    ... Why would a dungeon need a drops?


    ...


    ...! Ah, could it be... Yup, that must be it!


    It''s used for bait.


    You can''t catch a fish without a bait.


    By using a drops, I can bait adventurers and kill them.


    No, wait, what am I thinking!?


    Adventurers are humans. How can I think to kill them so casually?!


    Not good.


    Let''s forget and continue instead.


    Next is dungeon skills.


    It''s the number of skills I have.


    The two skills are <Dungeon Expansion> and <Monster Core> skills.


    The <Dungeon Expansion> is a skill to expand the dungeon with a cost of mana.


    I can expand by 1 block (1x1 meter) for 5 mana points, 1 room (20x20 meters) for 100 mana points and 1 level for 3,000 mana points.


    I have to reach a minimum number of rooms first before I can expand to another level, however.


    The second skill, <Monster Core>, is essential if I want my animals to evolve into stronger monsters.


    I can also create my Dungeon Lord with this skill.


    Then, titles is the number of titles I have acquired.


    Although I don''t really understand, it''s probably similar to the titles in many MMORPGs.


    I need to meet certain requirements before I can get a tittle.


    Depend on the titles, they may give bonus or penalty.


    At least that''s how it was in the games.


    Lastly, the mana points.


    It''s the amount of mana I have.


    Or in other word, the currency for dungeon related things.


    Even though I think my mana points is quite high for a new dungeon, I don''t know the normal standard.


    Not that I want to complain or anything.


    Anyway, I''m really pumped up.


    My situation is very similar to a game, isn''t it?


    I feel nostalgic.


    Since I had a weak body in my previous life, I used to play a lot of console and PC games instead of outdoor activities.


    It''s one reason I want to be an adventurer.


    Because it''s like in fantasy-RPGs I love.


    However, I love simulation and strategy games even more.


    Thus becoming a dungeon master is probably a blessing in disguise for me.


    Defending the dungeon heart, it''s like a TD games, isn''t it?


    Ah, no, an RTS is probably closer.


    In TD games, the pattern is fix. The first wave of attack is ridiculously weak, it''s then followed by a gradually stronger waves.


    While in RTS games, sometimes the first enemy attack is enough to completely wipe our base if we''re not be prepared enough.


    Therefore I think RTS is the right genre here.


    In that case I need to understand this dungeon game mechanic quickly and prepare my base, before the first party of adventurers raid my dungeon.


    !!


    Uh, but life is such a cruel place, isn''t it?


    To think the first enemy wave is already knocking my door.

 4. Welcome... not.

    "Do you think this is the place?"


    "Yes. It fits what he described."


    My guests were a party of three, consist of one mage and two melees. All males. I doublw checked my army''s positions as I watched the three entered my dungeon. Hopefully, I didn''t overlook any fatal weakness in my rush-made plan.


    "Hey, this is a dungeon! We''re obviously in a wrong place."


    "It shouldn''t be. We have followed every direction the geezer said."


    "Then how do you explain this dungeon? It''s unthinkable that a great mage such Mahza would mistaken a dungeon for a cave. You obviously lead us to a wrong place!"


    "The hell, man! How should I know if he made a mistake or not? At least I know I didn''t in this case."


    (Wait, you guys know my father? And you''re here following his direction? What''s going on?)


    "Let''s check the corner he said he had left his son first. Oh, there is nothing there."


    "Of course, what do you expect? This is a dungeon, stupid."


    "What did you say!?"


    "What? Stupid?"


    "You!"


    "Shut it, you two."


    With the commanding tone from the adventurer with a big sword on his back, the brown-robed mage and the dagger user stopped their qualm at once.


    (I see, he must be their leader. But, why are they looking for me? Could it be, father hired their service to move me to the family''s tomb? No, I doubt it, considering it''s father. Anyway, since he sent you, should I say welcome to my dungeon?)


    "Listen. This place is a dungeon, and it seems a new one. I say, let''s conquer this dungeon first before we continue to look for Mahza''s son. Who agrees with me?" the leader asked.


    (Hey! Don''t just decide to conquer me on a whim! And right after I said welcome too!)


    "I do," the dagger user raised his hand. "The corpse won''t go anywhere, assuming it''s not gone yet. And a dungeon heart, no matter what size, is always sell for a good price," he said. A grin was on his face.


    The leader nodded. "What about you, Loen?"


    "Well," the mage called Loen hesitated. "Alright, I''m with you, Rowd," he finally said. "But, let''s resume the search once we get the heart, okay?"


    "Sure, no problem," Rowd replied.


    "Why are you so obsessed with a corpse, man?" the dagger user asked. Yet, Loen''s glare was all he got in return and thus he could only shrugged his shoulder.


    "Okay listen now. Vaiz, you''ll be in front as our scout. I¡¯ll be right behind you and Loen will be supporting with magic from behind. All clear? Anyone has anything to add? ...No? Alright, don¡¯t let your guard down just because it¡¯s a new dungeon. There¡¯s a possibility it has absorbed Mahza¡¯s son and-¡±


    ¡°Rowd! Not you too!¡± Loen said in disbelief, cutting Rowd before he could finish his sentence.


    ¡°I¡¯m just stating the possibility, Loen,¡± Rowd shrugged. "Personally, I don¡¯t see this Mahza guy as great as you claim him to be, on the contrary I know how good is Vaiz''s tracking skill. And you know how much a boost a dungeon can get when it absorbs you mages. So we better be prepared than sor-¡±


    ¡°Enough, I understand. Let¡¯s move already.¡± Loen once again cut Rowd¡¯s sentence.


    ¡°-ry. Sure,¡± Rowd answered with a smile. They then left in the decided formation with his signal.


    Meanwhile, I was in dilemma on what to do with them.


    On a side, they were threatening my life. But on the other, I, who was a human until not so long ago, felt it was wrong to kill someone just because they were raiding dungeons. Dungeon were pest, after all. Furthermore, they were people who father had sent.


    It might be a different case if they were some criminals who deserved a death punishment, but that wasn''t the case.


    I thought of letting them go after knocking them unconscious, but soon dismissed the idea. To begin with, I wasn¡¯t in that luxurious position. It was still a BIG question whether I could defeat them even when I fought seriously.


    As I was busy conflicting, the trio progressed smoothly. The had reached a third of the way to the second room in such a short time. Even though the long corridor was something I had prepared for an ambush, I still couldn¡¯t decide on what to do with them.


    *Click*


    (Uh, that was the fifth trap they have disarmed, in addition to the pitfalls they''ve avoided so far. And to think each of them costed me 50 mana points, uwaah, what a waste! Hey, hey, aren¡¯t you going to slow down a bit?)


    I saw the raiders underwent the corridor before they finally reached the second room.


    ¡°That was disappointing. Way too easy, man. We didn¡¯t met a single enemy and even this room is empty,¡± the scout Vaiz complained.


    ¡°True. Other than the traps in the long corridor we didn¡¯t see a single animal. Is this normal, Rowd?¡± the mage Loen asked.


    Rowd shook his head and replied, ¡°No, it¡¯s my first time to see a trap-only dungeon. And a corridor between rooms shouldn¡¯t be that long normally. Anyway, it¡¯s a good thing if the dungeon is easy. Keep your guard and let¡¯s continue.¡±


    Seeing them leaving the second room, I knew I had to decide fast. Kill or be killed. I didn''t want to kill, nor I wanted to be killed. Anyway, I already had my army of small animals ready in the ambush point in the second corridor, in the gap behind the wall. They would swarm through all the cracks on wall at the moment of notice from me.


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    I had chosen the corridor to be the main battlefield. Compared to inside a room, the narrow passage of a corridor would give my little army advantage, as well as limiting the enemy''s movement. Moreover, the first or third corridor would serve as guarantee, in case of a failure in the first attempt at this second corridor. At least that was the plan.


    "So, what are you guys going to do with the money from the dungeon heart? For me, I want to buy a small house in the capital. It will the place where I spend the rest of my life with my beautiful wife from a noble family, after I marry one," Vaiz said while disarming another trap. A grin surfaced on his face as he imagined his own success life.


    "You can''t buy a house in capital from a single dungeon heart, not even a lot. And I doubt any noble girl would want to marry you. Keep dreaming, stupid," Loen sneered.


    "DO YOU HAVE TO CALL ME STUPID EACH TIME!?" Vaiz enraged, drawing his dagger. His eyes were full of bloodshot.


    "Stop It! We''re in a dungeon!" Rowd quickly cut in between them. "Loen, one more insult from your mouth and I''ll make sure you see hell!" he warned. "And Vaiz, he was right. You need several bigger hearts if you want to buy a house in the capital. Not something from a new dungeon," he remarked.


    "Fine. Then I''ll buy one in a countryside. Are you satisfied now?" Vaiz said while still glaring at Loen.


    "You can buy ten houses in the capital if we acquire a <soul gem>," Loen remarked.


    "What?" Vaiz dumbfounded.


    "I said, help me find the <soul gem>, and you can get yourself your dream house," Loen said.


    "By <soul gem>, isn''t that the one in Mahza''s story? I see. This is your aim from the start, when you asked us to look for the corpse," Rowd said with a widened eyes.


    "Hey, as expected from Rowd, you''re fast to catch. Yes," Loen delighted.


    "What? I still don-" Vaiz tried to say, but his sentence was interrupted by Rowd''s raised hand.


    Rowd''s mouth curved, forming a smirk. "Continue. You have my full interest now," he said.


    "Alright, listen. <Soul gem> is a very powerful multi-purpose artefact which said can grant even immortality. There''s only a small number exist in the whole world. And one value is at least a hundred times of the biggest dungeon heart''s worth," Loen explained.


    "A hundred times?!" Vaiz repeated and whistled. "Now you have my full interest too," he said.


    "Yes. The question is, how to retrieve the gem from the corpse. But anyway, we need to find the corpse first. We can try figuring a way later," Loen replied.


    "I see. However, since Mahza is able to create a <soul gem>, won''t it be easier to ask him to make one for us instead?" Rowd asked.


    "You think I didn''t try that? He turned me down with a sneer, that damn geezer," Loen said furiously.


    "Then, we should force him," Vaiz suggested.


    Loen glared to his colleague and said, "That''s why I said you''re stupid, stupid. He can kill us all with a single flick, go ahead and try if you want to, stupid."


    "Hey! You said too many stupid, I''m not! I know you have poisoned the geezer!" Vaiz reprimanded.


    "Oh. Did you realize that?" Loen couldn¡¯t hide his surprise.


    "Don''t underestimate these eyes," Vaiz replied, pointing his own two eyes.


    "What kind of poison?" Rowd asked.


    Loen showed a devilish smile when he answered, "<Late Blossom>."


    This time it was Rowd who got surprised. "That''s a nasty one!"


    "It''s my pay back for turning me down in such way and will be our trump card if we can''t figure a way to get the gem. However, I prefer not to meet him again if possible," Loen replied.


    (These guys! I have heard enough! I''ll personally make sure you all die a painful death, you trash!)


    I felt rage was surging and, through our link, the animals responded to it. I then took an imaginary breath to calm myself and my unresting army. It felt like forever, waiting for an ambush was sure took a lot of patience.


    However, when the trio raiders were just couple meters away from the ambush point, they held their steps.


    (What is it? Why stop? Come on, it''s only few more steps to your grav- ! Shit! SCATTER!!)


    I ordered my animals but it was too late. A fireball blasted the wall where my army was hiding behind it and their bodies were splattered to all direction. Another fireball exploded the opposite wall, causing the same devastating scene.


    (They know! How!?)


    I had the fastest unit under my command, the rats, to swarm the enemy, only to have their path be blocked by a firewall. Hundreds of them turned into roasted rats before the others could stop their rush.


    (This mage is good.)


    To make it worse, aerial attack from the bats also met a failure and repelled by Rowd''s sword.


    (Uh, it can''t be helped. Fall back!)


    With that, every animal immediately retreated to the countless cracks on wall, disappearing from the sight.


    Unfortunately, some bats were not so lucky. They were being snipped by the fireballs and fell to floor when trying to escape.

 5. Im the Dungeon Lord

    "That''s enough, Loen, save your mana," the swordsman Rowd told.


    "The hell, man! That was so cool! Sorry I''m not being much of use," the scout Vaiz said.


    "Don''t worry, Vaiz, combat is our specialty after all. And wasn''t it you who detect their presence in the first place?" Rowd replied.


    "What was that? The animals were trying to ambush us?" the mage Loen said in disbelief.


    "... And retreat once the situation become unfavorable. It''s not a strategy of a new dungeon, the dungeon consciousness must be quite intelligent. Be careful, they will come again," Rowd remarked.


    "Do you think it happens because it has absorbed Mahza''s son''s corpse?" Loen asked


    "Very possible. But isn''t it good? We may find the <soul gem> within the heart''s chamber. Come, let''s move," Rowd replied.


    I saw the trio moved from the massacre field while thinking on what to do next. I decided Loen was too dangerous to be left alone, eliminating him would be the top priority.


    (Uh, to think I lost more than a third of my force in that one. Let see... In the RPGs I used to play, adding a poison status is the most effective way against human type enemy. The units with poison are... spiders and centipedes. I''ll go with that.)


    After I turned the dead animals into light particles and absorbed them, I went ahead of the raiders and made a necessary preparation. This time I would only used a smaller animals to avoid detection. Except the snails. Since I didn''t think I could use them to attack, I had them filled the sacrificial distractor roles instead. My preparation was finished just in time before our enemies appeared from the corner.


    ¡°What is it this time? Snails? Disgusting, there are so many of them. <Burning Field>!¡± Loen said, casting fire on the floor which quickly spread and killed the molluscs.


    *Cough* *Cough* *Cough*


    "Stop it, you want to kill us too?" Vaiz complained after the smoke from the burn made them hard to breath.


    It was all happened in an instant but enough for my insect army to move. I had countless mosquitoes, centipedes and spiders attacked from behind the smokescreen. Some were flying, others were jumping down from the ceiling and walls and the rest were crawling on the floor. They made their way to bit their targets and inject as many poison as possible.


    ¡°Do something Loen! Use a wind to blo- Why are you firing fireballs!?¡± Vaiz shouted while kept on slashing the air with his dagger.


    "Shut up! I''m a <Fire Elemental Magic> user!" Loen also shouted in his reply. His staff, now with a flame on its tip, was swung wildly.


    "Get Down!" Rowd exclaimed and the other two ducked right away. He released the wind that had gathered around his sword''s blade towards where his friends were standing a moment ago, creating a small tornado that swept most of the animals and the smoke, before finally hit the wall and caused a small quake and falling rubles.


    I sent another wave with flies and cockroaches before they could recover, however it didn''t go as planned either.


    It was Rowd. He swung his broadsword with mana imbued, causing a burst of wind that blew my second wave away.


    "Argh!" Loen groaned. "My body is all itchy. And hurts. Ugh!" he said while frantically trying to scratch all over his body.


    Rowd casually shot another burst of wind towards both Vaiz and Loen. "Calm down. That amount of poison won''t kill you. Just ignore them for now and proceed faster to the next room. Vaiz, lead the way," he commanded.


    Ignoring the poison effect, the three run through the corridor while avoiding the arrow traps and pitfalls. The rats that were ambushing also be decimated easily. Finally they reached the third room.


    The trio took a rest in the middle of the room where my creatures couldn''t reach them without them noticing. They cleaned their clothes and bodies from the remaining spiders and centipedes and drank antidotes.


    It was frustrating to see my every plan ended up with failure. And since they had reached this far, my time was very limited until they reached the last room where the heart was located.


    I understood I was lacking a firepower. It was as Rowd said, I couldn''t kill them. All because I lacked firepower. The one I thought as my strongest animals and should be able to inflict most damage, the rats, were almost annihilated without being able to deliver any.


    I scanned through the options I could think of.


    (Let see. What''re my options?


    (One, spawn more animals. However, it''s very costly. And all available animals have proven ineffective.


    (Second, breed the animals. It''s less costly than option one but takes time, which I don''t have at the moment. Even though I should be able to speed up the process, will it be fast enough? And as option one, the animals have been proven ineffective.


    (Third, hmm, evolve the animals into monsters? Ah, forget it. None of the animals have monster core yet, it''ll be costly AND takes time.


    (Then, fourth. Uh, what is option four? Spawn more traps? No, they''re useless.


    (Fifth... Ah, I can create a dungeon lord, can''t I? This option should give me the highest survival chance. However it will cost me a 6,000 mana points. Since I spent most of my mana points for the corridors and the traps before, even after I reabsorbed the dead animals, I still deficit more than 4,000 mana points. Where can I get that much of amount within the limited time?


    (Uh, thinking too much makes my head hurts. Even though I no longer have a head.


    (!! That''s right! It''s just like when the dungeon consciousness attacked me. If I use a mind attack simultaneously with the animals, I can turn the table! Let''s give it a try first.)


    ...


    ...


    (Not good. It seems there is no effect. Even though I can use it on the dungeon consciousness before, why can''t I use it against my invaders?)


    ...


    (Isn''t there anything I can use? Think! Something! Anything!


    (...!


    (The ward!


    (Of course, the ward father left to make sure no animals disturb my body. Ah, it''s still there, good. And I can move them too.


    (Let see... It''s actually set to affect animals only. But if I tune it here... And here... Done! It will only affect creatures with humans intelligent level from now on.)


    *Ding!*


    (A notification?)


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Requirements meet. New trap is acquired!</td></tr><tr><td>You can now create Mind-disturber trap.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''2''>Mind-disturber trap</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>A trap that causes a disorientation to every sentient within its range.</td></tr><tr><td>Effect radius</td><td>10 meters.</td></tr><tr><td>Trigger</td><td>A sentient enters 5 meters radius.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    (I see. So the ward is recognized as a type of trap, isn''t it?


    (This one should be better than the too-easy-to-disarm arrow trap from before, and with the same cost too.


    (Alright.


    (Now for the attacking animals. Frogs, ants and moths are amongst that still have a large numbers.


    (Leaving aside the non-poisonous frogs, as they are almost as useless as the snails, ants are the only one that can hurt them, aren''t they?


    (No, that is understatement. Ants are strong enough to prey even much a bigger animals than humans. All they need is swarming their prey and it''s my job to make sure they can do that.)


    I returned my attention to my invaders and found not only they had resumed their march but also had progressed far in the third corridor, in the later half of it.


    I moved the tuned ward, now called Mind-disturber trap, and the animals ahead of them and positioned everything. Then it began. The three lost their balance and had difficulty to stand properly when the trap was activated.


    "My head! What is this sudden headache!?"


    Only Rowd stayed calm in such situation, showing his quality as a seasoned adventurer. "Be careful," he warned.


    What followed was thousands of ants swarming the place, leaving no single empty space on the floor.


    "Wha-! <Burning Fie- Ack! *Cough* *Cough*."


    Loen couldn''t finish his word as a moth entered his throat. Not only moths, but also numerous flies and mosquitoes survivors joined the party.


    Ants crawled all over the three bodies, entering every hole they could find and causing the bodies'' owners to scream in agony with their bites and stings.


    Loen was the first to fall. As a mage his physical was the weakest after all. Soon Vaiz also fell to his knee, with his side rested to the wall.


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    Only Rowd stood still. The covered-by-ants figure raised his covered-by-ants broadsword and thrusted it down. A shockwave with him as the center blasted his surrounding and blew the insects away.


    (Ah, yes, I expect this much. You just won''t die obediently, will you?)


    Rowd shook off the numerous dead ants from his body before he turned to his comrades. "Vaiz, are you okay?" he checked the closer Vaiz''s condition.


    "Ha ha... Rowd, your face is swollen and full of red dots," Vaiz replied weakly.


    Seeing his friend could still joke around, he let a relief sigh. "Same with you," he grinned.


    "What about you, Lo- HEY!! -Ugh! GET LOST!!"


    Loen was being dragged by a dozen of rats and bats. Seeing that, Rowd was trying to help, but several bats quickly obstructed his way. The winged beasts refused to be driven away easily, forcing Rowd to cut them to half one by one.


    He then pursued with his unbalanced steps. However, after a turn, hundreds of frogs were welcoming him by leaping over, causing him to fall on his butt. As he was trying to stand, he saw something he would never forget for the rest of his life.


    Loen who was struggling while being dragged and a rat that was forcing its way to enter his mouth. What following after was a convulsion accompanied by a voiceless scream and a burst of blood from his mouth and nose. Then the rat, covered by blood, came out from the mouth and rejoined the dragging of the now motionless limb.


    ¡°NOOO!! Rowd cried.


    He tried to move yet the frogs wouldn¡¯t let him go. He tried to get rid of them but they were so persistence. He strove, only to see Loen disappeared behind a turn.


    ¡°NOOO!!¡±


    Fueled by his anger, Rowd overcame his weakened state. He reached his sword buried under numerous frogs and grabbed it, smashing many of the amphibies in the process. He gathered his mana and wind started to swirl around him. Getting faster and faster, bringing in all the surrounding creatures.


    He pointed his sword forward and the gale began to focus around the blade, before he finally shot it out. A tornado swept the third corridor with a loud swoosh, making the rubles to fall when it was bouncing at the turn and making its way through.


    (Uwaah, what a terrific power. But it actually helps me. Even though Loen has died, I can¡¯t absorb him until a minimum distance from an outsider is reached, and he was kind enough to increase the distance.)


    ¡°Rowd!¡± Vaiz called. He appeared from behind, walking slowly while holding to the corridor wall.


    "Vaiz, we need to retrieve Loen back," Rowd said. He forced himself forward and almost fell if not for his sword holding him. He hasten his steps as he was leaving the Mind-disturber range area.


    However, it was already too late when he reached Loen''s place.


    Loen¡¯s limbs and the scattered remnants of the animals had begun turning into light particles. Soon after I could feel my mana increased drastically.


    (Let see... I got 2,650 mana points from the mage alone, yet he has magical items that can be converted to mana points as well.)


    I chose yes to convert and got additional 4,150 mana points from magic staff x1 @800 mana points, magic ring x2 @ 500 mana points, mana recovery potion x4 @250 mana points, health recovery potion x5 @250 mana points and tattered mage robe x1 @100 mana points.


    Together with mana from the absorbed animals, my mana point had been boosted to 10,710. I could now afford a dungeon lord and still had a surplus.


    Just in case, I checked my raiders again before anything else. They were resting in the place where I had absorbed  Loen, drinking what I recognized as health recovery potions and antidotes. Even if I wanted to give them more trouble, my animals army had been crushed to the extent they might extinct from my dungeon. It was better to leave the two alone, for now.


    I then used <Monster Core> skill and chose Dungeon Lord.


    (Ah, I can choose my race? From the explanation, it seems I can choose one of the race in my dungeon and my Dungeon Lord will be a superior version of it.


    (In the case, why is there ''humans'' mixed in the race choice?


    (Was it because I originally a human?


    (Anyway, what should I choose?


    (If I consider the physical strength and agility, rats is probably the better choice, isn''t it? Or should I pick bats which can fly?


    (However, it''s possible that I will need time to adapt with my new body.


    (Dungeon Lord is the vessel for dungeon consciousness after all. In other word, my body.


    (Then, isn''t it better to choose what I''m most familiar with? Even though it''s not the strongest.


    (And it seems I can change my Dungeon Lord''s race later on.)


    Thus I choose humans.


    Mana began to gather in front of my dungeon heart, swirling around forming a condensed mist. Then I felt my consciousness was being pulled into it. An image of the older version of my human self appeared, a blur at first but rapidly became more vivid. When I opened my eyes, I already inside a human body.


    *Ding!*


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Requirements meet. New skill is acquired!</td></tr><tr><td>You can now use <Dungeon Gate> skill.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''2''><Dungeon Gate></td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>Skill unique to the sentient dungeon creatures to move between locations within the dungeon</td></tr><tr><td>Rank</td><td>#N/A</td></tr></tbody></table>


    *Ding!*


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Requirements meet. New skill is acquired!</td></tr><tr><td>You can now use <Elemental Manipulation> skill.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''3''><Elemental Manipulation></td></tr><tr><td colspan=''3''>With vast knowledge of nature elements, one can manipulate them at will.</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>Subskills</td><td>Rank</td></tr><tr><td>Fire element manipulation</td><td>A skill to manipulate fire element.</td><td>Beginner</td></tr><tr><td>Earth element manipulation</td><td>A skill to manipulate earth element.</td><td>Advanced</td></tr><tr><td>Water element manipulation</td><td>A skill to manipulate water element.</td><td>-</td></tr><tr><td>Wind element manipulation</td><td>A skill to manipulate wind element.</td><td>Beginner</td></tr></tbody></table>


    *Ding!*


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Requirements meet. New skill is acquired!</td></tr><tr><td>You can now use <Soul Manipulation> skill.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''3''><Soul Manipulation></td></tr><tr><td colspan=''3''>With vast knowledge of minds and souls, one can manipulate them to some extent.</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>Subskills</td><td>Rank</td></tr><tr><td>Mind-disturber</td><td>An attack that causes a disorientation to enemy target.</td><td>Beginner</td></tr></tbody></table>


    (Ah, I got three skills. Hmm, the last two seems derived from <Elemental Magic> and <Soul Magic> from when I was still a human. I''m glad they''re not lost, but I didn''t know my <Earth Elemental Magic> has graduated from intermediate-rank. Was it because I expanded the dungeon earlier?)


    I tried to move my hands and legs, there wasn''t any noticeable problem. I tried to walk, all was good.


    Then the stone door to my chamber were pushed open. What appeared from behind it was two worn out adventurers I already familiar with.


    "What the hell, man! There is somebody insi- Rowd?"


    "Who are you?"


    Rowd, after stopping Vaiz''s spontaneous blabbering, asked me. His eyes were full of bloodshot and hatred.


    (Is he angry because I killed his friend? That''s good. Because I too am very angry for what they have done to father and my dungeon.)


    "Me? I''m the Dungeon Lord."

 6. Breeding time

    ¡°Dungeon Lord!? In a human form?!¡± Vaiz exclaimed in surprise.


    "...Okay, Dungeon Lord, so why are you naked?" Rowd asked.


    (Naked...? Uwaah! I didn''t realize it. To think I- Oops!)


    I took a step back, just in time to avoid Rowd''s diagonal slash. Only the blade, however, not the sharp wind around it, which gave a deep cut on my chest. He quickly followed with another slash.


    This time I was able to evade it perfectly with a side step as his power and aim were hampered by my <Mind-disturber>. About to fall, he stabbed his sword down and made use of the momentum to do a flying round kick with his sword as axis.


    I blocked it in time, but still thrown away for three meters.


    "You are weak for a Dungeon Lord!" he claimed as he gave a pursuit.


    Yet I was faster this time. "<Earth Spike>," I mumbled, raising one from the floor before him. Although surprised, he managed to intercept with his sword.


    Pushing my opponent with the spike, I let some distances back between us before raising the second spike from his side, which he dodged. Then the third came from the second, scratching his face.


    "<Wind Blast>," I said and sent him fly to a wall where another earth spike was already waiting.


    "-UGhuu!!" he vomited blood as the spike pierced his guts from the back through to the front.


    "ROWD!" Vaiz exclaimed and rushed.


    "Ru...n... Sa..ve ..ur...self. I''m do..n... for," Rowd whispered weakly.


    "<Fireball>," I said, sending a fireball to Vaiz who was still unable to process Rowd''s command.


    It vanished before reaching its target, unfortunately. Rowd was gathering wind around his sword and it was strong enough to suck in and extinguish my fireball.


    "Ru..n...," he once again whispered, forcing himself to tell Vaiz even though doing so suffered him. It made him coughing blood.


    *Cough* *Cough*


    Seeing the resolution in Rowd''s eyes, Vaiz finally turned his back and began to run. I let him as I focused on the swirling gale around Rowd''s sword, I knew he could shoot it anytime.


    "HAH!" "<Earth Wall>."


    The tornado was released with a shout, at the same time I made a thick earth wall emerged in front of him. They clashed with a loud sound, sending dust everywhere.


    After the dust mist disappeared, what was left was a pathetic scene of Rowd''s corpse. It was as expected though. To receive recoil of that much power from that close, I didn''t think he could survive. Not when he was already in a critical condition.


    I looked around and only then realized that his tornado attack wasn''t actually directed at me but at my dungeon heart on another side of the wall. In my mind, I honestly praised his perseverance for victory and kind of regretted that he was an enemy.


    It was also only then I realized that the crystal on the wall, the dungeon heart, was no longer had dark-red color like when the first time I saw it. It had a rainbow-color instead, just like the <soul gem> albeit bigger in size.


    All while I was drawing mana to recover my Dungeon Lord.


    (Uh, what a severe cut. If this is my old human body, I¡¯m sure I can¡¯t stand until the end. To think I received such damage as the Dungeon Lord, as expected, humans are such fragile race. I was really lucky to have my magic back at the moment.


    (Nevermind, I better take care the last one before he brings more troubles.)


    Thus, I opened a portal with <Dungeon Gate> to the first room. Although it took a while until Vaiz finally showed up from the first corridor, his expression that time was priceless.


    "Hello," I greeted.


    Vaiz''s face was completely pale with eyes almost jumping out, it seemed he even forgot to breath for a while. Out of pity, I immediately ended his misery.


    "And goodbye," I said, before three earth spikes skewered him simultaneously, instantly ending the life of the man named Vaiz. Not long after, he turned into light particles like his two friends before.


    Now the last invader had been removed, I moved my attention to my war spoils.


    (Uwaah, that Rowd guy never cease to amaze me, doesn¡¯t he? To think he alone is worth a 2,870 mana points, it''s even higher than the mage before! On the other hand, the scout is as expected, I get 1,020 mana points from him.


    (However, most of their equipments are trashes. Except the wind-attributed broadsword, it¡¯ll give me 1,500 mana points if converted. Nice.)


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    I chose yes to convert, then replicated a set of basic clothes for my own use. I had no interest of becoming an exhibisionist after all.


    It seemed I could replicate any item I had absorbed, as one of the way to produce the drops. The mana cost would be depended on the quality grade of the item. Although, I couldn¡¯t produce one that surpassed the original item''s grade and there seemed a limit of the replica numbers.


    After that, I looked at the list of their belongings. Things like magical storage bag, health and mana recovery potions, regular antidotes, dried foods, water canteen, rope, light orb and many more were there. To my disappointment, however, I couldn¡¯t find neither the <Late Blossom> poison or its antidote anywhere.


    (I wonder if I somehow missed it when I absorbed Loen before. No, he only had potions, I¡¯m sure. And if that¡¯s the case then I should be able to find it in the drops I can make, shouldn¡¯t I?


    (Ah, may be I can make use of adventurer network to get my hand on it? If I remember correctly there should be a sizeable town just outside the forest, they should have an Adventurer Admin Office in there. In that case, it¡¯s better to retain this human form a bit longer after all.


    (But that has to wait. Sorry father, by the name it seems a slow-acting poison, I¡¯ll bet on it. Hang in there for a while, okay? I need to make sure my dungeon can properly defend itself first, or it¡¯ll be too risky to move around.)


    I converted all the items to mana before opened the overview page.


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''2''>Dungeon Overview</td></tr><tr><td>Dungeon Type</td><td>Cave</td></tr><tr><td>Levels</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>Rooms</td><td>4</td></tr><tr><td>Biological Types</td><td>13</td></tr><tr><td>Non-biological Types</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td>Drops Types</td><td>4</td></tr><tr><td>Dungeon Skills</td><td>5</td></tr><tr><td>Titles</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>Mana Points</td><td>15,675</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Since I had a lot of mana, I decided it was the breeding time. I returned to the heart chamber with <Dungeon Gate> and had my consciousness left my Dungeon Lord and returned to the cave view.


    First, I added seven new rooms, made a total of eleven rooms with the last one as the heart chamber. After I created the tenth room, I were notified that I had reached a minimum rooms required to expand to another level but dismissed the option for now.


    I then checked the current nests, made necessary repairs and added the core generator into them. That way the next generations would born with a core within them. I also created additional nests and arranged them so that each room had eleven nests, one for each animal kind; seven kinds of bugs, frogs, snails, rats and bats.


    Finished with the nests, I spawned the mosses and ferns to all the rooms except the heart chamber and had the animals moved to the new nests, starting with the first room. Afterwards, I put all the animals in breeding frenzy and hastened their growth.


    With that, everything was set and all I could do was waiting. I expected to see some results within the next several days, when the first animal had accumulated enough mana in its core and evolved into a new race, either in natural way or by my intervention.


    (Ah, if possible I want some lizards or snakes too, for the sake of my future dragons. No, no, don¡¯t be hasty, there¡¯ll be a time for that I¡¯m sure. Let¡¯s focus on what already in front of me.


    (Since I don¡¯t have anything else to do, may be I should resume my secret project. I was so close to my first prototype when that stupid father killed me and ruined everything. Uwaah, I feel pissed when I remember. Ah well, at least now I¡¯m free from his constant nagging.)


    Thus, I restarted my project. The reason why my <Earth Elemental Magic> at higher rank than the other elements was because I spent years experimenting with rock shape and thickness for the project, although I had mostly done with that part. The later part involving experiment with <Fire Elemental Magic> was what I conducted now.


    Days passed and my animals grew in numbers. It was amazing to see the progress although it was rather chaotic.


    Then, on the fourth day, I got myself another visitor.

 7. Lets make a bet

    (Uwaah, what a cute girl! What is she even doing here?)


    I watched my sole visitor inspected the dungeon entrance before she stepped inside with caution. The armored beauty steadily walked with her slender legs, her sword was ready in her hand as she entered the first room. Annoyed by her presence, the creatures of the room began to attack.


    Yet, she easily evaded them all while countering at the same time. Her steps was so elegant as if she was dancing with her sword. Her move often came from an unexpected angle, swift and deadly. In a brief moment, the room had become a slaughter house.


    I ordered my creatures to withdraw. There was no need to rush killing or driving her out after all. Instead, to be honest, I wanted to keep her alive inside my cave as long as possible. I meant, she had a cute face AND a nice body curve. Even her light armor couldn¡¯t hide that alluring figure. Moreover, she had my preferable breast size, big enough but not too huge. And her butt...


    (Ah, I better stop, before I thought more of lewd things.)


    ¡°Hmm, what a rough welcome,¡± she mumbled as she swung her sword to clean it from the bloodstains. After she sheathed her sword, she took a small ribbon and tied her wavy dark brown hair into a ponytail, not interested to pursue the escaping creatures.


    Unsheathed her sword once again, the girl I estimated in her late teens or early twenties moved towards the first corridor. Although she walked casually most of time, her actual speed was terrifying. I watched as she nonchalantly matched my evolved animals, now monsters, before killing them.


    ¡°So it even has things like Fierce Rats and Great Bats, interesting...,¡± she muttered while killing another five of my monsters simultaneously. "But to think we didn''t know a dungeon of this level when it''s right beside one of our bases, what are the scouts even doing?"


    As she approached the second room, I was tempted to greet her personally. I considered the idea.


    (To find a cute girl come to a dungeon alone is probably a once in a lifetime chance. If I don''t even try to get her contact, I''m a man with no balls. Right, I should go after all.)


    I moved my consciousness to the Dungeon Lord, then opened a portal to the corridor before the second room. Various conversation scenarios were being simulated in my head as I proceed forward. Finally reached the room, I found her being surrounded by countless dead bodies and the rest of the creatures were already retreating.


    (There she is... -Uh?)


    In the next moment, she was already gone. Instead, I felt something like a cold metal on my neck.


    ¡°Ah, hello... Sorry if I surprised you, I didn¡¯t mean any harm,¡± I said while keeping my calm appearance.


    Standing on my right with her sword pointed at my neck, she observed me with a piercing cold gaze. "Who are you?" she asked.


    ¡°My name is Arz. I-.¡±


    I stopped my sentence as she pressed her sword. ¡°Show me your Adventurer ID,¡± she demanded.


    ¡°Ah. I don¡¯t have one,¡± I replied in honesty.


    She squinted her eyes in disbelief. ¡°You are not an adventurer yet exploring a dungeon?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I was on my way to [Firzoa] to register as adventurer when I got lost and found this dungeon,¡± I lied.


    ¡°Really? Where did you come from?¡±


    ¡°[Rahziel]?¡±


    ¡°[Rahziel] and [Firzoa] are a mountain apart, there are closer towns with Adventurer Admin Office like [Jowsar]. Why not go there?¡±


    ¡°I have my own reason to come this way.¡±


    ¡°And that is¡­?¡±


    ¡°... Why do I have to tell you everything?"


    I started to feel irritated. She might be pretty, but the conversation wasn¡¯t going anywhere I had hoped for. And what was with that interrogating tone?


    Probably sensing my vexation, she changed her talking attitude and withdrew her sword.


    ¡°Sorry about that. My name is Alveria, A-rank adventurer and an Executive Member of Fantastica guild,¡± she introduced.


    "Alveria...?" I repeated and took a better look at the porcelain-like face in front of me. "Big sis Alveria...?"


    "Eh¡­? Hold on, what did you say your name again?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Arz! We haven¡¯t met since you left our hometown several years ago, but we used to play together when we were younger, remember?¡± I tried to remind.


    ¡°Arz? Is that really you? Oh my, I didn¡¯t recognize you at all!" she said and rushed to hug me.


    (Uwaah, too close! I can feel your breasts, sis, even under the armor plate.)


    She looked up to my face with her hands still circling around my neck. I could feel her breath and it took all my will to resist kissing the small lips in front of me.


    ¡°Arz! I still hard to believe it¡¯s you. Look at you, you have grown into a tall and handsome young man in these years. And with a promising magic talent too. Girls must be gone crazy on you, eh?" she said while messing with my hair. Her lovely smile shined brightly in my dark cave.


    "Say, how old are you now? Fifteen? And how did you get lost in the first place?" she asked after breaking her soft body away from me, which also breaking my heart by doing so. She took a seat on the floor and gave me a sign to do the same.


    I sat down and replied, "Fourteen, actually. I have... some sort of circumstances. It''s a long story."


    ¡°Fourteen? I can¡¯t wait to see when you have fully grown in several more years,¡± she grinned, which I could only smile in return.


    (That¡¯s, uh, probably won¡¯t happen, sis. I got this older version body when selecting humans as my Dungeon Lord race, so I probably won¡¯t grow anymore.)


    "Let me guess, your circumstance has something to do with uncle?" she continued, showing her sympathetic face.


    ¡°Haha, you know how my father is. Anyway, what about you, sis? Why''re you here? Fantastica is one of the big four guilds in the continent, isn''t it? And you''re one of its Executive Members? That''s so cool."


    "Thanks. Actually I come to look for my missing subordinates... guild mates. They were last known to be in this area around four to five days ago. Did you happen to meet them, Arz?


    I had bad feeling when she said that, nevertheless I asked, ¡°Guild mates? How do they look like?¡±


    ¡°They are a party of three. Rowd, the leader, is a B-rank adventurer and a swordsman. Vaiz, a C-rank adventurer and a scout. And Loen, also a C-rank adventurer, our new recruits who is a mage,¡± she described.


    (Ah, it¡¯s really the guys from before. To think they''re part of a guild like Fantasica. This won''t turn troublesome, I hope)


    "So, do you know any of them, Arz?"


    "Sorry."


    "Eh, why are you sorry? It''s okay. I just need to look a bit more."


    "No, I mean, sorry, I killed them."


    "... Can you repeat that?"


    "I killed them, for a good reason."


    "... You killed¡­ who?"


    "Rowd and company?"


    ¡°... Are you sure you didn¡¯t mistaken them with someone else?¡±


    I scratched my head in confusion. "I¡¯m sure, sis," I said.


    ¡°Arz...,¡± she looked directly at my eyes. ¡°There¡¯s no way for you to kill them, you must have been mistaken,¡± she said. ¡°Do you know why?¡±


    I scratched my head again. "Why?"


    ¡°Because they¡¯re very good. Listen, Rowd is an Executive Candidate in Fantastica, an elite amongst the elites. And Loen, he is a very talented mage like you.


    I don''t know, you can probably have a close win against Loen in a duel, but against Rowd is simply impossible. Moreover, Rowd is being supported by Loen. So you must have been mistaken some other people," she explicated her reason thoroughly.


    "... What about Vaiz? You didn''t mention anything about him," I asked.


    "Hmm. He is a tracking expert and useful in many ways, but combat is just not his thing."


    "... If it''s you, sis, will you be able to defeat Rowd and Loen together?"


    "Good question," she quickly replied. "If it''s me, I will win," she said in confident.


    "Even though they''re as good as you said they are?"


    "Because I am even better. You see, I am called ''Sword Princess'' not for a reason," she said proudly.


    The beauty in front of me stood up and said, "Anyway, I need to continue my search. Why don''t you come with me, Arz? We can keep chatting while on it."


    I followed her example to stand up. "Hey sis, do you have a boyfriend?" I asked.


    "Hmm? What is so sudden?"


    "Do you?"


    "Not... At the moment. Why?"


    I smiled and said, "In that case, let''s make a bet."


    "Hmm?"


    "If I win, please be my woman."


    "... Eh? EEHHH? Wait, please wait! Arz, I never know you have interest in older women!" she said, surprised. Squinting her eyes, she continued, "But I have to refuse. I don''t sleep around with anyone weaker than me, especially if he is younger. Go find another girl at your age, okay? I¡¯m sure there are plenty of girls waiting for you, all you need to do is ask them," she rejected.


    "... Will you hear me out first?" I asked.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    "Let¡¯s make a bet. If I win, please be my woman. But if you win instead, I''ll return Rowd''s wind-attributed sword. How¡¯s that sound?" I said while materializing the sword''s identical replica.


    (Uh, I didn''t realize it before since I only made some low grade clothes, but an item with equal grade is actually cost me ten percent more than the original mana I got? I better remember this.)


    1,650 mana points left me and light particles began to gather around my palm, forming a solid broadsword.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "How did you do that? Is that... really Rowd''s sword?" she asked with a doubt.


    I showed it in front of her, giving her the chance to inspect and have better look.


    "This...," she muttered with a widened eyes, couldn''t believe what she saw.


    "Interested?"


    "..."


    "Is that a yes?"


    "... Did you really kill them?"


    ¡°I did, for a good reason,¡± I said.


    ¡°And the reason is?¡±


    "I''ll tell you after you win my challenge."


    "Haaa... Fine, I am in. What do I do?" she said, putting her hand on her waist.


    I smiled. "Simple. If you can conquer this dungeon, it''s your win. If you give up, it''s my win. You don''t have a time limit, but if you take too long the dungeon may evolve," I explained the rules. "Any question?"


    "Hmm. Do you know how deep the dungeon is? I may have to return to the town and make preparation first accordingly," she asked.


    "There are eleven rooms in total with corridors between the rooms have about the same distance with the last one," I said, pointing the first corridor in my back with a thumb.


    "Only one floor level?"


    ¡°Yes. So, do you need to go back first?¡±


    ¡°No, I will be fine if it''s only that much. Are you going to follow behind me, then?¡±


    ¡°No, I have something else to do, but this guy will accompany you in my stead. <Golem>,¡± I called. In front of me, rocks began to gather forming a two and half meters tall humanoid shape. Its eyes¡¯ sockets then glowed red and it opened its mouth, releasing a loud roar.


    Tilting her head, she asked, ¡°It does look strong, but what do you make it for?¡±


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯ll act as a measurement to make sure the soon-to-be-my woman stay alive until the end,¡± I grinned, passing the sword replica to it.


    She pouted to hear my reply, cute. ¡°Do you think I can¡¯t protect myself in a dungeon of this level? Whatever, do as you like,¡± she then turned around and began to jog with her sword ready, followed by the golem.


    I opened a portal to my chamber with <Dungeon Gate> after she disappeared. In there I had my Dungeon Lord sat on the stone throne, on a higher platform, I had prepared before and had my consciousness returned to cave view.


    I found Alveria was running while slaughtering my creatures, going in much higher pace than she did in the first corridor. No creature seemed able to stop her even for a second.


    (Nice, sis. But I¡¯m just about to begin.)


    The taken control creatures withdrew at once and regrouped, before they attacked again in a more coordinated way. I took her seriously without any intention to kill, considering it as a rare chance for my defense to be tested by an A-rank adventurer instead.


    Once any of my army were reduced to a certain numbers, they would immediately retreated and be replaced by others from different nests. That way I could ensure no nest would be lack of population.


    I also set my dungeon to absorb the dead bodies only after they weren''t attended for a certain amount of time, thus the survived creatures could have more chances to eat them instead. That way they could accumulate more mana within their cores and got closer to their next step of evolution. Quality for quantity, it was a fair trade.


    After several hours, the stone door to my chamber finally being opened from outside. The weary beauty who appeared was full of small cuts and bruises. The most visible was the one on her right thigh, which she got from a Fierce Rat''s tail whip. Originally.


    Since I had the other creatures to focus their attacks on that same spot, the final result was enough to make her walking in limp and therefore reduced her agility considerably. There was also a still bleeding cut above her left eye, which had hindered her vision to some extent.


    "Took you long enough, sis," I said, from my Dungeon Lord sitting on the throne.


    Finally realizing I had been in the room, she glared at me. "How did you get here before me? The door was closed," she asked.


    "Let just say I know a shortcut," I replied, which made her squinted her eyes in disbelief and annoyance. "Anyway, you look more battered than I thought you would be," I said.


    ¡°Shut up. I admit the dungeon consciousness is strong, such monster cooperation can only be seen in a A-rank dungeon or above. More importantly, what is with that last stone door? I took more time to figure how to open the door than to reach it!¡± she complained.


    ¡°The pedestal in front of the door has said it clearly, hasn¡¯t it? ¡®You who want to challenge the Dungeon Lord, arrange correctly the elements¡¯, which part of it you didn¡¯t understand?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Like I can understand such a thing right away! In the first place, I never heard of a dungeon that demand a puzzle solving as requirement to open a door before. And it didn¡¯t mention anything about the stone slabs. How do I know I have to find those slabs and put them inside the pedestal?


    Moreover, those pest monsters never stopped bothering while I was trying to think! AAARGH! I am really pissed off! Where is that cursed demon lord!?¡± she let a barraging complaints out.


    ¡°Calm down, sis. Good job to figure it out in the end. Anyway, why don¡¯t you drink these potions first? You look... bad,¡± I said, trying to calm the exploding Alveria. At the same time, in front of her appeared light particles that soon materialized into two bottles, a health and a mana recovery potion.


    She hesitated for a moment, before obediently took and drank them. The effect was visible almost immediately after she finished the health potion, all the cuts and wounds were closing and disappearing as if they were never been there in the first place.


    ¡°Say, Arz,¡± she said after emptying the mana recovery potion as well. ¡°You are the dungeon lord, right?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I am,¡± I replied, couldn¡¯t hide my smile with her accurate guess.


    ¡°That explains your actions so far, but still not how you can become one. So, all I need to do is defeating you, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget your promise to tell me everything after I beat you.¡±


    ¡°I will tell you, after you become my woman.¡±


    *Clank!*


    That instant, Alveria had moved towards me but intercepted by my golem. The clashing sound of their swords were echoing in the whole room.


    ¡°Move!¡± she said, sending the golem¡¯s sword away and instantly cut one of its arm.


    *BANG!*


    ¡°Ouch! Wha-.¡±


    *BANG!*


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    *SLAM!!*


    ¡°Ugh... What was that?¡± she asked from under the heavy golem, unable to move. ¡°What kind of magic did you use?¡±


    "Magic? The only magic I used was the golem."


    "Don''t lie! I suddenly felt intense pain after the loud sounds. At first my calf, then my hand. I even released my sword grip because of that and allowed a mere golem to knock me down. If it''s not magic, then what is that?"


    ¡°Ah, this is not a magic. It¡¯s a weapon,¡± I answered, showing the result of secret project in my hand with a big grin.


    "Weapon? I never heard of such weapon.¡±


    ¡°You probably won¡¯t find it elsewhere. It took me years of researches before completed it just yesterday,¡± I told while climbing down the platform and walked towards her.


    ¡°I used <Earth Elemental Magic> to create every part of this weapon, with some compressed <Fire Elemental Magic> inserted into small cartridges. The logic is simple, it will make a small explosion that propels a rock bullet out when I pull its trigger. Years passed while I was perfecting the technique to make small yet details and very hard rock. And the explosive part, it was also very tricky to make," I explained my weapon thoroughly.


    ¡°Arz, you sound like uncle Mahza...,¡± she said with difficult expression.


    ¡°Am I? Sorry,¡± I replied, scratching my head. I squatted down in front of her and I continued. "Now, my beloved sis. Ah, that doesn''t sound right. You¡¯re my woman now, so I should stop calling you big sis. What about Alv, then?¡± I said, couldn¡¯t hide my wide grin.


    ¡°... You seem to misunderstand something, Arz. I¡¯m not your woman," she tried to deny the inevitable.


    ¡°Are you trying to take your own words back now, my beloved Alv?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. You said it''s your win if I give up. Since I don¡¯t have a time limit, I should be allowed to try it many times until I give up, right?¡± she reasoned.


    !!


    ¡°... Ah. To think there¡¯s such a fatal flaw...,¡± I was shocked by the realization.


    She smiled, a victorious smile. Although it made her even more cute, I couldn¡¯t be happy.


    ¡°Just kidding. I give up,¡± she said.


    ¡°...? Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°I do. Now can you remove the golem? It''s heavy," she plead.


    I had the golem moved and helped her to sit up. "Ouch, be careful," she said, when I checked her wounds. They were already closed since the regenerative effect from health recovery potion from before still applied, but a bullet was still lodged in her leg.


    I used <Earth Element Manipulation> to pull it out forcefully, causing Alveria to bit her own lips while gripping my arm tightly. The new wound was quickly closing again afterwards.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said.


    Our face came closer naturally and we kissed. That night, I enjoyed what many people referred as the greatest pleasure. A heaven on earth.


    "But to think you¡¯re a virgin after what you said about sleeping around, Alv..."


    "Sh- shut up... Ahn..."

 8. Not enough?

    ¡°I¡¯m going now.¡±


    ¡°Please be careful.¡±


    I watched as Alveria left the dungeon. The sun was already high, so she would end up camping outside tonight and reach [Rahziel] by tomorrow morning. Nothing to worry if it was her though.


    Since I told her how Loen and company had poisoned father, she insisted to personally visit him to apologize and give the <Late Blossom> antidote, which fortunately she had brought one with her. I deliberately absorbed it before returned a replica to her. Even though it caused some mana deficit, I considered it as an investment for the future needs.


    According to her, there would be no visible symptoms until <Late Blossom> started to work in one month period after given. However, if one month had been passed, the victim would greatly suffer without the poison actually killing them. It was already too late by then, because the antidote could only ease a little of their suffering but not cured it. It was really an evil poison.


    As not even a week had passed, we still had plenty of time to give father the antidote. Yet Alveria decided it was better not to make any delay. As a son, of course I was grateful with her decision. However, as a man, it was a bit lonely to be apart after being together only for less than a day.


    It couldn¡¯t be helped though. More importantly, within that short amount of time we already found a way to exploit a bug in the system, if I could call it a bug. It was regarding the usage of mana recovery potion.


    First, with mutual consent, Alveria was no longer considered as an outsider and I could absorb things with her being present. Not only that, the creatures wouldn''t attack her and would even give priority to her safety in case of danger. After some experiments, we figured the things I could absorb was including her mana, without I had to kill her first.


    Second, the regenerative effect of a recovery potion would last for an hour. If she drank a mana recovery potion after I absorbed her mana, she would be fully recovered in about a third of an hour. Therefore the absorption could be done three times with the cost of one potion.


    One absorption would give me 600 mana points, much lower than if I absorbed a whole corpse, while making a mana recovery potion would cost me 275 mana points. Thus within an hour I had gained a net of 1,525 mana points. Since we had been doing this continuously for five hours straight, I had gained total profit of 7,625 mana points.


    Although she didn''t mind if we continued for a while longer, I decided to stop. It felt like I was exploiting my own woman and I disliked the feeling.


    (As expected, I need to secure  a mana supply, am I not? Just relying on dead creatures won''t be sufficient if I want to expand and I can''t just kill any coming adventurer either.


    (Should I buy some slaves for mana source? No, ordinary slaves won¡¯t give much. If we talk about mana, of course mages are better. Mage slaves then? Ah, it¡¯s even better if they¡¯re women too. No, no, what am I thinking, I already have Alv.


    (Uh, let¡¯s just wait some evil adventurers to come for now. Not that I¡¯m in desperate need for mana or anything.)


    As Alveria''s figure was finally out of my sight, I returned to my chamber with a portal. The golem, or should I say the golem body, was sitting unmoved in the corner. Without me supplying mana and controlling, it was nothing more than a pile of rock in humanoid shape.


    (Ah, if I give this thing a monster core, will it come to live? Well, it¡¯s not hurt to try.)


    I created a core, put it on its chest and saw it being absorbed right away. To my delight, the red glow returned to the previously empty eye sockets and the golem was standing up.


    *Ding!*


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Requirements meet. New race is acquired!</td></tr><tr><td>You have successfully created Golem race.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    (Uwaah, it works! But, Alv was able to defeat it way too easy, she even cut its arm like it was a paper. May be I can do something about it?)


    I touched its chest and felt the core. This was how I interfered with monster evolution. Somehow I just knew how to do it by instinct.


    The image of the golem entered my mind. First, I hardened the the rocks as much as I could. Then, I compressed them so the golem had a denser rock-muscle and a slimmer appearance but no reduction in strength, made it more suitable for a fast movement. Lastly, I added small spikes all around its body, made it looked a bit like a hedgehog.


    (Done. Now for the offense¡­)


    My eyes were laid on the wind-attributed broadsword which rested on the wall.


    (Hmm. Giving it a sword won¡¯t make it stronger unless it know how to properly use it. Hey, probably I can make him copying Rowd¡¯s movement? Let see...)


    I tried to remember how Rowd fought while feeling the core, replaying every battle scene he had done since he entered my dungeon.


    *Ding!*


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Requirements meet. New subskill is acquired!</td></tr><tr><td>You can now use <Memory-implant> subskill under the <Soul Manipulation> skill.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''2''>Subskills</td><td>Rank</td></tr><tr><td>Memory-implant</td><td>Implanting a strong memory may affect target''s behavior.</td><td>Beginner</td></tr></tbody></table>


    (Oh, I got a new skill? Right, I''m done with the golem anyway.)


    I pulled my hand from the golem, which began to shake hard. It fell to four, then its back was cracking and two hands came from it, widening the crack from inside. After that, the new golem emerged from the hole.


    (Like an animal shedding its skin, isn¡¯t it? It''s rather creepy looking form a close. But to think it costs me more than 3,000 mana points, I guess that¡¯s why you don¡¯t evolve a race before they accumulate enough mana themselves.)


    *Ding!*


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Requirements meet. New race is acquired!</td></tr><tr><td>You have successfully created Fighter Golem race from Golems.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    *Ding!*


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>With your intervention, {Golem} has evolved into {Fighter Golem - Two handed sword variant}.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    (Wow, a variant?)


    ¡°Do you understand me?¡± I asked the two and half meters tall Fighter Golem variant in front of me.


    ¡®Yes, master,¡¯ it replied directly to my head.


    (Uwaah, cool, it¡¯s even smart enough to reply with words. Was it because of Rowd¡¯s memory?)


    ¡°The sword over there is for you to use,¡± I pointed the laying wind-attributed broadsword. ¡°And these... <Golem>,¡± I called, creating two other golems and added a core to each. ¡°... Are for you to command. You''ll be the boss of this level and guard the last room, but feel free to roam around,¡± I added.


    ¡®As you wish, master,¡¯ it replied and turned to take the broadsword, before left my chamber with its two underlings. They didn''t forget to close the stone door again afterwards, good boys.


    (Ah, it turns out great. May be I should make monsters with Loen''s and Alv''s memory too?


    (... No, they have to wait. Currently I don¡¯t have monsters with fire affinity, nor monsters that can utilize Alv''s speedy style.


    (At least I know how to get the fire monsters. I should be able to summon the fire guardians once I raised my <Fire Elemental Manipulation> to advanced-rank, just like I was able to summon the earth guardians, the golems.


    (Although, I¡¯ve no idea about monster that suited Alv¡¯s battle characteristic. Yet.)


    I turned my attention to the dungeon view and added another twenty rooms. Rather than a straight path like before, I arranged them like a maze. I played with arrangement for a while until I satisfied, spawned traps here and there, added rivers and created new nests. Now stronger monsters could have their own room as a base.


    While moving the monsters, I realized I had gotten myself two new races since Alv¡¯s invasion the day before. Finally the bugs had their monster representatives, I couldn''t help to make an imaginary grin.


    In the last several days the creatures had grown significantly, both in numbers and individual strength. All four non-bug animal kinds had evolved, but as expected, rats were in the top of the food pyramid.


    Especially after the Fierce Rats appeared, they could only be killed by their own kind at first. Cannibalism wasn¡¯t a rare sight amongst my rats after all. Then Great Bats sprang from the bats ranks. Cooperation from two or more of this bigger bats could kill one Fierce Rats. However, when the human-child size rats were coming in pack, no other monsters could stand in their way.


    On the other hand, the other two non-bug monster races were rather disappointing. The Poison-spitter Frogs could only kill normal size rats at most and the Rock-shelled Snails were, well, harder to kill. That was all. Now with two additional races from spiders and ants, I expected a more balanced ecosystem.


    I wondered why only two kinds evolved amongst the bugs, but it was probably because ants and spiders were the only ones that could kill and eat bigger preys. The spiders with their web traps and the ants with their swarming cooperation. With bountiful scattered meats when Alv was attacking, they had finally been able to evolve.


    (Okay, that¡¯s enough for the first floor, Let¡¯s expand to second floor.)


    I chose <Dungeon Expansion> skill and selected expand by 1 level.


    *Ding!*


    <table><tbody><tr><td>You don¡¯t have enough mana points to expand by 1 level.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    (Wait, not enough? How come? I¡¯m sure I still have several thous- Ah!


    (... To think I only have this much left... Must be when I was playing with the corridor to make a maze before.


    (Uh, I should have paid more attention to my mana.)


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''2''>Dungeon Overview</td></tr><tr><td>Dungeon Type</td><td>Cave</td></tr><tr><td>Levels</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>Rooms</td><td>31</td></tr><tr><td>Biological Types</td><td>19</td></tr><tr><td>Non-biological Types</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td>Drops Types</td><td>5</td></tr><tr><td>Dungeon Skills</td><td>5</td></tr><tr><td>Titles</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>Mana Points</td><td>97</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''3''>Biological Types</td></tr><tr><td>Plants (2)</td><td>#N/A</td><td>Ferns, Mosses</td></tr><tr><td>Animals (11)</td><td>#N/A</td><td>Ants, Bats, Centipedes, Cockroaches, Flies, Frogs, Mosquitoes, Moths, Rats, Snails, Spiders</td></tr><tr><td>Monsters (8)</td><td>#N/A


    Ants


    Bats


    Frogs


    Golems


    Rats


    Snails


    Spiders</td><td>Golems


    Gi-Ants


    Great Bats


    Poison-spitter Frogs


    Fighter Golems


    Fierce Rats


    Rock-shelled Snails


    Lesser Tyrantulas</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''2''>Non-biological Types</td></tr><tr><td>Traps (3)</td><td>Arrow traps, Mind-disturber traps, Pitfalls</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''2''>Drops Types</td></tr><tr><td>Weapons (1)</td><td>Wind-attributed Broadswords</td></tr><tr><td>Equipments (4)</td><td>Basic Tunics, Basic Trousers, Basic Male-underwears, Traveler Boots</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''2''>Dungeon Skills</td></tr><tr><td><Dungeon Expansion></td><td>Skill unique to the dungeon master to expand the dungeon.</td></tr><tr><td><Dungeon Gate></td><td>Skill unique to the sentient dungeon creatures to move between locations within the dungeon.</td></tr><tr><td><Elemental Manipulation></td><td>With vast knowledge of nature elements, one can manipulate them at will.</td></tr><tr><td><Monster Core></td><td>Skill unique to the dungeon master and Queens to create and manipulate core of monster.</td></tr><tr><td><Soul Manipulation></td><td>With vast knowledge of minds and souls, one can manipulate them to some extent.</td></tr></tbody></table>

 9. There you are

    Author Note:


    Although it''s a bit late, happy Eid al-Adha to my muslim readers.


    Sorry for the delay. While in the weekdays it''s always difficult to find enough time to write because of work, this weekend  I also hard to find time because I have to take care of a little girl -her nanny didn''t come and the girl won''t let me alone for more than 10 minutes. Huff. While I don''t really mind doing it, quite happy actually, but this delay is the inevitable result.


    Anyway, I can see the pattern now. Expect one or two chapters each week (hopefully not less) and some extras if I have more time.


    Thanks in advance for reading, hope you like this chapter. Don''t forget to let me know if you find any mistake.


    <hr />


    (Uh, only 97 mana points left... This is bad, isn¡¯t it?


    (Wait, now that I think about it, is it really bad?


    (Will I die if I run out mana? Or... something else will happen?


    (I¡¯m not sure.


    (But my instinct tell me it¡¯s dangerous.


    (It¡¯s better not to take an unnecessary risk.


    (In that case, what should I do?


    (Because the ecosystem has been established, I don¡¯t have to worry about my monsters.


    (They can survive without I have to feed them my mana.


    (However, since I turn the growth and breeding frenzy mode, my mana has been drained constantly.


    (Only small amount though, at the rate of 4 mana points per hour for now.


    (But the consumption will increase as the monsters numbers increase.


    (Should I turn the mode off?


    (No, no, monsters are my lifeline.


    (Their current numbers weren¡¯t enough to defend my dungeon if a strong adventurer party come.


    (Moreover, now that the dungeon has become so big, there are so many areas to cover.


    (If I can¡¯t get enough mana from the dead creatures inside, then I need to look to the outside.


    (That¡¯s right, mana is the life energy.


    (Everything in this world should have innate mana, especially living creatures.


    (Since I¡¯m being surrounded by a forest, there should be an abundant amount of mana around me.


    (All I need to do is sending peons to dig the resources and bring them back to the nearest Great Hall.


    (This dungeon business is like a Real-Time Strategy game after all, of course starting with miners is the basic.


    (To think I would forget such basic and spent my whole resources for defenses.


    (Let see...  I suppose I can make use of one of the bugs for miners.)


    I browsed my animal list and decided mosquitoes are the most suitable for the task. I had one that flying nearby to land on my palm. It had grown significantly from the original size because of the mana it had accumulated and now the average size of a mosquito was about a normal bee.


    I focused on the mosquito on my palm and felt its tiny core. The image of the mosquito then entered my mind. First, I modified its proboscis so it could directly suck mana instead of blood or nectar and had enough strength to penetrate even a hard shell. Next, I enlarged its body size a bit, twice of the current size, so it could collect more mana. After that, I created a special room in its abdomen to store the collected mana. Lastly, I strengthen its wings so it could fly faster, higher and further.


    The cost was all covered by its already accumulated mana and I paid nothing. Satisfied with the result, I released my concentration grip at its core. It began to shed its skin on my palm right away.


    *Ding!*


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Requirements meet. New race is acquired!</td></tr><tr><td>You have successfully created Mana-sucker race from Mosquitoes.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    *Ding!*


    <table><tbody><tr><td>With your intervention, {Mosquito} has evolved into {Mana-sucker}.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I let the mosquito flew towards a portal to the first room I had opened to fulfil its new role. Not long after, I sensed many of the mosquitoes evolved into the new mana-suckers and also flew towards the outside world. I couldn''t help but to grin with that.


    (I''m a queen bee, waiting for my workers to bring me honey~?


    (Well, one problem is solved, all I need to do is wait.


    (Now, since I can''t expand nor play with magic with the limited mana, what should I do?


    (Hmm.


    (Right, if this is a Real-Time Strategy game, the next essential step is uncovering the map.


    (I need to learn the strategic locations like resource sites, enemy bases and advantageous terrains.


    (Like [Firzoa]. I only know the town is in the same side of the mountain, but not sure where exactly.


    (If only I have a satellite view...


    (Nah, I doubt I''ll ever be able to build such a complex structure.


    (So, the option left is, uh... Surveillance planes?


    (Ah, I should be able to modify one of my creatures for surveillance purpose.


    (They should be able to send me feedback through the link too.


    (Let see...)


    Once again I browsed my animal list, before choosing the flies this time. I thought, with their compound-eyes, they should be able to perceive more things and become excellent surveyors.


    I sensed a nearby fly and ordered it to come to my palm. Feeling the core, the image of the fly entering my mind. Their eyes were different than human eyes, able to see 360 degrees and thousand images and various light spectrums simultaneously. The low resolution images shouldn¡¯t be a problem with that many images altogether. However, the race¡¯s short sight would need a fix.


    First for the eyes, not only enlarged their proportion to two fifth of the body, I also changed their structures into what was called schizochroal eyes. They no longer had as many ommatidia but in return each of them were now a simple eye, therefore they wouldn¡¯t have problem to focus on object at varying distances.


    Second, I enlarged and strengthen the body as a whole. I also extended the abdomen a little to balance the extra weight on its head after what I¡¯ve done to the eyes.


    The wings and brains received a special treatment as well since I would need them to explore as far as possible and process various informations.


    In addition, I installed an organ to produce a smokescreen in case they needed to shake off predators.


    Like with the mosquito earlier, the mana accumulated in its core was enough to cover all the evolution expense. The older generations of the insects had gathered considerable amount of mana. Yet, because they hadn''t met any evolution requirement, they had been stucked in the same albeit bigger form. That was where an intervention was needed.


    I ended the mental connection to the core and soon after a small-bird-size fly came out from the shed skin on my palm.


    *Ding!*


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Requirements meet. New race is acquired!</td></tr><tr><td>You have successfully created Spy Fly race from Flies.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    *Ding!*


    <table><tbody><tr><td>With your intervention, {Fly} has evolved into {Spy Fly}.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I opened another portal to the first room and had the fly out. To my delight, the other flies begun to evolve one after another too. I gave them a specific order to find animal nests through our link, along with scouting the surrounding area. Some stronger animals could be a good addition for my dungeon, like wolves or bears. Oh, snakes and lizards too, for the sake of my future dragons.


    Dragons, defined as the strongest creature in almost every fantasy literatures and games, of course I wanted them. Between the snake-like eastern dragons and lizard-like western dragons, I wanted both if possible. However, unless I figured a way to make the snake-like dragons flew without wings, I probably had to be satisfied with the western dragons alone.


    Anyway, catching alive was harder than killing, therefore I would need some preparations. Fortunately, I already had a type of spider monster, their thread should be useful for the purpose.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    I filtered amongst my thirty four lesser tyrantulas I currently had and found one had stood out accumulated mana compared to others. Wondering if I hit another jackpot with a variant, I opened a portal to where the concerned lesser tyrantula was. Only to see a battle underway. One versus four, a lesser tyrantula against four fierce rats.


    When I thought the lesser tyrantula was going to be massacred, one of the fierce rats actually get caught by a sticky thread and fell. The spider with a body diameter about thirty centimeters long made use of the fallen rat to block other rats movement and escaped.


    It climbed a wall while releasing a thin sticky thread trail, which one of its pursuer carelessly stepped on it. The lesser tyrantula suddenly turned around and swung a thick thread like a whip to another fierce rat pursuer, which easily evaded it.


    However, it evaded it to the side where its glued brethren was, causing both to be sticked together. Before they could even struggle, the lesser tyrantula already showered them with another sticky threads. The last fierce rat was also shot down with a sticky thread when it tried to run away. It was a complete victory for the spider.


    Finally realizing my presence, it stopped and turned at me with all of its eight eyes. ¡°Nevermind me, you can continue to collect your prizes,¡± I told.


    It obediently continued by injecting poison to each of the captured rats one after another, until they stopped moving. After that, it wrapped them like cocoons and dragged them back to its cobweb near the ceiling, before started to feast itself with them.


    I decided to wait it finished its meal because I had fallen in love with the beast. I wanted it to participate in my first hunting game.


    While waiting, I checked the dungeon overview and saw my mana points had increased. The number rose by 1 mana points every time a mana-sucker returned and released the collected mana into the air, which then absorbed by the dungeon. I was sure the number would increase as the mana-suckers grew larger.


    I considered the possible bad effect to the surrounding area if I kept on sucking their life energies, but then decided to worry later. For the time being, increasing my mana points and survivability were my primary objective.


    Through the link I also found an imaginary map. The dungeon entrance was at the center and a small area around the entrance was shown, indicating the area that had been explored by the spy flies. It was steadily expanding even now.


    (Funny. According to the map, the rocky hill where the dungeon entrance located wasn¡¯t that big. Does it mean, no matter how much the dungeon grow, it won¡¯t affect the outside? Like, in a separate dimension?


    (Oh, I can zoom in too? This isn''t so different with satellite view, is it?


    (... Ah! There are moving animals too.


    (Let see¡­ squirrels, small birds, beatles... Uh, is this all?


    (Wait, under that log, is that... Yup! There you are, mister lizard.


    (Hey, spy flies, don''t lose sight on that one, you hear me?)


    Something tugging my leg, which turned out to be the lesser tyrantula. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re finished?¡± I asked. ¡°Good. I want you to help me catch several animals, okay? Come,¡± I told. It hopped to my stretching arm and climbed up to my shoulder.


    I opened a portal to a room of gi-ants¡¯ nest. ¡°Some of you, come with me,¡± I ordered and opened another portal to the first room. I crossed to the now empty room with my giant ants army and stepped outside for the first time since I came to this dungeon days ago.


    Following my spies'' direction, I went straight to the lizard. It was probably sensing a danger as it tried to run away. However, since it had been monitored closely by my aerial spies, it couldn''t escape.


    I had my gi-ants spread and encircled the lizard. As the encirclement tightened, it was forced to run towards me and became easy target for my little spidey''s sticky thread. I quickly dominated its mind.


    ¡°Got ya!¡±


    *Ding!*


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Requirements meet. New kind is acquired!</td></tr><tr><td>You have successfully captured a Lizard.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I had my new lizard to return by itself to the dungeon and made a clear order to every single creature in the dungeon that they weren''t allowed to harm it.


    ¡°Find other lizards as well, I need more to start breeding them,¡± I ordered the flying spy flies above.


    (Let see¡­ What else is there in the map?


    (Oh, something is marked with dot? What is it?


    (Hmm, a rabbit burrow?


    (Ah, there''re different color dots as well?


    (Trees of koalas... Mouse deers¡¯...


    (I see, they¡¯re the animal nests I told specifically to search.


    (But to think all of them turn out to be useless herbivores.


    (I¡¯ve no use of those unless they¡¯re as strong as elephants or bulls.


    (Wait, I take back what I said.


    (The big dots in the south... It¡¯s a monkey territory, isn¡¯t it?


    (Fast and smart. Even though they¡¯re small, I can make use of these herbivores.)


    Thus we marched to conquer the monkey kingdom in the southern forest with the spy flies lead. On our way we captured another lizard, killed several boars and rabbits -and had my army feast on them, and also converted a tiger before finally arrived at the monkey¡¯s territory.


    Since the tiger was by far the strongest animal in my possession and a too valuable of warforce, I didn¡¯t wait until next generation to have core. I personally created one and put in it right after I had converted it.


    The monkeys conquest went well. We let none escape, although several gi-ants were fallen in the process. They as well as the dead monkeys became fodder to my army.


    I had half of the new converted monkeys returned to the dungeon while the other half joined our conquest further southwards, to a newfound wolf den.


    I spent two and half days conquering the south, converting animals I thought useful while turning the others into my army¡¯s stomach filler, using the time when they were eating to return to dungeon view and prepare nests for my new animals.


    We were about to challenge the first humanoid creatures¡¯ village we found, the goblins, when my spy flies sent me an emergency alert.


    A party of seven adventurers was heading my dungeon from the east. It was no joke. Not only there were more than twice adventurers than Rowd¡¯s company, but they also brought a priest with them.


    (Uh, life as a dungeon sure is rough, isn¡¯t it?


    (To think my base will be attacked when I¡¯m away.


    (And I¡¯m supposed to be a still new dungeon too at this time, am I not?


    (How do those high-rank dungeon even able to survive their early days with this kind of continuous attack, I wonder.


    (No, it¡¯s possible that the party is just passing through.


    (Anyway, I need to return now. Even though I mayn¡¯t be able to arrive before them.)


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''2''>Dungeon Overview</td></tr><tr><td>Dungeon Type</td><td>Cave</td></tr><tr><td>Levels</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>Rooms</td><td>31</td></tr><tr><td>Biological Types</td><td>29</td></tr><tr><td>Non-biological Types</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td>Drops Types</td><td>5</td></tr><tr><td>Dungeon Skills</td><td>5</td></tr><tr><td>Titles</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>Mana Points</td><td>2,944</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''3''>Biological Types</td></tr><tr><td>Plants (2)</td><td>#N/A</td><td>Ferns, Mosses</td></tr><tr><td>Animals (17)</td><td>#N/A</td><td>Ants, Bats, Centipedes, Cockroaches, Flies, Frogs, Lizards, Monkeys, Mosquitoes, Moths, Rats, Snails, Snakes, Spiders, Tigers, Wildcats, Wolves</td></tr><tr><td>Monsters (10)</td><td>#N/A


    Ants


    Bats


    Flies


    Frogs


    Golems


    Mosquitoes


    Rats


    Snails


    Spiders</td><td>Golems


    Gi-Ants


    Great Bats


    Spy Flies


    Poison-spitter Frogs


    Fighter Golems


    Mana-suckers


    Fierce Rats


    Rock-shelled Snails


    Lesser Tyrantulas</td></tr></tbody></table>

 10. Deal!

    (Uh... I wish I can use the <Dungeon Gate> now.


    (Is there a way to make the forest treated as a part of the dungeon?


    (Should I start learning <Space Magic> instead?)


    I kept on running while thinking on how inconvenient it was to return to the dungeon by running. I guessed I had somewhat gotten too used with the <Dungeon Gate>. However, it would be troublesome if an enemy could use <Transfer> and instantly arrived at the dungeon entrance while I was away like now. I needed to figure a way to solve this problem sooner or later.


    Between enlarging the tiger so I could ride it without disrupting its run and running by myself with <Body Strengthening>, I chose the later for mana efficiency reason. Even though the former was cooler, a mere two days worth of accumulated mana hadn¡¯t been enough to modify its large body unlike the tiny bugs and I would ended up paying quite amount of mana. Which I think wasn¡¯t wise for the moment.


    It was the same for changing my Dungeon Lord race. Since I didn''t have a thing like an accumulated mana, my mana was the dungeon''s mana points and any modification to my body would cost me a lot compared to the basic <Body Strengthening>. Thus it left me with running by myself, which wasn''t too bad, except it was troublesome.


    Accompanying me was the also running tiger at my side and the lesser tyrantula on my shoulder, while the rest of my army were following at a slower pace. I was hesitated at first, whether to bring them home or to let them stayed for when we continued our campaign later. But then I decided, a seven adventurers was no joke, after all. Therefore, I had them following from behind for in case I need a surprise party.


    (Just a little more...)


    Once again I rechecked the party''s position through our map link.


    (Uwaah, they''ve reached dungeon entrance already?


    (Even if I try to think positively that they''re just passing through, they''ll realize the dungeon existence at that distance, won''t they?


    (Not good.


    (...?


    (¡­ Why do they stop? They''re not going to enter?


    (The armored woman with a big shield, clearly a defender, is she shouting something?


    (...


    (¡­ Shouting again?


    (Ah, I need to add a microphone function to the spy flies later.


    (Great, another homework.


    (Anyway, I should be able to hear her very soon.)


    Afterwards, I could hazily hear the voices. There were more than one person talking and they became clearer as I got closer to the sources.


    ¡°EXCUSE US! WE SEEK AUDIENCE WITH DUNGEON MASTER ARZ!¡±


    ¡°This is so stupid.¡±


    ¡°EXCUSE US! WE SEEK AUDIENCE WITH DUNGEON MASTER ARZ!¡±


    ¡°... Let''s just raid the dungeon. We can find and drag this Arz guy out forcefully.¡±


    ¡°Silent, Orga. We''re here for a mission.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Crystela, but I agree with Orga. We shouldn''t waste too much time here.¡±


    ¡°EXCUSE US! WE SEEK AUDIENCE WITH DUNGEON MASTER ARZ!¡±


    ¡°Oy! Listen to us.¡±


    ¡°Five minutes. If we still have no respo-¡±


    ¡°ROOAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRR!¡±


    After I had the tiger announced my arrival, I appeared from behind the trees following the tiger that opened up my path. The adventurers were all facing us with serious face and had their hands ready on their respective weapons.


    As the tiger move to the side, I greeted, ¡°Good afternoon. I¡¯m Arz. What honor do I owe for this visit, adventurers?¡±


    ¡°You are... Arz?¡± the blonde woman, the one who was shouting before, dumbfounded.


    ¡°See...? That''s why I said this is stupid. Have you ever heard a dungeon lord being outside a dungeon?¡± the big man with a battle-axe on his back said.


    The blonde glared at him. "There were rare occasions when a dungeon raiding nearby villages, sometimes the dungeon lord could be seen among the raiders," she retorted.


    ¡°Oh, right. But you can see, this weak-looking human can¡¯t be farther than a dungeon lord image, don''t you think?¡± the axe-man insisted.


    ¡°Silent, Orga,¡± she scolded. ¡°My apologize, but can you prove your claim as the Dungeon Master Arz?¡± she asked me.


    ¡°Why should I? Who¡¯re you, anyway?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, we haven¡¯t introduced ourselves, have we? We¡¯re adventurers belonged to Fantastica guild, here for a mission given by Miss Alveria,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Ah, Alv sent you? Very well, come here,¡± I led them to enter my dungeon.


    The axe-guy Orga tried to intimidate me when I passed over him, by deliberately blocking my way with his big build and showing his yellowish teeth. Which I ignored, obviously. To get provoked by a stupid man would mean I was in the same league with him.


    However, the little guy on my shoulder didn¡¯t agree. It took the provocation and shot its thread to the smirking mouth, effectively closed the lips together.


    ¡°Mm- mm-¡±


    He frantically tried to release the thread and finally succeed. ¡°Bleagh,¡± he spit the remained thread. From the corner of my eyes I could see the priest chuckled, but then the mage nudged her arm and she tried her best to hold back. Nevertheless, the scene had enlarged Orga.


    ¡°YOU! YOU DARE TO ATTACK ME?! GUYS, HE ATTACKED ME!¡±


    ¡°This way, please,¡± I told the defender.


    ¡°BASTARD, DON''T IGNORE ME!¡±


    He pulled his axe and swung it while yelling, ¡°DIE!!¡±


    I used <Mind-disturber> and easily evaded with a side step. In the next moment, the tiger already jumped and bit his neck. Simultaneously, a healing ray descended, preventing the axe-warrior from an instant death.


    The defender moved fast. She threw her big shield to the tiger, forcing it to jump backwards and release its prey. The shield returned to its owner afterwards in a parabolic course.


    ¡°Stop!¡± she said. But it was too late as everyone had begun to move.


    The archer rapidly shot his arrows at the tiger and I had to raise an earth wall to hamper them. He then changed his target to the dozens of fierce rats that came from the dungeon. Two arrows were able to find their targets, but the third one missed by far as archer¡¯s focus was disrupted and he lost his balance.


    ¡°Watch out,¡± the mage pulled him, barely avoided a fatal impale but not without a serious wound. His left arm was bleeding heavily from an earth spike.


    ¡°<Golem>.¡± ¡°<Morpher>.¡±


    The mage called her water guardians at the same time with me calling the earth guardians. Two golems and three morphers were facing each other.


    ¡°Stop, we¡¯re not here for this!¡± the defender exclaimed as she parried a fierce rat¡¯s charge. ¡°<Earthshaker>!¡± she said and thrusted her chest-height shield''s pointed shape to ground, causing a small earthquake with her as the center.


    It was enough to put everyone¡¯s action to stop. The buckler-swordsman and the tiger that circling each other, the fierce rats that mobbing the defender-girl, the mage with several floating ice spears around her, the golems and the morphers, the laying archer, even the fierce rats that dragging the wrapped-in-a-cocoon axe-warrior into the dungeon. Everyone, except two.


    "Help! I can''t keep up with Orga''s health!" the priest desperately casted healing rays in rapid succession on the axe-warrior.


    The blonde defender looked directly to my eyes and said, "Please. For the sake of the future friendship between you and our guild."


    I understood. Once I killed the Orga guy, there would be no return. I had killed three of their members before. If I killed a member of their envoy, Fantastica would probably started to hunt me seriously. Even though it was their member who started the mess. And I doubt even Alv''s could help me by then.


    (Ah, to begin with, since when did I think killing is okay?


    (And to think relying on a girl to save me would even cross my mind, I''m ashamed on myself.


    (I should be the one who save her, not the other way.


    (Alright.


    (Hey, spidey, release him.)


    I ordered the second one that still in action. The lesser tyrantula then stopped injecting its poison and withdrew its fang with my order, before crawling back to my shoulder.


    "Thank you," the defender said.


    Once the lesser tyrantula got away from Orga, one of the morphers splashed and slided. It returned to its form beside him, except one of its hand now in a solid sharp ice. Which easily sliced open the thread cocoon, showing the convulsive person inside with a blood spraying neck.


    The morpher touched the wound with its water hand and the hand morphed into ice, stopping the bleed. "I''ve closed the wound," the mage said.


    The priest''s face became relieved, but she still sent the healing rays relentlessly.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    The buckler-swordsman sheathed his sword and run toward the laying axe-warrior, before he took out an antidote vial. "Here, drink this," he forced the liquid to the mouth. Not long after, color began to return to the face.


    I watched these all while counting my lost, three fierce rats got done by ice spears and one by arrows. I had the rest of the fierce rats to return inside the dungeon while taking the casualties. I also called the two golems, giving them cores, before let them followed the rats inside.


    "I guess that should be more than enough for proof. Shall we continue our talk, Dungeon Master Arz?" the defender spoke.


    I invited her with my gesture and led the way entering the first room. Not everyone followed, though. The priest, the buckler-swordsman and a morpher were staying to tend the still injured axe-warrior and archer.


    Turning to one corner, I created a round table with four chairs of stone around it with <Earth Element Manipulation>.


    "Wow. You have great precision," the mage complimented as she inspected my works.


    "Please have a seat," I said and took a seat on the stone chair myself.


    But the mage didn''t sit, only the defender who sat across me and the... girl with cat ears, who sat on the chair between me and the defender.


    (Is she with us from the start? I didn''t realize. She didn''t move much in the battle earlier, did she?)


    "Before we start, do you know why we come here?" the defender asked.


    I nodded. "I can guess. Alv was so enthusiast about using the dungeon as a training ground," I answered.


    She nodded in return. "That''s right. Then, I will begin," the defender said. "I''m Adventurer Crystela of Fantastica guild. With the right given by Executive Alveria, I will now represent my guild to negotiate with Dungeon Master Arz for the usage of his dungeon by our guild''s members."


    "I''m Dungeon Master Arz. I recognize Adventurer Crystela as the representative of Fantastica to negotiate with me," I replied.


    "I''m Administrator Pristina of Adventurer Admin Office. I''m here as the witness of the negotiation between the Representative Crystela of Fantastica and Dungeon Master Arz," the cat-girl said.


    (Oh, she''s from the Adventurer Admin Office? No wonder she tried to be neutral in the earlier battle.)


    Crystela took out a parchment, an inkwell, a quill and a light orb from her magical storage bag and put them on the stone table. She lit the orb and readied her writing tools, before returned her focus to me.


    ¡°I thought you adventurers prefer not using a light orb in a dungeon?¡± I asked.


    She smiled, ¡°Normally, yes. It will be bad if the light orb was hit or destroyed in the middle of a fight while our eyes are used to the brightness. But we¡¯re not going to fight this time, so it¡¯s better to have more light.¡±


    ¡°I see. So that¡¯s the reason.¡±


    ¡°Now. We of Fantastica wish to use the dungeon as a training ground for our members and to get a guarantee that nothing will endanger their lives.¡±


    ¡°I can take care of it, my creatures will knock your members out instead. However, I want everyone that use the dungeon to pay an entry ticket with their mana first.¡±


    Like that, we continued our negotiation in details. After about an hour, she read out loud the rules we have agreed upon. By the time, the four members outside had joined us minus the morpher, which had dissolved after it finished its role.


    ==============================


    Agreement Between Fantastica Guild And Dungeon Master Arz.


    <ol type="$type"></li>


    <li>Fantastica is allowed to use the dungeon for training ground in return of protection of the dungeon heart.</li>


    <li>Every Fantastica¡¯s member who want to use the dungeon must pay a mana tribute to Dungeon Master Arz before entering. In return, they will be guaranteed that no fatalities will happen to them while within the dungeon and they will only be knocked-out instead.</li>


    <li>Every knocked-out members will have their mana drained and a weapon/equipment/item will be taken from them, before they are forced to leave the dungeon.</li>


    <li>One tribute is valid for one entry. If a member leaves the dungeon after entering, either by own will or by force, they will need to pay again before reentering.</li>


    <li>The members can use the dungeon without paying the tribute at their own risk.</li>


    <li>Dungeon Master Arz will arrange a drops system, which every dead creature may leave behind a part of their bodies. The rest of the bodies will be absorbed by the dungeon.</li>


    <li>Dungeon Master Arz will prepare a prize for members who are able to clear the last room of each level.</li>


    <li>Only 1 level is available for training at the moment, but it will increase over time.</li>


    <li>Members will be able to get their taken weapon/equipment/item back if they pay a certain amount of mana. The better the weapon/equipment/item, the higher the price will be.</li>


    <li>To prevent extinction of any creature, they will withdraw from a fight with a notice once they are reduced to a certain numbers. Members are not allowed to chase the withdrawing creatures.</li>


    <li>Any change/additional rule may be added in the future with consent from both parties.


