《The World-ruling Dungeon》 Ch 1 – I almost banged a married goddess "Let me check real quick if I got what you said... Not only I''ll be stuck forever in a fucking cave because I''ll become immortal, I also won¡¯t have any contact with humans and if someone hits me hard enough, I die for good and lose my soul and memory? Are you fucking mental?" "Nah, that''s pretty much it, good luck. See you again when you die." ''You fucking assh-..'' Here I am, sat down at a table in front of a smiling businessman. With a hand pressing my eyes and the other tapping onto the table. "Can you please clarify on that?" "Sure, don''t see where the difficulty is. I think I''m making myself pretty clear, I accidentally slapped a truck out of the interstate, and it fell on you from the overpass. So, you now work for me." "No... That part I understood... What I''m asking is, how the fuck did you get to that conclusion?" "What? That you now work for me? Isn''t that the obvious outcome? I mean, who wouldn''t want to work for God himself?" "Well... I clearly don''t" "Hmmmm, too bad, since you met me in person you can''t go back to your world." "What?" "Yeah, I mean, you got to know God, I can''t have you just go back and make public what you saw here..." "Ever heard of an NDA? Ain''t that complicated to be honest..." "I don''t trust this human stuff, nobody follows it, there''s always a whistle-blower. Anyhow, you can''t go back to your normal transmigration, so you can''t just die either." "Huh?" "There''s no way they''re gonna accept someone who met me in the afterlife so all I can do is get you to my friend''s world in a managerial role. You gotta give some sweat for that immortality of yours." "Immortality? Since when? I have no interest in being immortal, please just let me die." "Can''t do, sorry. VIRGINIAAAAAAA!~" God, pressed a button on the interphone mic in front of him and screamed a name that I could only guess to be his secretary''s. Soon after, a woman opened the door to the office we were in, it looked just like any CEO''s office to be honest, large with gorgeous wooden furniture and very luxurious, with a huge window behind his desk. However, the entire planet could be seen from it, as if we were in a space station. The woman who was opening the door looked hot as fuck. She was fairly young-looking, I''d guess around 23, she had very well-defined facial characteristics, fair skin and a unnatural and alluring pink hair in a bob cut. She looked like something straight out of a dream. Her curves were simply fantastic, her breasts, perfectly sized to just sleep onto them, and she wore a tight pencil black and white dress that only reached an inch over her knees, beneath she wore black translucent thighs and a pair of stylish black stilettos. Damn boy. This guy in front of me must be banging her BIG TIME. "Yes, Mister President, did you call me?" "Of course, I did, come here real quick." As she walked past me, I couldn''t take my eyes off of her. She noticed it and gave me a cute little side smile as she walked right past me and sat on the table between me and God. He immediately passed his arm over her waist pulled her closer. And after brushing her hair aside with his other hand, kissed her neck. Making her make a very tame moan and blush. Fuck I was right, no way he''s not banging her. "Thanks honey, please get this man into the reassignment portal and input these files into the system. Oh, while you''re at it, activate Gloria for him." "Yes dear, I¡¯m not trying to pry into this or anything but are you sure you want me to get him Gloria of all people? She''s... just... you know." Holy fuck, what the hell is with her voice? she sounds like a fucking angel! But the face she''s making when talking about this girl is making me a little worried... I better not interrupt them yet though. "Nah, this jack-ass is gonna be just fine with her, give them a couple decades and I don''t doubt them getting married" Nevermind. "Ahem, you know I''m still here, right? Also, who is Gloria?" "Yeah, chill. Gloria is just a sidekick. She''s gonna help you out with stuff albeit not very willingly. Relax though, she¡¯s just gonna be like a telemarketing attendant at worst." "You mean... Annoying and completely useless?" "Bahahahahaha" "kuku" Yeah... they''re laughing, guess my guess was right on point. "hahaha... Sorry, back where we were, yes. She is a tough cookie to bite. It had been eons since I last heard Virgie laugh so, you get a bonus. Here, take my blessing." His hand touched my head and Virgie hand an expression full of anticipation but... "Was I supposed to feel anything?" "Well, it varies from person to person, who knows." He said while shrugging. "Also, my name is Friedrich, since you didn''t ask. Virgie, please do as I said." "Yes dear, please come with me." Virgie promptly stood up as soon as he took his hands off of her. *Clap* And flushed from the slap she got on the ass. She said nothing and just kept walking. I was mortified, but since it didn''t have anything to do with me, I just stood up, thanked the unmindful god, since who knows when he may become useful, and followed her out of the room. "Thank you." "It was my pleasure." As I walked out, I heard him complete the sentence by muttering to himself, but preferred to pretend I didn''t hear him. "What an interesting subject..." I followed Virgie through many corridors, entranced with her ass that swayed from side to side with every step she took. As we approached an ivory door her pace started to slow down, and I realized she wanted me to catch up with her. As soon as I reached her side, she stopped walking and smiled. "This is your destination, but before you go." She put one of her arms around my neck and grabbed my already hard dick over my pants while giving me a hot kiss... My hands moved on their own and grabbed onto her juicy ass. "Ahh..." She moaned softly and took a step back giggling. "Thank you for making me feel like a woman again... It had been centuries since he last treated me like today. And while I''m at it, nice dick you got there. Too bad we don''t have the time." "Err... You''re welcome... I guess?" "Ah, don''t get me wrong, he is my husband but that is another thing, I may not look like it, but I am also a goddess. Life gets pretty boring when you live forever. And shoving my work onto him while only having to be his assistant is way easier. This world has dozens of us though." "Oh, that makes sense. Thank you for everything, also, you kiss pretty damn well." "Thank you." She said while blushing. "Also, please take good care of my sister... She can be a little rough at times but she''s a lovely girl" "I guess you''re talking about Gloria, right? I''ll keep that in mind." "Thank you again, now, I hope we see each other soon enough. If you ever need me, here is my card. Also, here is Fried¡¯s, I think he forgot to hand you his" Well that is odd... Gods having business cards, and there being many of them... It stinks of Bureaucracy. Fair enough for earth I''d say. Oh, about me? Not much to say. I was just a depressed university student trying my 3rd graduation after dropping both Engineering and Administration. Med school was fine I guess; too bad I won''t get to finish it. Welp. At least now I don''t have to deal with my family anymore. They were a solid nightmare. My parents were good people, but they had their issues. My father was a complete piece of trash, worthless for all I could care, and barely showed up at all. But he was a nice guy. My mom on the other hand was pretty diligent and steadfast... too much for me I''d say. Being around her suffocated me just imagining having to do half what she did a day, also she had the habit of badmouthing everyone and everything and cherry-picking things to complain about so... yeah, rough. Dying was, honestly, a good way of getting rid of my problems, too bad I don''t have that choice anymore. Let''s hope life will be at least somewhat enjoyable wherever I''m going. Huh. ''Virginia Pudoris, Goddess of Chastity and Virginity'' ''Earth Divine Management Service, Inc.'' ''47th Floor, Office 5'' ''ERX-DGD-CHASTE'' WHAT THE FUCK? That makes no fucking sense. I looked at her confused. "Ah, that just means I rule over, and oversee when people give up on it, it''s actually the opposite of what you were thinking." "Oh, that makes way more sense... Nice." I now looked at the other card she gave me. ''Friedrich Organisiert, God of Logistics and Freight'' ''Earth Divine Management Service, Inc.'' ''45th Floor, Office 1'' ''ERX-DGD-CARGO'' Holy fuck, it really is a Bureaucracy, even worse, it''s corporativism. I my greatest reward will be leaving this damned place. "Also, what are these codes?" "There is a skill called Divine Communication, like a magical god telephone, doesn''t really matter to you though." So, if I learnt it, I could theoretically talk to them. That''s handy. "See you then." "Yeah, I''m looking forward to it." She answered while licking her lips. As I open the door and a white inside starts to appear, I finally start to freak out internally. I mean, what the heck? Did I just flirt a married woman? with a god, nonetheless? What the heck is up with that? Well, who cares, I won''t see her again in a long time. As I got into the white room my mind started to become hazy and my body felt like I was dissolving. And I soon found myself in a dark cave. Ch 2 – The f*cking Goblin did what? < Dungeon STATUS System Intel: > < Dungeon: CODENAME ¦µ Phi > < > < Rank: UNRANKED (G) > < No. of rooms: 1 > < No. of Animals: 0 > < No. of Monsters: 1 > < No. of Fake Cores: 0 > < No. of Chests: 0 > < Value of Treasury: 0G > < Warehouse Size: NA > < Evolution Status: Nil > < Evolution Points: 1 > < EP Passive Income: 1 > < Core: Coexisting Organism for Regeneration and Evolution > < > < Lvl.: 0 > < Rank: UNRANKED (G) > < Attributes: > < ? VITALITY(VIT): 10 > < ? RESISTANCE(HAR): 10 > < ? MANA(MAN): 100 > < ? STAMINA(RES): 5 > < ? INTELIGENCE(INT): 58 > < > < Passive Sills: > < ? Regeneration I > < ? Magic Resistance I > < ? Increased Mana Recovery Rate I > < ? Wandering Gaze I > < > < Active Sills: > < ? Body Manifestation > < > < Curses and Blessings: > < ? Earth''s God of Logistics Blessing > < ? Earth''s God of Virginity Blessing > < Dungeon Master: ABSENT > <> As all that information flowed into my head and manifested into a floating GUI in the air the reality finally clicked, I was already in another world. The voice I heard sounded very familiar, it resembled a lot the voice of the cute and hot goddess I met just before. I have the blessing of both gods... I will never show this to anyone... Having the blessing of the god of virginity makes me sound like a weeb... Anyhow, what the heck have I become? I just realized; my eyesight is completely different... the angle is the same but the height is way lower... What if I look down...? Wa~ You joking? Oh, the wandering gaze thing... This is weird as fuck... It¡¯s like I''m a floating pair of eyes... Uh, found myself, I''m this box in the middle of the room. Now that''s underwhelming... It just looks like a blackish cube... Hey Gloria, is there anything else to that underwhelming box? << There is some lighting to the dungeon core, although you can''t control the Pattern of the lights themselves since that is an identifier of the individual core, you can control the colors, intensity and speed in which the lights change using the Chroma subtab in the Menu. Keep in mind the Menu is both word and thought controlled.>> Yay, I became a Razer Chroma RGB Cube... Everything I ever wanted to be in my entire life... Open Chroma < CHROMA > < > < R = 0 > < G = 0 > < B = 0 > < Gamma = -0 > < Brightness = OFF > < > < Primary Color: OFF > < Secondary Color: OFF > < Light Effect: OFF > < Effect Speed: OFF > Are you fucking serious? I really have RGB? That sounds fun. Set Primary Color to Indigo and Secondary Color to Very Dark Purple. Set Brightness to 255, Effect to Breathing and Speed to Slow. Nice. The box started to slowly change colors; the main body was still a very deep black but the lights lit up the entire room. It had a very beautiful fractal being lit up and slowly changing from bright dark blue to a dim almost black, purple. I played around with the setting for a few hours but ended up deciding this one was the best for me. I then realized there was a single goblin in the room. It was sitting up in a lotus, like a person, staring at me, that is, the cube. Since I had nothing better to do now, I tried using body manifestation and finally became the human I always had been. The goblin immediately became confused at the sight of a human being but soon calmed down, sitting back down where he was. After some time I realized the consumption from manifesting my body was pretty low, only 1 mana every 2 hours. I figured it was because I was doing nothing. And as such we stood there, sat on the humid rock, staring at each other for fricking hours while nothing ever happened. After a lot of time I realized I felt no urge to sleep, only some fatigue. Hey Gloria. << Yes Core. >> Is there anything to do down here? << Your purpose as a dungeon core is to maintain and evolve the dungeon. >> Yeah, I got that part from the name C.O.R.E. I mean, is there anything I can do? << You can use your EP to improve the dungeon in many ways. There are specific menus for building floors and rooms, increasing their number and size, relocating them, invoking items, treasures and hiring monsters. >> What about setting up traps and stuff? << That menu is only available to the Dungeon Master >> And since I don''t have one? << You do not have access to the menu. You need to find a Dungeon Master. >> And what if I don''t want to have one? << There is no report of a Dungeon Core without a master for long throughout history. >> Are there any rules about it? << There is no report of a Dungeon Core without a master for long throughout history. >> I got it the first time what I''m asking is if it is possible to not have one. << There is no report of a Dungeon Core without a master for long throughout history. >> Oh, for fucks sake. Just shut up I''ll figure it on my own. Select Dungeon Master. < Dungeon Master Selection > < > < Available Choices > < ? Goblin A > < ? .?.?.O.? (Unavailable) > Select C.O.R.E as Dungeon Master. < Dungeon Master Selection > < Selection unavailable, there are > < other possible Masters available > Interesting, how do I solve this... A handful of hours passed as I tried to break through the system. Nothing worked though. I ordered the goblin to move around the room, to the corners, to push against a wall, to move him all the way out of the dungeon, which turned out to be impossible. Everything. I tried everything to unlock that option. Why the fuck did I even have to get to know that fucking god of who-knows-what... Who the fuck even is he... "Hey look at me I''m god, you isekai, hur dur~." Asshole... Couldn''t he just let me fucking die? And what the actual fuck is this shit in front of me? A fucking gerblin? Why the fuck does this shithole only have a single fucking goblin... What the fuck am I supposed to do with it. << Goblin A is a monster belonging to this dungeon, its purpose is to defend the dungeon-core and deter intruders from gaining access to the core room. >> OH?! REALLY?! THANK YOU FOR TELLING ME THAT YOU FUCKING CUNT! << You are welcome Core >> God... Not even the fucking system is useful... Next time tell me something I don''t know, idiot. << System directive updated, will no longer notify about previously acknowledged intel. >> Thank you! Holy shit... I can''t even think to myself without this fricking system interfering... Do you even know what privacy is? << Yes Core, I do know what the noun Privacy stands for. >> IT WAS A RETHORICAL QUESTION! For fucks sake can this shit even get any worse. < *PEEEEEEEM* *PEEEEEEM* *PEEEEEEM* > Now what the fucking heck is that alarm for? << Intruders have been spotted around the entrance of the Dungeon, Core. >> Fuck me, and for fucks sake stop calling me "Core", It''s freaking me out. << How would you like to prefer being called? > Oh hell, here we go again, call me Master or something. << Core is not Master, permission denied. >> And who the fuck is the master? << Currently Dungeon Phi has no master, do you accept Gerlingdor as the Dungeon Master? >> Who the fuck even is Gerlingdor? << Gerlingdor is the sole monster in this dungeon. >> LIKE HELL I''LL HAVE A GOBLIN BE MY MASTER YOU PIECE OF TRASH! And how the fuck does the goblin have a name? << Gerlingdor is a rare kind of monster, a Named one. Named monsters have better stats then their unnamed counterparts and more potential for improvement. >> "That useless piece of crap is special? what the fuck?" For the first time I got nervous enough to speak out loud since I came to this idiotic dungeon. And much to my dismay the goblin seemed to have understood my words. It started rising from the floor and grabbed his rudimentary dagger. "What the fuck is up with you now?" The Goblin continued coming with the blade towards my manifested body. "I am still the core of this dungeon, don''t dare make a move against me!" < Gerlingdor Requests becoming the Dungeon Master. > Ch 3 – First Battle… Short Battle < Gerlingdor Requests becoming the Dungeon Master. > Refuse that shit! what the fuck is the Goblin thinking! Receiving the refusal was a deep blow to the Goblin''s pride. He started fuming with anger as he strode towards me. I started panicking a little, but why the hell was I to be scared of a fucking little goblin? I didn''t care whether he was a named monster, I was still the dungeon-core, I had control over him. Order goblin to stop. < Task Failed, Subject no longer under dungeon control > What the heck? Gloria, what''s going on? << When monsters rebel against the dungeon they become essentially outsiders, so you should avoid offending any of them if don''t have the might to contain them afterwards. >> And now you tell me that? What the fuck, are you stupid? You should''ve told me that earlier. << Directive Updated, potential threats will be notified whenever seemed fit >> Why the heck was that not a default directive? WTF. Also, what should I do? << Directive Defaults are based on satisfaction with the system from its users, it¡¯s reported that too much information hinders their progress.