    </li></ol>


    First party:


    Fantastica Guild, represented by Crystela with permission from Executive Alveria


    Second party:


    Dungeon Master Arz


    Witness:


    Administrator Pristina of Adventurers Admin Office of [Jowsar] branch


    ==============================


    "That''s all. So, do we have deal?" Crystela asked.


    I stood up and shook her hand, "Deal!"


    "The agreement has been officially acknowledged by the Adventurer Admin Office. Adventurers that not affiliated with Fantastica will have to ask your guild permission first or receive a sanction from us," Administrator Pristina said.


    "Congratulation, Fantastica. You have made a new breakthrough with this agreement. And Dungeon Master Arz, although I don''t really understand your situation, I hope more of your kind will appear in the future. Once again, congratulation to both of you. Now, if you excuse me, I need to return to the office to submit the agreement and spread it to other Adventurers Admin Office branches," she added.


    "Then our member will escort you back to [Jowsar]. Gora!" Crystela called the buckler-swordsman.


    "No need," Pristina refused. "I have a return ring with me," she said.


    We walked Pristina to outside the dungeon before she could activate a <Transfer> with her ring. A magic circle appeared under her feets and began to glow brightly. When it faded, she was nowhere to be seen.


    I envied her, I wished I had one of those ring to return to the dungeon anytime. Let''s hope I could get one from a Fantastica member that would be training here.


    "I almost forgot, miss Alveria told me to give this letter to you. She said sorry she couldn''t come in person," Crystela took a sealed parchment from her bag and gave it to me.


    (Ah, that''s right. How is she doing? Since she sent them to negotiate, she must be busy. I wonder what did father said to her when she explained about the poison.)


    I took the letter and opened it.


    ==============================


    My beloved Arz, how are you?


    First, sorry I haven''t given uncle Mahza the antidote yet. It seems he has never returned to your house after meeting Rowd and company.


    I then decided to go to [Jowsar] and used our guild''s network to search for him, hopefully we can get some good news soon.


    I also arranged a B-rank party to negotiate the detail contract for the training ground we had talked before. Let them experience your dungeon''s capability before you send them home, okay?


    Lastly, I''m sorry I can''t come in person. The annual meeting for executive members will be held ahead of the original schedule, so I need to go.


    I don''t know, it''s probably has something to do escalating tension at the border. You know, Fantastica has an agreement with the kingdom. We have received their support all this time, but we will need to help if a war break out.


    Anyway, don''t worry, it''s not like the war will break right away. Besides, you know how strong I am, right? And I have the gun with me too. You won''t believe how much I have gotten better with the gun.


    Okay, that''s all. I will visit once the meeting is over.


    Your love,


    Alveria


    ==============================


    (Wait, father hasn''t returned home yet? What''s going on? You''re not dead yet, aren''t you, father?)

 11. Im ready

    *Ding!*


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Requirements meet. New title is acquired!</td></tr><tr><td>You are now known as ¡®Pet Dungeon of Fantastica.¡¯</td></tr></tbody></table>


    (I, what!?)


    *Ding!*


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''2''>¡¯Pet Dungeon of Fantastica¡¯</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>A dungeon that allows itself to be a pet of the Adventurer Guild Fantastica.</td></tr><tr><td>Effect</td><td>A protection from the master, as long as the dungeon serves the master obediently.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    (!! Hey, who wrote this description!? I¡¯m not a pet, you know! I give service and they pay me, it''s is a fair trade!)


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Dungeon Master Arz?¡± Crystela asked.


    ¡°... Nothing,¡± I scratched my head. ¡°Anyway, isn¡¯t it inconvenient to call me with such long name? You can call me Arz instead,¡± I said.


    ¡°... No, that would be too disrespectful. I will call you Master Arz, then,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Suit yourself,¡± I answered with a colder tone than I intended.


    (Ah, I need to overcome this bad mood.)


    I took a deep breath, hold it for a moment in my chest and then released it slowly from mouth to calm myself. I put on a smile and changed the topic. ¡°By the way, I only know Crystela''s name, can I have the others too? Also, the letter mentioned you being a B-rank party?¡± I asked.


    ¡°That''s right. We haven¡¯t introduced ourselves, have we? I am Crystela, as you already know. This is our mage and my vice, Tsalja. Beside her is our healer, Sister Linia. The big one over there is Orga, as you probably already know too. And the twins sitting next to each other are Gora and Gara. We are known as Jowsar-Star, the strongest B-rank adventurer party in [Jowsar],¡± she said proudly.


    Everyone gave a nod and a confident smile as she introduced them. Except Orga, that guy was hostile as ever. I wondered if he had a personal problem with me or something.


    ¡°I see. Welcome to my dungeon, Jowsar-Star. Since you, a B-rank party, is sent, does it mean my dungeon is considered a B-rank?¡± I asked.


    Crystela looked at Tsalja to seek for her opinion before answering. After the mage nodded, she said, ¡°Actually, it is one of our tasks to properly evaluate your danger level. According to Miss Alveria, you have eleven rooms in total. So, by size, you are barely surpass the E-rank new dungeon. By monsters, your fierce rats and great bats are also considered D-rank monsters.¡±


    She took a small break before continued. ¡°However, your consciousness is very strong. It is something that can only be found in A-rank dungeon or above. Thus, it should be somewhere between C or B-rank. We will assume your dungeon as a B-rank until we finish evaluating the real danger level,¡± she remarked.


    I nodded, ¡°I understand. You''re going to try out my dungeon, right? Can you wait a moment? I need to set several things according to our agreement.¡±


    ¡°Please take all the time you need, Master Arz,¡± she replied.


    I thought for a moment. Since it was a mutual consent, I should be able to absorb their mana just like with Alv and the creatures should be able to recognize them too. No problem with that. However, it was troublesome if I had to personally absorb every adventurer, especially if the numbers kept on increasing.


    (Is there a way to absorb their mana automatically?


    (Hmm.


    (Absorbing mana... The mana-suckers do that.


    (How did I create the mana-suckers, again?


    (By modifying their proboscis, via the core.


    (!! Of course, the core!


    (I should be able to modify even a stone panel if it had a core.


    (This should work. Let see¡­)


    I raised the earth in the center of the first room and created a stone pedestal similar to the one before the last room door. Except this one had a smooth surface instead and the writing told the adventurers to put their hands on the pedestal in order to pay the mana tribute.


    I also made a small stone monument beside the pedestal, with the content of agreement between Fantastica and me engraved on it.


    *Whistle*


    ¡°You know, no matter how many times I see it, your work with <Earth Elemental Magic> is amazing. How did you achieve such high precision? I''ve never seen one like this in my long career as an adventurer,¡± Tsalja the mage complimented.


    I turned to her. ¡°Thanks. You said that too before, but aren¡¯t you exaggerating? I¡¯m sure there are plenty of earth elemental user who can do this much, aren¡¯t there?¡± I said while creating a core and walking towards the pedestal.


    ¡°Are you kidding?¡± she raised her brows. ¡°No, for god sake. The high-ranked elemental-mages I¡¯ve met so far were all using wide area magic with devastating effect, none like yours. ...By the way, that thing in your hand, is it the same thing you put in your two golems earlier?¡± she asked.


    ¡°You¡¯ve keen eyes,¡± I smiled while putting the core on the pedestal and let it be absorbed. Touching the panel with my hand, I could feel the core and soon the image of the pedestal entered my mind.


    I then set the parameters. The pedestal would start sucking mana whenever someone put their hand on it, but only if their mana at least eighty percent of their full capacity. This way I wouldn''t get cheated and get less than I deserved.


    ¡°Done. You can pay your mana tribute using the pedestal now,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll set the drops system in the meantime,¡± I told as I went towards a wall. I sat down with crossing legs and returned to my dungeon view.


    (Let see¡­ How do I set automatic drops? ...Like this? Oh, it¡¯s easier than I thought.)


    Now every creatures that died by adventurers might leave behind a part of their bodies at twenty-five percent rates. They could be anything, from tails, skins, fangs, wings, legs, claws, shells, meats, silk threads and etcetera. Afterwards, the dungeon would absorb the rest of the bodies automatically.


    I realized that there was a possible problem, however. If there were adventurers who refused to pay mana tribute, then they would be considered as outsiders and I wouldn¡¯t be able to absorb the bodies around them. It couldn''t be helped that such people would appear sooner or later, but I need to prepare a counter-measure to limit their numbers.


    (I need to set an example by giving a severe punishment.


    (But how? By making them the target priorities?


    (Hmm. What if other adventurers help them?


    (That¡¯s not impossible, they¡¯re guildmates after all.


    (Then, isn¡¯t it possible to exploit it further?


    (By purposely making the high-defense warriors not pay the tribute and therefore pulling all the aggro...


    (Not good.


    (I need a special unit that can punish them before others can interfere.


    (A unit that''s far superior than other creatures and the adventurers.


    (It¡¯s okay if the superiority only in regard of attack and the unit perishes afterwards.


    (Therefore, a punitive unit that focuses on dealing damage and ignoring defense.


    (Let see¡­ My choices are¡­


    (Berserker types for melee. As for range, there are archers, mages and¡­ gunners?


    (Of course, the gun!


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    (Monkeys or golems should be able to use the weapon!


    (However, it¡¯s probably better to create assault or sniper rifle than the handgun like the one I gave to Alv.


    (Alright, it¡¯s decided then.


    (I still need a lot of research on how to make automatic firing, though.


    (Well, there should be still some times until the first troublesome adventurers appear.)


    With the solution in mind, I turned my attention to the next task, which was preparing a prize in the last room. I scanned through the list of items available for me to replicate, which is the items I had absorbed and converted before. Soon enough, my search stopped at the gold coin.


    I almost couldn¡¯t believe what I saw, each gold coin cost me only 1 mana point to spawn. It was funny on how humans and dungeons value things differently. Nevertheless, it was good for me.


    Still, I wondered if I should start to produce more gold and use them to buy magical items in human town. Surely, I could gain profit in mana and the item list could expand.


    (Well, first thing first. Let¡¯s spawn 500 gold coins for now, that amount should be enough to feed a village for a whole year.)


    Light particles began to gather in the middle of the last room as the 500 mana points were leaving me. They materialized into a pile of gold coins with a lot of clinking sound. I didn''t put them into a box or anything as I wanted them to become a distracter for my last trap later.


    Satisfied with the result, I returned my consciousness to the Dungeon Lord. I opened my eyes only to see six pale adventurers breathed heavily. Some of them were resting on the wall while the others were sitting or lying on the floor. Tsalja the mage and Linia the priest seemed to experience the worst.


    ¡°You guys okay?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Not... at all. To think mana depletion is this bad,¡± Crystela answered with a low voice, almost mumbling.


    ¡°Haaa¡­ haaa¡­ remind me of my training days under master Maa¡¯,¡± Tsalja panted as she lay in a suggestive manner.


    Meanwhile Linia looked about to cry but somehow had no strength to do so, Orga glared at me with weak eyes and the twins lay with their eyes closed.


    ¡°Take your time. I¡¯ve finished the drops and prize setup, by the way. Just to let you know,¡± I said.


    I checked my mana. Excluding the ones from the mana-suckers, it had increased almost 3,000 points. As expected, both magic users Tsalja and Linia gave even more mana than the A-rank Alv did.


    I then stood up and walked to a corner, where I created another stone pedestal. It was the last thing I needed to prepare before I was ready to welcome my customers. I provided it with a new core and felt the image entering my mind.


    This one would have different function than the other pedestal. Anyone touching the surface panel would have a restricted access to my consciousness, to the absorbed items, and could rematerialize any of selected items from the list with a cost of mana.


    I set the mana cost to be ten percent higher than the amount I would get if I chose to convert the items. I also set a three days limit before the items be converted into mana. This way, not only I might gain profit but also a guarantee that I wouldn¡¯t lose.


    Considering the possibility of a magical item being valued higher than the owner¡¯s mana capacity, thus the owner could never afford buying it back, I thought of a measure for such owner to accumulate mana first.


    I put a core into a baby-fist size stone, renamed it as mana-accumulating stone and let the dungeon absorbed it afterwards. Then I touched the panel and found the stone was there, as the only purchase available item at the moment.


    Once again, I modified the pedestal by making the stone permanently shown, fixing the cost at 15 mana points and regulating it to materialize a replicate instead of the original stone when the item was selected.


    ¡°Okay, all set. I¡¯m ready anytime,¡± I announced.


    However, someone peeking from the entrance easily grabbed my interest, especially since I didn¡¯t notice him earlier. ¡°Yes? Can I help you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯m looking for a man named Arz. Are you him?¡± he replied, causing everyone to look at the entrance.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you Sid from intelligent division? What are you doing here?¡± Gara the archer said.


    ¡°Gara, right? I¡¯m here to deliver a message,¡± he replied.


    ¡°I¡¯m Arz.¡±


    ¡°Good. Lady Alveria said to search for a certain man and report the progress periodically to you. Do you want to hear in private?¡±


    ¡°No, I think here is fine.¡±


    He nodded, ¡°Someone that fit the description of the mage Mahza was seen entering [Firzoa] eight days ago, at afternoon. However, he already left the town before dawn on the next day. Unfortunately, this is all we can gather for now. We have no knowledge of what he was doing inside the town or where he was going. Yet.¡±


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Tsalja cut. ¡°By Mahza, do you mean the eccentric, self proclaimed best soul-mage master, who secludes himself in [Rahziel] to pursue immortality? Why are you looking for him?¡± she turned my way.


    ¡°You know about him, Tsalja?¡± Crystela asked.


    ¡°He is well known among mages¡­ not really in a good way, though,¡± Tsalja answered.


    ¡°I know about him too,¡± Linia said. ¡°Father Jaa often uses his name to scare the misbehave children.¡±


    (Uwaah, what kind of reputation have you built, father?)


    ¡°That eccentric guy is my father. One of your members poisoned him with <Late Blossom>, so we need to give him an antidote within the one month limit,¡± I said.


    ¡°<Late Blossom>? That¡¯s a nasty one,¡± Crystela furrowed her brows.


    ¡°Hold on, I¡¯m confused. Your father? You mean you¡¯re not born as a dungeon?¡± Tsalja asked.


    I smiled and shook my head, ¡°No. Me and Alv are childhood friend, you know.¡± I then turned my attention back to the messenger and said, ¡°Sid, was it? Thanks for the information. Please update me as the investigation progresses.¡±


    ¡°Sure. So, is this the training dungeon everyone talks about?¡± he looked around in curious.


    ¡°Everyone talks about it?¡± I inquired.


    ¡°Yes. It has been a hot topic ever since Lady Alveria threw the idea and become a roar after the Adventurer Admin Office officially announced it several hours ago. I¡¯m sure this place will be flooded by our members soon,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Actually, we are about to explore inside. Why don¡¯t you join us, Sid?¡± Crystella invited.


    ¡°Can I? Ah, no. I¡¯m not good at handling monsters. I don¡¯t want to be a hindrance, so I will pass.¡±


    Linia chuckled. ¡°What hindrance? It¡¯s totally safe, guaranteed free of fatality. Isn¡¯t it, Master Arz?¡± she asked. I gave a nod and smile as the reply.


    Orga grabbed Sid¡¯s shoulder from behind and said, ¡°Just put your hand to that pedestal in the center. I must warn you, though. It¡¯s truly an unpleasant feeling.¡±


    ¡°A- alright, I¡¯ll take your offer then. I feel safer if you B lots are around me after all,¡± Sid replied and walked towards the center.


    For me, I was more interested in what Sid said about the training dungeon. For some reasons, it seemed the information spread quickly in a short amount of time


    (How? Do big guilds and the Adventurer Admin Office have a method for a long distance communication that unknown to public?)

 12. Queen...?

    *Ding!*


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Requirements meet. New race is acquired!</td></tr><tr><td>You have successfully created S-Fly race from Spy Flies</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Once the mana left me, hundreds of spy flies that were clinging to me began to shed their skins.


    *Ding!*


    <table><tbody><tr><td>With your intervention, {Spy Flies} have evolved into {S-Flies}.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Earlier, I had realized that my map expansion had stagnated for a while. When I looked for the cause, it turned out most of the spy flies had gone and the survivors were all in bad condition.


    Of course, it was obvious when I thought about it. The mana in the air and foods outside the dungeon weren¡¯t as thick as inside, thus led to their malnutrition and death.


    I then called all the spy flies back to the first room and had them perch on me. Since they were all lacking mana, I decided to upgrade them simultaneously rather than one and wait the rest to follow. It cost me quite a bit but not too much. I wouldn¡¯t worry with the current income rate from the mana-suckers and the coming soon adventurers.


    Feeling their cores, their images came to my mind. First, I added the microphone function by enhancing their hearing. After that, I made the whole body able to absorb mana from their surrounding air. It should be enough to sustain their own life when they were far from the dungeon.


    I named the new race s-flies, with the ¡®s¡¯ stood for satellite, surveillance, spy or something similar. I then overwrote the previous spy flies with the new race, that way the flies would be able to evolve directly into s-flies than the defect spy flies.


    While they were evolving, I opened the map in our link. From where the adventurers came, I estimated the locations of the three closest towns and marked them. I ordered my new race to split and go to the directions, with the majority to [Firzoa] where father was last seen.


    My live wasn¡¯t in immediate danger now after I formed the contract with Fantastica, thus locating and saving father were my priorities. No matter what, I had no intention to let my benefactor suffered or be killed.


    When I thought of it, Fantastica¡¯s network was very efficient. It was barely three days since Alv left. If I counted the time she need to go to [Rahziel] and then to [Jowsar], it should be less than a day since she issued the search order. Yet, their first messenger had already been here. But still, I couldn¡¯t leave everything to their hand without doing anything.


    (Oh right, how are they doing? It has been hours since they went inside.)


    After the s-flies left, I returned to the dungeon view and found my guests just turning back from a dead end. I decided to follow them for a while.


    Overall, they were making a steady progress. Even though I had arranged my creatures to group like an army and employ tactics like pincer attack, wave attack and others making use of the terrain, they were no match for a B-rank party after all. The many dead ends were the only thing that delayed them.


    However, where they headed next was the most dangerous room in the floor, after the boss room. There were thirty-one rooms in total minus the empty first room and four unavailable rooms which were being used to nurture creatures like lizards and snakes. The next room was marking half way of level one, the unlucky thirteenth room.


    (This should be interesting.)


    ¡°Be careful, something is different with this room,¡± Crystela warned her party.


    (Uh, how did she know?)


    With Crystela leading in front, followed by Orga the axe-warrior, Gora the swordsman in the back, and the rest in between Orga and Gora, the seven of them moved with careful into the room. Until the mind-disturber trap activated when they passed the middle.


    ¡°Argh, this cursed headache again!¡± Orga groaned.


    ¡°<Icewalls>,¡± Tsalja reacted fast raising ice walls around them to block the arrows shot from the arrow traps.


    ¡°Incoming bats,¡± Gara said while releasing his own arrows. Most were avoided, though. It was never easy to hit a bat, especially when you couldn¡¯t even focus due to disorientation feeling.


    *Screeeeech*


    The bats¡¯s sound added salt to their headache and forced them to speak loudly when talking to each other.


    ¡°G- guys, a big wave is coming,¡± Sid gulped as he saw golems and wolves were charging, followed by packs of rats and their fierce cousins.


    ¡°<Earthshaker>,¡± Crystela thrust her shield down, creating a small quake that stunned the creatures for a short moment. ¡°Tslaja!¡± she called.


    ¡°I know. <Thousands Ice Spears>,¡± the mage responded by creating countless ice spears and showering the attackers.


    Although the spears killed quite a number of creatures, the golems in front absorbed most of the damages with their high durability. They continue their charging once the stun effect subsided.


    ¡°Tch. <Morpher>,¡± Tsalja called four of the water guardians simultaneously.


    The golems had arrived, with their rock fists they smashed the ice walls into pieces, allowing the rest to breach forward.


    ¡°OOORYAAAA!¡± Orga shouted as he  was slashing his battle-axe towards one of the golems, which parried it with its arm. ¡°ROAAAAR,¡± it returned to his face.


    The morphers¡¯ hands became high-pressure water cannons that put the incoming wave at bay, including the golems. Their elemental advantage made the golems¡¯ toughness less effective.


    Nevertheless, numbers was on my side. Four morphers couldn¡¯t keep every creatures in check. A wolf managed to bite Tsalja¡¯s leg before Gora cut its head. A great bat also able to land a scratch Linia¡¯s neck before Crystela¡¯s shield bashed it. Everyone started to accumulate bruises and cuts.


    ¡°<Arrow Shower>¡± Gara used his skill to shoot numerous arrows that killed many at once, giving a chance to catch a breath.


    Yet, for every one they had killed, ten would come to replace. Although they managed to hold back so far, it was only a matter of time until I gained victory.


    At least that was what I believed, until Tsalja used her big spell. The four morphers turned into a big wave that wiped the field. ¡°<Frost Nova>,¡± she muttered, freezing the water along with everything in the room except the adventurers.


    (That¡¯s¡­ a cheating, right? Uh, she did say about all high-ranked elemental-mages are using wide area devastating magic, though. I guess she isn''t an exception, is she?)


    ¡°You guys okay? Gather here, I¡¯ll heal you all at once¡­ <Life Sanctuary>,¡± Linia casted an area of effect regenerative spell after everyone came closer.


    Meanwhile, Tsalja took out a mana restoration potion and drank it, a proof that <Frost Nova> had drained her mana considerably. She probably had a limit on how many times she could cast the spell in a day.


    (Anyway, I guess that concludes the battle.)


    I decided my maze wouldn¡¯t be able to keep them reaching the last room in the end. Until they met the level boss, the fighter golem Rowd, the battles would be uninteresting. Therefore, I moved my attention to other place,  catching a glimpse of the adventurers slaughtering my frozen creatures.


    My first destination was one of the four enclosed room. Although it was enclosed, they were still connected to the other rooms through the cracks and gaps behind the wall. Small creatures wouldn¡¯t have problem coming in and out of the rooms.


    It was the room where the lizards, my future dragons, had their nest. I specifically designed the room to have higher temperature than the rest, with several never-goes-out bale fires in it, to increase the race¡¯s affinity with fire element.


    The lizards had multiplied in numbers because I always turned the growth and breeding frenzy. They also had increased in size, about thrice their original size. I stayed for a while to watch several lizards hunting the insects and small animals.


    What particularly interested me was the lizard that used a small rock to crack a snail¡¯s shell open, before dragging the poor creature out from its broken home.


    (Ah, did it learn the trick by itself? Is it a common knowledge among them?)


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    I followed other lizards to find the answer, yet it turned out they mostly ignored the snails. I also realized the fact that they were very individual creatures. Several had fallen victims to a wandering rat, which shouldn''t happen if they had band together.


    Through <Memory-implant>, I made the stone usages and the pack hunt knowledge be known to the whole race. The effect was come to sight soon in their hunting method. Satisfied, I left them for now.


    The next destination was the room of the snakes. In contrast with the lizards¡¯ room, this one had lower temperature and a river crossing to raise their affinity with water element. Eastern dragon gods in my previous life were always related to rain and sea, after all.


    Like the lizards, the snakes also had increased in numbers and size. However, I couldn¡¯t find any improvement to do with them. They were already effective and efficient as they were, in my opinion.


    Thus, I changed my attention again to other creatures. It was then I realized that I had gotten a new race from the frogs, called big-eaters. They opened their big mouth and sucked everything inside. Only small things, though.


    Still, I didn¡¯t see how they could be useful against the adventurers. Nevertheless, their hunting method should allow them to accumulate mana faster, so I probably could hope for something in the future.


    Next one was the golem. I went ¡°Woaah,¡± when I first saw the little golems. Well, I did make them a nest before and they were under category of biological, so I should have expected them to have children. It still surprised me when they did, though.


    Other creatures didn¡¯t have noticeable changes. However, for the first time I dove through underground where the gi-ants made their hole. It was a maze by itself. At the end of the long tunnel there was an existence called queen gi-ant.


    (Queen..?)


    Of course, I knew some insects like ants and bees had their queen, but the terminology queen should have different meaning in a dungeon. To confirm, I opened the description of the skill that mentioned the queen.


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''2''><Monster Core></td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>Skill unique to the dungeon master and Queens to create and manipulate core of monsters.</td></tr><tr><td>Rank</td><td>#N/A</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I focused on the word Queens and got further explanation.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Queens</td></tr><tr><td>A special existence second only to dungeon master in the dungeon hierarchy. They are able to create and manipulate core of monsters under their influence.


    Queens can be differentiate into Prime Queens and Race Queens depend on their influential sphere.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    (Oh, race queens? I suppose the queen gi-ant is a race queen, then?)


    I brought my consciousness closer to the queen. If a worker and a soldier gi-ant had about ten and twenty centimeters long body respectively, this queen had at least fifty centimeters long one. Several antennas on its head looked like a crown.


    ¡®Hello,¡¯ I called through our link.


    ¡®Masssteeer¡­,¡¯ it replied. It wasn¡¯t exactly a word, but somehow I understood what it said.


    ¡®How are you and your ants doing?¡¯ I asked.


    ¡®We, well...,¡¯ it answered


    ¡®Good to know. So, I will be straight to the point. Can you use <Monster-core> skill, queen?¡¯


    ¡®¡­¡¯


    ¡®Hmm? What¡¯s that?¡¯


    ¡®¡­ Cannot¡­¡¯


    ¡®You can¡¯t?¡¯ I confused. ¡®Aren¡¯t you a race queen?¡¯


    ¡®With masssteerrr¡­ permission...¡¯


    *Ding!*


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''2''>Queen Gi-Ant asks your permission to become a race queen.


    Do you want to promote her?</td></tr><tr><td>Yes</td><td>No</td></tr></tbody></table>


    (You mean, you¡¯re not a race queen? I see, so they¡¯re two separate beings, after all. Well, I guess there is no harm to get a queen, is there? No, wait.)


    I was about to answer with yes when a disturbing thought suddenly came to my mind.


    ¡®If I promote you, will you able to use dungeon mana as you like?¡¯ I asked.


    ¡®Only if¡­ massteeer¡­ permit,¡¯ she answered.


    ¡®¡­ Alright. But never use the dungeon mana without my consent, understand?¡¯


    ¡®Yesss¡­ masssteerr¡­¡¯


    With that, I agreed and confirmed her promotion. She would be the queen for the ants and their evolution branches. ¡®Good luck with your new job,¡¯ I told.


    She was bowing deeply as I left her chamber. I was sure I would get new races from the queen gi-ants very soon and, hopefully, a performance increase from her race as a whole too.


    My consciousness flew to the door of the last room, where the adventurers had assembled and a new battle was about to break.


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''2''>Dungeon Overview</td></tr><tr><td>Dungeon Type</td><td>Cave</td></tr><tr><td>Levels</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>Rooms</td><td>31</td></tr><tr><td>Biological Types</td><td>30</td></tr><tr><td>Non-biological Types</td><td>4</td></tr><tr><td>Drops Types</td><td>18</td></tr><tr><td>Dungeon Skills</td><td>5</td></tr><tr><td>Titles</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>Mana Points</td><td>6,149</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''3''>Biological Types</td></tr><tr><td>Plants (2)</td><td>#N/A</td><td>Ferns, Mosses</td></tr><tr><td>Animals (17)</td><td>#N/A</td><td>Ants, Bats, Centipedes, Cockroaches, Flies, Frogs, Lizards, Monkeys, Mosquitoes, Moths, Rats, Snails, Snakes, Spiders, Tigers, Wildcats, Wolves</td></tr><tr><td>Monsters (11)</td><td>#N/A


    Ants


    Bats


    Flies


    Frogs


    Golems


    Mosquitoes


    Rats


    Snails


    Spiders</td><td>Golems


    Gi-Ants


    Great Bats


    S-Flies


    Poison-spitter Frogs, Big-eaters


    Fighter Golems


    Mana-suckers


    Fierce Rats


    Rock-shelled Snails


    Lesser Tyrantulas</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''2''>Non-biological Types</td></tr><tr><td>Traps (3)</td><td>Arrow Traps, Mind-disturber Traps, Pitfalls</td></tr><tr><td>Others (1)</td><td>Stone Pedestals</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''2''>Drops Types</td></tr><tr><td>Weapons (1)</td><td>Wind-attributed Broadswords</td></tr><tr><td>Equipments (4)</td><td>Basic Tunics, Basic Trousers, Basic Male-underwears, Traveler Boots</td></tr><tr><td>Body Parts (12)</td><td>Antennas, Claws, Fangs, Furs, Legs, Meats, Scales, Shells, Silk Threads, Skins, Tails, Wings</td></tr><tr><td>Others (1)</td><td>Gold Coins</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''2''>Dungeon Skills</td></tr><tr><td><Dungeon Expansion></td><td>Skill unique to the dungeon master to expand the dungeon.</td></tr><tr><td><Dungeon Gate></td><td>Skill unique to the sentient dungeon creatures to move between locations within the dungeon.</td></tr><tr><td><Elemental Manipulation></td><td>With vast knowledge of nature elements, one can manipulate them at will.</td></tr><tr><td><Monster Core></td><td>Skill unique to the dungeon master and Queens to create and manipulate core of monsters.</td></tr><tr><td><Soul Manipulation></td><td>With vast knowledge of minds and souls, one can manipulate them to some extent.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''2''>Titles</td></tr><tr><td>Pet Dungeon of Fantastica</td><td>A dungeon that allows itself to be a pet of the Adventurer Guild Fantastica.</td></tr></tbody></table>

 Desperate father 1

    ¡°Hey, look at what I¡¯m bringing,¡± the short man with a dagger on his waist waved his right hand to his two companions sitting around a campfire. His other hand was holding the animal on his shoulder so it wouldn¡¯t slip.


    ¡°No way, another deer?¡± one of his companions, the man in brown-robe, replied. ¡°How are we supposed to eat these all?¡± he complained.


    The last man laughed. ¡°That¡¯s just show how effective Vaiz¡¯s traps are. Don¡¯t worry, we can always take the extra back to the guild for souvenir,¡± he said.


    ¡°Just put it down, Vaiz. We have finished grilling the previous meat. Let¡¯s eat before skinning that one,¡± the man told and Vaiz obediently took the empty seat next to him, laying the deer behind.


    A rustling sound came from the bushes on their side, alerting the man to reach his broadsword by reflex. When something actually appeared, he already stood in front readily.


    ¡°Mwa Ha Ha Ha Ha! What a delicious smell you have here!¡± the something that turned out to be a big bearded man laughed.


    ¡°What...¡± the swordsman was dumbfounded.


    Following his sniffing nose, the newcomer ignored the frowning swordsman and went to the campfire. He took a skewered meat and sniffed it, before taking a bite. He raised his brows. ¡°Delicious!¡± he said, sinking his teeth for another bite.


    Vaiz stood up immediately with that. ¡°What are you doing, man! That¡¯s our food!¡± he yelled.


    The bearded man kept on eating as if nothing happened and said nonchalantly, ¡°Come on. Don¡¯t be so stingy, boy.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± a vein appeared on Vaiz¡¯s forehead and he was about to reach his dagger when his robed friend stopped him.


    ¡°Wait, Vaiz!¡± he said while grabbing Vaiz¡¯s arm. ¡°It¡¯s okay, isn¡¯t it? We have extra anyway. Right, Rowd?¡± he added and tried to get the swordsman¡¯s approval.


    Rowd complied, he put down his sword and asked, ¡°Who might you be, sir?¡±


    What he got in return was a glare, however. ¡°Hmph! Youngster nowadays really knows no manner. You should name yourself first before asking other¡¯s, boy!¡± the man scolded.


    Rowd opened his mouth with the unexpected replied, but decided to play along upon seeing his friend¡¯s eye sign. ¡°¡­ You¡¯re right, I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m Rowd and those two are my friends, Loen and Vaiz. We are adventurers of Fantastica,¡± he introduced.


    ¡°Fantastica? Dava brat¡¯s underling, are you?¡±


    ¡°You know our guild master, sir?¡± Rowd asked in surprise.


    ¡°Hmph! Sure I am. If not because of me, that cocky brat would have lost his head long time ago. He will never admit, though, being arrogant as he is. Nevermind, I¡¯m thirsty. Drink!¡± the bearded man ordered.


    ¡°Here,¡± The robed man Loen readily passed a water canteen. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m mistaken, sir. Could you be Master Mahza of [Rahziel]?¡± he asked as the man drank from the canteen.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s refreshing!¡± the man returned the now empty canteen to Loen. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m the great Mahza. You have good eyes, boy!¡± he answered with a wide grin.


    Loen¡¯s eyes widened at once. ¡°Master Mahza, I knew it! It¡¯s an honor to meet you, sir!¡± Loen bowed deeply.


    ¡°Mwa Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha¡­ Get up, boy. You really know how to please an old man, I like you. Hmm. From your appearance, are you a mage?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. My focus is the <Fire Elemental Magic>,¡± he replied enthusiastically.


    ¡°Hmph, another elemental-mage. I never understand what is so fascinating about learning what everyone does. My son too, he prefers <Elemental Magic>. He-,¡± Mahza suddenly stopped and started to cry. ¡°Boo hoo... *Sob*. Arz, uuuu...,¡± he wept.


    Loen confused at Mahza''s sudden change. "Are you okay, sir? What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen to your son?" he asked.


    ¡°He is dead. Uuuu¡­ To think he would die so young, what a useless father I am. *Sob*. The <soul gem> is nothing but a myth,¡± Mahza ranted. ¡°Nevermind, I¡¯m sorry for being so sentimental,¡± he said and wiped his teary eyes with his sleeve.


    <Soul gem>? Myth? Dead son?


    Loen¡¯s thought processed the words. ¡°Our condolence to you, sir,¡± his mouth expressed sympathy, yet his mind was racing with the possibilities.


    ¡°Thank you. I¡­ Well, have high expectation on him, and still completely accept his sudden leave,¡± Mahza replied while trying to calm himself.


    ¡°Is your son the reason you are alone in this forest, sir?¡± Loen tried to dig more information.


    ¡°Yes, I just rested his body in a cave not too far from here.¡±


    ¡°Then, can you tell us where the cave is? We would like to pay a respect-visit to your son.¡±


    Mahza frowned but then let out a loud laugh, ¡°Mwa Ha Ha Ha Ha. Your attitude is really something, boy. What is your name again?¡±


    ¡°It''s Loen, sir.¡±


    ¡°Loen, is it? Of course I¡¯ll tell you. Go to the right until you find the monkey territory. Once you do, go left. Continue until you find a big tree. Then, turn half-right and go ahead. You''ll find a rocky hill, the cave is there,¡± Mahza explained.


    ¡°Have you memorized Master Mahza''s direction, Vaiz?¡± Loen turned to his friend.


    Not ready with the sudden question, Vaiz almost jumped from his seat. ¡°Me?¡± he repeated. ¡°Yes. Yes, of course I do. But, that is rather vague, sir. How does the big tree look like? Is there anything else I can use for landmark other that what you already said?¡± he asked.


    "Ha ha ha, you''ll find it. It''s in a small clearing, the only big tree there. Ah I need to pee, excuse me," Mahza stood up and left.


    Once he lost from their sight, Rowd grabbed Loen''s shoulder. ¡°What is this all about, Loen? Who is that guy?¡± he asked in low voice.


    ¡°He is Mahza, Rowd. A great mage. You probably don¡¯t know because he has been secluding himself until now, but he is a well known figure among mages. Just trust me, we may gain something big on this," he replied, almost whispering too. ¡°Wait here,¡± he said and followed to where Mahza had gone.


    He found the big man was watering a tree and took the next one to do the same.


    ¡°Master Mahza, may I ask something?¡± he said. His mind was busy arranging how to convey the words.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    He take it as yes. ¡°Sir, you mentioned <soul gem> being a myth. Does it mean you have finished your research on it?¡± he asked


    ¡°I did. What of it?¡±


    Loen carefully chose his next word. ¡°Sir, if you may... Can I see the legendary artefact? I always curious on how it looks,¡± he asked.


    ¡°Hmph. It looks exactly like in the book.¡±


    ¡°But, it''s hard for me to imagine a real one from a mere picture, sir. So, if you may...¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Even if I want to, I don¡¯t have it with me, boy. I have used the last one on my son, but he¡­ *Sigh*. Nevermind,¡± Mahza said. He finished his business with the tree with a dejected face.


    ¡°Then, can you teach me how to make it, sir? Or create one for me, if you don¡¯t wish to share the knowledge. I¡¯ll pay you,¡± Loen tried to persuade, also finishing his business.


    ¡°You¡¯ll pay me?¡± Mahza sneered. He began to walk back to the camp, disregarding the young mage.


    ¡°I- I know I can¡¯t afford the price. But you said it yourself, it¡¯s nothing but a myth. That¡¯s why, can you give me a discount, sir?¡± Loen said as he caught up.


    ¡°¡­ What do you want to do with it, anyway?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I haven¡¯t decided yet.¡±


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Mahza stopped and turned, he looked directly into Loen¡¯s eyes. ¡°You haven¡¯t decided, or you don¡¯t want to tell?¡± he asked. His tone had become serious.


    ¡°Wha- whatever do you mean, sir?¡± Loen replied. A chill began to run down his spine.


    ¡°Playing smart, are you?¡± Mahza¡¯s expression had turned sour. ¡°Let me tell in your place, then! You are nowhere near a level that can make use of the <soul gem>. Hence, you are most likely going to sell it again to whoever the fools willing to pay a huge amount. It won¡¯t be too difficult to find such fools, and after you get a discount from me too. IS IT NOT!?¡± his volume increased as he talked.


    ¡°No, sir. I never thi-¡°


    ¡°YOU IMBECILE WORM! YOU THINK YOU CAN TRICK A SOUL-MAGE?!" Mahza enraged.


    ¡°Wha- I didn''t mean-¡±


    *BAM!*


    Mahza hit a tree beside him, causing the poor tree to decay starting from where he hit and quickly spread to cover every inch of it. Leaves were falling one after another from the dying tree, until it withered completely. Mahza made a wicked smile and said, ¡°You didn¡¯t what, Loen boy?¡±


    Fear crawled into Loen''s heart. He felt his strength was leaving him at once and his body limped to ground. ¡°I- I¡¯m sorry,¡± he dropped his head, not dare to look back at the old man. Sweats were drenching his body, he knew his live was at Mahza''s mercy now.


    Seconds were like hours and minutes were like days in Loen¡¯s mind as he was awaiting for his doom. Nothing happened so far, but he didn''t have enough courage to raise his head. Thus, he waited, for whatever fate had prepared for him.


    *Sigh*


    ¡°Listen, boy. <Soul gem> was¡­ my lifetime dream, purpose of my life. I had sacrificed too many things to achieve it. However, it bring nothing but sadness to me now. You have malice, thus I can¡¯t give you one, as it will only bring more sadness to other people. But I won¡¯t take your life either, I have already taken too many lives recently. Let¡¯s forget everything and pretend nothing happen. And please never mention <soul gem> again in front of me. This is the best offer I can give you,¡± Mahza sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go back first,¡± he turned and walked away, leaving behind the still moping on the ground Loen.


    Even after Mahza left, Loen couldn¡¯t muster enough strength to stand up. When he finally did, he had to rely on a big tree to withstand his fall. Even though he thought he had calmed enough, his body wouldn¡¯t stop trembling. It couldn¡¯t forget the immense fear it had experienced a moment ago.


    Loen was able to returned, at last, after a great effort to walk while clinging to trees. He was almost recovered completely when he reached his friends¡¯ place, but then he saw Mahza and his body began to tremble again.


    Damn it, am I going to live like this for the rest of my life?


    He cursed himself, for showing such weakness, for not able to overcome his fear. He thought, if he wanted to get rid of his fear, he needed to get rid the source.


    That geezer is too dangerous, how am I supposed to get rid of him?


    However, Loen knew he could never face Mahza from the front, it would be a suicide. He needed to use underhanded method. It was a risky move but necessary, as he couldn¡¯t afford to spend the rest of his life living in fear. His pride wouldn¡¯t allow it.


    Once again Loen looked at Mahza, who was talking casually with Rowd, and it ignited his hatred towards the man. The feeling only grew stronger with every second passed and Loen couldn¡¯t remember anything he had ever hated more than the old mage. He was able to overcome his fear with that and his body had stopped trembling before he knew. He then moved out from behind the bushes, trying to appear as calm as possible.


    ¡°Hey, Loen. What took you so long?¡± Rowd asked.


    Making a wry smile, he replied, ¡°Sorry, I got a stomachache.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re alright now, aren¡¯t you?¡± Rowd asked again in worry.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine now. Thanks,¡± he said, hastened his steps to where his belongings were.


    He took his valuable wine out along with a flask of poison he got from one of his previous quests. He glanced towards Mahza to make sure the mage didn¡¯t see what he was about to do before dripping several drops of the poison into the wine bottle and shaking it.


    Didn¡¯t notice that Vaiz was observing all he did, Loen brought the bottle to Mahza. ¡°Master Mahza,¡± he called. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what happened in the forest, it was my mistake. Please accept this wine as an apology,¡± he said with a bow.


    ¡°Did something happen?¡± Rowd inquired.


    ¡°I almost made Master Mahza stepped on a shit,¡± Loen grinned.


    ¡°Yuck. But you didn¡¯t actually step on it, did you, sir?¡± Rowd asked.


    ¡°Mwa Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha¡­ Of course not. I¡¯ll take it then, give me!¡± Mahza snatched the wine bottle and gulped the content greedily. Loen anxiously watched it, afraid that Mahza would realize the poison.


    ¡°Wah, this is a good wine. That¡¯s right, when was last time I drank alcohol? I¡¯ll need to get drunk to forget this sorrow,¡± Mahza said, more to himself.


    He then returned his attention back to the adventurers in front of him. ¡°Thank you for the foods, youngsters. I¡¯m forever in your debt. Now if you excuse me, I haven¡¯t had a sleep at all these days and since my stomach is now full, I think I¡¯ll take a nap,¡± he said, taking the wine bottle with him to sit under a shady tree.


    ¡°Thank you for the wine, Loen boy!¡± he yelled and took another gulp. Not long after, his snore was heard. Mahza had fallen asleep while hugging the wine bottle.


    ¡°What an interesting fellow,¡± Rowd said.


    ¡°You think so?¡± Loen replied.


    While cleaning up the leftover from their late breakfast, Vaiz asked, ¡°Should we continue our travel to [Firzoa] soon?¡±


    ¡°No, help me find Mahza¡¯s son¡¯s corpse first,¡± Loen quickly replied.


    ¡°Are you seriously want to pay a respect-visit, Loen? I thought you just want to take his good side?¡± Rowd asked.


    ¡°No, not a respect-visit. It¡¯s for a different reason.¡±


    ¡°Okay, we should still have some times until the appointed meeting time with Miss Alveria. Let¡¯s set off now before the sun gone high,¡± Rowd decided. ¡°It should be fine to leave Mahza alone, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, don¡¯t worry about him,¡± Loen answered.


    ¡°What about my new deer?¡± Vaiz remarked. ¡°I can¡¯t shoulder it around while tracking the right path. Loen, you take it, this round trip is for your cause,¡± he said.


    ¡°What? No way! Just leave it here,¡± Loen refused.


    Vaiz glared, ¡°You can¡¯t waste food, man!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid Loen is right, Vaiz, we have to leave the deer behind. If we are going to enter deep inside the forest, I need his magic ready,¡± Rowd interceded.


    Vaiz fell silent for a moment before agreeing. ¡°Argh, whatever! Fine, but this trip is better worth more than my deer!¡± he said.


    ¡°I hope so too,¡± Loen smiled wryly.


    The three didn¡¯t wait any longer to pack their luggage and move, following the small animal trail leading deeper into the forest.


    Meanwhile, the bearded man who had given them direction was sleeping soundly, unaware that he had been left alone. ¡°¡­ Arz¡­,¡± he mumbled in his sleep. Tears were dropping to his cheek.

 13. Level up

    ¡°What a troublesome dungeon, to think we have to go back all over to search for the remaining stone slabs.¡±


    ¡°You all must thank me. If I didn¡¯t pick the first slab, we¡¯ll never figure it out.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, whatever. Hurry up and put them in their place, Sid.¡±


    ¡°Alright, get ready for the boss battle, guys. Here I go.¡±


    Sid placed all of the four stone slabs, each represent an element, into the slots on the pedestal. A clicking sound was heard as the last slab fit in, followed by a rumbling from the slowly opening door.


    ¡°Be careful, there''s something behind the door!¡±


    ¡°... Is that... gold?¡±


    ¡°Wrong focus. Incoming attack!¡± Crystela thrust down her shield, solidifying her defensive position in front.


    At the end of the opened door, the only fighter golem in my dungeon, Boss of level one, had been gathering a wind around his sword¡¯s blade. Pointing the blade forward, he released a tornado towards the adventurers.


    ¡°<Ice Wall>,¡± Tsalja shouted, raising the wall of ice between them and the Boss.


    However, a portal appeared before the tornado and behind the adventurers, something they failed to realize because the wall was blocking their vision. The tornado entered the portal and came out from behind the party.


    The twins, Gora and Gara, together with Sid became the first victims. The tornado threw them all to sides, causing them to slam hard onto the corridor walls and instantly lost consciousness.


    A morpher, which Tsalja had been keeping since after the battle in the thirteenth room, saved its master by pushing her to aside and let the fierce wind tore it in her stead.


    Meanwhile, Orga who was covering Linia received the tornado hit directly on his back. Although Linia was able to slip from the impact unharmed, Orga was dragged forward and met Crystela¡¯s shield. Both him and Crystela were being pushed until they the ice wall stopped them.


    ¡°Ngh¡­ AHH!¡± Linia was trying to stand up when several thrown rocks hit her head and knocked her out.


    ¡°Linia!¡± Tsalja exclaimed upon seeing the priestess fell. She didn¡¯t have time to worry about others, however, as the rocks were now aimed at her.


    ¡°<Morph- *Cough* * Cough* -er> *Bleagh*,¡± Tsalja managed to finish her call while covering her head, even though a cockroach had entered her mouth. Three of the water guardians, in their solid ice form, lined up and blocked the rocks from reaching her. Looking above, she spotted the culprits, which were the monkeys on a small platform near the cave¡¯s ceiling.


    *SLAM!*


    Crystela¡¯s shield flew and rammed the monkeys, creating a loud sound while killing the primates. Half of the shield was piercing the wall and stuck there afterwards, along with three stacking crushed monkeys¡¯ bodies on it. The survivors immediately withdrew from the scene.


    ¡°Behind you!¡± Crystela warned.


    Tsalja rolled on the ground, barely escaping a slash from the Boss who suddenly appeared behind her using a portal. The morphers quickly intercepted before the Boss could give pursuit.


    The Boss swayed his body back to avoid one of the morphers¡¯ hand-turning-sword while swinging his own broadsword, cutting the hand, and gave the other a round kick using his sword as an axis, sending the iceman several meters away.


    The last morphers turned into a wave that swallowed the Boss and returned into ice halfway, sealing the Boss¡¯ movement. The other two morphers followed the example, freezing the Boss even further.


    The mage girl¡¯s lips curled into a smirk. She probably thought she had won, how wrong she was.


    ¡°Look out!¡± once again Crystela warned. It was too late, however. Two golems from the last room already made their way behind Tsalja and swung their rock fists. Crystela could only make a grimace as her last party member had fallen.


    With the caster no longer conscious, the ice enveloping the Boss was melting away. The fighter golem variant then turned his attention to her. Even though she was unable to move, as several lesser tyrantulas had been restraining her with their threads earlier, I could see she was trying to do something.


    The Boss was charging his wind sword when fire suddenly ignited from Crystela¡¯s hand and spread quickly through the flammable threads, releasing her restraint. My lesser tyrantulas disconnected themselves from the burning thread and, after the Boss gave them a signal, made an escape. They had fulfilled their assigned role.


    The two golems tried to catch Crystela but she was too fast for them. She even managed to evade the tornado blast from the Boss twice, the first original blast and when it came again through a <Dungeon Gate>¡¯s portal.


    She made a fatal mistake, however, when she stepped on a pitfall. ¡°KYAH! No way, there shouldn¡¯t be a pitfall trap here. AAHH, MY LEG!!¡± she screamed as she felt something was dragging and piercing her trapped leg, unable to escape.


    Of course she was right, there was no pitfall trap there, before. Yet, my gi-ants had dug several from underground while she was running around avoiding the golems and the tornado blast. They would be crunching and feasting on her trapped leg now if not for the ¡®no fatalities'' rule.


    Crystela made a small gesture and the tucked shield released itself to return to its owner. As the Boss was also approaching, the shield came from his behind. Nevertheless, he tilted his head in the last moment and knocked the shield away after it passed him.


    ¡°Haaa¡­ Haaa¡­,¡± she panted. When she saw the Boss raising his sword in front of her, she closed her eyes, accepting the fact that they had lost.


    (Finish, at last. Hmm, what should I take for my prizes? Should I let Rowd choose them for me? No, wait, I have a better idea.)


    Meanwhile, mana-suckers had gathered from the portals opened by the Boss and had been sucking the adventurers¡¯ mana. I absorbed their best equipments, most were their weapons or shield except Tsalja who didn¡¯t bring any. It was a magic-bracelet for her case.


    I then returned to my Dungeon Lord in the first room. At the same time when I opened my eyes, Rowd and his two minions appeared from a portal, bringing in the seven adventurers.


    ¡®Master,¡¯ he greeted while bowing, after laid down the bodies.


    ¡°Good job,¡± I replied with a nod.


    After he and his minions returned into the portal and it closed behind them, I looked better at the losers on the ground. It was then when I realized a big problem.


    (Uh, the injuries on Orga¡¯s back and Crystela¡¯s leg looked really bad? If no one heals them soon, they¡¯re going to die and never awake, aren¡¯t they?)


    While it might be different after more adventurers came, as there should be more healers available, for now Linia was the only one who could do healing magic. Thus, I decided to try waking her.


    ¡°Linia¡­ Hey, sister, wake up,¡± I poked her cheek but got no response.


    (Not good, she is bleeding on her head. At this rate, is she going to die as well? Uwaah, and when I had just established an agreement too. They may start to hunt me seriously if I let them die!)


    ¡°Wake up, sister. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll take your chastity away. Come on!¡± I shook her and kept on trying to no avail.


    (I probably need to do something to her wound first.)


    Light particles gathered on my palm and solidified into a bottle of health recovery potion. I elevated her head and tried to pour the potion into her mouth, but the liquid couldn¡¯t even pass her lips.


    (Uh, there is no other way. It¡¯s an emergency, Alv, not I¡¯m being unfaithful. You would understand, right?)


    I put the content in my mouth and got closer to her lips, all while trying to chase any lewd thought away. I transferred the liquid through our lips and had her drank it.


    ¡°Ngh¡­,¡± she let out a sound.


    (Has she come to?)


    I resisted the temptation to prolong the kiss and pulled my head like a gentlemen. I saw her eyes began to open slowly.


    ¡°Are you awake yet, sister Linia?¡± I asked.


    My question somehow made her awoke completely. ¡°AHHH!!¡± she screamed and pushed me away with all her might, something that made her fell to the ground afterward. ¡°Ouch!¡± she exclaimed, rubbing her head.


    ¡°You okay?¡± I scratched my own head. ¡°If you¡¯re awake, can you heal your friends? They¡¯re in bad condition, you know.¡±


    She turned her face away and didn¡¯t give a clear answer, mumbling something about her first kiss being stolen with a red face. Well, I didn''t particularly see her face, but even her ear had become completely red.


    (Uh, sorry.)


    At least she understood what I said, since she then casted the area healing magic <Life Sanctuary>. One after another, the adventurers on the ground regained consciousness as their wounds healed.


    ¡°Welcome back,¡± I said, after they all had sat down.


    ¡°Damn, we were so close,¡± Gora complained.


    ¡°So close to death, you mean? If not for the agreement, we''ll never open our eyes again,¡± his brother Gara replied.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°That''s what the agreement for. Let¡¯s enter again and get all those golds this time,¡± Gora suggested.


    ¡°Check your equipment first before saying something irresponsible. How are you going to conquer a dungeon without a weapon?¡±


    ¡°Ah! My sword is gone!¡±


    ¡°What happened? I only remember Tsalja raised an ice wall and suddenly I was blown away,¡± Sid looked confused.


    ¡°It was an attack from the Boss, a golem of some sort. We were all defeated by it. However, its sword, you should recognize it too, don''t you, Crystela?¡± Tsalja remarked.


    "What about the sword?" Orga asked.


    Crystela didn¡¯t say anything, she just looked straight at me with a complicated expression. After a while she stood up and cleared dirts from her clothes and armor. ¡°We can get our weapons back if we use the pedestal over there, right?¡± she confirmed.


    I nodded. ¡°Yes. But if you''re willing, I would like to trade several morphers with your equipments plus a gold coin for each of you,¡± I offered.


    Rather than Crystela, it was Tsalja who answered. ¡°Our equipments plus five gold coins for each of us,¡± she said, negotiating the price.


    ¡°What''s that? Aren¡¯t you a greedy woman?¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she grinned while playing with her beautiful dark hair.


    ¡°That''s not a compliment,¡± I protested.


    ¡°You know, that much is nothing. Elemental guardians are a powerful force equal to C-rank monsters. For you who only have D-rank monsters other than golems, my morphers are valuable additional for sure.¡±


    I gave it a thought. ¡°Fine, but I want ten morphers,¡± I said.


    ¡°It''s ten gold coins for each of us, then.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°I know you can breed them. The more you have, the more you can get from breeding them,¡± she smiled, which made me sighed.


    (Seventy mana points. It''s cheap for ten morphers, they''re stronger and more flexible than golem in many ways. But seventy gold coins are a big amount of money, aren''t they? Won''t the prices inflate if I suddenly create that much of golds?)


    After some more thought, I decided I could be careless about inflation and agreed with a condition. ¡°Give me a discount,¡± I said.


    After a short moment, she replied, ¡°One additional morpher for bonus.¡±


    ¡°Deal!¡±


    With that, light particles gathered beside me and then materialized into the equipments and gold coins. Seeing that, Tsalja also called her morphers, three at a time, until there were eleven of them. I created and put a core for each of them, before ordered them to go inside.


    ¡°Now if you excuse me, there is something I need to do,¡± I said. I then opened a portal using <Dungeon Gate> to the last room and left the adventurers on their own accord, pretending to not realize Linia had been avoiding eye contact with me while blushing for the whole time.


    Once I was alone, I reviewed the beta test run that had just finished a moment ago. My conclusion was, although I won, I couldn¡¯t satisfy with them had reached my heart chamber too easy.


    I knew they wouldn''t harm my heart because of the agreement and I knew they wouldn''t easily break an agreement because doing so would taint their reputation as a big guild. However, it felt like I was at their mercy and I didn''t like that feeling.


    There were two methods of getting out of such situation. First, by increasing the difficulty to reach the last room, and second, by moving my heart to somewhere else. The former would need to be done eventually, but I was more interested with the later for the moment.


    Considering my choices, I checked my mana points just to be sure. I currently had enough to even expand by three levels if I used them all.


    (Alright, let¡¯s add a level.)


    I used <Dungeon Expansion> and chose expand by one level. However, I got another choices instead of being drained by 3,000 mana points right away.


    <table><tbody><tr><td><Expand By 1 Level></td></tr><tr><td>You can select the following expansions with additional Mana Points.<ul>


    <li>Add Underground Level</li>


    <li>Add Surface Level (locked)</li>


    <li>Claim Surrounding Area


    </li></ul>


    </td></tr></tbody></table>


    (Additional mana points? Uh, to think my dungeon want to rob me too.)


    I made a grimace. Of course Tsalja didn¡¯t really rob me and seventy points weren¡¯t much, but her way to reach the deal made me felt I was being robbed. I sighed and calmed myself, concentrating on what in front of me.


    (Hmm. What¡¯re the Surface Level and Claim Surrounding Area?)


    I focused on surface level part and got the explanation I want.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Add Surface Level (locked)</td></tr><tr><td>Add a dungeon level above the dungeon entrance.


    Requires Claim Surrounding Area to unlock</td></tr></tbody></table>


    (A level above? Oh, like a tower dungeon? But tower dungeons are almost unheard of until now, is there a reason why they''re so rare compared to their underground counterparts? Then, what about the Claim Area?)


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''2''>Claim Surrounding Area</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>Claim the area around dungeon entrance. The claimed area will be treated as part of the dungeon, with some limitations.


    Prequisition to Add Surface Level</td></tr><tr><td>Radius</td><td>Mana Points</td></tr><tr><td>100 meters</td><td>5,000</td></tr><tr><td>200 meters</td><td>20,000</td></tr><tr><td>300 meters</td><td>45,000</td></tr><tr><td>400 meters</td><td>80,000</td></tr><tr><td>500 meters</td><td>125,000</td></tr></tbody></table>


    (Expensive! Why is an additional higher than the principal cost?! But... the area will be treated as part of the dungeon, does that mean I can finally use <Dungeon Gate> outside? It''s a good thing if it¡¯s true. I need to find out what are the limitations, however, other than the high cost. Nevermind, let''s add an underground level first.)


    Thus, I chose add underground level.


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''2''>Add Underground Level</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>Add a dungeon level below the dungeon entrance.</td></tr><tr><td>Layout</td><td>Mana Points</td></tr><tr><td>Basic Cave</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>Ruins</td><td>2,000</td></tr><tr><td>Solid Structure</td><td>4,000</td></tr></tbody></table>


    (Great, another choices.)


    I focused on then read the explanation. From what I understood, basic cave was the most brittle of all. An invader could forcefully dig their way or reshape it with <Earth Elemental Magic>. On the other hand, Ruins was more difficult to deal while Solid Structure was almost impossible to be changed.


    Unfortunately, being an earth elemental-mage myself, unable to reshape the rock and ground would mean my greatest weapon being sealed. This dungeon was supposed to be my home turf, not giving me disadvantage. Although, obviously, as the dungeon lord I didn¡¯t really have to fight other than in the last room.


    Moreover, spending 2,000 mana points for a stronger structure seemed a waste. Even though it said the cave was the most brittle one, it didn¡¯t mean it would be easy to dig or reshape. I doubt any invader would be foolish enough to focus on digging with monsters around.


    Thus, I chose the cheapest, which is the basic cave.


    The cave was shaking and dropping some rubles when I did. Once it stopped, there was a downstairs on the wall where my heart was a moment before. I followed the stairs and found myself in another cave room, the first room in second level. My dungeon heart was on the wall there.


    Feeling satisfied, I opened the dungeon overview.


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''2''>Dungeon Overview</td></tr><tr><td>Dungeon Type</td><td>Cave</td></tr><tr><td>Levels</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>Rooms</td><td>32</td></tr><tr><td>Biological Types</td><td>31</td></tr><tr><td>Non-biological Types</td><td>4</td></tr><tr><td>Drops Types</td><td>18</td></tr><tr><td>Dungeon Skills</td><td>5</td></tr><tr><td>Titles</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>Mana Points</td><td>5,708</td></tr></tbody></table>


    (Ah, level 2. It feels like I have leveled up. Good. Let''s fill this level with more puzzles than the previous one.)

 Desperate father 2

    [table=grey]Author Note:


    Hello folks, lazy author here >.<


    Sorry for not updating for soooo long...


    Oh yea, I have changed the cost for ''claimed surface area'' in the last chapter. Since every additional radius will add the area even more, it''s just logical that the cost isn''t increased in linear graphic.


    Also, here is my entry for cartography contest</a> of RRL Birthday event, a map of this series


    [/table]


    <hr />


    ¡°Ma- Madam Ehrisya, we have trouble,¡± a young woman in maid uniform panted after rushing in.


    The woman she reported to, the one she called madam Ehrisya, was a pretty woman in her late forties. Although, people who didn''t know her actual age might be deceived by her appearance, thinking she was a still in her early thirties. Her braided flaming red hair was in match with her glamorous red and black gown, along with the sparkling jewelries on the rings, earrings and necklace she wore.


    ¡°Calm down, dear. What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked from behind her desk, putting down the document she had been reading.


    ¡°A customer, madam. He had been drinking for the whole night. So when he ordered for more, Jim asked if he had the money. And he said he had none,¡± the maid replied, as she was trying to regain her breath.


    Madam Ehrisya raised her eyebrows. ¡°Just do the usual then,¡± she said.


    ¡°W- we tried, madam. But our men fell to their knees before they could touch him, some even lost their consciousnesses.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my. What a troublesome guest,¡± she said before turning to the butler standing behind her chair. ¡°Rem, please let the knights know. Take the amount you need from the safe deposit,¡± she ordered.


    ¡°As you wish, madam,¡± the butler called Rem bowed.


    ¡°H- he said he know you in person, madam. Something about he has a share in this bar ownership,¡± the maid added.


    Ehrisya raised her eyebrows again. ¡°Really? That¡¯s an interesting claim. Do you get his name?¡±


    ¡°I- I¡¯m sorry,¡± the maid bowed apologetically.


    Which made her madam smiled. ¡°It¡¯s okay, dear. What does he look like?¡± she asked with a calming soft voice.


    ¡°He is a big fat man I estimated in his fifties, madam, with a grey long beard and scruffy hair. His eyes are a bit odd. The pupils have a mix between brown and green in color, I have never seen eyes like that. Somehow they look very tired and, at the same time, reflecting sorrow. His clothes, it''s a long dark robe that mages usually wear, madam,¡± the maid ended her report with another bow.


    Ehrisya frowned. ¡°That is a very detailed observation, Cerissa. As expected from you,¡± she praised.


    ¡°Your words are too kind, madam,¡± the maid Cerissa replied with another bow, her cheek was beaming red.


    "I think I will meet him. Please come with me, Cerissa. And you too, Rem," Ehrisya stood from her chair.


    Surprised with her statement, Rem tried to stop her. ¡°Please wait, madam,¡± he said. ¡°Is there a need for you to meet the dangerous man personally?¡±


    ¡°I too agree with Rem, madam. Please don¡¯t go,¡± Cerissa said with a worry expression.


    ¡°Oh, dear,¡± Ehrisya smiled. ¡°If he is the man I think he is, we will only have a friendly chat. Nothing for you to worry about. But even if it is really getting dangerous, you will protect me, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Of course, madam. I won''t let him or anyone to touch even a strand of your hair, even it cost me my life,¡± Rem answered readily while unlocking the safety of his hidden-under-coat short sword, so he could quickly withdraw the weapon anytime.


    ¡°S- same here,¡± Cerissa resoluted.


    Ehrisya nodded, ¡°I feel safe,¡± she smiled. Without further delay, she led the two exited her office and climbed down the staircase to enter the bar.


    There they saw the man that matched Cerissa''s description was sitting on a bar seat and several employees were kneeling or lying on the ground around him. Other customers were watching in curious but kept their distance.


    ¡°I said, bring me your next bottle already, boy,¡± the man''s loud voice echoed.


    ¡°T- That¡¯s¡­ As I said, sir, I can¡¯t do that. You have to pay your previous bills first,¡± the bartender replied while sweating.


    ¡°Hmph!¡± the man hit the table, enough to make the bartender startled. ¡°And that¡¯s why I told you to call Ehrisya out. Just give me my drink now as we wait!¡±


    ¡°Jim,¡± Ehrisya called. ¡°Take a bottle for him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, madam. Right away,¡± the bartender complied hurriedly.


    The man turned to her and said, ¡°Hmph! What took you so long? Nevermind, you should teach them better, Ehrisya. How come they don¡¯t even recognize their employer.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not their fault, Mahza, if you have never shown your face here even once. Besides, you have sent a courier to withdraw your share several years ago, remember?¡± she replied as she approached. Meanwhile, Rem and Cerissa were helping their fellow employees on the ground.


    ¡°Hmm, is that so?¡± Mahza took his now filled cup. ¡°You¡¯re right, I remember now. It was when that stupid son of mine broke my expensive research material,¡± he sighed and took a gulp.


    ¡°So, what happens?¡± Ehrisya sat down next to him, taking a glance at the many empty bottles behind the table that, she suspected, had been emptied by Mahza alone. ¡°What makes you here in my place, Mahza?¡± she asked.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Can''t I just visit an old friend without a particular reason?¡±


    She raised her eyebrows and replied, ¡°Of course you can, but you won¡¯t. You only came to me when you had a fight with Mirana in the past, after all. Do you have a fight with your son now?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°... I will have you pay all your expenses plus the trouble you give my men if you don''t tell me your reason.¡±


    ¡°That stupid son of mine is no longer in this world, Ehrisya.¡±


    She gasped. ¡°What happened? Was he sick?¡±


    ¡°No, I killed him. An accident, of course, didn''t mean to. Just another stupid action of mine,¡± he took another gulp after a refill.


    ¡°... I don''t know what to say.¡±


    ¡°You don''t have to say anything,¡± he poured another refill to his cup. ¡°Just let me stay until the morning come, then I''ll leave.¡±


    ¡°Where are you planning to go?¡±


    ¡°Don''t know. Probably find a desolate place to die, where I can harm anyone no more.¡±


    ¡°Oh, dear. Don''t be too desperate, Mahza. Where is the prideful Mahza I know, who always full of confidence?¡± she smiled, trying to lighten his mood.


    He returned the smile, a wry one though. ¡°I have lost everything, Ehrisya, I''m all alone. I fulfilled my dream, only to get betrayed by my own high expectation, at the cost of my only flesh and blood, my future,¡± he shook his head. ¡°When I look back, I realize how many people I have hurt in my live, probably you included. It''s better if I disappear, so nobody will get hurt anymore,¡± he said with a sad expression.


    ¡°Look Mahza,¡± she grabbed his hand. "I don''t know the detail of your situation, but you are not alone. I''m here. And this place will always welcome you. If you regret of what you have done, there are better ways to redeem than killing yourself. Use your power and knowledge to help people instead, I''m sure it is what Mirana and your son would want too. From what I heard, he was a kind hearted boy, wasn''t he?''


    ¡°... He sure was,¡± he said while looking at a distance.


    It became silence afterwards. No one dared to make a sound. Even the unrelated customers were listening quietly.


    ¡°... By the fulfill your dream, does it mean you have gained immortality now?¡± Ehrisya restarted the conversation.


    ¡°No, not immortality. But I have successfully recreated <soul gem>, a legendary artefact that is said could grant immortality. It''s nothing but a myth, though.¡±


    ¡°... Don''t tell me, you killed your son to test the effect of... what was that again, artifact gem thing?¡±


    Mahza made another wry smile. ¡°It''s <soul gem>. Yes, that''s exactly what happened.¡±


    Ehrisya put her palm on her face and rubbed her forehead. ¡°Mahza, dear. How could you... And you didn''t prepare anything to prevent it to happen?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. I know, it''s stupid, right?¡±


    ¡°Can''t you do anything?¡±


    ¡°I would have, if I could.¡±


    ¡°What about the miracle you performed when the boy was born? Didn¡¯t you revive him?¡±


    ¡°It''s not possible.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    He sighed. ¡°Because the body is broken,¡± he said and emptied his cup with a gulp before continued. ¡°What I did back then was simply calling back his soul and guiding it into the body. Because the body was functioning properly, he can come back to live as the soul returned,¡± he added.


    ¡°However, this time the body is heavily damaged and have lost too much blood. Even if I guide his soul back, the body won''t be able to hold the connection with the soul and he¡¯ll lose his life again in no time.¡±


    He raised his cup. ¡°It''s like this cup. If it''s broken, it can''t contain the drink.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Is there a way to repair the cup?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°A regenerative spell and potion can only work on living things. Nothing can be done to repair a damaged dead body.¡±


    ¡°Then, can you replace it with a new cup? No, of course not. What am I even saying, silly me.¡±


    Mahza looked at her with disbelief and then grabbed her shoulder. "Ehrisya, you''re genius!" he shouted. Spirit had been reignited in his eyes.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    He stood up and caressed his beard, thinking while walking around. ¡°I can''t use animal''s body, there will be a compatibility issue. Other people''s body? Someone who died without a fatal wound, a natural cause. But most would be old farts, I doubt Arz will like it. Besides, there will be an issue with their family, and probably compatibility issue too. Hmm. What about creating a new one from the scratch? It''s beyond me, but if that person...," he mumbled, more to himself.


    ¡°Mahza?¡±


    "Ehrisya, thank you for everything. I love you!¡± he grabbed her shoulders again and suddenly kissed her cheek. ¡°Mwa Ha Ha Ha Ha, wait for me, boy! I will revive you!¡± he said while dashing to the exit and disappeared behind the door.


    Everyone was dumbfounded with the unexpected turn of event and didn''t hear Ehrisya muttered, ¡°Silly mage, why can''t you at least stay until morning? Always come and go as you like. And please, stop saying things you don''t mean to, I may start expecting things.¡±


    She pulled her hand to her cheek and closed her eyes, trying to savor whatever remained there.

 14. Nice to meet you

    [table=grey]Author note:


    Hey folks, sorry for the  another delay. But this chapter''s length is more than twice than my usual chapters, so hopefully it''s worth the two weeks wait (I cant find a good way to divide it into two separate chapters with a relatively-balanced  length.)


    Anyway, here it is. Hope you like it. And please let me know if you find any mistake[/table]


    <hr />


    ¡°Waaah!¡±


    ¡°Goraaa!¡±


    ¡°No, Orga, wait! Tch! Let¡¯s follow them.¡±


    My consciousness made an imaginary smile seeing the Jowsar-Star members fell to my new trap one after another. Starting with the scouting ahead swordsman Gora, then the axe-warrior Orga, followed by the defender Crystela and the rest. With this, my victory was sealed.


    They had been raiding twice since their test-raid three days ago, thrice with now. As expected, when there was no surprise element, they showed the real strength of a B-rank Adventurer Party. They had reached the boss room in both raids, and both had ended up with a narrow escape for me. At the first raid, the new morphers that came late had saved the day, while at the second, it had been nothing but luck that it had ended with a double K.O.


    Although the Boss¡¯ core had been intact, fortunately, and I had been able restore his body without problem, it was only a matter of time before they could breach into the second level at such rate. Therefore, I had been experimenting on various new traps since then. The one they fell into just now was the one that came from combining two skills: <Monster Core> and <Dungeon Gate>, a teleport trap of some sort called gate trap.


    (<Monster Core> is a cheat skill, isn¡¯t it? To think it can be put into anything, literally.)


    What so fearsome about the gate traps were the fact that they couldn¡¯t be disarmed. A portal would appear under a target¡¯s feet when he/she was close enough and sent him/her to other rooms of the same level. The worse part, for the adventurers, was that even though they entered the same portal, unless they came together, they would go into separate rooms. And if those weren¡¯t enough, the Boss and his minions would pay a visit to each of them one after another.


    No doubt, the adventurers would be wary of the gate traps. At first, they would likely try to avoid them, but they had to dive into the traps eventually if they wanted to go to the second level, as I had placed the last door¡¯s stone slabs in the rooms that could only be accessed through the gate traps¡¯ portals.


    Other than that, I had modified the mind-disturber traps too. If before they would cause disorientation to every sentient within its range, which meant the Boss Rowd included, now they would affect every individual except my dungeon¡¯s creatures and people I recognized as friendly. With a core inside, I could tell the new version of mind-disturber a more specific order anytime through our link, like switching between attackable or off-limit of a target. The mana cost had increased because of the modification, but it was worth.


    As I watched Tsalja, whom I considered as the most dangerous amongst the Jowsar-Star, fell unconscious in the hand of the fighter golem Boss, I decided I didn¡¯t need to watch the rest. I returned to my Dungeon Lord in the heart chamber, within the third level. The room should be much safer now with the new arrangement. With this, I had secured the time I needed and could finally turned my focus to search for father.


    According to the Fantastica¡¯s informant, father had spent his several short hours in [Fierzoa] in a high-class bar called Red¡¯s Heaven. There were many witnesses stating that on that night he had been making a ruckus there, before the bar owner came and talked to him. After that, father was rushing out from the scene and left the town. Because no one had ever seen him since then within the large area under Fantastica¡¯s influence, they concluded he had to have gone to a less populated region.


    This was all they could gather so far.


    The conversation between father and the owner might hold the key to find him. Unfortunately, for a reason or another, nobody could confirm the content. A barrier of some sort had hindered the witnesses to overhear, while the owner and her employees had refused to speak.


    Either way, to keep the adventurers motivated, I had added a hundred gold coins bounty to whoever could pinpoint father¡¯s exact location. The guildsman I had asked to take care of the required administration for the bounty had almost fainted when heard the amount. According to him, even an A-rank quest was rarely had a prize of such amount. Well, since finding father was a priority and money wasn¡¯t an issue, I didn¡¯t mind to throw that much. I even had given a generous tips to the guildsman.


    (Now I can move by myself, where should I start?


    (Let see¡­ considering father¡¯s speed, he can be anywhere within the empire. No, it¡¯s possible he has even crossed the border.


    (Hmm¡­ I¡¯ll let the adventurers check the unpopulated area, I¡¯m more interested with the person who talked last with father.


    (The bar owner, Madam Ehrisya, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve heard the name before somewhere. Where was it? From mother?


    (Anyway, I need to think of something so she won¡¯t refuse to meet me too.


    (Ah, they said father made a ruckus, didn¡¯t they? I can use apology and goodwill to repay her loss as an excuse, can¡¯t I?


    (Alright, let¡¯s do this. But first, I need a preparation.)


    I opened two portals, respectively to the room where spidey the lesser tyrantula made its nest and the room where the only tiger in my dungeon stayed. The two would accompany me in my journey for a safe measure.


    ¡°Come with me, guys,¡± I called.


    Spidey quickly crawled and climbed to my shoulder. This guy was a weird one. It should have enough accumulated mana to evolve since long time ago, but for some reasons chose to stay in its current form. Many of its kind, with less accumulated mana, had already evolved into tyrantulas, a bigger and stronger version of their lesser pre-evolution form.


    The tiger followed, I stroke behind its ear when it had come beside me, which made it to let out a purring sound. ¡°Tig, I need a ride. So I¡¯ll evolve you, alright?¡± I asked and it replied with a low growl. ¡°Good boy,¡± I said.


    I put my palm on its forehead, feeling the core. The image of the tiger then entered my mind and I began to make adjustments.


    First, for my leg not hindering its run while I was riding, I prolonged its legs as a horse¡¯s legs, and the rest of the body was enlarged proportionally. However, becoming too heavy could become a problem in itself. Therefore, I reduced the body mass and condensed the muscles to compensate the loss, until it reached the optimal body shape and weight. It looked less bulky than before.


    Next, I hardened its weapons, the claws and teeth, allowing them to slice or tear a rock with ease. Then I ended with improving its vision, hearing and smelling. The tiger¡¯s overall ability, including the strength and speed, rose dramatically as the result.


    Satisfied, I released my hand and saw the tiger limped to ground. Not long after, a paw ripped and appeared from under the skin, showing its sharp claws, followed by a peeping nose.


    *Ding!*


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Requirements meet. New race is acquired!</td></tr><tr><td>You have successfully created King Tiger race from Tigers</td></tr></tbody></table>


    *Ding!*


    <table><tbody><tr><td>With your intervention, {Tiger} has evolved into {King Tiger}.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    (Hmm, a white tiger? Even though I didn¡¯t do anything to its skin, it still changes color?)


    I watched the giant tiger came out from the old yellow tiger skin. Once free completely, it shook its body, revealing the beautiful white fur. I asked, ¡°How does it feel, your new body?¡±


    ¡°ROOAAARRRRR!¡± it replied loudly, which shook the entire room. Through our link, I could feel it was happy.


    ¡°Good for you, Tig. Hmm? What is it spidey? You want me to help you to evolve too? Fine by me, but what kind of evolution do you want? Hmm, same size but stronger and emphasized in speed? I see, you like to play assassin, huh? Is that why you haven¡¯t evolved until now?¡±


    It nodded to my questions. I then touched its body and felt the core, triggering the image of the lesser tyrantula to enter my mind.


    The legs were the things I worked on before anything else, as it specifically asked for speed. I increased all eight legs¡¯ muscle size then condensing them until reaching the same size as before and repeated the process several times. Then, I reshaped the most two front legs into two rock-hard and sharp scythes, which would serve as its main weapon for close combat. After that, I added more fur covering those legs, except the sharp part of the two front legs, to muffle its walking sound.


    The fang was the second, which I hardened and made to be much stronger than before. I also arranged so it could shoot threads from the mouth now, in addition to the only-from-the-buttock previously. This also meant it could mix the thread with poison in the mouth before it shot it. Lastly, I added a special function to its skin for a stealth purpose, which would help its new role as assassin spider.


    ¡°Done,¡± I said, pulling out my hand. It fell from my shoulder before began shedding its skin.


    *Ding!*


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Requirements meet. New race is acquired!</td></tr><tr><td>You have successfully created Terrortula race from Lesser Tyrantulas</td></tr></tbody></table>


    *Ding!*


    <table><tbody><tr><td>With your intervention, {Lesser Tyrantula} has evolved into {Terrortula}.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    (Oh, another white? Is it the trend today?)


    ¡°How do you feel? No problem? Alright, it¡¯s good then,¡± I said. ¡°Now, for the last preparation¡­¡±


    I opened another portal and a morpher came from it. Then I took off my clothes and had the dungeon absorbed them, took my time to admire my own body, before had the morpher used its hands to shower me with cold water.


    (Uwaaahhh, so refreshing¡­ How long has it been since last time I took a bath?)


    Afterwards, I materialized a new set of clothes plus a cloak and a staff that would fit my appearance as a mage. Since I would meet a businesswoman, first impression was important. I put on the clothes and rechecked everything


    (Hmm. I would prefer my own staff, but a detour to [Rahziel] for a mere staff is too much. Besides, I already have a gun. Where did I put it¡­ Oh, there it is. Let see, what else am I still missing? Right, the antidote! There. Alright, I¡¯m ready.)


    ¡°Let¡¯s go guys.¡±


    The white spider climbed back to my shoulder before I jumped to the gigantic white tiger¡¯s back. Once my position settled, I opened up a portal to outside with <Dungeon Gate>.


    It wasn¡¯t connected to the dungeon entrance though, as that place was too crowded with adventurers and merchants. They had built a camp, no, calling it a small settlement would be more appropriate. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it grew into a village or even a small town one day. With most of the ones at the entrance being E and D-rank adventurers, they posed no real threat even if I showed up there. Still, I prefer to avoid unnecessary commotion.


    Anyway, the portal was to the opposite side of the entrance. I had claimed the 100 meters radius area around my dungeon at the other day, after I had added to the second underground level, or the third level including the original level. Although it was convenience to be able to use <Dungeon Gate> outside the cave and to be able to make the various plants within the claimed area to grow in the dungeon cave, the exponentially increased prices made it unworthy to expand more than 100 meters radius. At least for now.


    That was the same with additional surface level. Initial 3,000 mana points and 4,000 mana points for a mere basic cave of a surface level was way too expensive. With the same amount of mana, I could get a solid structure, a ruin or two basic caves of underground level. Now I understood why tower dungeons were not popular and almost unheard of.


    Thus, we left the dungeon. We managed to avoid the adventurers¡¯ attention by coming out from behind and choosing the mountain path. The tiger was running at full speed, charging against the wind towards our destination, the town [Firzoa]. I checked the map within the link every several minutes to make sure we went to the right direction.


    After several hours of travel, we came out of the forest and the town¡¯s wall entered our sight. It was already past noon by then. The town, being the biggest in the northern part of [[Alishine Kingdom]], which was part of [[Holy Malvice Empire]], was a really busy one. Even from afar, the gate looked full with people coming in and out, either merchants, adventurers, travelers, or simply farmers with their respective business.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be walking from here, tig. You wait in the forest, go hunt or whatever you like but stay away from the humans, we don¡¯t want unneeded attention. I¡¯ll contact you later,¡± I ordered. ¡°And spidey, it¡¯s time to test your new stealth ability. Find a way to sneak over the town¡¯s wall undetected and meet me inside.¡±


    The king tiger growled low before turning back into the forest. In the meantime, the terrortula¡¯s appearance had started to blend with the surroundings view. If not because I already knew it was there and if we weren¡¯t connected through our link, I would probably miss it when the almost transparent thirty centimeters of body diameter spider began to crawl towards the town.


    I moved myself to the main road and followed the path to the gate. It should be faster if I jogged or ran, but since I chose to walk, it took me a half hour to reach there. Since the soldiers stationed at the gate would only stop suspicious looking people and I, in any way, looked like a normal mage adventurer, I was able to pass without incident.


    Not long after, I spotted still-in-stealth-mode spidey on a rooftop nearby. It opted to follow me from above, lowering the chance of people noticing its existence, which I praised as a wise decision.


    Asking for direction several times and making many turns, I finally found the Red¡¯s Heaven in the fifth ward, a commercial district for nobles and rich customers. It was a red and white building that gave a luxurious impression and stood out completely amongst other buildings in the first-class commercial district.


    ¡°Excuse me, sir. I would like to meet the owner, Madam Ehrisya,¡± I asked the black-suited guard standing next to the front door.


    He observed me from top to toe. ¡°Are you an adventurer?¡± he finally asked, obviously not impressed by my humble appearance.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not,¡± I replied in honesty.


    ¡°Do you have an appointment?¡±


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    I scratched my head.


    (If answering no will make him chase me away, I need to answer indirectly.)


    ¡°I heard my father caused a trouble for the owner before. I¡¯m here to compensate the damage,¡± I said while shaking the purse of gold coins that attached to my belt.


    ¡°Your father?¡± he asked with sceptical eyes. It seemed my action had only worsening his already bad opinion on me.


    ¡°Yes. My name is Arz Mahzason. Could you deliver my request to meet the owner, kind sir?¡±


    ¡°Ah, Mahzason?¡± his attitude suddenly changed. ¡°Please wait here, I will let her know immediately,¡± he said and left, but not before making a gesture to his friend to replace him.


    Thus, I waited. After for more than an hour, I was still waiting.


    (This is strange. Is she not present?)


    When he finally returned with another employee accompanying, I greeted him with a smile. ¡°I thought you¡¯ve forgotten about me, sir,¡± I said half-jokingly.


    However, the guard didn¡¯t return my smile. Quite the opposite, as his face was stern. ¡°Please come with me, Mahzason,¡± he said in cold tone.


    He led the way and I followed, while the guy who had come with him earlier was following behind me. The three of us, four with spidey that had slipped in when we entered and followed on ceiling above, passed the bar room and climbed up a staircase, before stopping in front of a fabulous door.


    *Knock!* *Knock!*


    ¡°I have brought the man,¡± the guard knocked.


    Another employee opened the door from inside and let us in. Again, the spidey was able to slip in before the guy closed the door behind us and, I assumed as I heard a clicking sound, locked it.


    Three men - two who had come with me and another who had opened the door, were standing by in front of the door as if blocking my escape. Meanwhile, in front of me, a beauty in a glamorous black dress and jewelries was staring at me from behind a desk. Two men were standing behind her and another beside the desk.


    (Six tough looking guys, aren¡¯t they? It won¡¯t turn into a fight, I hope.)


    I took a glance at my surrounding, before the man who was standing beside the desk called for my attention and broke the atmosphere.


    ¡°*Ahem*. Greetings, guest. Welcome to our Red¡¯s Heaven. In front of you is none other than the owner, Madam Ehrisya herself. As she is very busy, please state your business quickly,¡± he said.


    I made a courtesy bow before replying. ¡°Nice to meet you, milady. I, Arz Mahzason, am looking for my missing father. The adventurers I hired said he was last seen here before leaving the town. Thus, I come here for two purpose: to repay you the damage he did and to find a clue to where he is heading.¡±


    ¡°So you are the one who sent the annoying adventurers¡­ However, although you claimed Master Mahza as your father, he is a grown up man who can take care of himself. What are you planning by chasing him?¡± the employee from before replied.


    I smiled. ¡°To be honest, I won¡¯t bothering myself in a normal situation. However, father probably doesn¡¯t know that he has been poisoned, a very nasty one in that called <Late Blossom>. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve to give him the antidote within a month time limit, that is twenty-nine days left from today,¡± I explained.


    The man looked surprise but quickly regained his composure. ¡°Twenty-nine days, so today is the eleventh day since Master Mahza was poisoned? In the same day he was here? Are you accusing us now?¡±


    ¡°No. In fact, it happened in the same day but before he came to [Firzoa]. And I had already dealt with the culprits.¡±


    ¡°... Do you have a proof to support your claim?¡±


    I thought for a moment and answered. ¡°... No, I don¡¯t,¡± I said.


    The man consulted Madam Ehrisya in a whisper before returned to his position. ¡°In that case, we are very sorry to not able to help you. Danz, Jugo, please escort our guest out,¡± he said, giving order to two men behind me.


    *Click*


    The door opened behind me and the two who had guided me before were now on my sides. ¡°Please this way,¡± the man on my right said.


    ¡°Hmm. I mayn¡¯t able to proof anything about the poison, but I probably able to proof who I am,¡± I said and used <Mind-disturber>.


    All of them immediately lost their balance. Although, except the two who were beside me, everyone could grab on something to hold their fall.


    ¡°Stop! What do you think you are doing!?¡± Ehrisya yelled and stood up, losing the silent-cool image she had been building all the time.


    ¡°Just trying to show you my little knowledge in <Soul Magic>, auntie. Since it seems the problem lies with the fact that you don¡¯t believe me being father¡¯s son. Ah, no, it¡¯s not a fight, spidey, save your excitement,¡± I said while patting the terrortula that had jumped off to my shoulder.


    Ehrisya glared at me while the others, had returned to normal state after I had stopped the mind attack, were unsheathing their weapons.


    ¡°So, shall we restart our conversation? What did father say about me?¡±


    ¡°... Mahza said his son is dead, and I have no reason to doubt him and believe you, imposter!¡± Ehrisya replied in high tone.


    ¡°Ah, I figure that¡¯s the case. That conclusion was a bit too rush, you know. No, wait, that was probably the right decision considering the situation by then. Hmm. Where should I start?


    ¡°Right, father was under a false assumption that I would revive when he was stabbing my heart. But that¡¯s not how the <soul gem> works. My body became cold and stopped working, from outside it would like as if I had died. However, in reality, I still retained all my senses, although I no longer had control over them.


    ¡°After father mistook a dungeon for a cave and left me there, I took over the dungeon consciousness and then regained a body. If you have heard of Fantastica guild making a pact with a dungeon this week, that was me,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Is there any news mentioning it, Rem?¡± Ehrisya confirmed with the man beside her desk.


    ¡°I think I heard something like that, madam, but I¡¯m not sure. However, how could someone like Master Mahza mistook a dungeon for a cave? It doesn¡¯t make any sense,¡± Rem replied.


    ¡°Hmm, not sure. Probably because he was tired?¡±


    ¡°Not really. Mahza is always a silly blockhead when it comes to dungeons and women''s hearts,¡± Ehrisya said as she sat down. ¡°Please take a seat,¡± she offered the chair in front of her. It seemed her calm had returned.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said and sat down.


    Ehrisya leaned forward and looked directly into my eyes for a moment. ¡°Indeed, you resemble Mahza in his younger days... you even have his eyes,¡± she said. Her sight then moved upward. ¡°And Mirana¡¯s hair,¡± she added, before she rested to the chair¡¯s back. ¡°Alright, I will believe in you, dear. My apologies for our unpleasant treatment earlier. What would you want to drink?¡± she asked in a soft tone.


    It couldn¡¯t be helped that my lips curled into a smile at hearing that.


    (Good, it looks like I have successfully break the ice. Way to go, me.)


    ¡°Anything, I¡¯ll leave it to your choice,¡± I replied.


    She smiled cutely with my answer. ¡°Alcohol?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Rem, please bring us two red-tails, with ice. The others, you can leave us. Thank you for your hard work,¡± she ordered.


    ¡°As you wish, madam,¡± Rem replied, while the five others made a courtesy bow before leaving the room.


    ¡°Arz, isn¡¯t it? As you already know, Mahza came a week ago and we have a chat. Although, I am not sure I can help you as I don¡¯t know where he go either,¡± she said.


    ¡°Do you recall what he said? Anything.¡±


    Ehrisya looked she was thinking hard when the man called Rem put two glasses with ices and sliced fruits in front of us. He then poured a red liquid from a bottle before resigned back to the side.


    ¡°Thank you, Rem. Please have a taste, Arz, this is one of our best drinks,¡± she said.


    I took my glass and had a sip. It truly was a taste completely new for me, in a positive mean. My head became lighter just with that one sip.


    ¡°It¡¯s delicious,¡± I praised. ¡°Hmm, what? You want some too, spidey? Here,¡± I let the tugging spider on my shoulder tasted it too. Not long after, its white body turned pink and its grip became loose and unsteady. ¡°Hey, are you drunk already? Then it¡¯s enough. No, I said, it¡¯s enough,¡± I forcefully separating the glass from its mouth. Through our link I could feel it was pouting, but I ignored it.


    I let out a sigh and returned my attention the businesswoman in front of me. ¡°Sorry about that. So, do you recall anything, auntie?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Yes, I remember now. When I asked if there is anything he can do, he made an example with a broken cup beyond repair, saying it won¡¯t be able to hold a content. I spontaneously blurted if he can replace it with a new cup, which somehow rekindled his spirit. He then muttered something... about a person that should be capable to make one, then left in hurry. That is all I can remember, sorry I can¡¯t be much of help to you.¡±


    ¡°A person that can make a new body!? That¡¯s it!¡±


    ¡°Do you know someone like that?¡±


    ¡°No, but it¡¯s a good lead. There shouldn¡¯t be that many persons with such capability, after all. Thank you very much, auntie.¡±


    ¡°Oh dear, I am glad that helps.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that really helps. Now, about the trouble father had caused you, how much was the damage? I will repay you.¡±


    ¡°Silly boy, that is not necessary.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m insist.¡±


    She sighed. ¡°Listen. Your parents and I have always been close like a family. Never mention about it anymore. Consider it my treat, okay?¡± she said firmly.


    I scratched my head again, for god knew how many times already today. ¡°Alright then¡­,¡± I replied.


    She smiled to my words. ¡°Moreover, you can think of me... as¡­,¡± she paused and bit her lips before continued. ¡°As your own mother,¡± she said while blushing. ¡°I mean, Mirana left us so early. And I thought¡­ Ah¡­ What am I even saying, silly me,¡± she tried to explain but ended up losing her words in fluster.


    (This woman¡­ could it be?)


    ¡°I understand. Please take good care of me then, auntie. However, please forgive me for not able to call you mother until you actually marry father,¡± I teased.


    ¡°Of course,¡± her face was brimming red, reflecting both joy and shyness. If she was of my age, I might have fallen for her.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I have to go now. Thank you for everything.¡±


    ¡°So fast. Why don¡¯t you stay for the night?¡±


    ¡°I want to look for more while the sun is still up, but I may take the offer if I make no progress today.¡±


    ¡°Please do.¡±


    ¡°I may also leave the town tonight if I find something.¡±


    ¡°Ah, okay.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make that face, auntie. I promise I will return later, with father,¡± I said and winked, before I stood up.


    She chuckled, then stood up as well and said, ¡°I will be expecting, then.¡±


    I made a bow before turning back and left.


    (Where should I be heading now? Adventurer admin? Hmm, no. If my guess is right, the person should be a mage. When it comes to a mage, the magic association is the obvious choice, isn¡¯t it? Alright, let¡¯s go.)


    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''>


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''2''>Dungeon Overview</td></tr><tr><td>Dungeon Type</td><td>Cave</td></tr><tr><td>Levels</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td>Rooms</td><td>82</td></tr><tr><td>Biological Types</td><td>34</td></tr><tr><td>Non-biological Types</td><td>7</td></tr><tr><td>Drops Types</td><td>20</td></tr><tr><td>Dungeon Skills</td><td>5</td></tr><tr><td>Titles</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>Mana Points</td><td>22,620</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''3''>Biological Types</td></tr><tr><td>Plants (2)</td><td>#N/A</td><td>Ferns, Mosses</td></tr><tr><td>Animals (16)</td><td>#N/A</td><td>Ants, Bats, Centipedes, Cockroaches, Flies, Frogs, Lizards, Monkeys, Mosquitoes, Moths, Rats, Snails, Snakes, Spiders, <del>Tigers</del>, Wildcats, Wolves</td></tr><tr><td>Monsters (16)</td><td>#N/A


    Ants


    Bats


    Flies


    Frogs


    Golems


    Lizards


    Mosquitoes


    Rats


    Snails


    Spiders


    Tigers</td><td>Golems, Morphers


    Gi-Ants


    Great Bats


    S-Flies


    Poison-spitter Frogs, Big-eaters


    Fighter Golems


    Raptors


    Mana-suckers


    Fierce Rats


    Rock-shelled Snails


    Lesser Tyrantulas, Tyrantulas, Terrortulas


    King Tigers</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''2''>Non-biological Types</td></tr><tr><td>Traps (6)</td><td>Arrow Traps, Boulder-drop Traps, Drowner Traps, Gate Traps, Mind-disturber Traps, Pitfalls</td></tr><tr><td>Others (1)</td><td>Stone Pedestals</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''2''>Drops Types</td></tr><tr><td>Weapons (1)</td><td>Wind-attributed Broadswords</td></tr><tr><td>Equipments (6)</td><td>Basic Tunics, Basic Trousers, Basic Male-underwears, Redwood Staffs, Mage Cloaks, Traveler Boots</td></tr><tr><td>Body Parts (12)</td><td>Antennas, Claws, Fangs, Furs, Legs, Meats, Scales, Shells, Silk Threads, Skins, Tails, Wings</td></tr><tr><td>Others (1)</td><td>Gold Coins</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''2''>Dungeon Skills</td></tr><tr><td><Dungeon Expansion></td><td>Skill unique to the dungeon master to expand the dungeon.</td></tr><tr><td><Dungeon Gate></td><td>Skill unique to the sentient dungeon creatures to move between locations within the dungeon.</td></tr><tr><td><Elemental Manipulation></td><td>With vast knowledge of nature elements, one can manipulate them at will.</td></tr><tr><td><Monster Core></td><td>Skill unique to the dungeon master and Queens to create and manipulate core of monsters.</td></tr><tr><td><Soul Manipulation></td><td>With vast knowledge of minds and souls, one can manipulate them to some extent.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''2''>Titles</td></tr><tr><td>Pet Dungeon of Fantastica</td><td>A dungeon that allows itself to be a pet of the Adventurer Guild Fantastica.</td></tr></tbody></table>

 Desperate father 3

    *Knock!* *Knock!* *Knock!*


    ¡­


    *KNOCK!* *KNOCK!* *KNOCK!*


    ¡­


    *BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!*


    ¡°YES, YES! Sheesh, who¡¯s knocking so hard this early in the morning¡­¡±


    *Click!* *Squeak*


    ¡°Mwa Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha¡­ Long time no see, bro- Wait, don¡¯t close the doo- ARGH, MY FOOT!¡±


    ¡°What do ya want, Mahza? Get lost!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that, brother. I just want to talk with you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to talk with ya. And who¡¯s yer brother? Just get lost!¡±


    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t close! Jiwa, I¡¯m sorry for everything that happened in the past.¡±


    ¡°Yea, yea, I forgive ya. Now get lost,¡± the man kicked Mahza¡¯s foot, which was caught earlier, and slammed the door.


    ¡°ARGH, WHY YOU! Listen, Jiwa. Hey, hear me out first!¡± *Knock!* *Knock!*


    ¡­


    ¡°Jiwa, I need your help¡­¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Please, hear me out first. It¡¯s not for free, I¡¯ll trade it with all my research data on <soul gem> if you agree to help.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡°... Ya¡¯ll gimme yer research data?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°All of ¡®em?¡±


    ¡°Yes!!¡±


    ¡­


    *Squeak*


    ¡°Jiwa, my brother, I know I can count on you,¡± Mahza made a wide grin with open arms.


    ¡°... Kneel down.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I said, kneel down. Isn¡¯t that the appropriate way when asking someone¡¯s help?¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Ya don¡¯t want to? Fine.¡±


    ¡°Wait! Alright, I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    The soul-mage then lowered himself on his knees. He looked up to the skinny man in front of him, who was looking back with a cold gaze. ¡°Please... help me,¡± he said, his voice was shaking.


    ¡°Ya don¡¯t get it, do ya?¡± the man walked to his left and squated down. ¡°When ya beg, yer head have to be on the GROUND level!¡± he said while pulling Mahza¡¯s head down and slammed it to the ground.


    ¡°Jiwa, you bastard!¡± Mahza cursed while his head being pressed by Jiwa¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Did ya say something?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky just because I stay still,¡± he warned.


    ¡°Oh? Are ya angry? Then why don¡¯t ya come and kill me, o great Mahza?¡± Jiwa smirked.


    Mahza gritted his teeth but didn¡¯t do anything else.


    Jiwa pulled Mahza¡¯s hair and whispered on his ear, ¡°I hate ya, Mahza, and ya know that.¡± He then released his grip and stood up. ¡°To think I¡¯ll be helping ya makes mah stomach hurts, but I¡¯ll do it for the sake of yer research,¡± he said and walked into the house. ¡°Come in,¡± he called from inside.


    Mahza shook the dirts off his clothes and straighten his hair before standing up. Swallowing the humiliation, he followed Jiwa to the house.


    ¡°Sit down,¡± Jiwa told. Mahza complied and took one of the seats in the living room.


    ¡°So, what¡¯ve cornered ya so much for ya to seek my help? And what kind of help do ya want from me?¡±


    Mahza hesitated a moment. ¡°I¡­ lost my son because of my own foolishness, brother. He doesn¡¯t deserve it. I want you to make a new body for my son. I¡¯ll then summon his soul, guide him into the new body and connect them. That¡¯s the plan.¡±


    ¡°Hold on! Ya want to revive the dead!? Ya know it¡¯s the god''s domain! A taboo!"


    ¡°... I can¡¯t think of any other way to save him. Please, help me.¡±


    ¡°Funny. Ya¡¯ve once banished me to this remote region and prohibited me to call mahself a soul-mage because of mah interest of human body. Yet, here ya now, begging mah help for exactly the same reason. Is this fate?¡±


    ¡°... I¡¯m really sorry for what happened before. It was all my mistake, I¡¯ve no excuse.¡±


    ¡°That aside, do ya even have any idea how difficult it is to imitate a beating heart? A digesting stomach? A breathing chest? Prosthetic arm is one thing, but a full functioning body is on a completely different level.¡±


    ¡°As expected from my brother. You say it¡¯s difficult, not impossible.¡±


    ¡°Bah! I don¡¯t need yer compliment, what I need is to know if this worth all the troubles. How close¡¯re ya with the complete <soul gem>?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve completed it.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°Are you deaf? I said I¡¯ve perfected the <soul gem>. But I tell you, it¡¯s not like we think.¡±


    ¡°Hold on. If ya¡¯ve completed it, why didn¡¯t ya use it to yer son?¡±


    ¡°I did. And that¡¯s why I told you <soul gem> isn¡¯t like we think.¡±


    ¡°... It didn¡¯t work?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Ya sure there wasn¡¯t any mistake?¡±


    ¡°A hundred percent. He didn¡¯t revive, even though the <soul gem> had given the right reaction when I was using it on him earlier.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡°It may be better if I take a look at his body first. Where did ya leave him?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I rested Arz inside a cave, in the forest between [Firzoa] and [Jowsar]. Should I bring him here?¡±


    ¡°Hold on! Ya said yer son¡¯s name¡¯s Arz?¡±


    ¡°Yes, what about it?¡±


    ¡°... A cave in the forest between [Firzoa] and [Jowsar]...¡±


    ¡°I said, what about it?¡±


    ¡°Mahza, I need to take a sample of yer blood.¡±


    ¡°Bastard, don¡¯t ignore me! And what do you need my blood for?¡±


    ¡°I need to test something. Wait here.¡±


    Jiwa went to another room and left Mahza alone without further explanation. Several minutes later, he returned with a tube containing a purple liquid and a needle.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Gimme yer finger,¡± Jiwa asked.


    ¡°No, explain first,¡± Mahza retorted.


    ¡°Just do it. I¡¯ll take a lot of yer blood later anyway, to make a compatible body. This is but a simple pre-test,¡± Jiwa said as he grabbed Mahza¡¯s wrist and pulled it closer. Taking out his needle, he pressed it on Mahza¡¯s middle finger. ¡°Put off your barrier,¡± he ordered.


    Once the blood dripped, he took several with his tube. The mix of the blood and the purple liquid triggered a chemical reaction that caused the fluid to boil and turn white, leaving behind a bad odor. Seeing that, Jiwa¡¯s lips curled into a smile.


    ¡°Why¡¯re you smiling? What do you get from that test?¡± Mahza asked.


    Jiwa put the tube onto the table. Instead of answering, he closed his eyes and crossed his arms.


    *Slam!*


    ¡°Stop ignoring me, Jiwa! You know better not to test my patience!¡± Mahza hit the table.


    ¡°Soul¡­ is such an abstract existence,¡± Jiwa said, still closing his eyes. ¡°Even us, soul-mages, only have bare understanding of its essence.¡±


    Mahza¡¯s face became confuse. ¡°What¡¯re you blabbering so sudden?¡± he asked.


    ¡°What we know about soul, we learn ¡®em through its connection to mind or body. Especially the mind, where the connection is much stronger. Thus, it¡¯s not wrong to refer soul-mages as mind-mages. A soul-mage who¡¯s more interested in body connection like me is a very rare occurrence after all, if not the first.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, of course I know that. What¡¯re you trying to say? And what it has anything to do with the blood test earlier?¡±


    ¡°Yea, that¡¯s the basic of <Soul Magic>,¡± Jiwa finally opened his eyes. ¡°However, Mahza, because of its abstractness, it¡¯s impossible to perceive a soul once the connections are lost. Ya should know this too,¡± he paused while observing Mahza¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°Now mah question,¡± he continued. ¡°Assuming I¡¯m able to create a suitable body for yer son, how¡¯re ya going to summon his soul?¡±


    ¡°Mwa Ha Ha Ha, and here I was wondering what¡¯re you going to say. Don¡¯t worry, I already did it before, I¡¯ll be able to do it again.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Ya did?¡±


    ¡°Arz was born dead, so this great Mahza summoned his soul and guided him back to the body, performing a miracle unheard of in this age. I¡¯m more surprised you don¡¯t know this famous fact,¡± Mahza boasted.


    ¡°Interesting, so ya¡¯ve violated the taboo before. But then, how do ya know it was yer son¡¯s soul and not somebody else¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°What? Of course I know. He¡¯s my son after all.¡±


    ¡°Really? Ya said he was born dead, that means ya never sense yer son¡¯s connections before the summon.¡±


    Mahza frowned with the statement. ¡°... I...¡±


    ¡°Ya, what? Has it never occurred to ya, or yer pride made ya ignore the possibility?¡± once again Jiwa paused. Seeing Mahza¡¯s confusion, he continued. ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. Whoever¡¯s soul was there, it¡¯s also a fact that he recognized ya as his father. But what about the next time? Ya sure ya can get the right soul?¡±


    ¡°I- I¡¯ll manage somehow. You just need to focus on building the body, I¡¯ll handle the soul summoning,¡± Mahza replied.


    Jiwa smiled. ¡°Mah second question, Mahza. According to <Soul Magic> teaching, when is someone considered at his weakest condition?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Hmm, your topic changes so random yet again, how am I supposed to follow?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not random. Just answer me.¡±


    ¡°Hmph! You¡¯re as annoying as ever. What¡¯s the point of this? Every soul-mage knows the answer, it¡¯s when his soul¡¯s connections are weakened.¡±


    ¡°And when is that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s when his mind¡­ is disturbed¡­,¡± Mahza¡¯s voice became low as he realized something. ¡°You don¡¯t mean....¡±


    ¡°Right answer, for the mind connection. As for the body connection, it¡¯s when the body is unwell. Like when sick or poisoned,¡± Jiwa said.


    ¡°Mahza, yer mind is disturbed by yer guilt for causing yer son¡¯s death and the fact that ya mayn¡¯t able to summon his soul back. From the blood test earlier, I also find out that there¡¯s a poison inside yer body. Ya¡¯re at yer weakest now, both mind and body,¡± he explained in smile.


    Mahza¡¯s face became tense. He clenched his fist, which now wet with a cold sweat.


    ¡°Now, mah third and last question,¡± Jiwa said. ¡°If I can get yer <soul gem> knowledge for free, why should I trouble mahself with yer nonsense request?¡±


    ¡°JIWAAAA!!!¡± Mahza yelled as he leapt forward. However, he fell on his four instead. Holding his head, he groaned in pain. ¡°AARGH!¡±


    ¡°Do ya think ya can resist me in yer condition?¡± Jiwa sneered.


    ¡°Ji¡­ wa¡­,¡± Mahza tried to reach the man in front of him with a hand.


    Yet, Jiwa stood up and stomped the hand. ¡°<Soul Disconnect>? Not a chance,¡± he said and glared at the lying man, intensifying his mind attack.


    ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaa¡­¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Too bad for ya, brother,¡± Jiwa said once Mahza¡¯s scream subsidized. ¡°If ya¡¯re less ignorant, ya would have known yer son¡¯s still alive and looking for ya¡­ as a dungeon master. Interesting.¡±

 15. Father!

    [table=gray]Author Notes:


    Hi, folks


    Sorry for another delay >.<


    At first, I was unwell (around 3 weeks ago) and focused my time for recovery for I had to go on a business trip (2 weeks ago). After I returned, fatigue caught up and once again I fell sick -- I had yet fully recovered when I was travelling. Then, the holiday atmosphere had hindered me to do the finishing touch since earlier of this week.


    Really sorry m(__)m


    Anyway, here it is. Hope you like it.[/table]


    <hr />


    ¡°Welcome! How may I help you?¡±


    ¡°Do you have any magic item?¡±


    ¡°Of course. In fact, I¡¯m proud to say that our magic item collection is one of the most complete in all [Firzoa], sir. What kind of magic item are you looking for?¡±


    ¡°All of what you have.¡±


    ¡°Pardon me?¡±


    ¡°I want to buy all of your magic items. How much will they be?¡±


    ¡°... Are you not kidding, sir?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m dead serious. Unless you don¡¯t want to sell to me?¡±


    ¡°Of course we do. Please wait a moment.¡±


    The shopkeeper took out a long parchment - a list of items, and an abacus-like tool he then used to count. ¡°Thanks for the wait, all will be 5 golds, 46 silvers and 14 coppers sir,¡± he finally said. ¡°For six hundred and seventy-nine items. Because you are buying plenty, we can give you a discount up to twenty silvers.¡±


    ¡°Let me see the list,¡± I said and he handed it over. I made a quick scan through the list and compared them with the market value of some items I knew.


    (Hmm. They¡¯re fair prices. At the upper-end, but fair. Let see, after the discount it¡¯ll be 52,614 for 679¡­ around seventy-something coppers per item? If each item give me 100 mana points, I¡¯ll get 68,000 mana. No, wait, many of the items here will grant me more than a hundred, and few high-class ones can easily give several thousand. That means, I may even get 100,000 mana point at this one go. To think it doesn¡¯t even cost me 6 mana point, it¡¯s too cheating, isn¡¯t it?)


    I tried to suppress my excitement so it wouldn¡¯t appear on my face. ¡°Round it down to 5 golds,¡± I negotiated as I handed the list back.


    ¡°... Please wait,¡± he said and recalculated. After a while, he shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, 5 golds and 16 silvers is the best we can offer,¡± he remarked.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take it. When are they going to be ready?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, since it¡¯s already late today, what about tomorrow morning?


    ¡°Good enough,¡± I nodded in agreement.


    ¡°And where should we deliver them to?¡±


    ¡°Let see¡­ Do you know the new settlement in the forest east from here?¡±


    ¡°You mean, the one near Fantastica¡¯s dungeon, sir?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that one. Deliver them there.¡±


    He nodded, ¡°Who should I address the package to?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, wait. Here, give this letter to a B-rank adventurer named Crystela along with the package. She¡¯s a blonde beauty in a full armor set with a big shield. Make sure she receives it before you leave, understand?¡± I ordered while passing a letter.


    ¡°Crystela, B-rank¡­,¡± he muttered as he made a note after receiving the letter. ¡°Understood. Anything else I need to know? Would you like to see the items first? I can take you to tour our warehouse.¡±


    ¡°No need, I believe in you,¡± I said.


    ¡°Very well, please sign it here. For the payment, we need an advance at least twenty percent of the total purchase.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay in full right now,¡± I said. After signing the purchase order form, I gave him six gold coins.


    He took them and opened up a safe deposit. ¡°Here¡¯s your change, sir,¡± he said, giving me eighty-one silver and three hundred copper coins. ¡°I¡¯m sorry we don¡¯t have enough silvers.¡±


    I frowned at the multiplied numbers. ¡°Uh, no problem.¡±


    He smiled. ¡°Please take this coin bag as a bonus,¡± he offered a medium-size skin bag, which I gladly took. Nevertheless, the coins made a clinking noise at every little shake and I could only smile wryly at that.


    ¡°Is there anything else I can help?¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. Can you buy me more magic items from the shops around? Money isn¡¯t a problem.¡±


    ¡°Sure I can, but, if I¡¯m allowed to know, what do you need so many magic items for, sir¡­,¡± he paused to glance at the form I had signed. ¡°...Arz?¡± His eyes widened. ¡°By Arz, you can¡¯t be¡­?¡± he couldn¡¯t finish his question.


    I scratched my head. ¡°It seems my name has been spreading wide. Not in negative way, I hope?¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s really you!¡± he gasped. ¡°What are you doing here? I mean, is it okay for a dungeon master to leave his dungeon?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯ve heard my name, you¡¯ve probably know that I¡¯m looking for someone?¡± I asked, which he replied with a nod.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to find more clues about the man¡¯s whereabouts. Does your business perhaps involve in information trade as well?¡± I asked.


    He shook his head. ¡°No, sir. Only goods,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Hmm, just for your information then, in case you or your acquaintances interested. I¡¯ve put a big prize for whoever can tell me the man¡¯s exact location, and it''s not limited to adventurers,¡± I informed. ¡°Now, back to my request. Can you do me the favor? As I said, money isn¡¯t a problem. I don¡¯t mind if you take some profits, as long as they¡¯re fair,¡± I told.


    ¡°I- We will do it, sir. No, please leave it to us,¡± he nodded enthusiastically. I caught a glint of greed in his eyes as he fixed his posture.


    ¡°Are you sure? I must remind you, though, if you try to take advantage of me, my agreement with Fantastica doesn¡¯t include not to kill a greedy merchant,¡± I warned.


    He smiled bitterly at that. ¡°We will not do something that will damage our customers¡¯ trust, sir Arz. I just hope that you will return later and become our regulars if our service satisfy you,¡± he tried to convince.


    ¡°Hmm. Alright, then.¡±


    ¡°Should we deliver the new items to your dungeon as well?¡±


    ¡°Yes. As for the payment, you can send the bills to the Red¡¯s Heaven¡¯s owner in fifth ward. I¡¯ll leave the money in her care.¡±


    ¡°Understood. Anything else we can help?¡±


    ¡°... No, that should be all.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for trusting your needs to our shop,¡± the shopkeeper bowed.


    I nodded with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s me who should say thank you for hearing my unreasonable requests.¡±


    I farewelled the shopkeeper, left the three-storeys shop and took my time to check the sky once outside, from which I concluded that I probably had only one or two hours before the sun set. Thus, I decided not to waste any more time and continued my travel, heading towards my main destination in the ninth ward.


    With the coins making noises at my every step, I wished I could just absorb them into my dungeon. It was like announcing to the world that I was bringing a lot of money. Not that I was afraid of thug or such, but my search was likely to be delayed if one really appeared.


    Fortunately, nothing happened during the trips, except for some curious eyes looking my way. The doorless stone gate that separating this ward and my goal had now entered my sight and therefore I hastened my pace. Seeing several guards on duty near the gate, I approached one to confirm I had been in the right place.


    ¡°Excuse me, officer. Beyond here is the ninth ward, isn¡¯t it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It is. Where do you want to go, young mage?¡±


    ¡°Can you tell me the direction to Magic Association Office?¡±


    ¡°Easy. You see that tall tower? That¡¯s your destination, right in the center of this ward. Just follow the main road and you¡¯ll be there.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that it? For a second I thought it¡¯s a watch tower, even though I wonder what it''s doing in the middle of a town. Thank you for the help, officer.¡±


    ¡°No problem. Just don¡¯t cause any trouble, okay?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I nodded and resumed my walk.


    Following the path as I was told, it didn¡¯t long for me to reach the grandiose-looking purplish tower. A touch to the big door¡¯s handle was all I need to understand that the building was completely covered with a barrier of some sort, although I had no idea what kind of barrier exactly it was.


    ¡®Stay where you are,¡¯ I told spidey, that was peeking in stealth mode on a nearby rooftop, through our link before I pushed the door open.


    ¡°Eh? A cave?¡± I exclaimed upon the unexpected view.


    ¡°Welcome to The Imperial Magic Association Office,¡± a female voice from my left greeted.


    A late teen with a small stature, wearing a dark purple robe with two crossing staff above a round shield - which I recognized as the Association¡¯s emblem - stitched on her protruding chest, was standing behind the reception desk. Her long pale-yellow hair that was tied in one big braid was standing out in the room dominated in black and purple color. For me, however, what stole my attention the most was the thing on her face, something I had never seen after reincarnated in this world.


    (A pair of glasses? I thought it was unnecessary for people in this world to use one, with the <body strengthening> and healing magic around.)


    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Halili. Is this your first time visiting here?¡± she said in a friendly smile when I approached.


    ¡°You can tell? I¡¯m Arz, by the way.¡±


    ¡°Everyone who comes for the first time always gives that same reaction,¡± she giggled. ¡°So, how can I help you Arz?¡±


    (Oh, it seems she doesn¡¯t know about my name yet? Good, good.)


    ¡°I, uh, looking for a certain mage. Can you help me?¡±


    ¡°Sure. Can I see your membership ID first?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m not a member.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh. Sorry then, we cannot disclose informations regarding our members to an outsider, unless you bring an official letter with the seal of imperial, kingdoms, or church on it,¡± she shrugged. ¡°Humm, since Arz seem to be a mage yourself, why don¡¯t you register? You have to pay the registration and annual fees, but you¡¯ll receive many benefits as well,¡± she offered.


    ¡°Alright. How much is the registration fee?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s 10 silvers. You¡¯ll also need to fill this form,¡± she replied while giving me a parchment and a quill.


    Touching the parchment, I could tell it too had been enchanted just like the front door. Although, once again I didn¡¯t familiar with the kind of enchantment used. After I wrote down my basic profile on the parchment, I took out the said amount from the new coin bag and gave them altogether with my registration form.


    ¡°Thanks. Oh, <Elemental Magic> and <Soul Magic>? What a rare combination,¡± she said, after taking a glance to the filled form. ¡°I need to take a sample of your blood too. Your finger please.¡±


    I let her had my hand but still asked, ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°To trace your mana, mainly to see if you¡¯re still alive or not. I¡¯m not really sure how it works either. From what I heard, the Adventurer Admin has begun to apply a similar method recently,¡± she explained. Her soft hand was holding mine while her other was preparing a needle. ¡°This may hurt a bit,¡± said her, before the small metal pierced my skin.


    ¡°AAAAARGHHH! IT HURTS! AAAAAGH!¡± I screamed exaggeratedly.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°GHAAAAAAAHH!¡±


    *Swoosh!*


    ¡°No, wait, what¡¯re you doing? Stop! Get that flame away from me!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t hurt this time. Actually, Arz won¡¯t feel anything anymore after this.¡±


    ¡°-!! Haah, you¡¯re no fun. <Wind Blast>,¡± I said, blowing off the blue flame she had conjured.


    ¡°Look at what you¡¯ve done,¡± she said while making a suspicious smile. ¡°It¡¯s dried, now I need to redo the blood taking.¡±


    ¡°... No, I¡¯ll do it myself this time,¡± I said as I took the needle from her hand. Once the blood came, she used my registration form to absorb it. After that, she chanted something and the form began to dissolve into light particles, which all way too familiar scene for me.


    ¡°This¡­ a dungeon?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh, that¡¯s surprising. Have Arz seen a dungeon absorbs things? Oh, are you part of Guild Fantastica?¡± her eyes sparkled like a puppy without a trace of her cool demeanor from earlier.


    ¡°Uh, no, I¡¯m not. I happen to have read it somewhere,¡± I lied.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± she looked disappointed. ¡°Anyway, your registration is complete. Welcome aboard, Arz,¡± she said and her friendly smile returned. ¡°Now--¡±


    Her words was interrupted by a blowing wind that came with a man¡¯s voice, however. ¡°A scream, I hear. Is everything okay, Halili?¡± the voice asked.


    Her reaction was creating a ball of wind in front of her mouth and said, ¡°Just a man who tried to get my attention in an immature way. Nothing that need your concern, Master Dayo.¡± Once she finished the words, the ball was dispersed, I supposed delivering the message to wherever this Dayo was.


    (Uh, immature, is it? Sorry. But even if it¡¯s true, you don¡¯t need to go telling everyone, you know.


    (Hmm. Still, <Wind Elemental Magic> as a mean for long distance communication? I never thought of it. Was this how the Adventurer Admin and Fantastica spread the agreement and my search request too?)


    Returning her attention to me, Halili remarked, ¡°Now Arz, you said you¡¯re looking for a certain mage. Anything more specific?¡±


    ¡°I only know this person is very good with human body,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Uh-huh. Name, age, gender, or magic system used?¡±


    ¡°No, unfortunately,¡± I shook my head.


    ¡°Humm, that¡¯s too vague.¡±


    ¡°Can you help?¡±


    She poked her own cheek in thinking pose. ¡°What first comes to my mind are the <Holy Magic> users, but most of them¡¯d be church¡¯s associates. Then there¡¯re also the druids and alchemists. Humm. We really need something to filter it down, unless Arz want to search through all of our database.¡±


    ¡°Uh, how long will it to take a look on all of them?¡±


    ¡°Weeks, months, may be years,¡± she shrugged.


    ¡°Uwaah, that long!? I mean, ah, alright. My father want to ask the person to build a complete human body from the scratch,¡± I said, finally giving up not mentioning father, whom I knew had a bad reputation among mages.


    ¡°And your father is...?¡±


    ¡°Uh, Mahza¡­ of [Rahziel].¡±


    ¡°Mahza? You mean Mahza the Grumpy is your father? Oops,¡± her hand quickly closed her mouth, but her eyes clearly pitying me.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m used to,¡± I said in grimace.


    ¡°Sorry. Anyway, it¡¯d give us a start,¡± she said and walked away to the big purple pillar behind the reception desk, which clearly not a part of the original cave. It began to glow after Halili put both her hands on it, although it only looked dim with all the illumination from the hanging light orbs.


    ¡°From his mana record, I can tell which of the Association¡¯s members Master Mahza has met. Now I¡¯ll exclude the ones who aren¡¯t known to be good with human body. Humm, there are¡­ three, four¡­ seven of them, who¡¯re still alive. Oh, one of them is actually with him? Whose mana is this? Uh-huh. Master Jiwa, a soul-mage? I never know <Soul Magic> has deep studies about human body,¡± she said, ending her search.


    (Wait, you¡¯re using the registration mana for spying? Without consent? Where¡¯s the privacy!)


    ¡°That¡¯s exhausting,¡± she returned to the reception desk wet with sweat. After writing down something to a small piece of parchment, she handed it to me and said, ¡°Here, Master Jiwa¡¯s address. Although I dunno if it¡¯s still valid, it¡¯s been awhile since he updated his profile.¡±


    I took the parchment and read the content, which frowned me. ¡°In the foot of dragon mountains? Isn¡¯t that too vast of area?¡±


    She shrugged her shoulders, ¡°That¡¯s what¡¯s written in his profile.¡±


    I looked at her, her eyes and smile told me that she hold more than she had given to me. ¡°Can you help me pinpoint his location?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Humm,¡± she moved her finger to her cheek, back to her thinking pose. ¡°Not pinpointing, but I can scope down the general area,¡± she said and paused. Moving her hands to play with her braid, she continued, ¡°But I¡¯m very tired. And hungry. And the operational hours is almost over. And--¡±


    ¡°I get it,¡± I said, cutting her words. ¡°I know a good bar in fifth ward and happen to have business with the owner too. Why don¡¯t I treat you there?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? Fifth ward is rather¡­ expensive, no?¡±


    ¡°No problem, I¡¯ve a lot of money,¡± I said, shaking my purse.


    ¡°Uh-huh. Okay, now I¡¯m pumped up,¡± she giggled and went back to the pillar. Once again the purplish structure made a dim glow at her touch.


    After a long silent, she finally said, ¡°... Master Jiwa seems regularly visiting Master Tork, whom I know working at the Association¡¯s branch in [Lontra]. It probably means [Lontra] is the closest town from his house, at least the closest that has a Magic Association Office.¡± She turned her head and asked, ¡°Is that enough?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Yes, thank you.¡±


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    She pulled her hands and returned back to the desk. Afterwards, she created another communication ball of wind and said, ¡°Master Dayo, the immature man from before invites me to a dinner date. Can I leave early today?¡±


    (... It¡¯s not exactly a date, isn¡¯t it? Or it is? Alv, I¡¯m not being unfaithful, you know that.)


    Not long after, the windy reply came. ¡°Remember to lock the door, you must.¡±


    ¡°I got the permission, shall we go now?¡± she asked and I replied with a nod. ¡°Wait a moment,¡± she said while tidying the desk and packing her belongings into her small hand bag. Once she ready, we moved towards the exit.


    ¡°By the way, this building is a dungeon, isn¡¯t it?¡± I asked as we walked.


    She smiled. ¡°Used to be a dungeon, to be exact. The only tower dungeon that ever known within the empire¡¯s territory,¡± she explained. ¡°[Firzoa] started as a camp for conquering this dungeon long time ago, before growing into a town this big.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I couldn¡¯t hide my surprise. Opening the front door for her, I said, ¡°I live not too far from here, in [Rahziel], but never heard such story before.¡±


    She shrugged her shoulders. ¡°It isn¡¯t really a secret, but we don¡¯t openly talk about it either. My master said it has something to do with the church. Arz too, don¡¯t talk it too freely outside this tower, or the church may brand you as a heretic,¡± she told while locking the door.


    I scratched my head. ¡°I see, good to know. Then what about that?¡± I pointed the glasses on her face, another source of my curiosity since I first saw her.


    ¡°This? This is to help me adjusting my sight.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a bad eyesight or something? Will this darkness affect you?¡± I asked out of concern as the sun was already set and, even with the sparse lights here and there from the opened windows, it was quite dark. And there was the distance to the fifth ward to consider too.


    ¡°It¡¯s something different,¡± she shook her head. ¡°I was born with sensitive eyes. Until I learn to control them better, I need to wear this,¡± she said, lowering her glasses. ¡°Oh, whoa!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Arz, are you really my age? Your mana is overflowing!¡± she said in excitement, while looking with her glasses lowered.


    ¡°You can see my mana?¡± once again I was surprised.


    ¡°Hmm, what¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a mana thread coming from you, passing through the buildings and houses in that direction,¡± she pointed to east, which I quickly guessed as where my dungeon was.


    (This girl¡­)


    Elevating her glasses back, she looked at me with another puppy eyes. ¡°How do you train your mana to get that level? Is that mana thread related? Oh, are you perhaps performing a contract with an artefact, which grant you access to this tremendous mana? Tell me!¡± her questions flowed one after another.


    ¡°... Something like that.¡±


    ¡°Humm, Arz doesn¡¯t want to share? Fine, every mage has a secret or two. But I tell you, just because you¡¯ve more mana doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re stronger. When it comes to spell proficiency, I won¡¯t lose to any mage of the same generation,¡± she said, somehow it had turned into a sort of competition.


    I laughed. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s make a bet. Whoever reaches the gate to fifth ward later has to admit the other is stronger. I¡¯m going first, <Earth Pillar>,¡± I said and at the same time a part of ground emerged, throwing me up to the night sky towards the commercial district for riches and nobles.


    From below I heard Halili exclaimed in surprise and protested for my sudden departure. She wasn¡¯t the only one though, through our link a certain spider monster also made its complaint. ¡®Ah, sorry spidey. Just meet me in front of Red¡¯s Heaven, okay?¡¯


    Cold air hit my face and my cloak waved against the wind. While I felt refreshed, thrilled and excited at the same time, it also brought back a bitter memories. Years ago, when I had been experimenting with this <Earth Elemental Magic> usage idea for the first time, mother found out and became hysterical. Father then punished me and the headache lasted for a whole month. Since then, never again I used this spell inside a town or in other people¡¯s presence, nor ever to its full potential.


    Not long after the doorless gate before the fifth ward came to my sight. To my surprise, however, a small girl was already standing there with a crossing arms, looking at my way through her round pair of glasses. ¡°Wha- How?! Oops¡­¡±


    Because of the shock, the preparation for my landing was almost too late. I created an emergency cushion ball of wind and softened the ground into sand. Nevertheless, because it was delayed, I landed harder than I had hoped for and had to roll over to prevent further damage. Unfortunately, I still hit the gate¡¯s stone wall hard in the process.


    ¡°Auch,¡± I caressed my head. After standing up while holding the wall, I walked towards my racing opponent. ¡°How do you get here before me?¡± I asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s my question,¡± she smiled. ¡°What took Arz so long?¡±


    ¡°Uh, did you use <Transfer>?¡± I asked, guessing the only faster method I could think of. ¡°That¡¯s cheating,¡± I grimaced.


    ¡°Humm. I don¡¯t remember Arz said it¡¯s prohibited. You¡¯re the one who cheated, went off right after finishing your sentence. Although, even if you waited, I¡¯d still not follow your rough example,¡± she mocked.


    I sighed and said, ¡°Master Halili is so fast and strong, this lowly mage acknowledges his total defeat.¡±


    She giggled again. ¡°Uh-huh. So, where¡¯s this place Arz talked about?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s over here,¡± I said, leading the way.


    I introduced Halili to aunt Ehrisya and we had a nice chat while having a dinner, from which I learnt several things. Like, she was the apprentice of a big-shot, Ethoria the Lightning, whom people often grouped together with Dava the Elementalist and Maa¡¯ the White Blizzard as The Elemental-mage Triumvirate - the trio who had reached the pinnacle of <Elemental Magic>.


    Like, her working in the Imperial Magic Association¡¯s Main Office in [Firzoa] was part of her training and her master¡¯s way so she could build up relationships with mages all over the empire¡¯s territory.


    Also, a familiar name came up during the chat, Tsalja, the apprentice of Maa¡¯ the White Blizzard, whom Halili saw as her greatest rival. For some reasons or another, she thought every mage around her age, even though Tsalja was a couple years older, as her competitor for the next generation¡¯s strongest mage.


    However, out of all the talk¡¯s contents, what disturbed me most was the potential civil war break-out between our [[Alishine Kingdom]] and [[Quwwat Kingdom]] in the west, both were part of [[Holy Malvice Empire]]. Since [[Quwwat]] was her home and her master worked as a royal mage there, she might be trapped in the middle, suspected and hunted by both parties as a traitor or double-agent. Even now, the authority of [Firzoa] had begun to limit her very movement.


    Although I didn¡¯t really surprised, because Alv had mentioned it in her last letter, for aunt Ehrisya it was a shocking news. It seemed most citizens hadn¡¯t known the fact yet. Furthermore, although I had confidence that Alv¡¯s abilities and connections would be enough to keep her safe, I still grew concern of her well being. It was probably better for me to visit her, once I finished this antidote delivery business. It shouldn¡¯t take too long, as I already had a solid lead.


    After the dinner, Halili expressed her gratitude and bid farewell. The space distorted when she used <Transfer>, then at the next moment her body had completely disappeared. I too asked for my leave to auntie after entrusting 50 golds for the magic item purchase.


    ¡°Oh dear, it¡¯s already late. Can you stay for the night?¡±


    I shook my head and said, ¡°The sooner I find father, the better.¡±


    ¡°If you say so. Please take care of yourself.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± I nodded.


    Spidey the terrortula joined me in front of the bar and we took a flight with another <Earth Pillar> towards the forest entry. This time, I successfully made a safe landing. A burst of wind from below reduced my falling speed before I landed on the cushion ball of wind and the sand. Tig the king tiger had been waiting for us there and greeted us with a low growl.


    ¡°Hi tig, did you wait long? Listen, we¡¯ve to make a long journey to the north. Therefore, I need to once again evolve you, alright?¡±


    The gigantic white tiger lay submissively next to me, allowing me to touch its forehead. Feeling the core, its image entering my mind. This time, I focused on growing limbs on both sides of its back. Next, I made adjustments to muscles of the new limbs, including the ones in the chest where they were connected, which not only had to have enough masses but also had to be very strong. Afterward, I grew feathers from the new limbs, completing a pair of big and robust wings. For the finisher, I used <Memory-implant> of how birds fly.


    ¡°Done,¡± I said, pulling off my hand.


    A claw ripped the tiger¡¯s back from under its skin and a new white tiger emerged.


    *Ding!*


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Requirements meet. New race is acquired!</td></tr><tr><td>You have successfully created Sky King race from King Tigers</td></tr></tbody></table>


    *Ding!*


    <table><tbody><tr><td>With your intervention, {King Tiger} has evolved into {Sky King}.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I watched as tig played with its new body parts, opening and closing the wings, after completely freeing itself from the old skin.


    ¡°Ready to fly?¡± I asked.


    ¡°ROAAAAAAAARR!¡±


    ¡°Uwaah, no need to shout! We don¡¯t want to attract unnecessary attention, you know!¡±


    I scratched my head and climbed up to tig¡¯s back. My legs were hanging behind the neck, if front of the wing, and shouldn¡¯t hinder its fly. Once my position settled, tig began to run, faster and faster, before jumping up and spreading the wings to catch the air current. It flapped, and we thrusted the wind up to the sky.


    ¡°Very nice for the first try,¡± I praised. ¡°Now, have a round before we depart,¡± I ordered.


    A tower that taller than any surrounding buildings with a mountain in one side and a plain in another and a clear night sky as the background, I thought it was an exotic view. Although it was nowhere near skyscraper buildings of my previous life, around six or seven storeys building at most, without a doubt the ex-tower dungeon was the tallest structure I had ever seen in this world.


    (Hmm. If I expand my dungeon upwards, will my perception of the surrounding area increase too? May be I really should consider to add several surface levels if I have some mana excess. Even if it doesn¡¯t give me advantage, at least it looks cool and can be the symbol of my reign.)


    Circling the town once, we then left [Firzoa] behind and flew north towards [Lontra] in [[Dragora Kingdom]], unaware to the watching eyes from the very same tower that stole my attention.


    I adjusted our direction a bit to the east, based on what I remembered of [Lontra]¡¯s location in map, and continued for the next two days without rest. Since we were basically monsters, we didn¡¯t really need food as long we had enough mana. It was still tiresome, though.


    In the early morning of the third day, long before the sun raised, the fortress city [Lontra] came to view. It was several times bigger than [Firzoa] and had walls several times taller than the Magic Association¡¯s tower, breaking the new records for the tallest structure I¡¯ve seen in this world.


    Strategically speaking, [Lontra] held the key position as the empire¡¯s first line of defense in the north, as it directly faced both hostile [[Aargio Empire]], which we had a long history with, and [[Sharia Nation]] from across the Naar Straits, which always lurking for a chance to invade the mainland.


    Since I only need [Lontra] as the landmark, I had tig to turn left, towards the big dragon mountains range that faintly visible in the far west. I ordered tig to lower our flight altitude as we approached, not only because the temperature had dropped drastically, but also the big and mighty creatures called dragons were known to make nests in the top of the mountains, hence the dragon mountains name. If possible, I would like to avoid an unnecessary suicide.


    The sun had been up when we reached the foot of the nearest mountain. Soon enough, we spotted the first house - or shack, to be exact, and a small farm field next to it. Looking around, I saw the farmer was taking a break under a tree. I decided to ask for direction, alone, and thus I jumped down from tig¡¯s back.


    *Thump!*


    ¡°WAAHHH!¡±


    ¡°Ah, sorry. Did I surprise you?¡±


    ¡°You sure did, man! Where did you come from?¡±


    ¡°From far in south, sir. By the way, I¡¯m looking for Master Jiwa, a mage whose house is supposed to be around here. Can you help me?¡±


    ¡°I ain¡¯t no sir. Just go down the path over there, you¡¯ll find another farmer house in around five kilometers. Ask again there,¡± he told.


    I looked at the where he had directed and saw the said small dirt pathway. ¡°I see, thank you,¡± I said.


    ¡°Are you going to ask for help or something from Master Jiwa?¡±


    ¡°Yes, something like that.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s an ¡®onorable mage, he will never refuse anyone seeking his help as long it¡¯s within his capabilities,¡± the farmer said with an honest smile.


    ¡°I see, glad to know,¡± I replied and returned the smile.


    Following the path, I returned to tig¡¯s back using <Earth Pillar> once I disappeared from the farmer¡¯s view and continued from above. The farmer¡¯s estimation was off, as it was a lot more than five kilometers, in addition to the difficult road. If not for using the sky road, I was sure it would take much longer for me to reach the next farmer¡¯s house.


    I jumped down and asked the next farmer the same thing. Repeating the process several times, I still couldn¡¯t found Jiwa¡¯s place until afternoon. It turned out the landscape made it completely hidden from above and I had been fooling around the area for hours before realizing my mistake.


    *Knock!* *Knock!*


    ¡°... Hmm. Is he away?¡±


    I circled the not-so-big house but didn¡¯t feel any life sign. It was the right house, I had rechecked it thrice just to make sure. However, it had never come to me the house would be empty. Scratching my head, I wondered what should I do next.


    ¡°What¡¯re ya doing there?¡±


    Surprised, I turned around to where the voice came from. A tall and thin man I guessed in his forties was standing several meters away from me, wearing a bluish-gray robe that looked a size bigger than it should be and carrying a number of big and small bags. His bald head quickly caught my attention. Yet, upon a closer look, I was made aware that his hair wasn¡¯t the only thing which was shaved clean. The man had a smooth face, opposite to most men who wanted to grow moustache and beard. His dark-blue eyes looked very sharp, although his bony feature probably played a part for that.


    ¡°Good afternoon. I¡¯m looking for Master Jiwa,¡± I greeted with a bow.


    ¡°I¡¯m Jiwa,¡± the bald man replied.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m honored to finally meet you, Master Jiwa. I¡¯m--¡±


    I stopped at a familiar big figure that came from behind Jiwa, who also carrying various bags.


    ¡°Father! You¡¯re safe!¡±


    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''><table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''3''>Biological Types</td></tr><tr><td>Plants (2)</td><td>#N/A</td><td>Ferns, Mosses</td></tr><tr><td>Animals (16)</td><td>#N/A</td><td>Ants, Bats, Centipedes, Cockroaches, Flies, Frogs, Lizards, Monkeys, Mosquitoes, Moths, Rats, Snails, Snakes, Spiders, <del>Tigers</del>, Wildcats, Wolves</td></tr><tr><td>Monsters (19)</td><td>#N/A


    Ants


    Bats


    Flies


    Frogs


    Golems


    Lizards


    Mosquitoes


    Rats


    Snails


    Spiders


    Tigers


    Wildcats</td><td>Golems, Morphers


    Gi-Ants


    Great Bats, Stone Bats


    S-Flies


    Poison-spitter Frogs, Big-eaters


    Fighter Golems


    Raptors


    Mana-suckers


    Fierce Rats, Rattibulls


    Rock-shelled Snails


    Lesser Tyrantulas,Tyrantulas,Terrortulas


    <del>King Tigers</del>, Sky Kings


    Cave Pumas</td></tr></tbody></table>

 A1. The Childhood Friend

    I took another sip of my drink. From where I sat, I could observe the whole caf¨¦ room without drawing too much attention. The problem was, I got nothing to do. Even the gossips I could overhear from other customers had lost their appeals.


    I was supposed to meet my subordinates in our guild¡¯s base in this town yesterday. However, they had not shown up until now. I knew them, there had to be a good reason for this lateness. That was why I chose to wait here, in the caf¨¦ just next to our base.


    The boring wait made my mind wandered from one thing to another. This town, [Firzoa], was not too far to the place I called my first hometown, [Rahziel]. Unfortunately, there was a mountain between the two and going a round trip there would take days, even more if I considered a stay. Although, if I had known they would be late, I would have gone, leaving a message for them to meet me there instead.


    (But I didn¡¯t, so here I am, stuck without anything to do.)


    I pouted, imagining if otherwise happened. I would have been in [Rahziel] by now, exploring the streets while reminiscing my childhood times there.


    (Arz will be surprised, for sure. What will he say when he sees me again after so long?)


    I smiled with the possibility to meet my childhood friend. Arz, that boy was always special from the time he had born. I still vividly remembered even now, the event in that stormy night. If my memories served me right, I hadn¡¯t five years old yet by then.


    In their family residence in the outskirt of the town, mother had gone to help the delivery and I had been tagging along. Because of her bright and sociable personality, many women had come to help Aunt Mirana delivering her first child despite the unfriendly weather. An expensive child, or so they had said.


    The process was difficult. Not only it took hours, but also the-long-awaited-first-child-after-years-of-marriage was born dead. Auntie cried aloud non-stop at that, together with the many who were present.


    Uncle Mahza, after recovering from the fact, locked himself in his study. It irked me, thinking he was leaving auntie in such sad situation. Although, it was nothing but my false assumption. Uncle returned to the room ten minutes later bringing a thick book and a staff. Ignoring auntie who was still crying, with everyone trying to calm her down, he began to read unfamiliar words from his book.


    Miracle happened. A blinding light descended from the ceiling and shined upon the baby. Soon enough color returned to the face and, guess what, the baby began to cry! The miracle boy was then named Arz. Only later I learnt from father, who was the head knight of [Rahziel] at the time, that the town patrol and several residents had reported a strange phenomenon of a pillar of light coming down from the sky into the house that night, complementing the version I already knew.


    Soon enough, the story of Uncle Mahza making a miracle became a hot topic among the townspeople and spread like a wildfire. Not everyone believe the story, though. Many of the townspeople responded with scepticism. Because for the most, ordinary people, Uncle Mahza was nothing more than a loner freak. A lucky one at that, for him to be able to marry a good woman like Aunt Mirana.


    ¡°Here is your cake, miss,¡± a waitress delivered my order and pulled me back to reality.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied with a smile, before I took the spoon and had a bite. My eyebrows lifted, it was delicious, although still far from perfect. I remembered Aunt Mirana had often made a cake like this too, the perfect version one, which was the reason I ordered it in the first place.


    Delicious foods, it had been a reason of my jealousy towards Arz, because with a such skilled mother he could have eaten them anytime. Even though my family had a professional chef at home, I still prefer Aunt Mirana¡¯s foods. Those delicious masterpieces, along with the curiosity of what had become of the miracle boy, had been my drive to visit their house from time to time.


    As Arz grew older, several distinctive traits became clearer. Like, his hair was black, similar to auntie¡¯s hair. His face feature was a mix of uncle¡¯s and auntie¡¯s, but I think he resembled uncle the most. And his hazel-colored eyes were definitely uncle¡¯s. While he did not mind accompany, he enjoyed solitude as much, just like his father. Although, unlike Arz, uncle was not really socializing. Arz was also a smooth-talker and attention-seeker when around girls. Cute, but annoying at the same.


    Nevertheless, it could not be helped that we became close like a real sibling. One day, he shared me a secret his parents had yet to know, that he had awaken his magic talent. It was when he was still five, I think. Not the fastest record, but still very young nonetheless. Mages usually awoke their potential around ten, although it was different for every case. Since magic talent was related to intelligence, Arz was probably very smart. Well, he sure did outsmart other kids around his age.


    Arz said he was especially interested in <Earth Elemental Magic> and since then I often found him either trying to make some L-shape objects I did not understand or drown in a book of magic. It was a wonder if he really could understand those difficult books when I, who was older, could not even read them. Not allowing myself to be left behind too far, I asked mother to teach me how to read. She was very happy, saying Arz had given a positive influence over me.


    Arz also told me his dream to become an adventurer in numerous chances and, before I knew, it had become my own goal as well. I thought, I needed to protect my little brother and becoming a fellow adventurer seemed to be the best way to do it. For that, I too had to grow stronger.


    Unfortunately, I did not have magic talent like him, so I turned to father to train me the art of sword. Father was delighted that I showed interest to the art and would train me personally whenever he had free time. Otherwise, he would send his subordinate to supervise my training.


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    My training progressed smoothly and I became stronger. Yet, I still could not show Arz my good side as a big sister. He was too reliable. Rather, it was me who always get his help. One of the occasion I would never forget, when I broke Uncle Mahza¡¯s rare and expensive material. I was cowering in fear when he once again saved me, admitting it was his deeds and receiving his father¡¯s wrath in my place.


    Experiencing the immense pain and even losing consciousness due to the pain, he still gave me an honest smile afterward, saying it was a man¡¯s duty to protect a girl. What a show off, but also very cool at the same time. I felt my cheek became hot and my heart beat so hard at the time. When I told mother of what happened later, she said I had to treasure him.


    Father and mother liked Arz very much, often praising him from time to time. I did not mind. In fact, I was proud they regarded him so high. But then they threw a crazy idea to engage us and even talked to his parent, which they agreed with too. I tried to refuse, using ¡®I¡¯m still too young for an engagement¡¯ excuse. Fortunately, father could be reasoned with and Arz had been left blank in this matter.


    My ideal man would be someone like father and my ideal couple would be my parents. In spite of that, I had to admit, I would not mind to have a responsible and fun person like Arz for my partner, if only he was not younger than me. At least his appearance had to be older before I would reconsider my stance. Until then, I would stay treating him as my little brother like before.


    Thereafter, it came the time to part ways. Father was being recalled to the capital and we were going to move away. It was inevitable, as we were part of a noble house with great influence. Actually, father being placed in small towns was none other than so he could gain experience and leadership needed for when he hold a more important position in the future. I promised Arz we would meet again as fellow adventurers.


    Therefore, I continued my training in the capital. Using our family connection, I had the best swordsman to teach me the more advanced techniques of the art of sword. And it turned out I was very talented in that regard, even more than father and my big brother. Father wanted me to follow his path, serving the kingdom by joining the knighthood. Yet, I had him understand I had another dream I wanted to pursue.


    Two years ago, after graduating from my last teacher, I began my career as an adventurer. In the world where only the strong could survive, I rose in rank very quick. My name became well known and, from my noble origin and abilities with sword, people started to call me The Sword Princess.


    Then, a year ago, one of the very few S-rank adventurers and arguably the strongest person in the world, the Guild Master of Fantastica had come to scout me personally. Of course I gladly took Master Dava¡¯s offer. To repay the honor, I worked hard for the guild sake and climbed the guild hierarchy with another quick pace. Before I knew, I had been appointed as an Executive Member, the Fantastica¡¯s top elite circle, and entrusted with a handful of subordinates.


    From which I had selected one as a candidate for the next Executive Member Election. I would like to give him some pointers before the actual test while we head towards meeting place. However, if he and his party kept on making me wait like this, I probably need to reconsider on taking him at all.


    (... Geez, what¡¯s Rowd doing? Alright, it¡¯s decided. If he doesn¡¯t appear until tonight, he doesn¡¯t need to appear at all. I¡¯ll take Crystela instead. It¡¯s a bit sudden, but if it¡¯s her I¡¯m sure she can manage.)


    My train of thought was interrupted by a slender figure just outside the caf¨¦. The [Firzoa] base manager was looking around inside with uneasy expression. Consequently, I waved my hand to let her knew my seat and she approached me with light steps. I gestured her to take a seat in front of me.


    Leaning forward, she said in low voice, ¡°Lady Alveria, I have a news regarding Master Rowd.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m asking the headquarter to check and their reply has just arrived. Neither of Master Rowd¡¯s, Loen¡¯s or Vaiz¡¯s guild marks give respond.¡±


    ¡°All three of them? Are you sure?¡± I asked in surprise.


    The manager nodded. ¡°I already asked them to recheck, to make sure.¡±


    Everyone received a guild mark in their chosen body part when joining a guild. Through the guild tablet, the tablet keeper could check each member¡¯s mark status. When the mark didn¡¯t respond, it could only mean the said member was either dead or unconscious, and it was the guild¡¯s responsibility to retrieve whatever remained from their fallen members and passed the news and belongings to their family.


    I sighed, ¡°And their last position?¡±


    ¡°In the forest just east from here, my lady.¡±


    I dumbfounded. ¡°There should be nothing that could endanger them in that forest. Is there anything unusual happen there lately?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°Nothing that we are aware of,¡± she replied, now fidgeting at the possibility of something went undetected because of her incompetence.


    I facepalmed. It was unthinkable for my chosen champion to be defeated in the low level forest, moreover when Loen, a very talented mage like Arz, was with him.


    (They must be unconscious. The questions are, how and why.)


    ¡°Alright, Jeana. By tomorrow morning I¡¯ll personally go there to check,¡± I told the manager. Waving my hand, I called a waitress and asked her to prepare my bills.

 16. DAMN YOU!

    ¡°Father!¡±


    I rushed forward, passing over the stupefied Jiwa. However, father didn¡¯t welcome me, hit me or do anything of the sort I had imagined he would. No, he just stood there, looking confused.


    (... Confused? -!! Ah, of course!)


    ¡°Many things have happened, father. I managed to survive and, although I¡¯ve grown since you left me in that cave, it¡¯s me, Arz!¡± I reintroduced myself.


    ¡°... Arz¡­?¡± father responded, still looked confused as ever.


    At the time, Jiwa came and grabbed my shoulder. ¡°Here I wonder who gives me a visit, and it turns out to be mah own nephew,¡± he said with a smile on his face. ¡°Mahza, yer son goes this far to meet ya, why¡¯re ya so cold?¡±


    ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re safe, son,¡± father said, smiling and opening his arms.


    ¡°Forgive him, he just tired,¡± Jiwa said and gave me a light push on back.


    I moved ahead and hugged the big bearded man who gave me the second life in this world. The feeling was so nostalgic, like it had been a very long time, even though it wasn¡¯t even two weeks in reality. Of course I meant two weeks of this world, which was twenty days.


    After a short break, Jiwa said, ¡°Now, why don¡¯t we come in? Ya can continue yer reunion inside the house.¡±


    I released father and looked at Jiwa, who was picking up the bags he had put down on the ground earlier.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll help,¡± I said and took some of the bags from both father and Jiwa.


    ¡°... By the way, Master Jiwa. You said I¡¯m your nephew?¡± I asked curiously, as we walked to the door.


    ¡°Yea. Mahza and I were learning <Soul Magic> together from the same master. In that sense, we¡¯re brother,¡± he answered, while channeling his mana to undo the barrier around the house and unlocked the door with a key. ¡°Come in,¡± he invited, after the door was wide open.


    I and father followed Jiwa to the back room. ¡°Put ¡®em there,¡± he told and we put the bags at the corner he pointed to.


    ¡°Make yerself at home. Do ya wanna cup of tea?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± I answered. Wondering with what inside the bags, I took a peek into one and asked, ¡°What¡¯re these?¡±


    ¡°Materials for a joint-project of me and Mahza,¡± Jiwa answered while preparing the tea.


    ¡°Did you just bought them? in [Lontra]?¡±


    ¡°Yea, where else?¡±


    ¡°What project?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Because I didn¡¯t receive any answer, I turned my head towards Jiwa. He looked doubtful, therefore I said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to answer if you don¡¯t want to, you know. Sorry for asking.¡±


    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s okay. We¡¯re going to make a new <soul gem>. Because yer father said it didn¡¯t work, I offered mah help. Just now I was thinking if we really need to make one. Ya being here means it¡¯s already working. However, since we¡¯ve bought all these stuffs, it would be a waste if we just stop.¡±


    ¡°I see. In that case I think you should just continue.¡±


    ¡°Yea,¡± Jiwa replied as he brought a tray with three cups and a teapot to the only table in the room. ¡°Here, have some while it¡¯s still hot,¡± he poured for himself.


    I followed him. While pouring for my own and father¡¯s share, I asked, ¡°Then, would it mean you¡¯re going to stay here for a while, father?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± father nodded, receiving his cup from me.


    Taking a sip of my own cup, I observed father who somehow only had few words today.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t ya tell us about yer long journey to come here, Arz?¡± Jiwa asked from where he had taken a seat.


    ¡°Hmm. Ah, that¡¯s right. How can I forget my main reason coming here. Father, I don¡¯t know if you know, but you¡¯ve been poisoned. Here¡¯s the antidote, please drink it,¡± I said, taking out the antidote vial and giving it to him.


    Father hesitated and stole a glance to where Jiwa sat before taking it, which I found rather strange. Yet, when I saw father gulping the antidote, I felt nothing but relieved. With this, my long journey had been paid off and father would be no longer in constant danger from the poison.


    Remembered that I hadn¡¯t answered Jiwa¡¯s question, I turned to him. ¡°Nothing much uncle, it was rather uneventful journey,¡± I said while taking a seat. ¡°Oh yeah, I also met Aunt Ehrisya on my way here, father,¡± I told as I received the now empty vial father handed and pocketed it back.


    ¡°I see,¡± was all of father¡¯s reply when he took the seat next to me.


    I raised my eyebrows. ¡°She helped you, didn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Scratching my head, I wondered why father was so less energetic than his usual self and hoped it wasn¡¯t because the poison had attacked his nerve system.


    ¡°Who¡¯s this Ehrisya?¡± Jiwa asked.


    ¡°Oh. A bar owner, father¡¯s old acquaintance from whom I know father is coming here.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± his eyes sparked with curiosity. ¡°I wanna know, but, it can wait. For now, I¡¯m more curious with how ya revived and gained a new body. Mind to tell us, Arz? I¡¯m sure yer father also want to hear yer story. Right, brother?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± father nodded.


    ¡°Hmm. To put it short, the cave father left me was a dungeon. After taking over the dungeon consciousness, I became the new dungeon master. It also came with the ability to create a dungeon lord, this new body.¡±


    ¡°Oh, interesting. But how did ya take over the consciousness? How could ya sense it in the first place?¡±


    I took a glance towards father, who was enjoying his cup of tea, not interested a bit with my story. ¡°... Before that, uncle, do you know what¡¯s wrong with father?¡± I asked instead answering, because father condition was obviously very weird and it started to bug me.


    ¡°He just tired, don¡¯t worry. Why don¡¯t ya take some rest while I¡¯ve a chat with mah nephew, Mahza,¡± he told.


    ¡°Alright,¡± father replied, putting his cup down and standing up. His action surprised me, and even more after I realized how father obediently followed whatever Jiwa told him all this time.


    ¡°Wait!¡± I asked, but he ignored me and walked away. In the spur of moment, I used the mind attack and once again got surprised, this time at how fragile father¡¯s mind was. He limped down and groaned weakly on the floor, unable to even lift a finger.


    ¡°What¡¯re ya do--!¡±


    Jiwa tried to approach father but halted at an emerging earth spike pointed to his throat. It was I who came near to father first, before Jiwa could recover from his shock. I squatted down and checked father¡¯s condition. As far as the uneducated me could tell, he had no physical injury but his mind was abnormally weak.


    Even after I released my mind attack, the once prideful mage just lying helplessly there. My mind began to wander wildly at what might have happened to father.


    ¡°No conceited laugh, no arrogant speech, and no mind resistance,¡± I said and turned towards Jiwa. Trying my best to suppress the urging rage, I asked, ¡°What¡¯ve you done to father, uncle?¡±


    ¡°Are ya perhaps misunderstanding something, mah boy?¡± Jiwa replied calmly and straightened his tall posture.


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°Yer father. I told ya he¡¯s tired. Very tired. His guilty feeling in addition to the poison and the long journey to come here have exhausted him both mentally and physically. He need some rest, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°... And you expect me to believe that?¡±


    ¡°No. But it never hurt to try.¡±


    *CRASH!!*


    ¡°Wha--¡±


    *ROOAAAAAARRRRRR!!*


    *Pssssssssssssttttt*


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    In that instant, tig had broken through the windows and spidey had shot its thread to tie the bald mage, covering from his chest, hands and legs in cocoon-like manner. Now lying on the floor, he couldn¡¯t make much movement as tig had been pressing his chest using its gigantic heavy paw, with the claws ready, and spidey had been locking his neck with its poisonous fang and both scythe-like front-legs.


    Jiwa snorted, ¡°As expected of a dungeon master.¡±


    ¡°Why? Aren¡¯t you two brothers?¡± I asked and stood up.


    ¡°Yea, what do ya know? My hatred towards that guy is as deep as ocean,¡± Jiwa said, his resentment reflected in his voice and eyes.


    ¡°... It¡¯s not just hatred, isn¡¯t it? You would have killed father if so. Why¡¯re you keeping him alive? What¡¯s your plan?¡±


    He smiled and replied, ¡°Smart lad. But what make ya think I¡¯ll answer that?¡±


    I took out my gun and aimed for the floor next to his head.


    *BANG!*


    ¡°Don¡¯t test my patience, Jiwa,¡± I warned.


    ¡°Oh, interesting toy ya¡¯ve there,¡± he smirked. ¡°Did ya get that from yer dungeon as well?¡±


    Seeing how calm he was, even with all the disadvantages, I couldn¡¯t help thinking he still had something in his sleeves. Thus, I used mind attack on him, only to find no single flaw in his defense. It was then I realized the caliber of the mage in front of me.


    (... He¡¯s probably as strong as father. No, considering father¡¯s current state, he may even stronger. Then, wouldn¡¯t prolong this conversation only put me at disadvantage? Should I end it now before he could do anything?


    (No, wait, don¡¯t rush. First, let¡¯s calm down and think it through.)


    ¡­


    ¡°... What¡¯s wrong? Aren¡¯t ya going to make me talk? Oh, I know, why don¡¯t ya kneel down and beg me to spare yer father, o great dungeon master?¡± Jiwa mocked, still with his smirk with sharp-looking eyes. Like a hunter prying his preys.


    (This guy, he¡¯s a cruel man who turns his own brother into a mindless slave.


    (Although, I can easily imagine it was probably father¡¯s fault in the first place.


    (He could just drove me out from the start. Or killed me. Yet he decided to pretend to be a good family. Why?


    (Because I¡¯m his nephew?


    (Hmm, it¡¯s possible. After all, every farmers I met on my way here said he¡¯s an honorable mage, didn¡¯t they?


    (In that case, we should be able to settle his peacefully.


    (No, no, I¡¯m being too optimistic here. He already admitted he has a hidden agenda.


    (So, keeping me was probably not because of a goodwill. Then what? Gathering information? Of what?


    (Ah! He said he and father are making a new <soul gem>, and he somewhat very interested with me being a dungeon master, doesn¡¯t he?


    (No way! He want to repeat my process taking over a dungeon?


    (...


    (It¡¯s just a hypothesis, but¡­


    (Either way, I don¡¯t see how I can bring father out of here without violence, either his hatred is very deep or it''ll ruin his plan.


    (Should I kill him?


    (I already killed before, with my own hand, people who hurted father.


    (That¡¯s right, I can¡¯t be weak. This man too, is a menace for father.)


    Deciding on what to do, I whispered, ¡°<Earth Spike>.¡±


    A pointed ground emerged from behind Jiwa¡¯s head and pierced to his face, splattering blood around and making a gruesome scene.


    ¡°You can feast on him,¡± I told both tig and spidey and turned my attention from the unrecognizable body to father who still lying on the floor all this time. ¡°Let¡¯s go home, father,¡± I said as I tried to shoulder him.


    ¡°Grr¡­¡±


    I looked up at tig¡¯s growl and once again got surprised, Jiwa¡¯s corpse had gone!


    ¡°Wha- Where did he go?¡±


    Both tig and spidey looked confused and clueless just like me. I took a look to my surroundings. Even though we couldn¡¯t spot him, his voice was clear when he talked.


    ¡°Funny. Mahza¡¯s always boasting as the greatest soul-mage, but his son can only do a pathetic mind attack and even falls to this level of mind trick,¡± Jiwa¡¯s voice said. ¡°Too bad, I was hoping I could dig some more from ya. Now it has come to this, should I teach ya why soul-mages are the most feared in a fight?¡±


    Hearing the speech, my adrenaline rushed and my breath became faster. The master mage was about to come at me, thus I put down father who was on my shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re welcome to try!¡± I said, releasing a barrage of earth spikes, starting from around my feet and waving further, except on where father and my two monsters stayed.


    And appeared he did, at near the wall on the other side of the room, in a small area where my spikes couldn¡¯t break through an invisible barrier.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± Jiwa said, along with a strong wave of mind attack. I lost my balance and fell forward. Through our link, I sensed spidey had lost consciousness while tig, although managed to stay awake, had suffered greatly.


    *BANG!* *BANG!* *BANG!*


    ¡°<Earth Spike>.¡±


    I shot my gun repeatedly towards Jiwa. However, with the disorientation feeling his attack had caused, all my aim missed by afar. Then I resorted to <Earth Elemental Magic>, but Jiwa didn¡¯t even need to evade. Like the earth spikes barrage from before, the three simultaneous emerging earth spikes that surrounded him were also destroyed the moment they entered his barrier sphere.


    ¡°Tig!¡± I called and the sky king immediately leapt forward.


    Yet, this too was proven futile. All Jiwa did was raising one of his hand and my great tiger stopped in the mid-air.


    ¡°-!! Gravity!?¡± I exclaimed in surprise.


    Tig flapped its robust wings again and again in an attempt to escape but to no avail. Slowly but steady, it approached Jiwa¡¯s hand like being sucked.


    ¡°<Gol-- Uwaahhh!!¡±


    Jiwa waved his free hand on my way and I flew backwards, hitting a number of furnitures before stopping on a wall.


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    (Uh. Not gravity, is this... telekinesis?)


    *GRRrrrrr¡­¡­*


    I, who was on my four, looked up and horrified at what I saw. The mighty sky king was decaying, starting from the nose where it directly touched Jiwa¡¯s hand, and quickly spread to cover the whole big body. One after another the eyes fell down from their sockets, followed by the feathers when the decay reached the wing parts, until tig completely withered, lifeless. Its core fell to ground with a clanking sound.


    ¡°NOOO!¡± I tried to stand up but once again I flew to hit the wall behind me. And once again, head first.


    ¡°U...ughh¡­ *Bleagh!*¡±


    My head hurt so much and the world felt like it was spinning to every direction. I could no longer control my body parts and before I knew, I had been throwing up. To not make it any worse, I used my mana to recover the Dungeon Lord. Jiwa had stood in front of me when I finally felt better.


    ¡°Any last word?¡± he asked.


    ¡°<Gole- ghuuh! Arghhhh¡­¡±


    He squatted down and pulled my hair. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I still have many uses of Mahza, so I won¡¯t kill him. Yet.¡±


    Then I felt a sudden, intense pain from behind my head and it became blank. The next time I awoke, my consciousness was already back in my heart chamber, within my dungeon.


    ¡®DAMN YOU JIWAAAAAAAA!¡¯


    My voiceless scream echoed through our link.

 17. What?

    ¡®DAMN YOU JIWAAAAAAAA!¡¯


    My voiceless scream echoed through our link, sending over my frustration to all my creatures. And through the same link, I sensed various reactions from them. Some flinched, some became more aggressive, and, I didn¡¯t know if it was a coincidence, but one of the frog evolutions - a big-eater - actually started to evolve.


    At the time, a portal opened and a form I had never seen came into my heart chamber. ¡°Greetingsss, massster,¡± the creature said while making a deep bow.


    At the upper side was a female humanoid body with reddish dark skin and an expressionless face. The many antennas on her hairless head entangled each other, forming a crown-like feature. At the bottom part, below the waist, was her original ant body, although it was much bigger than the last time I saw her.


    ¡®What do you want, queen?¡¯


    ¡°My people ready, whenever massster want hiss rrevenge.¡±


    ¡®... Yeah? And how¡¯re your people going to help? It¡¯s a long journey to the north, your tiny people will likely to run-out mana and die on the way. They can¡¯t even fly.¡¯


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡®What? If you¡¯ve nothing else to say, get lost! I¡¯m not in the mood for a useless chat,¡¯ I scold.


    The queen gi-ant made another deep bow and opened a new portal behind her. Before she left, however, I called for her.


    ¡®Wait,¡¯ I said, feeling that I might have been too harsh. As she stopped and looked at my dungeon heart, I said, ¡®Thanks. I¡¯ll consider it.¡¯


    She bowed and said, ¡°I¡¯ll fix what massster ssaid.¡±


    I nodded, in my mind. ¡®Oh, one more thing. Next time, wear some clothes,¡¯ I told.


    She expressionlessly looked at the heart¡¯s direction for a while, before opening her mouth. ¡°Iss that an order?¡±


    ¡®Order? No, not really. Just¡­ a suggestion.¡¯


    It probably just my imagination, but for a brief moment I thought I saw the gi-ant leader¡¯s mouth curled a bit into a smile, before turning expressionless again. ¡°Then I prefer not. Humanss clothess aren¡¯t comfortable,¡± she said.


    ¡®... I see. Then, if there¡¯s nothing else, you can go,¡¯ I dismissed.


    She bowed and obediently disappeared into the opened portal.


    Once she left, I let out an imaginary sigh. It was then when I realized the useless little chat had been able to help lowering my tension from the battle before.


    Now I had calmed down, I tried to reach spidey through our link. Unfortunately, I got no response. Either it was still unconscious, already dead, or the distance was simply too great.


    For the meantime, I dispatched my s-flies to look for Jiwa. If I wanted another showdown, I would need to know my target¡¯s location or if he ever changed his location.


    Still, I regretted that not only I failed to save father, I had lost two of my trusted companions. Next time, I need to plan it through, although I wasn¡¯t sure where to start.


    (What do i do?


    (Going there alone won¡¯t help, the gap of our abilities are just too great.


    (Should I bring an army like queen gi-ant suggested? Maybe a mix with stronger monsters?


    (But, there are problems in that.


    (First is of course the logistic. Like I said to queen, it won¡¯t do if everyone run out mana on the way.


    (I can make them able to absorb mana from the air, like the s-flies do. However, considering how thin mana in the air are, is it a good idea at all? When they all gather in the same area, isn¡¯t it like putting so many people in a limited oxygen space?


    (Second, how will the locals react with an army of monsters passing through their territory?


    (It¡¯s different with going alone, I suppose going undetected is impossible. If the authorities decide to send their own force to intercept and we clash, there will be a lot of casualties from both parties. Then if the news spread, others may send reinforcement and unnecessarily drag the conflict. In the worst case, my monsters will be annihilated long before I can reach Jiwa.


    (Not good.


    (That aside, assuming I can safely confront Jiwa with my army intact, how many of them can actually withstand his mind attack? And the illusion mind trick, to what extent can he uses them? Can he make my monsters killing each other? There are also the troublesome telekinesis and the <Soul Disconnect> that killed both me and tig with a single touch.)


    In my mind, I scratched my head and made another sigh.


    (Well, let¡¯s focus on one matter before jumping to another. It¡¯s a given that I can¡¯t face Jiwa alone, so no matter what, I need to bring over my army, don¡¯t I?


    (Hmm. How do I attack a far enemy base in a real-time-strategy game, other than capturing point after point all the way?


    (Let see¡­ If it¡¯s a modern setting, I can use a long-range attack like missiles, aircraft bombers, or some paratroopers. And if I¡¯m advanced enough, I can either launch nuke, shoot satellite¡¯s beam, teleport tanks, or send an overpowered mecha.


    (If it¡¯s fantasy setting like this world, shoot a global magic or dispatch flying units like gryphon riders or dragons.


    (Hey, maybe it doesn¡¯t have to be a full army at all?


    (If it¡¯s a squadron of high-ranking monsters that equipped with mid to long range of highly destructive attack, won¡¯t it be enough?


    (Right, I don¡¯t have to worry of a high-ranking monster running-out mana. Also, if it¡¯s only a few of them, being undetected should be possible, especially if I add the terrortula¡¯s stealth ability. With the flight capability and the long range attack, I can bombard Jiwa in a preemptive strike, hopefully killing him or at least giving enough damage before he can retaliate.


    (Not too bad, if I say so myself.


    (With my current mana rate, speeding up lizards evolutions until they become dragons should be no problem.


    (Nevertheless, I think it¡¯s better if I can understand more about <Soul Magic> before I intervene with the evolution, so I won¡¯t miss any countermeasure I need to prepare.


    (Still, without father, who can help me?


    (Let see... May be Tsalja or Halili?


    (Neither of them specifically study <Soul Magic>, but they may have heard one or two things from their masters.


    (Especially Halili, since that girl can access the Association¡¯s files, the chance of she can help is higher.


    (Alright, my next course is decided then.)


    Afterward, I opened the dungeon overview for the first time after a long time. Just seeing the amount of mana I have was enough to heighten my mood. I then continued with opening the biological overview and found several new races in my dungeon.


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''2''>Dungeon Overview</td></tr><tr><td>Dungeon Type</td><td>Cave</td></tr><tr><td>Levels</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td>Rooms</td><td>82</td></tr><tr><td>Biological Types</td><td>34</td></tr><tr><td>Non-biological Types</td><td>7</td></tr><tr><td>Drops Types</td><td>20</td></tr><tr><td>Dungeon Skills</td><td>5</td></tr><tr><td>Titles</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>Mana Points</td><td>341,300</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''3''>Biological Types</td></tr><tr><td>Plants (2)</td><td>#N/A</td><td>Ferns, Mosses</td></tr><tr><td>Animals (16)</td><td>#N/A</td><td>Ants, Bats, Centipedes, Cockroaches, Flies, Frogs, Lizards, Monkeys, Mosquitoes, Moths, Rats, Snails, Snakes, Spiders, <del>Tigers</del>, Wildcats, Wolves</td></tr><tr><td>Monsters (19)</td><td>#N/A


    Ants


    Bats


    Flies


    Frogs


    Golems


    Lizards


    Mosquitoes


    Rats


    Snails


    Spiders


    Tigers


    Wildcats</td><td>Golems, Morphers


    Gi-Ants


    Great Bats, Stone Bats


    S-Flies


    Poison-spitter Frogs, Big-eaters, Voracious-eaters


    Fighter Golems


    Raptors


    Mana-suckers


    Fierce Rats, Rattibulls


    Rock-shelled Snails


    Lesser Tyrantulas, Tyrantulas, Terrortulas


    <del>King Tigers</del>, <del>Sky Kings</del>


    Cave Pumas</td></tr></tbody></table>


    (Uwaah, amazing, almost three hundred and fifty thousands?


    (Around a hundred and fifty probably comes from the magic items I purchased, so the rest are from the adventurer¡¯s tributes and my mana-sucker¡¯s collections?


    (I see. The settlement must have grown quite large since I left.


    (Anyway, I should support the settlement to grow even more. I guess I¡¯ll add new types of drops to make my dungeon more attracting.


    (Next, the creatures...


    (Hmm. This voracious-eaters, is it the big-eater which just evolves? Oh, it can eat something without physical substance too now? Wait, by without physical substance, does it include things like mana or a casted-magic too?


    (No further explanation. Nevermind, I¡¯ll test it myself later. It would be nice if it¡¯s true.


    (The other new races¡­ Stone Bats, basically the same as Great Bats but with stone skin and heavier weight, which increased both their defense and attack power.


    (Then, Rattibulls, which are aggressive bull-size rats. They even have a small pair of horn.


    (Last one, cave pumas, just big cats with fur patterns that blend them well with the cave surrounding. Oh, wait, there¡¯s more. They can also walk on walls and ceilings? Cool.


    (Still, I was hoping the cats would evolve into tigers. But seeing the cave pumas, it¡¯s unlikely without my intervention. Ah, I miss tig already *Sigh*.)


    Satisfied with my dungeon progress, I was thinking of what to do next, whether I should visit Halili right away or not. It was then when one of the s-flies notified that Crystela was calling for me in the first room.


    Thus, I used <Dungeon Core> and created a new Dungeon Lord. Once again I chose humans for the race, because I was used with the body and it was easier to communicate with my customers, which mostly humans.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Mana began to gather in front of my dungeon heart, swirling around forming a condensed mist. Then, I felt my consciousness was being pulled into it. An image of the same version of my previous Dungeon Lord appeared, a blur at first but rapidly became more vivid. When I opened my eyes, I already inside the human body.


    (Ah, it¡¯s good to feel limbs again.)


    I replicated some clothes for my own use, the same set as before, and they materialized from the light particles in front of me. After finish changing, I used <Dungeon Gate> to open a portal and went into it.


    The portal didn¡¯t connect to the first room, however. It felt like I was truly their pet if I came whenever they called me and I didn¡¯t like that sort of feeling. Therefore, I made a detour.


    The place I came into was the room with a higher temperature than the rest, where lizards and raptors had their nest together with many smaller creatures. Previously, it was an enclosed room safe from predators, but since raptors appeared I¡¯ve opened an entrance and made it a dead-end room.


    The raptors itself were cunning predators that hunt in a pack. They could use things like diversion tactic or throwing small rocks to maim their prey as the result of my early meddling in their lizards phase. Although they used four legs for a fast run, they mainly stood using only their hind legs with their long tail as the counterweight while their shorter front legs acted as a pair of arms.


    Strong teeth that could crunch bones, pair of arms which thumb¡¯s position suited for gripping in addition to the sharp claws, powerful hind legs for jumping and running, and heavy long tail that could shake the earth, all covered with dark hard scales which had minor heat resistance.


    When the raptors first appeared, they reached one meters long, including the straightened tail, and about a human adult¡¯s knee height. Now, however, their average size had grown about twice, around a human adult¡¯s stomach height.


    Clapping my hands, I get their full attention. ¡°Raptors, gather here,¡± I ordered.


    Once they did, I pointed one which seemed the smartest of them. ¡°You. Pick another ninety-nine of your brethren and go there,¡± I told while opening a new portal. ¡°We¡¯ll do a mock battle. Wait for me there while I¡¯m picking your opponent,¡± I said.


    The idea was simple, I wanted to raise their combat experience and survival instinct. Compared to other creatures in my dungeon, lizards and raptors live in relatively safe place all this time, even after I opened an entrance to their room. That was why, before I eventually helping them get stronger with evolution, they had to get better by themselves first.