>> << About the other question you can either defeat mutinous monster yourself by either killing or incapacitating it or you can use EP to spawn another monster to fight it, keep in mind if the monster in question is intelligent and realizes your position is lower and has affinity towards the mutineer it may join it on the mutiny. >> Why the fuck did I sign up for this... Oh, yeah, I didn''t, fuck me. Give me the Goblin A''s Status Page. < Monster Status > < > < Name: Gerlingdor (NAMED MONSTER) > < Race: Goblin > < Lvl.: 1 > < Rank: 1 > < Attributes: > < ? VITALITY (VIT): 5 > < ? MANA (MAN): 3 > < ? STRENGTH (STR): 4 > < ? AGILITY (AGI): 15 > < ? STAMINA (RES): 5 > < ? INTELLIGENCE (INT): 2 > < > < Passive Sills: > < ? Regeneration I > < > < Active Sills: > < ? Dagger Technique I > He''s much weaker than I thought, should I fight him? << There is no report of a Dungeon Core fighting personally throughout history. >> Yeah, yeah, I guessed that, shut up for now ok? I''ll talk to you when I need ya. << System going on Stand-by mode. >> Now, where was I, right, trying not to die. How the fuck am I gonna kill this guy. I could punch me, or maybe... Open Dungeon Inventory. < Dungeon Inventory > < There is no warehouse > < In this dungeon. Build > < one before attempting > < to use Inventory. > Oh, crap. Gotta do it barehanded then... As I walked forward the goblin seemed even more confused, I think he had thought I would just concede instantly. When he reached me, my first move was to punch him in the face. God that felt awful. His body was covered in some sort of slimy goo... Fucking disgusting. Despite having fallen to the ground the goblin hadn''t given up, he raised from the ground plunging forward, and managed to hit me, piercing my flank with its dagger. Oh, shit, what do I do now? I''m bleeding! Wait... I''m not... What? Oh, right, this ain''t my body. The goblin was completely dumbstruck when I ignored the dagger piercing me from the side and delivered a heavy blow to its face with my elbow. It screeched in pain as it stumbled backwards, holding its broken nose. Its next attack though was filled with hate, I barely could even react to it. The dagger slid right through my throat, returning my vision back to the floaty one... I still had quite a lot of mana left, since I hadn''t used my body at all it barely consumed any of it before. < Gerlingdor Requests becoming the Dungeon Master. > Refuse it again, I''m killing this bastard right now! The goblin became even more confused, I think he thought I was the Dungeon Master, and having "killed" me would clear his path to take control over the dungeon. Little did he know, he didn''t even hurt me... That didn''t mean I didn''t feel the pain though. Oof, that was awful, but still felt artificial, like I knew that despite feeling the pain it wasn''t hurting me at all. I materialized my body again, this time behind him, but I thought of something. Open Dungeon Monster Inventory: Goblin A. < Monster Inventory > < > < . Tattered rags > < . Crude Dagger > Aha! Perfect, I still have access to his inventory. Retrieve Crude Dagger. As his dagger materialized in my hand, the goblin started to despair, how had his dagger just vanished from his hand? He looked straight at the core in the middle of the room and I feared for my own safety for the first time, He had realized the core was alive. Thankfully though it had not yet noticed me just a few steps behind him. I quickly jumped ahead, spiking the dagger through his skull as soon as he turned around to look at where the noise had come from. As he stared straight at me, dagger handle deep into his temple. After less than a second his body limped and fell to the ground in front of me. As that happened my head was filled with announcements from the system. < You landed a Critical Hit > < You defeated an Enemy > < You defeated a Mutinous Monster > < LEVEL UP! > < You learned a Skill. Dagger Technique I > < LEVEL UP! > < The Skill Body Manifestation has evolved into the Unique Skill Materialization. > NICE! Wait, why is everything doubled... Open Dungeon Status < Dungeon STATUS System Intel: > < > < Dungeon: CODENAME ¦µ Phi > < > < Rank: UNRANKED (G) > < No. of rooms: 1 > < No. of Animals: 0 > < No. of Monsters: 0 > < No. of Fake Cores: 0 > < No. of Chests: 0 > < Value of Treasury: 0G > < Warehouse Size: NA > < Evolution Status: Nil > < Evolution Points: 15 > < EP Passive Income: 1 > Oh, I got EP, how though? <> Oh, the guy I killed... Wait What? What Enemy? << Alarm sounded minutes ago. Check Dungeon Map for more information >> Oh, that alarm... CRAP! If he gets here, I''m screwed... let¡¯s try once more! Select Dungeon Master. < Dungeon Master Selection > < > < Available Choices > < ? Mihara (Invader) > < ? Gunther (C.O.R.E.) > < ? .?.?.O.? (Unavailable) > Err... What the fuck? Why have I become an option? << Unique Skill Materialization allows for an Ethereal entity to manifest its body as a Living Entity. Effectively making you become two people. >> Oh, Nice. That solves a lot of things, but how the fuck did that happen?" << Unique Skills have a 1/10^10 chance of evolving from maxed out normal skills during a Level-Up. God''s blessings increase chance of compatible Unique skills appearing. Materialization belongs to the Conception subcategory, ruled by the gods of Chastity, Sex, Pregnancy and other related fields.>> Hm... I really need to thank Virgie later... She saved my ass, it seems. Where''s the enemy? Open Map A map appeared in front of me. It looked like a 3D radar, but the dungeon was incredibly simple, Just one room and a long, natural, cave as an entrance. The intruder seemed to be still, right after a turn in the very beginning of the dungeon. She didn''t seem to have noticed she was in a dungeon yet. Ch 4 – A weird hug and good snacks I closed my eyes and focused on using my floating vision, since that one could not be seen and sent it floating towards her position. God, controlling this thing is complicated, feels like flying a drone. Anyhow, let''s see what this girl looks like. After just a minute wobbling about, I managed to learn how to properly control the vision and proceeded towards her. After another minute or so, I could see a girl, dirty, cowering in the corner of the cave, almost as if hiding from something... It smelled fishy, but I had to pry a little deeper. As I was approach her she suddenly turns and looks straight at me. I freeze, scared she had somehow noticed me, but as she turns away and I relax, I realize I must have been just a coincidence of sorts. After this me had no body. When she turned I could have a glance at her face. she was using a hood I only saw a little bit, but I realized she must be younger than me. Her face was very tender but her expression showed a lot of fear. From even closer I now could see the marks, she had red marks on both her wrists, and broken chains hanging from her ankles... She must be an escapee prisoner, I think... Or worse. Still, I know little about this world, and she didn''t look to be an evil person. So I decided to approach her with my human form. -------------------------------------------------------- I ran so much my legs feel like they are burning. They ran after me for hours, I was almost caught many times... I really hope they don''t find this cave... What is this? I feel like I''m being watched!? I turn around to doublecheck. I''m too tired to walk but I am sure no one entered the cave after me... I looked straight where my guts told me the gaze came from, but there was nothing there... Maybe it''s something from my head... Eating this badly for so many days must be taking its toll on me. This cave is very cold... But I don''t have anything to make fire or heat myself with so all I can do is curl up and hope the night will pass soon... I need food... Hmm, the feeling is still here... Who''s watching me... or What? Geez. I need to leave this place. But where do I go? I was betrayed by my own uncle... I don''t even have anywhere to go... "plac" "plac" "plac" What? those are steps? Oh shoot, there was someone in this cave? Ah. "Handsome." Shit I thought out loud. -------------------------------------------------------- It took me a couple minutes to get to where the girl was by walking. I hadn''t realized yet how big this cave really is... Guess having that form of vision blurs my spatial perception. I could already see her curled up behind the corner of the cave. This girl must be desperate... I feel bad for her to be honest. But there''s not much I can do since I just fell in here. Still, having her in here gives me a decent amount of EP. Oh, I didn''t even check how much stuff costs... How can I say 1 EP/h is "decent"... Well, I''m comparing to what I got fighting the goblin so... Should be fine though... Also, had forgotten... I didn''t even check the rest of the Status... I''ll see it later. First, let''s check this girl out. "Handsome." Wha~! Did I hear something wrong? Did this girl just call me handsome? Oh, well, that just makes life easier. "Thank you for the compliment." Oh, crap, she is curling up even more. "Are you okay?" "Ah, yes, sorry for bothering you..." She answered in a very soft voice... I knew something was wrong. "Are you really okay?" I asked while approaching her carefully, being stabbed would hurt quite a lot this time. "Do you need anything?" "I... I... Uwaaa" What? Did this girl just... Yeah, the girl jumped at me, hugged me, and started crying. Imma let her be for a while but jeez, she reeks... Let''s see if I can get what she needs with the first hours'' worth of EP. "Hope you are feeling better... But you can let me go now" "Oh... Sorry..." She answered, flushed, while taking a step away from me. "Thank you for caring about me..." "You''re welcome but... What''s going on here? Why are you in this cave?" "Ah, sorry... It''s... I''m hiding..." "That part I had already realized. Who are you running from though?" "How do you... Nevermind, its pretty obvious right? I''m running from slave traders." "Huh? You don''t sound like a poor person. Did your village get raided or something like that?" "Yeah, kinda... I was kidnapped after being sold by my uncle..." "Tough times huh? Are you hungry?" Open Consumable Store. < Consumable Store > < > < Food > < Hygiene > < Potions > < Others > Open Food < Consumable Store > < > < Bread 1EP > < Bolinho Ana Maria 1EP > < Crackers 1EP > < Cheese Sandwich 2EP > < Next Page > Huh, there''s food from my world here? Gloria? << The dungeon System is based on the Dungeon Master''s Knowledge, the dungeon itself is considered as a something apart from the world it belongs. >> Oh, that''s actually handy, Give me one Bolinho. The sweet, stuffed bun appeared on my back pocket as I had wanted, still in its original packaging... Wow... That is actually very good. "Here, take this." I hand the girl the now unwrapped bun, because the printed wrapping would be far too suspicious, but man her reaction went overboard. As she took her first bite she looked at in awe and asked in a terrified tone: "HOW! How can you have something this expensive out in the nowhere?!" Oops, forgot I know nothing about this place... maybe she can help me learn a little. Ch 5 – When I die , I respawn? Ops. Forgot I know nothing about this place... maybe she can help me learn a little. But crap, if she suspects me, I''m in trouble. What do I do?... I have no monsters... Oh, right, I haven''t checked the other Status pages yet. She''s still eating, it should be fine. Open Status. < Core: Coexisting Organism for Regeneration and Evolution > < > < Lvl.: 1 > < Rank: UNRANKED (G) > < Attributes: > < ? VITALITY(VIT): 14 > < ? RESISTANCE(HAR): 11 > < ? MANA(MAN): 130 > < ? STAMINA(RES): 6 > < ? INTELIGENCE(INT): 62 > < > < Passive Sills: > < ? Regeneration II > < ? Magic Resistance I > < ? Increased Mana Recovery Rate I > < ? Wandering Gaze I > < > < Active Sills: > < ? Ethereal Dispersion/Gathering > < > < Unique Skills: > < ? Materialization > < > < Curses and Blessings: > < ? Earth''s God of Logistics Blessing > < ? Earth''s God of Virginity Blessing > I''m slightly stronger... What''s up with this Dispersion/Gathering thingy? Must have something to do with my physical body. I¡¯mma try it later but, where''s the other skill? I was sure I had learned something related to using daggers... Oh, Right... This is my Core status... Gloria! Change the default status to my Dungeon Master one, also open it while you''re at it. << Directive Updated, DM Status chosen as Default. >> < Dungeon Master Status > < > < Name: Gunther (NAMED MONSTER) > < Race: Dungeon Core > < Lvl.: 1 > < Rank: 1 > < State: Materialized > < Attributes: > < ? VITALITY(VIT): 12 > < ? MANA(MAN): 150 > < ? STRENGTH(STR): 10 > < ? AGILITY (AGI): 12 > < ? STAMINA(RES): 11 > < ? INTELIGENCE(INT): 62 > < > < Passive Sills: > < ? Regeneration I > < ? Magic Resistance I > < > < Active Sills: > < ? Dagger Technique I > < > < Curses and Blessings: > < ? Earth''s God of Logistics Blessing > < ? Earth''s God of Virginity Blessing > Oh, so my status as Dungeon Core are different from mine as a Dungeon Master because of it being two bodies... But they are very similar. Are they linked to each other? << The Statuses are not linked. Experience gained inside the dungeon also strengthens the Core. >> And I would guess skills I use in this form also can''t be used by the core right? << Exactly, you currently have two bodies that act and behave independently, skills that belong to each, belong only to it. >> Interesting... And what¡¯s with this Ethereal Gathering and Dispersion skill? << Whenever your Materialized body dies it will dematerialize into an ethereal formation, through the Ethereal Dispersion Skill, that will return to the dungeon core. After 72 hours you can use Ethereal Gathering to re-materialize this into your physical body. >> Oh... Wait, so I''m immortal? << As a Dungeon Core you are immortal until you are destroyed. Also, Ethereal Formations can be destroyed by specialized high-level magic from the Spirit Attribute.>> Hmmm... That might become a problem... What happens if the ethereal body is destroyed? << There is no such entry in the system. >> So... I die? Stop repeating yourself and give me something useable. << There is no such entry in the system. Meaning, nobody has had this happen to them in this world. Further information about alien systems requires Administrator Privileges.>> Now you''re behaving like a good girl. Thank you, if you were here I''d give you a head-pat. << Wha- wha... WHAAAAAAAT???? >> Ohoho... System girl has a sweet spot. UwU Loved her flustered reaction. So cute! Oh, the other girl finished eating, better give her some attention... She''s staring at me. "Is everything okay?..." (Mihara) << You womanizer! >> Oh, shit. "Ah, yeah, sorry, was just thinking of something..." DarkGodEM Ch 6 – We went camping? Inside of course. Yea, thinking of something, nice catch you imbecile! Oh, I need somewhere to take her... I had like 14 EP left. Let''s check if I can make a camp as a guise. Open Building Menu with a Camping Filter. Never tried this but since it¡¯s a system, filters must work right? < Dungeon Building > < > < Camping Accessories > < Clear Filters > Oh nice... wait what the fuck is that on the map? Huh, I got another goblin... They must respawn... Shit, I need to make a safe place for her to be in... Open Dungeon Building at Dungeon Areas. < Dungeon Building > < > < Dungeon Management > < Dungeon Expansion > < Dungeon Assignment > < Dungeon Placement > < Others > Do I really need to use this menu like this? It gets tiring real fast... << Since its though processed you just need to think what you want, it will show you the page and price and you can then confirm. There''s no need to go through the menu itself, that is only to make things easier when you have no assistant. >> Oh, so you are useful. << STOP BEING MEAN TO ME!!!!!>> Broke her business tone. Now I''ll have someone to talk to properly if this girl goes away... Make the area after the next turn a Safe Zone. Then make the zoning smaller, a 2m circle should suffice. Put it near the corner close to a wall. Yeah. Oh nice, it shows up in the map in a different color. Ok, now let¡¯s put some stuff in it, shall we? How much is it for a small fireplace with a stone circle? < The Small Firepit costs 1EP, Wood is replenished after 8h manually or if no invaders are present in the area.> Put one down near the end of the area towards the cave. < Small Firepit acquired and used > Oh, also give me a pot with stand to go over the fireplace for food and cooking utensils. While at it get me a simple camping tent. Put the pot over the firepit and the utensils in a small canvas bag close enough. Put the tent in the opposite side of the circle near the wall with the entrance pointing to the fire. < Camping Utensils 3EP - Includes 1 small cast iron skillet, 1 large knife, 1 skinning knife, 1 long iron rod, 1 wooden mallet and 1 flint and metal starter.