    After I told the raptors their task, once again I used <Dungeon Gate> and went into the rooms of fierce rats, which I had chosen as the other participant of the game I was about to start. The monsters once hold the top position of food pyramid in my dungeon and were one of the top race in the terms of collective battle.


    The fierce rats were slightly bigger than the raptors. They were also more agile and more experienced in battling and surviving against both adventurers and other dungeon¡¯s creatures. On the other hand, raptors could utilized their hands better and their hard scales gave them better protection. At the same time, both parties were excels at hunting in pack. In my opinion, there was a good chance the fight would turn stalemate if the fierce rats couldn¡¯t overrun the raptors in early phase of the game.


    ¡°I need a hundred of fierce rats to come with me for a mock battle,¡± I told the curious looking creatures. ¡°No, you bullrats can¡¯t participate, maybe next time.¡±


    Then, followed by a hundred of the rat monsters, I passed through another portal to the huge empty room of ten cubic kilometers, where a hundred of raptors had been waiting. It was the only room in the second underground level besides my heart chamber.


    Using <Earth Elemental Manipulation>, I raised two high platforms at two opposing corners, making them into two hills. Once I finished, I left my Dungeon Lord and returned to the dungeon view.


    (Ah, I guess seeing my own body from above will always feel wrong, no matter how many times I¡¯ve done this before.)


    Pouring my mana, I made a wide river, and I meant wide, between the two hills and split the room into two. Afterward, I poured more mana to soften the rocky cave ground and grow numerous plants, using the knowledge I got from the various plants within the claimed surface area, and created a vast forest.


    Weird enough, the ceiling began to shine a dim light. I took a look out of curiosity and found the light sources, which were innumerable fist-size rocks called <moon stone> that embedded in the ceilings. However, there was another type of rock that embedded alongside called <sun stone>, which I assumed would glow in turn when the day time came.


    (Hey, I know these stones! They¡¯re popular among elemental-users as effective catalyst to increase magic output of <Water Elemental Magic> and <Fire Elemental Magic> respectively.


    (So they come from a dungeon, huh? This can be a good drops addition.


    (Maybe I should take one <sun stone> too for my staff¡­ later. Now back to work.)


    Next, I turned onto one of the hills. The first thing I did was adding a tall yet simple stone structure in the center of the hill, which would serve as the symbol of headquarter. Afterwards, I created a core using and put it into the corner side wall of the hill and imagined a mana emitting wall that would restore of my monsters. I released my influence to what I would call it wall of recovery, and it began to work right away.


    Then I turned to the other hill and did similar things there, preparing another headquarter symbol and wall of recovery. After finished, I took a round to recheck my work.


    Feeling satisfied, I had my attention back to the groups of fierce rats and raptors around my stood still Dungeon Lord. Because they were all basically touching me when I was in this dungeon view mode, I had no problem feeling their core. What I did next was transferring a hundred mana points to the core of every participants of this game as a bonus, before finally returning to my Dungeon Lord.


    ¡°Alright. You¡¯ve all received the gift for participating, now listen for the rules,¡± I said. ¡°Look at the hills. Fierce rats team and raptors team, each of you¡¯ll take one as your starting base. Your mission will be protecting the stone structure there while destroying the other¡¯s structure,¡± I explained and took a pause to see if they understood so far.


    ¡°Now for the details,¡± I continued. ¡°If your stone symbol is destroyed, you lose. If your team numbers is reduced to 40%, you lose. If the same happens to your opponent, you win. Every method you can think of to achieve victory is allowed.


    ¡°During the game, I¡¯ll limit your link to your own team only. I¡¯ll grant every survivor a grand amount of mana at the end of the game. That¡¯s why, stay alive. The wall of recovery at your base can help you on that.


    ¡°I¡¯ll also dispatch some s-flies to watch the game in my place. They¡¯ll help me to judge individuals of each team who contribute the most in reducing their opponents and destroying the stone symbol, whom I will give a mana bonus. Of course, every members of the winning team will receive another bonus.¡±


    I looked at them all. Because no one asking question, I would assume they understood. Hopefully they really did. Therefore, I opened two portals leading to the two hills. ¡°You can start. Good luck.¡±


    I watched as the participants left for the portals and cut their access through our link, before opening another portal from which dozens of s-flies came into the room. In the meantime they moved, I called the queen gi-ant. ¡°Hey, queen, come over here.¡±


    Once again a new portal opened. ¡°Masssterr,¡± the queen entered and greeted with a bow.


    ¡°I want to give you another task,¡± I said. ¡°Observe this mock battle, learn, and find a better way to achieve the set goals. Next time, I¡¯ll have you lead one of the parties, may be with more races involved and different arena. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Yesss, masssterr.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Good.¡±


    Because the notifications had been more intensive for a while, I decided I shouldn¡¯t delay the matter with Crystela any longer. Thus, I opened a new portal. ¡°I need to go now,¡± I told.


    ¡°Pleasse take care,¡± she bowed.


    It couldn¡¯t be helped that I stole a glance to her naked chest every time she bowed. Only, this time our eyes met and I swore I saw she smiled for a brief moment, just like earlier in the heart chamber. It caused my heart to beat faster.


    (Uwaahh, she¡¯s doing this on purpose, isn¡¯t she? Choosing this form and wearing nothing.


    (Not good. Stop thinking lewd things, me, or I may end up pushing her down.


    (Uh, Alv, please return soon, I may about to reach my limit.)


    I looked away and fastened my steps to enter the portal. The thought was soon blown off from my head, however, as the first room I came to had a completely different atmosphere.


    ¡°At last! Where have you been, Dungeon Master Arz?¡± Crystela asked impatiently.


    Somehow her tone irked me. ¡°I¡¯ll come whenever I want, be grateful I¡¯m still coming at all. So, what do you want?¡±


    She obviously unhappy with my answer. Looking around, I noticed not only Jowsar-Star members who were present but many other adventurers as well. They were all standing around with anxious look.


    (... Did something happen?)


    ¡°Very well,¡± the blonde defender said and took a deep breath. ¡°Dungeon Master Arz, do you realize you¡¯ve breached our agreement?¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±

 A2. The Executive Meeting

    Author Note:


    Hi folks,


    Sorry it takes another long time to finish. I found a good read and distracted for some times, I joined j0nn0-sensei class of grammar (maybe i''ll take a hiatus after several next chapters to review my old ones), and... you can say I met some blocks and had to revise several times before I satisfied with the flow.


    uh, anyway, here you go. (Hopefully I didn''t leave too many mistakes.)


    ps. expect arz''s chapter tomorrow, after I give one last check. Now I really need to sleep.


    <hr />


    ¡°Thank you for every honorable member who has come here despite the change of schedule. I hereby declare the nineteenth Annual Meeting of Fantastica Executive begin.¡±


    The handsome man with flaming red hair took a pause as he looked at everyone in the room, all the twelve Executives except himself, and his shaven clean face made a charismatic smile. The founder of Fantastica, arguably the strongest human of this era, and my main reason for joining the guild, he was Dava the Elementalist. I was not sure of his real age, should be more than forty, although his appearance didn¡¯t look any different than some twenty-five years old guy.


    ¡°As you can read in the report in front of you, the agenda for today¡¯s meeting are three topics, which are regarding the ancient dungeon of Mount Naar, the training dungeon in east of [Firzoa], and overall situation in [[Malvice Empire]],¡± he continued. ¡°Let¡¯s start with the first topic. Executive Oki, if you please.¡±


    The middle aged warrior three seats from me stood up. Screwy hair and tired face, probably from lack of sleep. Although I had heard some rumors about the topic, as I didn¡¯t know the details, I took the report on the table and looked for the right page.


    ¡°Ay. Sorry everyone, I screwed up,¡± Master Oki said, distracting me from the report in my hand. ¡°I allowed the Dungeon Hunter to conquer Naar dungeon before us,¡± he told with a bitter smile. So the rumor was true, the biggest and hardest dungeon had been conquered, even though it was not by our guild.


    ¡°We both screwed up,¡± the woman beside him, his wife whose name I forgot, said and grabbed his hand.


    ¡°How did this happen? You guys should have more than two years ahead within the dungeon, how did they manage to catch up with you?¡±


    ¡°Ay. Sorry about that. We returned to surface once about a year ago, so the gap wasn¡¯t that much.¡±


    ¡°Returned? Why? Did you both not receive my warning of his coming?¡±


    ¡°Ay. We received it, but¡­¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°But we had lost a number of members and most supplies when other guilds suddenly teamed up and ambushed us,¡± it was Oki¡¯s wife who answered.


    ¡°Ay. Although we made sure they paid for what they did, we deemed returning is necessary at the time,¡± Master Oki complemented.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you request a backup and wait instead of wasting so much time just to return and get back there again? We could even send more Executives to help.¡±


    ¡°Ay. That won¡¯t do. The communicators were the first victims, they likely aimed to isolate us from the beginning.¡±


    ¡°And sending messengers would be too risky considering all the ruthless creatures and hostile guilds,¡± his wife added.


    ¡°Haah. I can¡¯t believe it, six years of hard work are all wasted.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Executive Oki and Executive Thianna regret it more than anyone else, Executive Sandi. More importantly, can you two recognize which guilds were involved?¡±


    ¡°Ay, pretty much. We made sure to save the body parts with their guild marks, but they were all small guilds.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it was weird, Guild Master? Small guilds shouldn¡¯t be capable to reach that deep in the first place. We should at least in the eightieth level when they attacked.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯ll give the two of you a new task, show them what it means to make enemy of Fantastica.¡±


    ¡°Ay. Will do, Guild Master.¡±


    ¡°Please leave it to us.¡±


    Master Dava nodded, before turning to Master Sandi of Intelligent Division. ¡°Executive Sandi, can I rely on you to find the mastermind? As Executive Thianna said, there should be a bigger force puppeting behind for small fries to dare challenging us.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Guild Master,¡± the goatee man replied.


    ¡°Fufu. That¡¯s too bad. I¡¯ve been itching to try many things with the Naar Dungeon¡¯s old heart, it must be very large,¡± said the violet-haired beauty seated beside Master Dava. ¡°Because Dungeon Hunter is the one who get it, no doubt it has been destroyed by now. Really too bad. You should send more competent underlings for such important mission next time, Dava.¡±


    Her sharp words made Master Thianna glared on her, yet she obviously didn¡¯t care. Although I had never met her before, but from her features and attitudes I could guess she had to be Master Yuvila the Bewitching Witch, head of our research division.


    ¡°I have no doubt of their competence, Executive Yuvila. Still, I did expect better result from people of your calibre, Executive Oki, Executive Thianna,¡± Master Dava said, proofing my guess.


    ¡°Yes, Guild Master. We are very ashamed.¡±


    ¡°Ay, really sorry. I will solely take all the responsibility and receive the punishment,¡± Master Oki, who had sat back by now, replied.


    ¡°What are you talking about, honey. We took the decisions together, we¡¯ll shoulder the consequence together too.¡±


    ¡°Ay. That won¡¯t do, sweetheart. I¡¯m the man and family head. Of course it¡¯s my responsibility.¡±


    ¡°No, no, no. We have sworn to be together in joy and sorrow. There is no way I--¡±


    ¡°Shut up you two!¡± scolded the woman next to me, Master Xiandra, I used to be under her wings when I first joined the guild.


    ¡°What happened is happened, we can¡¯t change the past. But this is too big of a failure to let slip. I suggest Executive Oki and Executive Thianna have their Executive¡¯s right temporarily revoked as the punishment,¡± she added.


    ¡°Ay. That won¡¯t do. Just me receiving the punishment is enough.¡±


    ¡°You are in no position to bargain, Executive Oki.¡±


    ¡°I agree that the two need to be sanctioned. However, revoking their right maybe too much, even if it¡¯s temporary. I think fines are enough.¡±


    ¡°Agree with Pipo.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    ¡°No, I agree with Executive Xiandra. Temporary revocation should be okay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m neutral in this. Guild Master should be the one who decide.¡±


    ¡°Agree.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m neutral too.


    ¡°Why should Guild Master be bothered by something trivia like deciding a punishment, are we that incompetent? We can always use voting. Who agree with Xiandra?¡±


    I raised my hand, along with several other Executives.


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry Executive Izzavine, but I have something else in my mind for their conviction,¡± Master Dava interrupted.


    ¡°Yes¡­?¡±


    ¡°... Anyone else have different opinion in this matter, before I close this case?¡±


    ¡°Ay. Guild Master, if I may--¡±


    ¡°I told you, you have no right to bargain, Executive Oki.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m talking to Guild Master, Xiandra. Ay.¡±


    ¡°I already know what you want to say, Executive Oki. You want your wife to be excluded from the punishment, yes?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°I object, Guild Master. I have as much responsibility as my husband in this matter.¡±


    ¡°I already know that argument too, Executive Thianna. Or do you have anything else to add?¡±


    ¡°... No.¡±


    ¡°Very well, if everyone have nothing more to say, I¡¯ll take over the role as their judge and give my decision later, hence concludes the first topic. Now, move to the second topic. Executive Alveria, go ahead,¡± Master Dava said and smiled to me.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I stood up. ¡°I managed to negotiate with the dungeon master Arz, and the dungeon is now our exclusive training ground in return for our protection to the dungeon¡¯s heart. He also has guaranteed that no fatalities will fall upon our members who pay mana tribute before entering. The details are within the report in front of you,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard about this, is this really true? How much we can trust this dungeon master?¡±


    ¡°It seems true. I sent my men once I got the wind of news, and their report support what Executive Alveria said. No life-threatening accident so far. A safe B-rank dungeon for even newbies, this is the best found ever.¡±


    ¡°Amazing of how you strike achievement after achievement since you joined us, Executive Alveria. No wonder you¡¯re the Guild Master¡¯s favorite.¡±


    I smiled and replied, ¡°Your words are too kind, Master Xiandra. But I¡¯m not his favorite.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it. Forming a contract? Isn¡¯t this dungeon master too cunning? You need to make sure he can¡¯t betray us, Alveria.¡±


    ¡°I say the church is the one we need worry more than his betrayal. Isn¡¯t that right, Father Jaa?¡±


    ¡°Eh? What is the matter?¡± I instinctively turned to the only high priest in the room, who was rubbing his forehead.


    The white robed man sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to defy your achievement, Lady Alveria. I¡¯m well aware of all the benefits. However, to be honest, this dungeon business gives me nothing but a headache,¡± Father Jaa said. I waited as he took a deep breath before continuing.


    ¡°You know how the church view dungeons? Dens of monsters and demons! And we¡¯ve announced to the world our allegiance with the demons. I¡¯m trying my best, even now as we speak, so we won¡¯t get the heretic label, but it¡¯s probably only a matter of time.


    ¡°And like I¡¯ve said to Guild Master, if the church really issue a decree stating our guild being a heretic, I and other church¡¯s associates guild members will have to quit. All of you too, prepare yourselves for the harsh treatment in every area under the church¡¯s influence.¡±


    The room had turned silent with Father Jaa¡¯s explanation.


    I frowned. It never occurred to me forming a contract with Arz would lead to such heavy consequence. ¡°Is there a way to convince the church¡¯s higher-ups, father? Arz is not a demon,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes he is, my lady. Demons are sentient monsters. In that sense, this dungeon master Arz is also a demon.¡±


    ¡°No, he is a human,¡± I retorted. ¡°Just like the rest of us. I mean, most of us. I¡¯m sorry, Master Ugi,¡± I said, correcting myself.


    ¡°No worry,¡± the rabbit-ear Executive replied.


    Looking back to Father Jaa, he was still waiting for my clarification. Everyone in the room did, actually. ¡°I mean it. Arz is a human. He is my childhood friend and we grew up together in [Rahziel],¡± I told.


    Father Jaa and many others made a surprised sound. He then leaned forward and inquired, ¡°I¡¯ve never heard a human dungeon master before. Did he born with a unique power?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, father. He was a normal human until several years ago. A normal human-mage, that is.¡±


    ¡°You mean, he became a dungeon master recently? Is that even possible?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the details, but I¡¯m telling the truth,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Do you have someone or something that can support your claim, Executive Alveria?¡± Master Dava asked.


    ¡°Hmm, most townspeople of [Rahziel] should know if you ask the name Arz Mahzason, Guild Master,¡±


    ¡°Mahzason? Is he son of mage-master Mahza who live in [Rahziel]?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is right. Do you happen to know Uncle Mahza, Guild Master?¡±


    ¡°There is no mage who doesn¡¯t know the name of Mahza, girl,¡± commented Master Maa¡¯, the most senior in the room who had kept his silence until now. ¡°If I to make a guess, your friend becoming a dungeon must be related to Mahza¡¯s experiment on immortality,¡± he said while crossing his arms and shaking his head.


    ¡°Fufu, you mean the <soul gem>, Maa¡¯?¡± Master Yuvila licked her lips. I didn¡¯t like how her eyes had turned like a predator.


    ¡°Ah! I just remember, didn¡¯t the dungeon master make an urgent search request for a man named Mahza? Something about him being poisoned?¡±


    ¡°That is right, Master Sandi. One of my subordinates had poisoned Uncle Mahza out of trivia matter. We need to deliver the antidote within a month, or he may never recover.¡±


    ¡°Within a month?¡± Master Sandi exclaimed in surprise. After a moment, he made a guess, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, <Late Blossom>?¡±


    I nodded at his question and the room turned into commotion. Everyone had at least heard the infamous poison¡¯s name and its effect - slowly weaken the victim with no visible symptoms. When it does, it is already too late.


    ¡°Who? Do I know this member?¡±


    ¡°The man is already dead, Guild Master. Has been killed by Arz before I met him. I judged it was a valid act and our man was in the wrong.¡±


    Master Dava nodded. ¡°People should respect their elders. Although playing pranks on Master Mahza is fun, poisoning is already crossing the line,¡± he said while making a mischievous smile.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Eh? Playing pranks?¡±


    ¡°Nevermind,¡± he winked. Turning to the high priest who was deep in thought while biting his thumbnail, he called, ¡°Father Jaa, can we use this newfound fact?¡±


    Father Jaa bit his own lower lip before answering. ¡°Yes. Yes we can, Guild Master. No doubt, we should be able to gain the majority¡¯s favor.¡±


    He then stood up. ¡°I think it¡¯a enough. Now I want to excuse myself to contact the church headquarter.¡±


    After Master Dava gave an approval nod, he looked my way. ¡°Lady Alveria, tell your friend to cooperate if some church investigators come, okay?¡± he said. Without waiting any answer, the priest hurriedly left the room.


    ¡°Ay. I guess it concludes the second topic?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. Have you forgotten about the Dungeon Hunter already?¡±


    ¡°... You think he will after our training dungeon?¡±


    ¡°I believe so, sooner or later. He¡¯s not the type who will stop at anything when it comes to kill a dungeon, especially a famous ones.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll go.¡±


    ¡°... You¡¯re going yourself, Master Maa¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my apprentice is currently there and I¡¯m kind of interested to see the dungeon myself.¡±


    ¡°Well, I see no problem, then.¡±


    ¡°Fufu, tell me if the heart is interesting in any way, Maa¡¯. Maybe I¡¯ll be going too.¡±


    ¡°Eh? You don¡¯t have to, Master Yuvila,¡± I said by reflex, which I soon regretted as it had invited the predator¡¯s attention. Her curious yet hungry stare made me want to run away from the room.


    ¡°Ay, before I forget, the Dungeon Hunter is no longer work alone, he has a band of elves under his command now. Since it¡¯s you I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be fine, Maa¡¯, but be careful nevertheless.¡±


    Master Oki saved me, switching her attention away from me.


    ¡°Elves? How many?¡± asked Master Maa¡¯.


    ¡°Six or seven. Ay.¡±


    ¡°I see, thanks for the warning.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡°¡­ Anything else, anyone?¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°No? Then let¡¯s move to the last topic. Please sit down, Executive Alveria. Executive Sandi, if you please.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± the man with a tied long dark hair stood up. A thin moustache, a goatee and a nose ring made his eccentric appearance very distinguishable. ¡°I¡¯ll start with the summary of what happened so far,¡± he said while taking out a small parchment from under his leather armor.


    ¡°Around a hundred years ago, Emperor Kai became the first emperor of the [[Holy Malvice Empire]] with five vassal kingdoms - [[Azraq]], [[Quwwat]], [[Alishine]], [[Dragora]], and [[Ruum]] - and one [[Papal States]],¡± he began.


    ¡°A hundred years ago!? You have gone too far back, Sandi. Start with something more recent.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. Please continue, Executive Sandi.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t go too details,¡± Master Sandi said. ¡°Then I¡¯ll continue. When Emperor Kai died, the five vassal kings hold a meeting to choose his successor among themselves, and afterward the pope crowned the new emperor.


    ¡°Since then, it becomes the tradition. Every time an emperor dies, the vassal kings will choose one of their peers to become the new one. Out of the five, [[Alishine]] and [[Quwwat]] are considered as two most influential kingdoms and most of the emperor comes from either of these two, with exceptions every once in awhile.


    ¡°Thus, it borns rivalry between the two kingdoms, but it never escalates into military action, until now. [[Quwwat]] has amassed their army to near the border between [[Alishine]] and [[Quwwat]], it may turn into the first civil war in the empire¡¯s history.


    ¡°Now, how is this all related to our guild? Most of you probably know that around twenty years ago, our guild started in [[Alishine]]. With the support from the royal family and the hard work of the pioneer members, we have grown into a guild with most members nowadays. One of the big four, they say, but my data say we¡¯re number one. Our operations range has long surpassed the borders of the empire and covers most countries in the mainland.


    ¡°The royal family¡¯s support came with a pact, however, that Fantastica will help [[Alishine]] in time of need, which is now. As per guild master¡¯s order, I have sent messages to various regional leaders two weeks ago to close every base within [[Quwwat]] and [[Azraq]] and operates underground instead.


    ¡°As for the reason why [[Azraq]] is included, it¡¯s because we believe both kingdoms have made an alliance of some sort. We¡¯ll consider them as hostile contries in the mean time. Okay, I think that ends my summary. Any question?¡± Master Sandi finished with a question.


    ¡°What about the bases in [[Dragora]] and [[Ruum]]?¡±


    ¡°They operates as normal. The two have received [[Alishine]]¡¯s support in the war against [[Aargio Empire]] in north and [[Toa Republic]] in east all this time and thus owe [[Alishine]] a big favor. We consider them our allies.¡±


    ¡°So, it¡¯s like the empire is divided into two, between the western and eastern kingdoms.¡±


    ¡°Yes, something like that.¡±


    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t the current emperor do something to stop this?¡±


    ¡°... Although we¡¯re adventurers who rarely get in touch with politics, your ignorance amazes me. Emperor Vonz has been sick for a long time. All imperial affairs are run by his son, King Vorg of [[Quwwat]]. The general consensus agree his motive is to become the next emperor and secure the throne for his own line, by wiping [[Alishine]] from the map once and forever.¡±


    ¡°Hey, wait a minute! If the king of [[Quwwat]] is the acting emperor, does it mean the empire officially support our enemy?¡±


    ¡°No official statement from any of imperial officers so far. On the paper, [[Quwwat]] said they¡¯re just going for an excercise. But your assumption is right.¡±


    ¡°Damn it. I thought it¡¯s a good odd for us, with three against two. However, if the empire back their cause for whatever reason they put up front, it may not be that simple.¡±


    ¡°Ay. What about the [[Papal States]]? Has the pope said anything?¡±


    ¡°Yes they have. They will remain neutral as usual.¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s to be expected. Ay.¡±


    ¡°So basically, what do you want us to do, Guild Master?¡±


    Everyone turned towards Master Dava and waited for his answer, including Master Sandi who had been replying all the questions so far.


    ¡°... Basically, I want everyone in this room to remain loyal to me and do your best to help [[Alishine]]. I can¡¯t hope the same for other member, I¡¯m sure some will cross to enemy camp or become spies, but at least you Executives must remain trustable. If you disagree with my cause, you can leave now. If you agree, please help me with all your might.¡±


    Nobody chose to leave. Afterwards, Master Dava asked us to take an oath one by one. I didn¡¯t think it was necessary for me, as I had taken a similar oath to protect [[Alishine]] just few years prior when I had reached age of fifteen - the age when someone is considered an adult - in front of my family, but I still did it nonetheless.


    ¡°Lastly, please refrain yourself from taking quests or missions that require a lot of time to complete. Stand by as much as possible, for we don¡¯t know when the war will break out,¡± told Master Dava. ¡°Alright, that should concludes our annual meeting. Anyone want to add something before I close?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Ah, yes. I didn¡¯t mention it before because I thought it has nothing to do with us, but this little fella bring us a new news,¡± Master Sandi said while petting a bird on his shoulder. It came in through the window when everyone had been taking the oath.


    ¡°Second Prince Sorok of [[Dragora]], who is going to marry Third Princess Zorina of [[Alishine]] in near future, is currently visiting this country. He took interest when he heard about our training dungeon and set forth right away. Well, this letter was written four days ago when he left the capital, so he probably has arrived by now,¡± he informed.


    Turning to me, he asked, ¡°Receiving important guest should be no problem, right? Who is in charge in the dungeon at the moment?¡±


    ¡°Crystela, a B-rank, and her party,¡± I answered. ¡°There should be no problem from our side, but¡­,¡± I hesitated.


    ¡°But¡­?¡±


    ¡°Nevermind. Even if Prince Sorok causes a trouble, Crystela should be able to handle the situation. There is no problem.¡±


    ¡°You think he will cause a trouble?¡±


    ¡°Very likely. He is an arrogant blockhead who looks down on others yet doesn¡¯t know his own limit.¡±


    ¡°Haha, what a way to describe someone. You seem to know him well.¡±


    ¡°Not really, Master Pipo,¡± I smiled. ¡°I met him only once when I was younger. However, everyone who knows him has the same impression. Poor Princess Zorina, to have to marry someone like him.¡±


    ¡°Fufu, interesting things are gathering in the dungeon one after another. Maybe I really should come with you afterall, Maa¡¯.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t, Executive Yuvila. You have a date with me, remember?¡±


    ¡°Fu, I know Dava, and I won¡¯t miss it. Just saying.¡±


    ¡°Well, since Executive Alveria already said there is no problem, nothing to worry then. That¡¯s enough from me, Guild Master.¡±


    ¡°Anyone else still has something to add, perhaps?¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°... No? Then I hereby declare the nineteenth Annual Meeting of Fantastica Executive is closed.¡±


    After an applause, the audience disbanded themselves. Master Dava stopped me before I went out, however. ¡°Executive Alveria, what¡¯s your plan after this?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Return to the training dungeon? Why? Do you need something, Guild Master?¡±


    ¡°What about joining me in a dinner?¡±


    Master Yuvila glared at him but made no comment. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a date with Master Yuvila?¡± I replied with another question.


    ¡°Yes, this afternoon. But I thought it¡¯s been a long time since we spend some quality time together. So¡­ what do you say?¡± he threw another of his charming smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Guild Master, but you should save your trouble. I¡¯m belonged to someone now and I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate to have a dinner date with you. Unless you mean there will be more people coming?¡±


    Master Dava gaped. To be honest, I enjoyed what I saw. Not everyday you could make the strongest man looked stupid. ¡°What did you say? With who? When?¡± he asked dumbfoundedly.


    ¡°Fu¡­ Serve you right!¡± Master Yuvila grinned behind him.


    ¡°Tell me¡­ Who dares to steal you from me, Executive Alveria¡­?¡±


    I sighed. ¡°Whom I¡¯m with has nothing to do with you, Guild Master. You already have more than a dozen women following you everyday anyway. And I told you in many occassions that I have no interest to be a part of your harem. Now, if you excuse me.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ I thought you just want to play hard to get¡­ No, this can¡¯t be true. You must be lying, to make me jealous, right? Right?¡±


    ¡°Fufu. I bet it¡¯s that Arz boy, isn¡¯t it? Your eyes when you defended him in front of Jaa, he must be more than just a childhood friend,¡± guess Master Yuvila accurately.


    ¡°Is that so¡­ Very well¡­ Just take him over next time, okay?¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± I asked suspiciously.


    ¡°... Give him a good beat?¡±


    ¡°Then I will never do that. I¡¯ll really excuse myself now,¡± once again I bid farewell and made a slight bow, before dashing with wide steps to the exit, afraid that Master Dava would find another excuse to hold me if I took any longer inside the room.


    Master Maa¡¯ was waiting for me outside. ¡°Finished?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes, but I need to take things in my room first.¡±


    ¡°Sure, I need to take care of some things first too. Meet me at western gate after sunset, what do you say?¡±


    ¡°Okay. Should I prepare horses?¡±


    ¡°Horses? You want to torture this old man? No, we¡¯ll use <Transfer> to go directly to our near dungeon base.¡±


    ¡°Eh? I thought you can only use <Transfer> to places where you have a clear image of. Have you visited the place before, Master Maa¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Clear image isn¡¯t the only way, girl. I told Tsalja to prepare a <Transfer Circle> in the base so we can go there anytime,¡± he explained. ¡°Wait a minute, is that mean you never use a <Transfer Circle>? How do you usually go between towns?¡±


    ¡°Usually, by foot. Is it something I can use?¡±


    Master Maa¡¯ shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t believe they forgot to teach you. Most of our bases has one, but only limited people know or allowed to use it. Of course, as an Executive, you¡¯re free using it anytime. I¡¯ll show how it works while we go later.¡±


    ¡°Ah, okay. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°See you at western gate.¡±


    Master Maa¡¯ activated <Transfer> and the space around us was distorted. I blinked once and he was gone.


    ¡°What a convenient skill. Maybe I should get myself a magic item with <Transfer> spell imbued¡­,¡± I muttered. ¡°Well, I better get going too.¡±

 18. Again...

    Author Note:


    Hi folk,


    Here''s the promised chapter.


    Please rate my story if you like it. Or better, review it, so I can learn from what you thought.


    Last but not least, thank you for reading ^^


    <hr />


    ¡°What do you mean I¡¯ve breached our agreement?¡±


    ¡°DON¡¯T PRETEN-- ARGHH!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not in a good mood today, Orga. Consider it as my only friendly warning.¡±


    The twin adventurers Gora and Gara immediately helped the big axe-warrior guy to pull his leg from the piercing earth spike before the priestess Linia shot a healing ray.


    Turning back to Crystela, I demand the blonde defender to explain. ¡°So¡­?¡±


    ¡°Your monsters just slaughter a party of fifteen. We barely saved two of them,¡± she said while still glaring. ¡°How do you explain that?¡±


    A groan came from behind the crowd. ¡°I thought the reason you call the demon is to give him a beating he deserves before killing him. What¡¯s the point in asking question? He obviously won¡¯t admit,¡± the male voice said.


    ¡°Silence! I¡¯m the one in charge here and I¡¯ll give my decision only after I hear from both sides,¡± she reprimanded without turning her eyes from me.


    ¡°What¡¯s the point?¡± the man grumbled. ¡°You saw yourself how they were brutally murdered. We can¡¯t even give them a proper cave burial.¡±


    ¡°If you can¡¯t shut your mouth, we of the Jowsar-Star will do it for you,¡± Gora the swordsman unsheathed his sword and pointed to the man¡¯s direction, who grunted but nevertheless became quieter.


    ¡°So...?¡± Crystela asked.


    ¡°...Can I see the two survivors?¡±


    ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°Asking questions¡­?¡±


    ¡°... Don¡¯t do anything other than asking, promise us in the name of Lady Alveria.¡±


    ¡°I promise.¡±


    She then gestured with her head and the crowd splitted, opening a way to two men lying down on the floor. One seemed unconscious while the other looked at us with wide eyes.


    ¡°Wh- what do you want? Stay away! Help! Keep the demon away from me! Ack!¡±


    The man dragged himself backward in panic and tried to stand up with the help of the wall. I noticed his movement was unnatural.


    ¡°Something wrong with his leg?¡± I asked.


    ¡°What¡¯s with this commotion? ¡­Arz?¡±


    A female voice was heard from the entrance before Crystela could answer. When I and everyone else turned, we saw two figures leaving the dark night outside and stepping into the first room illuminated by light orbs.


    One of them was someone I already knew well in and out, my girl Alveria, in her usual light metal armor that couldn¡¯t hide her alluring figure. Her sword was hanging on her back and the pistol I had given was on her waist.


    The other person was an old mage probably around father¡¯s age, with neat white hair and beard, wearing a black clothes under a worn, once white, robe. From the many scratches on it, I supposed the expensive-looking staff in his hand had seen many battles. My instinct told me not to cause a problem with him. I cringed, as the mage had somehow reminded me of Jiwa and my total defeat just earlier.


    ¡°Executive Maa¡¯, Executive Alveria,¡± Sister Linia who was closer to the entrance greeted them first with a bow and followed by others.


    ¡°Master, welcome. Miss Alveria too,¡± Tsalja addressed as she came forward happily.


    ¡°Hi, Alv,¡± I forced a smile and she returned it. Truly a beautiful smile, and very reassuring too.


    ¡°So, what happens here? Oh yeah, I don¡¯t see Prince Sorok, is he not here yet or is he exploring in the deeper part?¡± Alveria asked while looking around.


    ¡°You¡¯re Fantastica¡¯s Executives? Good timing. Help me, that demon is about to kill me and your men just stand around doing nothing,¡± the survivor, who had tried to escape me, rushed towards the two newcomers with his limp leg and stumbled forward.


    ¡°Calm down,¡± Alveria said and squatted down before him. ¡°Who are you? You¡¯re not our member, are you?¡±


    The man shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m Rada, a personal guard of His Majesty Prince Sorok of [[Dragora Kingdom]],¡± he said while fixing his posture.


    ¡°His majesty, he¡­ he has fallen in this dungeon, along with my comrades and your members who accompanied our party. A group of demon monkeys suddenly ambushed us with explosion magic and in no time our party was annihilated. We tried to bring the wounded His Majesty to safety but they kept on chasing us, ignoring the adventurers who tried to help. This¡­ this is a conspiracy! Please, you must bring justice to these wicked demons,¡± he begged.


    Alveria raised her brows and looked up. Crystela then stepped forward and reported, ¡°I¡¯m second to his story, miss. We came to help as soon as we heard the news, but only Sir Rada here and another one lying over there we were able to rescue. The dungeon has absorbed the rest. Moreover, the monkeys¡¯ magic not only could penetrate metal armor, but the wounds won¡¯t heal completely despite our healers have tried their best.¡±


    ¡°Monkey-mages?¡± Alveria looked confused then turned towards me. ¡°Arz¡­?¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯ve heard enough and I dare to say I¡¯ve breached nothing,¡± I stated.


    ¡°What are they?¡± Alveria asked.


    ¡°Just ordinary monkeys with weapons. The shorter version of their¡­ explosion staff, is hanging on your waist,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Alveria exclaimed as she made an understanding expression.


    Turning to Crystela, I said, ¡°Agreement number five, they who use the dungeon without paying the mana tribute are at their own risk. These guys are obviously didn¡¯t pay if the monkeys were hunting them.¡±


    ¡°What!? Nonsense, why wo--¡±


    ¡°My creatures can recognize people from their mana tribute, mister royal guard,¡± I cut before the limped man could debate. ¡°What? You think I wouldn¡¯t prepare anything against cheaters?¡±


    The man lost his words and could only glare at me as the crowd made an unrecognizable noises behind. I ignored them and turned back to Crystela. ¡°There are rock pieces in their bodies. Have an earth-elemental mage to remove them before healers close the wounds again,¡± I whispered. ¡°Let this event be a lesson to other adventurers too.¡±


    ¡°Now, since the misunderstanding has been cleared, I¡¯ll excuse myself,¡± I announced. ¡°Oh, Alv, I¡¯ve a lot of things I need to discuss with you, especially about father. Please let me know when you¡¯re free,¡± I said.


    After she nodded, I made a bow to Maa¡¯ and opened a portal. I was about to leave when I heard the royal guard talked.


    ¡°Is this your final say too, master mage?¡± he spoke to Maa¡¯, who kept his silence until now. ¡°Sure, we were in the wrong, but someone with high status like His Majesty the prince deserves a more respectful treatment. Please, I beg of you, bring justice for my prince,¡± he pleaded.


    After taking a deep breath, Maa¡¯ shook his head. ¡°Sir Rada is right. Dungeon Master Arz, I need to take you and your dungeon heart to the imperial court for a trial. They will judge whether you¡¯re guilty or not,¡± he gave out his mind.


    ¡°...What¡¯s this? If you¡¯re jesting, it¡¯s not funny.¡±


    ¡°Am I look jesting to you?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Please wait, Master Maa¡¯,¡± Alveria stepped in. ¡°Arz isn¡¯t wrong. However, with his condition, taking him to the court is the same as giving him a death sentence. That isn¡¯t right,¡± she argued.


    ¡°Executive Alveria, don¡¯t let your feeling clouds your judgement. You, of all people, should know better that causing the death of a royalty is the biggest crime, intentional or not, defending act or not. It has nothing to do with him being a dungeon master,¡± Maa¡¯ said.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Moreover, [[Dragora]] is an important ally to [[Alishine]] and the war is right in front of us. I ask you, between [[Dragora]] and this dungeon, which one is more prominent for us?¡± he added.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­,¡± Alveria couldn¡¯t find a good word to counter the argument.


    ¡°...You can¡¯t do this to me,¡± I complained, with a shaking voice I didn¡¯t intend. I felt my palm began to wet with cold sweat.


    ¡°Yes I can,¡± he replied. Raising his hand, he shouted, ¡°I am Executive Maa¡¯ of guild Fantastica. With my authority, the agreement between the guild and Dungeon Master Arz is now void!¡±


    After the declaration, Maa¡¯ tipped the floor with his staff, creating a trail of ice from where it touch to the stone monument of which the agreement content had been inscribed and engulfing it with ice. Not long after, it made a loud cracking noise then shattered to pieces. All the processes had caused an uproar amongst the adventurers present, not only because some had to jump to avoid the trail of ice, but also because the implication of this act.


    *Ding!*


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Requirements meet. A title is updated!</td></tr><tr><td>You are now known as ¡®Abandoned Pet Dungeon.¡¯</td></tr></tbody></table>


    *Ding!*


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''2''>¡®Abandoned Pet Dungeon¡¯</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>A pathetic dungeon that, after allowed itself to be a pet, has been abandoned by its master to die alone.</td></tr><tr><td>Effect</td><td>#N/A.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    (Abandoned pet, is it? Annoying as usual.)


    ¡°Now, Dungeon Master Arz, are you going to come obediently or I have to force you?¡± Maa¡¯ asked with serious tone.


    (...Is that all my choices? Neither look good for me.)


    Icy wind blew my way while I was considering my options. I realized it came from Maa¡¯s direction, or to be precise, the staff in his hand.


    ¡°Ah, fine! I¡¯ll come with you,¡± I decided.


    ¡°Wise choice,¡± said Maa¡¯. The cold wind suddenly became much stronger, dropping the temperature around me to a whole different level.


    I was surprised. ¡°Wait, I said I¡¯ll come with you. Why a.. re you freez..zing ...me?¡± I asked and gritted my teeth while trying to withstand the shiver.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I just make sure you won¡¯t change your mind later.¡±


    ¡°Master Maa¡¯, is this really necessary?¡± Alveria looked worry.


    ¡°It is. We don¡¯t want him to go rampage at town with many civilians around.¡±


    ¡°Arz won¡¯t do such thing.¡±


    Maa¡¯ shrugged and said, ¡°Sealing the current Dungeon Lord also serve to prevent another one spawning.¡± He then turned to his apprentice. ¡°Tsalja, go with your friends and take the dungeon¡¯s heart while I watch over here,¡± he ordered.


    ¡°Oh, okay. But it may take a while, master. We haven¡¯t cleared the first level yet and have no idea how many levels there are,¡± the mage-girl replied.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t clear the first level of mere B-rank dungeon after a week?¡± Maa¡¯ asked in disbelieve.


    ¡°Not their fault if the dungeon has grown significantly with all mana tributes,¡± Alveria defended her subordinates. ¡°It¡¯s probably beyond B-rank by now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to ask this, but won¡¯t the dungeon die if we take the heart?¡± Crystela expressed her concern.


    ¡°Obviously,¡± answered Alveria. ¡°It seems Master Maa¡¯ is convinced we need to sacrifice Arz regardless what the court will say.¡±


    ¡°In that case, can we keep the dungeon heart afterwa-- Oops, nevermind,¡± Tsalja resigned under Alveria¡¯s intense gaze.


    My Dungeon Lord had completely frozen at the time. No longer I could see or hear, as a thick layer of ice had encased the body. Only through what s-flies relayed in our link that I knew what happened, and it really made me angry.


    (So they¡¯re going to kill me either way?!


    (But more importantly, why¡¯re you approving, Alv?


    (Damn it, father is still... I can¡¯t die yet.


    (Uh, move already, me!


    (Just¡­ move¡­ Uh, too weak! Why¡¯s this human body so weak!?


    (No, wait, I don¡¯t have to stay human to begin with, do I?)


    The main reasons I kept my human race was because I was accustomed and it was easier to interact with the human adventurers. However, those weren¡¯t important in a battle. Thus, I decided it was the time for the Dungeon Lord, my avatar, to change race. Since the dragons weren¡¯t ready, the strongest available race would be¡­ sky king and fighter golem. Although the tiger evolution was stronger, I chose the humanoid earth guardian¡¯s advanced form.


    As mana swirled inside, I felt my surroundings shrank. My skin became hard and pointed spikes covered my body. I experienced through a full body transformation, unlike evolving monsters that shed their skin, and the ice case broke with my body growth. My freedom was welcomed by power surge feeling and surprised expression from the adventurers around.


    *Ding!*


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Requirements meet. New skill is acquired!</td></tr><tr><td>You can now use <Rock Skin> skill.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''2''><Rock Skin></td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>With a skin made of rock, one¡¯s physical resistance is increased significantly.</td></tr><tr><td>Rank</td><td>#N/A</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Before anyone could react, I kicked the ground and dashed forward. Too bad I had yet adapted with the new body and tripped. However, I managed to regain balance and swung my fist to Maa¡¯s face, a clean hit, and something was breaking. To my surprise, it was an ice sculpture that I had smashed, while Maa¡¯ himself standing several meters away unhurt.


    I used mind-attack at the same time he threw an ice spear and avoided it with a side step. Suddenly, an ice spike emerged from the floor where I had just put my foot and impaled it to the knee. Then another one came and skewered my other foot, effectively locking me in my position.


    ¡°<Thousand Ice Spears>.¡±


    ¡°<Earth Spike>.¡±


    As countless of ice spears appeared and floated behind Maa¡¯, I made a preemptive strike. Yet, no pointed rock raised when at least three should be simultaneously piercing him. Upon a closer look, I found the reason. The first room¡¯s floor, walls and ceiling were all covered with thick ice layer that prevent the spell to work.


    Once again I used mind-attack when the spears began to launch themselves, in a hope to reduce their accuracies, only to hear Maa¡¯ said, ¡°That little trick works only to people with weak mind, soul-mage, not me.¡±


    ¡°<Fireblast>.¡±


    In that instant I shot the fire magic from my opened mouth and both my hands. Using the explosion¡¯s blast, I managed to escape death under the heavy rain of ice spears. I still lost my feet and arms in the collisions, however, and more than a dozen spears found their way to decorate my body.


    ¡°<Golem>,¡± I summoned, while pouring mana to recover the damaged Dungeon Lord.


    ¡°<White Blizzard>,¡± Maa¡¯ shot a powerful tornado full of ice shards that tore the two newly created golems and continued to sweep my lying self.


    Cold. Pain. More pain. And everything went black.


    ¡­


    I awoke in my heart chamber, bodiless.


    (Again...?!)

 19. Welcome...

    Author Note:


    Heya, to think I''d miss the entire February without posting anything.


    Crazy month, sorry about that. Here''s the chapter, hope you enjoy it


    <hr />


    (That¡¯s enough! No more mister nice guy!)


    Feeling annoyed, I moved my consciousness to the now empty first room. Alveria and Crystela were the only ones there, standing quietly while resting their back on the wall. An adventurer or two passing through the room every once in awhile, resupplying to the merchants outside and returning back inside. Clearly some time had passed, since the sun had been up and the adventurers had started the dungeon conquest.


    Looking at the two armored beauties, I had a mix of emotions. However, after a moment of self debate, I decided confronting Alveria or demanding her explanation would only waste my time and energy. Rather, I should focus on stopping the invasion in this defense game that put my life on the line.


    Thus, I traced the adventurers¡¯ progress and my heart, in a different meaning than the dungeon heart, sunk with what I saw. Out of fifty rooms in the first level, about three quarters had been conquered and most of them were frozen solid, leaving no alive creatures behind.


    Maa¡¯s method included freezing everything around while walking forward, a simple but very effective. He made various traps useless and, at the same time, killed the creatures before they even had a chance to retaliate. This revealed that numbers was useless in front of Maa¡¯. Even if I, for example, let loosed a thousand of strong monsters at once, I bet he would just freeze them all before they could get close.


    And yet, the ridiculous display of power didn¡¯t stop there. Every second a new morpher was produced and moved ahead its master to clear the way, mainly to locate the gate traps and spam through the appeared portals, conquering whichever rooms it led to together with a number of adventurers.


    To begin with, elemental guardians were mindless critters controlled by the caster¡¯s will through a mana connection, thus they were immune to mind-disturber trap¡¯s effect. In addition, without a core to aim for, it was very hard to kill them without disturbing the said connection, and they could just regenerate over and over as long it had enough supplies of mana. Therefore, it couldn¡¯t be helped the rooms that that morphers had invaded be conquered one after another.


    (Hmm¡­ To think he can maintain that many morphers in such wide area while freezing everything¡­ But you¡¯ll regret showing your trump cards so early in the game, old man.)


    ¡®Massteeerr¡­,¡¯ queen gi-ant contacted through our link while I was racking my brain on how I should proceed.


    ¡®Queen, good timing. What¡¯s your status?¡¯


    ¡®The mock battle isss finisshed.¡±


    ¡®Mock¡­ Ah! I completely forgot. So how did it go? Make it short.¡¯


    ¡®The ratsss win. One became horned ratsss and led them crossssed the rriver. Lizzardss baited and killed the horned one but losst their basse¡­¡¯


    ¡®I see, to think a rattibull actually appeared. Good job, queen, tell them to stay in the room for the meantime and recover, I have a more pressing problem to take care for now. By the way, I can¡¯t seem to find Rowd¡¯s presence within the dungeon, do you know where he is?¡¯


    ¡®The golem iss dead, killed by the White Wizzzard¡­¡¯


    ¡®White Wizard? ...The same old Maa¡¯ who killed my Dungeon Lord?¡¯


    ¡®Yesss.¡¯


    ¡®¡­ What about his core?¡¯


    ¡®The dark witch hass it, massterr.¡¯


    ¡®...Dark witch? Who...? Ah, could it be, you mean Tsalja?¡¯


    ¡®Yesss.¡¯


    ¡®Why do you call her dark witch?¡¯


    ¡®Becausse her hhair and clothess are dark.¡¯


    ¡®Oh, I see...¡¯


    ¡®Masssteer¡­ What¡¯ss your orderr?¡¯


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡®Queen, evacuate as many creatures as possible to the forest room in the third level, don¡¯t let more races extinct. After that, go clean up outside the cave and deal with various smaller adventurer groups in the first level. Can you do it?¡¯


    ¡®Yess. Whaat about you, massteer?¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯ll handle Maa¡¯s main group myself. Okay, let¡¯s have those scums pay the price of this betrayal. Good luck, and don¡¯t die.¡¯


    ¡®Yess, massster.¡¯


    Not long after, I felt her strong presence moved from the third level to one of the still safe rooms in the first level. Shifting my focus, I rechecked the adventurers¡¯ progress and looked for a suitable battlefield. I didn¡¯t have many choices and, in the end, selected the last room of the first level. There I then moved my consciousness.


    (You want a war, old man? Let see how you can face a modern warfare.)


    First, I used <Dungeon Expansion> and dragged out the side facing the entrance, until the distance reached more than two hundred meters. I was sure the bullets could cross the room faster than any spell they could throw, unless Maa¡¯ had another cheat I didn¡¯t know yet.


    Second, I poured my mana on the floor, around the entrance thick door, and made three layers of earth spikes circling and facing it as barricade. They weren¡¯t meant to stop the adventurers, only to delay, as every additional split seconds meant more bullets would be spewed.


    Third, I used <Monster Core> and created a core of golem. However, because a normal golem¡¯s hand would be too big to use a rifle effectively, while a fighter golem would be overkill for a simple task like holding position and pulling trigger, I created a new version of golem. Removing the excessive rock parts, I made it less bulky. The image in my mind showed a tall and slim figure, like fighter golems, but without spikes, and obviously far less agile and not as tough.


    Of course I didn¡¯t forget to use <Memory-implant> of how to use the firearms to the creature, a necessary knowledge for the task I was about to give the new race. Once I was done, I released the core to the room and it began to grow into a humanoid shape.


    *Ding!*


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Requirements meet. New race is acquired!</td></tr><tr><td>You have successfully created Lite Golem race.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I made another forty-nine of lite golems and had them lined up. Next, I chose from my item list the rifle, and materialized fifty replicas of the weapon along with their ammunitions in front of the earth guardians. Although I would love to use something more badass, like automatic rifle or even machine gun, I would need more time before I could master the mechanism behind the weapon. For now, I had to satisfy with the semi-automatic rifle.


    The lite golems took the weapons and loaded them with magazines, completing the first phase of my preparation. However, I doubted bullets would be effective in dealing damage to the morphers. Therefore, I needed something else prepared for them.


    (Let see¡­ Everyone know heat evaporates water. How about a laser beam, then? Nah, I¡¯m not even sure how to make them to begin with. Hmm. What about an explosion, maybe it will work? Right, let¡¯s go with that.)


    Using <Monster Core> once again, I created a new Dungeon Lord, this time I chose lite golem as the race so I wouldn¡¯t be outstanding among other lite golems in the room. As the new avatar of mine being created, back in the heart chamber in the third floor, my consciousness being pulled into it. It took me a minute to adapt with the new body.


    With <Elemental Manipulation>, I created a stone shell of golem¡¯s fist size and infused explosive gas into it the same way I created gun cartridge. This time I didn¡¯t hold back the amount, though. After that, I placed a sensitive trigger that would make a spark with a small pressure. My landmine was ready, I wondered why I never thought of making one before. Just in case, I added a core and made it so I could detonate it with an order through our link. That way, the mine wouldn¡¯t be useless even if Maa¡¯ froze the whole floor.


    *Ding!*


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Requirements meet. New trap is acquired!</td></tr><tr><td>You can now create Landmine trap.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''2''>Landmine trap</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>An exploding trap.</td></tr><tr><td>Effect radius</td><td>3 meters.</td></tr><tr><td>Trigger</td><td>Pressure on the trap¡¯s top.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I had the dungeon absorbed my new trap before opening a portal back to the last room of the first level, where I then dug holes with magic and materialized the landmines inside. I heard sounds from behind the room¡¯s entrance as I finished setting up, it seemed the adventurers had arrived.


    (Just in time¡­ Welcome.)


    After materializing another rifle for my own use, I joined the line. The heavy door started to move, opening with a squeak. Yet, before it completely opened, two morphers slipped in and hit the ground with a splash, which triggered some landmines.


    *BOOM!*


    It turned them into rainfall before they could return to their humanoid form, preventing the enemy to take initiative.


    ¡®Fire!¡¯


    *BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!*


    The door opened widely and we barraged them with bullets. Perhaps partially because the prior explosion had put them on guard, only a handful of adventurers fell before an ice wall erected, which quickly got thickened until it became bulletproof. Several morphers moved over the wall and their hands turned into water cannons, fought back together with archers and mages who retaliated from behind the wall.


    (Ah, as expected, bullets aren¡¯t effective against morphers. But this isn¡¯t the end, you know.)


    I opened portals between the adventurers and us, redirecting their attacks against themselves and having our shoots to appear behind them. From the many screams, I knew it was a success. I thought I had gained an upper hand when suddenly I felt chill and, before I knew, the corner where lite golems lined up had all been frozen.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°ORYAAAAAA!!¡± Orga¡¯s battle cry echoed as he charged forward, followed by other melee adventurers.


    ¡°Wait Orga!¡±


    *BOOM!* *BOOM!*


    Two landmines exploded and Orga¡¯s body parts splattered everywhere. Three other adventurers died right away too, while several others received less fatal injuries. Including in the later group was the Jowsar-Star¡¯s swordsman Gora.


    The adventurers retreated back to the door, not dare to move beyond the earth spikes barricade.


    At the same time, Linia and other healers started to work on the injured.


    Maa¡¯ raised his staff and muttered something. The crystal on the tip of his staff glowed and from near the ceiling hundreds of ice shards started to rain down. They easily pierced the cave floor and triggered the landmines one after another.


    Once the loud fireworks over and the room became quiet, Maa¡¯ stepped forward. ¡°I know you can hear me, Dungeon Master Arz,¡± he yelled. ¡°Please show yourself, we need to talk.¡±


    Watching from the dungeon view, my mind frowned as I didn¡¯t expect the invitation. I wondered what could possibly be talked about, or what he could possibly gain by the offer.


    (What is it? To buy some time? No, they already have the advantage. To lure and kill me? Possibly, but I can just revive. Ah, but there¡¯s a time gap until my consciousness back, is this what they¡¯re aiming for? Still, they shouldn¡¯t know this flaw. No, wait. Maa¡¯ is a veteran, if they factor the fact there wasn¡¯t any decent fight until now, maybe they know. Uh, now what?)


    ¡°Stop your futile struggle!¡± he yelled again. ¡°If you surrender now, we¡¯ll disregard the blood of our members that you have shed today. All of the adventurers within the dungeon have come knowing they may never return alive after all.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Listen. You may think it¡¯s about you, but it isn¡¯t. It¡¯s about [[Alishine]], the country we live in and Fantastica has sworn to protect. You¡¯ve killed a [[Dragora]]¡¯s prince, it something that can never be overlooked. At least an open trial must be done to maintain the public order and the friendly relation between the two kingdoms.


    ¡°I apologize if my earlier act surprised you, I simply did what I thought the best course for the guild and the kingdom. Alveria insisted you deserve a better treatment, however, and that¡¯s why I offer you another chance to settle this peacefully. I promise you¡¯ll receive a fair trial and the guild¡¯s protection until it¡¯s over.


    ¡°What do you say? Come on out, Dungeon Master Arz. If you¡¯ve something in your mind, let¡¯s talk about it.¡±


    When I thought the old mage¡¯s speech was over, the Executive spoke again. ¡°One more thing,¡± he said. ¡°The talk saying you¡¯ll die when the dungeon heart is taken isn¡¯t true. There¡¯s no precedent event so I can¡¯t prove it, but according to my theory, with a little treatment, you should be able to live like a normal human again. Think about it. Die as an honorable human or as a lowly dungeon, it isn¡¯t that hard of choices.¡±


    (¡­ Seriously, who¡¯ll ever fall to that?)


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡°No reaction. Are you sure he¡¯s listening?¡± one of the adventurers asked.


    ¡°He sure is. The battle earlier can only be commanded by himself,¡± Maa¡¯ replied.


    ¡°Maybe there are other sentient monster like the Boss golem?¡± another suggested.


    ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I mean to ask,¡± a spear-wielding adventurer said. ¡°I know it¡¯s not my place to meddle when big-shots like you guys already made a decision, but are we really going to forgive him? I mean, we lost dozens members, including my two sworn brothers. Can I request a duel with him, before he is prosecuted?¡±


    ¡°True. He even killed Orga, unforgivable!¡±


    ¡°You too, sister Linia?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you feel anything, Tsalja? Orga maybe rude and noisy, but he is our comrade. And he- he is very kind to me,¡± Linia bit her lower lips. Tears were gathering in the corner of her pretty eyes.


    Sighing, Tsalja turned her gaze to her white-haired master without saying anything.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk later after we capture the person in question. If you¡¯ve a request, make sure you lots still alive until then,¡± the master said.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± the previous adventurer replied enthusiastically while making a salute with his spear.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move, we¡¯ve waited long eno-¡± *CRACK!* *KA-BOOOOOM!!*


    After considering my options, I decided to come out. I had lost this round anyway, so if the enemies voluntarily delaying their attack, I should try my best to reap as much benefits as possible. There were several things I needed to clarify.


    For that, I forcefully pulled the rifle¡¯s trigger, making use of the strong firepower to break free from the ice. At least that was the plan. Yet, the weapon¡¯s condition wasn¡¯t optimal, it jammed and then exploded, destroying my right arm and part of the chest. I supposed the fact I hardly felt pain was one of the advantages of golems over humans.


    Before the explosion died down, I used <Elemental Manipulation> to increase the heat and spread the hot wave to my troops around. It was a success, the ice was melting. Although, most lite golems were damaged beyond saving with the blast, it seemed it was too powerful.


    At the same time, I poured mana to recover the Dungeon Lord. As the lord of the place, I needed to keep a dignified appearance before my enemies no matter what. I had been recovered completely when the view clear of smokes.


    ¡°What a spectacle, Maa¡¯. Right after you offer me your guild protection, your own men already protesting. Very reassuring,¡± I said with mocking tone.


    ¡°There you are, Dungeon Master Arz,¡± replied the old mage, ignoring my sarcastic remark. With a hand gesture, the water from melted ice around me swept my feet his way, bringing me closer to the adventurers in an embarrassing sitting position. The chuckles from behind Maa¡¯ made me realized another advantage of golems over humans, that the skin on my face wouldn¡¯t turn red.


    (Still want to look superior until the end, huh?)


    ¡°I appreciate your cooperation, boy,¡± the mage reached out his hand between the earth spikes barricade.


    Anger and pride aside, I took the hand in order to reach my goals. There was a little steam coming out when our hands joined, as expected, and I quickly removed the fire enchantment in my hand to not alert anyone.


    ¡°Are you going to come with us now?¡± Maa¡¯ questioned with a softened voice.


    ¡°Before that, show yourself first,¡± I demanded.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb, I know this you is nothing but a body double, most likely a morpher in disguise. If you really have a goodwill, show your real self,¡± I said.


    The air next to Maa¡¯ then moved, like a mist being unveiled, revealing an identical figure with the one beside him. The air around the first Maa¡¯ began to move as well, revealing a morpher in place of where the Executive had been standing.


    ¡°How did you know?¡± the new Maa¡¯ asked with an impressed look.


    Wondering how I should answer, I finally said, ¡°I hit an ice chunk when I should hit you, and you froze me without I know when I never lost my sight on you. After inspecting closer, your presence slightly mismatched your image. Therefore I applied a <Fire Magic> when you helped me standing and your hand was steaming, proofing my suspicion.¡±


    He nodded several times to my explanation. ¡°Good deduction,¡± he praised.


    ¡°I never knew¡­,¡± I heard Tsalja muttered behind her master.


    ¡°I¡¯ve shown myself, now take us to your heart chamber. I need to make a preparation so you can live like a normal human again,¡± he said.


    ¡°... Not so fast, old man,¡± I denied. ¡°Tell me, how did you manage to convince Alveria to agree with you? What exactly did you do?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I didn¡¯t do anything. She¡¯s from a family serving as [[Alishine]] knight for generations, she understand the weight of this matter for the kingdom without I¡¯ve to explain a thing.¡±


    ¡°... I see.¡±


    (Come to think of it, her father used to lecture us about every citizen¡¯s obligation to always put the country¡¯s interests above anything else, over and over. She must have taken the lesson seriously. Yeah, it¡¯s so like her, now it makes sense¡­)


    ¡°Satisfied yet?¡± the words pulled me back to reality.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s enough,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Good, now take us to your heart chamber.¡±


    ¡°Us? No, I¡¯ll take only you.¡±


    ¡°What? That¡¯s ridiculous?¡± his dark-haired apprentice protested. ¡°Take us all,¡± she said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t trust me, and you expect me to entrust my heart to you lots?¡±


    Tsalja didn¡¯t answer, but glared intensively nonetheless.


    ¡°That¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll go alone,¡± Maa¡¯ cut in.


    ¡°But, master¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Do you think a mere B-rank dungeon can harm me?¡±


    ¡°... If you say so.¡±


    (You¡¯re so conceited, aren¡¯t you, old man? Well, that works fine for me.)


    ¡°Lead the way,¡± Maa¡¯ said.


    I nodded. Opening a portal, I then entered it ahead and Maa¡¯ followed from behind. I took a deep breath to calm myself as the portal closed. I was excited and nervous at the same time. Not only I had managed to confirm Maa¡¯s camouflage trick and Alveria¡¯s motive, I had also been able to slip smaller mana-suckers under Tsalja¡¯s and other adventurers¡¯ clothes during the talk and even separated the Executive from the rest.


    (All went well so far, let¡¯s hope the next steps too.)


    ¡°Where¡¯s th- !!¡±


    In a split second, Maa¡¯ casted a <Wind Blast> to push himself to the side, barely evaded an attack from behind with a hair width. His reaction was good. The attacker continue sliding to my side and encircle its long body around me as if to protect me. My other future dragon materials, one of few races in my dungeon that had good affinity with water-based magic and low temperature, the giant snake hissed angrily towards the enemy mage.


    ¡°... What''s the meaning of this, Dungeon Master Arz?¡±


    ¡°Welcome to your execution room, Executive Maa¡¯ of Fantastica.¡±

 20. Farewell

    Author Note:


    Hi folks, it''s been a long time. Finally finished this super long chapter. Even though I could spearate it into 3 or 4 chapters, I decided to wrap it in one.


    Sorry for the delay. Unfortunately, with the situation at work (new bosses, and the most competent co-worker being promoted to a subsidiary company) and my dear''s health issue (chronic kidney), I can''t promise you a more regular chapters. Sorry. At least I want to finish this story, you can count me on that.


    Anyway, here it is. One alveria''s chapter after this for the epilogue of vol. 1


    <hr />


    ¡°My execution? Really?¡±


    With Maa¡¯s remark, the room temperature dropped significantly, forcing me to apply fire enchantment thoroughly to the Dungeon Lord body in order not to freeze. The view before me had turned foggy and several morphers were emerging from the ground.


    (Like I¡¯ll let you escape!)


    I released a pack of earth spikes in the general area where Maa¡¯ had been standing, right when I sensed his presence began to split from his image under the fog cover. After all, the dungeon was the extension of my consciousness, although what I could sense were very limited when I inside the Dungeon Lord.


    My spikes impaled only a morpher, however. Therefore I fired a barrage of earth spikes, starting from around me and the snake and spreading to the entire room.


    *CRANK!* *CRANK!* *CRANK!*


    My earth spikes met ice spikes half-way with loud sounds. Nonetheless, they were being pushed back his magic output clearly far superior than mine. To respond, I sent the snake forward to wrack the advancing ice with its hard scales, while I myself trying to locate the old mage.


    His morphers reacted, together they swarmed the giant reptile. One after another, they turned into ice while holding its long body, trying to stop its movement. Yet, with a strong vigor and the cold resistance, my dragon-to-be easily broke free, destroying the water guardians as if they were fragile glasses. Although, they would return only seconds later. As the process repeated, it became a stalemate.


    (There!)


    I casted wind enchantment to my legs and kicked the ground hard once I sensed Maa¡¯. Through the tick mist, I swung my fist-emitting-heat once I got close, towards the seemed empty space which I knew where the Fantastica Executive was hiding.


    My mistake was, I didn¡¯t prepare for a counter. His staff appeared out of thin air, parrying my swing. Then, a clean kick to my torso that followed put me out of balance. As I took a step back to recover, he froze my lower half. Although the ice melted almost right away thanks to the fire enchantment, the delay made me fell and I had to roll over to avoid being flattenned by his staff-turning-spiky-bludgeon.


    When I sat back up, Maa¡¯ had made a distance and put several floating ice spears between us. Actually, not only between us. I looked around and realized I had been surrounded by the similar spears facing my way, ready to skewer me anytime just like in the first room.


    Stealing a glance to the giant snake, I was hoping I could get some assistance. Opposite to my expectation, however, it was struggling hard against the ever-increasing-morphers and needed help itself. The reptile¡¯s movement had become dull somehow, which raised me a question, as there were no apparent wounds and it should be way too soon for its stamina to be depleted.


    ¡°Urgh!¡± I exclaimed in surprise as an ice spear pierced my back.


    ¡°Do you have the time to look around?¡± Maa¡¯ asked. ¡°How about now?¡±


    The other floating spears began to fly towards me. I tried to escape. Unsuccess, though. Since they came literally from all directions I didn¡¯t really have a place to run. While defending, from the corner of my eyes I found the reason of my snake¡¯s sluggishness. A morpher was throwing itself into the snake¡¯s opening mouth, causing my poor monster to hiss in pain. Afterward, its movement became even slower than before.


    Came to think of it, even though it had hard scales that could repel external attacks, the soft internals organs weren¡¯t protected. Maa¡¯ understood this and had his water guardians using the monster¡¯s big stature to invade its inner part. Now, after it hardly able to move around, the morphers were coming into its mouth non-stop, one after another, until it didn¡¯t move at all.


    (This is bad, I can¡¯t win like this. I need to get out of here!)


    Losing my will to continue the hopeless fight, I opened a portal below my feet under the neverending ice spear rain. Just in time, because at the same moment I slipped below, Maa¡¯ shot an icy tornado, the same spell that had killed me before. It passed above my head and I landed safely in the new room.


    My relief was short lived, however. When I looked above, the tornado was appearing from the portal. My weakened-and-thoroughly-skewered-body jumped backward in reflex, but the spell bounced towards me after hitting the floor. Unable to avoid contact, in my panic my consciousness escaped from the Dungeon Lord.


    ¡®AAARGHHH!!¡¯


    My voiceless scream echoed as the <White Blizzard> was tearing my avatar. The unbearable pain felt like a strong mind attack. I suppose even though I had left, the connection was still there. Still, I pleased with the fact I didn¡¯t passed out.


    ¡°How foolish,¡± I heard Maa¡¯, who had followed to the new room, muttered in front of my unrecognizable pieces of my Dungeon Lord.


    (Uh. If I was composed enough to remember closing the portal, that spell would have been dispersed and you would still be trapped in that enclosed room, you know. But, I find a way to stay conscious, and that fire enchantment was effective. Not too bad. Just wait, old man, I¡¯m not done yet.)


    Maa¡¯ looked around, trying to figure where he was. I knew it better though, we were in one of the earlier rooms of the second level. Fortunately, although I had chosen the room in random, it was nowhere near my heart chamber. The time he would need to get a way out should be enough for me to prepare the next round.


    The second level, after all, was a complex maze full with one-way passages - making use of strong wind to force adventurers following a direction; and pedestals that required adventurers to either answer questions or put right stone slabs on them - which each would open a new passage or change the wind direction of a one-way passage.


    That was, of course, set to work against normal adventurers. But that geezer was far from normal, I doubted the maze could contain him for too long. Therefore, I had to start my preparation right away and thus left the room.


    I checked the main group of the invaders, Tsalja and her companions, before I went anywhere else. I found it was strange for them to still be in the same first level¡¯s last room after all this time. Although, after a better look, there were traces of them climbing down to the second level. I then concluded it had to be because of the work of my mana-suckers. Being considerably weakened, they had no choice but to return upwards.


    The adventurers were currently distributing the mana recovery potions among the ones with worse condition, the mages and healers, whom, by my order, were the primary targets for the mana-suckers. Apparently, although they understood it was a mana shortage symptom, they still couldn¡¯t comprehend how and why it happened.


    I grinned in my mind. Drinking recovery potion might prolong their life, but it also meant more mana for me in the long term. And as my little mana-suckers kept on sucking, they would only grow stronger and drain faster. They would eventually fall, it was inevitable.


    I was about to left the stupid adventurers on their own when I came across something interesting. There was a big frog lurking in the shadow. The voracious-eater, the one that had evolved when I had been screaming over my frustration after my lost to Jiwa, it somehow had survived the slaughter. Moreover, the creature was eating up the invaders¡¯ mana from afar. Slowly but steady.


    If someone could see mana, like Halili, they would see a thread coming from the adventurers to the voracious-eater¡¯s chewing mouth. I couldn¡¯t see it, but since it was happening within my dungeon I could sense it somehow.


    (So, it wasn¡¯t just the mana-suckers. And my theory was right, voracious-eaters can eat mana. Probably a shot magic too, to some degree. Good, finally a useful evolution from the frogs family.)


    I let it knew my presence, before I touched its core with my mind and injected it with a generous amount of mana. Through our link, it sent a grateful feeling. And through the same link, I warned it not to rash and stayed cautious, even it had become much stronger now with the mana I had given.


    Feeling satisfied, I moved my consciousness to the forest room in the third level, where once again I spent a lot of mana. I handed out the promised mana prizes to every one of a hundred and twenty-six survivors of the mock battle, a bonus to all seventy fierce rats as the winner, and a bonus for the eleven raptors that had been involved in killing the rattibull and survived.


    Finished with my obligation, I considered on how I should welcome Maa¡¯. From my experience, I knew my chance would remain slim, if not non-existent, unless I did something to his overpowered magic.


    (Let see¡­ From his fighting style, the old man seems very confident with his mana pool. Maybe I can make use of this?


    (Yeah, I¡¯ve those mana-suckers and the new voracious-eaters. The cheater won¡¯t realize even if I drain at a faster rate than to the rest of the adventurers, will he?


    (If I can somehow reduce his mana, the number of spells he can use should be limited. It shouldn¡¯t be too one-sided like last time.


    (Alright. But I still need a second plan, just in case¡­


    (Hmm, the fire enchantment was effective, wasn¡¯t it?


    (Maybe I can enchant my monsters as well?


    (No, wait, why not a new race with inherent fire enchantment then? That way I won¡¯t need to worry with the mana upkeep for the enchantment¡­


    (And maybe a place with inherent fire enchantment too! If the location has a very high temperature, the old man¡¯s magic¡¯s effectiveness will be halfed from the start!


    (¡­ Hmm, like, a volcano?)


    Smiling in my mind, I connected myself my consciousness to the cores of big-eaters survivors in the room and injected some mana, forcing them to evolve into voracious-eaters.


    *Ding!*


    <table><tbody><tr><td>With your intervention, {Big-Eaters} have evolved into {Voracious-Eaterd}.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    ¡®Find a good hiding place where you can eat Maa¡¯s mana once he enters the room,¡¯ I ordered.


    Done with that, my consciousness moved to check Maa¡¯. The Executive was wandering in a one-way passage not too far from where I left him. The thing was, he was walking opposite to the wind direction. By erecting a wind barrier around him, which splitted the air current to his sides, he walked as if it was a normal passage.


    I moved ahead to the next room, which had more air pressure caused by a colder temperature, and created cores of mana-suckers. Maa¡¯ arrived in the room not long after the cores had grown splendidly into the tiny monsters. I then had them approached him in a smaller group one in a time to reduce detection risk.


    At the time my consciousness left the room, Maa¡¯ was fabricating a dummy slab made of ice in front of a pedestal, with no less than seventy of the mosquito evolutions under his clothes. I did hope he wouldn¡¯t feel too itchy to realize the tiny monsters.


    Returning to the forest room in the third level, I considered changing the room into a suitable environment, but decided it wasn¡¯t wise. The creatures without heat resistance would suffer or even die. Therefore, I made a new room between the forest room and the heart chamber with <Dungeon Expansion>.


    Bigger than the first level¡¯s last room but much smaller than the third level¡¯s forest room. Pouring my mana, I raised a small rocky mountain - or calling it hill would probably be more appropriate, in the middle of the two cubic kilometers room, along with a magma chamber beneath and a path from the chamber and the top of the hill. It was the first time for me creating magma and it turned out the required mana was tremendous.


    I checked my mana, only around thirty thousand left. Thinking back, they were mostly had gone for the forest and volcano room establishments and the mana prizes of the mock battles. The lite golems and their armaments of the earlier battle was the next in the list. It didn¡¯t matter though, with the merchants and adventurers dying here and there, my mana was increasing even now.


    Returning from my train of thought, I used <Monster Core> to create a new monster with golem as the base. I concentrated, infusing the core with immense heat of magma. The rock body in my mind became scorched black with burning red, vein-like lines, peeking here and there. The red parts were especially apparent in the chest section, where the core stored inside. Releasing my creation, the new golem emerged from the hot ground at the same time as the volcano was coughing.


    *Ding!*


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Requirements meet. New race is acquired!</td></tr><tr><td>You have successfully created Lava Golem race.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I estimated the newcomer¡¯s power level, it should be able to handle a morpher in either solid ice or liquid water form easily. Although there was a strong temptation to make lava fighter golems too, I resisted. Creating a strong monster from zero did cost a lot. And judging from the lava golem, which had almost thrice its original golem counterpart price, the fighter should be the same if not had more expensive ratio.


    If there was any golem survivor, I could use them for evolution material instead. Unfortunately, all of my golems and morphers had been annihilated along with the fighter golem Rowd when I had been unconscious. Creating a normal golem first then evolving it wouldn¡¯t make the cost any cheaper.


    (Hmm. Considering the amount of mana left, will it be alright to add more normal lava golem? Won¡¯t evolving other race, by adding fire element, be economically better?)


    Deciding so, I directed my mind to my dragons to be, the raptors. When I was about to move my consciousness, however, the volcano was erupting for the first time. The thundering sound, enough to make me cringed and closed my non-existent ears with my non-existent hands, and the following lava that swept the shaking ground waried me.


    Yet, to my delight, not only the lava golem withstood the hot current, it was also absorbing both the molten rock and the dangerous gas. Although there were no visible changes outside, I knew it got stronger inside. Actually, after a better look, the black frame had become thicker and the burning red parts were brighter.


    Not to waste the good news, I created another nine of lava golems and released them into the lava flow, making no more than fifteen thousand mana points left in my possession. It was still increasing, though, so no worries. I just hoped the two and half meters tall humanoids could get close to their evolution forms, the lava fighter golem, with the amount they were absorbing.


    Departing from the volcano room, what I found was a chaotic forest room. Last time I there, before I created the volcano room, I hadn¡¯t realized as I had been in deep thought. There was an ongoing war between the lizard family and the rat family, and the third neutral party dragged in between.


    The cause was the raptors, according to the report from s-flies. Their leader, the smart looking raptor that had eaten the rattibull¡¯s core during the mock battle, had been scheming to kill another rattibull and eat its core too. The very act had invited revenge from the rats and hence the war.


    (Uh, why¡­ right in the middle of my preparation against Maa¡¯ too!)


    I brought myself towards one of the two hills in the room, which had been claimed by the raptors as their headquarter. Over there I saw their leader, now a lizardman of some sort, with brown scales covering most of his body and a pair of small horns on his head.


    (Horn? Is it because he ate rattibulls? Hmm, but if that¡¯s the case, how did the fierce rats turn into rattibull and have horns to begin with? ¡­ Nevermind, the dragons have horns too, don¡¯t they? It suits my plan.)


    I rid of my useless thought and observed the situation. The lizardman was standing tall in the middle of the hill while chewing a rat and giving orders around. A busy scene. Except for several scattered groups that were feasting on corpses of fierce rats and what looked like remnants of a rattibull, they seemed uninterrupted by the bustle in their surrounding.


    When I approached, the leader had to be feeling my presence, as he hurriedly kneeling down. The other lizards and their evolutions followed, they stopped whatever they had been doing and showed a submissive posture.


    ¡®You better have a good reason for causing this mess in the middle of a raid, lizard. For your own good,¡¯ I threatened.


    ¡°Master-ss. Having few stronger individuals give us better chance than many weakling-ss,¡± the lizardman replied. Hzard was his race name.


    ¡°Kee kee keek¡­ Then why don¡¯t you sacrifice yourself to make me stronger!¡± said a figure jumping down from a portal that opened above the hzard.


    The reptile hissed, he quickly rounded himself and received the newcomer¡¯s claw with his back, which was covered with hard scales. The black furred attacker then flipped the lizardman using his bullhorn and charged forward, planting his sharp teeth in his prey¡¯s shoulder while holding the arms with his own.


    ¡°Hissssss!¡±


    Didn¡¯t want to stay at disadvantageous position, the evolution of raptor wrapped his long tail to his attacker¡¯s thigh. His long neck and snout also allowed him to bite his opponent¡¯s shoulder in return.


    ¡®ENOUGH!¡¯ I roared.


    Every creature flinched before freezing altogether. The rattibulls and fierce rats that had come down from the portal, along with the raptors that had moved to defend their base, including the lizard boss and the horned ratman that being locked each other.


    ¡®Let go!¡¯ I told.


    Reluctantly the ratman released his teeth and the lizardman did the same. Separated, they glared each other with killing intent but didn¡¯t dare to make further move.


    ¡°Kee keek¡­ Master, I ¡®now they are your favorite, but they killed our brethren. We want revenge!¡± the ratman, a rattaur, protested.


    ¡®Didn¡¯t you kill your own brethren too in order to evolve?¡¯ I replied coldly.


    The rat boss expression changed. He couldn¡¯t find an answer, but obviously not satisfied.


    ¡®Listen,¡¯ I said. ¡®I give you two a way to compete, slay the mage Maa¡¯ for me, and I¡¯ll evolve whoever able to do it. You can continue the bloodshed after the raid if you want, but remember, whoever get the evolution reward will have huge advantage over the other.¡¯


    ¡°Master-ss,¡± the hzard hissed. ¡°Even you were lost to him, how do you expect us to win-ss?¡±


    ¡°Kee kee keek¡­ I ¡®ave to agree with the bastard, Master,¡± commented the rattaur beside him.


    ¡®I¡¯ll give you a fire enchantment that will help you survive the freezing spell, a weapon of your choice that can absorb mana for you, and a right as the queen of your race. The method is up to you,¡¯ I said.


    The two exchanged a glance and looked unsure. Ignoring them, I continued, ¡®You can choose a weapon from the list of items now.¡¯


    ¡°Kee keek¡­ Then I¡¯m first,¡± the rattibull evolution claimed, didn¡¯t want his rival to get a head start. ¡°I want that exotic weapon that looks like an arm¡¯s extension, keek¡­,¡± he said, sending the image of a pair of katars through our link. I hadn¡¯t know such a weapon was there in my long list until the rattaur pointed out.


    The replica of the weapon appeared following the light particles. I then made a core of the same type as the one in the first room¡¯s stone pedestal for mana tribute. Except, I removed the minimum mana level limiter, so it would begin absorbing regardless the target¡¯s remaining mana, and the mana would be accumulated in the core instead of directly go to me.


    ¡®Done,¡¯ I said, after attaching the core to the weapon and setting the absorbing surface.


    The rattaur happily took the katars from ground and tested their sharpness. He got surprised and pulled off his hand right away, though, when touching the blade.


    ¡®Touch the core to collect the mana,¡¯ I told. Turning to the only hzard in my dungeon, I said, ¡®It¡¯s your turn.¡¯


    ¡°... How exactly the absorbing mana ability works-ss, Master-ss?¡± he asked, instead of choosing a weapon.


    ¡®It¡¯ll absorb mana when the target comes in contact with the blade,¡¯ I answered. ¡®The longer it touches, the more it¡¯ll absorb.¡¯


    ¡°... Then-ss, can I have the ability to breath fire-ss?¡±


    ¡°Kee kee keek, master said weapon. What are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°The weapon is for melee-ss. I¡¯m already strong in melee-ss.¡±


    ¡®You can do it yourself after you become a queen. Now, what weapon do you want?¡¯


    ¡°... Spear-ss. Sword-ss. Axe-ss. Shield-ss. And a chain-ss.¡±


    ¡°Keek! Are you mad? How are you going to use that many?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I felt the hzard was making a fun of me, but then, he shouldn¡¯t dare to. Dungeon creatures were very loyal to their master after all, making them trustworthy more than the humans. Considering calmly, I concluded the smart monster had to have a reason behind his ridiculous request. However, I wasn¡¯t in the mood to just approved everything he asked, neither to make an effort to find the reason. I simply created replica of sword and shield and set them with cores.


    ¡®There. Find the rest yourself from the adventurers,¡¯ I told, ending the discussion.


    Next, I connected to the hzard¡¯s core and injected some heat. Not as much as the lava golem, but should be enough to prevent ice from forming. I then applied <Memory-implant> of how the swordsman Gora of Jowsar-Star used his weapon.


    *Ding!*


    <table><tbody><tr><td>With your intervention, {Hzard} has evolved into {Hzard - Fire variant}.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Moving to the rattaur, I injected heat to his core as well. Unfortunately, I had no knowledge of the previous katar wielder or how the weapon should be used. However, since the rattaur¡¯s body structure put emphasis on speed, I used <Memory-implant> of Alveria¡¯s fighting style instead.


    *Ding!*


    <table><tbody><tr><td>With your intervention, {Rattaur} has evolved into {Rattaur - Fire variant}.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    The two¡¯s appearance changed slightly. The hzard¡¯s brown scales had become darker, while the rattaur¡¯s black fur was now a bit reddish. They checked their own hands and body, figuring out the changes.


    Last but not least, I appointed the two as queens of their respective race family.


    ¡®Your target is almost here, queens,¡¯ I told, as I sensed Maa¡¯ almost cleared the second level. ¡®Good luck!¡¯ I said.


    ¡°Kee kee keek¡­ One thing, Master. I¡¯m a male. I don¡¯t ¡®now ¡®bout the bastard here, but I prefer to be called King rather than Queen,¡± the rat boss said.


    I nodded, in my mind. ¡®Understandable. I¡¯ll refer you both as kings from now on.¡±


    ¡°Kee kee keek¡­ Thank you. Don¡¯t forget your promise, I will be the one who take this thorn mage out from our home,¡± he declared, before opening a portal and signalling his retainers to follow him through.


    Meanwhile, the lizard boss didn¡¯t move at all from his standing still position. He was probably experimenting with his new ability as a race quee- king, or making a plan, or whatever useful, I hoped.


    I withdrew from the hill, leaving the hzard and raptors and went to the room entrance. Maa¡¯ would appear soon, but there was still a little time I could use. Thus, I created various traps and spread them throughout the forest room. Naturally, my creatures knew where they were located and should be able to avoid them.


    Maa¡¯ finally showed himself in the forest room. He curiously observed the change of scenery for a while, before entering the forest. A step of his triggered my arrow trap, then another triggered a boulder to drop from a tall tree, then fell a ball of water that could drown people. Too bad they never past his wind barrier, but I had expected that much.


    At the same time, the voracious-eaters had began working on his mana, eating the substance from afar.


    Suddenly a portal opened above Maa¡¯ and the appearing rat king thrusted with his new weapons. The wind barrier blew him away, however. Yet, with a salto he lightly landed and then charged again. And again. And again. He attacked relentlessly from various angles with amazing speed. Stabbing. Slashing. Headbutt. Tail whip.


    Maa¡¯ fought back. At first, he tried to freeze the rattaur, but since it didn¡¯t work he shot ice spikes and ice spears combined with some wind blasts. The agile ratman couldn¡¯t forever escape, and soon he was cornered. I called for help, which several stone bats and cave pumas answered. Sadly, they were quickly wiped out and became ice statues. Or to be precise, broken ice statues. In the end, the rattaur had to run through a portal to save his own life.


    Wondering where was my other king, I found him playing with some adventurers in the first level. He maimed his preys, drained their mana dry, killed them, and went to ambush another group afterwards. Had eaten two rattibulls, he was probably stronger than the fighter golem Rowd used to be, thus adventurers below B-rank stood no chance. It was clear the reptile man was gathering resource, probably planning to evolve himself before facing Maa¡¯.


    Back to the Executive, he had been reactivating his continuous freezing field and morpher summoning, leaving a trail of ice and now-a-dozen-but-keep-increasing morphers guarding around him. It didn¡¯t make him invincible though, when a landmine was triggered it destroyed a number of the morphers and gave his mana-barrier a considerable damage for a moment.


    The incident was enough making Maa¡¯ took out a recovery potion. It was then when the horned ratman decided to reappear. His hand came through a portal, breaking the being drunk potion bottle, and pulled it back before the enraged wizard could do anything.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    (Good job! To take a mana potion out, his mana must be running low. Finally! As long as we can prevent him to recover, we should be able to corner him!)


    My rat king began using hit and run tactic with the support of traps placement from me and occasional snipe from a squad of armed monkeys. Our coordination got better over time. In fact, if this continued, it would be a matter of time before the mage fell.


    Still, Maa¡¯ wasn¡¯t stupid. He learnt our patterns and his bait almost costed me the rattaur, if not for some gi-ants pulling the unconscious rodent to underground together and several rattibulls sacrificed themselves to cover the escape.


    ¡®You¡¯ve done enough, get some rest first,¡¯ I told, after restoring the rattibull evolution.


    ¡°Kee kee keek. Crazy opponent. No wonder you are so troubled, Master.¡±


    ¡®Indeed.¡¯


    I left him and went back to Maa¡¯, who had his morphers swept his surrounding area while the person himself taking a rest and gulping another mana recovery potion.


    (!! Uwaah, I let him drank the potion!)


    Nevertheless, I couldn¡¯t let the water guardians to find the hiding voracious-eaters, thus I blasted them with landmines. I also planted several mines under the resting mage, which created a huge fire pillar. To my frustration, however, although I managed to extinguish the barrier, the man was left unharmed. And a pack of bullets from the monkey squad a second later could only meet a newly erected mana-barrier.


    In the hope to finish his last bit of mana before he recovered too much, once again I planted landmines under his feet and created another fire pillar. Yet, this time I caught only his morpher clone. The real Maa¡¯ had managed to slip after the bullets had hit.


    I grimaced. Then spammed the landmines over and over, but they never landed a clean hit. It was like Maa¡¯ had already predicted my attacks and got better at evading every time. It obviously didn¡¯t work. In the end, I could only watch as the Executive walked away, not sure on what I should do.


    Sighing, I let my consciousness wandered through the vast forest room looking for ideas. Many moments later, I found myself back in where the battle had taken place. Only, the frozen corpses there had lost their cores. The rattibulls, stone bats, and cave pumas. Wondering on what had happened, it turned out to be the rattaur¡¯s doing, according to the s-flies. Not only them, the gi-ants that had saved the rattaur also had become a core-less corpse.


    (What is he doing? Surely eating a core, especially a strong one¡¯s like rattibull¡¯s, is a short way to get a lot of mana in one go. But to even deliberately kill your saviors for that¡­)


    I looked for the ratman. I did found him in the first level, he was scavenging the corpse of the giant snake, but at the same time I felt the level was too quiet somehow. I therefore scanned the entire level and it turned out it had been cleaned up. All freezing creatures had become core-less and there were only few alive things.


    Tsalja¡¯s main group, who had only a half-dozen left, were heading towards the exit and would soon meet Alveria and Crystela who moved the opposite direction. Those were the only remaining adventurers. Other than them were the rattaur, the hzard, and a frogman with stone frame.


    (Frogman?)


    When I checked, it urned out he was the evolution of voracious-eater called omnifroga.


    (Ah, it¡¯s the first voracious-eater, isn¡¯t it? Did he evolve after eating the adventurer¡¯s mana? Wait, the stone frame¡­ Don¡¯t tell me¡­ Yes, no mistake, he must¡¯ve eaten the boss Rowd¡¯s core that was hold by Tsalja. Good job taking it back, froggy.


    (Hmm, what''s the hzard doing there, by the way? Uwaah, he stabs froggy!? Why?!!)


    The frogman tried to fight, but he was no match to the lizardman. He lost his life and had his core forcefully taken out. And eaten. I understood the live in a dungeon was about kill or be killed, but couldn¡¯t help feeling sick when I saw the ones I had interacted with being murdered in front of me.


    ¡®Mind to explain what¡¯re you doing? Why do you need to kill your comrade when there¡¯re obvious enemies you can hunt?¡¯


    Looking up, the lizardman replied. ¡°Master-ss,¡± he hissed, while swallowing the cores of the sword and shield I had given him. ¡°Unlike you, we don¡¯t have a comprehensive understanding of a body structure-ss. The little that we know comes from the evolution path we unlock-ss, and from other¡¯s core we eat-ss.¡¯


    ¡®Kee kee keek¡­ That¡¯s right, Master,¡¯ the horned ratman, already back to the forest room in the third level, commented through our link. ¡®That¡¯s how things are for us, kee keek.¡¯


    ¡®... Does it have anything to do with why you set a blaze in the forest?¡¯ I asked, after moving my attention to his place.


    ¡°Oh, this? Kee kee keek. I found a rare- wait, here comes my prey. *Stab!* *Slice!* ¡­ *Grab!* *Gulp!* Fu~ This is amazing, keek. Sorry, Master, it¡¯s a rare white spider with annoying invisibility. I burn their nest to lure it out. Kee keek¡­¡±


    ¡®! That flaming spider just now was a terrortula?!¡¯


    ¡°Keek¡­ terrortula? Sorry, I didn¡¯t check. Does it matter?¡±


    ¡®Uh, nevermind.¡¯


    (The second terrortula has finally appeared and you just killed it? Uh, I want to smack him good¡­)


    ¡°Keek, I now understand how to become invisible. After I feast the rest of the grilled spiders, we can finally turn the table, Master. Kee kee keek¡­¡±


    ¡®Your time¡¯s up-ss, rodent-ss. It¡¯s my turn now-ss,¡¯ the hzard said.


    Following his words, the reptile fell to his four and began shedding skin. I couldn¡¯t help but to watch the process expectantly.


    What came out from the old scaled-skin was a majestic figure. It was a dragon! Not the four legged beast but a humanoid type, with sharp claws on all two legs and two arms. What covering him looked more like a metal armor than hard scales, and the metal-like scales were all over the body. Most of them were of dark color, except the front parts - or the lower parts, if he was walking in four - from neck to tail, which had dark yellow color.


    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''>


    Spreading his bat-like wings and straightening his long neck, his loud roar could be heard in the whole first level. It caused the adventurers of both Alveria¡¯s and Tsalja¡¯s groups, which now had met, restless. Not that I care. My dragonoid race then kicked the ground and flapped his wings, he was testing his flight ability. Probably because he had also absorbed the experience and knowledge of his preys after eating their cores, he flew smoothly despite it was his first time.


    ¡®Splendid,¡¯ I praised. Thinking for a moment, I said, ¡®Since your previous race was hzard, I¡¯ll call you Hazard from now on. May you become a hazard for our enemies.¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s a great honor to receive a name from you, Master,¡± he bowed his long-horned head in the mid-air. His hissing was gone, replaced by a deep, heavy voice. ¡°With your permission, I¡¯ll go take care of your concern now.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Good luck.¡±


    Opening a portal parallel with the floor, the dragonoid folded his wings and dived in. Just when it was closing, the other king called.


    ¡®I would like to have a name too, Master. Keek.¡¯


    Thus, I went back to the rattaur¡¯s location in the forest room. He had finished his meals and evolved into a ratsassin. His overall appearance looked like an armored version of his previous self, with snake¡¯s scales became a helmet, a body armor, arm protectors, and shin protectors. His fur had reverted to black, though.


    Not only his appearance, his overall fighting abilities had also increased. Every scratch he made would be lethal, as they were poisonous in addition to causing burns as before. And of course, he inherited the ability to blend with his surrounding and muffled step characteristic of terrortula. Unlike the dragonoid, however, the rodent man decided to keep his gifted weapons, the pair of katars, with him.


    (An assassin, huh? Let see¡­ Do I know any infamous assassin? From mangas or games, maybe? Hmm. Assassin¡­ assassination¡­ ansatsu... ansatsuken?)


    ¡®Alright. From now on you¡¯re Ken, my sword and fist to deal with enemies.¡¯


    ¡°Keek. Thank you,¡± the armored ratman screeched happily. ¡°Then, I will take my leave,¡± he said, crossing the katars in front of him and bowing, before vanishing from sight. When a portal opened and then closed again, I knew he had left the still burning, formerly spider nest location.


    I sensed where Hazard was and moved my consciousness there. A vast area of the forest had turned white and a raging blizzard made the visibility almost zero. Not a very friendly situation for a flyer like the dragonoid. Still, the battle was very intense. The morphers continuously shot ice shards from their both arms like anti-aircraft machine guns, forcing the winged reptile to fly low between the trees. There were some obvious injuries on him.


    (This¡­ it¡¯s completely different than any of the previous battles. Was the old man holding back?)


    *KA-BOOM!*


    A group of morphers that got too close together were blasted by Hazard¡¯s breath. Their number didn¡¯t seem to decrease, though, as more morphers emerged from the snowy ground. Several merged up into a giant morphers, which its fist was bigger than the dragonoid. It wasn¡¯t fast enough to catch him, however, and had to collapse after one of its legs was blown up by another breath.


    ¡®Haz!¡¯ I called.


    ¡®Master!¡¯ he replied, while making a sharp turn, causing two of his pursuers to shoot each other.


    ¡®Help me locate the white wiz-¡¯


    ¡®ABOVE!!¡¯


    Too late. As his tail swing crushed a morpher¡¯s upper body, a tornado came from his back. With my warning, he was able to turn around and receive the hit at front. It pushed him to crash the ground and dragged him quite afar afterwards, nevertheless.


    Although he managed to reduce the spell¡¯s strength by eating up its mana while receiving the it, it was still the spell that had destroyed my Dungeon Lord twice. To be able to stand up afterwards, and even fight the approaching morphers despite losing an arm, had countless cracks in his metal scales, and had his wings torn up, I really had to give him a plause.


    I quickly connected to his core and sent my mana to recover him. In the meantime, Ken had tracked the icy tornado spell back to its source and launched a sneak attack. Few shallow cut was all he managed, however, before he was surrounded. With his footprints left on the snow and without any long range in his arsenal, the morphers that shooting ice shards soon owned the ratsassin. I quickly connected with his core too, keeping both kings in their life line against multiple enemies.


    ¡®Withdraw!¡¯ I commanded. ¡®I¡¯ll take care the rest.¡¯


    ¡®We still can-¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t make me repeat myself!¡¯


    ¡®Keek. Alright. Don¡¯t die, Master.¡¯


    ¡®As you wish, but we will come to aid after we recover.¡¯


    The two reluctantly agreed and then each tried to make a distance to open a portal. Their opponents wouldn''t let them escape easily, though, and I had to blast some landmines in order to help. At least they passed through to the other side of the portals, although not without some morphers that persistently attached. Still, with such a great distance there should be a limit on what Maa¡¯ could do and they were in the middle of their own underlings anyway. They should be fine.


    Thus, I cut the connection with their core and turned my consciousness to the volcano room, my last line of defense.


    Yet, the lava golems were nowhere to be seen, and I began to panic when I couldn¡¯t find their presence after I searched.


    (... Did something happen while I was gone?)


    I rushed to the heart chamber and be glad to find my dungeon heart was intact. It didn¡¯t seem anyone had entered either. However, seeing my heart was so open on the wall, I couldn¡¯t help to feel uneasy.


    (Ah, if I remember correctly¡­ Yup, I was right.)


    I didn¡¯t remember if it was there from the beginning or the function had been added somewhen as my dungeon grew, but I could make a dummy heart with <Monster Core>. And so I did. I then placed it onto the walls, above my throne, while moved the real one on the raised platform, hidden under the throne.


    It had the same size as my real one, and did beat like a real dungeon heart. I mean, the rhythmical glow inside the crystal heart was like a pulse. However, it couldn¡¯t imitate my unique rainbow-color crystal heart and had normal heart¡¯s dark red instead.


    (Not that he knows my heart color. Well, being an experienced adventurer, Maa¡¯ probably can tell it¡¯s a fake. Hmm, but it¡¯s still better than nothing I suppose.)


    Satisfied with my work, once again I looked for the lava golems. According to the s-flies, no one had come into or out from the room. However, they couldn¡¯t provide me the information within, since the volcano room was too hot for the s-flies.


    (Funny. Are they really died? But what could have happen?)


    Thinking it wasn¡¯t convenience if I couldn¡¯t know of what happen in the volcano room, I connected to several s-flies¡¯ core and injected them with magma heat, just like the way I had done with the rattaur and the hzard.


    *Ding!*


    <table><tbody><tr><td>With your intervention, {S-Flies} have evolved into {S-Flies - Fire variant}.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I told the new variant s-flies to enter the volcano room and began their surveillance mission. At the time, the ground was shaking. Shortly after, the volcano was coughing, and followed by a rain of volcanic ashes. A crazy idea of what might happen crossed my mind.


    (It can¡¯t be¡­ No, it¡¯s possible. The lava made them stronger, if they followed their instinct to look for the source¡­)


    My consciousness entered the crater and followed the path down to the magma chamber. Soon, I spotted the ten cores inside the magma. Disappointed at what should be my defenders had become, I reached them with my consciousness in the hope that I still could restore them. Yet, I pleasantly surprised with what I found.


    They hadn¡¯t lost their consciousness nor in dormant state like a killed monster. Instead, it was like they were sleeping. My reach made them awoke and their presence became more obvious instantly, although still overshadowed by the magma¡¯s great heat.


    ¡®The enemy is coming. I need you to get out from there. Now,¡¯ I told, through our link.


    Ten cores were moving upwards to the magma surface. A humanoid-shape magma then came out, followed by others. They were nothing like the lava golems I had left, less solid, almost like the morphers. Except, what were dripping from their bodies weren¡¯t harmless water but very hot molten rock, which soon reabsorbed by their main bodies. They were a completely new entity different from the lava golem, a race called inferno.


    The ten infernos gathered in one place and merged into one giant inferno, which then climbing up the crater.


    Meanwhile, an s-fly notified through our link that Maa¡¯ was approaching the end of the forest room. Thus, once again I used <Monster Core> to make a Dungeon Lord and chose the strongest race available, inferno. My consciousness was pulled to heart chamber, a sensation I had started getting used to, and woke up on my throne.


    *Ding!*


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Requirements meet. New skill is acquired!</td></tr><tr><td>You can now use <Liquid Body> skill.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''2''><Liquid Body></td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>With a body made of liquid, one can freely changes form and to some extent absorbs physical damage.</td></tr><tr><td>Rank</td><td>#N/A</td></tr></tbody></table>


    *Ding!*


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Requirements meet. New skill is acquired!</td></tr><tr><td>You can now use <Lava Skin> skill.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''2''><Lava Skin></td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>With a skin made of lava, anything will burn when come in contact with the skin.</td></tr><tr><td>Rank</td><td>#N/A</td></tr></tbody></table>


    *Ding!*


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Requirements meet. New subskill is acquired!</td></tr><tr><td>You can now use <Lava Element Manipulation> subskill under <Elemental Manipulation> skill.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''2''><Lava Element Manipulation></td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>A skill to manipulate lava element.</td></tr><tr><td>Rank</td><td>Beginner</td></tr></tbody></table>


    (Uwaah¡­ What¡¯s this? I can¡¯t... stand...)


    I tried to get up, but fell again as soon. Without a solid body, it was so hard to maintain a form, let alone moving. I was nothing but a lump of hot liquid, flowing down from my throne to the raised platform and continued to the floor. Fortunately, Maa¡¯ walked slowly with caution. He even took a stop in front of the forest room¡¯s exit, probably wanted to recover as much mana as possible before progressing any further.


    And so, I used the next half hour, or possibly more, to figure how to control the new body.


    I still failed to personally welcome the guest when he came, however, and the party started without me. The old mage, with a set of armor of ice on him so he could withstand the hot volcanic ground, summoned his morphers and they clashed with my infernos. At the beginning, my lava guardians overwhelmed the water guardians with ease, evaporating them with each contact.


    The white-haired Executive managed to cover the morphers¡¯ weakness with sheer number, however. One would appear as soon as the other was dispersed, with about the same rate. While stalling my army by doing so, he rained the field with ice spears. Not they were effective, as they already lost most of their masses before reaching their targets, and burnt the moment they touched the infernos.


    ¡°<White Blizzard>,¡± Maa¡¯ muttered. I didn''t need to be able to read lips to know what he said, with the obvious icy tornado coming out from the tip of his staff, which then swept the battlefield and hit one of the infernos with loud crash, dragging and tearing the poor elemental guardian.


    The fire variant s-flies continued on providing me the vision of the ongoing battle while I perfecting the control of my Dungeon Lord in the heart chamber.


    When I finally joined the party, the first thing I did was I sending a rain of fireballs to Maa¡¯, disrupting his channeling and thus saving another inferno from the cruelty of <White Blizzard>.


    The old mage quickly moved away from his position with a barrier up under heavy attack of fireballs and earth spikes. Then suddenly the temperature in the room dropped drastically and, together with the wind that began to blow hard, snow started to fall and mix with the volcanic ashes. A blizzard and a volcano, no matter how weird that combination might sound, it was happening.


    To be honest, I don¡¯t remember too much details of what happened afterwards, as I let my instinct took me over in the heat of battle. I still vaguely remember I tried to envelope him with my hot liquid body, but that was all. The next time I came to, I already lost a good chunk of my body mass, with the rest was being constricted by a ice cuffs. He had to keep pouring mana for the cuffsnot to melt.


    No matter where I looked, all was white, although I wasn¡¯t sure whether those were ashes or snow. Holes everywhere, some with lava fountain. None of my lava golems could be seen in the devastated room.


    ¡°... Have you come to your sense at last, Dungeon Master Arz?¡±


    ¡°Haaa¡­ Haaa¡­ Maa¡¯...,¡± I recognized the man before me. His neat appearance was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a weary looking old man with tattered clothes, full of burns and cut. He seemed to be more pale than what I had remembered.


    ¡°Good grief. You¡¯re the such a troublesome dungeon. B-rank my ass, I¡¯ve underestimated your abnormal growth too much.¡±


    ¡°... Why¡­ are you letting me alive...?¡±


    ¡°Letting you alive? That¡¯s not it. I¡¯ll kill you. But before that, answer me. How many demons are there in this dungeon?¡±


    ¡°... Demons¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes, demons. A monster is a creature with core, and a demon is a monster that gain intelligent, there¡¯s no way you don¡¯t know this, do you? I¡¯ve killed a golem type demon in level one, and fought another two in the forest before here, a humanoid-rat and a humanoid-dragon types. How many more are like those?¡±


    ¡°... Demons, huh? What¡¯re you going to do if I tell you?¡±


    ¡°Hunt them, obviously. There¡¯re nothing more dangerous than letting a demon roams free.¡±


    ¡°... Haha¡­ And you want me to tell you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re originally a human. You know how much a threat a demon is, especially since we¡¯re this close to a populous town like [Firzoa].¡±


    ¡°... Let me alive, and I¡¯ll make sure they won¡¯t ever come close to any town, village, or any other human settlement.¡±


    ¡°No! You know your circumstance, you¡¯re beyond saving now. You should¡¯ve accepted my earlier offer.¡±


    ¡°... At least let them alone. I guarantee they won¡¯t harm people¡­¡±


    ¡°You seem to treasure them, boy. But no. They¡¯re way too dangerous. The dragon demon forced me to use the spell I¡¯ve been saving for Guildmaster Dava and the rat demon was sneaky and poisonous. If they can give me this much trouble, they can trample ordinary town-guards without trouble. I¡¯ll finish them before I return.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°... Are you going to tell me or not, Dungeon Master Arz?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°... Why¡¯re you so stubborn? Their fate¡¯s sealed, it¡¯s only a matter of time.¡±


    ¡°... Even so, I still say no.¡±


    Sighing, the Executive looked deeply into my hollowed eyes. He finally said, ¡°Very well, I guess there¡¯s nothing left to talk. Farewell, I¡¯ll take your dungeon heart before you regain conscious.¡±


    Maa¡¯ pointed his staff to me and the crystal on the tip began to glow.


    (Your mistake, is not killing me right when you¡¯ve the chance, old man.)


    My consciousness left the Dungeon Lord before the spell hit, which then splattering the remnants of the inferno. Biting my imaginary lips, I still let a scream of pain out. Of course, only my creatures that were connected through our link could hear me.


    It seemed Maa¡¯ was hurted more than I first thought, though. He had put a strong front, but his facade collapsed the moment he thought he had finished me and fell to the floor. Moreover, he was coughing blood and breathing heavily.


    ¡°Cursed those demons¡­ If I didn¡¯t have to use the <White Blizzard Origin> twice, I would be able to suppress the poison from spreading. *Cough* *Cough* *Cough* *Bleaargh*. Tch, vomitting blood again. I need to get this over quickly and have a rest.¡±


    Forcing himself to get up, he walked unsteadily crossing the room to the exit. I didn¡¯t wait for him, of course, as my consciousness already being pulled to the new Dungeon Lord in the next room. The ratsassin is my race of choice this time.


    *Ding!*


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Requirements meet. New skill is acquired!</td></tr><tr><td>You can now use <Stealth> skill.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''2''><Stealth></td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>A skill to blend with surrounding scenery.</td></tr><tr><td>Rank</td><td>#N/A</td></tr></tbody></table>


    *Ding!*


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Requirements meet. New subskill is acquired!</td></tr><tr><td>You can now use


    subskill under <Elemental Manipulation> skill.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''2''>


    </td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>A skill to manipulate poison element.</td></tr><tr><td>Rank</td><td>Beginner</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Thanks to the solid body and the humanoid type, I didn¡¯t require too much time to adapt. And I had finished activating <Stealth> the moment Maa¡¯ entered the heart chamber. The weakened Executive had to hold the wall to help him kept his balance.


    ¡°Haa¡­ <Morpher>!¡± he whispered.


    A water guardian emerged and slid forward towards the dummy heart. Its hands became a solid pair of ice blades, probably for scraping it from the wall. Meanwhile, the old wizard had rested his back on the wall next to the entrance. He then took another bottle of health recovery potion from his space-storage with a trembling hand.


    Perhaps because I made a small sound when closing our gap, or perhaps he simply detected my presence, Maa¡¯ turned my way in surprise. Too late, though. I grabbed his weak shoulders with my sharp claws and sank my teeth in his neck. No barrier, no clone, it was his flesh alright. For the first time, I could get him clean.


    His scream and the sound of bottle breaking filled the room as the iron taste of blood entered my mouth, followed by a cold and numb sensation that spread so quick all over me.


    (Farewell, old man.)

 A3. The False Conclusion

    Author note:


    Hi folks, do you miss me? ;)


    Here''s the last chapter of vol 1. Any thought on how I should title the volume?


    Please tell me if you find any mistake.


    Last but not least, thank you for staying with me so far. Be assured I read all of your comments even though I didn''t reply. m(__)m


    <hr />


    ¡°You seem want to say something?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Ah¡­ Err, Miss Alveria¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°... Is this really okay?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Master Arz is your childhood friend, right?¡±


    Had been expecting she would ask, I smiled. ¡°He is more than a childhood friend. He is a family,¡± I replied.


    ¡°... Then?¡±


    ¡°Crystela, if you have to choose between your home country and your family, and sacrifice the other, which one will you choose?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s difficult¡­ Probably family?¡±


    ¡°For me, the country is above everything else. I will sacrifice even my father and mother if I have to, and I know they will do the same.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ sounds harsh¡­¡±


    ¡°Crystela, we can live in peace like now, pursuing whatever dream we have, is all thanks to the country maintaining the public order. If the country is in chaos, think, how many death will occur? How many people will kill each other for food? No one is going to stop the strong to prey the weak, to rob their valuables or rape their women. Children will have to live on the street and women will have to sell their bodies in brothels. How many do you think can survive such lives?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°[[Alishine Kingdom]] isn¡¯t perfect, but it¡¯s existence is the reason our family and friends can live like now. We can¡¯t let chaos to fall upon the kingdom. And out of all, war is the worst cause. That is why we have to prevent war to happen at all cost.¡± I paused and took a look at my subordinate. The beautiful blonde seemed trying hard to digest my words. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it sounds like I¡¯m preaching you,¡± I said with another smile.


    ¡°Not at all, Miss Alveria. It¡¯s refreshing to hear from your perspective, I never thought that far¡­¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Just keep in mind, I¡¯m not doing this because I like it, neither does Master Maa¡¯. It is because we have to. As long as we can keep our alliance with [[Dragora]], [[Quwwat]] will have to think twice before starting the war. This incident is unfortunate, but hopefully we can maintain the status quo and prevent the war with this.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand, Miss,¡± she replied, giving an understanding nod.


    Feeling glad I could explain what in my mind, I leant on the wall and closed my eyes. And once again, a silence casted upon the empty first room. It had been like this for hours since Master Maa¡¯ and the rest went deeper inside. Once in awhile, an adventurers or two would return to resupply at our merchant affiliates outside and gave us a nod, but other than that the room was really empty except for me and Crystela.


    It didn¡¯t mean there was no sound at all, though, the merchants were there standing by just outside the cave entrance after all. Still, time was alway felt slower when you were waiting and it couldn¡¯t be helped that boredom began to haunt me. Fortunately, Crystela was here to accompany me.


    Besides, I couldn¡¯t really complain since staying here was my own choice. Because seeing my Arz being torn into pieces had been a traumatizing experience for me, I had opted to stay. I had thought my heart wouldn¡¯t be ready if I had to see a similar scene again anytime soon.


    At least I had asked Master Maa¡¯ to try negotiating one more time, with a softer approach this time. Arz was smart, he should understand why we were doing this, although sometimes he could be very stubborn. Anyway, I did hope the negotiation would go well.


    ¡°It¡¯s been awhile, do you think they have reached the heart chamber now?¡± the defender beside me broke the silence.


    ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t know how deep it is now. Last time I was here there were only ten or so rooms, they should have reached it long time ago. I don¡¯t know if they can pass the door in their first try, though,¡± I chuckled, remembering my first time went in.


    ¡°Oh, that door. We had to search the dungeon all over again to get the slabs. There were about thirty rooms, if I remember correctly, but we only managed to reach the last room at our first three attempts. I¡¯m sure it has grown a lot by now.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Only the first three? That¡¯s surprising.¡±


    ¡°Because a troublesome trap has appeared after that,¡± she laughed. ¡°A portal that will separate party members into different rooms, but entering is necessary to get the slabs.¡±


    I knitted my brows with that explanation, ¡°Sounds annoying.¡±


    ¡°Very. But we have figur-¡±


    ¡°AAAAAAAAHHHHHhhh¡­¡±


    ¡°What is that?!¡±


    Both me and Crystela were alerted by the scream and quickly looked for the source. At outside, we saw hell. Countless big ants were covering the whole settlement, they were attacking and dragging people to underground. The present adventurers tried to fight back, but they were easily outnumbered.


    ¡°Gi-ants? Crystela!¡±


    ¡°Right behind you, <Earthshaker>!¡±


    *SLAM!*


    Her shield caused a small quake and stunned the nearby monsters. Using the chance, I dashed to slash the ants and rescue the nearest man.


    ¡°Thank y- Waaaah!¡±


    I threw him to Crystela with two or three gi-ants still attached to, she should be able to handle that much. I then rushed towards the next victim before other gi-ants recovered and crawled all over me.


    As we repeated the process, it was getting hard for Crystela because the number she had to protect was increasing and the insect monsters were now focusing on her. She even had been using her flame gauntlet, shooting fire again and again to repel the approaching gi-ants.


    ¡°They¡¯re too many,¡± she yelled.


    ¡°I know,¡± I yelled  back.


    At this rate, we would only be cornered. Thus, I activated one of the ring on my left fingers, which had been imbued with basic <Water Elemental Magic>, and washed the insects away. It wasn¡¯t enough to completely clean the area, but at least their number were reduced for now.


    ¡°We need to secure the <Transfer Circle>,¡± I decided.


    ¡°Transfer¡­ what?¡±


    ¡°Follow me!¡±


    ¡°You heard her, don¡¯t be left behind!¡± Crystela told the others.


    I cut open our path and led our group through the sea of ants. Regretfully, I had to ignore the many screams asking for help in our way. My plan was to secure and send the non-combatants via the <Transfer Circle> several at a time, it was better to save a small number than to lose all of them after all.


    ¡°Halt!¡± I ordered, when I sensed something was wrong with the ground in front of us.


    And my hunch was right, it crumbled, opening a deep and wide pit. We would have fallen if we hadn¡¯t stopped. Unfortunately, there was no time to examine the situation, as small arrows were already released upon us. Although I managed to repel all that were coming my way, and so did Crystela, but that was not the case for the others. Several died and the rest were injured.


    Behind us, the insects had closed the path. Not as a crowd, but in an orderly line formation. From our sides and across the pit, the gi-ants also lining up in a formation and we practically being sandwiched in the middle.


    ¡°Wheere do think you are going, traitorss?!¡±


    Turning to the voice, among the enemies across the pit I saw a naked woman. Or rather, naked half-woman. Her lower part was of an ant, and her head wore something like crown. Beside her were smaller half-ant half-man creatures, although they featured less human face, that holding bows with arrows nocked aimed at us. I realized the half-ant half-man creatures were also among the army in our sides and behind, each was either holding a spear or a bow.


    ¡°Is that¡­ the queen?¡± Crystela asked. ¡°It¡¯s the first time I see a queen gi-ant, so that¡¯s how they looks?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I replied. ¡°It isn¡¯t an ordinary queen. It is smart enough to talk, so, a demon. Usually they are hidden in far underground and very hard to be reached. For showing itself this close, it saves us a lot of troubles with these gi-ants,¡± I deducted.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she nodded understandingly.


    I strengthened my legs and jumped over the pit. Sensing the danger, the demon queen moved backwards while the gi-ants army closing in between. I then activated another ring, which caused a blinding light, and used the short moment they were caught unguarded to jump over the crowd, pursuing the queen.


    It welcomed me with a thrust using a short spear, which I easily evaded and countered, cutting its arm from elbow and below in the process. A spray of acid from the queen¡¯s ant part¡¯s abdomen however forced me to miss my next slash, allowing it to distant itself with only a shallow cut. The gi-ants underlings tried to mob me, but I didn¡¯t give them a chance. Activating my enchanted boots, I burst forward with a horizontal slash and severed its human part¡¯s belly.


    Lying on the grass, clear fluid flowed out from both severed parts. Fear was reflected in its eyes. The expression was so human-like and almost made me pitied the demon. Almost. I pointed my sword and threatened, ¡°Call back your gi-ant army if you value your own life!¡±


    ¡°Traitorousss bitccch,¡± it said. ¡°Kill me!¡±


    Being called traitor this traitor that, moreover a bitch, it really annoyed me. All my previous pity was gone. Observing the dying demon, it occurred to me that the reason it had a naked human-like body was probably to seduce my Arz and my vexation increased. Surely Arz wouldn¡¯t mind if I killed the bitch, the thing was guilty for killing innocents adventurers and merchants anyway and his gi-ants could have another queen. Thus, I raised my sword.


    ¡°Miss, look out!¡±


    With the warning I ducked and Crystela¡¯s big shield flew over my head, smashing a lot of winged gi-ants flying my way, before returning to its owner in a parabolic course. It was then I realized a number of winged gi-ants filling the sky. One of the half-ant half-man creature with spear, this one had wings on its back, led the swarm swooping at me.


    I swung my sword towards them, sending a wind that slashed the group in the mid-air. Meanwhile, in those split seconds I was distracted, a portal opened under the queen and it escaped before my eyes. ¡°No!¡± I exclaimed, trying to stop it, but only managed to stab a solid ground.


    ¡°Miss Alveria,¡± Crystela came to my side. ¡°Sorry, I failed to protect the merchants. The gi-ants dug a tunnel below us and attacked from there while I was busy repelling the arrows. When the surrounding ants charged as well, I really lost it,¡± she apologized, in obvious upset tone.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped with that numbers and even a diversion tactic,¡± I sighed. ¡°I was hoping I can use the queen to make the gi-ants withdraw. Not only I failed, I let it escaped as well. I¡¯m sorry too,¡± I said.


    Our hands and legs didn¡¯t stop as we talked, killing the gi-ants until none of them dared to approach. I took the break to look around, the settlement was really messed up and it seemed the gi-ants were finally retreating.


    ¡°... I don¡¯t sense any living people. Do you?¡±


    Crystela shook her head, ¡°Me neither. Should we search the area thoroughly?¡±


    ¡°... No, they are most likely retreating now because there are no longer survivors besides us.¡±


    Accompanied by a gloomy silence, we calculated the damages. The base might be able to be rebuilt, but the dead people were forever lost. It was a big blow for us no matter what, and especially for me who failed to prevent this to happen.


    ¡°... Say, Miss, do you think Master Arz is behind the attack?¡± Crystela broke the silence.


    Thinking for a moment, I answered, ¡°I do hope not.¡± Because if he did, the negotiation had to have gone wrong.


    I started to regret my decision of not coming with Master Maa¡¯ and the rest. Not only because I had confidence I could persuade Arz if I came, but now that I had thought it over, my reason for staying seemed selfish and showed I didn¡¯t have a trust in him.


    I shook my head.


    (No, my Arz isn¡¯t someone who would deliberately step on insects, less over kill innocent people. Why do I keep doubting him?)


    ¡°... Let¡¯s check the others,¡± I finally said.


    ¡°In that case, tie this to your wrist first,¡± Crystela said while taking out a long ribbon and handing one of the tips.


    ¡°What for?¡± I asked, taking the ribbon tip nevertheless.


    While tying the other tip on her own wrist, she answered, ¡°Remember the annoying portal trap I told you? With this, we won¡¯t be sent into separate rooms.¡±


    ¡°Ah, okay.¡±


    I complied and tied the ribbon as I had been told. Once I did, we returned and re-entered the dungeon with our arms being linked by the ribbon. An idea to have Arz and me walked side by side like this somehow made me smile. We would need to try it later.


    The dungeon inner part was nothing like I had remembered and had grown into a maze. Despite the changes, all we need to do was following the ice trails. In addition, Crystela had mapped out most of level one¡¯s passages and rooms. That was why, even though sometimes we accidentally stepped on the portal trap, we always managed to find the right path again soon.


    Every room we passed was either completely frozen or brutally ravaged. Either way, I met no living dungeon creatures, nor sensed any of their presence. Unconsciously, I tried to link what I was seeing with the attack outside. It was but a speculation, though, until I could confirm with the person himself.


    In occasions, we would meet small groups of adventurers. However, they were all had separated themselves from the Master Maa¡¯s main group to instead loot the dead creatures. They couldn¡¯t answer our question of what had happened.


    Until we arrived at a crossroad. Steps of people hurriedly approaching were heard from behind the turn of one of the passages. Not long after, Tsalja and her companies appeared, but their condition looked strange as if they were running from something. They stopped in surprise when they realized there were people blocking their way.


    ¡°Tsalja!¡± I called.


    It took a moment for her to recognize. ¡°Miss Alveria? Thank goodness,¡± Tsalja sighed in relief and walked closer with the others.


    ¡°What happens?¡± I asked, realizing each one of them looked back nervously several times. It seemed it wasn¡¯t just imagination, they really had been running from something.


    ¡°A humanoid frog, Miss,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Frog? For you to be like this, is it very strong?¡± Crystela asked.


    A man I don¡¯t recognize laughed to her question. ¡°Strong? I¡¯m sure I can kill it three times in a minute normally,¡± he said. ¡°Ah sorry, I haven¡¯t introduced myself. I¡¯m Yun, from [[Ramil Republic]], a C-rank who works under Executive Ugi the Swift.¡±


    I threw a questioning gaze to Tsalja, who then explained. ¡°We¡¯re having mana leaks, Miss. Our mana is so low that we couldn¡¯t properly fight. And whenever he frog inhaled, we became weaker. It seems it could suck on mana. Regrettably, the people you see here are the only remained of our main group, the others are dead.¡±


    My heart sank with what I heard, more death. Moreover, main group being annihilated meant most of the adventurers who had entered had lost their lives. Even if the negotiation went well and we brought Arz, the guild members wouldn¡¯t accept it without a compensation with this many death. That was, assuming they would accept at all.


    ¡°What about Master Maa¡¯?¡± I asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s somewhere in the deeper part of the dungeon, with the Dungeon Mast- Hey! You okay Linia?!¡±


    While Tsalja was explaining, Sister Linia collapsed and she caught her. With the help from the twins Gora and Gara, she lay her down. By then, it became apparent for me their sweating were too much and their breaths were heavy, telling me how dire their situation had been.


    ¡°I still have a mana potion,¡± I said, taking the only mana potion bottle from my belt and offering it. Crystela followed my example, giving her own mana recovery potions.


    ¡°Thanks, it really helps. We¡¯ve used up all our stocks,¡± Tsalja said. She then poured it through Linia¡¯s lips and distributed the rest.


    ¡°... I¡¯m sorry, I have become a burden again,¡± Linia said weakly when she finally reopened her eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you aren¡¯t a burden. Just take a rest for now,¡± I replied softly with a smile.


    ¡°We fought with Dungeon Master Arz and his golem troops in the level¡¯s last room,¡± Gora took an initiative to restarted the story of what had happened. My heart beat fast at the word fought, but let him continued.


    ¡°After that, Executive Maa¡¯ called him and they were negotiating. Dungeon Master Arz agreed with a condition that only Executive Maa¡¯ was allowed to enter his heart chamber,¡± the swordsman added. My hope raised and I relaxed a bit. If Arz had agreed, everything should be fine. Master Maa¡¯ had said he knew a way so Arz wouldn¡¯t die even after we took the dungeon heart.


    ¡°You let him go alone?¡± Crystela inquired.


    ¡°Master said he would be fine, and there¡¯s no need to doubt it,¡± Tsalja answered.


    Crystela nodded in agreement. ¡°True,¡± she said.


    ¡°We waited, but there¡¯s no sign of Executive Maa¡¯ returning, so we decided to go down to the next level,¡± this time Gara told their story. ¡°It was then when we realized the abnormal condition among mages and healers, a mana shortage symptom. Because it got worse over time and level two seemed to be a more complex maze than level one, we temporarily retreated to the last room to recover,¡± the archer explained.


    ¡°The symptom didn¡¯t ease even though we had a long rest. It was getting worse, and it seemed to affect the non-magic users too. Then suddenly a big frog leapt on me, snatched the core of golem boss from my pocket, and jumped away,¡± Tsalja grimaced.


    ¡°The frog you said pursuing you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes. Well, no, not yet. It was still just a big frog by the time. Some people tried to catch it, but the only thing returned was the humanoid frog. I suspect it had eaten the core due to its rock-like skin looks. We fought, but ended up the monster slaughtering us.¡±


    ¡°ROOOAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRR!¡±


    A loud sound from where Tsalja and the others had come shook the entire cave and made everyone flinched. We looked at the direction for a while, expecting something disastrous would appear, but nothing showed up.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound like a frog for me¡­,¡± Crystela commented.


    ¡°... I will check it out,¡± I told.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming too,¡± Yun said.


    I looked at the spearman, evaluating him. ¡°Can you fight?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Not in my best condition, but I¡¯m still in a better shape than the mage and the priestess. Don¡¯t worry, you can always leave me behind if the situation turns worse, but I won¡¯t be able to face my fallen brothers if I keep running without being useful,¡± he replied.


    I nodded in acknowledgement. Turning to the blonde defender, I said, ¡°Crystela, you can still fight, can¡¯t you? Stay here with the others. If we don¡¯t return, I will leave it to your judgement.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Thereafter, with our weapons ready, I went deeper together with Yun. We walked cautiously, opening our eyes and ears as wide as possible so we wouldn''t be surprised by any unexpected. There was nothing out of ordinary in our way, though, not until reached the last room.


    The stone pedestal and the door was still the same as what I remembered, although the room itself seemed bigger. There were marks of battle everywhere: a lot of explosions, judging from the perforated floor and wall; a barricade made of earth spikes; ice remnants and cut here and there. Battle between mages were always flashy, indeed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any frog,¡± I said. ¡°None of the dead bodies either, the dungeon must have absorbed them,¡± I muttered.


    (You know, it will be a lot less complicated if you just let the bodies around, Arz.)


    ¡°Over there was from where Dungeon Master Arz and his minions attacked,¡± Yun pointed the farther side of the room, near the stairway to the lower level. ¡°Executive Maa¡¯ then froze them, before calling the dungeon master to negotiate.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°With the ice remnants still around, at least we know Master Maa¡¯ is alive. Yun, let¡¯s go back, there is nothing here,¡± I said.


    Thus, we followed the passage where we came from and returned to where the Jowsar-Star members were waiting. Gora who was on lookout noticed first and called the rest.


    ¡°So what¡¯s the roar before, Miss? Did you find the source? Is it the frog?¡± Crystela threw a lot of questions at once.


    I shook my head, ¡°Nothing but marks of previous battle. Whatever that was must have long gone.¡± Taking a pause, I look at each of them before continuing. ¡°Listen. Our base outside has been leveled by hundreds, maybe thousands of gi-ants.¡±


    Except for Yun, the others weren¡¯t so surprised, although they were all wearing the same restless expression. Crystela had to have told them while I had been investigating the last room.


    ¡°Both the frog and gi-ants attacks may or may not ordered by Arz. I¡¯ll go deeper to find out the truth,¡± I declared.


    ¡°In that case-¡±


    ¡°You will all return to our base in [Jowsar] and wait for me there. Crystela, make sure they arrive safely, will you? ¡± I cut before Yun could finish.


    ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°Look at you, you aren¡¯t in condition to help me, Yun. Go with the rest, you can return after you recover,¡± once again I cut the spearman who was out of breath from the short trip. Turning to the dark haired mage, I said, ¡°Tsalja, I will permit the usage of <Transfer Circle>.¡±


    Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°... Are you sure?¡± she hesitated.


    I chuckled, ¡°What? You want to <Transfer> everyone with your current condition instead? It is okay, I believe you guys won¡¯t misuse it.¡±


    ¡°If you say so¡­,¡± she finally agreed.


    ¡°Will you be okay to go alone? If the situation turns worse, you may have to fight Master Arz,¡± Crystela asked.


    ¡°If that happens, my master will take care of the situation. You don¡¯t think he will lose, do you?¡± Tsalja retorted.


    ¡°I will fight if I have to, I have told you this before,¡± I smiled. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m still hoping everything will be settled through the negotiation.¡±


    By the time, something hanging on Gara¡¯s shoulder aside from his quiver picked my interest. ¡°Gara, what is that?¡± I pointed.


    ¡°Hmm? This?¡± he put it forward. ¡°I picked it from the golems, but I think they¡¯re the same with what the monkeys used to kill Prince Sorok,¡± he said.


    ¡°Let me see it,¡± I asked.


    Receiving the weapon, I made a quick check and recognized the parts similar with my own¡¯s gun. I then tried to aim at a rock hanging on the ceilings and pulled the trigger.


    *BANG!*


    I missed, although it hit another rock beside the one I aimed to, which then fell and crash the floor.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Gara exclaimed. ¡°Good aim, Miss.¡±


    ¡°I was targeting the other one,¡± I said the truth while handing the weapon back. ¡°The recoil was stronger than I expected.¡±


    ¡°But I think it isn¡¯t too hard to master, if even monkeys and golems can use them,¡± Gara replied excitedly and took it from my hand. ¡°At least easier than handling a bow.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Too bad. I¡¯ve picked more of the weapons and their ammunitions that I thought still in good shape, but lost them when we fought the frog. Do you think I can have someone to make the bullets at our base?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t raise your hope, this Arz fellow has abnormally high precision in magic,¡± Tsalja replied. ¡°What are you collecting them for, anyway?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you see it¡¯s value, Tsalja? For example, as long I can aim it right, I should be able to kill the frog using this weapon. Unlike my arrows, the bullets doesn¡¯t need to be imbued with mana to be able to penetrate a rock.¡±


    ¡°Maybe. But you can always make new arrows by yourself, so your bow is more valuable.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Still, Master Arz is such a genius, inventing a weapon like this. I hope we can return into a friendly relation once again.¡±


    Yun snorted. ¡°I don¡¯t understand your sentimental. Anyway, we need to go,¡± he reminded.


    ¡°I will be back once I send them to the base, Miss,¡± Crystela said.


    ¡°Make sure the mana leak has stopped before that. Take care.¡±


    And so they left. After their backs disappeared behind a turn, I too walked away from the place. Climbing down to level two, I soon found an unpassable passage due to the strong wind blowing from the front. I thought, there had to be something at the end of the passage if I wasn¡¯t allowed to go that way. And thus I activated a <Wind Barrier> using one of my rings, which was proven effective to let me passed through the wind.


    It was good to have versatile equipments. To begin with, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to rise my adventurer-rank this fast without them. It was all thanks to my family¡¯s support, I suppose.


    Following the path, making a choice everytime I met a crossroad, and using the <Wind Barrier> to cross the windy passages, I finally found Master Maa¡¯s trail. There was a door similar to the last door of previous level, but instead of stone slabs there were ice slabs being put in the key holes. That could only be Master Maa¡¯s doing.


    I then hastened my steps. There were nothing unusual along the way other than what I already saw. Every door had been wide open, most likely by Tsalja¡¯s master, and in less than an hour I could reach the stairway to the next level.


    However, this new level was different than any previous ones. There was a vast forest before me, and a dim lights from the ceilings high above. Although it was still a cave, it gave a completely different aura. Thinking back, I had heard about a dungeon with a similar scenery before, in far west within the elven forest. But that dungeon had been conquered by the Dungeon Hunter long time ago, and none of the dungeons within [[Holy Malvice Empire]] had a forest like this, as far as I knew.


    Deciding to continue, I stepped forward and entered the forest. Yet, unlike the safe level two, the forest had a lot of traps laid on and therefore I had to walk cautiously. And then, once again I found a trace of battle. A lot of explosions and ices, just like in the level one¡¯s last room, so it was probably Arz and Master Maa¡¯ again.


    My heart sank. The fight meant, for whatever the reason, the negotiation had failed. And I could only imagined one result from their fight, which left a sour taste in my mouth.


    (Even though I told Master Maa¡¯ not to being forceful¡­ Haaa¡­ Hold on, as long the dungeon heart isn¡¯t destroyed or taken, Arz should still alive, right? If I can persuade Master Maa¡¯¡­)


    Lingering to the small hope, I hurriedly continued. I began to run, still with caution to the traps. Although the traps number didn¡¯t decrease, the trace of battle stopped at one point. When I was closer to the end of the forest, however, once again I had to stop with the extravagant view in front of my eyes.


    (White¡­ It is white everywhere. The battle here seems fiercer than any before. Uh, I need to hurry.)


    Thus, I ran again and soon reached the end of the room. No passage, it was another room instead, and the scenery changed one more time. There was a small hill in the middle of the room, probably a volcano judging from the rising smoke, and wha seemed to be snows around the volcano. And, again, a lot of battle marks.


    Since my boots let out a steam when I stepped on the ground, I didn¡¯t dare to waste too much time here. I activated the enchanced boots, which gave me a burst of speed, and crossed the room as fast as possible.


    After the volcano, it came another room. Smaller, with a familiar throne at the end side of the room.


    ¡°Welcome to my chamber, Alveria Dhardaughter Lucent.¡±


    ¡°Arz! You are still alive!¡± I replied happily to the man sitting on the throne and rushed forward. ¡°I saw many traces of battles, I thought¡­ Hmm. Where is Master Maa¡¯?¡± I asked while looking around, as I didn¡¯t see the senior Executive.


    ¡°... What¡¯re you coming here for?¡±


    After a delay, instead of answering, he was asking a question. His stare and expression showed no hint of smile like his usual, which made me realized our situation was very serious. Arz had almost never called me by my full name, after all. Of course, I should have realized it sooner with all the battle marks all the way here.


    (If they fought, and Arz is sitting there now, it means¡­ it can¡¯t be, Arz won? ¡­It¡¯s hard to believe. Did he kill Master Maa¡¯?)


    ¡°I¡¯m asking you, what¡¯re you here for, Alveria Dhardaughter Lucent? You¡¯re not deaf, are you?¡± Arz said, with a tone that implying an impatience and annoyance.


    Taking a deep breath, I answered, ¡°First, I¡¯m really sorry for what have happened, even though you aren¡¯t guilty.¡± I bowed to show my sincere.


    ¡°However,¡± I continued, after straightening my posture. ¡°I¡¯m sure you too understand the weight of this situation. That¡¯s why, please come with me, Arz.¡±


    ¡°... To imperial court?¡±


    I nodded.


    Sighing, he said, ¡°You¡¯ve seen the battle traces, so you already know my answer, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°... I don¡¯t know what happened for the two of you to fight. But in case he hasn¡¯t told you, we will give our best to protect you until the verdic-¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I heard that. And my answer is no. If you¡¯ve nothing else, you can leave now.¡±


    ¡°... May I hear your reason?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a sacrifice, as simple as that.¡±


    ¡°Arz, the country is at stake. And didn¡¯t you agree to come before?¡±


    ¡°I change my mind.¡±


    I lost at words, the situation had turned out of my expectation. Not only Arz had defeated Master Maa¡¯, he also flatly rejected the proposal. Perhaps I should try a different approach.


    ¡°... Can you reconsider? For my sake¡­,¡± I said, giving the sweetest smile I could muster.


    The bore expression became dumbfounded. He couldn¡¯t reply for a moment. ¡°... You want me to sacrifice myself for you¡­ who abandoned me at the first chance?¡± he finally said in disbelive.


    I sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t abandon you, I would never do that,¡± I said, walking closer. ¡°The country needs you, Arz. The fate of millions people of [[Alishine]] is depending on you. And I will be with you until the end,¡± I convinced.


    ¡°... Let say we manage to prevent the war, then what? You¡¯ll throw me again whenever the country is threatened? Forget it, I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°Not going to happen. It was my fault, but it won¡¯t happen again. We will face anything together from now on,¡± I said, reaching out my hand.


    He didn¡¯t take it, the man in front of me was battling against himself. Thus, I took another step, grabbed his hand, and sat down next to him. ¡°What is it? What makes you hesitate?¡± I asked softly,  raising his face and looking at his eyes.


    ¡°... Alv,¡± he muttered. ¡°I realized I don¡¯t want to die. If the court decide to execute me, I¡¯ll probably fight back. At the time, what will you do?¡± he asked.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°... You can¡¯t answer?¡±


    ¡°At the time, I will die with you,¡± I decided.


    ¡°I see¡­ Can¡¯t we have another solution? I mean, look at me. I defeated Maa¡¯, one of the strongest mages in the continent. I¡¯ve an army of monsters and demons at my disposal. Can¡¯t you consider me as a war potential instead of executing me?¡±


    ¡°... True. But we want to prevent the war, remember? I know, why don¡¯t we meet my father, he may have a solution.¡±


    ¡°... It¡¯s okay. I already have a solution.¡±


    ¡°You have?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all because of the country, right? If I destroyed the countr-¡±


    ¡°ARZ!!¡± I exclaimed before I know. ¡°What are you saying?! It isn¡¯t funny even as a joke!¡±


    ¡°... Come to think of it, Maa¡¯ called my sentient monsters as demons. Won¡¯t that make me, whom they answer to, a demon lord? Maybe I should become a real demon lord and aim to destroy the world, huh?¡±


    I was dumbfounded by his unexpected words. ¡°Are you mad...?¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± he smiled. An eerie smile. And stood up. Looking at a distance, he said, ¡°That¡¯s right, I let some pests alive, I should kill them before they leave too far.¡±


    (Crystela!?)


    ¡°You are crazy, I will stop you,¡± I told, resolving myself if it turned into a fight as I standing up. Arz seemed to be out of his mind.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you join me, Alv? Together we¡¯ll rule the world! Not only this continent, but the whole world!¡± he said, putting his hand on my shoulder.


    I brushed off his hand and took a step back. ¡°Who are you...? You aren¡¯t my Arz.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t speak nonsense, I¡¯m Arz the Demon Lord and your lover. If I united the world, there¡¯s no need to sacrifice anyone anymore, and we can live happily ever after. It¡¯s the ideal ending, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°What kind of madness is this, Arz? How many blood do you think will be spilled for that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s for the greater good, isn¡¯t that your family¡¯s motto? And isn¡¯t that what the empire aiming for from the start?¡±


    Once again I was at lost of words. ¡°Crazy¡­,¡± was all I could say.


    ¡°Fine, if you don¡¯t want to join my cause, then I¡¯ll get rid you like the rest!


    As he finished his words, I sensed mana under my feet and jumped aside. Just in time to avoid emerging earth spikes. He wanted to kill me!


    ¡°Not bad!¡± he praised.


    He continued to shoot fireballs in addition to the earth spikes, forcing me to put a distance. Although I was in shock, I managed to avoid all the attacks.


    (Are you really going to kill me, Arz?)


    Unsheathing my sword and closing our gap, I pointed my sword just several centimeters away from his face. ¡°Stop! I don¡¯t want to kill you!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t stop me with that level of resolution, Hero Alveria,¡± he grinned fearlessly. He then grabbed the blade in front of him, which of course caused his hand to bleed, and put his other hand in front with the palm facing me.


    At the same time a fireball was shot from the palm, I made a side step to evade and cut his grabbing hand, followed by a diagonal slash from his shoulder to chest. Blood bursted out, and he fell to his knee. I watch the unfolding scene with a racing heart.


    ¡°Good job,¡± he said weakly. ¡°This is better than a public execution.¡±


    And then he smiled to me. I realized, he was having me cut him on purpose!


    ¡°Arz¡­ Why¡­?¡± I rushed to hold his body and sat him down on the throne. ¡°W- we need to treat your wound¡­¡±


    ¡°Alv¡­¡±


    ¡°Where could it be¡­ I know I still have some¡­¡±


    ¡°Alv¡­¡±


    ¡°Here it is¡­¡±


    ¡°ALV!¡± Arz held my cheeks to face him. ¡°Listen. You¡¯ve avenged the [[Dragora]]¡¯s prince and put a justice to the demon lord who has slaughter your guildsmen. Something that even Maa¡¯ the White Blizzard has failed to do. You¡¯re Alveria, the Hero. Moreover, you¡¯re a noble born. Your words will have more weight and they should listen to whatever you¡¯ll say.¡±


    ¡°I¡­,¡± I couldn¡¯t find a word and became speechless with the turn of event.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t cry¡­,¡± he wiped my tears, which I didn¡¯t know had dropped. ¡°Good girl, now take my dungeon heart and do what you must,¡± he said, pointing to the big dark-red crystal on the wall above his throne.


    ¡°Arz¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­,¡± I whispered.


    He patted my head and I rested myself in his embrace while holding his free hand. I didn¡¯t care if his blood soaked my clothes, we stayed in that position for a while. His hand stopped caressing my head at a point and his body went colder.


    ¡°Arz¡­,¡± I called.


    I didn¡¯t get a reaction, and thus I raised my head. Arz had his eyes closed, his pale face was smiling in satisfaction. His pulse had gone. My Arz had left me. I couldn¡¯t hold my tears that flooded down.


    ¡°Arz¡­ What did I become strong for¡­?¡±


    Still, I couldn¡¯t be weak, or Arz¡¯s sacrifice and everyone else¡¯s would be in vain. I forced myself to get up. After making a goodbye kiss to my love, I scrapped the dark-red crystal heart out of the wall, fighting the desire to left it alone so my Arz could revive. The country was at stake, and I had to do what had to be done.


    I brought both Arz¡¯s lifeless body and the dungeon heart back to the surface.


    ------------


    ¡°What is this supposed to mean, Guildmaster?!¡±


    ¡°Calm down, Executive Alveria.¡±


    ¡°How can I? Arz, Master Maa¡¯, and more than a hundred members and affiliates died, for what?!¡±


    ¡°I understand your feeling, and it¡¯s exactly why you¡¯ve to calm.¡±


    ¡°Why?! It isn¡¯t that long since we learned Prince Sorok¡¯s death, and we already said we will bring the one responsible. Why does [[Dragora]] suddenly invade us?! It doesn¡¯t make sense!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not sudden, we believe it¡¯s been planned all along.¡±


    ¡°... Planned? How¡­? Unless, the prince¡¯s death is also part of the plan¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we believe so. For [[Dragora]] declaring a war as soon as they received the news and have [[Quwwat]] and [[Azraq]] declaring their support not long after can only mean they¡¯re together in this. To bring justice to [[Alishine]] that murdered the Second Prince of [[Dragora]], is the pretext they¡¯re using. They sacrifice their own prince to justify the war.¡±


    My eyes widened. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this. What about [[Ruum]]? Are they going to help? Please don¡¯t tell me they have become enemy too.¡±


    ¡°No, they haven¡¯t. But they¡¯ve closed their borders, so we¡¯re on our own.¡±


    I dropped myself on the chair behind me and rubbed my forehead. It was throbbing hard with all bad news.


    ¡°We¡¯ve underestimated King Vorg of [[Quwwat]] diplomacy skill, and now we¡¯re paying the price,¡± Master Dava continued. ¡°Fortunately, there¡¯re no sign of the imperial army making a move so far. Let¡¯s hope they would stay neutral until the end.¡±


    ¡°Please wait, Guildmaster, there is something I don¡¯t understand,¡± Crystela who was standing on my side said. ¡°It was all started by the prince didn¡¯t follow the dungeon rules. If he did, or if we could notify Dungeon Master Arz beforehand, he wouldn¡¯t die, would he? And all these schemes wouldn¡¯t have worked.¡±


    ¡°No. They must¡¯ve put the prince¡¯s character into consideration, and most likely prepared a backup plan to dispose him and still blame our dungeon.¡±


    After a moment of silence in the room, Master Dava spoke again. ¡°If there¡¯s no more question, I¡¯ll continue with your assignment. Please look at this map,¡± he said while taking out a map from a drawer and unfolding it on the table in front of him.


    ¡°[[Dragora]]¡¯s army has crossed the northern borders unattended, while [[Quwwat]]¡¯s is engaging our own at the western borders. Our scouts reported [[Azraq]]¡¯s would join [[Quwwat]]¡¯s soon.¡±


    ¡°Before you continue any further, Guildmaster, how come we didn¡¯t realize [[Dragora]]¡¯s army movement any sooner?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We realized. Or to be precise, we¡¯re the one who asked them to prepare their army, in case we really going to war with [[Quwwat]]. It just never occurred to us they would be a part of enemies.¡±


    ¡°I see. They really got us,¡± I sighed.


    ¡°Right. Now look here,¡± Master Dava marked several parts on the map.


    ¡°[[Alishine]] main army has departed to reinforce the western borders and face both [[Quwwat]] and [[Azraq]]. In the meantime, we Fantastica will stall [[Dragora]] as long as possible as per General Dhar¡¯s order, and prevent the main army from being pinched,¡± Master Dava explained.


    ¡°Just us against the whole [[Dragora]]¡¯s army?¡± I knitted my brows. ¡°What is esteemed father thinking?¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped since we lack manpower to simultaneously face three kingdoms. The reserve troops is being mobilized from the entire kingdom and we even recruiting civilians as we speak, but they need more time.


    ¡°Now,¡± he took a pause. ¡°I know you¡¯re still tired, but please take your team right away to sort out and joined the other Executives, at the plain north of [Firzoa].¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± I replied. ¡°But before that, can I make a personal request?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Arz body,¡± I pointed to my back. ¡°Can you send someone trustworthy to give him a proper cave burial in his family¡¯s tomb? It should be in near [Rahziel],¡± I requested.


    ¡°No problem. Consider it¡¯s done,¡± the red haired guildmaster winked and threw his charming smile. I wondered what was that wink for. ¡°It¡¯s truly regrettable we lost so many war potential just before it started,¡± he added.


    ¡°Guildmaster,¡± Tsalja stepped forward.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I mayn¡¯t be able to fill the hole my master left, but I¡¯ll do my best to make him proud.¡±


    Nodding, the handsome elder said, ¡°I know you will.¡±


    After making a bow to Master Dava and resigning back into the line, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll take us all to [Firzoa] now, once we¡¯re out of the barrier perimeters.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°We will be leaving,¡± I told Master Dava.


    ¡°Alright, stay healthy and be careful. I hope we can finally have a dinner together after the war,¡± he winked again.


    I grumbled. He always found a chance to tease me, even though he should know I had just lost someone dear to me. Without anymore delay, I turned around and walked towards the door followed by the others. However, sound of steps approaching in hurry were heard from outside.


    ¡°Guildmaster, urgent ne-¡±


    *BOOOM!!*


    The man¡¯s voice was covered, and the building was shaking as the impact. With a sign from Master Dava, I opened the door and had the messenger entered.


    ¡°Guildmaster, urgent news!¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    *BOOOM!!*


    The second loud sound shook the building one more time.


    ¡°Enemies! A large number of enemies suddenly appeared out of thin air just outside our barrier.¡±


    Master Dava¡¯s face tightened. ¡°<Transfer?> How many? Do you know who lead them?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    *BOOOM!!*


    ¡°Guildmaster, urgent news!¡± the second messenger came in. ¡°The south wall is under enemy¡¯s attack. It¡¯s only a matter of time until the barrier is breached.¡±


    ¡°How many? Who lead them?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We estimate around two thousand men. From their flags, it¡¯s General Palu the Stronghammer and General Ethoria the Lightning who lead them.¡±


    ¡°Two-¡±


    *BOOOM!!*


    ¡°Executive Alveria, change of plan. Help me defend our headquarter,¡± Master Dava said, and a wind suddenly blew through. He had vanished from the room.


    ¡°You heard him,¡± I said to the rest while unsheathing my sword. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    I activated my enchanted boots, ignoring the loud sound that exploded once again, and ran ahead towards the south. From afar, I saw smoke rising to the sky. It seemed our wall had been breached.


    And thus, began the first civil war of [[Holy Malvice Empire]]. I hadn¡¯t know yet at the time, that the flame of war would spread and dragged the whole continent into chaos. Because of the involvement of dungeons in this war, the future generations would refer it as¡­ The Dungeon War.

 -----Characters Summary of Volume 1-----

    Author Note:


    NOT a chapter.


    I realized with the ever-growing number of characters, something like a table would help, both for me and my readers. Well, I wanted to use the rrl table-editor, but after it crash several times I decided to abandon the idea. And manually write the table code would be too time consuming, I better use the time for writing the next chapter, I think. Thus, I come up with a picture instead.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    I''m pretty sure there''re still missing or incorrect things, would appreciate if you can give me a feedback.


    Thank you


    Your author,


    Zolfaghar


    Edit:


    Forgot to mention. In general, male''s name is shorter/simpler than their female counterpart

 21. She, who?

    ¡°Keeeeeekkk! Stooop! Stoooooooooooooppp! Haaaaa¡­ haa¡­ haa¡­¡±


    ¡°You are pathetic.¡±


    ¡°Haaa¡­ Shut up, keek! You¡¯re no better than me!¡±


    ¡°I could withstand it one and half seconds longer than you, so I¡¯m better.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s that make any different, keek?¡±


    ¡°It is different.¡±


    ¡°Both of you aaare pathetic,¡± said the third one, which invited a glare from the previous two. Not that they could retort back, considering their results compared to hers.


    ¡°Keek¡­ Tell me your secret, Queen, how did you manage to hold that long? My head was almost explode from the pain, keek.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m simply a special being,¡± the previously commenting female demon, who looked completely like a human now, puffed her chest proudly. At least she was covering her important parts, well, barely.


    ¡°What a foolish. You are still the weakest among the three of us, though.¡±


    Pouting, the queen gi-ant turned to me, who was relaxing on my stone throne. ¡°Maaaaster, Haz is bullying me again,¡± she complained like a spoiled kid, using the chance to stick her gorgeous body on me.


    I patted her head and said, ¡°Now, now, get along, will you?¡±


    ¡°Master,¡± Hazard the dragonoid called. ¡°We have been learning to resist your mind-attack for awhile now. Is there a purpose in this training?¡±


    ¡°Tch tch tch, you really don¡¯t know a thing, do you, Mister Newcomer? That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t act all high and mighty all the time. It¡¯s to prepare the fight against our arch-enemy, right, Master?¡± the queen said, still pressing her chest on my arm.


    ¡°Arch-enemy?¡± Hazard looked confused. ¡°Who?¡±


    "It¡¯s my uncle, a mage named Jiwa,¡± I told. ¡°He¡¯s currently enslaving my father as a mindless puppet. His mind-attack is several times stronger than mine, though.¡±


    ¡°Keek, your father!? How dare him! Tell me where I can find this Jiwa, Master, I¡¯ll kill him for you. In a very suffering way, keek!¡±


    I smiled bitterly, ¡°I do wish it would be that easy, Ken, but I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s more or less as troublesome as Maa¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Eek, as the White Wizard?¡± his black fur turned pale. It was a funny thing to see, actually, and I couldn¡¯t help but to make a genuine smile.


    ¡°The enemy has been on the move since this morning, Master,¡± Queen reported.


    ¡°I¡¯m aware,¡± I replied, back in the sulking mood. ¡°I was hoping it was just an errand trip to [Lontra], but it turns out he and father continue further eastward, towards wherever their destination is.¡±


    ¡°What do we do then? Should we send some monsters to stall them?¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯ll only waste the monsters¡¯ lives that way,¡± I said. After thinking for a moment, I decided, ¡°... I¡¯ll go to [Firzoa], maybe I can find some hints on how to fight him.¡±


    (Halili may be able to help.)


    ¡°[Firzoa]...,¡± Hazard muttered. ¡°The place is very empty for a human den¡­ Only a handful of armed humans could be seen¡­,¡± he said, checking on the s-flies¡¯ visions that being shared through our link.


    ¡°Look at the northern part,¡± I told.


    ¡°Oh! Many people are gathering there¡­ Are they¡­ fighting?¡±


    ¡°People with the red uniform are most likely from [[Dragora]]. Although they¡¯re doing nothing but besieging the wall for now, they may launch an attack anytime,¡± I explained.


    ¡°!! [[Dragora]]! Isn¡¯t that where the buffon who started the mess is from? Has the heart been exposed, then? Maybe we should have killed that last woman, afterall?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I don¡¯t think we are found yet, Haz. Fantastica would have sent someone to check the dungeon in that case,¡± I said. ¡°Besides, none of us were in condition to fight Alveria at the time, remember? No, the plan was the best choice we have, it gave Fantastica a face to hold while buying us the time we need to recover. Although I never thought it would go that smooth.¡±


    ¡°... Yes, if you say so.¡±


    (... Still, it¡¯s actually disappointing. How many days has it been? How come Alv still didn¡¯t realize it¡¯s a fake? She should know what my real heart looks like, shouldn¡¯t she? For not able to recognize something as important as my dungeon heart, are you really my girl, Alv?


    (... No, maybe she¡¯s just busy, and couldn¡¯t find a time to visit without casting suspicion.


    (Oh well, it¡¯s fine either way, I guess.)


    ¡°You guys, make sure this place stay safe while I¡¯m away,¡± I said while tapping the throne¡¯s armrest, implying the real dungeon heart that was hidden underneath. ¡°Also, Ken, destroy the magic circle in the settlement ruins! We no longer need to risk Fantastica sudden appearance by keeping it there, even if doing so may alert them. They won¡¯t be able to freely send their Executives now with the invading [[Dragora]] anyway.¡±


    ¡°Keek, yes.¡±


    ¡°And Queen, aside from the important task I¡¯ve given to you, continue to monitor the newborn goblins in my place, okay? Unlike with their coreless parent generation, even you should be able to convey your thought to the kids through our link. I want you to start teaching them the basic of military arts, like your gi-ants, as soon as they can stand on their own feet.¡±


    ¡°You can count on me, Master,¡± the woman beside me replied. ¡°But I may run out the energy to do all the tasks if you don¡¯t fill it first,¡± she said, closing her eyes and advancing her lips.


    I laughed, but lightly kissed the lips nevertheless. Obviously she didn¡¯t expect me to really did it, judging from her surprised look. Her joyous smile widened, reflecting her high mood, which in turned made her somehow looked more beautiful. Glancing on her head, where a golden tiara was tucked on her long black hair, I couldn¡¯t help but to think it really suited her.


    The tiara was something I personally made, from some gold coins that I had reshaped using <Earth Elemental Magic> as an experiment. It was good to know I could manipulate minerals as well, albeit not as easy as rocks and soils, and this knowledge might one day come in handy. She was happy to receive the gift, despite knowing it was nothing but an experiment result.


    ¡°I need to go now,¡± I said, pushing the gi-ant boss aside and stood up, right when she had started licking her own lips and seducing me in a more aggressive manner.


    ¡°Boo, you¡¯re no fun, Master,¡± she protested.


    Although it was refreshing to see so many expressions she had been making - moreover because some days ago she still wore an expressionless face, and teasing her would definitely be fun, this wasn¡¯t the right time to play around. Jiwa had been moving and I had done nothing in order to prepare our rematch. Thus, I climbed down the platform while pretending to ignore her.


    "Haz, take me to [Firzoa],¡± I told.


    ¡°As you wish,¡± he replied and opened a portal to the forest outside, which both of us went through.


    ¡°Ah, wait, I just remember something. Wait here for a moment,¡± I said when we reached outside.


    I opened another portal to the forest room. Since I was going to ask for help, it would be appropriate not to come empty handed, and I remembered I had something valuable for <Fire Elemental Magic> user like Halili. In the room, my consciousness went to the dungeon view mode and chose the biggest <sun stone> from the ceilings, had it dropped, and returned to my avatar to pick it up.


    However, several monkeys found the shining stone before me and gathered around it. One of them even claimed its ownership and tried to monopolize by baring its teeth to the others. Only until I arrived, though. The said monkey reluctantly handed the <sun stone> when I asked.


    After creating a small box to store the round stone using the earth and materializing a piece of cloth to wrap the box, I opened a new portal to where Hazard was waiting. ¡°Sorry for the wait,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s go now.¡±


    Hazard then hold me from behind and we took a flight towards the town.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fly too high, we don¡¯t want to be spotted.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    I estimated the trip would take one to two hours with Hazard¡¯s current speed. Since there was nothing could be done in the meantime, I used it to look over the many things that had happened in the these days in case I missed something important.


    (Let see¡­ I guess keeping him alive was the right decision. It still took me two days before I could afford a new Dungeon Lord, though. Another two¡­ Or was it three? To capture the forest animals and subjugate the goblin village in the southern part of the forest. Then several more days to complete the goblins¡¯ migration and fast breed all the new creatures. Damn, I lost my track of time in my hurry to recover the dungeon defense, has it been a week yet?


    (The new goblins addition should be more than enough to compensate most of the lost force with their fast learning. And as long as the demons stay on guard, it should be safe even if I leave the dungeon for days. However, Jiwa is moving faster than expected, has the new <soul gem> finished?


    (Hmm. Fighting him will be disadvantageous no matter how I look it. Not only it¡¯ll take place far from my dungeon, I can¡¯t bring enough force without risking my dungeon safety either. Ah, if only I still have Fantastica to watch my back¡­ Well, no use to fret, what happened is happened.


    (At least I didn¡¯t waste the time in the while I couldn¡¯t leave the dungeon. I¡¯ve managed to understand the limit of my dungeon skills better and develop several ideas to improve my fighting way. Right, I¡¯ve to be creative, making use the knowledge from other world to the fullest. That, and the hint from Halili, assuming she can give me any, hopefully will be able to put me on a more equal ground against Jiwa.)


    (Hmm¡­ Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t confirmed her position yet. She¡¯s still in [Firzoa], isn¡¯t she? It wouldn¡¯t be funny if she isn¡¯t.)


    I then gave a specific order to the s-flies in [Firzoa] to find the mage girl. She should be standing out with the pair of glasses on her face, after all. And while the flying monsters were looking everywhere, I double-checked what they saw. However, before the search could give any result, Hazard notified that we were almost reaching the edge of the forest.


    ¡°Alright, drop me near the tree over there,¡± I pointed. Once we landed, I said, ¡°I¡¯ll go alone from here on, you can go back.¡±


    ¡°... Are you sure, Master?¡±


    ¡°I am. And it¡¯ll put me more ease if you¡¯re in the dungeon to protect my heart, you know.¡±


    ¡°... Very well, but please call if you ever need me. I will come as soon as possible,¡± the dragonoid said. After I nodded, he made a bow and turned around, flying back to where we had come from.


    I turned my attention to the town¡¯s wall from afar and observed it. Unlike my first time here weeks ago, the gate was closed and the bustle was nowhere to be seen. The guards also numbered many times more than before. From what could be seen from s-flies¡¯ shared vision, there were almost no blind spots which I could sneak in from.


    (Hmm. It¡¯s tighter than I expect, doesn¡¯t seem I can infiltrate easily. Should I wait until dark? Well, even if can pass the wall, since only town guards and hired adventurers are on the street, I¡¯ll most likely draw the attention anyway. Alright, let¡¯s wait here for now, until the s-flies find Halili.)


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    Suddenly, the thickets behind me rustled and someone appeared.


    ¡°! Wha-,¡± I jumped forward while turning around in my surprise. Mana gathered in my palm, ready to strike the ambusher.


    ¡°Wait, it¡¯s me!¡± the person said, a woman¡¯s voice. She lowered the hood that had been covering her face.


    Pausing, I took a better look. A small stature girl at her late teens. Her brown hair was tied into two braids that fell over her shoulders. Although her face seemed familiar, I couldn¡¯t tell who she was.


    ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± she said, taking out a pair of glasses from her dark cloak and put it on her face. ¡°See?¡±


    ¡°Ah, Halili?¡± I finally recognized. ¡°Your hair color is different and you didn¡¯t wear your glasses, so I wasn¡¯t sure.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± she smiled, pocketing her glasses back. ¡°Most people look at my glasses and hair first, so I changed my appearance to slip away from the town guards,¡± she said, shrugging her shoulders.


    ¡°Ah, right, the authority of [Firzoa] was suspecting you.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± she replied, grabbing my hand. ¡°Let¡¯s talk over there, Arz. You don¡¯t know how much I¡¯m happy to see you again,¡± she said and started to pull me behind the tickets.


    ¡°Really?¡± I asked, grabbing back and enjoying the soft hand while following her lead.


    ¡°Uh-huh. I learned Arz is the dungeon master everyone talking about. Imagine, the first human dungeon master right in front of me, and I let him go just like that! Soo disappointed to myself. But now Arz is back, I can¡¯t wait to take your blood sample and dissect your body. My scholar¡¯s blood is so tickling at the moment.¡±


    ¡°Uh-,¡± I reflexly tried to get away, but she wouldn¡¯t let go my hand.


    ¡°Just kidding,¡± she giggled. ¡°Come here.¡±


    I reluctantly obeyed as she kept dragging me. In my head I played several scenarios on how to end my business with her as soon as possible, being dissected didn¡¯t sounds pleasant after all. Walking fifty or so meters, to a well hidden small clearing surrounded by thick bushes, there were two men in similar hooded cloak like Halili¡¯s and a big sack which they were guarding, whatever the content was.


    ¡°Halili, who is he?¡± one of the man asked in alert.


    ¡°My acquaintance, don¡¯t worry,¡± she replied. ¡°So, what¡¯s Arz doing here?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Er¡­ looking for you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m flattered. No, seriously, what¡¯re you doing here?¡±


    I scratched my head. ¡°I¡¯m serious, I¡¯m looking for you. Oh yeah, this is for you,¡± I gave the wrapped stone box.


    ¡°Humm? And this is¡­?¡± she received and checked the parcel, before started to unwrap the cloth. While doing so, she said, ¡°I heard what happened between Arz and Fantastica, and the town is currently full of Fantastica Executives. So if Arz has a business in [Firzoa], I recommend you to come back at another time.¡±


    ¡°Fantastica Executives?! I didn¡¯t know¡­ Well, since I already find you, I don¡¯t really need to enter the town,¡± I said. ¡°Hmm, I suppose they¡¯re gathering because of the [[Dragora]]¡¯s army, right? Mind to tell me why the [[Dragora]] is here?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because Arz killed their prince? Oh! A <sun stone>! And a big one at that. Isn¡¯t this expensive? I¡¯ve been saving up to get one myself but it¡¯s still not enough. Thank you, Arz,¡± she exclaimed excitedly.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    Creating a small distortion in the air next to her, she reached out her hand and it vanished into the distorted space. When she pulled her hand back, she was already holding a wooden staff with a petal-like tip, obviously missing a crystal of some sort.


    (Oh, <Space Storage>?)


    ¡°But Halili, I faked my death and it should give Fantastica a good room to negotiate with [[Dragora]]. It doesn¡¯t explain why their army are already here since days ago,¡± I tried to stir back our conversation.


    ¡°Humm, I don¡¯t know the details,¡± she replied, still focusing on her staff. She placed the <sun stone> from me on the tip and chanted something, which made the petal to close, grabbing the round shining stone tightly. She inspected her work and began to channel her mana. The <sun stone> glowed, so did the previously-not-too-visible carvings on the handle. ¡°Amazing, I can feel the difference already,¡± her eyes sparkled like a puppy.


    ¡°... That¡¯s one good staff you have there.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh. And thanks to Arz it¡¯s even better now,¡± she replied, throwing the box and the wrapping cloth into her <Space Storage>.


    ¡°So¡­,¡± she said, finished playing with her toy and returned her attention to me. ¡°I don¡¯t think Arz comes all the way here just to give me this, right? As I said, I don¡¯t know the details, but they say it¡¯s because [[Alishine]] let their prince died within their jurisdiction. They even go so far as saying it¡¯s a scheme to weaken [[Dragora]]¡¯s royalty line, that [[Alishine]] has been waiting for a chance to annex [[Dragora]] for a long time, and so on.¡±


    I was dumbfounded. It was obviously a lie, there was nothing [[Alishine]] would gain from [[Dragora]]¡¯s weakening. However, I then remembered that from the start most citizens didn¡¯t even know about the potential war-break out, so people might be buying the lie.


    ¡°Is that all¡­?¡±


    ¡°Ah, actually, can you share some tips to fight a soul-mage?¡±


    ¡°Soul-mage? Humm, if I remember correctly, weren¡¯t you looking for a soul-mage back then? Master Jiwa? Did something happen during your meeting?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sort of,¡± I smiled wryly. ¡°So, can you help?¡±


    ¡°Sure. It¡¯s easy, at least in theory. Soul-mages specialized in attacking mind, so something without a mind can¡¯t be attacked. Incidentally, we elemental-mages have mindless creature we can control.¡±


    ¡°The elemental guardians!¡± I realized. ¡°Of course, come to think of it, he didn¡¯t let me summon a golem last time, so that¡¯s why¡­¡±


    The girl smiled, ¡°It¡¯s funny how Arz comes all the way for tips, when you¡¯re a soul-mage yourself.¡±


    ¡°Uh, I didn¡¯t properly finish my soul-mage training,¡± I replied in honesty. ¡°Anyway, thanks, I¡¯m glad I have you as my friend.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh, same here,¡± she replied while caressing her staff¡¯s tip.


    ¡°Okay, I think I¡¯ll go now. Once again, thanks for the ti-.¡±


    ¡°Mmmmmmmm¡­ mmmmm¡­¡±


    ¡°Oy, shut up!¡±


    I turned to the voice, which was coming from the big sack. It was struggling hard and the two hooded men were restraining its movement.


    (Since it didn¡¯t move before, I didn¡¯t realize there¡¯s a person inside. Was the person just awake?)


    ¡°Mmmmmmm¡­ Mmmmmmmmmmm¡­.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, I said,¡± one of the men hit the sack and it struggled less.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t hit too hard,¡± Halili told.


    ¡°Halili, that sack is¡­¡±


    ¡°None of Arz¡¯s business, I believe. Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re going?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­,¡± I considered if I should leave.


    ¡°Ahmmmm, Hemmmmpppp¡­ Hemmmmppp¡­¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t shut up, I¡¯ll cut you with this knife!¡± One of the men threathened, sticking a knife to the part of sack that I thought was the person¡¯s face.


    ¡°... *Sob* *Sob*...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s better. Don¡¯t test our patience, your live is in our mercy.¡±


    ¡°Ahmmm hemppp¡­¡±


    ¡°You!¡±


    ¡°Hmmmpppp!!!¡±


    ¡°... Halili, I believe the person was asking for my help,¡± I said.


    ¡°Humm, you must be mistaken,¡± she replied.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. Please take off the sack,¡± I asked, staring straight at her eyes.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡°... Take off the sack,¡± she told the men.


    ¡°Are you sure¡­? We don¡¯t need to listen to this man, even if he¡¯s your acquaintance.¡±


    ¡°Yes, just take it off. I¡¯ll take the responsibility.¡±


    ¡°... If you say so,¡± replied one of the men.


    They released the sack, and revealed the person inside. A beautiful woman in her middle age with flaming red hair, her long dress was in a mess and she was being tied roughly. No words came from her gagged mouth, but her watery eyes pleaded me to rescue her.


    ¡°Aunt Ehrisya?¡± I said in shock. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this, Halili?¡±


    ¡°Arz doesn¡¯t know? Ehrisya is the sister of Master Dava, guildmaster of Fantastica. We¡¯re going to use her as a hostage.¡±


    ¡°Wait... What did you say?¡± my head was spinning, unable to process the news. ¡°She, who?¡±


    ¡°Sister of Dava the Elementalist, Arz¡¯s enemy.¡±


    At the word enemy, Ehrisya¡¯s eyes widened. She looked at Halili, who was facing my way. Then, our eyes met.


    ¡°Is that true, Aunt?¡± I seeked confirmation.


    Her eyes hesitated, not sure how to answer. However, from her body language which tried to stay away from me, I confirmed what Halili had said.


    ¡°They¡¯re coming, Arz should really go now,¡± Halili said, looking up to the sky.


    The cloud was gathering and a rumbling sound was heard, the clear weather suddenly turned windy.


    ¡°Who¡¯re coming¡­?¡±


    *BLAST*


    Before anyone answered me, a blinding flash illuminated the sky for a brief moment.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Halili told the other two.


    One of them then put Ehrisya on his shoulder and followed his friends through the tickets, towards the edge of the forest. Once again my eyes met Ehrisya¡¯s, which reflected a fear and pleaded for my help. Not sure on what to do, I found myself was already walking towards the same direction the others had gone.


    The wind suddenly blew stronger. Following the gaze of everyone in front of me, a man was standing in the mid-air. No, he was riding the wind. My guess, the principle would be like a helicopter, perhaps, therefore there was a strong wind from his direction.


    I protected my eyes with a hand to get a better look. The man was in his mid twenties, according to my estimation, and had the same flaming red hair as Ehrisya. Their face quite resembled each other, actually. And I had to admit that, even from a point of view of a man like me, he had quite a good look.


    ¡°That¡¯s Dava¡­? Isn¡¯t he a bit too young for his reputation?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still here, Arz? Don¡¯t be fooled by his appearance, he¡¯s much older than he looks,¡± Halili replied.


    ¡­


    ¡°Are you done playing tag, Ethoria?¡± Dava spoke. Even without yelling his voice was clear in the midst of the strong blowing wind. ¡°What¡¯re you trying to accomplish by baiting me here? Fantastica headquarter won¡¯t fall easily even without me there,¡± he said.


    ¡°Hah! Who cares about rundown headquarter?!¡± a woman standing in the open answered. She was probably at her middle age, but just like Ehrisya her looks was younger than her real age. And she was hot too. I wondered why I hadn¡¯t met any ugly woman in this world.


    Although she, Ethoria the Lightning, should be a mage, her outfit didn¡¯t match. Her full set of golden armors made her looked more like a knight or a defender. A shining one, that is. Pointing her rapier-like weapon, she declared, ¡°Here will be forever remembered as the place of your fall, Dava.¡±

 22. Lets escape

    Author Note:


    Hi folks,


    I realized the fluctuating follower number in the past weeks. Means, although it''s still positive in net, many people are dropping this fiction, including they who previously marked it as favorite. Despite telling myself over and over that I''m writing for myself, I couldn''t help but ask... why?


    It would be great if people would tell me their reasons before leaving... I won''t go as far as to rewrite the old chapters (I hate it when an author do this), but I won''t mind having a throughout discussion, and if I agree with the argument I may implement the ideas in the future chapters.


    but well, it''s too much of expectation, I know. Most of times for most of people, even writing two words of feedback is too troublesome, because I''m like that too as a reader xD.


    so... in order to understand my readers better, i''ll try with a poll of what I can think of. Please do participate :)


    Last but not least, if you happen to like the fiction, please help me spread the word; review it, rate it, or probably bump up the thread here</a>


    thank you m(__)m


    <hr />


    ¡°Here will be forever remembered as the place of your fall, Dava,¡± Ethoria declared.


    ¡°... You¡¯ve a lot of confidence for someone who has been running away for days. Very well, let¡¯s see what your plan is.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, that annoying smile of yours will soon disappear! Halili!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Answering her master¡¯s call, Halili raised her hood and came out from the forest protection with her two friends. The man holding Ehrisya on his shoulder dropped her to ground with a thud, causing her to groan in pain. However, with Halili¡¯s staff pointed to her face and a blue flame conjured on the mage¡¯s other hand, she had to shut her own mouth in fear.


    I didn¡¯t miss how Dava¡¯s expression changed, from a confident smile into a shock and disbelief, and then into an inexpressible anger. ¡°Release her,¡± he said with an authoritative tone. ¡°She has nothing to do with this.¡±


    ¡°Or what?¡± Ethoria challenged, giving a hand sign to Halili, who then threw her flame near Ehrisya.


    ¡°Mmmmmmmhh!!¡± Ehrisya cried from the explosion that caused several strands of her hair to burn, she even wet herself. Watching all of this happened from behind the trees and bushes, I couldn¡¯t help but feeling guilty.


    (Really, what am I doing standing here¡­? I should help her, or just leave and catch up with Jiwa, not wasting time here hesitating.)


    Dava gritted his teeth, ¡°You¡¯ll regret involving my sister in this, Ethoria, I swear.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but not today,¡± Ethoria retorted. ¡°Now get down here and put off your barrier!¡±


    With another blue fireball ready on Halili¡¯s hand, Dava had no other choice but to comply. The wind stopped blowing and the Guildmaster of Fantastica made a free fall, albeit landed lightly on the ground. The almost transparent sphere surrounding him had also gone. However, his eyes had never left the trio around Ehrisya, which I knew had given them a cold sweat.


    Wondering why he hadn¡¯t wiped them with earth spikes or any other spell yet, I then remembered what Tsalja had said long time ago. Rather than a precise small spell, stronger mages tended to use a big spell that covered a large area of effect, or something like that. It seemed Dava the Elementalist wasn¡¯t an exception, seeing how he chose not to risk an attack.


    ¡°Good,¡± Ethoria said.


    *ZAAAP!*


    A flash of lightning split the sky and struck Dava within milliseconds, followed by a roaring thunder at almost the same time. Smokes were rising and hindering our vision. However, when it was clearer, it revealed the unmoving body of the redheaded mage that was lying on the the blackened soil.


    ¡°I see you are not so tough without your barrier, Dava,¡± Ethoria smiled victoriously. ¡°But just to make sure¡­,¡± she added, pointing her rapier-like weapon to the body, and once again a lightning struck.


    Dava didn¡¯t react, not even a jolt. At least according to what could be seen from my standing place. Soon, Ethoria started to laugh like a madman.


    ¡°Ku¡­ ku¡­ ku¡­ Ha Ha Ha Ha! I did it! Finally I¡¯m able to rid Dava, Ha Ha Ha Ha!¡±


    (... Is that it? The end of the said strongest of human race? Well, I know how deadly a lightning is, but it¡¯s kind of disappointing...)