> < Individual Camping Tent 1EP - Only the tent and wooden stakes. > < Iron Cooking Pot 3EP - with lid and wooden crane > < Small canvas bag is already included as part of the camping utensils. > Yeah, just do it. "Come with me, I have a fireplace deeper inside." I reached my hand out to for the invader girl in front of me. "Hm? Ah, yeah, thank you." She blushed from head to toe as she reached for my hand... Oh, yeah, this is another world, maybe people are not as kind here... meh, what''s done is done. ''Why is he treating me like this, does he know who I am?'' The thought floated in Mihara''s head. But she couldn¡¯t resist being treated so nicely after the rough weeks she''d gone through. I take her by the hand deeper into the cave with a smile on my face. Having her here means more EP, which makes me stronger and makes it harder for me to die. Hey Gloria, you said something about Spirit Magic before, right? Does that mean there''s actual magic in this world? Like, throwing fireballs off of wands magic? << Geez, ask your other woman that you seem to be so keen of... But yeah, there''s magic here. Spirit Magic is a rare attribute, the most common ones are Fire, Water, Air and Earth, but there are many attributes and even Non-attribute magic. >> Hmmm... Since I have mana it must mean I can use magic... Need to figure out how to learn it though. "Hey, H..." Shit, I haven''t asked her name yet... That was close. "Err... What''s your name?" As I ask, I look back towards her ''I was right! He must have recognized me! Oh my god, what do I do... If he sends me back to my uncle, he''ll kill me for sure...'' "Ah... it''s... Mihara... Kaimondake no Mihara..." Her name sounds Japanese... she doesn¡¯t look like it though... her eyes are very pretty and round... she looks rather French to me... welp, nothing I can do... "Should I call you your name or family name?" "You can call me Mihara if you want..." As she said this, she blushed again from head to toes and looked downward... Does she like me? What the heck, I wasn''t this successful with women before... Must have something to do with the God''s thing. There¡¯re more pressing matters to be discussed. "Mihara, can you use any magic?" My question woke her up from her thoughts and she looked back at me. "Eh, why do you ask? Oh, sorry, yeah, I can, but I don''t have much mana left..." "Nothing much really, just wondering... You are very dirty..." "Uh..." Hew mood immediately turned gloomy... "Ah, sorry, I didn''t mean it like that, it''s just that I haven''t learn any magic yet and there¡¯s no water in this cave as far as I know..." << You really have no tact to deal with women, haven''t you? >> "No... it''s ok... I really do look like a beggar... I am homeless now so there''s that..." Now that she mentioned... that''s actually true... She was wearing pretty jagged up clothes. they were brown in color but still they were torn in some places and everything looked disgraceful. I''ll try and get her something better later. "Sorry... I really didn''t mean to hurt your feelings or anything... Oh, hey, we arrived. You can sit near the pit, I''m gonna light it up." I let go of her hand as soon as we reached the Safe Zone. I was going to light up the fire, but I was pretty curious so first I went to check the tent... It looked pretty decent and was covered by a canvas-like dark fabric... It actually looked a lot like finely threaded hemp fibers. As I pulled the curtain like door sideways, I realized, crap, the tent has no mattress whatsoever and the floor was only covered by the very fabric that made it up... Beneath it was the cave stone floor so it would be awful... System get me a small camping mattress for the tent. Nothing too over the top. That''s not ideal but it''s better than searching for another one, I''m in a hurry, do it, but make the exterior of it match the material of the tent. A small camping mattress was now spread on the floor of the tent... now it must be at least somewhat decent. As I came back towards the firepit I grabbed the flint in the bag to light the fire up. The firepit already had the wood and some kind of dead straw as a starter so lighting the fire up was easy enough and only took me some seconds. "Thank you..." She said sheepishly "Don''t worry, it''s fine. Heat yourself up and rest a bit. I still have some stuff to do before going to bed." "Ah... Okay." A discrete smile was clear on her face despite the hood covering most of it. "Do you mind taking off the hood? It feels a little weird." ''I can''t refuse it right? like, he is helping me a lot and asking nothing from me... At least for now, that is... ---------------------------- "Where the fuck did that bitch go?" Screamed a man in heavy armor. His armor was scratched and scraped in various places; this was proof this man had gone through many battles. Johann was known throughout the whole continent as one of the fiercest mercenaries there is. However there had been no wars for the last couple of years, and although there were some minor skirmishes here and there, he needed the money quite badly since he spent his earning and savings from the last major war he partook in with booze and whores over these years. Both good alcohol and good women can only be gotten as a gift or paid for with lots of money, and that he, like every man in the continent, knew very well. "Boss! We found a trail through the forest, it seems like someone went though it recently, it might have been her!" Replied from afar a mercenary. Neither of them nor the men in the group liked the idea of having become slave traders... but tough times required tough measures. And the money the new Kaimon Emperor offered them for getting rid of the former imperial court was very significant, and the money they''d get from selling the female servants and the former princess would fix their financial issues for another couple of years, and hopefully give them enough time until the next war began. "Send half of the men after her, I''ll with half the remaining men go as soon as I finish dealing with this one who helped her escape." A wicked smile that disgusted even his own men formed on the man''s face. And with these words his focus returned to the task at hand. Looking down at the girl laying naked on the ground, full of bruises and whip marks, whom he was stepping on the head while giving his orders. Behind him, a horse-drawn carriage with a metal cage as cargo. In the cage, 4 more female prisoners who had watched in horror as he immolated the other girl now froze in preparation for what awaited the poor soul. Ch 7 – Horny girls = more power? (16+) As she started to take off the hood, holy crap. She was gorgeous! I mean, she was still dirty as hell and there were some small patches of grime on her face, but boy she is cute! And her fluffy ears make a great point! She was even more beautiful than I expected. Her ears were like those of a fox but tinted in a beautiful whitish pink, the same color as her hair that was tucked into her clothing but was at least long enough to reach her back. It reminded me of cherry blossoms. Her face was a little French but very delicate, with small pink lips and long eyelashes. She had dark circles in her eyes... but that is probably because of how tired she was. Man, what a cute girl. I just want to pat her... Her eyes were also hypnotic, a lovely a light pink with a purple hue made them look like something straight out of a fairy-tale. And so, stood there, completely still, my mouth agape, contemplating the beauty of this girl whom now I was pretty sure must''ve been a princess. Holy fuck. "Please don''t stare at me like that... It''s embarrassing..." she looked at me sheepishly as she shrunk a little. "Oh, sorry, my bad... It''s just that... I mean, you are too pretty." "Ah... Thank you..." She got completely flushed. Her face was the same color as her hair. It made her already adorable appearance completely inhuman. God do I want one of these. "I''ll get going, I''m still exploring this cave so be careful if you ever go any deeper... Around here is pretty safe, I''ll probably be back before you wake up. When you go to sleep in the tent please use that cleaning magic I asked you about and throw those rags outside of it. I''ll find something decent for you to wear." "You mean... for me to sleep naked?" She asked, completely embarrassed. "Yeah, the tent is solid and there''s no one but us here. There''s no need for you to sleep in these disgusting clothes. I''ll find something better by the time you wake up." "There''s no one but us here..." She softly muttered while fiddling with her fingers... Let''s ignore it for now... "Thank you... I''ll take this off..." "You''re welcome... I''ll be back soon." I then left, walking towards the depths of the cave to think what I could do now... I had spent a lot of EP on that safe zone... Fuck... Did I even really need to do that? But getting her to stay inside will help me quite a bit... She''s also pretty cute so I won''t complain... I''d rather have her as company than my goblin... << Mooooo, why are you such a womanizer! You already have me, don''t you? >> Yes Gloria, I do have you, but as an ASSISTANT, also, you don''t even have a physical body in this world and I''ve never even seen your appearance. What can I do if a cute fox-girl showed up? << Hmpf. >> All ready then, Gloria is jealous of me? Now, what is that girl doing? As I sent my floaty eyes there, I got a motherfucking nosebleed. She was stripping naked in front of the tent. Her body, from the chest down, was completely naked as she pulled the dirty rags over her head. Not only her face was extremely cute, but she also had a killer body. She was slender, with very well-defined curves. Her legs were thin, but her thighs were soft. Her belly was beautiful with a well-defined and thin waist. Her hips weren''t wide per se, but they complemented her figure beautifully. Her ass was not overly large but also not small... The perfect size for some good spanking. She had little to no body hair, but her arms and lower back were covered in pink fur, the same color as her hair. A cute and long foxtail could be seen at the base of her spine, matching her ears. Her breasts were not so small either. They looked to be C cup and were perfectly round with a pink nipple... From my angle I couldn''t see her groin. That''s a shame... HEY! HEY! HEY! FUCK! I''m not sneaking to peep on her or anything... Too late now though... She shivered? wut? "Ah..." ''It''s the same feeling from before... something''s watching... but... it feels so lovely and warming... Just like his gaze... Maybe it''s him.'' She threw the clothes away and started channeling mana into her hands. It looked blueish so I guess it was something related to the Water element. "Water, Purify my body and soul with thee power. Cleansing!" Hooo!!!! So that''s how you cast magic, interesting... The mana that flowed from her hands formed a halo over her and slid down over her naked body. As it passed, every speck of dirt was carried away, leaving an immaculate body behind. She was still lightly bruised over her arms and legs though... I wish I knew healing magic... Soon it reached the floor, leaving a small ring of murky water that soon would evaporate. ''WAIT! He''s seeing me do this!?¡¯ Something happened. Mihara looked around her anxiously and jumped straight into the tent. Since she felt my gaze before it could''ve been it. Still she would''ve noticed it much earlier... Maybe she got embarrassed, who knows. As I turned off my senses over that area of the cave for the night, I had no way of knowing what went on inside the tent. In it, a girl was immersed in deep thoughts. ---- ''Wow... this tent even has a mattress... and it''s so soft! Something this luxurious... Just who is he? Maybe he is a prince of a small distant country... of even a king! ah... If so, he could marry me, and we could take the empire back from that sly fox! He was so handsome and caring, so generous... Even when I was a princess, we hardly ever could afford snacks that luxurious, but he handed me one as soon as he thought I was hungry...'' Her hand slipped down her belly all the way to her navel and lower belly as she started to caress herself. ''Ah, I want him to have me so bad! I never wanted a man before but if it''s him...'' As her caresses grew more rapid and violent and her other hand reached up to her breasts, the girl completely forgot everything that had happened to her those last few weeks, and her inebriated soft moans resounded through that small part of the cave. Too bad nobody was there to hear them. ---- So, what do we do now...? I know I need more monsters but meh... I also need a boss to defend this room and some traps. But first... How much EP do I still have? < The Dungeon currently has 5 available EP. > Oh, so I earned some... < Correction! The Dungeon currently has 25 available EP. > Wait what? Where from? <> Good thing you share my reaction, What the fuck does that even mean? << You acquired a dungeon sub-trait... "Dungeon of Pleasure" Engaging in acts of pleasure With or with intent of the Dungeon, it''s master or it''s monsters, strengthens those involved provided they are dungeon members. >> So, if all I have is the goblin over there doing nothing and us... Gloria, do me a favor. < Yes, Core. > I already told you, call me Gunther, or even Master if that floats your boat, cut the Core thing. Touch yourself please. << Yes, Master... WHAT!? You want me to do what? >> Touch yourself, doesn''t have to be much, I just wanna check something out. << Okay, Okay, I can''t go against you, can I? >> Little did I know, she actually could. She just didn''t want to... ---------- Far from there, in a sub universe somewhere, a NEET was staring at her triple-monitor setup. ''This guy... What''s he even thinking he first gets another girl and then does this to me...'' A gorgeous teenager grumbled to herself. Her blue eyes looking straight at him through the screen in front of her. The girl only wore a pair of plain pink lingerie that matched her hair and a blue unicorn kigurumi. She also had a white and pink cat ear headset on her head but that''s not clothing is it? From the mountains of Cup noodles around and the way she dressed nobody would have guessed she was a demi-god. The girl reclined on her chair and slowly slid open the zipper of her kigurumi. One of her hands caressed her small breast while the other went into the kigurumi, and into her panties. She pleasured herself while looking at the handsome young man in the screen, imagining what else he would order her to do, later... As she indulged herself in silent pleasure, a single moan escaped her mouth. "Ahhh..." ''SHIT I FORGOT TO MUTE MYSELF'' ----------- <> DAMN GIRL! That''s some hot moan... Ch 8 – First Expansion and a jealous assistant Gloria stopped what she was doing for a second, but after his reply she felt very hot. Her body was on fire. He had heard her... He knew how her moaning sounded... ''What will he even think of me...? Will he think I''m a nasty woman? Ah... he is my first though, and sis said he''d probably live forever. I want him so bad...'' She continued to please herself, now with her mic muted, until she came a few minutes later. ----- How much EP do I have? < The Dungeon currently has 75 available EP. > Oh, wow, that''s better than I expected... Gloria, are you done? << Yes... Ah... I am... >> From your panting I''m guessing it felt quite good... Can you give me a detailed info where the EP came from exactly? << Sure...>> She must be blushing real bad now... Crap... I''ll have jack one off after this, my dick is hard af... Oh, sorry Gloria, you can hear my thoughts, right? << Yeah... I don''t really mind though... >> << The thing you asked... You got 50EP from the sexual activities inside the dungeon. 10 more from Her, the rest from me... But the points from me are divided in 2 categories, 30 are from the activities, the rest are... WHAT????>> What is it...? << I can''t tell you that... It''s... >> Say it already! << Okey... it¡¯s from... "Nourishing feelings of love towards the Dungeon, it''s master or it''s monsters". >> Oh, you are very sweet, aren''t you? << S-SHUT UP!!! It''s not like I love you or anything it''s just that I''m... SHUT UUUUUUP!!!!! >> Anyhow... I can finally use this to make the dungeon a little safer... How much does it cost to make another room this big, before this one? < Adding a small sized room costs 10 EP > Oh nice, then add 2 of them before this one and connect them with corridors that look like the cave before. < The requested changes will cost 22 EP > Do it. A Loud rumbling sound began, and the floor began to tremble. I felt like an earthquake was taking place, the map promptly updated, showing two more rooms between here and the Safe Zone. Hope it didn''t wake her up... Oh, yeah, right. Give me something plain to cover her up, like a long t-shirt. a full cotton one my size should do, ah, put in some lingerie as well, a dark purple pair should be a good fit for her. < Blank Masculine T-Shirt (White - M) 2EP - 100% Cotton > < Purple laced lingerie set 5EP - 97% Cotton > That sounds right. hold on to it until I''m leaving to get her. < Acknowledged > << Why are you giving this stuff to that girl? Do you like her or what? You could be using this to make the dungeon stronger! >> I know that, but I want her to at least have something to dress you know... Not that I''d mind her being naked around me. << Say no more! Give her the clothes! >> At least you''re easy to deal with. Now, what do I do? I can have some monsters but I''m they''ll be weak... Does the menu have a list of stuff I can put down like monsters, etc.? << Yes, it does but why? >> Well, this is my dungeon isn''t it... I need to know what I can put in here and what theme I''ll go for. << Sure thing then...