    ¡°Congratulation, Master,¡± Halili said.


    ¡°Ku¡­ ku¡­ ku¡­ We no longer need that woman. You can kill her now, Halili.¡±


    ¡°... Huh? Kill her, Master?¡±


    ¡°What? You still can¡¯t do such a simple task?¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmph, useless apprentice! You two, do it!¡±


    With a stupid grin on his face, one of the man asked, ¡°Can we have some fun first, My Lady? It¡¯s a waste to just kill her¡­¡±


    ¡°True,¡± His friend nodded, supporting the idea.


    ¡°Scums. Whatever, do as you like,¡± Ethoria replied. ¡°Come on, Halili, we need to spread the news of Dava¡¯s death. I can¡¯t wait to see their expressions, ku¡­ ku¡­ ku...¡±


    *Thud!*


    Because of the collapsing sound, both of Ethoria and Halili turned their head and found me. ¡°Sorry,¡± I said, walking out from my hiding towards where Halili, the two men who were unconscious because of my mind-attack, and Ehrisya were. ¡°I can¡¯t let you harm her more than this.¡±


    ¡°... Who are you?¡± Ethoria squinted her eyes.


    ¡°Arz, what ar-¡±


    ¡°Arz? Ho~ so you¡¯re the famous Dungeon Master,¡± Ethoria the Lighting interjected, observing me.


    (Against a lightning bolt, should I make a lightning conductor? Hmm, I have some coins I can use, but will they be enough? Ah, too bad I can¡¯t materialize items outside my dungeon.)


    ¡°This is a good chance,¡± the [[Quwwat]] royal mage said. ¡°Halili, take him down.¡±


    ¡°M- me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you. If you capture the main cause of this war, you can start building a good reputation among the people, especially in [[Dragora]]. What did I tell you about making connections, hmm?¡±


    (Nah, even if I''ve enough materials, it¡¯s unlikely I can have enough time to prepare one. What, then? A preemptive strike?)


    ¡°Uh-huh, understood. Hey Arz, no hard feeling, okay? I advised Arz to leave, but you wouldn¡¯t listen. It¡¯s Arz own fault,¡± Halili said while I was cutting the rope tying Ehrisya with a small fire.


    Taking out the gag on the red haired woman¡¯s mouth, I reached out my hand. ¡°Can you stand?¡±


    ¡°Y- yes,¡± she took. ¡°Dava¡­ did he really¡­?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know. Stay behind me anyway.¡±


    ¡°Prepare yourself, Arz!¡± Halili yelled as she created some distances. The action surprised me, but at the second thought it made sense. As a mage she had to be uncomfortable fighting in short range. ¡°


    !¡± she summoned, and three fire-elemental guardians appeared all together, with blue color instead of the normal red, signifying a perfect combustion - her signature. They dashed my way while their master conjuring fireballs on both her hands and throwing them afterwards.


    ¡°<Earth Wall>, <Earth Coffin>,¡± I countered. The emerging wall blocked the fireballs and stone coffins flanked each of her pyro and trapped them inside. I then filled the coffins with soil to remove the remaining air and effectively extinguished the two and half meters fire humanoids.


    Although she clearly shocked, Halili moved fast to the next spell. However, I managed to sense the mana flow on the ground a brief moment before they materialized, allowing me to jump away with Ehrisya just in time. A firewall burst at where I had been standing a second ago.


    (That¡¯s it! That¡¯s prove my theory of why the <Earth Spike> couldn¡¯t hit a high-level opponent, because they could sense it beforehand!)


    ¡°<Rock Bullet>,¡± I retaliated by shooting a stone of a golem¡¯s fist size when my feet landed, which the small-statured girl evaded by ducking.


    (Missed. The delay for travel time is too great¡­ I should think of something unavoidable. Hey, what if it comes from all directions like Maa¡¯ did with his ice spears?)


    As Halili summoned another pyros, I created stones at a dozen meters above her head. Yet, unexpected to me, keeping them float while creating the next stone was difficult and I had to release my hold at the fifth stones, which all she easily destroyed afterward. Then, her pyros spread out and came at me, with their arms became flamethrowers. Of course I quickly erased their existences with my coffin trap, although one needed two coffins as it slipped away the first.


    All happened while the mage girl mumbling a long chant. Following it, a magic circle appeared in front of her, from where a series of high-speed fireballs came out nonstop. I grabbed Ehrisya¡¯s hand and moved sideway, but the newly fired fireballs always aimed at my direction and they were really fast. Therefore, I overlaid my hand with a stone armor to receive the impact, added several layers of earth walls in front of me to intercept the newer fireballs and casted another spell at the same time.


    ¡°Kyaaah¡­ What¡¯s this?¡± Halili exclaimed. The rock had risen from the ground, enwrapping her to the neck height, restricting her mobility.


    ¡°Got you!¡± I said. ¡°Now, <Meteor>!¡±


    An idea from the failed stone rain, had a large damage area and often used as a high-level magic in various Role-Playing Games, the meteor. It wasn¡¯t a falling rock from outer space, though, I built it in the sky instead. Once the round stone grew big enough, around a small house size, I coated it with flame using <Fire Magic> and directed its fall above Halili.


    ¡°Hiyaaa¡­!! Mercy! Have mercy!!!¡± she, who couldn¡¯t move, cried in panic.


    *Blast!* *Blast!* *Blast!*


    Several consecutive flamebursts from below struck my meteor, turning it into harmless fireworks. ¡°Impressive,¡± the shooter said. ¡°Your <Earth Magic> is most impressive. Who¡¯s your teacher?¡±


    (Ethoria! Here she comes! Pre-emptive strike, I need a pre-emptive strike! But with what?!)


    ¡°No one,¡± I answered calmly, masking my restless inner-self. ¡°Other than the basic mana-manipulation from father, I mostly learned from book.¡±


    ¡°Ho~ To be able to reach this level without a teacher, I¡¯m truly impressed,¡± Ethoria praised.


    (Earth spikes? No, I¡¯m certain it won¡¯t hit, unless I can bind her first.)


    ¡°I know an excellent earth-elemental mage master who¡¯s happen to look for an apprentice,¡± she continued. ¡°Arret the Traceless, have you heard about him?¡±


    ¡°... Who?¡±


    (And <Earth Binding> won¡¯t hit either without me distracting her first. Uh, it¡¯s like I¡¯m running in circle now.)


    ¡°Hmm. Since he rarely left a trace like his nickname, I guess it¡¯s natural for you who live in [[Alishine]] to never hear of him,¡± she remarked.


    (What about <Rock Bullet>? Maybe I can reduce the size to minimize the air-resistance?)


    Continuing, she said, ¡°He¡¯s a good friend of mine who specializes in <Earth-Elemental Magic>. When it comes to that single element, he¡¯s even better than Dava. I can introduce you to him.¡±


    ¡°... Why would you do that?¡±


    ¡°Do you even need to ask?¡± she smiled. ¡°Your value is much higher than I first thought. Killing you is easy, but investing some favors would definitely benefit both of us better. Oh I know, in addition to introduce you to an excellent teacher, how about I ask my king, the next emperor, to issue an imperial decree, giving your dungeon a special status as an imperial property? It should keep the pests away, hmm?¡±


    (Alright, then. <Rock Bullet>. Shape, conical. Size, small, 9 millimeters in diameter. Speed, maximum. Add some rotations too.)


    ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯m done being used by others.¡±


    (Fire!)


    Unlike the loud firearm, the small bullet flew almost without a sound. Only when it made an impact and blood bursted out from her shoulder did Ethoria react. ¡°Ack! What¡¯s this?¡± she shrieked, holding her red soaked shoulder with a pained expression.


    (It works! One more time¡­ Target, the forehead. Fi- !!)


    Sensing a familiar mana under my feet, I took Ehrisya and jumped while holding her. Once again I escaped a burst of firewall. Turning around, Halili was throwing a disapproval glare from her binding stone.


    ¡°My master is being kind, how dare Arz ambushed her!¡± she exclaimed.


    ¡°... So it¡¯s you,¡± Ethoria¡¯s smile had gone, replaced by an ugly rage. She pointed her rapier at me.


    (Crap! <Rock Bullet>!)


    I shot first, but my bullet had to through her barrier this time. As it hit, the impact made Ethoria looked up. However, although the forehead was bleeding, it was anything but lethal. My bullet had lost its momentum and mass before it had connected, absorbed by the barrier.


    ¡°Not bad¡­ Now it is my turn,¡± she smirked.


    I hurriedly made a stone shell around both me and Ehrisya, hardened the shell several times, and went further by covering my whole body with stone armor - I had to be looked like a golem by then. We waited, but the fearsome lightning bolt never came. Venturing to know what happened, I made a small hole to peek outside.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Ethoria was still standing with her rapier pointed at my direction like before, but something was definitely amiss. Taking a better look, I realized she was reflecting the sun, the woman was covered by ice crystal, frozen. Except her head, the only body part that still free, which looked very uptight.


    ¡°You¡­ Dava, how do you still alive...? I hit you twice without your barrier protection,¡± she finally opened her mouth, asking, as she unable to comprehend of what had happened. There was a hint of fear in her tone.


    ¡°Dava¡­?¡± I muttered, trying to get a better look at the overall situation outside.


    ¡°Dava? What about him?¡± Ehrisya asked suspiciously.


    ¡°Seems he¡¯s still alive¡­¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± the bar-owner pushed me aside, taking over the hole for herself.


    I created another hole to peek for myself.


    The red haired mage, who was sitting, stood up slowly. He really took his time, shaking his hands for a long time before answering. ¡°I redirected your lightning into the ground, I don¡¯t need a barrier to withstand your attack,¡± Dava said composedly.


    (... Into the ground? What is he? A living lightning conductor?)


    ¡°Then you... you pretend to be dead all this time¡­?¡± The fear became more obvious in Ethoria¡¯s voice.


    ¡°No,¡± he replied. ¡°I failed to completely negate the overload energy and was paralyzed. Your second lightning made me unconscious. If you¡¯ve shot the third, I would be dead,¡± he admitted.


    Ethoria struggled to break free to no avail. Even though the ice was melting, it wasn¡¯t to the degree she could escape with sheer strength alone yet. Thus, she used a more extreme approach, creating a chain of small explosions on the ice, injuring herself in the process. Unfortunately for her, although she managed to release herself with the sacrifice, Dava quickly refroze her.


    Walking casually to his captive, Dava stopped at one meter before her and raised his hand. ¡°My hands still numb and my mana flow hasn¡¯t stabilized yet, but I should be strong enough to end this fight,¡± he remarked.


    *ZAAP!*


    Another lightning bolt came without warning. It rendered harmless, however, as it couldn¡¯t pass through Dava¡¯s barrier at all.


    ¡°My turn,¡± Dava said and shot a tornado from his hand, blowing the woman away.


    After flying for a kilometer or so, when she was about to fall, an earth pillar welcomed and once again threw her into the air. And it repeated, every time she would be refused to touch the ground and flew higher. Following the fourth pillar, a huge fireball came down from the sky, dragging her down with it and causing a mushroom-shaped explosion at where she fell, which its shockwave reached our place.


    (This guy¡­ Dangerous, just how far can he control his magic from?)


    ¡°Ma¡­ master¡­,¡± Halili¡¯s trembling voice came from a blind spot of my shell¡¯s peeping holes.


    ¡°Dava!¡± Ehrisya called. Judging it should be safe now, I removed the stone shell, armor, and Halili¡¯s binding with a finger snap. Ehrisya ran towards her brother right away.


    ¡°Oh dear, are you okay?¡± she asked, catching Dava who was losing his balance.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay, Sis. What about you? Are you hurt?¡±


    Shaking her head, she replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Arz helped me.¡±


    ¡°Arz¡­?¡± he looked confused. But when he saw me, he seemed understood something. ¡°I see. That¡¯s why I feel I¡¯ve seen you,¡± he said, as he straightened his standing posture with Ehrisya¡¯s help.


    ¡°Ah, right, even if you¡¯re enemy, please don¡¯t fight. He saved me,¡± she plead.


    ¡°Enemy? No, not a fight, I¡¯m just going to thank him.¡±


    While the siblings had a conversation, I turned my attention to Halili. Her appearance messed up from the shockwave, but she had no visible injuries. ¡°Go,¡± I told, when our eyes met. ¡°There¡¯s no point in you staying here any longer.¡±


    Resoluting herself, she nodded. The space around her began to distort and the next moment she had gone¡­ to the ground several meters from her original position, lying. A man was on her, grabbing her collar while a short sword ready in his other hand.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere, girl. Ay,¡± the man said.


    ¡°Executive Oki?¡± Dava confirmed.


    ¡°Ay, sorry for the late assistance, Guildmaster. Leave the rest on me,¡± he replied without turning.


    ¡°Uu¡­ The Blinking Oki, why¡¯s he here¡­?¡± Halili whispered, almost crying.


    Feeling annoyed at the thought of what might happen if they captured her, I decided to intervene. ¡°Let her go,¡± I said, releasing earth spikes at the man. Of course I made sure they wouldn¡¯t touch Halili.


    In a blink of eye the man had vanished and his face appeared so close in front of mine. ¡°Ay, are you with her?¡±


    ¡°Wha-¡± I took a step back in reflex. It was so sudden, I wasn¡¯t ready.


    Another blink of eye and he was behind me, stabbing my back with a knife. ¡°You should know better than messing with Fantastica, Young Mage. Ay.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Executive Oki,¡± Dava yelled.


    Too late. I was already kneeling on the ground after a heavy kick from above, and it was unlikely the man could stop his swing anymore as the short sword had started to hack its way to my brain. Not that I need Dava¡¯s help, anyway.


    I caught the Executive off guard when his sword received a minimal resistance from my transforming head. Using the chance, I grabbed his sword arm and swept over his feet with the lump of hot liquid body of mine. His never ending screams when I melted his leather and metal equipments, skins, meats, and bones began to sound like a beautiful melody for me.


    As I crept over Oki¡¯s body to have more of the melody, a swirling hand-axe flew and cut a portion of my molten rock. Although I reabsorbed the part, it hurt nevertheless. Me, an inferno, being hurt by physical object, the axe had to be special somehow.


    ¡°HOW DARE YOU TO MY OKI!!¡± a woman holding similar axe with the thrown one approached with amazing speed. Sensing the danger from that woman, I, whose instinct had started taking over, responded without mercy.


    (<Rock Bullet>. Number, continuous. Fire!)


    The woman¡¯s steps stopped as my first bullet welcomed her. Then, she took a step back. Then, another step back. After that, her feet began to leave the ground as my bullets kept digging holes after holes in her body.


    ¡°Thi¡­ anna¡­,¡± Oki called weakly, as he saw the dreadful event unfolded.


    ¡°ENOUGH!!¡± Dava¡¯s angry voice filled the place. At the same time, an earth wall emerged between me and the woman, blocking my bullets. ¡°COOL YOUR HEAD!¡± he roared and a cold wind blew, forcing me to separate from Oki and splattering me everywhere.


    It made me dizzy and, although I managed to gather my body parts, I couldn¡¯t retain my shape for some time. I did hear a familiar roar of a certain demon from somewhere, though, and the loud explosion from the direction of Dava that followed. Then, sounds of people coming and metal clashes in a fight.


    ¡°Thi¡­ na¡­ help her¡­ st,¡± I heard Oki whispered to someone.


    ¡°Father Jaa is with her,¡± a woman¡¯s voice whispered back.


    After I could control myself better, I saw a pair of priest and priestess were dragging the unconscious Oki away while healing his wounds. Losing an arm and everything below his stomach, which literally still in fire, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he didn¡¯t make it. Him aside, there were healing rays that kept coming down behind the earth wall, they had to be trying to fix the woman called Thianna too. And a priestess next to Dava also worked hard on her guildmaster.


    Not too far from the redhead siblings, Hazard fought a half-dozen people at once. Their well-coordinated move gave the reptile demon difficulties to keep up, although he obviously stronger than any of them. Annoyed, he spread his wing and took a flight, probably planning to shoot a breath from above. A grave mistake. Being alone in the open, he invited Dava¡¯s intervention, whose various spells soon hit him ruthlessly from all directions.


    ¡®Withdraw,¡¯ I ordered through our link as I sent groups of earth spike to Dava and each of Hazard¡¯s opponents before they could get him. Most of the spikes didn¡¯t meet their targets, as expected, but I was able to disrupt Dava¡¯s concentration for a moment, allowing the demon to fly away.


    ¡°<Holy Light>!¡±


    A shout and bright light from the earth wall of where Oki and Thianna were being healed quickly stole the attention of the rest, helping the winged-lizardman to arrive safely to my side. It was a priest, no, wait, his clothes was more grandeur, a high priest then. He was jumping from behind the wall and entered my sight with a bleeding arm, but soon a thread of some sort caught his leg and pulled him back.


    ¡°¡°Father Jaa!!¡±¡±


    Another light, some stabbing and slashing sounds, and choked voices from the wall direction. Even though Dava¡¯s underlings rushed to help, the culprit was faster. He ran from the other side of the wall towards me. The pursuers had to give up chasing after a group of earth spikes emerged in front of them, forming a barricade. I thought I saw some ice particles glittered around the horned killer, but something like that wouldn¡¯t be able to stop him.


    Ken came at my side with a vicious grin, bloodstains were all over his katars and fur.


    ¡®Mind to explain what¡¯re you guys doing here?¡¯ I asked while the some of the pursuers went back to check on Ken¡¯s victims and the rest stayed to watch us with wariness and hatred look. ¡®I¡¯m sure I told you to guard the dungeon.¡¯


    ¡®Apologize, Master. I saw an abnormal weather heading your place, so I decided to stay and see. When I found out one of the two strong beings behind the weather was the guildmaster of Fantastica, I called Ken over,¡¯ the wounded dragonoid explained.


    ¡®Keek, you can scold us later, Master, but your safety is our priority. Keek,¡¯ added the rodent demon.


    I sighed. ¡®And?¡¯ I asked, knowing there were more to it.


    ¡®And¡­ Our minions are heading here using the tunnels dug by the gi-ants. They should arrive soon. Only the ones fit the tunnels, though,¡¯ Hazard replied.


    ¡®You want to start a war or something¡­? Nevermind, tell them to stay out of sight. Hopefully the surprise element can be our trump if the situation goes out of control,¡¯ I said, deciding to change my race into a human again.


    Two of the people ran from the wall to where Dava stood and made their report. Not a good news, judging from their look. And Dava definitely tried his best to keep his rage under control, his face was as red as his flaming hair.


    Now I had turned into human and didn¡¯t have to worry about burning what I touch, I pressed my hand on Hazard¡¯s chest and connected to his core, commencing the recovery of the demon¡¯s state. ¡®Good job on surviving Dava¡¯s magic,¡¯ I said.


    ¡°Arz, use this,¡± Halili called, throwing a piece of cloth she had taken out from her space-storage while looking away and blushing. It didn¡¯t reach me, though, and I didn¡¯t take it as I didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°What for?¡±


    Her face became redder, she just pointed to below me without looking while muttering something. It was then I realized I was naked.


    ¡°Uwaahhh!¡±


    I quickly casted a wind to blow the cloth closer. ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, grabbing the piece and wrapping it around my waist. I supposed this was the weakness of changing race, my clothes would always end up torn or melted up.


    ¡°I think you should go now,¡± I reminded her.


    ¡°What about Arz? Are you going to fight?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m planning to talk first. But don¡¯t worry about us, we¡¯re demons and a demon lord after all,¡± I smiled.


    ¡°Demon lord¡­?¡± she cringed. ¡°You know, I can take you and, um, your friends, with my <Transfer>, if you want to,¡± she offered, glancing at the dragonoid and the ratsassin.


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    I considered what she said. Indeed, the prospect of talking with Fantastica didn¡¯t seem too bright after the many deaths. If we ended up being official enemy of each other, taking them within our own base would be more sensible than here. Moreover, I still had to save up mana to face Jiwa and had wasted too much for today already.


    ¡°Dungeon Master Arz!¡± Dava called over and stepped forward. The revelation of my identity caused unrest and murmurs among his followers. ¡°Let¡¯s have a good talk!¡±


    ¡°Are you coming or not?¡± Halili urged.


    ¡°We do,¡± I decided. ¡°Let¡¯s escape, I¡¯m counting on you.¡±


    ¡°Grab my hand then,¡± she reached out. ¡°Your friends too.¡±


    We touched her hand as we were told. Dava, realizing what we were about to do, called again with a troubled expression. ¡°Wait! We need to talk!¡±


    At the same time the space began to distort, I sensed the guildmaster¡¯s mana was gathering under our feet. There was nothing I could do but to hope we would transfer place faster than whatever the magic he was going to use. Then, all of a sudden, the gathered mana was dispersed, gone, like it had been disrupted, and our surrounding scenery became unrecognizable.

 23. Change of plans

    Author Note:


    Hi folks,


    Thanks for the feedback. As I write this, there are 377 with the details as follow:<ul>


    <li>33.95% said the story is fine the way it is;</li>


    <li>21.75% said the story has deviated from dungeon setting too much;</li>


    <li>13.00% said the MC needs to use his head more;</li>


    <li>10.00% said the heroine and the betrayal part is too annoying;</li>


    <li>9.28%% said it''s better not become a harem;</li>


    <li>Others that less than 5% each.


    </li></ul>


    So, based on the result, I decide there will be no major change in the planed story as a whole. However, I need to put more attention in how I put things together and present them. Also, I''ve asked my brother and my old mentor to read the future chapters first before I post here, only when they''re available, though.


    Lastly, a new cover art is on the way, YAY! I''m very happy at the result so far, can''t wait to see the end result. Hopefully at the end of this month or at the beginning of next month.


    Okay, that''s enough from me. Here''s the chapter, I hope you enjoy it ;)


    <hr />


    It wasn¡¯t a familiar scenery but we couldn¡¯t be too far, since I was still able to recognize the [Firzoa] town walls in the horizon. Aside from the large crater on the ground, the place was really desolated, not even grass or small animals here. Of course, it was because the cause of the crater had wiped everything, its wave had even reached our previous standing place.


    ¡°Master!¡± Halili ran to the center of the crater. One glance was enough to see no one there, but I thought she wouldn¡¯t be convinced until she checked thoroughly by herself. ¡°How comes there¡¯s nothing remaining at all¡­? Did she manage to escape¡­?¡±


    Letting the girl did what she wanted, I talked to my demons through our link. ¡®Haz, Ken, call your minions back to the dungeon. You two should go back as well,¡¯ I said.


    ¡®What about you, Master?¡¯


    ¡®My plan was to search for hints of how to fight Jiwa in [Firzoa] and continued to north regardless of the search result. Now I¡¯ve found the hints I need, I¡¯ll try to catch up with him.¡¯


    ¡®In that case, let me take you.¡¯


    ¡®No, I told you to return, don¡¯t make me repeat, Haz. That goes for you too, Ken. Now that they know we''ve survived, I really need you two to stay on guard in the dungeon, understand? This dungeon lord is nothing but a replaceable avatar. If you really put priority to my safety like you claim to be, then do as I say and keep my heart safe.¡¯


    ¡®... Very well.¡¯


    ¡®Keek. We¡¯re sorry for our unneeded meddling, Master. We¡¯ll withdraw immediately, keek.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry too for making you worry, but I need to rescue father and it can only be done by myself.¡¯


    ¡®Why it can only be done by yourself, Master? Even if we aren¡¯t strong enough in your eyes, we should be useful somehow. I prefer to accompany you in this dangerous task than to wait uncertainly at home. You said Fantastica will come, but with them being greatly outnumbered in that human den [Firzoa] I doubt they will send anyone strong enough to pass the firearm holding goblins in the first level.¡¯


    I sighed. ¡®Listen. I don¡¯t have a concrete plan against Jiwa yet. And to be honest, I don¡¯t think any of us stand a chance against him at the moment. As I said, this dungeon lord is a replaceable avatar so it¡¯s okay to die. Your case is different, however. I don¡¯t want to waste your lives for nothing. Is guarding my heart not important task enough for you?¡¯


    ¡®... What am I supposed to do while waiting for enemy? Never mind, I will do as Master says. My apologies.¡¯


    With a bow, the two finally left the area. Hazard spread and flapped his wings, taking the sky route, while Ken disappeared from the sight, taking the land route. I could only sigh at the two¡¯s departure, at least Hazard complied in the end. If he kept defying my order, I might need to set an example out of him.


    Approaching me, Halili asked, ¡°Arz isn¡¯t going with them?¡±


    ¡°I need to take care something else first. Oh yeah, thanks for helping us escape from Fantastica.¡±


    ¡°Humm, shouldn¡¯t I be the one who thanks Arz? If you didn¡¯t stop Oki, I would¡­ Uu, I don¡¯t want to think about it. But, I don¡¯t understand, why did you help me?¡±


    ¡°Why, you ask? Aren¡¯t we friends? You came and warned me about Fantastica Executives being in [Firzoa] too.¡±


    ¡°Friends¡­? We barely know each other! I attacked you, remember?!¡±


    ¡°... You just followed what your master told you.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t change the fact I attacked you with all my might! You might be killed!¡±


    I scratched my head. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you came with an intention to kill. Besides, I don¡¯t think I would lose either.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡°... Hng, I can¡¯t deny that. Although I wouldn¡¯t kill Arz, you might still be killed if you were captured, you know? But yeah, I guess from the start I stood no chance against Arz if you could handle two Fantastica Executives like they were nothing¡­ Haa¡­ And here I always thought I¡¯m the best mage of our generation.¡±


    ¡°... Wait, two? You mean that Oki guy wasn¡¯t the only Executive there?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh. I may be wrong, but I think the charging woman was the Blinking Oki¡¯s wife, Thianna the Savage Ax. And if I remember correctly, the high priest whom your demon friend attacked, Father Jaa, it¡¯s also the name of one of Fantastica Executives.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­ Three¡­?!¡±


    (¡­ And four with Maa¡¯. Uwaah, I¡¯m really screwed up, am I not? If they die, there¡¯s no way I can fix the relationship with Fantastica, can I?


    (Uh, why did I reflexively change my race back then? I should¡¯ve let that Oki guy hack my head. I might''ve died, but so what, my consciousness would''ve just returned to the dungeon¡­


    (... No, it¡¯s not that simple. Hazard and Ken would''ve likely gone rampage if I had died. And with me in dormant state, no one would''ve stopped them. It might''ve turned even worse.


    (Ah, I don¡¯t know anymore¡­


    (No, no, just calm down. I need a clear head now more than anything else.)


    ¡°... You okay?¡± Halili asked, seeing me in silence for a period.


    Scratching my head and taking a deep breath, I replied, ¡°I am, thanks.¡±


    ¡°... You sure?¡±


    ¡°... Maybe not,¡± I dropped myself and sat on the ground, before inhaling deeply once again. ¡°I guess the event with Fantastica in my dungeon has been affecting me more than I¡¯m aware of myself. I¡¯ve been very short tempered these days and easily snap. Not in my best to make a judgement, that¡¯s for sure.


    ¡°Like with that Oki guy, I could¡¯ve handled the situation better. There was no need to fight, I could¡¯ve just asked Dava to let you go. After all, he owed me for rescuing his sister, and I could¡¯ve pressed further using their previous betrayal. I think aunt Ehrisya would''ve supported me in this too .¡±


    ¡°... Thanks.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Your friendship¡­ Thank you for never thinking of abandoning me. I- I¡¯ll repay you somehow,¡± she said, looking away with a slight blush. ¡°However!¡± she suddenly exclaimed. ¡°I¡¯m still not giving up of becoming the next generation¡¯s best mage! Next time, let¡¯s have a rematch next time¡­ I¡¯ll definitely get stronger! I¡¯m Halili the Blue Flame, I won¡¯t lose to a mage from the same generation twice!¡±


    ¡°Haha, good resolution. You¡¯re welcome to try, as long as the situation at the time allows.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡°Humm, I think it¡¯s time to go. I still need to look for master. Since I can''t find any remnant of her, hopefully she managed to escape somehow. See you later, Arz,¡± Halili bid farewell.


    ¡°Wait. Halili, you¡¯re good with magic theory, right?¡±


    ¡°More or less. Why?¡±


    ¡°... I thought, knowing I could fight a soul-mage with golems was enough. But now that I think it over, it¡¯s a widely known theory, right? In that case, I should assume an experienced mage like Jiwa would know how to counter it.¡±


    ¡°I suppose,¡± she shrugged her shoulders.


    ¡°The way to counter I can think of¡­ The first thing comes to my mind is his psychokinetic-like ability. I¡¯ve only seen him sending living beings fly around so far, but it¡¯s possible it¡¯s not limited to living things. And the second way is, by having a longer magic range.¡±


    ¡°Magic range?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It wouldn¡¯t matter whether I hide and send golems in front if he can still reach my mind from afar. I don¡¯t know his magic range, I don¡¯t know mine either since I''ve never tested my limits, but Maa¡¯ could control his morphers quite far. And Dava, you don¡¯t need me to say, this crater is the very result of the magic he shot all the way from [Firzoa] over there.¡±


    ¡°Humm.¡±


    ¡°Halili, what¡¯re the factors influencing magic range? Do you know?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a tough question...,¡± she replied as she took a seat on the ground as well. She considered her answer before continuing. ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with the term magic range, but if you¡¯re talking about casting a long range spell, there are many theories. Among them, sight is one of the most important factor.¡±


    ¡°Sight?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Because we need a clear image for casting a spell, what we can see becomes important. Of course, we can still cast a spell beyond that, but the effectiveness is dampened greatly and thus unadvised. And there¡¯re things like heights, angles, and obstacle positions that determine sight range to consider.¡±


    ¡°... Maa¡¯ controlled his morphers beyond many rooms in my dungeon. Obviously he can¡¯t see the rooms, but those water guardians were still killing my creatures effectively.¡±


    ¡°I- is that so? Maybe the elemental guardians are special? Because, they¡¯re almost like living beings themselves, right?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ What¡¯re the other factors? I mean, although sight plays important role in giving a clear visualization, it¡¯s not the range limit, right? You said it yourself, we can still cast a spell beyond what we can see. So what¡¯s determining the range limit, where we no longer able to cast a spell there?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh. I wonder¡­ Isn¡¯t it the magic power then?¡±


    At the time, a small quake occurred. It wasn¡¯t a natural one since I could sense a faint trace of mana. Then, an earth coffin similar but rougher to the one I had used to capture Halili¡¯s pyros emerged just next to us with a minimum rumble and the quake stopped. The front side of the coffin slid open, revealing a tall man with well built muscles, reminding me of a bodybuilder. His thin blonde hair, mustache and sideburns were few of the dark skinned man¡¯s visible features.


    ¡°Master Arret!¡± Halili quickly stood up when she recognized the man. ¡°Long time no see,¡± she bowed politely to the mage, who took a step out of his stone case.


    (Arret? As Arret the Traceless, earth-mage master whom Ethoria said looking for an apprentice?)


    ¡°Long time, indeed,¡± he replied. With a hand wave, the coffin submerged back to underground, leaving no trace like it had never appeared in the first place.


    (That coffin, it can be used for a transportation method? I never thought of it. And what¡¯s wrong with his appearance? He looks more like a warrior than a mage, doesn¡¯t he? Ethoria was like that too, she looked more like a knight. No, appearance aside, why¡¯s he even here?)


    ¡°Since Master Arret is here, does it mean master is safe? How is she?¡± Halili asked impatiently as I prepared continuous earth bullets, just in case.


    ¡°She is fine, do not worry. Healers are working as we speak,¡± he replied and sat down, followed by Halili. ¡°More importantly, allow me to join in your interesting discussion,¡± he said, smiling in a friendly manner. At least it didn¡¯t seem it would turn into a fight soon.


    ¡°Um, then, I¡¯ll introduce you. This is Master Arret the Traceless, my master already told Arz about him. And this is Arz the Dungeon Master, I¡¯m sure Master Arret has also heard about him,¡± Halili said.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Arret nodded, his eyes staring at me. ¡°Let us skip the formalities, Arz. About your earlier contention, it is sight not in literal meaning eyesight. You see, I can close my eyes here but still be able to see and hear you or even Dava through the vibration of earth.¡±


    ¡°Vibration of earth¡­?¡± I muttered, trying to digest his statement. ¡°Does it work like an earthquake warning system? Wait, do you require to actively search in a certain direction, Master Arret?¡±


    ¡°I always have the spell activated in all directions. However, it is indeed as you guess, I need to focus to increase the sight range in a certain direction. I am proud to say that within the mages well-recorded in history, my range is among the furthest.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ I¡¯m honored to meet a mage of your calibre,¡± I praised. ¡°What about what determines magic range¡¯s limit, Master Arret? Is it magic power like Halili said? If I¡¯m not mistaken, magic power is a part of magic talent, right? Does it mean one¡¯s range¡¯s limit has been determined from when he was born? Can we train it?¡±


    ¡°It is magic power, indeed,¡± he nodded. ¡°However, magic power does not equal magic talent, it is more of what determines magic output. Although some mages are blessed with strong magic power talent since birth, like Halili whose fire is always blue in color and hotter despite the same amount of mana used, one can always train his control over magic power.


    ¡°The easiest way is simply to channel more mana, and your spell will have more magic power. Depending on the spell''s characteristics, it will either increase the spell¡¯s range, covered area, or sharpness and damage caused. In relation to your question, the stronger the magic power is, the further one¡¯s magic can reach.¡±


    He paused and observed me, then said, ¡°You are surprisingly lacking in basic theories for a mage with your skills. Are you the type who goes with his instincts?¡±


    ¡°Er¡­ Not really, I did learn the very basic, from books. My training consisted mostly of making various shapes with earth, and recently I was told my magic precision is quite high.¡±


    ¡°Precision, huh? Yes, it is one of control training methods, indeed, although not the usual course.¡±


    ¡°Is it worse? What¡¯s the usual?¡±


    ¡°Usually beginners are taught to spend all their mana until they nearly collapse, over and over. That way they will learn their limit and how to control their magic power. In addition, it will help them increase their mana capacity. Especially the last part, because mana capacity can only be raised at a younger age. Only after one passes that age he is advised to change his training method to such as magic precision or higher-level spells that require more mana and complex imagination.¡±


    ¡°Arz¡¯s mana capacity is tremendous despite not going through the usual course, Master Arret. Probably because he is a dungeon master,¡± Halili interjected.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Arret nodded. ¡°And just looking at the previous battle results, we can tell how dangerous his control level is. To be able to penetrate Ethoria¡¯s barrier and to instantly kill an experienced warrior using a basic spell like <Rock Bullet>, I must say I¡¯m impressed.¡±


    ¡°That was <Rock Bullet>?!¡± Halili surprised.


    Thinking for a moment, I asked, ¡°Ah, Master Arret, since you watched the fight, do you know what happened during the moment Halili and I escaped? Dava¡¯s mana was disrupted before it could materialize.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you can tell? Your mana perception is not bad either. Indeed, it was me. Actually, I intervened several times during the period after Ethoria¡¯s defeat until you escaped, didn''t you realize?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡±


    (This guy¡­ If his claim is true, he can kill from very far without his victim, or anyone else, knowing what happened. He¡¯s dangerous, but maybe just the person I need.)


    ¡°Back to the topic, I missed the reason why do you need a long range magic. Something about a soul-mage?¡± Arret asked.


    ¡°Yes, Master Arret. A soul-mage named Jiwa has imprisoned my father, making him a mindless puppet.¡±


    ¡°Jiwa? You do not mean Jiwa the Coward of Dragon Mountains, do you?¡±


    ¡°He has been living in Dragon Mountain, yes. But what¡¯s with the Coward nickname...?¡±


    ¡°That man never dares to leave the desolated Dragon Mountains just because Mahza told him so long time ago, even though Mahza does not even care and already drowned in his immortality research for years. What else would you call a man like that but a coward? Are you sure it is him? I doubt Jiwa has the guts to do something outrageous like mind-puppeting someone, he is too fearful Mahza will come after him if he does.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ It¡¯s him, alright. I¡¯m Arz Mahzason. Jiwa has taken his revenge on Mahza, my father, and turned him into a puppet who is always obeying him.¡±


    Arret was dumbfounded for awhile, before he finally nodded. ¡°Mahzason, huh? Indeed, now I look closer you resemble the younger Mahza somehow. Heh, who would have thought Mahza the Ruthless would ever fall to Jiwa. But again, no one ever expected he would settle and marry a good woman like Mirana either,¡± he remarked, more to his own amusement.


    ¡°Master Arret, I¡¯ve a request,¡± I said. ¡°But before that, may I inquire why¡¯re you answering my questions here? Am I not an enemy for [[Quwwat]]?¡±


    ¡°Are you?¡± Arret replied with a smile. ¡°No particular reason, I am just curious. Besides, I do not know if you realize, but you have helped our alliance a lot. You can consider this small conversation as my way to repay you.¡±


    My eyebrows raised. ¡°I helped you? Where¡¯s that statement coming from? Didn¡¯t I mess Master Ethoria¡¯s plan to kill Master Dava?¡±


    ¡°Dava has slipped away, indeed, but it is more because of Ethoria¡¯s own carelessness. You got rid of Maa¡¯, the biggest threat other than Dava, was that not a great help?¡± he grinned.


    ¡°I see,¡± I nodded in acknowledgement. There was a saying that your enemy¡¯s enemy is your friend, Arret was probably following that logic. ¡°Then, can I ask you a favor to help me to kill Jiwa?¡±


    ¡°... Kill Jiwa, huh? It will not be easy. What would you offer me in return?¡±


    ¡°... I heard you¡¯re looking for an apprentice. I¡¯m willing to receive your guidance if you really can help me.¡±


    He smiled. ¡°Would you not be the only one benefiting in such a deal, Young Mage? But indeed, you are a good apprentice material. In addition, having a dungeon master as apprentice is not an everyday occurrence. Hmm, what should I do¡­?¡±


    ¡°Just information, I think that dungeon master thing is rather misleading. I¡¯m not a dungeon master, I¡¯m the dungeon itself. Well, the dungeon consciousness to be precise. The dungeon is my body, just like this one,¡± I said, pointing to my own face.


    ¡°Oh, interesting information, indeed,¡± Arret nodded. ¡°Very well. If you agree with the condition of never going against me and my kingdom, I will help you in your quest and teach you to the best of my ability.¡±


    (... Never go against [[Quwwat]], huh? So he¡¯s still their officer till the end, expected. Maybe this¡¯s but a first step, he may try to recruit me later.


    (Hmm. If I consider the old rivalry between [[Alishine]] and [[Quwwat]], it would be safe to assume they¡¯re the main perpetrator behind this invasion. I don¡¯t have any particular attachment to this country, but it¡¯d leave a bad aftertaste if I let the people I know die in front of me. And this is the country Alv wishes to protect at all cost.


    (Well, I should put priority on my own missions; saving father and survival. At this point, I can¡¯t really expect anything from Fantastica or even Alv, can I? It¡¯s already a good thing if they won¡¯t try to kill me at first sight. In that case, would it be better to reach out for [[Quwwat]]¡¯s hand?


    (Nah. Having a country to back you is good, but only until they decide to abandon you, that is. I should play my card smart, not leave my back exposed but let them close enough to gain benefits.)


    ¡°So¡­?¡± Arret asked again.


    ¡°... That¡¯s a too harsh condition, Master Arret. If your countrymen attack me, am I not allowed to defend myself?¡± I laughed. ¡°I won¡¯t directly go against [[Quwwat]], unless I¡¯m being attacked first. What do you say?¡±


    ¡°What is with this directly? Do you plan to go indirectly against us?¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s not it. You see, my girlfriend is a patriotic hardcore. I can always refuse her, of course, if I know her intentions from the start. But who knows what she¡¯ll do to trick me into helping her. Women are sly creatures after all, they¡¯re scary.¡±


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Halili snorted at my statement, but I ignored her.


    ¡°... I can¡¯t argue, women are scary, indeed. Very well, that should still be acceptable,¡± Arret agreed. ¡°Now swear in your father¡¯s name that you will never directly involve yourself against [[Quwwat Kingdom]].¡±


    ¡°I swear.¡±


    ¡°Full words!¡±


    ¡°I swear in the name of Mahza my father that I¡¯ll never go directly against [[Quwwat Kingdom]].¡±


    Arret nodded with satisfaction. ¡°Congratulations, Arz, you have acquired yourself the best earth-elemental mage teacher. However, regarding your request, a fight against a soul-mage is always tricky and I still have jobs to finish. Let us meet up a week from now, I should be free and have a plan ready by the time.¡±


    I was dumbfounded. ¡°A week¡­ Ten days?¡±


    ¡°What is wrong?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Master, I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have that much time. Jiwa is currently heading east with father. By a week, he¡¯ll be somewhere unreachable.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. It would be troublesome, indeed. Do you know where they are going to?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not sure¡­¡±


    (Wait, back then, didn¡¯t he try to fish out how I had become a dungeon? Could it be¡­?)


    ¡°Do you happen to know a dungeon in the east, Master?¡±


    ¡°Dungeon? I do not know much about dungeons, but the famous ancient dungeon Mount Naar is just north from [[Toa Republic]] in the east. Why?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it! They must be going to Mount Naar!¡±


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    ¡°Are you sure? Since when Jiwa is interested in a dungeon? He is not an adventurer.¡±


    ¡°Probably¡­,¡± I hesitated.


    Ancient dungeon Mount Naar, known as the oldest and the unconquerable dungeon. Even if Jiwa was aiming to take over a dungeon consciousness like I had done, targeting the very dungeon that even the best dungeon-expert adventurers couldn¡¯t conquer was too reckless. Something was still missing.


    ¡°Umm,¡± Halili raised her hand. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s relevant, but I heard Mount Naar has been conquered recently.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Arz. Since I learned you¡¯re a dungeon master, I¡¯ve been following news about dungeons. This is from a reliable source.¡±


    ¡°That is new, whichever big-guild did it must be bathing in fortune now. It is not Fantastica, right? Otherwise they would have hired more people to defend [Firzoa] by now. Ah, that is if they decide not to use the dungeon heart for themselves, indeed.¡±


    ¡°No, Master Arret. I heard Fantastica sent their raid team, but the one who conquered it were the Dungeon Hunter and his band of elves.¡±


    ¡°Heh, Dungeon Hunter? He has his own party now? A lot of mages must be crying if they know.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked, unable to follow the conversation.


    ¡°Could it be, Arz doesn¡¯t know who the Dungeon Hunter is?¡±


    ¡°No, who?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh. He¡¯s an infamous elf who destroys every heart of dungeon he has conquered, thus is hated by adventurers - who make profit from dungeon hearts, and mages - who use dungeon hearts as materials in various researches. Crystal heart of a dungeon as old as Mount Naar would be very hard to find, if not impossible, and it¡¯s a dream material for too many mages,¡± Halili explained.


    ¡°I see¡­ If he has a party, his range of operation as well as the effectiveness will increase.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh. Oh yeah, he¡¯s usually targeting famous dungeons. Arz should be careful, your dungeon¡¯s famous too.¡±


    ¡°Am I? Alright, I will,¡± I smiled, before turning to Arret. ¡°With this piece of information, the chance of Jiwa going to Mount Naar is increased, I think. I don¡¯t have anything to support my claim, though, this is merely my hunch,¡± I said, deciding to hold information regarding Jiwa¡¯s agenda. It wouldn¡¯t be good if [[Quwwat]] started to hunt for father¡¯s <soul gem> too. ¡°Can¡¯t you spare some time, Master?¡±


    ¡°Regrettably, I can not come, indeed. Even if I make haste, several days from today should be the earliest I will be able to spare. It is still too late, right?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll go alone as per my original plan. Do you have some tips for me?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. You are already on good track for thinking of long range magic. And with your level of precision, <Rock Bullet> should not be the only spell you can customize. Don¡¯t rush, plan your strategy carefully, fighting a soul-mage is always tricky.¡±


    ¡°Very well, thank you,¡± I made a slight bow to my new teacher.


    (Let see¡­ When it comes to long range warfare, my previous world had various methods. Nuke missiles, drones, aircraft carriers, bomber planes, chemical bombs, and so on.


    (Hey, golems are like drones in this regard, right? What if I modified them into an aircraft? But the problem is¡­ how far away can they go before I start losing control?


    (Hmm. The stronger the magic power, the further it can reach¡­ Doesn¡¯t it sound like a radio signal? Maybe I can make some relay stations between my dungeon and Mount Naar?


    (Alright, first thing first, let¡¯s start. <Golem>. Shape, a fighter aircraft. For it to be able to fly, I need to put more attention to details. Wings, vertical and horizontal stabilizer, rudders, flaps, wheels. Okay done. Now the key to reach the required speed, the propulsion engine.


    (... Ah, I wish I would¡¯ve an access to internet now. Oh, well. If I remember correctly, it has a fan to absorb the wind from the front and then convert it into a thrust rearward? Hmm. Let¡¯s try several layers of fans, it should increase the wind output, I think. There, done. Time to test, materialize!)


    The earth raised and started to form an aircraft like I imagined. It invited an exclamation of curiosity, especially from Halili.


    ¡°Hmm. A bird-shaped golem?¡± Arret commented.


    ¡°Golem? This is a golem? Is it supposed to fly?¡± Halili asked in excitement. She jumped from her seat and took a closer look at the aircraft golem - I would call it sky golem from now on, until I thought of a better name.


    ¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯re going to find out,¡± I replied while having the sky golem to start the rotation of its fan engine¡¯s blades.


    (Faster!)


    The wind started to make a loud whooshing noise until it reached a stable frequency and the drone shook a bit as it held its wheels at their position.


    (Is this enough? Okay, go!)


    With my order, it released the brakes and the wheels started to roll. It went faster, the flaps extended and the face lifted slightly. Aaaand¡­


    (Failed! It¡¯s not strong enough, I suppose. Probably too heavy as well, I made it using a very dense stone out of habit, after all.)


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Halili asked as the golem turned back and returned after a long run without actually flying.


    ¡°It took too long to take-off. I need to make it lighter and increase the speed several-fold more.¡±


    ¡°Is it¡­?¡±


    (Let see¡­ Aside from adjusting the stone''s density while maintaining the endurance, how should I increase the power output?


    (Hmm. In level two of my dungeon, I¡¯ve strong winds in many places. Wind will blow from a place with higher pressure to a lower one, thus I played with the rooms¡¯ temperatures to change the air pressure. Maybe I should play with the temperature here too?


    (The question is, how?


    (Hmm. Heating up the air? Should I add a combustion room? But to sustain a combustion I need to give a constant supply of fuel, mana, other than the one to move the golem itself. Also, if possible, I prefer something that doesn''t require me to control it directly, something that my golem can do with a simple order.


    (What other options do I have?


    (Well, in my early firearm research, I used a compressed air inside the cartridge. A compressed air¡­ it has high pressure, but it will be dissipated as soon the cartridge breaks. So, it¡¯s good as one time boost only.


    (Then in my later stage of firearm research, I used a compressed flame instead, enveloped by a vacuum air. It has stronger propelling power, but this too is only good as one time boost. Well, maybe I can add some rocket boosters to help it take-off, like a space shuttle.


    (Or¡­ maybe I can insert a monster core to this golem? It should ease the automatic function set up. But wait, it¡¯ll turn it into a monster, won¡¯t it? Not good, a monster is considered living beings and an easy prey for Jiwa.


    (... Is it possible to make it non-biological like the stone pedestals or the traps?


    (What if... I make separate parts with cores, and attach them to the golem as an extension? Is it possible? It should be.


    (And this will open whole new options for me. Like, I can finally graduate from that manually cocked semi-automatic rifle and go full-automatic. No, a rifle golem is enough for that without the extension parts. Anyway, let¡¯s give it a try¡­ Ah, but I need to be within my dungeon¡¯s claimed area to create a new core. Okay let¡¯s re- !!)


    ¡°Interesting, indeed,¡± Master Arret suddenly tapped my shoulder, pulling me back into reality. ¡°I want to see the end result, but we need to leave. Dava is heading here.¡± He then offered his hand to help me stand.


    ¡°Ah, okay.¡±


    After I got up with his help, Arret took a step backward. Then, each of us was taken in by an earth coffin. It was submerging underground, from what I could perceive from inside, when suddenly a strong explosion blew me out from my coffin. It most likely happened to the other two as well.


    Landing head first, I felt dizzy. It was nothing compared to the pain in my ears, though, the sound of explosion made my ears rang non-stop. I quickly poured mana to recover the dungeon lord¡¯s state. Only then I saw the entity floating above us, the said strongest mage of this era, wind was blowing hard from his direction. Dava had arrived.


    ¡°Are you getting faster yet again, Dava?¡± Master Arret greeted with a grimace.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to collect my prize, and look what I find instead. Arret, I should¡¯ve known you¡¯re involved. Where¡¯s Ethoria?¡±


    ¡°Heh, try to look through the entire [[Quwwat]] if you want to find her,¡± Arret replied as he raised two giant golems.


    It had to be a diversion, since an earth coffin emerged to take me at the same time. However, the ground that suddenly moved with me on it made the coffin miss.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere,¡± Dava declared, ignoring the golems which hands were destroyed for trying to break his barrier.


    ¡°See if you can handle this too. HAH! <BULLET PUNCH>!!¡±


    Arret stomped the ground hard as he shouted, and a rock three-times human¡¯s head size was thrown upwards. As the rock reached his hand¡¯s reach, he punched it. The moment his hand touched, the rock was reshaped into a sharp cone and shot towards Dava with amazing speed.


    *BANG!*


    A crack appeared in mid-air from where the cone-shaped rock stuck. Arret didn¡¯t wait, he already stomped the ground and had another rock up. He launched the second bullet, which hit the first bullet from behind right in the center, and the now sticked together bullets then broke free from the barrier and continued their way towards Dava the Elementalist.


    Dava''s reaction was canceling the swirling air ball around him, which had supported his flight. He made a free fall and escaped the deadly projectile. At that moment, Arret the Traceless was sliding through the ground in a zig-zag, evading a series of explosions from Dava¡¯s magic. As he swung his fist, a fist-shape rock emerged following his swing example. However, the movement was stopped mid-way. Arret had been frozen solid.


    ¡°Grrrggg¡­GHAAAH!! Ack!¡±


    Arret, who was able to break free from the ice with his muscles alone, had his face covered by a swirling air ball and choked. Dava quickly restrained his opponent again with layers of ice and decapitated his arms and legs with wind blades. No mercy. Unable to fall to ground, neither able to breath, Arret was facing a painful and slow death sentence.


    In the meantime, Halili had made her way to my side and grabbed my hand. The space around us then began to distort.


    ¡°Wait, Master Arret is- Ugh!¡± ¡°Kyaah!¡±


    An emerging earth wall forced our hands to separate. Before we could recover, I watched Halili¡¯s sitting ground moved towards Dava in high-speed. The next moment, he already took a hold of her chin, his face so close to her. Everything happened so fast.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite a beauty, Ethoria¡¯s Apprentice. Normally, I would offer you to join me for a dinner. Too bad, after just losing a good friend and what you¡¯ve done to my sister, I¡¯m not in the mood,¡± Dava said.


    ¡°Release her!¡± I yelled, seeing the girl shaking in fear. I prepared my <Continuous Rock Bullet> while striking with a mind-attack. Although, as expected, Dava didn¡¯t bulge with my level of mind-attack.


    ¡°Hmm. Is she your woman?¡± the guildmaster of Fantastica asked. It surprised me that he actually let her go. With a hand gesture, the girl and her sitting ground moved to me.


    ¡°You okay?¡± I asked as I caught her, to which she replied with a nod.


    ¡°Now, can we talk, Dungeon Master Arz?¡± the red-haired guildmaster asked as he approached.


    ¡°... Before that, please release Master Arret as well.¡±


    ¡°Why? He has nothing to do with you, right?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s my master.¡±


    ¡°Pardon¡­?¡± Dava looked confused.


    ¡°Master Arret and me are master and apprentice from today on.¡±


    He frowned and tensed up. ¡°Does it mean you¡¯re working for [[Quwwat]] now?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­,¡± he looked unconvinced but relaxed a bit nevertheless.


    Seeing him hesitate, I asked again. ¡°Please, I¡¯ll ransom him. You name the price, just release the air ball first. He¡¯ll die of suffocation.¡±


    ¡°Ransom? You¡¯re going that far? Even if you¡¯ve a master-apprentice relationship, I don¡¯t think you''ve known each other for long, haven''t you? Aren''t you too loyal?¡±


    ¡°I''m always loyal to my allies. Just release the air ball first, will you? He¡¯ll die, you know!¡±


    ¡°No, he won¡¯t. And you can save your money. Why don¡¯t you take a look by yourself?¡± he said. Another hand gesture from him made the crystallized Arret come closer.


    Inside the air ball, where Arret¡¯s head should be, was¡­ nothing, only dirt that swirled following the wind¡¯s direction. As Dava cancelled his ice prison and the water splashed, it revealed nothing either. There was no body or whatever looked like a remnant of one. It made my eyes widen.


    ¡°What¡¯s this? What¡¯ve you done to him?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Originally, this¡¯s how he got the Traceless nickname, not because he¡¯s never left a trace whenever he comes and goes with his weird underground carriage like most people thought. I¡¯ve completely forgot about it myself until now, though,¡± Dava shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your master is still alive somewhere,¡± he smiled.


    I exchanged a look with Halili, who seemed as confused as me. It didn¡¯t seem she understood what had happened, but after a moment of thought I could roughly guess. ¡°It wasn¡¯t his real body, was it? A golem?¡±


    Dava nodded. ¡°That¡¯s my guess as well.¡±


    ¡°Right, just like Maa¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve figured his trick? Yes, it¡¯s similar, except it seems Arret was controlling his double from a different location. That¡¯s probably why his presence is always so thin and hard to detect.¡±


    ¡°Um, there should be a mana thread if that¡¯s the case, but I didn¡¯t see anything like that,¡± Halili whispered in my ear.


    I stared blankly at the girl in front of me. Was I mistaken, was the question that went through my mind. In the end, I decided it wasn¡¯t important to figure how Arret did it, at least not now. What important was that he already escaped.


    ¡°Anyway, Dungeon Master Arz, now that it¡¯s been settled, I¡¯d like to have a private conversation with you.¡±


    Seeing how friendly Dava¡¯s attitude was, I didn¡¯t see any reason to refuse his demand. Besides, if possible, it was also my wish to reconcile with Fantastica. Like an old saying said, thousand friends aren¡¯t enough, an enemy is too many. Of course, I wouldn¡¯t repeat the same mistake of letting them crawl on my back.


    ¡°Halili, can you leave us?¡±


    ¡°... Are you sure?¡±


    Nodding, I smiled and said, ¡°If he wanted to kill me, one or two of us here won¡¯t make any difference, you know. Isn¡¯t it better if you check your master¡¯s condition and look for Master Arret for me?¡±


    She hesitated, switching her glance between me and Dava, before finally agreeing. ¡°Uh-huh. Okay, but please be careful,¡± she said. The space then distorted, and Halili transferred away from our sight.


    ¡°She has nice assets,¡± Dava commented with a serious face.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to let her go, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not, normally. But since it¡¯s the only way to start a conversation with you and her role was only as a support, I¡¯ll overlook just for this once. Please tell your girlfriend to stay away from us, though, there¡¯ll be no next time.¡±


    My eyebrows raised. ¡°Halili? We¡¯re just friends. I¡¯ll tell her your message the next time I meet her, but I won¡¯t guarantee she¡¯ll listen. Now, what do you want to talk about?¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Dava replied. He then raised two earth pillars about one third of our height. Probably not exactly pillars, since Dava took a seat on one. It was supposed to be seats, it seemed. With a gesture, he asked me to sit on the other pillar. As we faced each other, he began to talk in a formal tone.


    ¡°First, we of Fantastica deeply apologize for what happened in your dungeon,¡± Dava, one of the most important mages in the whole continent, said as he lower his head. ¡°We both have been suffering from the incident, but I admit Fantastica was in the wrong, thus we¡¯ll compensate you somehow.


    ¡°Unfortunately, another incident occurred just earlier today outside the south wall of [Firzoa]. Although it started as a misunderstanding, since several good people have perished, including an Executive, we can¡¯t just pretend it has never happened. So, how do you intend to settle it, Dungeon Master Arz?¡±


    ¡°... Hmm, suddenly asked how I want to settle it. How many people are we talking about, exactly?¡±


    ¡°Four people died, including Executive Thianna.¡±


    ¡°And the wounded?¡±


    ¡°Three with minor injuries, they¡¯re already fine so it¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t count them. Executive Oki lost his legs and an arm and have severe burns, however. Those wounds should no longer endanger his life, but it¡¯ll take time for him to completely recover.¡±


    ¡°I see. Any other victims?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°I thought there was another Executive present, the high priest?¡±


    ¡°Father Jaa? He had his holy protection, so he¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Hmm. Then, if it¡¯s acceptable, I want to settle this with monetary compensation. A hundred gold for each of the three members and a double for your Executives, amounting seven hundred gold in total.¡±


    ¡°Se- *Cough!*, I mean, are you sure? You can even buy a fair-sized fief with that much money.¡±


    ¡°No problem, I can afford them. You¡¯re short of war funds, aren''t you? So?¡±


    ¡°Then, we¡¯ll gladly accept your goodwill,¡± Dava said, once again lowering his head.


    Seeing the mage-master bowing so deep, I couldn¡¯t help but grin. Once again money proved itself to be one of the strongest powers in the world. Since I had raised my bargaining position with this, I thought I needed to use it wise. ¡°You can send your man to take it from my dungeon later, Master Dava, but only if you agree with my term,¡± I said.


    ¡°What term¡­?¡± Dava raised his head with knitted brows.


    ¡°Hey, no need to get agitated. You see, the number of my creatures that died in the dungeon incident exceeded a thousand, maybe two, including the level one¡¯s boss monster. It¡¯s only natural that I demand a good compensation, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°... You¡¯re right. But still, with our tight situation, if you ask something too h-¡±


    ¡°Oh you can afford it, I believe,¡± I cut his words. ¡°What I want is mana, the same way each member of your guild paid me the mana-tribute before using my dungeon. But this time, I want it from every healthy person older than ten years old in [Firzoa]. That¡¯s of course including you, your Executives, your members, the townspeople, and every single soul according to the criteria,¡± I said with a smile.


    Dava seemed to think hard on what I had said. He shook his head in the end, however. ¡°That was Fantastica¡¯s mistake, why do you include the civilians? Moreover, if you take our mana when there¡¯s an ongoing battle, it¡¯s the same as you asking us to forfeit our lives. Unacceptable term,¡± he declined.


    ¡°Makes sense. Hmm¡­,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°As you probably know, we¡¯re greatly outnumbered in [Firzoa]. If you can help us, I may be able to persuade the townspeople afterwards.¡±


    ¡°Huh? You¡¯re called the strongest, why do you even need my help?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m but a single person. My mana is limited and I can¡¯t be in more than one location, or divide my concentration on too many places at once. It may be different if Executive Maa¡¯ was here with me, since the old man¡¯s mana capacity seemed almost infinite and he could simultaneously control his morphers in many different locations.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a surprising confession. Alright, I¡¯ll lend you a hand. But even if I send a thousand monsters, the enemy is more than seventy thousand man-strong. Even combined with the town defenders, it¡¯s still one to more than twenty ratio. Therefore, I want a different payment, I want the right over every captured enemy, dead or alive. You can have your members and the townspeople to pay my compensation after we drive [[Dragora]]¡¯s army away. What do you say?¡±


    ¡°... What do you want to do with the prisoners?¡±


    ¡°Why do you want to know?¡±


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡°Very well, I agree,¡± Dava said.


    I nodded. ¡°Then what¡¯s left is the collateral, to guarantee you won¡¯t stab me from behind again.¡±


    ¡°I swear in my name, that won¡¯t happen.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Master Dava, I need more than a verbal promise,¡± I shook my head. ¡°Aunt Ehrisya will stay in my dungeon until it¡¯s over,¡± I decided.


    It made the guildmaster glare. ¡°Don¡¯t involve my sister in this, Dungeon Master Arz!¡±


    ¡°... Why don¡¯t you ask for her consent first?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± he stood up, trying to intimidate. ¡°I said don¡¯t involve my sister, which part is you don¡¯t understand?!¡±


    ¡°... Then we don¡¯t reach an agreement?¡±


    ¡°Pick something else for the collateral.¡±


    ¡°Look, I¡¯ll be vulnerable once my monsters go. Not only my dungeon will be thinly guarded, they¡¯ll be an easy target if Fantastica and [Firzoa]¡¯s town guards decide to betray me. What can keep them from doing that is you, and the only one I know who can keep you from breaking your promise is your sister. Take it or leave it, I¡¯m not going to risk myself without sufficient collateral.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡°You need to hurry and decide, I doubt [Firzoa] can hold until dusk without you there,¡± I urged.


    ¡°... Fine. Only if my sister agrees, though. And Dungeon Master Arz, assuming she agrees, if you ever hurt even a strand of her hair, I¡¯ll make you see hell, you hear me?!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t do such a thing to the woman that may become my step mother, you know. Do we have a deal, then?¡± I offered my hand.


    ¡°Keep your word,¡± he replied as he shook it.


    ¡°You too.¡±


    ¡®Haz, Ken, where¡¯re you?¡¯ I called through our link. ¡®We¡¯ve a change of plans.¡¯

 24. Fly! Soar in the sky!

    Author Note:


    Hi folks, how are you?


    It''s been a hard month for me. My wife''s been hospitalized thrice just in July alone (please pray for her well being, if that''s not too much to ask) and I had a car accident earlier this month (fortunately no one get injured).


    On the bright side, some of you may have realized we''ve a new cover since one or two weeks ago. Thank you Bram for the great art ^^.


    You can see the bigger size picture in his deviant art''s gallery http://bramhistory.deviantart.com/art/Commission-248-Zolf2000-622626158</a>


    Okay, without further ado, here''s the chapter. Hope you like it.


    And, as usual, please tell me if you find any mistake. Thank you for reading and commenting ^^


    <hr />


    ¡°Ah, again? Oh well, I guess it¡¯s not gonna work.¡±


    *BOOM!*


    I cleared the ground above with an explosion and had the coffin carriage emerged to the surface.


    Until the moment, I had been imitating Arret¡¯s underground transportation method, but it had too many problems. The most glaring one was the air within the coffin was very very limited, forcing me to go above resupplying the oxygen every so often. I had then tried to make a small air duct connected to the outside, and later an air ball covering my face, which both had helped albeit not enough.


    And later, after I had entered the forest, I always ended up either being entangled in trees¡¯ roots - just like now - or crashing animals¡¯ burrows. I suppose it was because I had navigated my ride through the s-flies¡¯ surveillances instead of underground sonar like Arret did.


    Anyway, I deemed the method was unusable, at least for now. It, however, had reminded me of a subway train. Right, if it was in a wide and clear tunnel, both matters shouldn¡¯t pose any problem. Fortunately, the worker gi-ants were digging tunnels to all three nearest towns already. In fact, the tunnel headed towards [Firzoa] almost made it way to the forest edge next to the town, although it was currently in postpone to let my reinforcement crawled through.


    Still, those tunnels would need to be enlarged several times if I wanted a train that could carry me and my bigger creatures. At the moment, they could only fit up to the size of fierce rats and raptors. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem if given time, and I had plenty of ideas already on what I want to do when going back and forth between the dungeon and the towns became easier. But of course, they had to wait.


    Regardless, I set aside the thought and inhaled deeply as I exited the coffin, enjoying the fresh air and the freedom now I was out of the cramped box. Dispersing the stone box, I looked at the map in our link and confirmed my position.


    (Hmm. It¡¯s not too far to the dungeon, I guess I¡¯ll just run there.)


    Casting a wind buff to my legs, I started to dash towards the direction of my dungeon¡¯s entrance. I had decided to follow Arret¡¯s suggestion, to take my time making a good plan and not to rush, thus I was returning to the dungeon to prepare everything. I should still be able to catch up to Jiwa tomorrow as long as I could have my sky golem ready, when they would either be crossing the territory of [[Ruum Kingdom]] or entering [[Toa Kingdom]].


    While I ran, I sent a wave of mana on the ground, testing my range limit one more time to supplement what I had found with similar tests earlier after Dava had left. Yet, this time it reached much further than the previous tests, before the wave abruptly lost most of its strength. Musing it carefully, I reached my conclusion.


    (I see¡­ so I was right.)


    From the earlier tests, I concluded my magic could probably reach all the way to [[Dragora]] if I wanted to. Not that I would. Because, the mana cost would increase exponentially after a certain distance. This distance, which I called safe magic radius or just safe radius for short, was measured from wherever I cast the magic, either from the dungeon lord or main dungeon body, which each had separate safe radius.


    Or so I had presumed, since <Elemental Manipulation> and <Soul Manipulation> were skills I could use only when my consciousness within a dungeon lord.


    However, the latest test had proved my assumption. As I approached the dungeon, the dungeon lord¡¯s safe radius had been overlapping with the main body¡¯s radius. The mana wave just earlier had become significantly weaker only after reaching the border of my main body¡¯s safe radius, thus, able to achieve much further than the previous tests.


    (Let¡¯s see¡­ Whenever I¡¯m within the dungeon¡¯s safe magic radius, that would be my safe radius. But when I¡¯m outside, it would be the dungeon lord¡¯s safe radius instead. It shouldn¡¯t be wrong to say that my dungeon lord serves as a relay of some sort outside the dungeon¡¯s safe radius.


    (If I could imitate the function and make a series of relay stations all the way to east, it would secure my sky golems¡¯ supply of mana there, wouldn¡¯t it?


    (No, wait, if these relays expanded my safe radius until Jiwa¡¯s location, can¡¯t I just summon golems and cast magic on the spot there?


    (... Nah. Considering the world war in my previous live, the advantage of aerial support in a battle isn¡¯t something to argue. Investing the sky golems definitely has a merit in its own, even if just to pick father and bring him back here.


    (Besides...)


    I conjured an earth spike at the border of the safe radius, before made it disappear again.


    (Yup, as expected, there¡¯s a short delay. Although it¡¯s barely noticeable at this point, it¡¯s likely become more apparent as the distance widened. Like playing an online fighting game against a high level enemy with a lag, no thanks.)


    I continued my run. Less than an hour later, I entered my claimed area. It meant, I could finally use the <Dungeon Gate> to return to my throne and heart chamber from here, which exactly what I did.


    ¡°Welcome back, Master,¡± queen gi-ant greeted as I passed through the portal, to which I replied with a nod.


    As I walked towards my gold-decorated stone throne, the gi-ant leader gave me her report. ¡°Master, regarding the important task you¡¯ve given me earlier, I¡¯ve managed to break his mind. He¡¯s completely under my control now and just finished his first meal a moment ago.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± I mused, opening the overview window. Indeed, the mana income rate from the man alone had increased slightly. Because he had refused to eat anything since I had captured him about a week ago, his condition had been worsening and in turn had been dwindling my income.


    ¡°But humans are so bothersome, they can only eat a cooked meat,¡± she complained and pouted.


    ¡°Good job, Queen,¡± I praised while taking my seat. ¡°How did you pull that?¡±


    ¡°Fufu, I tried a different approach,¡± she hinted. Leaning forward, she licked her own lips and said in a low, sensual voice, ¡°I deserve a reward, don¡¯t I, Master?¡±


    I smiled. ¡°Of course, come here,¡± I said, pulling her onto my lap, before french-kissing the girl.


    ¡°Mmmmmh.¡±


    She hungrily savored my lips and tongue, and I had to say I was enjoying the moment myself. It had been a while since I had a real kiss, after all. Though, she would probably go forever if I hadn¡¯t separated our lips in the end, which she reluctantly complied.


    ¡°Thanks for your hard work, Queen. I¡¯ll expect more of your good results in the future.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master. Mmh, if I may suggest, we should capture more mages to cultivate mana from.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°We should be able to get several [[Dragora]]¡¯s mages in the battle of [Firzoa], I¡¯ll let you handle them when the time comes.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I was wondering, so that¡¯s why Master agreed to help Fantastica¡­?¡±


    ¡°Well, of course mana is my main concern, I would be crazy if we¡¯ve to keep skimping like now. No matter how I hate to admit, we¡¯re too used to the easy income from Fantastica¡¯s adventurers. But other than that, it can also serve as a stress reliever, particularly for Haz, as he seems to have built up some due to the lack of a real fight.


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve a new task for you. You know aunt Ehrisya, right? The red-haired woman whom I rescued?¡±


    ¡°The Red Wizard¡¯s sister?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes. Go to [Firzoa] and escort her back here, she¡¯ll be temporarily staying in our home as a part of my agreement with Master Dava. Make sure you treat her with respect.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm. It may take a whole day just to get there by walking, though¡­,¡± I mumbled as I tried to think of a faster way.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Master,¡± she said while leaning forward. On her back grew two pairs of transparent wings. ¡°I can fly just fine, although not as fast as Haz.¡±


    ¡°Great. You can go now,¡± I told, urging the ant-girl to get up from my lap. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re going to enter a human town, you need to dress up properly.¡±


    Pouting, she asked, ¡°Is that an order?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± I replied, selecting suitable clothes from my item list. I chose a backless dress which originally belonged to a female merchant, probably, a pair of boots, and a hooded cloak, then materialized them on the floor.


    The demoness couldn¡¯t hide her dislikeness as she took her time to wear each of them, notably the cloak, as she made a small hole for the wings on its back with her acid first. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave now. Do you mind if I bring along some safety insurance?¡± Queen asked when she had finished changing her clothes. Her perfect human appearance made her perfect for this task.


    ¡°No problem. And I¡¯ll allow violence too as long it¡¯s to protect yourself and aunt Ehrisya, but avoid killing other than [[Dragora]]¡¯s soldiers if possible. Gaining trust of townspeople is important for my future plan.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± she replied and bowed while opening a portal next to her.


    ¡°Ah, a moment,¡± I called, remembering what I had forgotten. I then burned seven hundred something mana points to materialize the gold coins and their pouch in front of her. ¡°Give it to Fantastica while you¡¯re there. Also, tell your workers to expand the tunnels so a golem or a rattibul could pass through.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± she nodded. After taking the pouch, she went through the portal, which closed behind her afterward.


    As she was gone from my view, I used the shared vision of s-flies within our link to check her departure. Four kneeling humanoids in armor were waiting her outside. Yet, I knew better those weren¡¯t real armors, they were part of their exoskeleton bodies.


    The expressionless humanoids were the newest variant of gi-ants, the royal knight, that had recently evolved from the half-man half-ant creature called knight gi-ant. Only four royal knight gi-ants existed thus far, acting as the personal guards of their queen. With them on board, there were five variants of gi-ants now, excluding the sub-variants: the queen, the royal knights, the knights, the soldiers, and the workers.


    The four royal knights gi-ants stood up and one of them then handed a short spear to Queen, which I recognized as the boom spear - basically, a three-barrels shotgun with a bayonet on the tip - that I had made and granted to her after her utter defeat from Alveria. Thereafter, they spread out their transparent wings and took off in a flight formation. Needless to say, the queen position was in the middle, surrounded and protected by her guardians.


    Being alone in my throne chamber, I turned my attention to the more pressing matter in hand, to build a series of relay stations as prerequisites to initiate an attack on Jiwa. Not before glancing to the dungeon overview, of course, to check how much mana I could spare. And I had to sigh, as only a bit more than 27,000 mana point was available.


    (Ah, a week has passed and I¡¯ve spent only the minimum amount all this time, and this is all I got?


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    (Well, at least most of the extinct creatures have been replaced and the ecosystem is working back. And they¡¯ve been generating mana as well, so capturing and fast breeding them is worth the spend, I suppose.


    (What¡¯s not worth is the fight against Fantastica Executives! It¡¯s too luxurious in my current condition, especially because I changed my race twice back then. Why did I do that?


    (No, no, that¡¯s not right. I gained a deadly spell <Continuous Rock Bullets> and learned various things from Master Arret because of the fight, didn¡¯t I? Although it¡¯s indirect, it made the spend worth as well.


    (Still, the current amount is too risky with the number of things I need to do.


    (Let¡¯s see¡­ Right, if his physical condition has improved, maybe I can have him drink mana recovery potion periodically?)


    Deciding on what to do, I opened a portal to level 3.5, which was a huge underground area beneath the level three where the gi-ants had made their nest. Actually, there were two more nests of my gi-ant colony, one was beneath the first level, thus level 1.5, and the other was beneath the dungeon entrance. It made queen gi-ant the boss with the most territories, compared to the dragonoid and the ratsassin who shared the forest room in level three.


    In front of me, behind the jail bars, sat down a half-naked white haired old man. He was more scrawny than the last time I had seen him, his clothes were in a mess, and his eyes were dead. There was no trace of dignity of when he had first entered my dungeon about a week ago.


    ¡°How is he?¡± I asked the chained man¡¯s condition to the soldier gi-ants guarding the cell.


    Through our link, one of them sent a thought, replying.


    I nodded, understood what the big ant was trying to tell, and then materialized ten mana recovery potions on the floor. As the light particles faded, through the same link I ordered them to make him drink one every an hour. One of them was taking a bottle with its strong mandibles when I went back to the still-opened portal, returning to my chamber.


    Seeing the White Blizzard¡¯s state left me a complicated feeling, however. Somehow, it reminded me of how Jiwa had been treating my father. I wondered if Tsalja would hunt me down just like I was hunting Jiwa if she ever know.


    I shook my head. It wasn¡¯t the time to get distracted and therefore I refocused on the matter in hand.


    (The mana income rate is increased, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that only so much is available.


    (Hmm. Is there no other way than that, to instantly increase my mana?


    (... I guess I shouldn¡¯t be picky with my method, I can always make more of them later.)


    My consciousness left the dungeon lord into the dungeon view. Then, I traveled to the volcano room and continued deeper inside the volcano. Within the magma chamber, I found three infernos were bathing. Their cores were floating inside the magma. With a thought, I quickly killed one and absorbed it, raising my mana up by 10,000 points at once.


    (Cool!)


    I murdered the other two, one of them even gave me up to 12,000 mana points. Since I made them from normal golems and let them evolved naturally in the hot environment, this was a big harvest. It had taken a while for the golems to evolve into lava golems, almost the entire week plus a little push, but once they could absorb the heat, evolving into infernos hadn¡¯t been that long. Now, with about 60,000 mana points in my possession, I was finally ready to start the relay stations project.


    I thought for a moment. Based on what Halili had said, that there was a mana thread connecting the dungeon and the dungeon lord, I deemed I would need to establish a similar thread between the dungeon and the relays.


    First, after my consciousness moving back into the dungeon lord, I used <earth magic> to erect a stone tower on the top of the rock hill where my dungeon was located. Next, I erected a similar tower in the forest eastward my dungeon, at the border of my safe magic radius. The plan was as such, the first tower would transmit a mana stream while the second would receive it, before retransmitting the said stream to the next tower, and so on.


    With the first two towers ready, I created a round rock ball, to which I then inserted a monster core. Setting up the receiver was easy, the principle was similar to how I had set the stone pedestal or the weapons to absorb mana. Except, I lifted the absorption surface, making it to actively absorb from its surrounding. As for the transmitter function, it was like reverting the receiver process. Although focusing the released mana was a bit tricky, I managed after several tries.


    (Done¡­ Let¡¯s give it a try.)


    Opening a portal, I invited a giant bat to enter my chamber and handed the mana-transceiver orb, before opening another portal to the top of the first tower above my dungeon. The giant bat, after went through the new portal, then put it on the designated place and I moved the petal-like structure at the top to grip the orb.


    Finished with that one, I created the second transceiver orb and opened a portal to the furthest allowed within the claimed dungeon area, as close as possible to the second tower, and sent the flying mammals with the orb through it. I even helped it flew faster with <wind magic>. After the second tower ready, I had the monster standing by near the tower and began the test.


    (Alright, let¡¯s start.)


    I channeled the mana to the first orb. In the process, I realized it would be more efficient if I just made a path for it to follow, thus I made the first tower hollow. The stream of mana flowed faster through it and quickly gathered within the orb, then I directed the stream to the second orb.


    (Good, they¡¯re connected. Now I need to make sure my safe radius really expand.)


    Fortunately, my next test showed that my safe radius did increase. Not as much as I had expected, but good enough for a prototype and, with that, the first phase was complete. Anyway, I commanded the bat to return to the dungeon.


    The fact that my creature had to put the transceiver orb manually on top of my relay towers every time was troublesome, especially because they would only get further from the dungeon. However, I figured I could just install the orb later, with my creatures rode my aircrafts on the way. Thus, the second phase would be preparing planes.


    Before that, however, I would need a big clearing for the runway. To achieve the required speed, a good runway was necessary. The lack of it was probably one of the reasons my first sky golem failed to take off. Too bad there was no place suitable for the role within the dungeon as of now, and therefore, I decided it was time to expand my dungeon.


    I burned 100 mana points right away with <Dungeon Expansion> for a 20x20 meters room behind my throne chamber, with a secret entrance behind my throne. Not that I really need an entrance, as I could just enter it with a portal using the <Dungeon Gate>, which exactly what I did the next moment.


    Then, to minimize the required mana, I enlarged the room with <Earth-Element Manipulation> instead of <Dungeon Expansion>. With the same skill, I made sure the 1200x100 meters room''s floor was level and gave enough resistance for the sky golem¡¯s wheels to move without any slipping. Satisfied with my work, I summoned a sky golem forward. It had the same setting as before.


    Thereafter, I began reworking my elemental guardian. First, I reduced the material thickness while ensuring it would still be able to endure the heavy air pressure when flying. It took a lot of time, as I worked in details for every part, tested them with <Wind Element Manipulation>, and reworked again until all parts¡¯ endurance met my standard.


    I circled the sky golem once, double checked the shape of the wings as they were essential for lifting the plane, and ascertained the flaps, rudders, stabilizers, and other parts were working as intended. Even after all that, I still made another final check on everything.


    (Good, the frame¡¯s ready. Now the difficult engine part¡­)


    After musing for a while, I started with detaching the pair of propulsion engines from the sky golem. Not in literal meaning, they were still attached there physically, although no longer part of the golem. Rather, I made them as an extension, like tools, which the golem still had an access and control over. It was so I could put a monster core to the engine without turning the golem into a real monster.


    Inserting a core to the both engines, I set them as the energy source for each of the engine while actively absorbing mana from their surroundings. Unlike an aircraft from my previous live, my aircraft didn¡¯t need a complex machinery or any motor to convert electricity into kinetic. In fact, it didn¡¯t need electricity at all, as everything was mana-based.


    I then had the golem started the engines, which, as far as I could see, was no different than when they had been part of the golem themselves. As the detachment was a success, the next step would be to increase their outputs.


    Currently, the propulsion engine only consisted of a multi-stage fan all the way. I began with removing the later half of the fan. Then, to make the air flowed more fluidly, I would compress the air by shaping the passage to become more narrow as the air passed through. I also played with the fan blades¡¯ shapes and angle positions to experiment for the best result. When I was done, it produced thrice stronger wind than the original propulsion engine had.


    Afterward, I coated the whole inner parts of the engine with a vacuum, to prevent them melting from an extreme heat. Then, in the middle of the engine, following right after the fan compressor section, I changed it into a stove of some sort section using the engine¡¯s core, which the golem could adjust up to the lava temperature. Of course, I had the elemental guardian tried it out when I finished, causing a loud whooshing noise along with a very strong blowing hot wind.


    (Uwaah, impressive! Adding a gap of temperature was the right choice, the golem even has a hard time maintaining its position! And it wasn¡¯t a full throttle yet?!)


    The sky golem stopped the engine and corrected its standing position, as it had gone off track from turning only one of its two engines. In the meantime, I thought it was such a waste if I didn¡¯t do anything to make use of the strong exhaust. Therefore, I added another layers of fan in the rear, behind the stove section, and connected them with a shaft to the previous multi-stage fan. Needless to say, I also coated the new parts with vacuum.


    The idea was to rotate the rear fan using the energy from the strong exhaust, which would also help rotating the front fan and thus made a cycle. This way, the mana usage would be more efficient, as the sky golem only needed to maintain the heat in the stove section.


    Finished with my version of jet engine, I worked on the other engine. Afterward, I filled both cores with mana for emergency reserve, just in case they couldn¡¯t access my mana for whatever reason. With everything in place, it was finally time for a real flight test.


    The golem restarted its engines, both of them. Reaching the wanted output, it released the break and started to run. It only took seconds to leave the ground, making the more than a kilometer long runway seemed unnecessarily redundant. Anyway, I opened a portal in the mid-air, allowing the stone bird to taste the night sky outside for the first time.


    ¡°Fly! Soar in the sky!¡± I yelled as I couldn¡¯t hold my excitement.


    Going several rounds, I deemed the test was enough and had it returned through another portal. After even the landing was perfect, I coudn¡¯t help but to grin all the time.


    (Alright. Just you wait Jiwa, I¡¯m coming for you!)

 Battle of Firzoa, Day 1

    Author Note:


    Heya, it''s the end of August. It means, Rise of the Dungeon is (almost) 1 year old. Happy anniversary folks, thank you for reading my work so far. Hopefully we''ll stay together in the incoming years too, either in this novel or a different ones ^^


    <hr />


    ¡°Report! The enemies have managed to set a foothold on the left-wing wall and keep pushing back our line. Lieutenant Lyo requesting for reinforcements!¡±


    ¡°I will go.¡±


    ¡°Take fifty men with you, Executive Pipo. And¡­ can we borrow your mages as well, Master Dayo?¡±


    The small, fox-eared senior, nodded. He then turned to the younger people behind him who were wearing similar purple robes just like his own, with an emblem of two crossing staffs above a round shield on the chest. ¡°Leleina, Mundo. With them, you go,¡± he ordered.


    A woman and a man in their late twenties bowed and brought their staffs, separating themselves to join Pipo. Immediately after that, the three were seen climbing down the stairs, leaving the platform of the command center behind.


    ¡°We¡¯re truly grateful that Magic Association decided to help us,¡± the woman, who previously had told Pipo to bring fifty men, remarked with a humble smile.


    ¡°Lady Xiandra¡­ Mention it, do not. Citizen of [Firzoa], we too are.¡±


    ¡°Of cours--¡±


    ¡°Urgent report!!¡± a new, dashing in, messenger interrupted. ¡°The entire enemy army has begun to move. Moreover¡­ they, uh, they¡¯re bringing a new force.¡±


    ¡°What force? How many?¡±


    A woman tapped Xiandra¡¯s shoulder and pointed her index to the northern sky, above the enemy¡¯s headquarters, noting the unusual sight to her peer Executive.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ You can¡¯t be serious¡­ A dragon? For real?!¡±


    ¡°Look carefully, someone is actually riding on it. Oh, it¡¯s landing...¡±


    ¡°Good Lord. Seriously? How is this fair?¡±


    ¡°At least now we know why they haven¡¯t moved until today. What do we do?¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°It¡¯ll be difficult to take down the dragon with our limited manpower. But, if we can kill the man who was riding the dragon, they may lose their control over the beast. We¡¯ll bet on it. Executive Ugi, Executive Izzavine, we¡¯ll go together. Master Dayo, can you lend your best mages to us? Captain Thraq, I¡¯ll leave the command center to you, is that okay?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me, Adventurer Xiandra? A dragon is attacking MY town, and you want me to just sit and watch from afar? No, I¡¯ll go too.¡±


    ¡°But--¡±


    ¡°No buts, it¡¯s my decision.¡±


    ¡°Stay here then, I will.¡±


    ¡°Master Dayo¡­?¡±


    ¡°Support from here, I can. While managing the command center at the same time. Will go with you, Vivias, Nozora, and Prem. Our best mages available.¡±


    ¡°Report! An enemy unit has managed to sneak behind the right-wing guards unbeknownst to us. Lieutenant Wali and his men are still fighting, but they won¡¯t hold for long.¡±


    ¡°Report! The enemy is in position to attack the west wall, we don¡¯t have enough men to defend it. And another enemy group continues marching south.¡±


    ¡°Report! An enemy commander has appeared at the north main gate and slain Vice-captain Yarr who stood guard there. We¡¯ve yet to identify this commander. Awaiting your orders.¡±


    *Slam!*


    Out of frustration, Xiandra hit the table in front of her. ¡°What about the east wall? And the dragon and its rider?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No report from east wall yet, Ma¡¯am. And the dragon isn¡¯t moving from behind the enemy lines,¡± a guard, who was being tasked as a watcher, replied.


    ¡°It should be safe. The east wall is thrice higher compared to the other walls, and the near forest location isn¡¯t suitable for moving a big army,¡± Izzavine said. ¡°You still want to attack the dragon rider as of now? I don''t advise it, we¡¯ll lose too many forces just trying to break through. Let¡¯s face what is in front of us first.¡±


    ¡°... Very well.¡±


    ¡°Good. Master Dayo, can you transfer us to the reported locations?¡±


    Shaking his head, Dayo said, ¡°Too bad. Has not seen since the start of the conflict, the one capable with <Space Magic>.¡±


    ¡°Then, we just have to do it the usual way. I and Ugi will take care of the north main gate and the north wall right-wing, but what about the west and the south walls?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll think of something, you just go,¡± Xiandra replied, massaging her forehead. ¡°Take as many reserves as you see fit, but leave enough for another emergency.¡±


    Nodding in sync, Izzavine and the rabbit-eared Ugi left. At the same time, Dayo gave a sign with his head and four mages followed, leaving only four mages including Dayo himself at the place.


    There was a moment of silence, where parchments being blown by the wind could be heard.


    ¡°From the start, we knew defending [Firzoa] with us alone is impossible, with or without a dragon making an appearance,¡± Captain Thraq of [Firzoa] town guards, a robust man wearing a majestic armor set, spoke. ¡°At least, we managed to evacuate all the civilians. However, rather than becoming lambs waiting to be slaughtered here, I prefer to head out the walls and die honorably.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush to welcome death, Captain. There¡¯s still hope,¡± Xiandra disagreed.


    Thraq laughed. ¡°Hope? What hope? The town is lost no matter what, what¡¯s left is taking as many enemies as possible with us.¡±


    ¡°You heard the earlier report too, that our guildmaster is likely here. Please wait until we could confirm. Hey, is there any news from Executive Oki or Thianna yet?¡±


    ¡°Not yet, Ma¡¯am,¡± one of Fantastica adventurers replied.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m not trying to offend, but even if your guildmaster is here, what can a single man do in this situation?¡± Thraq doubted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But if someone can make a miracle, I believe it¡¯s him.¡±


    ¡°Such trust¡­ However, time is something we don¡¯t have, I¡¯m afraid. I¡¯ll be heading out now. Follow me, men!¡±


    ¡°Report! A new adventurer group has pushed back the enemy at the north main gate and froze the enemy commander solid. We¡¯ve secured the location, and the gate itself has been reinforced with ice.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Finally some good news.¡±


    ¡°Report!¡± Another messenger rushed in. ¡°The enemies at the north wall right-wing are fighting among themselves for unknown reason. We¡¯re reclaiming the wall back!¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­?¡±


    ¡°Miracles DO happen,¡± Xiandra grinned.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Not sure about the former. Did they identify themselves?¡± Xiandra asked the messenger.


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am. It¡¯s a large group, they said they¡¯re survivors of your guild headquarters.¡±


    ¡°Survivors, you said? Did they tell what happened?¡±


    ¡°My apologies, we didn¡¯t ask that much.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, we need to dig this further. Later,¡± she muttered, then turned to Thraq. ¡°Anyway, the latter was probably the doing of Executive Yuvila the Bewitching Witch, one of our guild¡¯s most powerful mages. Glad she finally decided to join this battle, she is an eccentric fellow. Well, most strong mages are. Isn¡¯t that right, Master Dayo?¡±


    Dayo replied with a grunt.


    ¡°I see¡­ We still have the west and south walls¡¯ problems, though. Shall we go there?¡± Thraq asked.


    ¡°... Yeah,¡± Xiandra nodded.


    ¡°Re- report!¡± a guard almost fell as he climbed up the stairs in a hurry. ¡°An unbelievable sight! The enemies that were marching south and were attacking the west wall have been wiped out by a gale. Fantastica¡¯s guildmaster is confirmed to be on the spot.¡±


    ¡°Lady Xiandra!¡± a watcher called. ¡°The dragon is moving, it¡¯s heading towards the west wall!¡±


    Xiandra¡¯s face tightened, she reached one of the two swords that rested on the table and gripped the scabbard hard. ¡°They¡¯re targeting the guildmaster,¡± she concluded. ¡°You there, Greg, make sure every Executive in town receives information as follows. Guildmaster Dava is in [Firzoa] and currently a dragon is targeting him. I, Captain Thraq, and mages of Magic Association will assist, but we can use any help they¡¯re able to spare.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am,¡± the man she called responded. Greg quickly organized several more people to spread the news.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go hunting now, Captain.¡±


    Thraq nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting downstairs,¡± he said, walking down the platform to where his men were waiting with horses.


    ¡°Master Dayo, I¡¯m leaving the command center in your hands. Nozora, Vivias, and Prem, I¡¯m counting on you.¡±


    With that remark, Xiandra jumped, skipping several stairs at once, and landed beside her own black horse, which she patted a few times before hopping on. Right on her trail were the three mages of Magic Association.


    Soon, two dozen riders led by Thraq and Xiandra raced across the town to the western districts. The moment they were closing on their destination, a sound of explosions and things being crushed became clearer, often followed by debris that flew their way. Although the buildings hindered most of their vision, Xiandra and her group could easily make out the silhouette of the three-storey sized beast in rampage.


    ¡°Listen, Men! We¡¯ll use the horses¡¯ speeds to confuse the dragon and drag the rider down in the meantime. Don¡¯t act like a noob, avoid drawing the dragon¡¯s attention more than necessary!¡±


    ¡°¡°Yes, Sir!¡±¡±


    ¡°Remember, you¡¯re the proud protectors of [Firzoa]!¡±


    ¡°¡°Yes, Sir!¡±¡±


    ¡°FOR [[ALISHINE]]!!¡±


    ¡°¡°OOOOOHHHH!!¡±¡±


    Upon entering a plaza, they saw the dragon swinging its mighty tail horizontally, swiping whatever got in the way. Including a red haired man in robe, who jumped back to barely escape the deadly attack. However, with a speed that didn¡¯t match its size, the dragon¡¯s claw swung forward and threw the man to the ground hard. One of the forelegs then stepped on him, pressing with its weight.


    ¡°Guildmaster!¡± Xiandra shouted.


    ¡°Tch, Archers!¡±


    With Thraq¡¯s command, a series of twangs from bows¡¯ strings filled the air. None of the arrows missed their big target, albeit being harmless to the creature. Nevertheless, they managed to steal its attention.


    ¡°Formation number twelve!¡± Thraq called.


    The riders spread, circling the dragon and its rider with what looked like a random movement from a glance. Archers kept harrassing from a safe distance on their mounts, and once in awhile a melee or two would come near enough to use their weapons. None of these efforts were able to inflict damage, or to even leave a scratch, against the hard scales. All they did were inviting a curious and amused look from the big lizard and the man on it.


    Nonetheless, using the time they were distracted, Dava raised a pillar of earth to push the claw up, making room for escape. Realizing what their captive was about to do, the dragon pressed down once again, destroying the pillar like it was nothing. Still, Dava was faster. He managed to get away, although his barrier was torn and the claw left a serious wound on his leg.


    ¡°Mages!¡± Thraq called before the dragon could give a pursue.


    Immediately, two fireballs and a wind blade shot forward. Yet, the man on the dragon raised a hand and those spells were dispelled before him.


    ¡°Magic won¡¯t work on him,¡± Dava, who was standing with a support of his own magic, said with a clear voice. ¡°Mages should back off, you¡¯ll only- Everyone, watch out!!¡±


    At the time, the dragon was pulling its neck backwards and inhaling deeply in preparation to release the infamous <Dragon Breath>. Before it did, however, Xiandra managed to climb its body and thrust her sword towards one of the dragon¡¯s opened eyes.


    *Clank!*


    Her sword met the rider¡¯s spear.


    ¡°Where are you aiming, woman?¡±


    The next second was filled with an exchange of blows between the two, until Xiandra fell from the dragon¡¯s body with several shallow cuts. In contrast, her twin swords couldn¡¯t pass the thin yet tough form-fitting armor of the man, which covered everything from top to toe except the face. She flipped herself in mid-air and landed with grace. Still, she failed what she had been trying to achieve, and the dragon released the devastating attack.


    The temperature increased as the flame that could easily melt metals shot. Not long after, it collided with a barrier which Dava had erected, causing a powerful blast in every direction except where the barrier was, leveling literally everything. Other than Dava and several lucky town guards who had been standing behind the barrier, only Xiandra and Thraq managed to stay conscious and, with great effort, get back to their feet.


    Not waiting any longer, when even the dusts had yet to settle, the dragon rider already launched himself high above. Then, with the help of gravity, struck down to where Dava was catching his breath. The guildmaster''s barrier shattered the moment it came in contact with the attacker¡¯s weapon, rendering the mage defenseless with his spear.


    Now with a deep wound from the strike to his chest, the red haired adventurer mustered all his power to get himself away as fast as possible. The spear wielder didn¡¯t let him, though. His palm opened facing Dava and suddenly all the wind supporting the mage vanished, dropping the Fantastica¡¯s supreme leader with a loud thud to the ground. Smirking triumphantly, his spear seeked more of his flesh.


    *Clank!*


    This time, it was Xiandra¡¯s turn to block.


    ¡°You again?¡± the man glared, pushing Xiandra away. He took a glance towards the dragon and found Thraq and the remaining [Firzoa] town guards keeping it company. Or rather, they were sacrificing themselves to let the woman in front of him catch up.


    ¡°Your spear mastery, and the unique shape of your helmet and armor made of stainless material. You¡¯re a dragon knight, are you not?¡± Xiandra asked.


    The man smirked. ¡°What if I am?¡±


    ¡°Funny. I heard you folks are strong crazies who hunt dragons for lunch. Since when did you turn into pet keepers?¡±


    ¡°Ha ha ha, you know how to joke, wWoman. Tiamut is not a pet, he¡¯s my partner.¡±


    ¡°Heh? You even named your pet?¡±


    ¡°*Cough*. Be careful, he isn¡¯t a normal *Cough* *Cough* dragon knight. He--¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware, Guildmaster. Not only does he ride a dragon, he can nullify magic too, doesn¡¯t he? It¡¯s been a long time since I last saw you being so useless in a fight.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± the dragon knight said with a smile. ¡°Strip a mage from his magic, in nine out of ten times, an everyday farmer would outmatch him. The stronger the mage is, the more dependent he is on magic, and the more he will suffer from losing it.¡±


    ¡°How do you do that, nullifying magic?¡±


    The dragon knight¡¯s smile became broader. ¡°Against the arrogant [[Alishine]] that always boasts for having the best mages around, there¡¯s no better suited method, don¡¯t you agree? Even the man praised as the strongest mage is no match for me.


    ¡°Well, that said, I still praise him. He¡¯s supposed to be very tired after fighting Ethoria for days. Yet, he can hold this well against my partner. Not bad at all, very fitting for his strongest title. But it won¡¯t last. Now, if you know what¡¯s better for you, move, woman. Don¡¯t get in my way.¡±


    ¡°... Why¡¯re you doing this? Don¡¯t you have shame? [[Alishine]] has helped [[Dragora]] in many occasions. What¡¯s with this betrayal?¡±


    The [[Dragora]]¡¯s elite laughed out loud. ¡°Helped? Yes, and thanks to that help we¡¯ve paid a heavy toll. You¡¯re a devil in disguise, you used the so-called-help to lead us into a debt trap, then made us obey your bidding all the time. We aren¡¯t your slaves, we should be both vassals of equal standing for [[Holy Malvice Empire]], damn it.¡±


    ¡°... And, do you think [[Quwwat]] will treat you any different?¡±


    ¡°... Maybe not, at least not completely. But as long as we hold control of [Firzoa], the center of magic study within the empire, our magic division would be stronger, both in quantity and quality. In addition, this area is rich, so it¡¯s worth all the hardship. Even if that¡¯s not enough, we¡¯ll at least have avenged His Highness Prince Sorok by punishing you,¡± the man said, smirking. Then, as smile was wiped from his face, he said, ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough. Question session is over, woman. Now move!¡±


    ¡°¡­ Guildmaster, I¡¯ll handle this. Please get away safely.¡±


    ¡°Under- *Cough* -stood, I¡¯ll only be a burden if I stay,¡± Dava replied while wiping dry blood from his mouth. His wounds were already closed frozen, although, his face was pale from losing too much blood. ¡°Live, Executive Xiandra. I¡¯ll treat you a luxurious dinner once this battle is over,¡± he said and winked, despite knowing that Xiandra couldn¡¯t see it from her position.


    ¡°Stop blabbering nonsense. Go!¡±


    ¡°Wow, wow, wow. Do you really think I¡¯ll let you?¡±


    With one jump, the spearman was already behind Dava, blocking his escape route. Xiandra reacted quickly by going in between the two men, though, giving Dava precious seconds he needed to move away. Sparks from the two warriors'' clashing weapons occurred repeatedly.


    ¡°Why are you so persistence, woman? This town is as good as ours, and that man¡¯s death is inevitable. What do you keep fighting for? Surrender, and I¡¯ll spare you. With your prowess, you can easily secure a good position in our army if you ever decide to join us. Or, if you want to, I can arrange you to become my concubine. What do you say?¡±


    ¡°You talk too much. I, Xiandra of Adventurer Guild Fantastica, will shut your mouth forever,¡± she replied, her weapons not stopping for a second.


    The dragon knight frowned. He finally stopped trying to get past Xiandra and, instead, made a distance between them. Xiandra watched the standing still man, keeping herself ready for whenever he tried to do anything.


    ¡°Heh, of course it won¡¯t be that easy to persuade a woman who is both beautiful and strong,¡± he said, glancing to the dragon once again, which had just gulped, bringing the last opponent down its throat. ¡°But you should¡¯ve known your place, woman.¡±


    He whistled, attracting the dragon''s attention, and gave a sign, pointing to where Dava had gone. Understanding what its human partner was asking, Tiamut turned its gaze to the direction and sniffed the air, then began spreading its massive wings.


    ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡± This time Xiandra was the one who frowned. Restless as she was, she knew that there was nothing she could do to help her guildmaster.


    ¡°Xiandra, was it? I, Dragoon Lavi, third seat of [[Dragora]]¡¯s Order of Dragon, will teach you what it means to challenge a dragon knight. ROAR!¡±


    Caught unprepared to the sudden sound attack, Xiandra lost her balance. Blood flowed out from her ears and she was temporarily stunned. It wasn¡¯t that long, but should have been more than enough to give her a fatal wound. Yet, even after she regained full control over her body, the attack wasn''t coming.


    ¡°Wh- what¡¯s that?¡± she couldn¡¯t help but mutter in surprise upon realizing white things under her lying, facing down, enemy. It wasn¡¯t hard for her to figure that, whatever the whites were, they had prevented her opponent from standing back.


    To add to her surprise, a creature that obviously wasn''t human suddenly appeared before the man. It pulled his helmet up and then stabbed his unprotected face. It tried to, at least, but Dragoon Lavi managed to free one of his hands enough to parry the attack, forcing the weapon to slide harmlessly off his gauntlet.


    The next moment, the black creature jumped backwards with both hands below its pair of horns, covering the ears. At the same time, the dragon knight roared again. It was less severe for Xiandra this time, however. Partially because her hearing was deafened after the last attack, and the other part was because the roar was abruptly cut almost as soon as it had started, when Lavi let out a choked sound.


    Xiandra couldn¡¯t see clear what had happened as the creature¡¯s back obscured her vision, but in the split second, the creature had spit poison into Lavi¡¯s mouth. Which was why he had choked.


    ¡°Keek keek keek, I¡¯m out of here,¡± the creature let out a clear sentence, causing Xiandra¡¯s eyes to widen.


    As a high-ranking adventurer, she had gone through many dungeons. Some of them were dens of demons. Thus, she could easily guess that the creature in front of her, an armored ratman with horns, was also a demon. What she didn¡¯t expect was that the demon could speak. She knew they were sentient, but to hear one speak was the first for her.


    Instinctively, she tried to get a better look at the demon in question, which was staring back at her. It grinned, baring its yellowish fangs, then began to fade from her vision. Her heart beat faster. The fact that a demon that had a stealth ability was roaming free within a town sent a shiver down her spine. Moreover, the said demon had managed to launch a sneak attack on a dragon knight out of all people.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Although she had been too surprised to react before, she raised her twin swords and readied herself now. Demons were the common enemy for most races and subjugating one should take top priority, regardless of peace or war time. It was common knowledge. Therefore, she expected Lavi would agree for a temporary truce.


    Focusing all her senses, she tried to detect the demon¡¯s presence. She got nothing, though. And then she lost all of her concentration when something exploded from afar, causing a quake that reached their location.


    ¡°Uhh.¡±


    While trying to keep her stand by using the swords as support, she turned her gaze to the east, where the explosion had happened, and saw a figure floating in the air. With an enchanted vision, she caught a better glimpse of the figure roaring, before it dove in and disappeared behind the buildings. It had a snout, a long neck, wings, and a long tail. It was neither human nor faunus - the race of the animal-eared people. Another demon, she concluded.


    Xiandra felt tired all of a sudden. The pain from her wounds, especially her ears, that she had been ignoring now flowed in. Not only being greatly outnumbered by their neighbor¡¯s invading army, they had to deal with, at least, two demons in town too. Her spirit was low, until she remembered her guildmaster was also in the town.


    At the moment, Lavi was engulfed in flames and the hot wave caught her attention. Xiandra knew it better  than to expect the fires killing him, though. His armor, which had been designed to confront a dragon, would withstand such small flames. She even suspected the man had set the fire himself to get rid of the white, sticky, thread like things.


    Mustering up a resolution, she took out a health recovery potion from her bag, which had been imbued with <Space Magic>, and gulped down the contents. She believed that if she could get rid of the man, who was able to nullify magic, then her guildmaster would definitely do something for their seemingly hopeless situation.


    The flames died down and as she had expected, the man named Lavi was fine. His body-fit armor didn¡¯t even have a burn mark.


    ¡°...ou, ¡­ ¡­ss  d..mon. ARGH!¡±


    Annoyed by how his own voice had turned out, Dragoon Lavi grabbed the only small bag hanging on his waist - which looked similar to Xiandra¡¯s, opened it, and took out a bottle. It was different from the standard bottle of a health or mana recovery bottle, and the content was sparkling green instead of red or bluish white. He flicked the cap open with a pop and hurriedly poured the liquid to his throat.


    Xiandra, recognizing the drink as a general antidote, decided to act. With all her wounds patched up, she swiftly executed a technique which had earned her the nickname Swallow of South.


    Lavi avoided once, but the second slash cut clean his bottle in half and spilled out the remaining content. ¡°Wh..t¡¯re you ...ing?¡± he growled angrily while blocking the third and fourth slashes. ¡°Demons are ...ere.¡± His voice had partially returned after the antidote soothe his throat, albeit didn¡¯t heal him.


    Xiandra ignored him and continued being offensive. Right, left, left, kick, right, up, kick, right, left, she attacked from every direction non-stop.


    ¡°I see¡­ The reason those demons only attacked me and my partner is because they¡¯re your allies? Allying yourself to demons and bringing them into town, have you lost your mind? Have you given up your humanity, you heretics?!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, but I know I need to kill you in order to save [Firzoa],¡± Xiandra replied as she continued attacking.


    Back several minutes prior, when the dragon¡¯s breath had just collided with Dava¡¯s barrier and the Dragoon Lavi¡¯s <Jump Strike> wounded the mage, two beings were watching the whole things from afar. They sat on a rooftop just outside the collision range, unbeknown to the fighting parties.


    ¡°Keek, what do you think? Should we help the Red Wizard? If he died, we won''t get our promised payment, right?¡±


    ¡°... Do what you want, but that dragon is mine!¡±


    ¡°Keek keek keek, the dragon? I never understand your humor. Haven¡¯t you seen what he¡¯s capable of?¡±


    ¡°Exactly! That breath¡¯s destruction, that scales¡¯ protection, I want those powers!¡±


    ¡°... Do you think you can win against it, keek?¡±


    ¡°I can recover, he can¡¯t. I can absorb mana, he can¡¯t. As long it¡¯s not an instant kill, it¡¯s a matter of time.¡±


    ¡°Keek keek keek. That, or you run out mana first.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. You make sure the armored spear warrior won¡¯t interfere while I kill the dragon. Bring him away. Or better, just kill him.¡±


    ¡°Keek! And why should I do that? For you?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you want to help the Red Wizard? The spear warrior¡¯s obviously targeting his life.¡±


    ¡°Fine, keek. I¡¯ll give it a try. But only a try. I won¡¯t expose myself more than necessary, I still haven¡¯t done master¡¯s order to capture their mages.¡±


    ¡°Hmph! Then you better hurry up.¡±


    ¡°Keek keek keek. See you later.¡±


    The moment the last word left his mouth, one of the two beings, the ratsassin - a black furred ratman with a pair of bull horns and an armor set made of scales, turned invisible. The only indication he was moving away was the muffled sounds of his steps, but they too vanished as soon.


    The other being, the dragonoid - an humanoid dragon with metal-armor like body, stayed still at his place for a while. He carefully observed his target, the dragon, looking for a good chance to attack. Then, he found it.


    When the dragon took a flight, moving away from the spear warrior, he quickly stood up, jumped high, and spread his own wings. Flying full speed towards where the dragon headed, a contact was made with the unsuspecting creature. It reacted too late to avoid the incoming charge. And, while the beast losing its balance, the dragonoid continued with a heavy punch to the face and then with his own breath blast, sending his massive opponent to ground almost instantly.


    The crashing impact was strong enough to cause a small quake and send rubles for kilometers. As if to announce his presence to the world, the dragonoid roared, then folded his wings and dove in like a comet. Sensing the danger and interpreting the roar as a challenge, the dragon quickly got up. It roared back, even louder and fiercer the dragonoid¡¯s.


    As the two beasts began to clash, the match between Dragoon Lavi and Adventurer Xiandra intensified. At first, Xiandra looked like she had the upperhand, being the one taking initiatives. But as the fight continued, the difference became more apparent.


    No matter how many times she had attacked, she couldn¡¯t pass through Lavi¡¯s armor. Thereafter, her moves had become predictable, as she could only aim for the opened face of her opponent. Lavi wasn¡¯t a rookie, he was a spearmaster. Making use of the shown weakness, he countered, pushing Xiandra back a step or two or giving her a new wound every time his spear moved.


    Being in unfavorable situation, although her wounds quickly disappeared as she was still under the potion¡¯s regeneration effect, Xiandra looked for alternatives. Her eyes moved wildly, looking for anything she could use, all while fleeing from Lavi¡¯s spear. It had become a cat and mouse game rather than a proper fight.


    ¡°Do you think you can run for¡­ever¡­  What¡¯s that¡­?¡±


    Lavi came to halt. At first, Xiandra thought it was a trap. However, she then had a goosebump herself. Following Lavi¡¯s line of sight, she found the southern sky had darkened. The sun was blocked by a weird looking cloud, and that cloud was heading their way, fast.


    As it approached, blood was drained from Xiandra¡¯s face upon recognizing the cloud¡¯s true form. She hold her breath and gripped her swords¡¯ tilt harder. Watching was the only thing she could do when the swarm of thousands of bats and flying bugs flew above the town, most were too high for her to reach. Even though some bugs were reachable, she wasn¡¯t sure if provoking them was the right thing to do in the situation.


    And yet, the terror hasn¡¯t stopped there. A rumble mixed with sporadic screeches and growls followed. This time, a horde consist of rats, fierce rats, cats, running reptiles, and many more overran the town streets.


    ¡°This is¡­ a dungeon invasion,¡± she realized. ¡°But how¡­? There shouldn¡¯t be any dungeon nearby. Moreover, one that could overflow a big town like [Firzoa]. Except¡­¡±


    Dungeon invasion, an occasion when a dungeon grew strong enough and invaded a nearby village or town. However, it was a rare event nowadays due to the number of adventurers. A dungeon would usually be conquered not long after it was first founded.


    Of course there were always exceptions. Like the Mount Naar Dungeon which was deemed unconquerable until recently. Or, in cases of a guild claimed ownership of a dungeon and registered it to the Adventurer Admin Office, the said guild usually let the dungeon alive but kept its growth checked. Or, when an unknown dungeon slipped from attention until it caused a trouble to its surroundings, which more likely to happen in a less populated area.


    ¡°Shit!¡± she heard the man beside her cursed.


    When she turned, Lavi was cracking a red crystal in his palm. She recognized the item, it was a materia - a fire materia to be exact, a stone made of condensed magic for a singular usage, that once booming among people with less magic talent like Xiandra herself. However, as time went on, materia was proven carrying a huge risk of hitting, even killing, its own user or nearby allies, thus abandoned by most.


    A flame that burst out from the crack quickly engulfed Dragoon Lavi. Obviously the risk of hitting its own user was less dangerous for him, if that wasn¡¯t his real purpose at all. Even though Xiandra was interested to continue watching, she turned away. The incoming dungeon creatures needed her immediate attention.


    She slashed the nearest fierce rat, beheaded the reptile next to it, and stomped on a nearby gi-ant. In an instant, half a dozen fell to her sword. Repeating the process, it didn¡¯t take long for the dead creatures to begin piling up.


    Despite that, none of creatures had retaliated, and it made her hesitated. Even after she completely stopped her movement, they really didn¡¯t try to attack. Many of them were hissing and showing their fangs when they were passing by, but that was all.


    Doubt crept her heart. Looking around, she found the opposite happened to the dragon knight. They were actively attacking the burning man, even though the flame alone could easily gave them a fatal wound.


    Her brain couldn¡¯t comprehend what was happening, but after considering every possibilities, she started to see the connection. If what Lavi had said was true, that the creatures were her allies, then, the only one she could think of capable of such feat was the Dungeon Master Arz. The young man had to have survived Maa¡¯s raid somehow. Unlikely as it might be, it was the only answer she could come up with. His dungeon¡¯s location and size were also match.


    ¡°Heh. Should I say, as expected of Executive Alveria¡¯s childhood friend¡­? But, he still decided to help us after all what happened? Why¡­? Because Alveria? Or there are other things I don¡¯t know yet?¡±


    Xiandra found herself smiling. There were still things she wasn¡¯t sure of, but decided to set the matters aside until later. She thought, if they were really allies, even if it temporarily, then she ought to make the best use of it. Channeling her mana to her swords, she chose a technique she had been preserving until now due to stamina consumption rate reason.


    ¡°Vlam, Vorst, heed my call. Awaken!¡± she chanted.


    Her twin swords shook a bit and began to glow. One red and one blue, emitting a hot and cold aura respectively. She then kicked the ground and charged forward. With her blue sword, Vorst, she extinguished the large part of flame around Lavi.


    He was surprised, but remained composed nevertheless. ¡°I know it, you¡¯re really a traitor of humanity!¡±


    Xiandra ignored him and kept attacking, together with the monsters. However, Lavi proved to be the superior fighter. While most of the horde had gone, the remaining ones died at his spear one after another. Because Xiandra still couldn¡¯t harm the flesh beneath the body-fit armor even with both of her swords being evoked, her target of choices were limited back to the face alone, allowing her movement to be predictable once again.


    Yet, Lavi couldn¡¯t simply attain his victory. What worse for him, his movement became duller every passing moment due to the ratsassin¡¯s poison. The demon had directly spit it to his throat when he was least expecting, so he couldn¡¯t help swallowing the hazardous liquid. Then, Xiandra had spilled his antidote, foiling his attempt to neutralize the effect. And he had been moving non-stop ever since, helping the poison to spread faster.


    Thanks to his high constitution Lavi did manage to hold this far, but now, reaching his limit, he couldn¡¯t finish his last opponent in front of him. Fortunately for him, Xiandra¡¯s technique had also drained her, albeit not as bad. She had deactivated her swords back to normal once she deemed it wasn¡¯t effective.


    Thus, the prolonged fight between the two continued. Before they knew, the location had moved so far from where they had started at near the west wall to the center of town. Neither of them wished to back off and it turned stalemate.


    ¡°Hey, you. You¡¯re from Fantastica, aren¡¯t you?¡± a woman voice suddenly called.


    Both Lavi and Xiandra didn¡¯t dare to leave their opponent completely out of sight, but took a glance anyway. Whether it was an enemy or ally would make a big different, after all. What came to view were two women and four armored knights. Lavi didn¡¯t recognize them, but Xiandra sure did, at least one of them.


    ¡°You are Big Sis Ehrisya, are you not? Shouldn¡¯t you with the other civilians? What¡¯re you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Oh dear, do you know me?¡± one of the women, the red haired one who looked older, replied. ¡°Wait, I remember. You were that teenager, the youngest member of my brother¡¯s old party. Your name is¡­ Mm¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Xiandra. So, what are you doing here, Big Sis?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Xiandra. I¡¯m going to go to Arz¡¯s dungeon, as per his agreement with my brother.¡±


    ¡°Arz¡¯s dungeon? I see, Dungeon Master Arz is really al-¡±


    ¡°Watch out!¡±


    Lavi had been having a hard time against Xiandra alone. If the number of enemy increased, then he would be doomed. Therefore, grabbing the chance when his opponent was distracted, he launched his <jump strike>.


    However, thanks to Ehrisya¡¯s early warning, Xiandra was able to block the spear above her head in the last moment, albeit being sent to the side and hit a house¡¯s wall as the impact. Lavi couldn¡¯t follow with another attack, though, as the four newcomer knights already surrounded him.


    At the moment, he realized the strangeness of his new opponents. Not only they had wings and slightly floated, their faces were also lack of features, as if carved by a rookie sculptor.


    ¡°Demons,¡± he whispered in realization.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have disturbed a talk between women, you know,¡± said the other woman, who had a golden tiara on her dark hair. She flicked her fingers and the surrounding knights charged forward.


    Lavi¡¯s spear was faster, however, stabbing and slashing anything that came too close. In a mere seconds, parts of what used to be the knights were lying around him.


    With a smirk, he mocked. ¡°If that¡¯s the best you can¡­ What¡¯re you smiling at? Don¡¯t you see your comrades have died?¡±


    The cloaked woman with tiara didn¡¯t reply a word, but her confident smile made him wary. Then, something grabbed his leg. He looked down and found that it was one of the knights from before, with only half chest and one arm left. Although his armor was absorbing most of the damage, he could feel the strength behind the hand.


    Stabbing the arm, he turned to the woman again. ¡°If you think this kind of trick can- ooph-¡±


    Another legless knight hit his back and attached itself, trying to hold his neck. Then another, this one was a headless body, reached and hold his other leg.


    ¡°Wha- What¡¯s this?¡±


    If Lavi had thought it calmly, he would understand that they posed no slightest threat for him. However, for the tired dragon knight who had never delved into a dungeon and wasn¡¯t familiar with oddities which often accompanied dungeon creatures, the surprise was just too overwhelming. And exactly at the moment, when he unconsciously lowered his guard, the woman did act.


    ¡°Uh¡­ my head¡­ hurts¡­¡±


    *Bang!*


    ¡°Fool,¡± the woman sneered, watching the lifeless man that now laying on the ground, several meters behind his standing position a second ago. Fresh blood was still flowing from the hole between his opened eyes. ¡°If I were you, I would have covered my face too. ¡­Or not,¡± she remarked and blew the remained smoke from one of the three barrels of her short spear.


    ¡°What happened? What did you do?¡± Xiandra, being helped to stand back by Ehrisya, threw questions in confuse.


    Shrugging her shoulder, the other woman smiled and said, ¡°Just a little trick I recently learned from my master.¡±


    Ignoring the still confused adventurer, her cheek puffed and she threw up. Except, what came out from the mouth were several eggs. They quickly hatched, revealing small gi-ants from under the broken shells. Without a single word from the woman, the hatchlings already knew what to do. They went to recover the scattered body parts of the knights.


    Seeing Xiandra knitting her brows, she giggled. ¡°Allow me to introduce myself, Fantastica. I¡¯m Queen, a demon who serves the Demon Lord Arz.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it like that,¡± Ehrisya scolded. ¡°It gives an ominous feeling.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s the truth, Mother-in-law,¡± the demoness pouted.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Xiandra cut. ¡°Mother-in-law? No, more importantly, if you¡¯re a demon¡­ presumably a queen gi-ant demon, then how do you look exactly like a human?¡±


    Queen licked her lips. ¡°My lord values his human appearance, so I choose this form to match him.¡±


    ¡°What? You can choose your form?¡±


    ¡°Oops, looks like I¡¯ve talked too much,¡± Queen closed her mouth with a hand and laughed. ¡°Oh right, I¡¯m suppose to hand this to a Fantastica.¡± Saying so, she grabbed out a big pouch from under her cloak and threw it.


    Xiandra readily caught the clinking pouch. Peeking a little, her eyes instantly turned wide. ¡°Gold coins, and this many. What¡¯s this for?¡±


    ¡°A compensation for your lost.¡±


    ¡°Compensation? Lost? What¡¯s this about?¡±


    ¡°Annoying, go ask your guildmaster,¡± Queen said dismissively. Her attention was already switched to the pile of knight bodies under her feet. Crouching down, she selected the parts around nape where their cores were stored.


    Xiandra was dumbfounded, agaping, as she watched the parts that Queen had touched regrew their missing limbs. Soon, the four knights were back to their feet. While the hatchlings gi-ants ate their old body parts, one of the knights went to recover Lavi¡¯s lifeless body.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking him as per the agreement between your guildmaster and my lord,¡± Queen announced, pointing the dead. ¡°He¡¯ll surely be happy with this present and praise me, fufufu¡­¡± she muttered, more to herself.


    Turning to Ehrisya, she called, ¡°Come now, Mother-in-law, let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll hold you.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Xiandra, dear, send my regards to Dava, alright?¡±


    With Queen holding Ehrisya from behind and a knight put Lavi on its shoulder, they took off, heading southeast.


    Xiandra looked around. The district she was standing was rather silent. The crunching sound of little gi-ants having their meal had finished and now replaced by the bug monsters¡¯ crawling sound. They were heading northwards to join their brethrens in the north gate. Her gaze followed them, and then fixated at the smokes that rose high from there.


    ¡°Right, this isn¡¯t time to dilly dally here. The battle is far from over.¡±


    She put the coin pouch into her own bag, took another potion, and gulped the liquid inside. After tying the bag back to her belt and retrieving her fallen swords, she started to jog following the paved road. Under the last sunlight of the day - which would completely gone in minutes, Xiandra reinvigorated her will.

 25. Good riddance

    (Why should I stop with a little explosion when I could do much more with a core? Since I would use up a core every time I fire a missile anyway, isn¡¯t it better to work on something that could even kill a dragon?)


    With that in mind, I spent the next few hours working on the projectile for my sky golem. The final design should be perfect, it should be able to destroy even Dava¡¯s barrier. No, actually, it was perfect against mage only, but I doubt it could give significant damage to a dragon or a warrior with real sturdy defense.


    After finishing the prototype of the mage-killer missile, I let myself had a little break by checking through the surveillance flies. I found both father and Jiwa were staying the night in an inn of a small village, within [[Dragora]]¡¯s territory. Their progress was shorter than I had expected. However, because of that, the plan for the relay towers¡¯ positions would need adjustment.


    As the series of towers would be crossing the main route between two towns [Rahziel] and [Jowsar], I thought it might be better to leave defenders at each tower. That way, I would be able to fight with more ease, knowing that mana disturbance during a fight would be less likely to happen.


    (But, what kind of monsters should I stationed there? It¡¯s better if they¡¯re strong AND not drawing attention, isn¡¯t it?


    (Well, the new phantom rats should do, but I think Ken¡¯s bringing them all to [Firzoa].


    (The other stealth unit I have¡­ terrortula? Ah, but there¡¯s none of them at the moment. Not that I can expect one after Ken slaughtered most of the spiders last time. I would need a queen for their race sooner or later, if I want them to be useful once again.


    (Let¡¯s see¡­ Is there any other race I can choose?


    (¡­ Hmm, doesn¡¯t seem so.


    (Nevermind, I¡¯ll take care of it when the time comes. I can just force-evolve some if I have too.


    (Let¡¯s finish the crucial parts first.)


    As I was busy musing, queen gi-ant came through a portal. I immediately turned my full attention to her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve returned, master,¡± she reported in.


    ¡°Welcome back. How was it?¡±


    ¡°As your order, I¡¯ve given a Fantastica the coins and brought Lady Ehrisya here. She¡¯s waiting in the throne chamber.¡±


    ¡°Oh, alright.¡±


    After putting down the missile prototype that still in my hand, I opened and went through a portal to my chamber. Queen followed right behind me. There, the middle-age beauty was inspecting my made-of-stone-with-some-gold-accessories-throne when I entered, illuminated by light orbs hanging on the ceiling.


    ¡°Hello, auntie. I hope your trip was enjoyable,¡± I greeted.


    She turned and smiled. ¡°Hello, Arz. You bet it was. I mean, I know the forest is huge, but taking a look from above is a completely different experience,¡± she said in excitement.


    ¡°Haha, glad you like it. I hope you can enjoy your stay as well. Hmm. The toilet is the right door over there, and the bedroom is the other door. The mattress is made of¡­ hardened water, of some sort. Neither too soft nor too hard, I¡¯ve confidence you¡¯ll like it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my. If you put it that way, I can¡¯t wait to give it a try,¡± she chuckled.


    I returned her laugh with a grin. ¡°Well, if there¡¯s anything that can make you more comfortable, don¡¯t hesitate to tell Queen or me. Ah, do you want to have a dinner?¡±


    Shaking her head, she replied, ¡°No, dear, I already ate. And no, I don¡¯t need anything in particular for now, but I will make sure to tell when I do.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± I noded. ¡°By the way, if everything goes well, father should join us here by tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Aunt Ehrisya¡¯s eyes turned expectantly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t put your hope too high, though, auntie. In his state, there¡¯s a chance that he won¡¯t even recognize any of us.¡±


    Gasping, she asked, ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°Something terrible, indeed,¡± I replied, without explaining any further.


    ¡°Oh my¡­ but it¡¯s okay. Even it¡¯s the truth, I¡¯ll still take a good care of him.¡±


    ¡°Father is such a lucky guy, isn¡¯t he?¡± I remarked, giving an honest smile. ¡°Well, that¡¯s that. I need to finish several things first if I want to succeed at bringing him. So, I¡¯ll excuse myself, unless you still need me?¡±


    ¡°No, dear. Go ahead, don¡¯t let me hinder your work.¡±


    ¡°Can I¡¯ve moment before you go, master?¡± Queen interrupted.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Please take a look at this.¡±


    A new portal opened behind Queen and one of the royal knight gi-ants came in, with someone on his shoulder. The humanoid made a bow before laying down the man he had been carrying. Then, after bowing once again, he returned to the portal he had come from.


    Observing the man on the floor, I didn¡¯t recognize him. He was dead, that was for sure. Moreover, his outfit was such a body-fit armor that I had never seen in this world. ¡°And, he is?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Fufu¡­ The one in front of you is one of the race called dragon knight. His skin is very tough, and he can nullify Red Wizard¡¯s magic. Though, I suspect he hasn¡¯t fully reached adulthood yet, because the skin on his face is still soft. Such glaring flaw. If I were him, I would do something to cover it¡­ Or maybe not, I dislike covering, after all.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Huh? Wait, a dragon knight?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I watched him fighting while on my way to [Firzoa]. He even mounted a dragon back then, very impressive if you ask me. Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t find a good way to collect his heart without ruining the corpse. Could you help, master? I should be able to learn the secret of his toughness and his way to nullify magic once I eat it. I¡¯ll give you the rest after that, you should be able to get a considerable amount of mana from him.¡±


    I raised my eyebrows. ¡°¡­ Queen.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve your priority order wrong. Shouldn¡¯t you give me him first and then I¡¯ll let you have the parts I don¡¯t use?


    ¡°Eh? Ah, but, I know you¡¯ve no use for the heart¡­¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s the right way to speak to me,¡± I reprimanded.


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Besides, dragon knight is a profession, not a race.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°His race is human. Why do you think he¡¯s a different race, to begin with?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Ah, because his skin is so hard like Haz¡¯s¡­ He also likes to roar like him, and both of them have dragon in their name. So¡­¡±


    ¡°I see¡­,¡± I said and smiled, ceasing my angry act. ¡°Well, for your information, dragon knights or dragoons are famous warriors from [[Dragora]]. They¡¯re elites among the elites and only few in number. As far as I know, most of them were humans throughout the history, with very few exceptions.


    ¡°Their main jobs are to protect the citizens from dragons, that sometimes coming down from the Dragon Mountains to look for food, and to arrange expeditions for hunting them in regular basis. As for their¡­ hard skin, as you put it, they¡¯re special armors forged by the dwarves, made of the rare elunium - which is said second only to mythril in terms of material quality for armor. Dragons are the dwarves¡¯ natural enemy, after all, so it¡¯s a mutual benefit.¡±


    ¡°You seem to know a lot about dragon knight, dear,¡± Aunt Ehrisya commented after I finished my long explanation.


    However, I was more impressed by how calm she was. The talk of how we would use the dead didn¡¯t seem to affect her, which was good for me. She really was a strong woman.


    I grinned. ¡°Boys who don¡¯t have magic talent often have a dream of becoming a dragon knight, auntie. Not me, though, I always wanted to become a mage and an adventurer. And, believe me, the epic of Dragoon Diaz and his party slaying the king dragon is one of the all-time popular stories among boys,¡± I told, of which she nodded in agreement, probably from her own experience with boys.


    ¡°But, something doesn¡¯t match up,¡± I mused, continuing my speech. ¡°Queen, you said he mounted a dragon? Hmm. I don¡¯t know, but I imagine it would have invited strong reactions from the dwarves. And nullifying magic¡­? Now, this is interesting.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Mm, so, the conclusion, can I have his heart?¡±


    ¡°Fine, but I want to check him thoroughly before you do. Just put him in a prison cell for now. Anyway, good job, Queen,¡± I praised.


    ¡°Okay. Mm, since he seems a valuable capture, will I get my reward?¡± she asked, licking her lips.


    (Haah¡­ here we go again.)


    ¡°Not now,¡± I denied, shaking my head, which immediately made her down.


    Considering it for a moment, I changed my mind. I would present her with something else. Then, touching her forehead, I connected to her core and injected heat into it, the same way I had done to both Hazard and Ken a week ago. However, I didn¡¯t get a notification of the queen gi-ant turning into a fire variant afterward, unlike with the two.


    ¡°Oh, this is¡­?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your reward.¡±


    ¡°Fu¡­ I¡¯m grateful, master, but it wasn¡¯t exactly what I was hoping for when I asked a reward,¡± she said, taking my hand from her forehead. As she starting to lick my fingers, she added, ¡°This, is more like it.¡±


    Sighing, I pulled my hand back. ¡°You should watch your attitude, Queen. Especially in front of our guest.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Okay,¡± she replied, licking her own fingers in a flirtatious manner. She didn¡¯t get it at all, it seemed.


    ¡°Notify me when there¡¯s something urgent, don¡¯t disturb me otherwise,¡± I ordered.


    ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± she said, lowering her head.


    After sending aunt Ehrisya a farewell nod, I returned to the runway room. From my overview screen, I saw I had only spent around 2,700 mana points for my experiments on the golem and the missile, including the reward for Queen. Anyway, my mana level was safe.


    (Where was I? Ah, right, I need to prepare a machine gun.)


    I thought for a second. The sky golem¡¯s engine gave me an idea of how to make use the bullet¡¯s propelling power to remove the spent cartridge and load the next one. However, because I wanted a bigger size gun for the machine gun, I couldn¡¯t use the existing handgun or rifle cartridges, and developing a new one would need a lot of trials and errors to get the right amount of explosive stored.


    Thus, after creating a gun for the tests, I made a batch of cartridge samples and tried shooting them one after another. When they ran out, I made the next batch. When the gun exploded, I created a new one and recovered myself. I continued until I found the impact that I wanted.


    Afterward, I had the dungeon absorb the cartridge, materialized its replicas, and arranged them together in ammunition boxes. Each box could contain up to three hundred rounds and would serve as the magazine.


    Finished with the magazine, I began to play with the machine gun¡¯s mechanism. It didn¡¯t turn as easy as I first thought, and I had to resort with a core in the end. But most importantly, the weapon was finally done.


    The next step would be installing the death-bringer tools to the ship.


    For that purpose, I made a part of the sky golem¡¯s nose hollow with a double door at the bottom side, right behind the front wheel room. I then created a machine gun holder in the new room, in a way that it could be lowered down and rotated to almost 180 degrees at every direction, before attaching the said gun replica and its ammunition boxes.


    After that, I added hangers for missiles under the wings, six in total, and placed the missile replicas there. Last but not least, I had the golem took control of the cores of the machine gun and the missiles.


    My sky golem was finally ready. Still, for an insurance, I summoned another sky golem and gave it exactly the same equips; two jet engines, one anti-overheat machine gun with 1,500 rounds, and six guided missiles.


    Seeing my masterpieces, I grinned. No matter how many times I ran battle simulation in my head, even with the worst case scenarios I could think of, it always ended up with my overwhelming victory. However, there was one thing I was concerned with. Should I have Jiwa cornered, he might decide to kill father. I would need to be careful at this one, or everything would be in vain.


    ¡®Master, keek,¡¯ Ken called through our link.


    ¡®Ken? What is it?¡¯


    ¡®Keek keek keek. The job¡¯s done, master,¡¯ he said proudly.


    ¡®Oh? Tell me the details,¡¯ I asked while accessing the flies¡¯ shared vision, making a quick scan to assess the overall situation in [Firzoa].


    ¡®Keek. We¡¯ve captured a thousand of living prisoners, master, three hundreds of them are mages. I¡¯ve also distributed the dead among our people, but there are still around two thousands corpses left you can absorb. Now, I¡¯m confused at how to deliver them home, keek keek keek.¡¯


    ¡®What about the rest of the enemies? There should be tens of thousands of [[Dragora]]¡¯s army.¡¯


    ¡®Fled, keek. I doubt they¡¯ll dare to show their tails again after I assassinated their pack leader and sub-leaders.¡¯


    ¡®I see, good job. What about Haz?¡¯


    ¡®Keek keek keek. The fool got himself beaten half-dead for good, master. You should see his state yourself. And after you decide he¡¯s no longer useful, allow me to kill and eat his core. Keek keek keek.¡¯


    ¡®Watch your snout-ss, rodent-ss. I¡¯m here-ss, master-ss, still recovering-ss.¡¯


    ¡®Keek. You¡¯re the one who should watch your tongue, lizard. Be grateful I haven¡¯t eaten you right now, keek.¡¯


    ¡®Quiet, you two. Haz, what happens with your speaking?¡¯


    ¡®My wounds-ss are affecting me-ss, master-ss. It should be back to normal once-ss I recover-ss.¡¯


    I nodded, even though they couldn¡¯t see me. ¡®You can delay your return until you feel strong enough. And Ken, we¡¯ll use the tunnel to transport our spoils. You pick a rendezvous point and secure the area, I¡¯ll handle the rest.¡¯


    ¡®Keek? The tunnel, master?¡¯ he sounded doubtful. Obviously, because the current tunnel wouldn¡¯t fit even a person, let alone such a big entourage. But as he didn¡¯t ask any further, I didn¡¯t bother explaining.


    ¡®That¡¯s right, I¡¯ll contact you when I¡¯m done,¡¯ I sent, ending our conversation.


    My mood was shooting high. I couldn¡¯t hope for a better result in this war. The news would spread, and it would open up a new path for us to collect mana, as a mercenary dungeon. In addition, I saw a new race among my creatures there that both strong and should be easily ignored by ordinary travelers, suitable defenders for my relay towers. I wondered how I had missed them when I had been checking the biological list before.


    Anyway, I decided to spend some time developing the subway train.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    First, I went to the gi-ant colony underneath the dungeon entrance, where all the tunnels to the three nearest towns began. From the passage to [Firzoa], the worker gi-ants were crawling out in crowd after I notified them what I was about to do. Although, it should be fine even if they had stayed.


    Once the tunnel clear, I used <Earth-Element Manipulation> to enlarge it, harden the inner surface, and erect supporting pillars. As it reached the border of my safe magic radius, I materialized a mana-transceiver orb, put it on the ground and had it sink half-way in there. Then, I moved it to the ceiling and sent it to the end of my safe radius, before channeling mana and connecting my heart and the orb.


    Repeating the process, it took me less than an hour to set the six meters in height and twelve meters in width tunnel all the way to [Firzoa], surpassing even the original tunnel, with no less than eleven transceiver orbs installed. Ken and his rats were already gathered near the town¡¯s east wall by then, but they had to wait for a bit longer.


    Next, I created two pairs of railways, each at the side of the supporting pillars, made of the strongest and the most dense stone I could create. They would, after all, withhold tons of weight once the subway train started operating.


    Finished with that, I made eight connected wagons on each railway and summoned four golems in form of locomotives; a pair for each railway, one at each end of the wagon series. They were simple in design, I just made sure the wheels and the brakes worked properly with or without a load.


    Pleased with how they looked, I had the locomotive golems do a test run. The result was satisfying.


    Of course, a bullet train would be better, but, as far as I knew, it applied electromagnetic field, which required electricity to run. Unfortunately, to produce electricity I still lacked the essential material, magnet. Moreover, materializing items that were made of metal and reshaping them would cost me several times more mana than conjuring and shaping stones. Thus, as of now, working on electricity wasn¡¯t in my to do list yet.


    Now, with my trains ready to go, I made a stone orb similar to the transceiver orb but with a handheld. Subsequently, after inserting a core, I set the round surface to absorb mana of whatever touching it, before putting the item in one of the locomotive golems.


    ¡®Ken, the transport is on the way to your location,¡¯ I sent through our link once I had the golems depart. ¡®Ah, I forgot to make an entrance. Wait,¡¯ I added, building a wide staircase and an opening beside the town wall.


    The rats made a ruckus when the roofed structure suddenly emerged, showing a wide hole that led to underground in front of them. However, seeing their boss remained calm, the commotion didn¡¯t last long. Thereupon, the ratsassin stepped forward, entering the area unreached by the moonlight. His rat army followed behind while dragging the struggling prisoners.


    ¡®Don¡¯t get too close to the railways, er, the long and thin stones attached on the ground,¡¯ I warned, before giving my orders. ¡®There¡¯s a tool in one of the front cars that I need you to deliver to Dava. Also, have the newcomers gargoyles a priority seats to get back, I¡¯ve a task for them.¡¯


    Right, gargoyles, they were the evolution of great bats. Finally. Along with the fierce rats, the great bats were one of my dungeon¡¯s first monsters, after all, although their growth was very slow compared to the rats. Anyway, it seemed the battle in [Firzoa] was the last push they need.


    A gargoyle had an appearance of batman of some sort, with an ability to turn into a stone statue - which tripled their defense and recovery rate while in that form. Their arms and legs had grown long and strong, their eyes had become able to see, and their teeth had gained a vampiric ability. Not to mention their whole new different level of supersonic screeches.


    If I had them stay in their statue form, they shouldn¡¯t be regarded much unless the bypassers were high-level adventurers who recognized gargoyles. At least, that was how I hoped it to be.


    Didn¡¯t think there was a need to watch the trains¡¯ voyage or loading process, I decided to contact the queen gi-ant instead.


    ¡®Hey, Queen, how¡¯s our guest?¡¯


    ¡®Fufu¡­ She¡¯s sleeping with satisfied expression, master.¡¯


    ¡®I see, she must be very tired after the long journey.¡¯


    ¡®Sorry, we soiled your bed. I tried to be careful, but it couldn¡¯t be helped with the so many rounds we went.¡¯


    ¡®Wha- Wait, what did you do? No, nevermind. On a second thought, I don¡¯t want to know.¡¯


    ¡®Fufufu¡­ Do you need something? Want me to consort you in night activities, perhaps?¡¯


    I smiled wryly. ¡®Thanks, but I need something else. Ken is about to send a lot of packages, we¡¯ve to prepare more prison cells.¡¯


    ¡®Oh, okay. But, I can¡¯t do it myself if they¡¯ve to be ready soon. Where do you want to place the packages, by the way?¡¯


    ¡®Hmm, below the level 1? Just leave a guard to accompany aunt Ehrisya and meet me there. We¡¯ll split the job after I teach you <earth magic>.¡¯


    ¡®Okaay~.¡¯


    Soon after, I already met the boss lady of the gi-ants and formed connection with her core. Using <Memory-implant>, I taught her the art of <earth elemental magic>, the same way I had taught her the basic of <soul magic> before.


    Of course, I had tried to teach magic to both of the other demons too. However, for some reasons, it seemed she was the only one who had an aptitude for magic.


    Once she regained her composure after acquiring my years of training experience, Queen gave it a try. She laughed like a madman while playing with her new ability.


    Still, I was impressed by how fast she adapted with the <earth magic>. It was probably due to the fact that she was an ant that live underground, or probably due to my <Memory-implant> skill that had leveled up, or simply due to it being my main element, or combination of them. One thing for sure, her progress hadn¡¯t been this fast when she had first learnt <soul magic>.


    Together, we thereafter built several layers of prison in the level 1.5, underneath the gi-ant colony¡¯s nest. My plan was to put the mages and most dangerous warriors in the deepest layer, while the least dangerous ones in upper layers.


    Morning came, we finished at about the same time with the arrival of the first group in train. As decided earlier, I let Queen took charge over the prisoners. Her minions worked diligently, carrying the tied people from the wagons through portals to the prison cells and had them chained with mana-absorbing-shackles.


    Occasionally, some prisoners were close to break free and escape, but queen gi-ant¡¯s supervision was flawless. To begin with, even if they managed to get to the gi-ants nest at the first layer, there wasn¡¯t any real exit they could use. Thus, every one of them was handled thoroughly.


    Meanwhile, after getting a mana boost from absorbing the corpses, I led the gargoyles into the runway room through many portals. There were about a hundred of them at the moment, it should be more than enough number to guard all the towers to Jiwa¡¯s location.


    Materializing enough transceiver orbs, I then told the gargoyles their mission through our link. Very soon, they were starting to pick the orbs and gathered near the planes. While they were busy, I used the time to create a large stone basin and chained it to the sky golems.


    (Hmm, but I¡¯m not really satisfied with sky golem name. It¡¯s preferable to call them fighter, but, fighter golem is already used. Let¡¯s see, aero fighter? Wait, I know. What about sky fighter? or SF in short. Yup, that definitely sounds better.)


    SF-001 and SF-002 started their jet engines at my command, generating loud sounds and strong exhausts. I almost laughed when I saw how the gargoyles suddenly turned quiet because of it.


    ¡®Hope on,¡¯ I ordered, not giving them time to confuse.


    Complying, the flyers scrambled to get into the basin. Soon after, the SFs released their brakes and accelerated. It only took seconds for them to take off and it couldn¡¯t be helped that a bunch of gargoyles fell from the basin before passing through the portal to outside world.


    I quickly erected a tower at the edge of my safe magic radius, right in time before a gargoyle jumped down from the basin with an orb. Since I already had all the orbs connected to my mana when they had been leaving, I could raise the next tower without delay, matching the super speed of the SFs.


    Every time a gargoyle succeeded in landing on the top of a relay tower, they would turn into a statue while holding the transceiver orb above their head. They wouldn¡¯t die even without food for months. In fact, as they were exposed to my mana at such a close distance, their mana supply was guaranteed and they would only grow stronger within time. My order for them was clear, to remove anything that threatening the orb.


    My squad left behind the main road between [Rahziel] and [Jowsar] in no time and was now approaching the [[Dragora]]-[[Alishine]] border fast. As Jiwa and father had also left before dawn, I estimated we would meet within fifteen minutes.


    When the squad got closer to our target, I had the several remaining gargoyles to leave the basin and grab its chains instead, before cutting off the basin itself. Afterwards, the SFs splitted their way; one would welcome Jiwa from the front while the other would chase him from behind. All while I kept establishing new relay towers.


    With the unnaturally loud sound, it couldn¡¯t be helped that Jiwa realized something was off. And with the towers kept emerging in the open and the SF-001 coming from the sky in front of him, it couldn¡¯t be helped he was on guard. Not that it mattered.


    Now that they were entering my magic radius, I made the first move. I moved the ground under father¡¯s feet and brought him away. Being surprised, Jiwa reacted quickly by reaching out father¡¯s hand, but I raised a wall between them. It was a neat trick I had learnt from Dava.


    Once they were separated far away, I enveloped father with a dome-like stone wall. At the same time, a missile was on its way to Jiwa.


    The missile met his barrier resistance, but I had been expecting that. As the warhead crashed, a tiny black hole-like thing appeared, sucking in mana from its surrounding and creating an opening in the barrier. Exactly three seconds later, the loaded mana converted into a big explosion.


    *BOOM!*


    It sent the bald and skinny soul mage flying thirty meters away with serious wounds, but still alive nonetheless. For me, seeing how the missile performed in an actual battle gave a good reference for future improvement.


    In order not to give the enemy a chance to recover his breath, SF-001 fired the second missile. However, when I thought we finally got him this time, something unexpected happened. A thread caught the projectile from a side and made use of its momentum to change the course back to the flying golem.


    ¡°Wait, that¡¯s¡­ Spidey? You¡¯re still alive?¡±


    I was surprised. I knew Tig had gone, I had seen Jiwa use its core when he had been developing the new <soul gem> with father - it seemed a monster core was one of the key materials. But Spidey was different, the s-flies couldn¡¯t find the arachnoid monster anywhere in Jiwa¡¯s house and the surrounding area, and I had never been able to contact it through our link. So, in the end, it was alive but had been brainwashed, just like father.


    With the white, eight-legged critter within my sight, I tried to contact it once again through our link. I couldn¡¯t, though, as if something was obstructing the path.


    In the meantime, SF-001 had evaded the missile and guided it back towards Jiwa one more time. From the opposite direction, SF-002 had also arrived and released two missiles at once.


    Spidey, knowing it was futile to change their direction, came up with a different plan. It made a layers of webs. The elasticity and durability of the webs were able to stop SF-001¡¯s missile while, at the same time, preventing it from exploding.


    The terrortula turned around, this time it opted to stick its threads to both of SF-002¡¯s missiles and pull them to each other. When the two collided, it created two black holes that exploded three seconds later. The explosions were smaller this time, though, due to the lack of nearby mana source to be sucked in. For my missiles, it was the least ideal condition to explode.


    Jiwa, who had managed to drink a health recovery potion during spidey¡¯s action, tried to sit up. He then erected a new barrier around him and the spider, stopping the barrage of machine guns¡¯ bullets.


    The splendid display of teamwork from the two made me jealous. I was supposed to be the man whom spidey protecting with its everything, not my enemy.


    With his telekinetic, Jiwa sent my terrortula upward. Up there, it accurately sticked its thread to SF-001 and swung closer, trying to land on my flying golem. When it did, it raised its scythe-like forelegs to cut the wing part, but my SF maneuvered acrobatically at the right moment, forcing the monster to hang on a thread instead.


    Yet, showing an unyielding spirit, it shot another thread to SF-002. It tried to tie both SFs together, probably planning to make them collide.


    (Impressive, but I¡¯ve seen enough.)


    I decided to intervene. With <Elemental Manipulation>, I conjured a flame and burned its threads. As the white monster fell, I caught it with wind ball and, once it reached the ground, confined it with a round stone coffin.


    (Gotcha!)


    Seeing this, Jiwa tried to run away. I wondered where did he want to go in this open plain, there shouldn¡¯t be any place he could hide.


    (Wha-!)


    Suddenly, my sight was robbed, I couldn¡¯t see anything at the battlefield. When I checked, I found every single s-fly in the area had all perished. Jiwa had to have realized the bugs¡¯ true nature and decided to wipe them with mind attack.


    (Nice try. But, it wouldn¡¯t change anything at this point, you know.)


    I sensed one of the SFs guiding a missile in its track. It hit, blew off Jiwa¡¯s barrier, and sent him to his peril. Then, another missile finished the job, sucking the soul mage dry of mana and destroying his flesh.


    I could no longer detect Jiwa¡¯s presence. However, just in case, I summoned two normal golems to check the area thoroughly.


    (Good riddance, uncle.)

 Battle of Firzoa, Day 2

    ¡°Here you are, Tsalja.¡±


    ¡°Hi, Crystela.¡±


    ¡°Anything worth noting?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, as far as I can make out from here. Our enemy has completely gone out of sight.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s hope they won¡¯t return.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Anyway, is there anything I can help? You didn¡¯t specifically come here just to ask that, did you?¡±


    ¡°Right. I¡¯m to call you, we are being summoned to attend the meeting with the War Council.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay. Hey, Yun, take my place to watch.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Send my regards to Master Ugi if you meet him,¡± the spearman called Yun replied.


    ¡°We will. Let¡¯s go, Crystela.¡±


    The two girls left the town wall, climbing down the stairs which Crystela had come from earlier. As they walked, they passed several queues of soldiers waiting their turns to get healed by priests and priestesses. Those with mortal wounds had been given priority for treatment, thus, people who still in lines were they who had less severe injuries.


    Other than the ones tasked being watchers and the ones waiting to be healed, everyone was busy making emergency repairs of the broken gate and the wall parts. No one dared to slack off, in afraid of another enemy¡¯s attack.


    After all, although they had attained victory, it had been a very close call. Only because of the surprise element from the monsters¡¯ involvement and the sudden collapse of enemy¡¯s chain of command - due to assassinations of various level commanders, including the supreme commander - they had been able to turn the tide and survive the day.


    Leaving the wall, the two headed to a nearby steed post. It was stated in the imperial law that a standard barrier to prevent <Transfer> within towns had to be activated during a wartime period and, therefore, they prefered to get mounts rather than walking all the way to their destination. Soon, two horses and their riders were galloping towards the mayor¡¯s mansion, which also served as the town hall and the War Council¡¯s headquarters.


    ¡°¡­ You look gloomy,¡± Crystela remarked.


    Tsalja smiled. ¡°Am I that obvious?¡±


    ¡°I know your feeling. We may have repelled an enemy numbered many more times ourselves, but we have also lost our headquarters and too many comrades. We don¡¯t even know our mistress¡¯ whereabout.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Can I be honest with you?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not down because of losing comrades. I¡¯m not worry about Miss Alveria either, she can take care of herself.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Then?¡±


    ¡°I feel frustrated, of my own powerlessness. If it was my master, he would¡¯ve been able to do something about the anti-magic squad. We wouldn¡¯t have to rely on the monsters to save our ass. We¡¯re adventurers, we delve dungeons and exterminate monsters, yet we can only depend on them to chase off our enemy? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s ironic?¡±


    ¡°¡­ True, but they belongs to Dungeon Master Arz, our ally.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. We tried to kill him, remember? I¡¯m sure there must be a high price to pay for this help.¡±


    ¡°Probably. But I¡¯m still glad we reconciled. I was really surprised when guildmaster suddenly appeared, announcing that the monsters were our allies.¡±


    Tsalja shook her head. ¡°It must be nice to be you, Crystela. You¡¯re so positive.¡±


    The comment invited her friend¡¯s chuckle. ¡°Why do you think of him negatively, anyway? I don¡¯t think he is a bad guy.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡­ I dunno. I¡¯m afraid of him, I think.¡±


    ¡°Afraid?¡± Crystela turned and tilted her head, trying to find a hint on the mage¡¯s eyes. ¡°How rare. Why?¡±


    Shrugging her shoulders, Tsalja replied, ¡°Think about it. He looked like your average young mage when we first met him. His magic was precise, but that¡¯s it. Of course, we didn¡¯t directly clash until much later, but he didn¡¯t look much of a threat either back when Master Maa¡¯ decided to conquer his dungeon.


    ¡°Yet, you know the rest, he turned all the odds. He made the rest of us hopeless with a mana leak while killing master who was alone. When he decided he couldn¡¯t win Miss Alveria - probably because of his wounds from master, he faked his death. Very convincingly too, by providing a dungeon heart and a corpse.


    ¡°And, have you heard the rumor of how he killed Master Thianna and crippled Master Oki yesterday, while guildmaster being present? Or how his demons were the ones being responsible for the death of the enemy general and the dragon the enemy had brought along?


    ¡°What I want to say is, he¡¯s dangerous, Crystela. He isn¡¯t as docile as he appears to be. Unless we can determine his motive and standing, this alliance mayn¡¯t be a good idea.¡±


    ¡°You do have a point,¡± Crystela nodded. ¡°But, the parts of what his demons did, aren¡¯t they just groundless rumors?¡±


    This time, it was Tsalja who chuckled. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°¡­ From adventurer¡¯s vantage point, a request for dragon extermination required several A or B-rank parties together to proceed, and even so, there was no guarantee that everyone would return alive. Then, sneaking behind heavily guarded enemy lines, it wasn¡¯t an easy feat either. Demons of such capabilities would be considered to have threat level beyond A-rank. AA-rank, or possibly AAA-rank. But, there were no such demons within the dungeon, weren¡¯t there?¡±


    Tsalja shrugged her shoulders again. ¡°Never met doesn¡¯t equal not exist. Remember when we just regrouped in the dungeon? There was a hideous roar. We didn¡¯t see the source, but we did find traces that the frog demon had been devoured by something.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Do you think they are the same, the demon that ate the frog and the one in town?¡± Crystela asked, starting to feel goosebump.


    ¡°Who knows. One thing, though, there should be more than one demon yesterday, based on what I¡¯ve gathered with <wind magic>. It¡¯s been a hot topic among both soldiers and adventurers.¡±


    ¡°More than one, in town¡­ with threat level beyond A-rank¡­,¡± Crystela muttered with tensed face. However, she overcame her uneasiness a moment later. ¡°You know, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that they belongs to Dungeon Master Arz. We can trust him. I¡¯m sure the demons won¡¯t go rampage as long as we don¡¯t break our promise first, like last time. Anyway, we are almost there.¡±


    The two adventurers stopped their chat as they were reaching the end of their travel, the biggest building in the noble district. After reporting to a guard at the mansion gate and handing over their horses, they were led crossing long corridors and a spacious garden, until they found a room with a big double door. Sounds of people argumenting behind the door became clearer as they approached.


    ¡°Wait here,¡± told another guard in front of the door, after their guide identified them. While the guard gone to report their arrival, it wasn''t their choice that they made out the words being spoken inside the room.


    ¡°No! I¡¯ll say it again for God knows how many times, inviting demons into a town is not, and will never be, acceptable! Our only chance or whatever your excuse is, I¡¯m not going to close my eyes at this one. The church won¡¯t allow it, and neither will I. You really have crossed the line this time, Dava!¡±


    ¡°We all agreed to treat Arz as a human, didn¡¯t we? Why does it matter? It¡¯s not like they hurt our people.¡±


    ¡°Curse!¡±


    ¡°Father Jaa, your word.¡±


    ¡°¡­ O Great Tuhn, please have mercy on this stupid servant of yours, for losing his temper in an argument. Thank you for reminding me, Father Bapa.¡±


    ¡°There was a pause and a deep breath. When the voice restarted, it was more calm. ¡°Why does it matter, you asked? The ones you invited into town were the cursed dungeon creatures, Dava, demons! Do you understand this much? What worse, you allowed them to take people to their den, dead AND alive.


    ¡°If you still don¡¯t understand, what you did make the dead unable to get a proper cave burial, and we don¡¯t even know what they were going to do to the living ones. You sacrifice fellow humans to demons for a cheap victory. I¡¯m telling you, this is a very act of an apostate! And, how do you know they didn¡¯t hurt our people?¡±


    ¡°I know they didn¡¯t. Cheap victory, you said? Then, let me ask you in return, what do you think will happen to the townspeople if we were lose? Will they give our brave warriors a proper burial? Will they leave the living alone? No! They will rape our women, rob the valuables, and throw our children into slavery. Those are the least you can expect to happen to the losers in war. What¡¯s the difference? You¡¯re exaggerating just because they aren¡¯t humans.¡±


    ¡°Ahem! Sorry to interrupt your¡­ discussion, gentlemen. Crystela and Tsalja are here.¡±


    ¡°Let them in,¡± Dava said.


    Not long after, the double door being opened from inside, revealing a big round tables with many unfamiliar faces to the girls.


    ¡°Welcome,¡± the red haired guildmaster greeted with his usual charming smile. There was no trace of the earlier heated debate in his expression. ¡°Please, have a seat,¡± he said, gesturing to several vacant chairs.


    Once the newcomers had taken their respective seat and the guards had closed the door behind them, he continued. ¡°I¡¯ll introduce them, Your Lordship. They¡¯re Tsalja and Crystela, B-rank adventurers of our guild who work under Executive Alveria. Tsalja herself is the apprentice of Executive Maa¡¯, whom I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of.


    ¡°Tsalja and Crystela, the one at the center is Lord Vjay Tkurson Glows, ruler of [Firzoa]. At his right is Bishop Bapa, the representative of the church in this town, while at his left is Sir Kohn, the head of [Firzoa] knight and His Lordship¡¯s personal guard captain. Next to him is Sir Lyo and Sir Wali, of the town guard.


    ¡°The rest, I¡¯m sure you already know some, but I¡¯ll introduce again. From beside Bishop Bapa; Father Jaa, Executive Pipo, Executive Ugi, Executive Izzavine, Executive Xiandra, and myself. Unfortunately, Executive Oki and Executive Yuvila can¡¯t join us because of the extent of their injuries,¡± Dava explained, ending his introduction.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. If not because of me, Lady Yuvila wouldn''t be so gravely injured,¡± Wali of the town guard apologized. He was biting his thumb nail due to nervousness.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that, kind sir,¡± the guildmaster assured. ¡°She¡¯ll recover in time. Now, with Your Lordship¡¯s permission, I¡¯ll begin asking questions to Miss Crystela and Miss Tsalja.¡±


    ¡°Thou can proceed,¡± Vjay permitted. His overweight body shook as he spoke.


    ¡°So, according to your report here, Executive Alveria is currently missing?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Crystela answered. ¡°She was last seen dueling the enemy general on a hill near our headquarters, but we lost her track in the midst of the chaotic battle. A party led by our friend Gora is conducting a search as we speak.¡±


    Dava nodded. ¡°We can only pray for the best. Now, how much do you know about what happened to Executive Maa¡¯?¡±


    ¡°¡­ To Master Maa¡¯?¡± Crystela looked confused. ¡°Didn¡¯t he fall during the attempt to conquer the Dungeon Master Arz¡¯s dungeon?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we know that. But how exactly did he fall?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Neither of us can answer that, guildmaster,¡± Tsalja butted in.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°No one there to see what exactly happened. You should¡¯ve received Miss Alveria¡¯s report regarding that matter.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have. Still, I was hoping to get something new from you two. Then, you didn¡¯t see what happened to Dungeon Master Arz either, did you?¡±


    ¡°¡°No,¡±¡± both of the girls replied almost at the same time.


    ¡°What is this all about, guildmaster?¡± Crystela inquired.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Dava considered his words, before asking again. ¡°Do you think¡­ Executive Alveria knows about Dungeon Master Arz¡¯s play dead?¡±


    ¡°No, I doubt it,¡± the armored girl replied.


    ¡°You sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I see. Okay, that¡¯s enough from me,¡± Dava concluded as he leaned back to his seat, which left the girls in confusion.


    ¡°Will anyone bother to explain to us?¡± Tsalja asked, her tone reflected impatience.


    ¡°Miss Tsalja and Miss Crystela,¡± Jaa called. ¡°Swear in the name of our god Tuhn, that you are going to answer my following questions with only the truth. Lady Alveria isn¡¯t here, so you don¡¯t need to be afraid of her, neither you need to cover for her mistake.¡±


    After exchanging glances with Crystela, Tsalja said, ¡°More questions and no explanation, huh? Fine, we¡¯ll answer what we can.¡±


    ¡°Swear in the name of God that you will be telling the truth.¡±


    ¡°I swear,¡± Crystela quickly replied.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a believer, but I swear in the name of Maa¡¯, my deceased master,¡± Tsalja followed.


    Nodding, the high priest began. ¡°Lady Alveria has a special relationship with Dungeon Master Arz, right or wrong?¡±


    ¡°Right, they are close childhood friend as far as we know,¡± Crystela gave her answer.


    ¡°Is there something wrong with Maa¡¯s condition when he raided the Dungeon Master Arz¡¯s dungeon? Any abnormalities that you noticed?¡±


    ¡°None. As far as I can tell, he¡¯s perfectly normal,¡± this time Tsalja replied.


    ¡°Is that so. Then, let me clarify. Maa¡¯ the Imperial Grand Magus, the Elemental-mage Triumvirate, the White Blizzard, and the One-man Army, in his perfect condition, fell while raiding a mere B-rank dungeon - the Dungeon Master Arz¡¯s dungeon. However, no one can confirm how it happened. It solely based on the testimony of Lady Alveria, who has a special relationship with the dungeon master. Am I right?¡±


    Exchanging glances with her party member once again, a realization came to Crystela. ¡°You¡­ Are you suspecting Miss Alveria, father?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t take a genius to guess, does it? Yes, we do suspect Lady Alveria¡¯s involvement in Maa¡¯s fall. We also suspect that she knows about Arz pretending to be dead from the start. The fact it was our enemy¡¯s conspiracy may negate the latter act, but the former is clearly a treason to the guild and need to be punished accordingly.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ There is no way that was the case!¡± Crystela exclaimed, standing up before she herself realized.


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°Because¡­,¡± Crystela paused. Deep inside she knew Alveria was innocent, but couldn¡¯t find a good way to explain it.


    Looking around, she found everyone¡¯s attention was directed to her. When she met Xiandra¡¯s gaze, she understood her mistress¡¯ old mentor was pleading her to defend Alveria, which was her intention to begin with. Thus, she closed her own eyes, concentrating. ¡°Because¡­¡±


    ¡°Because, your assumption is wrong,¡± Tsalja cut. The dark haired female mage had stood up beside Crystela.


    ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡± Jaa said.


    ¡°The most fatal one is the B-rank dungeon thing, it¡¯s misleading.¡±


    ¡°How come? Weren¡¯t you the one who assessed the dungeon? Are you saying you gave a false report?¡±


    ¡°It was accurate, at the time we wrote the report. However, he learned from his flaws and improved quickly. That¡¯s why, although we reached the last room in our first two attempts, we never achieved that again until Master Maa¡¯ joined in. And the dungeon already had its second level by then, probably more. To support my claim, I can lend you my remembrance if you want to, it holds records of my party¡¯s every raid.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    ¡°Furthermore,¡± Crystela added, ¡°if you consider Miss Alveria¡¯s personality, you should understand she is too dutiful to the guild. Pulling a backstab to a respected guild elder is something she would never do.¡±


    ¡°Like my master would ever fall to something like a backstab,¡± Tsalja supplemented. ¡°Aren¡¯t you underestimating my master too much, father?¡±


    ¡°And, before you accuse she involved in the play dead, you should have seen how she cried over the corpse when she thought nobody see her,¡± Crystela remarked in high tone. ¡°The fake dungeon core and the corpse were so convincing that even an experienced adventurer like guildmaster himself couldn¡¯t tell.¡±


    *Clap! Clap! Clap!*


    Everyone turned to the one clapping his hand, Dava.


    ¡°Those were sound arguments, doesn¡¯t everyone agree? Do you still have any counter-argument to convince us that Executive Alveria is guilty, Father Jaa?¡± the guildmaster asked with a smile.


    ¡°Hmm. Fine, she isn¡¯t. But it doesn¡¯t change the fact we can¡¯t trust the dungeon master. He attacked innocent merchants and tricked Maa¡¯ and all of us. He also killed Thianna and almost killed Oki and myself afterward. How could you entrust our lives in the hand of someone, or something, that clearly considers us as enemies, without consulting the Executives and the War Council first?¡±


    Smiling, Dava answered calmly. ¡°If you¡¯re in his boots, will you not treat people who have just betrayed you earlier with hostility? Will you accept their offer, knowing your live¡¯s in the line?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I had a long talk with Arz yesterday, what happened between us and him were all misunderstanding. To show his goodwill, he has sent his monster army and compensated our side¡¯s lost monetarily. Now, if the everyone agrees, we¡¯ll compensate his lost too, with our mana.¡±


    ¡°Mone¡­ Hold on, you accepted money in exchange of lost lives? What were you thinking, Dava? This is getting more and more ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°How do you suggest to settle this matter, then? I don¡¯t think going for each other¡¯s throat¡¯s gonna solve anything. Especially when we¡¯ve a bigger threat out there.¡±


    ¡°I told you, we shouldn¡¯t be allying ourselves with a dungeon to begin with. It¡¯s the home of vile creatures and demons! Instead, we should try talking to the alliance army. Since we¡¯re all have the same faith, we should at least be able to convince them to sign a truce if we ask the pope to mediate.¡±


    ¡°Huh? That¡¯s brilliant, Jaa. I wonder why it has never occurred to me before,¡± Pipo sneered. ¡°If the pope want to intervene, he would¡¯ve done it long time ago.¡±


    ¡°All we need to do is ask His Holiness, that¡¯s definitely a better option than inviting demons into town. Right, Father Bapa?¡±


    ¡°It is as you say,¡± the bishop agreed with a nod.


    ¡°And, how long will the mediation process take until the truce can be effective, father?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. You have to be patience, nothing good comes from rushing things.¡±


    ¡°How long?¡± Pipo pressed.


    ¡°¡­ If we send the envoy today, requesting an emergency audience, then, considering His Holiness¡¯ tight schedule, the call for the summit meeting until it reaches the kings, various preparations, and the kings¡¯ entourages time to travel to the designated place¡­ Assuming everything goes smoothly, I would say about twenty five days, at the fastest.¡±


    ¡°Two and half weeks? See, it¡¯s impractical,¡± Pipo remarked, sighing. ¡°We¡¯ll all likely be dead before a week if we¡¯re alone in our current situation,¡± he added.


    ¡°I¡¯m with guildmaster,¡± Xiandra raised her hand. ¡°We can try asking the pope to mediate, but our alliance with Dungeon Master Arz must be maintained at all cost, especially for now. Who agrees with me?¡±


    All of the present Fantastica Executives raised their hands, except Jaa, which caused his eyes to widen. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with all of you?!¡± he shouted.


    Taking a deep breath, he continued, ¡°Listen. I understand if it¡¯s a training dungeon. All bigger guilds have at least one for their beginner members, after all. Although, none goes as far as making a deal with the dungeon master like us and theirs are only E-rank dungeons at most.


    ¡°However, inviting the vile creatures to town is different. Demons are to be exterminated. They can be taken advantage too, as long as you meet the conditions. But clearly not to be made friend or ally, it¡¯s against the very principles of God¡¯s teaching. Are you not afraid of the divine punishment for defying the God?¡±


    ¡°Give it up, Jaa. It¡¯s six against one,¡± Pipo reproached.


    ¡°So? This isn¡¯t an internal matter of Fantastica, the Executives aren¡¯t the one to decide. Your Lordship, you¡¯re wise, please stop this madness.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­,¡± Vjay hesitated, he didn¡¯t want to make hasty decision. ¡°Thy argument makes sense,¡± he said while turning to Dava, wondering how the famous mage would try to convince him now.


    ¡°We won¡¯t ever do this in normal situation, Father Jaa,¡± Dava assured. ¡°But, our current one demands an extreme response, you know this. The dungeon creatures won¡¯t be allowed to approach any town once the war is over or we have a better solution, you have my word. I¡¯m sure Dungeon Master Arz will understand.¡±


    Then, staring at Vjay¡¯s eyes, Dava persuaded, ¡°Your Lordship, if [Firzoa] agrees to maintain the alliance with the dungeon, we of Fantastica, using the compensation money we received from Dungeon Master Arz, are willing to bear all of the town repairment cost. However, we also need your permission to collect mana from every mage and soldier in town to pay him.¡±


    ¡°Oh, ooohhh¡­,¡± Vjay exclaimed. ¡°Thou have my permission, then,¡± he readily accepted the term. His round and heavy body shook once again as he spoke and chuckled with a greedy smirk.


    ¡°Thank you, Your Lordship,¡± Dava lowered his head. ¡°What about the church? I hope there¡¯s no problem, Father Bapa?¡±


    ¡°If that is Your Lordship¡¯s decision, then I won¡¯t argue. The church will remain neutral, we will heal and hospitalize anyone who seek the protection of God, regardless their affiliation in this war,¡± Bapa replied.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Dava lowered his head one more time, ignoring the grunting Jaa. Then, turning his gaze to a corner of the room, he said, ¡°It¡¯s as you heard yourself, Fantastica and [Firzoa] shall respect our agreement. Tell your master, I¡¯ll personally deliver the promised mana to the dungeon.¡±


    Everyone looked at the corner, but found it empty. While they exchanging glances with each other, Xiandra brought herself to ask. ¡°Guildmaster, who¡¯re you talking to?¡±


    Hearing the question, Dava just smiled. He instead talked to the supposed to be empty corner again. ¡°We¡¯re allies, aren¡¯t we? Are you not going to reveal yourself?¡±


    ¡°Kee kee keek. Guildmaster of Fantastica sure is different than the rest. Since when?¡± a voice replied from the spot as a figure gradually turned visible. A figure that wasn¡¯t belonged to human or faunus race, as it had a pair of horns and a snout. Its sharp and yellowish teeth were exposed when it opened its mouth.


    The sudden appearance surprised everyone and made them uptight, but none were stupid enough to panic or make a ruckus. Still, it didn¡¯t stop them to reach their own weapons. Especially Jaa, as he could still remember clearly how the creature in the corner had stabbed his face just the other day. He gripped his wand tightly.


    ¡°Since you entered the room with everyone,¡± Dava answered. ¡°But, I¡¯m not the only one.¡±


    ¡°Keek. The faunus, right? I¡¯m aware that he aware,¡± the demon said.


    Being mentioned, the rabbit ears of Fantastica¡¯s Executive Ugi the Swift twitched. Out of most people in the room¡¯s attention, his small figure had been restless all this time. Dava had told him to relax through an eye contact, and knowing his guildmaster had their situation under control had helped his mind eased, although not completely.


    ¡°As I said, please tell Dungeon Master Arz that I¡¯ll personally deliver the promised mana to his dungeon, in few days,¡± Dava repeated.


    The demon, a horned ratman with scale armor, didn¡¯t answer. Conversely, it looked upwards at the ceiling. With one glance Dava understood it wasn¡¯t the ceiling, but something beyond that, at the outside.


    As if to answer Dava¡¯s curiosity, a thunderous sound suddenly came and left in but a short moment. It was so loud that the whole town shook and made everyone on guard more than they already had. While they were wondering the thunder¡¯s true form, the ceiling cracked, opening a several meters in diameter hole of a perfect circle where ones could see the sky.


    What followed was a man descending through it. A young man, in his early twenties according to most people in the room¡¯s guesses, with a jet black hair wearing a brown mage robe, landed in the center of the room with a bam. Tsalja, Crystela, and Dava immediately recognized him, while the rat demon quickly kneeling down.


    The man, after putting down a large old man whom he had been carrying, looked around. His eyes then fixated at the two people in white robe with sun emblem embedded - the church emblem; Jaa and Bapa. ¡°Please, help me,¡± he said.

 Battle of Firzoa, Day 2

    ¡°Here you are, Tsalja.¡±


    ¡°Hi, Crystela.¡±


    ¡°Anything worth noting?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, as far as I can make out from here. Our enemy has completely gone out of sight.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s hope they won¡¯t return.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Anyway, is there anything I can help? You didn¡¯t specifically come here just to ask that, did you?¡±


    ¡°Right. I¡¯m to call you, we are being summoned to attend the meeting with the War Council.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay. Hey, Yun, take my place to watch.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Send my regards to Master Ugi if you meet him,¡± the spearman called Yun replied.


    ¡°We will. Let¡¯s go, Crystela.¡±


    The two girls left the town wall, climbing down the stairs which Crystela had come from earlier. As they walked, they passed several queues of soldiers waiting their turns to get healed by priests and priestesses. Those with mortal wounds had been given priority for treatment, thus, people who still in lines were they who had less severe injuries.


    Other than the ones tasked being watchers and the ones waiting to be healed, everyone was busy making emergency repairs of the broken gate and the wall parts. No one dared to slack off, in afraid of another enemy¡¯s attack.


    After all, although they had attained victory, it had been a very close call. Only because of the surprise element from the monsters¡¯ involvement and the sudden collapse of enemy¡¯s chain of command - due to assassinations of various level commanders, including the supreme commander - they had been able to turn the tide and survive the day.


    Leaving the wall, the two headed to a nearby steed post. It was stated in the imperial law that a standard barrier to prevent <Transfer> within towns had to be activated during a wartime period and, therefore, they prefered to get mounts rather than walking all the way to their destination. Soon, two horses and their riders were galloping towards the mayor¡¯s mansion, which also served as the town hall and the War Council¡¯s headquarters.


    ¡°¡­ You look gloomy,¡± Crystela remarked.


    Tsalja smiled. ¡°Am I that obvious?¡±


    ¡°I know your feeling. We may have repelled an enemy numbered many more times ourselves, but we have also lost our headquarters and too many comrades. We don¡¯t even know our mistress¡¯ whereabout.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Can I be honest with you?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not down because of losing comrades. I¡¯m not worry about Miss Alveria either, she can take care of herself.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Then?¡±


    ¡°I feel frustrated, of my own powerlessness. If it was my master, he would¡¯ve been able to do something about the anti-magic squad. We wouldn¡¯t have to rely on the monsters to save our ass. We¡¯re adventurers, we delve dungeons and exterminate monsters, yet we can only depend on them to chase off our enemy? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s ironic?¡±


    ¡°¡­ True, but they belongs to Dungeon Master Arz, our ally.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. We tried to kill him, remember? I¡¯m sure there must be a high price to pay for this help.¡±


    ¡°Probably. But I¡¯m still glad we reconciled. I was really surprised when guildmaster suddenly appeared, announcing that the monsters were our allies.¡±


    Tsalja shook her head. ¡°It must be nice to be you, Crystela. You¡¯re so positive.¡±


    The comment invited her friend¡¯s chuckle. ¡°Why do you think of him negatively, anyway? I don¡¯t think he is a bad guy.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡­ I dunno. I¡¯m afraid of him, I think.¡±


    ¡°Afraid?¡± Crystela turned and tilted her head, trying to find a hint on the mage¡¯s eyes. ¡°How rare. Why?¡±


    Shrugging her shoulders, Tsalja replied, ¡°Think about it. He looked like your average young mage when we first met him. His magic was precise, but that¡¯s it. Of course, we didn¡¯t directly clash until much later, but he didn¡¯t look much of a threat either back when Master Maa¡¯ decided to conquer his dungeon.