>> It took me hours to get a hang of the stuff in there... Not only were there thousands of different kinds of monsters, there were both active and passive ones, when you got to a monster type, say Goblins, there was a Hierarchy, and specializations for them. Each monster has its own thing and there are millions of possibilities! Besides, there are Spawners, those are very expensive, and their monsters don''t level up like individually spawned ones do, however it''s a one-time cost and an X amount of monsters will respawn in the region you point. Also, if they last long enough, they might also procreate, making more monsters which will have the same benefits of individually spawned ones... I could make a whole floor full of goblins and have them make a full-blown society! That''d be fun. I''d still have to figure out how to get more females since the birth-rate of those is pretty low... Well, that''s a thought for later, it''s about time I wake Mihara up. I still need to check a lot of stuff about the Traps and rewards system... but hey, at least now I know how to properly set the rooms and stuff up and what kind of monsters I can have... My focus was on cheap monsters though, gotta study a lot more to get to understand the legendary crap. Also, it seems like making the dungeon profitable for adventurers in general by adding easy to farm monsters and minerals in the first floors makes it harder for them to kill me... I''mma take that safety any time. I wonder whether I can go for a walk outside of this though... Also, I should have control over both me and the core at the same time... but thinking about two things at the same time is rather confusing... If I could somehow get used to it, I could learn at least twice as fast... Well, let''s go. System, you can give me the clothes now. The time I spent here studying was enough to replenish what I spent on those just from her being in here... I should thank her properly later... Oh. I also need some food for her. System, can you do stuff like light the firepit and stuff like that? < Yes, Items inside the dungeon are under its control to some extent. > Oh nice, so if I buy, let¡¯s say, some mushroom soup, you could put it directly into the large pot so I can pretend I made it. < Correct. > Perfect! let me see first if she''s still in the tent. I gazed around with the floating eyes and could see nothing moving in the safe zone area. She must still be sleeping. Turn on the fire and put soup for two in the pot, give me some white bread as well. < Mushroom Stew will cost 1EP/Portion for a total of 2EP. 2 Portions of White Bread go for 1EP > It''s ok. Do it. I started walking towards the safe zone with her new clothes in hand... I''m eager to see her reaction to it though... She was so cute, hope she slept well... Ch 9 – Thanks for the meal Hey Gloria, you think I might be able to leave the dungeon? I asked while walking towards the Safe Zone. << I can''t tell you for sure... As the Dungeon Master you should be able to because you are a different body from the Dungeon Core, There''s cases of DMs leading stampedes outside of the dungeon but... That''s mostly after the Dungeon Core is destroyed. Most monsters cannot leave the dungeon unless there''s an Overflow Condition, but low-ranking ones can wander off from time to time. >> This change in your mood was great for my spirit... Thanks for that. I think I''ll try leaving after setting up at least some basic stuff... At least enough to know the vicinity and everything... After we get large enough having more people come here would help us a lot. << Y-you are welcome... I''ll be with you wherever you go. >> That sounded... nevermind. I like this nature of yours quite a bit though. Never had a female friend to talk to like this so yeah. Thanks. << You mean... You were an incel? >> Now, shut the fuck up before I find a way to get you down here just to kick you in the face. I wasn''t an incel... I just had no... you know... experience, per se. << Hoooo... So, you were a virgin who never managed to find a girl? >> I said: Shut up! But yes, you are right. But not because I couldn''t... I just didn''t have the time for that. Women where I came from thought we had to crawl all over them to get their attention and expected lots of benefits... I hated that shit. << But... isn''t it what you are doing to our foxy girl? >> Nah, I''m helping her because she''s cute. Also, she never asked me for anything. If she had started by demanding my help because she was a princess of who-knows-where I''d probably have killed her on the spot... I mean, it''s free real estate, right? Besides, now that we know having girls do stuff like that gives me EP, having her like me would help a lot wouldn''t it? << That''s true... By the way... I feel more awake since that happened... I''ve been taking way less energy drinks. >> I mean... You are considered a dungeon member, right? You probably get strengthened by the Pleasure thingy. Do you even have a Status or something? << Nah, I mean, where I''m in there''s no such thing as a system for me so... It''s only natural I don''t have one. But I can still feel it... Maybe some part of me is in this world of yours? or this sub-space counts as part of the world and is affected by it... No clue. >> Now that you mention, do you sleep? << Of course, I do?! How could I not? >> It has nothing to do with you but... I feel no need to sleep since coming here, you know? << EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE?????>> I mean I thought about it before, you must have let it slip since you were behaving like a robocaller... << Aww.... Don''t say that okay? I''m proud of my business tone... I''ve been using it for centuries. >> Good god... poor souls. << Oi, Oi, does that mean I have no time to sleep? I need my naps!! >> We''ll figure that out eventually. I''ll probably have some sleep later too, even if I don''t have to, since it gets boring and everybody loves a good night''s rest. Anyhow, we are here. << Hmmmm... Okay.... >> I first headed to the now boiling pot of mushroom stew, it smelled delicious. Oh, completely forgot. System, get me a pair of wooden bowls and spoons. Something handmade if possible, not sure how far this world has gone. < 2 Sets of Soup Bowls (Wooden) and Spoons cost 2EP total. > Sure thing. Two normal sized bowls that weighted quite a bit materialized in my hand. I took only the spoon and tasted the stew. It wasn''t the most delicious thing I ever had but it did taste pretty good... May too be good to have been made in a cave, but who knows. I left the bowls somewhat near the fire and headed to the tent to wake her up. ---------------------- Inside the tent, an already awake girl waited patiently for the time I came back ''Ah, he said he''d get me something to wear... Something''s cooking, it smells so good... I hadn''t slept this well in ages... How can he carry such expensive stuff with him? This tent is very luxurious, it even has a fluffy mattress! It doesn''t even prick like normal ones... I mean, my bed¡¯s also didn''t but that wasn¡¯t something someone could take around with a tent. Good mattresses cost a fortune and I had to save up almost a year''s worth of my allowance to change my old one... Ah... I miss my bed so much... Does he know what I did yesterday? No way, right? I didn¡¯t make any noise so I should be fine... But did he?... There was also that feeling of being watched... Did he see me naked? No way, it can''t be. It must have been just my imagination...'' "Mihara, you awake?" ''Ah what? He''s here? Oh my god'' She fumbled about in bed trying to get her hair to behave and turned to open the curtains'' "Ah, yes, here I am!" "... Thanks for the meal..." "Hm? What?" I lightly pointed at her, making her look down at herself. Her hands holding open the curtains to the tent and the upper half of her naked body coming out of it. She was still laying down and only her torso up, so I could only barely see the rest of her body behind her... But man, those breasts are a dream! Her smooth sakura hair dropping over her shoulders and barely covering up her body was just a delightful sight. "Kyaaaaaaaaaa" While screaming she went back inside the tent, curling up in shame... "Don''t worry too much about it, any man would be flattered just to be able to see you like that. Here, take your clothes." I said while handing the clothes I brought towards the curtains of the tent... An adorable face soon appeared over a tiny opening in the curtains, held by her delicate fingers. "Thank you, I''ll come out as soon as I get dressed." As she said this in the most adorable tone I ever heard, a small, trembling hand reached out to grab the clothes from mine. She was clearly embarrassed to death. I hadn''t even had the time to relief myself from last night and now another blow like this... I must be getting blue balls already. As she grabbed the clothes from my hands I immediately turned around and went towards the pot to wait for her. I mean, I am no pervert to try and spy on her while she changes right? I mean, cute girls are my weakness, but I still have some decency... Ch 10 – A vixen is a vixen (Part 1 – 16+) DarkGodEM ''This... What''s up with this guy! This is the softest cotton I''ve ever seen! It must cost a fortune... Why is he using all this expensive stuff with me? Are his pockets bottomless?!'' Two pieces of purple cloth fell onto the mattress. ''Huh, what is this... Its this... How did he...'' In her hands she held a pretty deep-purple panties. It was decorated with beautiful lace, full of fine black details. Despite its appearance the material was incredibly soft and comfortable. That level of craftsmanship was something she had never done. And not only that in front of her was a bra that perfectly matched the set. With the same black lace and detailing. He had not only somehow perfectly guessed her size, but also her taste for clothing. ''What does he even mean giving me something like this... Does he want to see me wearing it...? Well... the least I can do is to clean myself just to guarantee... But if I do it here... I don''t wanna spoil this expensive mattress... "Gunther... Can I please go out for a second? " "Ah? Sure... Why would you even ask for something like that..." "I... I W-Want to clean myself again so... Can you please look away?" "A...... Sure... You can come" "Thank you..." How the fuck am I supposed to not look... I mean... I am no pervert or anything... but this is just asking too much of me! << Do you get turned on by seeing naked girls? You perv... >> I mean, how wouldn''t I! I''m still a man you know!? << Then if it was me... >> I can''t say of course I would, I don''t know what you look like... but if you are half as pretty as she is, I can guarantee you I would. Also, Let''s set up the floaty eyes, shall we? Also, you probably also enjoy it don''t you? << wa-wa-WHAT? I don''t! I mean... I do like comp... HEY! STOP IT! >> See what I did there, relax, it''s fine. Floaty eyes set! I mean, I finally managed to be able to see with both my eyes and the floaty ones at the same time. In the beginning I needed to close mine''s or I''d see a blurry mess. But now I''m kinda getting used to it. It''s still tiresome so I don''t always do it but this time it''s fine. I mean... It''s gonna be well worth it... Not using them after such a hassle would be a huge waste! I set my eyes a little further than I was but higher, but since my vision with them was much more detailed than normal, it should not be a problem at all. I was looking straight at the entrance of the tent, just in time to see her gorgeous naked figure coming out. ''He really is looking away but... I can feel that gaze again... It''s really him isn''t it... But... I want him to see me...'' She looked straight at me as soon as she got out of the tent, she blushed a little... Maybe she is feeling my gaze again but... I really don''t care; she''s so fucking pretty... Her tail slowly swayed from side to side as she took small steps away from the tent. She then started casting the same magic as yesterday again. I didn''t really know why though, she already cleaned herself before sleeping right? "Water, Purify my body and soul with thee power. Cleansing!" Once again, the water halo formed over her head. As it traveled through her body it made nothing but emphasize it. She was already clean but having that glowing water halo gave her an unreal feeling. Her beauty, combined with her gorgeous body glowing under the blue light of her magic, looked simply otherworldly. I guess she is otherworldly all things considered... As she held her hair up when the water halo slowly cleaned her neck and shoulders, she made a different pose from yesterday. She now stood on the tip of her toes, with one of her knees bent. FUCK! That is hot. The position she was now in further emphasized her good points. As the water passed, her chest was now puffed up proudly. Going further down, her already slender belly looked perfectly plain and I could easily savor the halo expanding and contracting as it passed over her waist and contoured her beautiful ass and thighs. Imagine this girl wearing stockings and a garter belt... fuck... Let''s stop thinking for a second and just enjoy it... It''s almost as if she knew I was watching and decided to give me a personal show... The water this time was completely clear when it reached the ground and she promptly turned back towards the tent, to get her clothes, I presume. ''Ah, this is so exciting! He''s right there... I feel that gaze over my whole body! It really is him isn''t it... Well, at least it''s easy to find out.'' As she reached the tent, she did something I really wasn''t expecting, instead if going in, she leaned down, inside to get her clothes... The vision of her ass from that angle was enough for me to lose myself completely. I had to hold myself from standing up. And she realized it, she was looking behind exactly for that moment. ''HA! I knew it was him... So, he wants me that bad huh? Let''s test how good his self-control really is. I''m getting so wet... Need to be careful... I don''t have another set...'' She very discretely slid her hand between her thighs all the way back... Not sure what that was supposed to be but fuck was it hot! She then grabbed her underwear and turned back towards me, the lingerie I gave her in hand. << Hey! That''s illegal! She''s too bold >> Is that really a problem? I mean... Holy crap! << Yes, it is! I can''t compete with that and I don¡¯t want to lose my Mas- ... ... ... Forget what you just heard. >> Hahahaha, chill ok? I''m no guy to marry, especially not after becoming a fricking pleasure dungeon. Even if you girls were competing for me, which is not the case, you can bet there''d be no losers. But I don''t know how you look, yet... << Yeah... >> Hold up real quick! You gave me EP from doing that stuff, right? Doesn''t that mean that wherever you are, it''s still part of the dungeon? << Hah, hold on, I, it, yeah? >> Nice... but, lets enjoy the show a little more... It''s getting interesting. Mihara slowly started to dress herself with the lingerie, she slid it up her legs slowly, swaying to get more of my attention. As her panties reached her thighs, she turned sideways, allowing me to see it go over and cover her beautiful ass while appreciating her cute tail. Her ears kept twitching from time to time, it was easy to figure what was going on in her head from her inebriated expression and side grin. She leaned forwards, letting her breasts hang, as she put her bra. Damn, this girl knows how to get a man doesn''t she? She then put the t-shirt quickly and spun around once happily. The t-shirt was held up by her tail, still allowing one to see a glimpse of her ass now in the gorgeous lace underwear. Since the t-shirt was very loose, besides ending above her thighs, the collar was quite wide, giving you a short but extremely pleasant view of her bra and tits whenever she leaned forward. I''m not saying I hadn''t planned for this look, but I hadn''t planned for something this lethal. I''d already known it but this girl''s a weapon of mass-destruction against any man''s self-control. However, instead of telling me she''d finished she just started walking towards me, I had absolutely no idea what to expect out of that. I was still sat on the floor, facing the fire, and she slowly approached me. I''m not so sure, should I turn around as she comes close? Should I ask or say anything? Gloria, what do you think? << Aaaa.... Sorry I was a little... You know, yeah what did you say? >> What should I do now? Like, do I say something? << From the look on her face, I say you wait. >> Ch 11 – A vixen is a vixen (Part 2 – 16+) DarkGodEM And wait I did, completely full of anticipation to be honest. She was coming towards me slowly; I knew she meant no harm, but it was very thrilling. She was now almost right behind me, I couldn''t hold my anticipation, the spectacle just before was already my limit. "Mih-" But instead of anything I could expect, she hugged me from behind. I could clearly feel her breasts on my shoulders since I was sitting on the floor. Her warmth traveling through her clothes all the way to my body... Man this feels amazing... << Humpf. I told