    ¡°Yet, you know the rest, he turned all the odds. He made the rest of us hopeless with a mana leak while killing master who was alone. When he decided he couldn¡¯t win Miss Alveria - probably because of his wounds from master, he faked his death. Very convincingly too, by providing a dungeon heart and a corpse.


    ¡°And, have you heard the rumor of how he killed Master Thianna and crippled Master Oki yesterday, while guildmaster being present? Or how his demons were the ones being responsible for the death of the enemy general and the dragon the enemy had brought along?


    ¡°What I want to say is, he¡¯s dangerous, Crystela. He isn¡¯t as docile as he appears to be. Unless we can determine his motive and standing, this alliance mayn¡¯t be a good idea.¡±


    ¡°You do have a point,¡± Crystela nodded. ¡°But, the parts of what his demons did, aren¡¯t they just groundless rumors?¡±


    This time, it was Tsalja who chuckled. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°¡­ From adventurer¡¯s vantage point, a request for dragon extermination required several A or B-rank parties together to proceed, and even so, there was no guarantee that everyone would return alive. Then, sneaking behind heavily guarded enemy lines, it wasn¡¯t an easy feat either. Demons of such capabilities would be considered to have threat level beyond A-rank. AA-rank, or possibly AAA-rank. But, there were no such demons within the dungeon, weren¡¯t there?¡±


    Tsalja shrugged her shoulders again. ¡°Never met doesn¡¯t equal not exist. Remember when we just regrouped in the dungeon? There was a hideous roar. We didn¡¯t see the source, but we did find traces that the frog demon had been devoured by something.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Do you think they are the same, the demon that ate the frog and the one in town?¡± Crystela asked, starting to feel goosebump.


    ¡°Who knows. One thing, though, there should be more than one demon yesterday, based on what I¡¯ve gathered with <wind magic>. It¡¯s been a hot topic among both soldiers and adventurers.¡±


    ¡°More than one, in town¡­ with threat level beyond A-rank¡­,¡± Crystela muttered with tensed face. However, she overcame her uneasiness a moment later. ¡°You know, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that they belongs to Dungeon Master Arz. We can trust him. I¡¯m sure the demons won¡¯t go rampage as long as we don¡¯t break our promise first, like last time. Anyway, we are almost there.¡±


    The two adventurers stopped their chat as they were reaching the end of their travel, the biggest building in the noble district. After reporting to a guard at the mansion gate and handing over their horses, they were led crossing long corridors and a spacious garden, until they found a room with a big double door. Sounds of people argumenting behind the door became clearer as they approached.


    ¡°Wait here,¡± told another guard in front of the door, after their guide identified them. While the guard gone to report their arrival, it wasn''t their choice that they made out the words being spoken inside the room.


    ¡°No! I¡¯ll say it again for God knows how many times, inviting demons into a town is not, and will never be, acceptable! Our only chance or whatever your excuse is, I¡¯m not going to close my eyes at this one. The church won¡¯t allow it, and neither will I. You really have crossed the line this time, Dava!¡±


    ¡°We all agreed to treat Arz as a human, didn¡¯t we? Why does it matter? It¡¯s not like they hurt our people.¡±


    ¡°Curse!¡±


    ¡°Father Jaa, your word.¡±


    ¡°¡­ O Great Tuhn, please have mercy on this stupid servant of yours, for losing his temper in an argument. Thank you for reminding me, Father Bapa.¡±


    ¡°There was a pause and a deep breath. When the voice restarted, it was more calm. ¡°Why does it matter, you asked? The ones you invited into town were the cursed dungeon creatures, Dava, demons! Do you understand this much? What worse, you allowed them to take people to their den, dead AND alive.


    ¡°If you still don¡¯t understand, what you did make the dead unable to get a proper cave burial, and we don¡¯t even know what they were going to do to the living ones. You sacrifice fellow humans to demons for a cheap victory. I¡¯m telling you, this is a very act of an apostate! And, how do you know they didn¡¯t hurt our people?¡±


    ¡°I know they didn¡¯t. Cheap victory, you said? Then, let me ask you in return, what do you think will happen to the townspeople if we were lose? Will they give our brave warriors a proper burial? Will they leave the living alone? No! They will rape our women, rob the valuables, and throw our children into slavery. Those are the least you can expect to happen to the losers in war. What¡¯s the difference? You¡¯re exaggerating just because they aren¡¯t humans.¡±


    ¡°Ahem! Sorry to interrupt your¡­ discussion, gentlemen. Crystela and Tsalja are here.¡±


    ¡°Let them in,¡± Dava said.


    Not long after, the double door being opened from inside, revealing a big round tables with many unfamiliar faces to the girls.


    ¡°Welcome,¡± the red haired guildmaster greeted with his usual charming smile. There was no trace of the earlier heated debate in his expression. ¡°Please, have a seat,¡± he said, gesturing to several vacant chairs.


    Once the newcomers had taken their respective seat and the guards had closed the door behind them, he continued. ¡°I¡¯ll introduce them, Your Lordship. They¡¯re Tsalja and Crystela, B-rank adventurers of our guild who work under Executive Alveria. Tsalja herself is the apprentice of Executive Maa¡¯, whom I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of.


    ¡°Tsalja and Crystela, the one at the center is Lord Vjay Tkurson Glows, ruler of [Firzoa]. At his right is Bishop Bapa, the representative of the church in this town, while at his left is Sir Kohn, the head of [Firzoa] knight and His Lordship¡¯s personal guard captain. Next to him is Sir Lyo and Sir Wali, of the town guard.


    ¡°The rest, I¡¯m sure you already know some, but I¡¯ll introduce again. From beside Bishop Bapa; Father Jaa, Executive Pipo, Executive Ugi, Executive Izzavine, Executive Xiandra, and myself. Unfortunately, Executive Oki and Executive Yuvila can¡¯t join us because of the extent of their injuries,¡± Dava explained, ending his introduction.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. If not because of me, Lady Yuvila wouldn''t be so gravely injured,¡± Wali of the town guard apologized. He was biting his thumb nail due to nervousness.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that, kind sir,¡± the guildmaster assured. ¡°She¡¯ll recover in time. Now, with Your Lordship¡¯s permission, I¡¯ll begin asking questions to Miss Crystela and Miss Tsalja.¡±


    ¡°Thou can proceed,¡± Vjay permitted. His overweight body shook as he spoke.


    ¡°So, according to your report here, Executive Alveria is currently missing?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Crystela answered. ¡°She was last seen dueling the enemy general on a hill near our headquarters, but we lost her track in the midst of the chaotic battle. A party led by our friend Gora is conducting a search as we speak.¡±


    Dava nodded. ¡°We can only pray for the best. Now, how much do you know about what happened to Executive Maa¡¯?¡±


    ¡°¡­ To Master Maa¡¯?¡± Crystela looked confused. ¡°Didn¡¯t he fall during the attempt to conquer the Dungeon Master Arz¡¯s dungeon?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we know that. But how exactly did he fall?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Neither of us can answer that, guildmaster,¡± Tsalja butted in.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°No one there to see what exactly happened. You should¡¯ve received Miss Alveria¡¯s report regarding that matter.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have. Still, I was hoping to get something new from you two. Then, you didn¡¯t see what happened to Dungeon Master Arz either, did you?¡±


    ¡°¡°No,¡±¡± both of the girls replied almost at the same time.


    ¡°What is this all about, guildmaster?¡± Crystela inquired.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Dava considered his words, before asking again. ¡°Do you think¡­ Executive Alveria knows about Dungeon Master Arz¡¯s play dead?¡±


    ¡°No, I doubt it,¡± the armored girl replied.


    ¡°You sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I see. Okay, that¡¯s enough from me,¡± Dava concluded as he leaned back to his seat, which left the girls in confusion.


    ¡°Will anyone bother to explain to us?¡± Tsalja asked, her tone reflected impatience.


    ¡°Miss Tsalja and Miss Crystela,¡± Jaa called. ¡°Swear in the name of our god Tuhn, that you are going to answer my following questions with only the truth. Lady Alveria isn¡¯t here, so you don¡¯t need to be afraid of her, neither you need to cover for her mistake.¡±


    After exchanging glances with Crystela, Tsalja said, ¡°More questions and no explanation, huh? Fine, we¡¯ll answer what we can.¡±


    ¡°Swear in the name of God that you will be telling the truth.¡±


    ¡°I swear,¡± Crystela quickly replied.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a believer, but I swear in the name of Maa¡¯, my deceased master,¡± Tsalja followed.


    Nodding, the high priest began. ¡°Lady Alveria has a special relationship with Dungeon Master Arz, right or wrong?¡±


    ¡°Right, they are close childhood friend as far as we know,¡± Crystela gave her answer.


    ¡°Is there something wrong with Maa¡¯s condition when he raided the Dungeon Master Arz¡¯s dungeon? Any abnormalities that you noticed?¡±


    ¡°None. As far as I can tell, he¡¯s perfectly normal,¡± this time Tsalja replied.


    ¡°Is that so. Then, let me clarify. Maa¡¯ the Imperial Grand Magus, the Elemental-mage Triumvirate, the White Blizzard, and the One-man Army, in his perfect condition, fell while raiding a mere B-rank dungeon - the Dungeon Master Arz¡¯s dungeon. However, no one can confirm how it happened. It solely based on the testimony of Lady Alveria, who has a special relationship with the dungeon master. Am I right?¡±


    Exchanging glances with her party member once again, a realization came to Crystela. ¡°You¡­ Are you suspecting Miss Alveria, father?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t take a genius to guess, does it? Yes, we do suspect Lady Alveria¡¯s involvement in Maa¡¯s fall. We also suspect that she knows about Arz pretending to be dead from the start. The fact it was our enemy¡¯s conspiracy may negate the latter act, but the former is clearly a treason to the guild and need to be punished accordingly.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ There is no way that was the case!¡± Crystela exclaimed, standing up before she herself realized.


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°Because¡­,¡± Crystela paused. Deep inside she knew Alveria was innocent, but couldn¡¯t find a good way to explain it.


    Looking around, she found everyone¡¯s attention was directed to her. When she met Xiandra¡¯s gaze, she understood her mistress¡¯ old mentor was pleading her to defend Alveria, which was her intention to begin with. Thus, she closed her own eyes, concentrating. ¡°Because¡­¡±


    ¡°Because, your assumption is wrong,¡± Tsalja cut. The dark haired female mage had stood up beside Crystela.


    ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡± Jaa said.


    ¡°The most fatal one is the B-rank dungeon thing, it¡¯s misleading.¡±


    ¡°How come? Weren¡¯t you the one who assessed the dungeon? Are you saying you gave a false report?¡±


    ¡°It was accurate, at the time we wrote the report. However, he learned from his flaws and improved quickly. That¡¯s why, although we reached the last room in our first two attempts, we never achieved that again until Master Maa¡¯ joined in. And the dungeon already had its second level by then, probably more. To support my claim, I can lend you my remembrance if you want to, it holds records of my party¡¯s every raid.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    ¡°Furthermore,¡± Crystela added, ¡°if you consider Miss Alveria¡¯s personality, you should understand she is too dutiful to the guild. Pulling a backstab to a respected guild elder is something she would never do.¡±


    ¡°Like my master would ever fall to something like a backstab,¡± Tsalja supplemented. ¡°Aren¡¯t you underestimating my master too much, father?¡±


    ¡°And, before you accuse she involved in the play dead, you should have seen how she cried over the corpse when she thought nobody see her,¡± Crystela remarked in high tone. ¡°The fake dungeon core and the corpse were so convincing that even an experienced adventurer like guildmaster himself couldn¡¯t tell.¡±


    *Clap! Clap! Clap!*


    Everyone turned to the one clapping his hand, Dava.


    ¡°Those were sound arguments, doesn¡¯t everyone agree? Do you still have any counter-argument to convince us that Executive Alveria is guilty, Father Jaa?¡± the guildmaster asked with a smile.


    ¡°Hmm. Fine, she isn¡¯t. But it doesn¡¯t change the fact we can¡¯t trust the dungeon master. He attacked innocent merchants and tricked Maa¡¯ and all of us. He also killed Thianna and almost killed Oki and myself afterward. How could you entrust our lives in the hand of someone, or something, that clearly considers us as enemies, without consulting the Executives and the War Council first?¡±


    Smiling, Dava answered calmly. ¡°If you¡¯re in his boots, will you not treat people who have just betrayed you earlier with hostility? Will you accept their offer, knowing your live¡¯s in the line?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I had a long talk with Arz yesterday, what happened between us and him were all misunderstanding. To show his goodwill, he has sent his monster army and compensated our side¡¯s lost monetarily. Now, if the everyone agrees, we¡¯ll compensate his lost too, with our mana.¡±


    ¡°Mone¡­ Hold on, you accepted money in exchange of lost lives? What were you thinking, Dava? This is getting more and more ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°How do you suggest to settle this matter, then? I don¡¯t think going for each other¡¯s throat¡¯s gonna solve anything. Especially when we¡¯ve a bigger threat out there.¡±


    ¡°I told you, we shouldn¡¯t be allying ourselves with a dungeon to begin with. It¡¯s the home of vile creatures and demons! Instead, we should try talking to the alliance army. Since we¡¯re all have the same faith, we should at least be able to convince them to sign a truce if we ask the pope to mediate.¡±


    ¡°Huh? That¡¯s brilliant, Jaa. I wonder why it has never occurred to me before,¡± Pipo sneered. ¡°If the pope want to intervene, he would¡¯ve done it long time ago.¡±


    ¡°All we need to do is ask His Holiness, that¡¯s definitely a better option than inviting demons into town. Right, Father Bapa?¡±


    ¡°It is as you say,¡± the bishop agreed with a nod.


    ¡°And, how long will the mediation process take until the truce can be effective, father?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. You have to be patience, nothing good comes from rushing things.¡±


    ¡°How long?¡± Pipo pressed.


    ¡°¡­ If we send the envoy today, requesting an emergency audience, then, considering His Holiness¡¯ tight schedule, the call for the summit meeting until it reaches the kings, various preparations, and the kings¡¯ entourages time to travel to the designated place¡­ Assuming everything goes smoothly, I would say about twenty five days, at the fastest.¡±


    ¡°Two and half weeks? See, it¡¯s impractical,¡± Pipo remarked, sighing. ¡°We¡¯ll all likely be dead before a week if we¡¯re alone in our current situation,¡± he added.


    ¡°I¡¯m with guildmaster,¡± Xiandra raised her hand. ¡°We can try asking the pope to mediate, but our alliance with Dungeon Master Arz must be maintained at all cost, especially for now. Who agrees with me?¡±


    All of the present Fantastica Executives raised their hands, except Jaa, which caused his eyes to widen. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with all of you?!¡± he shouted.


    Taking a deep breath, he continued, ¡°Listen. I understand if it¡¯s a training dungeon. All bigger guilds have at least one for their beginner members, after all. Although, none goes as far as making a deal with the dungeon master like us and theirs are only E-rank dungeons at most.


    ¡°However, inviting the vile creatures to town is different. Demons are to be exterminated. They can be taken advantage too, as long as you meet the conditions. But clearly not to be made friend or ally, it¡¯s against the very principles of God¡¯s teaching. Are you not afraid of the divine punishment for defying the God?¡±


    ¡°Give it up, Jaa. It¡¯s six against one,¡± Pipo reproached.


    ¡°So? This isn¡¯t an internal matter of Fantastica, the Executives aren¡¯t the one to decide. Your Lordship, you¡¯re wise, please stop this madness.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­,¡± Vjay hesitated, he didn¡¯t want to make hasty decision. ¡°Thy argument makes sense,¡± he said while turning to Dava, wondering how the famous mage would try to convince him now.


    ¡°We won¡¯t ever do this in normal situation, Father Jaa,¡± Dava assured. ¡°But, our current one demands an extreme response, you know this. The dungeon creatures won¡¯t be allowed to approach any town once the war is over or we have a better solution, you have my word. I¡¯m sure Dungeon Master Arz will understand.¡±


    Then, staring at Vjay¡¯s eyes, Dava persuaded, ¡°Your Lordship, if [Firzoa] agrees to maintain the alliance with the dungeon, we of Fantastica, using the compensation money we received from Dungeon Master Arz, are willing to bear all of the town repairment cost. However, we also need your permission to collect mana from every mage and soldier in town to pay him.¡±


    ¡°Oh, ooohhh¡­,¡± Vjay exclaimed. ¡°Thou have my permission, then,¡± he readily accepted the term. His round and heavy body shook once again as he spoke and chuckled with a greedy smirk.


    ¡°Thank you, Your Lordship,¡± Dava lowered his head. ¡°What about the church? I hope there¡¯s no problem, Father Bapa?¡±


    ¡°If that is Your Lordship¡¯s decision, then I won¡¯t argue. The church will remain neutral, we will heal and hospitalize anyone who seek the protection of God, regardless their affiliation in this war,¡± Bapa replied.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Dava lowered his head one more time, ignoring the grunting Jaa. Then, turning his gaze to a corner of the room, he said, ¡°It¡¯s as you heard yourself, Fantastica and [Firzoa] shall respect our agreement. Tell your master, I¡¯ll personally deliver the promised mana to the dungeon.¡±


    Everyone looked at the corner, but found it empty. While they exchanging glances with each other, Xiandra brought herself to ask. ¡°Guildmaster, who¡¯re you talking to?¡±


    Hearing the question, Dava just smiled. He instead talked to the supposed to be empty corner again. ¡°We¡¯re allies, aren¡¯t we? Are you not going to reveal yourself?¡±


    ¡°Kee kee keek. Guildmaster of Fantastica sure is different than the rest. Since when?¡± a voice replied from the spot as a figure gradually turned visible. A figure that wasn¡¯t belonged to human or faunus race, as it had a pair of horns and a snout. Its sharp and yellowish teeth were exposed when it opened its mouth.


    The sudden appearance surprised everyone and made them uptight, but none were stupid enough to panic or make a ruckus. Still, it didn¡¯t stop them to reach their own weapons. Especially Jaa, as he could still remember clearly how the creature in the corner had stabbed his face just the other day. He gripped his wand tightly.


    ¡°Since you entered the room with everyone,¡± Dava answered. ¡°But, I¡¯m not the only one.¡±


    ¡°Keek. The faunus, right? I¡¯m aware that he aware,¡± the demon said.


    Being mentioned, the rabbit ears of Fantastica¡¯s Executive Ugi the Swift twitched. Out of most people in the room¡¯s attention, his small figure had been restless all this time. Dava had told him to relax through an eye contact, and knowing his guildmaster had their situation under control had helped his mind eased, although not completely.


    ¡°As I said, please tell Dungeon Master Arz that I¡¯ll personally deliver the promised mana to his dungeon, in few days,¡± Dava repeated.


    The demon, a horned ratman with scale armor, didn¡¯t answer. Conversely, it looked upwards at the ceiling. With one glance Dava understood it wasn¡¯t the ceiling, but something beyond that, at the outside.


    As if to answer Dava¡¯s curiosity, a thunderous sound suddenly came and left in but a short moment. It was so loud that the whole town shook and made everyone on guard more than they already had. While they were wondering the thunder¡¯s true form, the ceiling cracked, opening a several meters in diameter hole of a perfect circle where ones could see the sky.


    What followed was a man descending through it. A young man, in his early twenties according to most people in the room¡¯s guesses, with a jet black hair wearing a brown mage robe, landed in the center of the room with a bam. Tsalja, Crystela, and Dava immediately recognized him, while the rat demon quickly kneeling down.


    The man, after putting down a large old man whom he had been carrying, looked around. His eyes then fixated at the two people in white robe with sun emblem embedded - the church emblem; Jaa and Bapa. ¡°Please, help me,¡± he said.

 26. Selfishness

    ¡°Father, wake up! Open your eyes!¡±


    What¡¯s going on here? Why isn¡¯t he breathing? He was still fine when I separated him from that bastard.


    The <rock dome>? No, I left enough holes for air, he shouldn¡¯t be suffocated.


    Did Jiwa do something? But, he didn¡¯t come anywhere close to father during the fight.


    Ah! Was it when he wiped the s-flies? No, no, there¡¯s no way that¡¯s the case. Human mind is complex, killing a human with merely mind-attack shouldn¡¯t be possible. Well, SHOULDN¡¯T be. Did he manage to figure a way somehow? Is he such a powerful mage who can kill by merely thinking of it?


    Uh, that¡¯s not important right now.


    C¡¯mon, wake up, father!


    I repeatedly pressed his left chest in a rhythm, relying on my vague memory at how doctors in my previous live had done it. Every once in awhile in between my pressings, I would stop to blow air through his mouth. Yet, probably due to the lack of my knowledge in that area or simply because of his condition, I couldn¡¯t get his heart to beat.


    I can¡¯t do this myself, I need help from an expert. But, who?


    Ah, Fantastica! That high priest, whatever his name. He was healing that Oki guy¡¯s wife and Dava said he¡¯s fine even after Ken killed him, he should be able to do something. Alright.


    Collecting my mind, I stood up with father¡¯s large build on my arms. While I rushed towards the sky fighter golems, one of them restarted its engine, even though they had just arrived a moment ago. Not that they need a rest, to begin with. I then hopped on and planted parts of my feet in the golem¡¯s rock body.


    It was a strange sensation. My breaths were short but my mind was clear and focus. I wanted to help father, that was all matter. Everything else seemed distant and unimportant. I couldn¡¯t even remember the thing related to Jiwa¡¯s scattered fleshes, which had been bothering me up until when the SFs had returned with both my not-breathing father and the restrained Spidey.


    As the SF I was on took off, I casted a wind barrier around me, carefully so it wouldn¡¯t disrupt the flight, before opening a portal to the sky outside my dungeon. My mind wandered, Aunt Ehrisya wasn¡¯t aware of father''s return yet, moreover his condition. She was playing with Queen in my throne chamber at the moment. Yet again, it was trivial matter.


    The trip was short with the fighter¡¯s speed. Fortunately, I knew where exactly to go. Ken had reported earlier that he had sneaked into a room where the big-shots in [Firzoa] had been gathering, including that high priest guy. Thus, I headed straight to the noble district, guided by my s-flies.


    Since we flew at a low altitude, the loud sound from the jet engine had to surprise the entire town. No, surprise would be an understatement, but who cared.


    Soon, I jumped down when the SF passed my destination building, a huge mansion of some sort, and let the golem went somewhere on its own. Using the <earth magic>, I then forced a hole to open on the roof, all the way into a big meeting room below - probably calling it a hall would be more appropriate.


    Although I tried to slow my fall by conjuring strong wind against me and turned the floor into soft sands, I still landed with a loud bam. It didn¡¯t hurt or anything, so it was fine.


    After laying father down on the floor, I made a quick scan to the entire room. There, I found the one I had been looking for, together with another man with similar grand white robe fashion, but with an addition of a funny looking round hat.


    ¡°Please, help me,¡± I asked.


    No one moved, it seemed they were all too shocked. Thus, I asked once again, ¡°Please, father, you who¡¯re blessed with <holy magic>, please help my old man.¡±


    This time, Dava responded. The red-haired guildmaster quickly moved to my side and checked father¡¯s condition. ¡°He¡¯s not breathing,¡± he murmured. ¡°Father Jaa!¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±


    Answering the call, the high priest acted. He came closer and did a throughout inspection to father¡¯s already-cold body, while chanting something under his breath. His now-glowing white glove touched every bruise he found and soon they were all gone.


    Finished with the bruises, he put his hand on the left chest where the heart resided. His chants grew louder and louder. And lastly, he shouted, ¡°<Healing Ray>!¡±


    A blinding light enveloped the room. When it finally dimmed out and there was no reaction from father, the priest Jaa shook his head and threw a meaningful look to Dava. The guildmaster nodded understandingly, then patted my back.


    ¡°I- We¡¯re sorr-¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I interjected. ¡°No, there must be something you can still do. Please don¡¯t give up. I beg you. Please, try again!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no use. It¡¯s been too long since he died,¡± Jaa replied, shaking his head once again.


    ¡°Then¡­ then, use <revive> or something. You can do it, right?¡±


    The high priest glared. ¡°Watch your wish, young lad. Death and life is the God¡¯s domain. Accept it.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ but, but, you used it yourself, didn¡¯t you? You were revived after you died once!¡±


    ¡°Me? No, it was different. I was under the <holy protection>, I haven¡¯t really died.¡±


    ¡°I- is that so¡­? But still¡­¡±


    ¡°Listen,¡± Jaa cut. ¡°I¡¯ve applied an advanced-level <healing ray>. His wounds are all healed and his body is as good as new. However, since his soul has left, he¡¯ll remain a corpse even if I cast more. If you¡¯re Mahza¡¯s son, you should understand this much of soul concept.¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Uh, I suppose¡­,¡± I replied weakly as I felt strength was leaving me, together with my dwindling hope.


    ¡°Everything comes from nothingness and will return to nothingness. Let us pray his soul finds peace beside our God Tuhn,¡± the other high priest with a round hat began preaching.


    ¡°I doubt it, Father Bapa. Mahza was a great sinner in his lifetime,¡± Jaa disagreed.


    Raising his eyebrows, Bapa gave questioning look. ¡°What do you mean, father? The God is merciful.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware, father, but Mahza isn¡¯t your regular sinner. Not only he brought miseries to wherever he went, only God knows how many taboos that man had broken.¡±


    ¡°I see. No wonder his name sounds familiar, so he is THAT Mahza.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Jaa nodded.


    I really wanted to punch his face.


    Even if what he had said was true, did he really have to talk about a deadman, in front this many people, like that? And he called himself a priest too, unbelievable.


    ¡°Too bad, young man. I suggest you, as his descendant, pay a charity of redemption to atone his sins. We, servants of God Tuhn, will take care of the rest, including the ritual to send his soul off,¡± Bapa said.


    Forcing a smile, I replied, ¡°Thank you for the offer, father. Rather, is there really nothing that can bring my old man back to life? Anything? I mean, it¡¯s called <Holy Magic>, after all, and it shouldn¡¯t be that long since his deadtime¡­,¡± I asked one more time, with a little hope.


    ¡°Why you¡­ I¡¯ve explained it, which part do you still not understand?¡± Jaa growled. ¡°Do you want to follow your father¡¯s missteps?!¡±


    ¡°Calm down, Father Jaa. Young man, I assure you, most of people in this room have been experiencing losing someone dear, so we understand your grieve. And based on that experience, I can tell you that the best way to face this kind of situation is simply to accept your old man¡¯s death. Let the time heal your wound.¡±


    ¡°So, there¡¯s really nothing than can be done?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Bapa gave a firm answer to my question.


    ¡°¡­ Are you telling me something like <revive> doesn¡¯t exist?¡±


    ¡°Even if it does, none of us here know it. And I doubt anyone within the influenced territory of the church knows, or dares to practice it. Life and death are lying within the God¡¯s domain, after all, and breaking such great taboo means capital punishment.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ see,¡± was the thing that came from my mouth, after my last hope being shattered.


    I wasn¡¯t convinced, father had broken the said taboo but they had done nothing to him. However, it was obvious that the priests here didn¡¯t want to help. It wasn¡¯t a question if they were capable or not anymore. That meant, spending any second longer in the place was wasting of time.


    ¡°What about my earlier suggestion? Charity of redemption is the only way to get the Almighty Tuhn¡¯s forgiveness for sins of his calibre. The sooner you pay, the less your old man will suffer in the afterlife.¡±


    My blood boiled when I heard that. Not only they refused to help father and bad talking him, they also tried to scam me. Still, I did my best to control myself. Exploding here wouldn¡¯t solve anything, anyway.


    Thus, by regulating my breath, I managed to calm myself. However, when I tried to stand up, my knees failed to hold. Only thanks to Ken who readily caught me that I didn¡¯t fall.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the intrusion, I¡¯ll be taking my leave now,¡± I said while getting a hold of myself, ignoring the high priest. ¡°Ken, take my father,¡± I ordered.


    ¡°Keek, yes.¡±


    "Dungeon Master Arz,¡± Dava called, as the thunderous sound of my Sky Fighter was approaching. ¡°You¡¯ve our condolence.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Without waiting any longer, I shot the three of us - Ken, father, and myself - upwards with an <earth pillar>, leaving everyone else dumbfounded. Ken with his strings got us on the plane and we departed thereafter.


    It was a dull trip back to the dungeon, mostly because I was sulking in my failure.


    In the end, I couldn¡¯t save father. What was all the effort for?


    Before I knew, we had reached our destination; a cave on a rocky hill within a huge forest, with a mountain in the background. There was no trace of a settlement that once stood at the clearing near the cave entrance. That was to be expected, though. Because, the clearing was part of the dungeon area and I had absorbed everything that had been left behind.


    Opening a portal in the mid-air, we entered the runway room. I jumped down from the plane, followed by Ken who brought father on his shoulder. With a gesture, I ordered the ratsassin to put him down.


    I stood still, observing the unmoving father¡¯s corpse, with Ken quietly stood next to me. Not long after, two portals were appearing. Haz, which now had thrice his previous size, and Queen, who looked so pretty with her golden tiara and black hair, were coming from each of the portal. They took position around me. Together, we mourned father¡¯s death in silence. I really was lucky to have them with me.


    As we did nothing, I realized how times had flew. Everything started when father had left me in this dungeon, which felt like aeons ago. Even though I got trusted companions, I lost Mahza; my savior, my guardian, my source of headache, my¡­ well, my father. Even though our souls weren¡¯t originally related, our physicals were. He was the only blood-related family I had left in this world.


    ¡°Father¡­,¡± I muttered while squatting down. ¡°Only now I realized how much your mad existence means to me¡­,¡± I whispered, caressing his mostly-turned-white hair. I took my time to carefully look at his face, at every wrinkle and mark uncovered by his beard. His skin was really pale and cold.


    ¡°¡­ Hey, Queen,¡± I said and turned, as a crazy idea flashed through my mind. ¡°If a golem can turn alive with a <monster core>, do you think¡­ I can revive father with it?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Master, you¡¯re more knowledgeable about <monster core> than I. But, even if the corpse comes to live, it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean it¡¯s your same father. I think.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Is it worth a try?¡±


    ¡°Just do it. You¡¯ve decided, haven¡¯t you?¡± Haz suggested.


    ¡°Yeah¡­,¡± I nodded, deciding.


    Turning back to father, I whispered, ¡°Father¡­ I know, I should let you go. Let you rest in peace. But, just like how you tried your best to bring me back to live, this time¡­ This time, please allow my selfishness.¡±


    On my palm, a core was formed. Then, with a tug, I pressed it into father¡¯s chest. There was a compulsion. One second, two seconds, five, ten, twenty. It continued, causing my heart to be in turmoil. After no less than two minutes, it finally ceased. Thereafter, slowly but steady, color returned to his face. And it wasn¡¯t stopping there, the bearded big man started to open his eyes.


    ¡°F¡­ father, do you recognize¡­ me?¡± I asked. My voice was shaking with excitement.


    The old man turned to me, he looked confused. ¡°Master. Why¡¯re you calling me father?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No! This isn¡¯t right!¡±


    With all my might, I pressed my hand to his chest. I used <memory-implant> and poured my every collection of him, since I had first come to this world to this day, concentrating not to let anything slipped by.


    Hours passed. I didn¡¯t know how long it was, but shouldn¡¯t be more than a day. My clothes were all drenched in sweats. Carefully looking at his face, the widened eyes started to focus. I bit my lower lips, not sure what to expect. He blinked once, twice, then turned his gaze to me.


    *Slap!*


    ¡°Auch!¡±


    I touched my head where it had been hit, it hurt. Then, returning my attention to father, I saw him grinning. Seeing me dumbfounded, his laugh bursted out.


    ¡°Mwa Ha ha Ha Ha Ha! I expect no less from you, boy!¡±


    ¡°It¡­ it worked?¡±

 27. Heres the plan

    No, it actually didn¡¯t work, did it?


    I had thrown questions to father, there were some that he could answer and some that he couldn¡¯t. He suggested it was either because the revival process had yet perfected, which in turn had disrupted his memory, or the brain had received damage during the time gap when he had been dead. The man himself assured it was nothing to worry about, he even speculated that the lost memories might recover within time.


    However, I knew it better. What he couldn¡¯t answer were things that I had no knowledge of, like most of his past or the details of <soul gem> creation process. Meanwhile, what he could answer were things I already knew, or at least had the gist of it. In other word, his memories were all fabricated, by me.


    In that case¡­


    ¡°Call me master.¡±


    *Smack!*


    ¡°Auch! What was that for!?¡±


    ¡°Hmph! That¡¯s my question, brat. Who do you think you are, telling the great me to call you master?¡±


    ¡°Uh, your savior?¡±


    ¡°That only makes us even. I did similar thing when you''re a baby, you know.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but earlier you¡¯re okay at calling me master.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯re you talking about?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t remember, or you pretend not to remember? You did call me master when you just opened your eyes.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. In your dream, maybe.¡±


    ¡°You really don¡¯t remember?¡±


    ¡°Like I said, what¡¯re you talking about?¡±


    ¡°¡­ I see.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°No, nevermind. Let¡¯s continue with the next test.¡±


    ¡°Hmph! Aren¡¯t we have enough tests already, what¡¯re you trying to accomplish? Rather, when¡¯re you going to introduce me to this hot babe?¡±


    ¡°Hello. I¡¯m called Queen. Nice to meet, father-in-law,¡± the queen gi-ant greeted with a bright smile.


    ¡°Hoo~ father-in-law? You¡¯ve a good taste, Arz, as expected from my boy.¡±


    ¡°My relationship with Queen is nothing of the sort.¡±


    ¡°Really? Why would you deny a girl of such high grade? If I¡¯m twenty years younger, I would go after her myself. Ah, don¡¯t tell me, are you still liking that noble brat who used to drag you around?¡±


    ¡°That has nothing to do with you. More importantly, please get ready, we¡¯ll move to the next test.¡±


    ¡°Bah! My grandchildren will depend on your woman of choice, of course I¡¯ve to do with it. I refuse to do any more test unless you can explain this properly.¡±


    ¡°In that case, you may lose your life again, you see. <Earth Spike>,¡± I said, raising a sharp rock under his feet, which caught him off guard and pierced through to his thigh.


    ¡°ARGH! YOU! What- GHAAAH!¡±


    *Thump!*


    As my second <earth spike> impaled father, a great disorientation and nausea attacked me. It couldn¡¯t be helped that a second later my body limped and fell to the floor. At the time, I lost control over the body and couldn¡¯t even make a groan. This, was his trademark. Unlike mine or even Jiwa¡¯s, his <mind-attack> seemed to cut the nerve connection between the brain and the vocal cord of his target.


    ¡®Attack him!¡¯ I told Ken and Haz through our link while pulling my consciousness out of the Dungeon Lord.


    However, as soon as father sensed their movement, they too fell to the ground. Well, I didn¡¯t expect them to succeed, to begin with.


    ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this, Arz? Explain yourself.¡±


    He probably lifted my avatar¡¯s limitation to speak when he asked, but it didn¡¯t matter. I made connection to his core and gripped it. The pressure caused him to scream in agony. As the result, both Ken and Haz were regaining control over their own selves and standing up.


    I stopped harassing the core and returned into the Dungeon Lord. After I got back on my feet, I released father from the impaling <earth spikes> with a flick of my finger.


    Suddenly losing his supports, father fell to his four. But his gaze quickly returned. He looked up at me with a mix of anger and uncertainty.


    ¡°Give me a good reason not to kill you, boy,¡± he threatened.


    ¡°You can¡¯t kill me, father. In case you¡¯ve forgotten, I¡¯m lord of this place. Even if you manage to destroy this body, I¡¯ll just return. On the other hand, just like how I had shown you a moment ago, I can destroy your heart anytime I want to.¡±


    My words ignited his anger even more. If I wasn¡¯t his son, I bet he would already come at me with all his might. However, while gritting his teeth, he asked me instead. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    I took a deep breath before answering. ¡°My apologies. I just want to see if you haven¡¯t lost your touch yet, and I see you haven¡¯t. Here, let me heal you,¡± I said as I walked closer.


    Touching father, once again I connected to his core. Although, this time, I poured mana to heal him instead of hurting. Curiously, he watched how his wounds were patching up with jaw agape.


    ¡°That¡¯s a nice trick. Where did you learn it?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ What is it, Arz? Something¡¯s bothering you? What about this test that you haven¡¯t told me?¡±


    I turned, looking at his eyes at the same height level. Hesitating a moment, I then decided to tell him the truth.


    ¡°Father, let me be frank. As you know, I failed to bring you back from Jiwa alive. Using my power as a dungeon lord, I was able to make you regain your consciousness. However, it¡¯s as you guessed, the method is imperfect and you lost most of your memories. And no, you¡¯ll never get them back.¡±


    ¡°And? I told you, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? Then, what if I tell you that your current memory is all fabricated?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°It¡¯s based on what I remember of you, not your real memory. You may think you¡¯re yourself, but it was merely a suggestion I¡¯ve implanted on you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Moreover, as an entity that¡¯s brought alive by the dungeon power, your existence is closer to a demon than a human. Just like the other three in this room.¡±


    ¡°Three?¡± father repeated, knitting his brows. Looking around, he counted. ¡°You mean, Queen is also¡­?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°Surprised? So, after knowing all this facts, what¡¯re you going to do, father? If you can¡¯t stand living as a demon, with a fake memory at that, I can put an end to-¡±


    ¡°What fake memory? Arz, you said it, it¡¯s based on what you remember of me. Although there may be some inaccuracies, it¡¯s still me, isn¡¯t it? Hmm. Come to think of it, there¡¯s a brainwashing technique in <soul magic> called <memory-implant>. Is that what you did¡­?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Yes.¡±


    ¡°Mwa Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha¡­ And I thought you dislike <soul magic>. To be able to use a skill of such difficulty to this extent, you must be very dedicated in your training.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Not really. I¡¯ve a complete control over the core I create, planting a memory to my creatures isn¡¯t too difficult.¡±


    ¡°I see. That sounds convenient.¡±


    ¡°¡­ So, father. About you being a demon¡­¡±


    ¡°What of it?¡±


    ¡°You know, how the church treated monsters and demons¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmph, those hypocrites can try to hunt me, I¡¯ll welcome them anytime. They¡¯ve wanted to punish me for a long time, anyway, adding one or two more sins won¡¯t change anything.¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­ is that so? But, still¡­ it¡¯ll expose you to danger even more¡­¡±


    ¡°I said, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m the great Mahza, the best soul-mage master in the whole continent. Stop being a worrywart, Arz.¡±


    ¡°¡­ So, you don¡¯t mind living as you¡¯re now?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. Rather than worrying about that, why don¡¯t you tell me more about the advantages and disadvantages of being a demon. Other than being vulnerable to you, that is.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right. Let¡¯s see. First, we should be immortal, as long as we don¡¯t run out of mana or being killed.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, immortality. I see, that makes sense.¡±


    ¡°What is?¡±


    ¡°The principle of <soul gem> seems based on the dungeons and dungeon creatures. That¡¯s why, a core is essential to create one. But of course, you already know this, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­ I figure that¡¯s the case, when you and Jiwa used the core of my giant tiger. Anyway, is this kind of life okay for you? I remember you said you don¡¯t want to live forever in a world without mother.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I can¡¯t face your mother if the church get their hand on you. Besides, you can always terminate this life of mine later if I change my mind, right? Anyway, what¡¯re the other pros and cons?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Mana will play more important role in your life. While you can no longer generate mana on your own, it should be easier for you to accumulate mana by eating or absorbing from others. Also, you don¡¯t really need to eat anymore, as long as you¡¯ve enough mana to sustain your life.¡±


    Father grunted as a sign that he was listening.


    ¡°Now, can you access your core? It¡¯s located in your heart, in your left chest. Try it.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Oh, what¡¯s this? A blue screen appears when I try what you told. It says I¡¯ve skills called <soul manipulation> and <dungeon gate>.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Huh? Wait, do you guys also have that blue screen?¡± I asked my demons.


    ¡°Keek, I do.¡±


    ¡°Naturally.¡±


    ¡°I see. It seems something exclusive to dungeons, demons, and monsters, father. My first time seeing it was when I became the dungeon conscious. About the skills, the <soul manipulation> is basically the <soul magic>, while the <dungeon gate> is a skill to open a portal to travel anywhere within my dungeon. Well, in battle, in can also be used to redirect an attack,¡± I explained.¡°If you can access your core, you can heal yourself. The trick is simply by pulling some mana from the core and focusing it on the wounds. They''ll start to regenerate,¡± I added.


    ¡°Oh, right, almost forgot. As a creature of my dungeon, you should also be able to access the link that connect everyone. Can you feel it, the mass of presences, somewhere in your head?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Is this it¡­? Oh, oohh¡­ Amazing, I can see the outside. I can see as far as our house in [Rahziel]. No, it goes even further. Just how far¡­ it¡¯s almost as if I can see the whole continent.¡±


    ¡°Not the whole continent. Our s-flies have yet spread that far,¡± I told. ¡°Well, that¡¯s about it, I guess. You can experiment more on them later. For now, there¡¯s someone who¡¯s waiting to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± I said, opening a portal to the throne chamber.


    In there, Ehrisya was sitting on the rising platform to my throne. She was laughing at the four gi-ants that were performing a stunt. Sensing my coming, the four quickly withdrew from their play and made a submissive posture towards me, allowing the red haired woman to realize too.


    ¡°Oh, my, you have ret-- MAHZA! You¡¯re back!¡±


    She quickly stood up and approached upon seeing father behind me.


    ¡°Ehrisya? What¡¯re you doing here?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ you recognize me?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do. What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Ah, you see, I told aunty to prepare for the worst, father. Fortunately, aunt, although father did lose some of his memories, he could recognize us alright,¡± I said.


    ¡°I see¡­ Thank goodness.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure you two have a lot to talk, so I¡¯ll excuse myself,¡± I said, smiling, then pushing father to step forward.


    ¡°Where are you going, Arz, dear? Why don¡¯t you join us?¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I replied. ¡°But I still have things to do. I¡¯ll make sure to visit you two later.¡±


    With that, I closed the portal in front of me and turned to face my three demons, back in the runway room. ¡°Sit down,¡± I ordered.


    Once we all took our seats in a circle, I began my speech. ¡°First, good job at the battle of [Firzoa]. To be honest, I didn¡¯t expect it to go that smoothly. You all have performed beyond my expectation. Well done.


    ¡°Now, after the case regarding my father is closed, the question is¡­ what¡¯s next? I¡¯ve been thinking this for a while, and here¡¯s the plan. We¡¯ll expand our dungeon, more than any dungeon ever did in history. We¡¯ll build the greatest dungeon ever exist.¡±


    ¡°Keek. So you¡¯ll add new levels, master?¡± Ken asked.


    ¡°No. Well, yes, but that¡¯s not what I mean. Our current three levels should be sufficient for awhile longer. You know, based on our experience, our fastest growth came from our interaction with the sentients, the humans. So that¡¯s what we¡¯ll do. Fortunately, the war present us many opportunities that we can exploit.¡±


    I paused to give them time to digest my words.


    ¡°As long as it can make me stronger, I¡¯m in,¡± Haz said while crossing his arms.


    ¡°Fu~ So, how exactly do you plan to interact with the humans, master?¡± Queen asked.


    ¡°Good question. It¡¯s through economic and diplomacy. We¡¯ve a wide variety of goods we got during the white wizard¡¯s raid, which we can materialize as many as needed to supply people¡¯s demand. We can also offer the protection with our military might. Each method leads to increase people¡¯s dependency on us.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a merchant, I have neither the talent nor the connections. Thus, I¡¯ll have aunt Ehrisya to help and represent us as the new economic power. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll agree.


    ¡°As for the diplomacy, we¡¯ll start with the nearest towns first. Since I still need Queen to accompany our guest and to manage the domestic affair, I¡¯ll leave it to the two of you.


    ¡°Ken, go back to [Firzoa], you can use the subway train to come and go there faster. Your order is to gain people¡¯s favor. Give them a hand, help maintain order, lend them money, whatever that you think effective. Don¡¯t mind cheap pay at the beginning. Also, can you sense the mana network following the railway? Establish another network so we¡¯re secured even if that one is cut, and I want it to cover the entire town as well.


    ¡°Haz, [Rahziel] will be your responsibility. Find the current head knight who also acts as the mayor, Sir Besi. Offer him our services, military or merchandises or both. Feel free to use father''s or my name, battle of [Firzoa] as an example, or even a demonstration as you see fit. Just don¡¯t hurt anyone or break any property, this is important. You also need to work on the mana network.


    ¡°Am I clear? Any question?¡±


    ¡°Keek, understood,¡± Ken answered, while Haz only nodded without a word.


    ¡°Good. Here¡¯s the transceiver orbs for the mana network. Place each of them at a good location,¡± I told, materializing two hundred of the orbs. Since the dungeon had absorbed many corpses of [Dragora] soldiers earlier, I didn¡¯t need to worry about the mana required to materialize them.


    The rat demon then opened a portal to the forest room, where his underlings came in to pick the orbs and brought them through another portal to the subway station, beneath the dungeon entrance. Meanwhile, the dragon demon had flown outside, towards [Rahziel]. I saw he brought several gargoyles with him.


    ¡°So, it¡¯s my turn now? What should we do first, master?¡± the gi-ant demoness giggled.


    ¡°Hmm. I want to check that dragon knight, I also intrigued to test the extend of what this <memory-implant> can do. But, I suppose Spidey should be the first priority. Even though Jiwa¡¯s fleshes had been destroyed, it bothers me that I haven¡¯t found anything that resemble pieces of <soul gem> in the battlefield. I hope we can extract some useful information from the terrortula, since we can¡¯t expect anything from father¡¯s lost memory.¡±


    ¡°Okay~¡±

 28. Time for firearms

    ¡°YAAAAHHHH!!¡±


    ¡°Stop, Loen¡­ Uh, I can¡¯t even maintain my form¡­¡±


    *Splash!*


    The mound that arose from a pool of water dissolved, sending droplets to every direction. Meanwhile, the other creature, a golem that was¡­ hobbling? No, crawling? Or whatever that silly manner supposed to be, was handled by the white spider monster on my shoulder.


    Spidey, the spider, shot a thread that easily tripped the unsteady movement. Then, with a jump, it positioned itself on the thing. Its scythe-shaped forelegs worked quickly to dig the golem¡¯s core out, of which it treated itself with.


    ¡°NOOO!¡± the water pool - a morpher - screamed, seeing the golem¡¯s core being eaten.


    ¡°You¡¯re disappointingly can¡¯t do anything this time either, Rowd. Well, I guess this is it,¡± I farewelled.


    ¡°Curse you, dungeon lord!¡±


    The sentenced was his last, as Spidey fished out the morpher¡¯s core from the water pool with another thread. No need to say, it also ended up as its meal.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± I muttered, taking out my notes and made several marks.


    It concludes the test regarding <memory-implant>, I suppose.


    Let¡¯s see. The memory of someone can be implanted to any monster, there¡¯s no limitation there. It¡¯s even possible to have several clones active at the same time. However, whether the subject can use the monster body is a different question. There¡¯s this compatibility issue which varies for each person. For example¡­


    Rowd, a swordsman. When he¡¯s given a body of a golem, he could handle it quite well. When it¡¯s a fighter golem, his performance was superb. Conversely, he was terrible in a non-humanoid or non-melee body. He couldn¡¯t even hold a shape for three seconds in that last one, a morpher, despite all the time I gave him to adapt.


    Then, Loen, a fire-elemental mage. He could adapt better to various bodies. However, unless the body had a fire attribute, such as the inferno or the lava golem, he couldn¡¯t use his magic. A body that need a lot of physical energy to operate due to its weight, like a golem, was also a no for Loen.


    The last one, Vaiz, a scout. He had the highest adaptability of the trio. Yet, since I found his general skills were the most useless for this test, I eliminated him earlier.


    Anyway, because father is in his own body, he should¡¯ve none of this compatibility problem. He should be able to apply his magic and abilities just right. I¡¯d need to confirm it, though, just to be sure. Later.


    Well, that¡¯s that. Seeing how the trio struggled, I got a new idea. This <memory-implant>, I can also use it for a torturing purpose, can¡¯t I? Not to the dead, they¡¯re¡­ dead. But, it should be useful to weaken one¡¯s mental state. Hmm. Or, it may instigate a rage instead, and drives the person stronger? Uh, it¡¯s a double edge sword, I suppose. Noted.


    Hmm?


    ¡°What is it, Spidey? You¡¯ve finished your meals?¡± I asked, as the terrortula climbed up my throne back to my shoulder.


    Saving my notes back, I caressed the now sleeping creature¡¯s hairy head with my fingers. Of course, I had ensured the little guy was clean and loyal to me again, before allowing it to follow me around.


    There had been a trace of <memory-implant>, which had been applied roughly at it. Although most of what had happened remained in a dark, I had been able to learnt two important things from it.


    First, it seemed Jiwa had realized the s-flies¡¯ existence for a long time. Second, there was a dungeon hidden beneath his house. Considering its state, probably a conquered dungeon that still had monsters within.


    There was this basement room in his house which always had a barrier protected it all the time, wherein he and father had worked on the <soul gem>. Obviously, I had tried to snuck some flies in whenever Jiwa or father had been coming in and out, but they had always died right away. I thought, it had been because of the nature of the barrier. However, if Jiwa had knew the tiny creatures existences, he had likely killed them on purpose to keep secrets from me.


    With it connected to the dungeon entrance, hiding the spider while feeding it at the same time had been a simple task. I had realized when it had fought the sky fighters and had confirmed it later, Spidey¡¯s mana level was much higher compared to when Jiwa had first captured it. Therefore, much stronger.


    That was how it had managed to pull and catch the rocket propelled missiles back then. Although a monster¡¯s size usually reflecting its mana level, that wasn¡¯t the case for terrortula race, and probably some other races too.


    But then, with such access to a dungeon, Jiwa shouldn¡¯t be lacking of monster cores. Why did he have to use Tig¡¯s core for the <soul gem> material? It¡¯s true that Tig, a giant tiger with all of its agility and strength and could even fly, can be considered a boss monster class. Was that why? Because the dungeon lacks of boss monster?


    Ah, no, that¡¯s not what important now. Whatever the material was, the <soul gem> was completed. So, the question is whether Jiwa has used the <soul gem> or not.


    If he did, then why bother going to Mount Naar at all? The situation of both dungeons are the same, a conquered ones. Instead, Mount Naar dungeon¡¯s monsters should be more dangerous for him.


    To bait me? No, that doesn¡¯t make sense. Is immortality not his goal?


    Then, if he didn¡¯t use it, where¡¯s the <soul gem>? There¡¯s no way it¡¯s destroyed without leaving any trace, when his flesh has remnants.


    ¡­ Hmm. My guts says Jiwa¡¯s alive somehow. I need to investigate the dungeon beneath his house and find a clue. But, the barrier is still there, the s-flies can¡¯t enter.


    And I can¡¯t go myself, it¡¯s too risky with the current situation. Then, should I send one of my demons? Nah, it¡¯s still too risky. I¡¯ll need all my demons around me.


    ¡®Keek, master.¡¯


    ¡®Ken?¡¯ I confirmed the one who contacted me through our link. ¡®What¡¯s up?¡¯


    ¡®The guildmaster of Fantastica is heading your way.¡¯


    ¡®Oh? Good, perfect timing.¡¯


    I tried to find his location, and soon got feedback from my eyes and ears in the underground. The s-flies, which resided within the subway train between the dungeon and [Firzoa] town in the west, showed the vision that Dava and several Fantastica members sat down relaxedly in a passenger car, enjoying their first riding experience. They would enter my territory, the dungeon domain, soon.


    Dava, Jowsar-star, and a woman I saw in the meeting. Hmm.


    ¡®Queen,¡¯ I called through our link.


    ¡®My lord?¡¯


    ¡®Go welcome the Fantastica at the station,¡¯ I ordered. ¡®Take them to the first room.¡¯


    ¡®Understood.¡¯


    I decided to use the first room as a lobby, just like when Fantastica had been using my dungeon as a training dungeon. After I went to the said room through a portal, I added more tables and chairs beside the existing ones - the ones I had used when making a deal with Fantastica - and took a seat myself. Then, I materialized some drinks and cups from my item list, without a doubt things which I had absorbed during Maa¡¯s raid.


    Perfect.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    While in the wait, I checked my wrist, making sure I brought my ultimate weapon against a mage. Just in case it turned into a fight, unlikely as it was. It was something I had picked from the dragon knight¡¯s glove, now attached on my selfmade stone-bracelet and well hidden under my robe¡¯s sleeve. I touched the <anti-magic gem>, or so I called it as I didn¡¯t know its proper name, and poured mana. Seeing it radiated, I couldn¡¯t help but to smile.


    As my guests still hadn''t arrived yet, I thought how I was supposed to ask them the favor. It was a troublesome matter that had occupied my mind recently, no matter how much I pretended it hadn¡¯t.


    Hmm. I wonder¡­ If it¡¯s Dava, he¡¯s probably interested to exchange the help with information of the war situation? It can overturn the table wholefully. But, what if he disagrees? What else can I offer?


    ¡­ Nah, there¡¯s no need to worry it too much. If I¡¯ve to, I can resort to destroy a town or a forest. It doesn¡¯t matter.


    No, no, what am I thinking? I can¡¯t do that. If I do, it¡¯ll destroy my own plan. I need to earn a trust with the humans and build a good relationship.


    Argh! This¡¯s annoying, no matter how I think it. Let¡¯s hope the negotiation goes smoothly.


    Earlier, while I had the memories of the trio of Fantastica Rowd-Loen-Vaiz struggle in monster bodies and I had leisurely browsed the world via the s-flies¡¯ vision, I had noticed something. A group of elves had arrived at [Jowsar], the town just east from here. The Dungeon Hunter group. They were resupplying and gathering information at the moment, but without a doubt would come here soon.


    I couldn¡¯t go investigating the dungeon beneath Jiwa¡¯s house because of the threat posed by the Dungeon Hunter. And I couldn¡¯t use the sky fighters to raid them as they were in town. And to be honest, I doubt I would be able to catch them before they were entering the forest either, with the close distance between the town and the forest.


    If Dava disagrees¡­ Should I fight them in the forest? Or should I let them enter the dungeon?


    It¡¯d be easier for me to fight in dungeon, in my own territory. But, they¡¯re the group who¡¯ve conquered countless dungeons before, including the Mount Naar that has been deemed unconquerable all this time. I¡¯ve no confidence.


    Ah, well, first thing first.


    ¡°Welcome to my place, Master Dava and companies,¡± I greeted as I saw the entourage walking in from the cave entrance. Standing up, I continued, ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind I welcome you here instead of in my chamber.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind at all, Dungeon Master Arz. I¡¯m just glad that I finally have the chance to visit your dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Please, have a seat,¡± I invited.


    Once we all sat down, I said, ¡°So, for what honor do I owe your visit today, Master Dava?¡±


    ¡°Right, I¡¯ll be straight to the point. First, this is the mana we¡¯ve promised,¡± he said, taking out an orb with a handheld from under his robe.


    ¡°Oh, thank you,¡± I replied, receiving the thing, before handing it over to Queen.


    She understandingly brought it further inside the dungeon, away from the guests so I could absorb it. Just by touching it, the amount of mana I felt was more than enough to make me brim in delight. The exact amount had to wait until I actually absorbed it, though.


    ¡°And second, I¡¯d like to deepen our alliance,¡± Dava said, once my attention return to him. ¡°Dungeon Master Arz, could you dispatch your monster army once again, to join the [[Alishine]] main troops together with Fantastica?¡±


    I was surprised. Of course, I knew all along the situation wasn¡¯t good for [[Alishine]]. They were steadily losing foothold and being pushed back further into their own territory. Still, to openly ask my participation was beyond my expectation.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t free, of course. Three times the amount of mana you received today, what do you think?¡±


    Once again his offer surprised me. However, after considering it carefully, I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ll pass.¡±


    This time it was Dava who looked surprised. ¡°Why? Five times, then. But you¡¯ve to give us some lenient to pay you in installment.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the problem,¡± I replied, shaking my head again.


    ¡°Then?¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± I muttered, considering my words. ¡°First, no matter how dire the situation is, there are people who won¡¯t abandon their faith. Even among the [[Alishine]] own ranks, I think some, if not most, will never accept my monsters'' involvement. No matter what contribution they''ll make to the war."


    ¡°True,¡± Dava nodded. ¡°Still, I thought you don¡¯t care of what people think?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± I admitted. ¡°It¡¯s your job to convince them, anyway, not mine. However, that¡¯s not all. The second problem is, I¡¯ve a promise to never go directly against [[Quwwat]]. Well, indirectly can be loosely interpreted, but confronting and killing their soldiers would obviously a breach of this agreement. And I¡¯m a man of my words.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± the red haired guildmaster let out a low exclamation as he was reminded.


    ¡°And third, I¡¯m in a grave situation myself. Actually, I want Master Dava¡¯s help to rid the Dungeon Hunter group that¡¯s about to come here. If you do, I don¡¯t mind to overlook the second problem and help you back.¡±


    Please, accept it.


    Dava sank in his thought, considering my proposal. ¡°No, sorry,¡± he declined. ¡°Although we¡¯ve a score to settle with the Dungeon Hunter ourselves, the situation won¡¯t allow it. We¡¯re pressed in time. I already have my men to go first and will join them once I finish here. I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    ¡°Ah, is that so¡­?¡± I replied, couldn¡¯t hide my disappointment. ¡°What if I add a live report on every enemy¡¯s movement in the deal? Information is vital, after all. It can completely change the tide of the war,¡± I offered, trying to pick his interest.


    ¡°Hmm. That¡¯s interesting, for sure. Can you really do it?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°¡­ That¡¯s impressive, Dungeon Master Arz. I would really like to know how you would do it. Unfortunately, I still have to decline.¡±


    ¡°How come?¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the Dungeon Hunter now?¡±


    ¡°[Jowsar]?¡±


    ¡°Right, we can¡¯t attack them in the middle of town, it¡¯ll attract too much commotion. Then, the soonest is when they come to the forest, but fighting elves in a forest is¡­,¡± he shook his head, ¡°too disadvantageous. Inadvisable. The battle itself may take hours or days. Even if we win, it¡¯ll leave us exhausted. Sorry, I just don¡¯t have that many time to spare. Is there a way to buy that information without fighting the elves?¡±


    ¡°¡­ No,¡± I replied solemnly.


    If they weren¡¯t going to help me, I didn¡¯t see the reason why should I help them. Especially, since providing them a live report would need someone who could do both accessing s-flies¡¯ shared vision and telling them of it. In other word, an ordinary monster wouldn¡¯t do unless it was a demon who could speak. However, I would need all my demons stayed at my side in the upcoming fight.


    ¡°I see, that¡¯s too bad. By the way, where¡¯s my sister? Since we completed our previous agreement, please return her.¡±


    ¡°Aunt Ehrisya? She¡¯s not here. She¡¯s currently visiting my hometown [Rahziel] with father.¡±


    ¡°Fa¡­ Wait, by father, you mean Master Mahza? But, he--¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s alive,¡± I cut.


    ¡°No way! I checked on him myself, he--¡±


    ¡°Master Dava,¡± I interjected again. ¡°Seeing as we both are pressed against time, let¡¯s save the details for later. I assure you, Aunt Ehrisya is fine. She¡¯s probably in one of the happiest moments in her life. But of course, you¡¯re free to check yourself to [Rahziel] if you want to.¡±


    Dava, still with his eyes wide opened, finally calmed down. ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡±


    ¡°Then, if there¡¯s nothing else¡­¡±


    ¡°Please wait, Dungeon Master Arz,¡± a man whom I recognized as Gara, the archer of Jowsar-star party, raised his hand. ¡°If you can¡¯t directly help us, perhaps you can provide us with weapons? Like this thing.¡±


    I squinted my eyes at the rifle in his hand. ¡°Where do you get that?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Uh, I looted it from the remains of the golems, after your battle with Executive Maa¡¯ in the last room of level one,¡± he explained, flustering.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    ¡°So¡­?¡±


    ¡°Fine, I see no problem. But, it¡¯s not cheap, you know.¡±


    ¡°Mana, right? We can pay you, right, guildmaster?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I need my mana for the upcoming battle. Therefore, unless you can pay it in advance, we¡¯ve no deal.¡±


    ¡°Would one third of the amount you received earlier be sufficient?¡± Dava asked. ¡°If so, I¡¯ll provide it. It shouldn¡¯t take a long to give mana. More importantly, do you think this is worth the price, Gara?¡±


    ¡°Yes, trust me, guildmaster.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help as well.¡±


    ¡°Tsalja?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s only the five of us, I can still <transfer> us just fine after giving some of my mana.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°You forgot about transporting the weapons,¡± I remarked.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll take care of it as a bonus, if you don¡¯t mind a slower method than <transfer>.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, but there¡¯s no need,¡± the guild master denied. ¡±My mana should be enough.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°If you say so.¡±


    ¡°So, where can I store my mana?¡±


    To his question, I pointed at the stone pedestal in the middle of the room. The same one that adventurers had used to pay their mana tribute before entering my dungeon. As Dava the Elementalist put his hand on the pedestal¡¯s surface, letting his mana being absorbed, light particles gathered on the floor as I also began materializing the rifles and their ammunitions.


    So, it¡¯s time for firearms to enter the stage in this world too, huh? Well, so be it. I still hold the more advanced versions, and I need every bit of additional mana, anyway.


    *Ding!*


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Requirements meet. New title is acquired!</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>You are now known as ¡®Conflict Opportunist.¡¯</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Oh?


    *Ding!*


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="3">¡®Conflict Opportunist¡¯</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="3">A dungeon that can see opportunities from other race¡¯s conflict and take advantage of it.</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Effect</td>


    <td colspan="2">Various gains depend on the dungeon¡¯s deeds, but may also inflict hatred.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 29. This stupid...

    ¡°Gukuruku ha kurugu gahgaruzao¡­¡±


    ¡°Err¡­¡±


    ¡°Kagaruguha uhugu shgaga fuku zuzushga amagukuruku.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t get it.¡±


    ¡°Afarufugu kaogurugu hugu zuku ha,¡± the leader of the small green creatures started to add body language to convey what he meant. Not that it helped, as I still didn¡¯t get the slightest.


    I looked one more time at the creature, who was looking back at me with awe while prostrating on the floor. Green skin, bald head, two long pointed ears, large and beak-like nose, with needle-like teeth. The top of his head only reached slightly more than my stomach when he stood straight, and all of his hands had sharp nails. Behind him, his brethrens were also all prostrating.


    Unfortunately, although the younger generation of the green skinned creatures did have a monster core, the older generation including the leader didn¡¯t. After all, unlike the young ones, they weren¡¯t born in my dungeon. And because of that, communicating by thought through the link was also impossible.


    ¡°Shruru biririzu ga kuuga,¡± the leader talked again.


    Scratching my head, I gave up trying to understand the words by myself. Instead, I turned to the female demon beside me, expecting a help. She, who had a complete human appearance with a golden tiara adorned her beautiful black hair, was the one I had entrusted to train the younger goblins. I believed she would understand their language to some extent.


    ¡°Hey, Queen, do you understand what the guy was trying to say?¡± I inquired.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± she mumbled, not answering right away. Then, while licking her own lips in a seducing manner, she said, ¡°It¡¯ll be depend on what you¡¯re going to offer in ret-- Aaaa¡­ just kidding. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry! Uu, that hurts, master.¡±


    I pinched her cheek hard and stopped only after she apologized. ¡°We¡¯re pressed in time, just tell me already,¡± I told.


    ¡°Fu~ You¡¯re no fun. Aa, don¡¯t pinch me again, I get it. Geez. He said, they¡¯re honored that the god was visiting them. Not only the god has spared their pitiful lives, he also has sheltered them in this safe haven and taught them many things. They¡¯re forever grateful and will do anything to repay the god¡¯s kindness.¡±


    Huh? Wait, god?


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s the right translation?¡±


    ¡°More or less,¡± she replied, shrugging her shoulders.


    ¡°Did he really refer me as god? You didn¡¯t make it up, did you?¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡±


    God, huh? I¡¯m not a believer of this world¡¯s religion, but I do believe the one and only God. To be called god here, it feels so weird. Oh well, let¡¯s play along for now.


    ¡°¡­ Hmm. Tell them, this so called safe haven is about to become a battlefield. If they really value it, then fight! Fight for me, their god. Fight for themselves and their new home. Prove it that his words weren¡¯t just a lips service!¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± she complied. ¡°Kakagu hugu ha gukuruzukaku,¡± she said to the goblin leader.


    ¡°Hugu kakugao?¡± the leader asked back in surprise.


    ¡°Deki,¡± the woman answered firmly.


    ¡°Uz,¡± the leader said and hurriedly stood up. ¡°Ha shgarauruzu,¡± he said again while bowing to me.


    Only after I replied with a nod did the goblin move. He, now facing his people, started his speech. ¡°Ha hugu gurgagazh! O dekigu tatagakaku! Hugu! Hugu! Ha shgaramaruzku!¡±


    ¡°¡°Oooooo! Hugu! HuGU! HUGUU! HUGUUU!!¡±¡±


    The goblins returned the speech with enthusiasm. They were raising their fists to air and yelling a word together. A battle cry of some sort, perhaps.


    It didn''t last, though. It suddenly turned silence, although not completely, as some growlings were still heard. However, their eyes were emitting a same bloodlust, all of them, including the children. Even for me, it was quite intimidating. The savages were ready to fight.


    Satisfied with their reaction, the leader turned to me. ¡°Ha hugu uz,¡± he lowered his head again while reporting.


    ¡°Good job,¡± I said and nodded, pretending to understand. ¡°Queen, I¡¯ll leave the rest to you.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Hmm. Those reactions, not bad at all. Maybe they¡¯re more useful than I first thought.


    Goblins, a pest of the world, just like dungeons. Heh, aren¡¯t we a good match?


    They¡¯re nothing tough like the war-freak orcs and well known for their cowardice, but they pullulate and grow very fast. Although, in a sense, it¡¯s more problematic for other races. That¡¯s why guards will come to hunt them periodically, to at least keep their population in check since wiping them out is almost impossible. And, if I¡¯m not mistaken, there¡¯s always an active reward for every killed goblin in every adventurer guild too.


    However, from the goblins¡¯ point of view, being hunted everytime must be frustrating. It¡¯s all better for me, though. I¡¯ll give you an opportunity to release your frustrations, please wrack those invaders to your hearts¡¯ content. I¡¯m counting on your leadership, Queen.


    With that, I walked away from the center of the goblin village to inspect the surrounding area. The room it was located was the new biggest room in level one and served as a hub, where most passages ended up and the only passage to the last room started - which was hidden behind the goblin village. I had no doubt the place would play an important role if I wanted to stop the elves.


    Hmm. I wonder¡­ They¡¯re specialized in conquering dungeons, right? Maybe¡­ I should make it least like a dungeon? Let¡¯s see. A wall-protected village, no, a fort? They shouldn¡¯t be experienced in taking out forts as well, should they? This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡­ Alright. Even if it fails to completely stop them, but if it¡¯s proven to trouble them enough somehow, I can make a stronger fortress in level three. All good.


    With the next action decided, I began to solidify the village¡¯s defenses. First, I raised stone walls high to replace their poor fences, along with the stairs and guard towers. Of course, I also dug a deep and wide, and I meant deep and wide, moat outside the wall. It should be too far for anyone to jump it over, even with <body strengthening> applied, and hurt much anyone who fell. To add the damage, I created spikes in various sizes on its base that would impale the fallens.


    ¡®Send me tens of goblins with core, I¡¯ll teach them how to handle machine guns,¡¯ I told Queen through our link.


    I materialized machine guns and ammunitions to fill each of the guard tower, the same type that were attached to the sky fighters, and added a holder and a chair for their operators. When the young goblins arrived, I used <memory-implant> of how to use the weapons and sent them to their respective posts.


    Finished with the wall, I moved to its outer side and took a good look. The goblin village looked completely different with its majestic walls now.


    Good. Rather than goblin village, let¡¯s call it goblin fort from now on.


    Not that I satisfied, yet. Using the <earth-elemental manipulation>, I changed the entire cave floor of the room into sands. The elves were famous with their agility, after all. Therefore, even a little, I wanted to reduce it. After that, I carefully added various traps, leaving almost no gap on the ground; landmines, pit holes, teleport traps, and mind-disturbers. The goblins mightn¡¯t be able to hunt for food for the time being, but I would see they had enough food supply.


    I worked on the ceilings afterward, installing boulder-drop and water-drowner traps. Finished with them, I opened a portal and called in gargoyles. I had them hang on ceilings before they turned into stone statues.


    Done, for now. All that left are materializing enough rifles for the goblins and call Haz, Ken and father home.


    ¡®What a bizarre preparation. Do we really need all of this, master? You don¡¯t even prepare this kind of things when we go against Fantastica,¡¯ Queen asked through our link.


    ¡®Our mana was more limited back then,¡¯ I replied, as I walked back to enter the fort again.


    ¡®Still, is it really necessary? They¡¯re only few in numbers, aren¡¯t they? Are you saying they¡¯re more dangerous than the White Wizard?¡¯


    ¡®¡­ Queen, by chance, do you know what the elves are called?¡¯


    ¡®No?¡¯


    ¡®Children of nature,¡¯ I told. ¡®It¡¯s said that their golden eyes represent the bless of sun, and their silver hairs represent the bless of moon. Every one of them has beautiful yet strong physique, stronger than the average humans, in addition of talent in magic. In other word, they¡¯re blessed by nature in every aspect. Although, most are pacifists who don¡¯t want to be involved in the world¡¯s affairs and thus rarely leave the Elven Forest.


    ¡®From what I can see, there¡¯s no druid - their mages - among the Dungeon Hunter¡¯s group, which is fortunate. But for your question, yes, these seasoned warriors are likely more dangerous than the lone White Blizzard, especially with their record of conquering the Mount Naar Dungeon.¡¯


    ¡®I see¡­,¡¯ was her reaction after the explanation. ¡®By the way, I¡¯m finished dividing the goblins in groups. You may want to improve the quality of their weapons, though.¡¯


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m about to do,¡± I said it loud as I reached the center of the goblin village. The queen gi-ant and the goblin leader were standing there, in front of the rest of goblins who lined up in columns, who each holding a stone spear.


    ¡­ About two hundreds adult goblins, huh? Excluding the ones who handling the machine gun. Although I¡¯ve been speeding up their growth, they¡¯ve multiplied by four times in only a little more than a week? Really?


    Light particles gathered as I materialized rifles with bayonets and their ammunitions, including the spares. As they watched the phenomenon for the first time, the goblins¡¯ eyes looked like they were about to jump out from their sockets. Fear were reflected clear on their faces and shaking ears, obviously they wanted to run but, somehow, managed to retain their formation until the phenomenon ceased.


    Wow, Queen, wow. You¡¯ve managed to ingrain such discipline into the race famous for their cowardice like that? Good job.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave the commanding of goblins to you, Queen. Make sure they know how to use the weapons properly in time. Tell me whenever you need more ammunitions.¡±


    ¡°Okay~¡±


    With a nod, I left to my throne chamber through a portal. I would double check the rest of my dungeon¡¯s traps thoroughly, and would probably make some layout changes as well. After all, my dungeon had originally been designed for training purpose. Meanings, it had been made to be solved. Although I had added several teleport traps that transfer into a room filled with water without a way out after the incident with Maa¡¯, I could make use more of these sure-kill methods.


    However, first thing first.


    ¡®Father,¡¯ I contacted through our link. ¡®Can you hear me? How¡¯s there in [Rahziel]?¡¯


    ¡®Arz? Mwa Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha, it¡¯s done, of course!¡¯


    ¡®They¡¯ve agreed?¡¯


    ¡®Hmph, obviously. They¡¯re collecting mana to pay the first tribute as we speak.¡¯


    ¡®Cool. Please head home as soon as you can, though, father. I¡¯ll need your help here.¡¯


    ¡®What¡¯s the matter?¡¯


    ¡®The Dungeon Hunter and company is coming. I¡¯ll explain the details later, please come as soon as you can.¡¯


    ¡®Dungeon Hunter? You mean the elf, whatever his name, who destroy every dungeon heart he has conquered?¡¯


    ¡®Yes. Do you know him?¡¯


    ¡®Only heard the story. Bah, how dare for a forest bumpkin to aim for my son¡¯s live. I¡¯ll be back right away.¡¯


    ¡®Yes, thank you.¡¯


    Finished with father, I contacted my other two demons. ¡®Haz, Ken, where¡¯re you?¡¯


    ¡®Keek. I¡¯ve heard the situation, master. I¡¯m in the subway train now, heading home.¡¯


    ¡®Good. What about you, Haz?¡¯


    ¡­


    ¡®¡­ Haz?¡¯


    ¡®Yes.¡¯


    ¡®Where¡¯re you?¡¯


    ¡®[Jowsar].¡¯


    ¡®What? What¡¯re you doing there? Have you finished spreading the transceiver orbs?¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s done. I¡¯m here to do some scouting, since I¡¯m curious about the enemies.¡¯


    ¡®Hey, that¡¯s what the s-flies for, you don¡¯t need to be there. Come back here, Haz.¡¯


    ¡®¡­¡¯


    ¡®Hey! You hear me? Come back here!¡¯


    ¡®There are only five of them. I think I can handle them by myself.¡¯


    ¡®What¡¯re you saying? Come back, NOW!¡¯


    ¡®They¡¯re passing the town¡¯s gate. I¡¯m going.¡¯


    ¡®This stupid¡­ I said come back here, you DARE to defy my order!?¡¯


    ¡®Fufu~ Isn¡¯t it fine, master? If he succeed, it¡¯s all good,¡¯ Queen suggested.


    ¡®And if he failed, we can all laugh on him. Kee kee keek,¡¯ Ken supported.


    ¡­ If he failed, the lost is big. No, wait, maybe not. I just need to make sure I can retrieve his core back. But, for defying my direct order and risking my plan, I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re punished thoroughly after this, you imbecile.


    ¡®Fine,¡¯ I agreed. ¡®Let¡¯s see how good these elves really are.¡¯


    From the shared vision, I saw how the dragonoid blocked the elves¡¯ path, between the town and the forest. He didn¡¯t even bother to ambush them. On the other side, if the elves were surprised from his sudden appearance, it sure didn¡¯t show on their calm expressions. They swiftly prepared their preferred weapon, the bows, and nocked the arrows.


    Eh? Now that I watch them closely, why do I feel familiar over that one woman elf? And only her alone, the others don¡¯t give the same familiar feeling. Did I meet her somewhere before? No, that can¡¯t be, I¡¯ve never met any elf since coming to this world. From book? Hmm¡­ I can¡¯t seem to remember at all.


    While I was busy musing, the battle had begun.

 30. A dungeon lord

    *Sssssshh* *Sssssshh* *Sssssshh* *Sssssshh*


    *BOOOM!*


    The arrows splitting the air with little sound, competing each other to hit their target faster. Yet, the Dragonoid¡¯s


    not only blew them half the way, it also created a huge crater at where the elves had been standing a moment earlier, forcing the children of nature to spread out to avoid the disaster-class attack.


    Seeing this, Hazard roared, instilling fear to his opponents and nailing them at their place. Afterward, he charged towards the nearest elf. Although the elf was able to recover from the roar¡¯s effect, it was still too late for him.


    Hazard¡¯s body had grown so big since he had returned from [Firzoa], reflecting his growth of power. His hand alone was bigger than his opponent¡¯s head. Thus, when he smashed the poor long-ear race, the impact made the slender body half-buried and became unrecognizable. The elf died instantly.


    Oh? I guess¡­ they¡¯re not invincible at all. Did I overestimate them too much?


    Finished with his first victim, Hazard turned to the next closest elf. Unlike her comrade, she was better prepared. Her bow swiftly released no less than five consecutive arrows in an instance. Though, they were unable to pass the hard scales defense, let alone harming the dragonoid demon.


    Haz came in front of her soon and his slashed his claw diagonally. It missed, nonetheless. With a somersault, the elf managed to escape while shooting another arrow, which was aimed at the part that wasn¡¯t covered by hard scale - the eye. At such a short distance, it would be difficult to avoid. For a normal man, that is.


    Unfortunately for her, Haz was far from a normal man. His wing blocked the projectile with ease. Contrary to whatever she might have expected when she shot the arrow, her act had put herself in a difficult situation. Her position in the mid-air made her vulnerable, a chance which Haz didn¡¯t waste. He grabbed the female¡¯s leg and slammed her hard to the ground.


    Understood that she didn¡¯t have time to relax, the female elf quickly opened her eyes to get ready, only to find a pointed tail covered in hard scales raised before her pretty face. She could do nothing but staring with widened-eyes when it thrusted down and pierced her neck. A small choking cough was heard. Actually, it was all that could be heard from her last moment.


    Two down, three more to go.


    It seemed the battle would keep going smoothly until the end. At least, I was hoping so. Reality wasn¡¯t so kind, however. Almost at the same time at when Haz killed the female elf, his head exploded. The surprise was enough to make me jump from my throne - the VIP seat in my dungeon where I had been watching the ongoing battle through the s-flies shared vision.


    Like a puppet with broken string, the headless Hazard fell on the dead female elf. He didn¡¯t die, though, as his core was still intact. Nevertheless, he lost consciousness and his presence disappeared from our link. It would take time for him to recover from his current state.


    ¡°You¡­ Did you see that?¡± I asked the other two demons at my sides.


    ¡°¡­ It was so fast. If not for the multi-color light, I¡¯d probably miss it,¡± Queen replied.


    ¡°Keek, what¡¯s that, master?¡± Ken asked.


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not too sure,¡± I said. ¡°My guess, it¡¯s probably a unique magic that belongs only to the elves.¡±


    More importantly, it can KO Haz in one hit. The damage is ridiculous. And the one who shot it¡­ should be the woman whom I feel a familiar vibe from. She looks really upset. No, wait, it¡¯s not the time for analyzing, I need to recover Haz¡¯s core.


    ¡°Come, golem!¡±


    Channeling my mana to the battlefield via the transceiver orbs net, four golems emerged at between the woman and Haz¡¯s body. I continued to pour mana, creating more of the two and half meters height earth-elemental guardians. Until each of the remaining elves had three to four golems accompanying them.


    The shock was short, the elves recovered soon and quickly slaughtered my golems. Well, slaughter mightn¡¯t be the right word, as they weren¡¯t living beings. Anyway, with the abundant supply of my mana in the area, the damaged golems would be restored immediately. In addition, more and more new golems were joining the fray.


    I ignored the amount of mana I had to trade in this exhibit, they were insignificant compared to Haz¡¯s core value, after all. Even though the golems were nowhere near a match for the elves, I compensated the quality with quantity. I just needed them to stall time, anyway. Therefore, by the time everyone there was occupied, I enveloped both Haz and the dead female elf with a big round coffin made of earth.


    Realizing that I was trying to steal her prey, the particular woman who gave me the familiar vibe shouted some words in elvish language. It was melodious, made me wonder if it was another characteristic of their race. The result of the shout was clear, as the other elves began to shoot the round coffin every now and then while working with their shares of golems.


    Soon, the coffin was full with arrows and cracks. I didn¡¯t do nothing, of course. I coated the beneath and above the cracks with solid layers, smoothing and strengthening the surface. At the same time, I had the bodies inside the big ball sink underground.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    My primary objective was to retrieve Haz, but it would be good to get my hands on the dead elf as well. If I could revive her the same way I had done to father, elf would be recorded in my monster list. After that, I could spawn more elves. Pretty sure their cost would be exorbitant, but I believed having some elite elven warriors as subordinate would be worth it.


    Once I finished hiding the bodies deep under the ground surface, I catapulted the round coffin to the sky towards my dungeon as a decoy. The particular woman yelled melodiously again. Then, the arrowheads of an elf started radiating the same multi-color light from before while the others were moving to cover him.


    It took a minute or so to charge the multi-color light, before he finally released the pulled bowstrings. I could only catch a glimpse of flashes before a loud explosion came from the destroyed coffin ball. Following the result, the woman gave an order and the previous elf quickly ran into the forest, towards the explosion¡¯s direction. Not that he would find anything there.


    Hmm. I still don¡¯t understand this familiarity I feel from that woman. The strange thing is, she acts like their leader. I always thought the one being called the Dungeon Hunter is a male elf, was I mistaken?


    Ah, right, I better move Haz while they¡¯re being distracted.


    However, before I did anything, the female leader¡¯s lips curled up, giving me a goosebump. She gave a hand signal to the only elf left to come with her. They walked to where Haz and the second elf had been buried underneath. Using the <earth elemental magic>, she then raised the buried bodies up.


    Wha¡­! How did she discover them?


    I tried to stop her, but her control over the soil area was simply too dominating. I then sent an earth spike, but her comrade spent no effort to disperse it. Thus, I turned back to brute force with the golems, including some higher level fighter golems mixed in among them.


    Of course, I understood it wouldn¡¯t be enough. One of the sky fighter - the aircraft golem, had started its engine at the moment, preparing to take off. In the meantime, I had been trying to connect to Haz¡¯s core. If I managed, I would be able to hasten his recovery, allowing him to fight again. Alternatively, I could revert the big body back to its core form, making it easier to slip it away from the woman.


    However, without a direct contact and with it being located outside the dungeon territory, I found completing the simple task wasn¡¯t as easy as I thought it would be. Before I knew, both bodies had been presented in front of the female elf. Although the sky fighter had been on the way, it mightn¡¯t be able to make it in time. The golems were also being kept out by the other elf¡¯s barrier.


    Uh, hurry up.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you being too work up, my lord?¡±


    I glared to queen gi-ant who had made the sudden statement. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Fuu~ don¡¯t be mad, dear master,¡± she smiled, trying to easen my mood. ¡°Our cores are different than your heart in many ways. What I want to say is,¡± she explained, ¡°even for the extreme dungeon hater group like them, there¡¯s a high chance they won¡¯t destroy a high quality core like Haz¡¯s. You would have another chance to retrieve it back even if you pull back now.¡±


    I considered what the demoness had just said. Still, it was merely her speculation and the SF golem was about to reach the place either way. Therefore, I dismissed her idea and decided it was too soon to give up the core just yet.


    The thunderous sound approached the battlefield. As soon as the two elves in the open entered the firing range, I commanded the SF to launch a missile.


    Seeing this, the other elf expanded her barrier to block the missile. It made me smile. The missiles were, after all, designed to absorb mana to fuel its afterward explosion. The strong barrier would only make it deadlier.


    While expecting the collision, another scene hit my vision, though. In front of the leader elf, both Hazard and the dead elf bodies turned into light particles and flew into the woman.


    ¡°! This¡­!!¡± Queen exclaimed in surprise, she was obviously saw the event as well.


    Recovering from the dumbfoundedness, I stole a glance towards my other demon. Although Ken didn¡¯t say anything, he too seemed restless. They, of course, knew what the light particles thingy were.


    As of now, the missile had hit the barrier and broke, starting the absorption process. I then had the flying golem launch another missile for insurance, right before the first one exploded fantastically.


    *BOOOOM!*


    It blasted all my golem force on the spot together with the elves. Not. When it subsided, it turned out only the companion elf died while protecting the leader with her own flesh. The leader herself wasn¡¯t left uninjured, but it didn¡¯t hinder her to jump backward when she saw my incoming second missile. Moreover, her serious wounds were healing at unbelievable speed as she jumped.


    As the missile changed its course to chase her, the seasoned warrior calmly drew an arrow and shot it down. Boom. The explosion was much smaller than the first, the wave only managed to flutter her beautiful silver hair.


    Then, the third explosion occurred. This time, it was in the sky. A multi-color lighted arrow had been shot from within the forest and destroyed my sky fighter. It had to be the elf who had gone to the forest earlier.


    I gritted my teeth, it was our total lost. As if it wasn¡¯t enough blow already, I watched the female elf leader revived both dead elves on the battlefield; the one who had died protecting her and Hazard¡¯s first victim. Even more, while I was still fixated on her, the other elf from the forest came to check the destroyed SF and found the cores of jet engines from the wreckage, and ate them.


    ¡°Master, what¡¯s your order, keek,¡± Ken broke the silence, pulling me back to reality.


    I took a deep breath and sorted my thought.


    Now it¡¯s clear. The familiarity I feel this whole time¡­ it can only mean one thing. She¡¯s a dungeon lord.


    But, to think a group of dungeon hunters becomes a group of dungeon creatures, it¡¯s just¡­ Was it just my assumption? From the start, was it a different group?


    Well, it doesn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°We¡¯ll stick to the original plan,¡± I finally replied. ¡°We¡¯ll welcome them with all of our might here, in our home. However, since we¡¯ll be fighting another dungeon this time, expect it to be different than the usual raids from adventurers,¡± I added.


    The question is, how will it differ? What should I prepare?


    Taking a look at the battlefield one more time, it seemed a group of knights had been dispatched from [Jowsar]. Indeed, since the battle took place not too far from the town, all of the explosions had to have attracted their attention. Meanwhile, the elves had long gone from the location, disappeared in the thickness of the forest. Not from my ¡®eyes¡¯, though. They were covering the entire forest, after all.


    Normally, it would take a whole day without rest to reach here. Even for the elves, it should at least take a half day, right? It¡¯s my time limit then. Let¡¯s¡­ start working on¡­ what?