you! This vixen is tryin¡¯a steal my master! >> Okay, okay, please give me a break Gloria, this is just too much information at once. I can barely cope with her doing this. But then I felt her breath in my neck. A shock went down my spine and all my hair stood on end. Fuck! She spoke in my ear. "I know you were watching me. Did you enjoy what you saw?" She asked, while her hands started to caress my chest and belly. "What do you think? You think anyone could not enjoy?" "So, you admit on peeping? You perv." "Is there any meaning on trying to hide it at this point? You already knew when you started cleaning yourself didn''t you?" "I had a feeling but no proof... But it''s good to know you are honest with me, also..." One of her hands slid from by chest up to my neck and the other down towards my pants. This increased her weight on my back, pressing her breasts even more heavily and allowing me to start feeling her belly on my back. "I guess you are pretty tense down here... Why would that be?" She asked while softly stroking my very hard dick over my pants. Enough is enough, I don''t have the self-control to be teased like this and do nothing! "Kyaa~" She let go off a small scream as I pulled her over and sat her on my lap, facing me. "You think I''m a fag? There is no way I can control myself after being teased this much without being one. You''re too hot, please stop." As I held her face with both my hands and started to reach for her lips with mine, I started feeling her groin wet my cock. If you were this excited, you should¡¯ve told me earlier. As our lips came together, she held me tightly in her arms, as we slowly started to kiss, first with only our lips, then, as my tongue entered into her mouth, struggling with her own, while she let out cute moans. I couldn¡¯t hold myself anymore and let go of her face, without stopping the kiss, and held her ass with both my hands. "Ahhh." She moaned loudly this time, while starting to rub her waist against mine. Our kiss started to heat up, I started to bite her lips while she tried to do the same to mine''s, one of my hands let go of her ass and started caressing the base of her tail, making her let go of the kiss and arch her body in pleasure. "AHHHH! Not there... I''m too sensitive..." "Ho..." I continued. "So, you like it when I touch your tail?" "Yesh" She spoke with some difficulty, as I increased the intensity and reached my mouth towards her nape. ''What is this? my body is on fire! I never felt this before, how does he do it... My pussy wants him so bad.'' "Aaahh, please, more" I continued to tease her body, stroking both her ass and tail while kissing and lightly biting her neck. My dick was almost starting to hurt solely for being this hard, we spent a couple more minutes doing only this while her hands held tightly onto my back. Surprisingly, Gloria was silent the whole time... God knows what she was doing... Until... ¡°*pant*, *pant*, Ahh, *pant*, Why. *pant*. Why did you stop? " "We have a problem." I said with a serious face. An alarm was echoing inside my mind. ----------------------- "I just want to rest... Fuck this shit, we''ll never find that bitch." Gabe, a seasoned veteran, spoke to his two colleagues as they ventured through a narrow trail though the dense forest. "Do you wanna be the one to tell boss that? I mean, I''d rather be running around for a week until he shows up to call us back." Replied Joe, another former soldier. "Hey, guys! Check this out! Think I found a trail!" Yelled a third mercenary, who hadn''t stopped and wandered off like his peers. "Are you screwing with us, Kyle? You never find shit!" Yelled back Gabe. "Fuck off! And come here already." The two other mercenaries walked towards him. "See here? She''s been going this way" What he saw was a very clear but short path of footsteps in a soft dirt patch by the side of the trail they had been following. "Should we go back?" "And give someone else the merit of finding her? Fuck you! I''ve not been walking through this shit for hours fighting wolves for you to simply hand the deed to someone else. Let''s go!" Gabe, despite his less than ingenious thinking and very violent ways, was still the leader of their group. They had worked together through many wars, and sometimes survived solely though his command. The group trusted him. And they followed the trail Kyle had found for the rest of the night. "Come fucking on, Kyle. Again? We''ve been walking the whole night. This shit leads nowhere!" Complained Joe. The trail they had been following through the woods ended abruptly in a clearing, a hundred or so meters away from the foot of the Herklaw Mountain, a steep but not very tall mountain that was impossible to climb from this side without specialized equipment. "Joe, Shut up." Gabe had realized something. "Kyle, see those broken branches towards the mountain? Check them real quick." The men were completely exhausted. Walking through a forest with plate armor was very tiresome. But the reward they''d get from finding the escapee princess would definitely be worth it. ------------------- "Sir, Gabe''s group has been following a trail for hours now and hasn''t returned. Should we send a group to check on them?" Gahar was leaning over a rock, thrusting into something behind it with all his might, still wearing the top part of his heavy armor. "Are they the only group that hasn''t abandoned their trail?" "Yes sir." This mercenary felt disgusted by what his boss was doing but knew saying anything would mean death. So, he decided to keep his thoughts to himself. "Gabe''s a fucking asshole, but he''s no idiot to be following a path since yesterday for no reason. Assemble the other groups and tell them to-. OHHHHHHH-. Never mind, tell them I''m going with them now. Take this shit, you and the boys can have fun with her as much as you want, she''s almost worthless now anyways. When you''re done throw her back with the rest in the cage." As he said that, the threw the limp girl he was ravaging on the floor towards the mercenary. He''d had good fun with her already. Since yesterday afternoon he''d done nothing but punish her. The poor soul was covered in bruises, whip marks and blood. She was also dirtied by his sperm, but the overall look was much worse than just that. She was still awake somehow, that is, under the effect of the drugs Gahar gave her in order to keep her awake while the punishment took place, but her eyes were not focused on anything, dully gazing the horizon with no light, no life. The soldier simply acknowledged with his head and started to drag her by the arms towards his group, which was now responsible for preventing any of the prisoners escaping, after the last one failed miserably and was severely punished. Granted, his group was composed of proud soldiers, and while some were okay with raping while amidst the heat of war and pillage, none had the weird fetish of having sex with someone half-dead. Although he was dragging her along, he was doing it as carefully as possible. Kyle was no savage, he saw no pleasure in hurting women. "He''s gone overboard this time." He muttered to himself, the only person who could hear him was Mahri, whom he was dragging, but it''s not as if she would be able to say anything to him back... However, his words would be something she would forever remember. He had indeed gone too far, but not for the reasons Kyle had thought, not because of what he did, but to whom. As he reached the cage wagon, he looked at his colleagues, nobody said a word, two of them went and opened the cage. From all of their expressions, it was clear none were comfortable with what they were doing, but desertion in the middle of a mission was something that would make them starve, even if they managed to survive that far. Gahar was known for hunting deserters down very energetically. Another two helped him raise her and put her inside the cage, before the others closed the door back up. "Sorry, we have no choice but to follow orders..." He spoke in a gloomy voice. "We can''t help you but... We''ll overlook if you use healing magic on her." "Thank you very much..." Answered a low and coarse female voice from inside the cage. It was clear this woman had been crying for hours... Kyle felt extremely guilty, and so did his men, but their hands were tied. Ch 12 – The Mercenaries "Couldn''t that bitch just have gone straight?" She''s not even following a trail now! What the fuck!" "Stop complaining, Joe! She can''t have gone much further." "Hey guys, do you see that?" "What now, Kyle, there¡¯s nothing to see here, only leaves, and trees, and bushes, and FUCKING INSECTS!" "CALM THE FUCK DOWN JOE! Or I''ll calm you down with my fist and you''ll wake up over an ant''s nest. What now, Kyle?" "Look over there, I think that''s a cave!" "Huh... Let''s get there then." The three man had been walking non-stop since the night. It was now mid-morning; they ate dried meat while walking to avoid losing any more time. After the clearing they kept following her traces through the closed forest. Most of the time they remained close to the mountain face. But from time to time the girl had meandered through the forest and back, forcing them to take massive detours in order to not lose track of her. After hours on end walking around, they found a cave in the mountain. Their navigator, who spotted it, was not so comfortable with his finding. "Gabe, there''s something fishy here, we should call the others." "What, Kyle? Are you chickening out now?" "It''s not that... I just don''t recall ever seeing any mentions to this cave anywhere in the maps..." "It''s fucking mountains Kyle, who the fuck would spend their time mapping out all the fucking caves around." Snickered Joe at his remarks. "Hey boys, she''s here! Look!" Joe ran ahead of them, pointing out to some broken branches and another small piece of cloth. However, the closer he got to the cave, the larger it seemed. The entrance to it was set in a clearing, under a huge crag, that prevented any large vegetation from growing under its shadow. Their notion of size was dulled by the time they had spent roaming through the forest, but as they approached the entrance, Kyle''s point became more sound. The entrance to the cave was gargantuan. It could easily allow 10 or more men, side by side, to enter at once. Heck, maybe even more! The ceiling also towered more than 40 feet above their head, with large stalactites hanging menacingly. "I told you didn''t I! This is not any regular cave... It''s too big to not be in the maps... Either it just plopped here out of nowhere or nobody who saw it came back to put it on the maps..." They stood in front of the cave entrance, talking about whether to enter or not. "I''m not going in there! If you want you guys, go alone. I''m calling the rest." As they looked to each other, conversing, only one of them stared straight into the darkness. Gabe was the only one who had experience with adventuring. He had once tried to live as an adventurer, but decided it was too uncertain of a life for him, choosing a life as a mercenary over flirting with death on a daily basis. Of course, this decision had a reason... He lost his whole party in a dungeon and he barely escaped alive due to sheer luck. "Come on Kyle, stop being a wussy!" "Joe, shut up, he has an argument." Gabe''s hair stood on end. A weird feeling took over him, a feeling he knew very well from the times of war, and from way before... "There''s an ambush inside, something''s staring at us." "Huh, you too?" While Joe asked confused, Kyle exhaled in relief. "Shut up, Joe. This time you''re wrong. Let''s go back and come with the others. I don''t wanna die today." As they turned around and left, a single person stood silent, despite having an attractive woman on his lap. He was having a mental conversation with something. They''re coming back with more people, right? << Yeah, you better prepare yourself. >> What a damned timing... ------------- In a clearing somewhere in the forest, a single man was running while yelling. "ALL GROUPS ASSEMBLE! I REPEAT, ALL GROUPS ASSEMBLE!" Kyle was trying to gather all the man at Gahan''s order. Most of them had just returned from their own scouting, trying to get a trail that led to the princess. Finding her on their own mean a lot of money they could use to relax after this mission. Maybe even get some time off for a change. Soon, all the groups were either already there or heading towards the clearing. Only a few seconds after the last group joined them, a thunderous voice caught everyone''s attention. "You all useless fuckers! Again, the one you call the most useless did what you couldn''t do." More than half of the men started whispering to each other, was he actually talking about Gabe? Who else could it be though? He and his group weren''t here yet... "Yes, I am talking about Gabe, now shut the fuck up!" "We are gonna follow his trail and find were he went before he gets the girl by himself. If he has fun with her before I do because of your incompetence, I guarantee at least one of you won''t have a neck by the end of the day!" "ARE WE CLEAR?" ""YES SIR!"" Exclaimed every man in the clearing. Except for Kyle, he was slowly turning away to get back to his guys. "KYLE!" "Yes, Sir?!" He responded, turning around hurriedly. "Don''t fuck, it up. Or the 5 of you are dead. Understand?" "Yes, Sir!" '' Fuck, why did I get myself into this shithole...'' He thought. As he turned away to leave, he glanced over the formation. No one would deny they were very organized for mere mercenaries. Their group had suffered greatly from the lack of wars, and now only consisted of half a Centuria plus Gahan, a mere third of what they once were. The Bloody Maniple was a mercenary company feared for both their skill as soldiers and the brutality of their leader. They also stood out in wars, since most countries were divided in Syntagmas. They were always fought as such, a heinous enemy, and the military training from Gahan was deeply ingrained in all his men. The only two groups that were not part of the main force were the scout, also disposable, group of Gabe and his two sidekicks, and the Logistics group, led by Kyle himself. Both were seen very poorly by the rest of the mercenary group, despite always having to take the brunt of responsibility whenever they left town and having been with them for almost a decade now. As the company marched deep into the forest, Kyle returned to his men, to wait for their return and prepare to witness whatever was going to happen to yet another prisoner, once she was captured. Ch 13 – Preparations and EP Gathering (Part 1 – 18+) What should I do now? I mean, I got more EP, but I don''t know how many there are or when they are coming... Might as well grab this ass while I still can right? "Ahh... Did something change?" "Yeah, they went away for a while, they are coming back with more people though... You have any idea how many there are?" To be honest, I didn¡¯t even care about her answer at this point. I just wanted to feel her breath on my ear as she answered me. I bit her neck as soon as she would start answering, just for the lulz. "Hmm... Kyumpf! I- I think there were like... around 20 or 30 of them..." HOL''UP! "Wait, what? 30?" Okay. Calm the fuck down. You have an unlimited source of power sitting on your lap. There''s no need to panic. << You probably should panic though... >> Thanks, Gloria, now you did it! If I could, I can guarantee you, I''d shut you up now by having you gag on my dick. << You''re welcome. I''d appre-... STOP TEASING ME!!!!! >> It wasn''t supposed to tease you though... A, NY, WAYS! System, how much EP do I have? < The Dungeon currently has 176 available EP. > NICE! As I heard the words, I unconsciously pulled Mihara closer by the ass, making her navel hit against my dick and trunk, pressing her chest against mine. "Ahhh..." "Oh, sorry, I squeezed you too hard." "Don''t... Apologize... For... Making me... Feel good..." Holy fuck how do I deal with this girl. I knew I should be upgrading the dungeon but fuck... She''s too sweet. I immediately kiss her again and start over what we were doing before the mercenaries arrived. Not gonna ask where these points came from, just not to embarrass you. <> < Status Update! The dungeon currently has 186 available EP. > Now we are talking... It would be better if I could somehow do both this and fix the dungeon at the same time... << Err... Haven''t you realized you are still kissing her? >> Hum? Yeah? Wait... YEAH! I can think separately now! Hmmm... << What? >> You''ll see... As I continued savoring Mihara''s mouth, I tried to somehow manifest my floaty eyes inside Gloria''s subspace. I mean, it¡¯s considered part of the dungeon so it should work somehow... At first, all I saw was darkness but then... Holy shit, this was more than I expected... Even my physical body kissing Mihara gasped. It looked like a teenager''s room. small, cramped, with a single bed and a table with a computer. There were also piles of cup noodle cups, energy drink cans, and a handful of empty bags of chips laying around. But none of that was what made me gasp. It was instead what laid in front of the computer. Sprawled over her reclined chair, semi-naked, was a divine beauty. She had her naked legs spread open while only wearing a cute, completely open, unicorn kigurumi and some panties... It was clear what she was doing from her hands, one underneath her panties, caressing her crotch, and the other with two fingers into her mouth as she licked them sensually. Not only was the scene a sight to behold, but her looks would also make even the prettiest girl envious. She was small, her chest was rather plain but had a different charm to it, her small, pink, nipples contrasted with her milky white skin, and were a perfect complement to her gorgeous and silky bright-pink hair. She felt my sight and looked straight at where I was, revealing the shades of her almost magical aquamarine eyes. The hikikomori aura, in contrast with her beauty, lit a fire inside me. The kind of attraction I felt towards this degenerate cutie was something completely unbecoming. But I had no way to avoid it. She was both cute and hot enough to carve her place into my heart instantly in both categories. Her expression though, contorted as she saw herself in her monitors. "<>" Please turn off that microphone, I''m hearing your voice twice and it''s trippy. "Oh, sorry, but how?!" She asked again, now properly sitting on her chair, pulling her kigurumi close while blushing into a deep shade of pink that resembled her hair. You see, when you told me the Dungeon of Pleasure thing you said only things inside the dungeon would count... And since you counted that meant you were somehow in the dungeon. I was just a small leap of faith to think I could somehow come here. "Does that mean you can also materialize here?" Probably... but as you see, my physical body is a little occupied right now. However, I can still see you... "You want to do it... with you watching...? I can''t, it¡¯s too embarrassing!" So, you think you can watch me do this stuff all you want but it''s embarrassing when it''s you the one doing it? I can see how excited you were from me kissing her... "mooou, stop it... You''re making me blush..." Isn''t that the idea? You naughty little girl... I see you are hornier than your sister. "My sis? what do you me- Ah... so that''s what she meant... That whore! She took you before me!" She didn''t though, still if you are worried about who''s the first, you shouldn''t be this silly around me. Else, she''s gonna snatch it from you. I said, thinking about what Mihara was doing. While I was talking to Gloria, I was also enjoying quite a lit my time with Mihara. Her body felt surprisingly soft in my hands, as I used them to caress her back and neck. Her mouth still had that wonderful taste, and her soft thighs rubbed against my sides as she rocked back and forth, stimulating my dick. She then retreated a bit and put her hand inside my pants. Her hands were small and a bit inexperienced, but the direct stimulation was amazing. Now that I notice, I''m still wearing my word''s everyday clothes. Black sweatpants and a t-shirt, guess it didn''t look that uncommon? I retributed my putting one of my hands under her shirt and caressing the inside of her thighs. I abandoned her mouth for a second, sucking on her neck, as she moaned while clenching her thighs against my hand, trying to get the most out of it, while gently stroking my dick. I knew where this was heading, but the stone floor of the cave wasn¡¯t where I planned to have my first time. And also, I had lots of work to do¡­ I couldn¡¯t refuse extra power though. So instead, I turned my hand over to directly caress her pussy over the panties with my fingers, slowly rubbing my fingertips over her clit and, with my other hand, gripped the base of her tail, pulling it gently. ¡°AAAHHH!¡± The effect was even larger than I¡¯d expected, with her arching and twitching as her body lost all strength and gripping my cock ecstatically. As she slowly recovered her breath, still holding my dick in her hand, I talked into her ear: "You know now''s not a good time, right? They can come any minute..." "I know but... at least let me thank you for what you did..." As she said this, she got me up and lowered my pants while squatting. My dick jumped out right in front of her head and she froze for a second. Her eyes finally confirming what her hands had already let her know. ''Why is it this big!?'' Ch 14 – Preparations and EP Gathering (Part 2 – 18+) ''Will it even fit????'' While the thought confused the flabbergasted Mihara, someone else was having a similar experience. Gloria was aghast, mouth wide open. Her reaction was a mixture of awe and wonder over both the humongous size of that dick and the brazen immodesty of the Vixen who was trying to steal her man''s first time. Just before she had lost control of herself, starting to rub her nipple and finger herself in response to what she saw on the screen... She wanted him to make her cum like that, to make her drown in pleasure while also giving him her all. She was both drooling and dripping as she stared at the huge, hard cock on her screen, all the while, hearing the fiendish voice of its owner straight into her ears. You want it, don''t you? Inside your horny little mouth, fucking you senseless. What even are you? a filthy whore craving for that cock. She normally would have hated being talked to like that, but now, every time he humiliated her, she felt wetter. She wanted to taste that cock and give him her first time. Not only was he handsome, he was bold, but also kind. He was the type of man she had always wanted. Part of her job was to accompany those she was responsible of helping, but all of them prior to Gunther were just either disgusting bastards or useless morons. She never felt a connection with any of them, and always behaved like a machine in order to distance herself from their reality. They were disgusting to that extent. Last job she had was with a mercenary. His name was Jergad Gahan. A fiendish fucker. During the Lienan Great War he committed numerous war crimes. She hated him the most out of all of them. The glee she felt when he was poisoned by his own son was unsurmountable, and when he died, she made a deal with her sister to only work again if she approved of a man. This time, she hoped she would find someone to live with. She''d been lonely for centuries as a demi-god. Her sister, who once was happily married, also fell into a tough spot as the flame of her love slowly died over the millennia. The only woman she knew who was happy was her mother, Zadza, but her mother never got married, and was used to having fun with whatever she got her hands on. She was no benchmark for success. Gloria was the daughter of the Goddess of Desire and the God of Organization, Gurama. She was an odd ball, the only one not directly responsible for something. Some treated her as the failure sister, since her older sister was already a goddess herself. Gloria never gave up, but she also was not fond of the system in which they lived, opting to work elsewhere. If somehow the person she was helping was to become a legend, she would finally be able to rub her Goddess status on their face. After over 800 years passed though, it became clear she would probably have the same fate of all other system demi-gods, become part of the maintenance crew for the God of Extraneous Systems once she retired... But now she found someone worthy of her love. She wanted him for her, and her only. She knew it was near impossible, but she''d still try. But seeing his throbbing dick made her mind go completely blank, forgetting even her embarrassment from the fact he was watching her right now. Her hands moved faster as she squirmed, lifting her waist up to be penetrated deeper by her fingers. Wet noises started filling the room, together with her moans. I was now just staring in disbelief as both a gorgeous fox-girl started licking the base of my shaft and a godly petit beauty touched herself in front of me... Did I finally hit a jackpot in life? Maybe becoming a dungeon core wasn''t nearly as bad as I had initially thought. As Mihara put my dick inside her mouth though, I was unable to even think, my world went blank at the sensation of her wet and hot mouth delicately sucking on my dick, her hands stroking it''s base and massaging my balls. As I looked down, I patted her beautiful hair, while seeing her thick ass rocking at the pace of her head, while her hail wagged about happily like that of a puppy. Mihara was unable to hold herself and moved her hand from my balls to her pussy, she wanted my cock inside her badly, be had already accepted that it was not the time. She, however, still wanted to cum while having my cock in her mouth, and when I softly stroke her hair, she plunged my cock deep into her throat. She fought hard to control her gag reflex and moved faster. Understanding her intentions, I grabbed her head with both my hands and started to facefuck her. The sounds of her choking on my dick and Gloria''s wet moans where enough to take me above and beyond, the pleasure assaulted my body as I shot my load deep into her throat. "Guahhh!~" She gasped for air as my dick left her mouth, now full of my cum. I watched, inebriated, as she sucked one last time on my dick, to clean up the rest of the cum, before closing her mouth to swallow it all. A small white drip flowed from the corner of her mouth, which she immediately wiped with her finger, sucking it clean right after. "Thanks for the meal... It tasted delicious." As she said this, I could hear and see Gloria violently orgasming from touching herself "Good girl" Good girl I answered both at the same time, pulling Mihara for one last kiss. Her body felt very heavy, but she wouldn''t refuse a kiss, even less so now, with my still half-hard dick directly rubbing her panties... "I want you to fuck me silly!" "Calm down, the time will come. Now, go eat the some of the stew before it burns." "Okay..." She answered me a little dejected. Now, Gloria... "Yesh" I know you are a bit tired, but I need your help. "How can I refuse helping my man...?" I hate how cute you are... Turn the microphone back on, I''ll need to get back into the Core Room for checking stuff. When we have time alone, I promise I''ll be coming in here with my physical body. "I''ll be looking forward to that" She answered with a wicked smile on her face. Thank goodness I don''t need to sleep; else I''d be eaten alive by these two... System... How much EP do I have? < The Dungeon currently has 366 available EP. > THE FUCK? ALL THAT??? Ch 15 – Preparations over a bowl of soup DarkGodEM What do I do with this...? I feel like a child when given its first allowance... What do I even do with this much EP? << You know you don''t have much time, right? >> Gloria''s words woke me up from my dazing. Sure, what do I do...? If they have 30 people, they can just storm through anything I throw at them... I need to separate them first. What followed were hours of massive changes to the dungeon. After the Safe Zone, the cave now branched into 3 similar ones. Those each had various small rooms, smaller than the Core Room, and a single larger one at the end, from which a single corridor led nowhere. I made the corridor going into one of them too small for a human to pass without crawling. That should make it easier to set something up. I expanded the main path to have some bifurcations and added a small-ish anteroom before the Core Room. Although the changes were massive, the cost was only around 50 EP. Expanding a single floor was pretty cheap, but I had not added any monsters yet... Well... Adding them now would be a waste of time, I can always cherry pick them whenever I need. I should probably save some EP for the traps as well... The most time-consuming part was arranging all of this in the 3-dimensional area of the dungeon... Since I was still a small one, the area I could encompass was only a 100x100 square, and since the single floor was not that big, I had to manage everything to fit withing a 10m height. << You know you are not supposed to intertwine tunnels and have one over the other in a single floor, right? >> I mean... I do but what else should I do? Also, since the system didn''t stop me It should be fine, I guess... Oh, Hey, Can I define hardness of flooring and everything? << Yes, but ceilings and floors are indestructible, you know? >> I do, but check this out, if we... ---------- While this all took place, I was also sat near the fire with Mihara. She was eating the stew heartily. Me? I was standing there, with an empty bowl in my hands, completely hypnotized by her cuteness... Poor fox was starving. YEET I forgot to get something to drink. "Mihara, Should I get you some water or beer?" "Eh? You have that here? I''d appreciate some alcohol... I may die today for all I know..." "I won''t let that happen; I promise you." I reached towards the bag where the cooking stuffs was, I asked for it because of course there was no such thing there. System, give me a witbier leather canteen. Why wheat? you ask, well, because it''s more common in undeveloped areas. Also, much cheaper. < A Small Canteen costs 1EP, the requested contents also cost 1EP (Light Wheat Beer) > There we go then. The small canteen materialized in my hand, inside the bag. It was heavier than I expected, weighing almost a full kilo. Anyhow, I opened the bag just a bit and pulled it out. First things first, I need to try this one out. I pulled off the cork plug and took a good swig. The cold beer spread a nice, burly taste though my mouth. I hadn''t expected the system beer to be this good... It was as good as the one from my original world I used to drink. As I passed the canteen to Mihara, I could see her blush... Well, I think it''s a bit too late to be embarrassed over indirect kissing after literally swallowing my dick whole, don''t you agree? Anyhow, her cuteness really is surprising, even at moments like these. "Waaahh~... This was refreshing... Where do you even get this stuff? Everything tastes like it was made by a first-class cook! You even got salt!" Is salt even supposed to be uncommon? "I mean... I know at least the basics and carry some spices on me... But is salt even that expensive?" "Yeah? Like, sea-salt tastes like dirt! Good salt is worth more than its weight in gold! Hoooo.... The Jew inside me awakened. Rock salt was an extremely cheap dungeon resource... I could use it to make almost infinite money and attract more adventurers. It''s good having a normal human around... Knowledge is power, am I right? "Didn''t realize that, thanks..." "I already knew you were rich, but didn''t know it was this much..." She said while eating the soup. Now in a far more gracious manner. "Huh? How so?" "The materials of the tent are outrageously expensive and so is the clothes you gave me... There was also that sweet bun that must have costed a fortune! I can''t even start to imagine the price of all the stuff you have been giving me..." Oops... For a princess to tell me that I really must''ve gone overboard. "Oh... Sorry... I hadn''t even realized. I just gave you whatever I had on hand that I thought you''d enjoy." Hope I haven''t made it worse... "Hmm... Why did you have a full set of luxurious lace lingerie at hand?" She asked confusedly, with a spoon hanging from her mouth. "Ah... Good question... Maybe I was searching around for a wife and that''s why I had it?" My bet paid off. She was now flushed red and silently eating her soup while swigging the beer violently... Please don''t make any more hard questions. I really can''t answer those. The whole cave started to rumble violently as I started to change the dungeon layout with Gloria. A scared Mihara asked me, trembling "This cave isn''t gonna collapse from the earthquakes, right? I don''t wanna die stuck in here forever..." "Nah, relax... It''s all fine. It could''ve been easier if that happened though... At least we wouldn''t be facing the mercenaries just yet." The girl, who had just finished her plate cowered a little hearing about the mercenaries. She was already scared senseless from the "earthquake"... I might''ve been too hard on her. I stood up and walked towards her. She had a sheepish expression in her eyes. I then hugged her tightly and she loosened herself in my embrace. At least she was an easy-to-understand girl. Being this straightforward is probably a nightmare for her enemies and those plotting in the shadows... That''s probably why her uncle decided to get rid of her. Poor thing... She must feel very lonely. We remained there, hugging, for at least half an hour. "Do you want to get some more sleep?" "You mean going in the tent? I do but... I don¡¯t wanna be alone... Can you come with me?" Aw... How can I refuse such a cute girl? "I''ll go there with you. However, we are only going to sleep ok?" "Okay..." She made a dejected face... Come on? You really wanted to do more? Do you have no sense of impending danger? Well, anyhow, let''s get going. "Let''s go, leave the stuff there, I''ll clean it up later." I said, looking at the already dying fire. "Oki!" She said happily, skipping towards the tent. She took off her t-shirt as she entered the tent. "Are you not gonna strip?" "If you insist..." She stared at me curiously as I started to strip down. I was gonna keep my underwear at least but... Once I started taking my clothes off, Mihara jumped at me, stripping me stark naked, while kissing my whole body. "You said we were only going to sleep..." "Yeah, but we haven''t entered the tent yet so I can do whatever I want!" "Well... I can afford to spoil you at least a little bit." "Yay!" *chuu* She kissed my lips softly. How did I fall for her this quickly, again? Anyhow... I guess I wouldn''t be able to sleep with the renovations going on anyways... Ch 16 – The fox’s intentions (18+) DarkGodEM We stood kissing, half naked, for a couple minutes. Our bodies touching. She was soft, and her fur and hair were fluffy and the feeling of caressing her tail was just something else... Why did such a cute girl feel interested in me was completely beyond my understanding though... Now that I think of it, Gloria is also a beauty, isn''t she? Why did they fall for me? I''m just an average Joe... Anyhow... What do I do with this girl...? She wants to fuck... I''m exhausted from her and thinking... Let''s have a lil break... I parted my mouth from her''s and spoke into her ear. "I''m sorry Mih... But I haven''t slept yet... Can we go into the tent? I want to have some rest before the fight..." "Ah... Sorry I-I Didn''t realize..." "Don''t overthink it too much, come." As I take her by the hand and guide her into the tent, she blushes and stops walking. "Can I at last ask you for something in exchange?" "Huh?" What does she want now? Does she need any reassurance? "Yeah, sure. Whatever you want." "Can we sleep naked?" "A...." My brain shut down for a bit. The noises from the dungeon changing also stop briefly ------- << Oi! Oi! Why did you stop? >> Ah, sorry Gloria... Something happened on the other side I wasn''t expecting... Let''s get back to working... Thank goodness she isn''t paying attention as always... << Excuse me, what exactly am I not paying attention to? >> Don''t think too much about that, help me out with the layout here... There''s still a lot to do!| -------- "Don''t you... want to?" "Ah~... It''s not that, I just wasn''t expecting it, that''s all... Sure, we can..." "Yokatta..." "Huh? Was that Japanese?" "Japan~ What is that?" "Oh, I was just thinking out loud... let''s go inside." "Let me at least strip you myself..." "Okay then..." "Moo... Am I that uninteresting?" "Ah~" Think of it, I haven''t seen her naked, with her allowing me to yet... "Don''t worry... I''ll give you a good time too... But I''d rather make it inside." She blushed once again as she started imagining what we would do next... Man this girl is so cute... Can''t I just hug her and keep her forever? Too bad... She started kissing my neck and slowly descending, kissing my whole body along the way. Her lips where soft and moist; There was no way I''d not feel excited about it... But the mental strain was taking its toll on me. But when she too off my underwear with her mouth, I completely forgot I was gonna tell her to stop. The desire and passion on her eyes were too overwhelming. Her tail wagging violently. I legit think she could pull a Tails'' on me and fly by using it LOL. As she starts to slowly nibble on my dick, I just can''t contain myself anymore and start patting her head... Her ears are so cute. I hadn''t tried it yet but from her inebriated moans, I think her ears are as sensitive as her tail. "Ahhhh... Nyunn~" She responded by sucking on me. Damn, how does she know all this stuff... Either she''s got some experience or she''s just a natural. This time though she wasn''t trying to swallow it whole like last time. She was doing it in a way more well-behaved manner. Slowly savoring it while holding my waist with both her hands. I didn¡¯t want to finish just yet, but my knees are trembling... I better get into the tent; else I won''t be able to do much myself. I held her dead up with both hands "Guhl~ aaaahhh" She made some noise as my lifting made my dick slip out of her wet mouth, leaving a trail of saliva connecting both. "What''s the problem?" She asked. "Not a problem really... I just want to go down on you, let''s go inside." I said while caressing her face. Her head tilting sideways in the process... She''s like a little dog ain''t she... She turned around, facing the tent. She extended her arm backwards, I thought for me to grab her hand, but before I could do so, she got a hold of my dick and started stroking it softly. "Let''s go?" Do you intend to have me walk there while you do this? nah... Instead of answering, I went ahead and hugged her tightly from behind, my dick going in between her thighs, since she was only slightly shorter than me. I had one of my hands in the middle of her chest, between and over her breasts and the right one on her thigh. Her hand that was holding my dick instinctively moved towards her crotch when I held her, while the other held my hand over her chest. I could feel her heart beating faster. She leaned her head back into my shoulder and spoke to my ear. "When I got kidnapped, I thought I was going to die without meeting my special person... I''m glad I got to know you before that." My heart skipped a beat. I couldn''t ignore the meaning behind her words... I was flattered for being considered her special one but... I could not avoid the discomfort from her words. I moved my hand from her thigh to her navel and into her panties. As soon as I felt the moist heat of her pussy, I strengthened my grip in both my hands and arms, restraining her completely while giving her a different kind of pleasure. "Don''t ever speak like that again. We are not dying here." Her whole body shivered, and she limped as she lost the strength on her knees, moaning. "Let''s go in now." "Hah~ ah~ yeshhhhh..." She started taking awkward steps forward, still being held by me, lightly caressing her clit and bosom, who only let go of her when she reached the tent. Extra Ch – Ch 16.2 – Punishment for a naughty fox (Part 1 – 18+) As I let go of her, she laid, chest down, onto the mattress. When I put my head inside, there she was, wagging her cute tail, looking behind to see me come in. As she saw me enter the tent, she raised her ass and started wagging it, together with her tail. Her white skin, glistened in the... Wait... What light? It should''ve been dark in here? Oh, right, the whole dungeon seems clear... I¡¯mma ask Gloria about it some other time. As I was saying, her skin glistened, and the lingerie I gave her suited her perfectly. I leaned down and held her ass with both my hands. She started moaning as I started kissing her legs and ass... Wow... Her pussy smells amazing even from here... I gave it a small kiss while rubbing my nose onto it. Her moans increased in volume. "Now, now... How should I punish my naughty little fox?" "What for?" She answered with a wicked smile... haaaah~ You are too good at provoking me... "For being much too naughty!" As I said that, I gripped her tail and pulled it up while kissing the area below its base. What followed was a deafening moan and Mihara''s ragged breath. "Ha~... How did you... do that?! Fuck... That was... Amazing..." "I didn''t expect that to be that effective... but..." *SLAP* "Ahhhh!" "Since you liked it so much, I need to punish you another way..." My hands slid up her body, from her thigs, to her ass, to her waist, shoulders, all the way up to the nape of her neck. And closely behind them, my lips. I went up kissing and smooching her whole body on my way up, until I reached her neck. I laid atop of her and tenderly moved her hair to the side, exposing the gorgeous nape of her neck to my kisses. She quivered as I kissed and sucked on it. I kept doing it while caressing her ears for a second, her tail tickling my thighs and dick inadvertently. Listening to her moans was rather addictive, I wanted to check her as much as I could and try every single thing to turn her on as much as possible. I kneeled over her legs and started massaging her back, from her tail all the way up to her neck. An on my way back I''d slide my hands to the sides of her body, caressing her breasts and waist. Whenever I reached the bottom of her spine, her ass would jerk and raise a little, urging me to slap it. I held myself from it for a couple times, before grabbing both sides of her ass with my hands and squeezing them. Fuck... Her ass is amazing. Out of sheer curiosity I slid my hand in between her thighs while holding her ass up by the tail. Her underwear was dripping wet. I gently rubbed my middle finger on her pussy over the piece of clothing while caressing and pulling on her tail with my other hand. Her reaction was priceless... Her waist jerking uncontrollably trying it''s hardest to control the pleasure, each movement causing another jolt of it from the other side, her body hair standing on end from the uncontrollable chills all over her body. It didn''t take long before Mihara came again, this time, only lowering her body to the bed, leaving her ass straight up over her knees. Seeing her like that was one of the most gorgeous sights yet. However, she as still dressed, and that was something we had to deal with. Her breathing was still ragged and her body still twitching from the last orgasm. *SLAP* I slapped her on the ass once again, this time with much more strength, leaving a handprint on her gorgeous ass. "Ahwn~." Her moaning was much more contained this time though. "So... How do you feel about your punishment?" I asked, leaning forward for her to hear me even in a low tone. "Ah... Ah... It was so... so good... I want more..." "You want more punishment?" "Ah... Yes, Master... Punish me more." I turned her face around, hissing her madly. Who would''ve guessed she was such a masochist? "Then beg me for it! Say why I should punish you more and how much of a vixen you are!" I smugly whispered into her ear, while putting one of my hands into her panties over her ass. "Yes, Master! Punish this horny little vixen of yours, I''ve been a bad girl lusting over you so~ hard!" As I heard her words, I stood on my knees while putting one of my fingers in between her ass-cheeks, over her asshole, gently circling it with my fingertip. "Aahh~ Master! Not there!" "Why not? It''s your punishment, remember?" I slapped her face hard with my hard dick, prompting her to suck it, while increasing the pressure on her ass. Her mouth went straight for my cock, sucking like a vacuum. I held her face with my free hand while watched her sucking on my dick. I slowly shifted from a circular motion around her asshole for a more direct pressing. As I noticed her moaning over her full mouth, I took my hand from her ass and waved it near my dick. "Suck my fingers so I can punish you properly." She let go of my dick for just a spit second before grabbing it with her hand while she sucked two of my fingers energetically. She was trying to be sensual, but she was much too excited for that, resulting into further clumsy movements that flooded my heart with love. As I pulled my fingers away, she instantly went back to swallowing my dick. Her lust and desire were astonishing. I swiftly put my hand where it had just been, but this time, I inserted the very tip on one of my fingers into her ass. "HMMMF~" She stopped sucking for a second before releasing a muffled moan. The pleasure she was feeling was tangible. Her ass twitching and squeezing my fingertip. I started to slowly increase the pressure, inserting my finger deeper into her tight asshole. She was no longer able to keep sucking my dick, instead opting to lick it and stroking it with her hand. Every time I moved my finger even a little bit, I could see her holding herself and feel her asshole twitching. As I felt the base of my finger reaching her asshole, I jerked it out in a single fell swoop. "AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH... Please don''t! Put it back in! hummm~" Mihara looked up sheepishly, raising her ass as up as she could, begging me to put it back in there, holding my dick with both her hands. I, however, had a different idea on what to do. "Nah... It''s time for the main meal." "You wanna..." "Not yet, first..." I started to relieve her from her panties. "I want you naked for me." After sliding her panties all the way to her feet, I left them hanging from the frame of the tent, it was literally dripping. I once again knelt behind her, but this time, she was naked. I could clearly see the contour of her body, her naughty ass, as smooth as a peach, and though the gap between her thighs, a droplet of fluid forming over her slit. I wanted to make her mine, but today I would make her beg to become mine. And in order for that to happen, I needed to tease her even more. I spread her ass with both my hands, stretching her tight pink butthole, before going down on it with my tongue. The pink skin around it felt incredibly smooth, and I indulged myself in the off-sweet flavor as her gorgeous moans once again started to resound in my ears. She tightly gripped the mattress. Her open mouth drooling from the pleasure as the moans made her unable to hear her own thoughts. She could feel her pussy twitching as it dripped its fluids onto the mattress. The pleasure, and the salacity of her still untouched pussy made her feel like a bitch in heat. She just wanted him to fuck her senseless, to destroy her pussy with his massive, throbbing, cock. But instead, he teased her and gave her pleasure in ways she had never imagined. Her ass felt so good from his finger and now licking she honestly started to wonder whether that was not the place he was supposed to fuck from the very beginning. And as I forced my tongue into her ass, she backed onto my face while moaning hard, almost as if wanting the whole thing in as soon as possible. "Ahhh! Fuck my ass with your tongue!! Harder!! It feels so good! Yeeeeah!!!" Extra Ch – Ch 16.3 – Punishment for a naughty fox (Part 2 – 18+) "YESSSSS!" As I felt her asshole contracting and twitching, I moved one of my hands to her breast. As my fingers slid under her bra, I could feel her hard nipple. She once again came in my arms once I pinched it. This time her body jerked forward and onto the floor of the tent limply. "Ahhh.... This is... A lot" "You tired already? I''ve not even gotten to the main part yet." I said, moving my hands up over her body whole body and around her ribs to remove her bra. She moaned very softly, indicating how sensitive she had become. As raised her bra with my hands, her naked breasts fell softly into them, beneath her body. A jolt of pleasure assaulted her body as I started caressing her breasts and pinching on her nipples. "Turn around" As she turned, I immediately started to suck on her gorgeous breasts. Only for a second though, before taking my time to kiss her pretty cherry lips. I ran my right hand over her bosom and down, over her navel and groin, until I reached her inner thigh. Our kiss muffled her moans as I started to caress her dripping wet pussy. She spread her legs, allowing me to have a better reach as my fingers ran over her labia. I parted our lips and looked straight into her gorgeous violet eyes, now hazed by the intoxicating pleasure. Her body felt completely alien, her hot and needy pussy producing so much fluid it flowed out in a small stream, mixing with my saliva over her asshole before further flowing onto the mattress. A aligned my middle finger over her slit, and slowly inserted it while looking at her melting face. Her eyes rolled up as my finger slid into her. It was so wet I barely felt any resistance as it slipped right in her. I started moving my fingertip upwards, touching her most sensitive spot. She gasped violently while rolling her eyes all the way up, as her body arched, and her legs thrashed in a violent orgasm. As her twitching legs started to calm down, I started moving my finger again, this time, sucking on her breast instead of just staring at her face. I wanted to stick my dick into her mouth badly. but first I needed to line her up for the pleasure to come. As she started to loosen up and seemed like going to cum again, I turned around and knelt on the mattress, my hips above her face, putting my own face over her pussy. Fuck! was the smell of it good. I can''t even begin to describe how good it smelled. The sweet and sour scent was inebriating as I felt compelled to go down on it. As my tongue first touched her clit an indescribable taste spread through my whole mouth. It tasted fucking delicious; her wet fluids were simply the best thing I''d ever tasted. As I instinctively pulled her thighs up with both my hands, the slurping became far more intense, as I shifted between licking and sucking on that delicious pussy. Not only did it taste amazing, it also looked simply beautiful. Her small lips were visible under her labia and a tiny pink bud was a clear indicative of where her clit was. I looked very tight but also extremely welcoming. I could barely keep going without imagining my dick going all the way inside her. Her moans suddenly became sultry and softer at the same time an electric impulse ran through my whole body as she started to lick and suck on my balls. I reacted involuntarily by tightly gripping her thighs and softly nibbling on her clit. Her body thrashed once more as pleasure assaulted her. I held her pussy open with my fingers, as my tongue slid over her entrance, teasing her. It was too much for her and she started spasming under the pleasure of another mind-blowing orgasm, wrapping my head with her legs and pushing it onto her. "How do you like it?" "You~... You''re gonna kill me from cumming! Haaah.... I can''t even breathe..." She spoke beneath me, her every breath giving me a hot sensation which made my dick twitch in front of her eyes. I turned around and kissed her. Her body was wet from sweat but also incredibly hot. As our kiss continued, she moved her hand and grabbed my dick. She started to rub the head onto her pussy, moaning loudly yet not parting our kiss... I don''t want to do it today though... She has to look forward to surviving the fight... She had already given up... Also, Her first time has to be special, not something we do in a small tent... So, I moved my hand to her navel while parting our kiss and moving my face down to her chest, kissing her neck and bosom along the way. As I started to lick her breasts my hand reached her crotch. I put it between her slit and my dick. "Why? Give me..." "Because. Today I''m punishing you, remember?" I said, squeezing her breast while pulling my mouth away to speak. As I slowly slid my fingers towards her pussy, her body started shivering once more and her breath started getting ragged again. I turned my hand upwards, using my thumb to caress her clit. Her moans became more and more intoxicated and her stretched arm let go of my dick to instead embrace my back. She gripped me hard, scratching my whole back, as I carefully put my middle and index fingers into her dripping wet pussy. "Haaaaaaaaaaaah~~!" "Are you okay?" "Haah~, Hah~! Yeshhh~! Don''t shtop!" I started moving my hand, fucking her with my fingers. Her body slowly started arching as my fingers against the walls of her pussy. It felt amazing. It was wet and slippery. I started sucking her nipple while holding her amazing breast in my hand. The moans once again filled the room, she continued arching her body as her breath became more and more ragged. Calling my name in between every moan. "Hah, Gunther! Haaaah~!" As my fingers slipped deeper and deeper into her pussy by every thrust, I started feeling a ridged surface on the inside of her. Something told me that was a special thing, so I put pressure on my fingertips, rubbing them hard against it as I fingered her. "UWAAAA~!" Her body arched upwards, pushing me with it, then started violently convulsing at my fingers'' movements. I started moving my fingers even faster, her body still convulsing. "Haaaaaaaa~ PLEASE STOOOOP! I CAN''T THINK! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH~!" She came once again, this time, a large amount of fluid gushed out from around my fingers. Her body was limp and lacked any strength. I could see her eyes still rolling in pleasure and her feel her pussy twitching even after her stopping cumming. I held her face with both my hands and gave her another long kiss, our tongues fighting over the space inside her mouth. After a few seconds, I let go of her mouth and kiss her forehead. "That''s as far as we go today?" "Moo... Why?" "Because I want to leave the rest as a celebration for after the fight. Now, come here, let''s get some sleep..." "Okey..." She looked a little dejected, but I knew this was for the better... She had already given up about tomorrow... I can''t have that. She cuddled with me, and I hugged her waist from behind. My dick going between her thighs and rubbing her wet pussy. I knew she still hadn''t actually slept due to her tail, wagging about and caressing my belly sporadically. We remained there for a while, naked, cuddling. We had so much to say to each other... Neither of us slept fast or anything, but none had the audacity of interrupting the lovely moment. So, we slept, in each other¡¯s arms. DarkGodEM Ch 17 – Can your sister see us doing the thing? Oof... we finally finished this... << Yeah... It was quite a lot, right? You spent only a... HOLD UP! WHY DID THE EP GO UP INSTEAD? >> Ah... I was doing stuff... << You... It''s my turn now! COME HERE! >> Really?! I''m tired... let me at least rest for a bit... << Humpf... It''s ok if you think a girl like me is nothing compared to- >> Shut up! You are gorgeous. I''m just very tired after everything and there''s mercenaries coming soon... I want to rest so we can kill them. If we lose and I die you''re in trouble, right? << Haaa... I guess you''re right... But just this time ok? Next time it''s MY TURN! >> Okay, Okay, I got it. I''ll give it to you! Wait, Gloria, I just remembered some things... << Yeah? >> Firstly, why can I see in the dark if I don''t have the skills? Like... I can see anywhere in the dungeon as clear as day... << Ah, that''s because you are the Dungeon Core. Dungeon Cores have Omniscience over the dungeon territory, which means, you can see regardless of status, smoke, etc. That''s a perk of the Map System. >> Ohh... Interesting... Now, the second question... Vergie''s the goddess of chastity and virginity, correct? << Yeah... >> So, does that me she can see us when we do our first time? << Wah~... Wait... That''s a good question... If we were on Earth, I could guarantee you she can... But here I can''t say that... But I can''t say that it won''t happen either since you came from there... Heeeeh... You come up with tough questions... But why dos that even matter? >> I mean... Your sister seeing you have your first time would be... embarrassing right? << WHY DID YOU EVEN HAVE TO BRING THAT UP!!!!! >> ------------------------------------------------- "Come on... Going all this way back is annoying you know? We''ve been walking for hours... And will probably have to go right back to that weird cave..." "Yeah, Yeah... We all know that Joe, now could you please so kind to SHUT THE FUCK UP? "Hey, Hey, Gabe did you hear that! Kyle''s finally dropped his balls!" "Oh... dear... How much longer will I have to deal with these two..." But just as Gabe started muttering this to himself: "Gabe... They''re here." "Huh? What do you mean, Kyle? Who?" "The guys... Most of them at least... They''ll reach us in a minute." "What? Why would they do that? You sure you are not wrong?" "I can hear at least 10 people in metal armor coming here... Unless we are about to be kicked in the ass by the most well-prepared bandit group ever, I''m pretty sure it''s them." "What you guys complaining? That means we won''t have to walk much longer!~" ''''This guy''s completely stupid...'''' Both Kyle and Gabe thought at the same time... No one dared speak out loud since that''d only cause more unnecessary work... A few seconds later, the voices and noises from the marching mercenaries could be heard clearly. The three of them stood, waiting. Until the main group reached them on their own. "Hey you! Why are you here in the middle of the forest? Have you found nothing?" Asked one of the arriving mercenaries. He was an idiotic asshole, always full of himself. Gabe hated him more than anyone else in the company. "I have nothing to report to you Brass. Cut the crap and bring Gahan here, I need to talk to him." "Huh? Don''t get so full of yourself just because you tracked a fleeing bitch. Do you wanna get a beating?" Gabe hardened his resolve and reached for his sword, and so did Brass. Before the conflict escalated a powerful voice resounded. "GABE! REPORT TO ME IMEDIATELY!" "YES, SIR!" Saved by the bell., he thought. He quickly strolled towards his leaded. "Did you find her?" "Yes sir." "Where so?" "In an unmapped cave handful of hours from here. "Hours? Are you joking? Why are you not there?" "Yes sir, the cave is on the very face of the Herclaw mountains. We came back because I realized there was something strange with the cave." "So, you let her escape because of that??" "No sir, I mean, she never left the cave, however I could feel a presence inside, like either an assassin waiting in ambush or a trap... And since this one isn''t mapped... We decided it was better and safer to contact the main group and head inside with reinforcements. I have a feeling it could even be a dungeon..." "Ho... I will trust your instincts on that since you have done that for a living before" "Ahem... REJOICE YOU JOLTERHEADS! IF WE FOUND A DUNGEON, WE''LL BECOME RICH!" "Congratulations Gabe, if you are indeed right and we also get the girl we''ll finally get out from this shitty financial situation and return to our glory. I can only imagine. Being the first mercenary group ever to discover an unknown Dungeon. We''ll become legends." "That''s great sir..." ''God... He didn''t understand my warning at all... I hope nobody dies." "How far are we? We need to get there as soon as possible!" "Yes, Sir. It''s was 5 hours walk from here for our group so it should take around 6 with all the men." "huh... YOU HEARD THAT? HE THINKS YOU ARE NOT ONLY STUPID, BUT ALSO SLOW AS CRIPPLED DWARVES! MARCH AHEAD, NO PAUSES! WE''LL GET THERE IN 4 HOURS!" ''God... I think some are gonna die before we ever get there...'' The mercenary company started marching at a forced pace, trampling its way through the dense forest. Ch 18 – The degenerate loli and the stepdad. No content Patreon Early Access – How it (hopefully) works Yes, this is a brazen and shameless promotion. Chapter 19 is already available on Patreon! It will become available for you all tomorrow at 17PM (EST) Love you all <3 Did you know Mihara''s half-sister was raped by Gahan? So, explaining again. This novel has daily chapter releases. However, from the beginning, I released 2 Chapters a day. Those extra ones go straight into Patreon. This way, patrons essentially get 7 advanced chapters a week in an ideal world. That doesn''t happen though, and the extra is more like 3 a week and early access to the ones being posted here by a day as of now since I''m far behind schedule. I have severe back pain and some joint issues that prevent me from writing as much as I''d like. I intend to get there at some point though. Explaining again how my Exclusive Content works: All smut scenes that are not necessary for the development of the series plot will be exclusive. This is not a smut oriented series, if you want hardcore sex every few chapters I sincerely recommend Lust Knight and The Incubus System. Those are Smut oriented. My novels are normal novels with some smut thrown in-between lore because I like writing it from time to time and since it makes for a deeper bonding between main characters. Sex is an amazing binder. But it''s not gonna happen the whole time. Yes, couples fuck, I don''t have to detail every single time they do it. I will for those interested in buying that content. As well as making some smut that is only imagination of one or other character from time to time because I can. This is a world-building Isekai with an adult touch, as can be seen by the main category, not a porn-and-gore show. Again, That doesn''t mean I won''t write everything well and detailed. Anyhow. I''ll restrain myself to responding any such stupidity from now on and focus on delivering the best content I can. Peace And may the dungeon core fuck your wife if that''s what floats your boat. EYYYYY Ch 16.3 Is out! Ch 19 – My little pogchamp The five men were sat near a small fire, eating their hard bread with some watered-down soup made from whatever prey they''d found and salted orc-meat. They were the ones responsible for buying food, but they were never told this was going to be a 20-day journey with no replenishment opportunities. Most of their supply of food and wine had already ran out, and they were only not out of water because they found a stream a couple days ago. Even if they had known there''d be nothing for them to do though. The group only had a single horse drawn cart and two horses. More than half of it was occupied with the cage for the prisoners... "Please give us something to eat... We are starving..." Asked the woman inside it. "Shut up! We barely have enough food for ourselves." exclaimed one of the mercenaries guarding the clearing where the group had freed the horses to pasture. Kyle, however, stood up and walked towards the cage, his food in hand. "Oi! You''re gonna give our food to the slaves?" "I''ll take it from my own. I''m not hungry." Some of the men rolled her eyes, they knew the kind of person Kyle was. However, in this situation, his attitude was just stupid, to put it simply. They had little food and were completely ignorant as to when the others would return, having to wait for them where they were. Once the food ended, it would become a nightmare. "Come on, Kyle. Don''t make us look like the bad guys here... We would''ve given them some had we known when we''d be leaving this place..." Said another mercenary. "I know... But I''m not letting them starve. And also, I''m really not hungry." Kyle walked towards the cage with a jug of water and his untouched bowl of soup. "Thank you..." Said the hooded woman inside, gleefully. She was honestly happy he gave her not only a little of the leftovers like the other before, but some actual food she could share with everyone... The water was also very welcome... and not having it thrown at her like a dog was a plus. She looked over at Hyuna... The girl was better after some healing magic but... she still had the eyes of a dead fish. ''She''ll probably never recover'' thought the woman. ''I hope Mihara is okay...'' she looked over in the distance, ignoring the heartwarming gaze Kyle was throwing her. She had already realized it, but he was the only one there who knew her identity. Kyle was native to Kaimon, and thus, he had seen the royal family a couple times in the past. She knew his reaction had nothing to do with her former position though. And would rather ignore it and focus on the current situation. She gulped down some water before passing it around. Same with the food. And after everyone else had their share, she spoon-fed the unresponsive girl. It broke her heart to see her daughter in that situation... But there was nothing she could do. Every time she looked at her or recalled what happened a deep ingrained hatred grew inside her, consuming her mind. The name Jirou, which she once considered part of her family now was one to be despised and execrated. And she would pay whatever the price to see him squeal under her feet as she trampled him to his last breath. ------------------------------ Three man were sitting around a fire, eating some meat they harvested from some of the wolves they had killed a day prior. "Hey, Joe... Why the fuck didn''t you hunt something better? This tastes like shit!" "Haul your ass there and catch something then, aren''t you our tracker? Track some decent meat then." "I''m tired as fuck... I can''t even annoy you properly." "Hey, boys. Don''t you think something''s weird?" Asked a nervous Gabe. "Huh?" "What do you even mean?" "Like... We''ve been roaming around here for 2 days now... Yet there are no monsters or animals... We only found the wolves. Wasn''t this area supposed to be riddled with goblins or something?" "Now that you mention it, we didn''t spot even a single monster..." Said Kyle thoughtfully "Oh..." "I have a bad feeling about this..." Reinforced Gabe. "Well, on the bright side, we only had to fight small groups of wolves at a time." "But Joe... You know wolves generally roam in large patches, right?" "Huh? Was that a thing? Then, why would they be coming in such small numbers?" " I don''t know... But I''m also starting to get a bad feeling about this..." "You two deal with your "bad feelings" then. I''mma take a nap, excuse me." Joe laid on the floor and turned to his side, sleeping right there. Kyle and Gabe kept staring at the fire, trying to maybe see if the flames would give them any clues as to what was happening. A bad omen could be felt by both, who still had no idea what it was about. ------------------------- Time''s up! I''m finally able to materialize my body. Apparently, it comes with my everyday clothes regardless of whether I was wearing those when dematerializing... I hope there''s a way to change it later though... Always using the same clothes feels weird... I''m not some novel protagonist to be wearing the same shit all the time like''s some kind of uniform... Huh... Do they still remain where I was? Does this have the side effect of infinite clothes doubling? I''mma check that out later. Anyhow, I better put her in bed... Welp... Let''s wait for her to wake up instead. I then proceed to clear up the bed, closing and putting all the hentai aside in a pile near the bed. God... Why doesn''t she hire someone to clean this...? But there''s no dust anywhere... The perks of not living in the real world are amazing... I went around the room fixing some of the mess. Moving the crap, like cans and bags was bound to make some noise, but Gloria didn''t even bulge... The accumulated fatigue from these days must''ve been a huge deal... If I recall correctly, she''s only able to sleep when I do... And this is the first night I slept since being reincarnated. She really must be tired... I stacked up all the noodles'' cups... Holy shit... I spent almost 5 minutes doing this... the pile is almost a meter tall... I''m worried about this girl''s health. How''s she... Oh, right, she''s an immortal demi-god... Welp, at least the room looks halfway decent. I went ahead and took of her headphones... "Nyoo~" She made a soft squeak and covered her ears with her hands, still asleep. The cuteness paralyzed me for a moment. Holy fuck, she''s very cute. I got her in my arms in a princess carry and started taking her to the bed. She started blushing and lightly squirming in my arms. Her eyes are half open... I guess she''s awake... sorta. "umuuu~ gun-niichan?" Ho... never heard that one before. "Yes, Gloria" With my answer, Gloria woke up from her daydreaming and asked, beet red. "Wa~ What are you doing here?" "Didn''t you say turn was yours next? I came to deliver what I promised." "I-I didn''t expect you to actually be able to come here..." "To late now isn''t it." I said, laying her on her bed. "If you don''t want it, I can go back." "No ,no, no! Please! Wait!... I... I do want you..." She raised herself from the bed on all fours and looked straight at me with kitten-like eyes. "How much you want me then?" There was no way I wasn¡¯t going to tease her at least some bit, right? She raised her body and stood on her knees with her arms stretched forward, inviting me. "Ugh, fine! I guess you are my little pogchamp, come here." Ch 20 – The forest shakes "Ugh, fine! I guess you are my little pogchamp, come here." Ah... Should I have known this line? Doesn''t matter! She looks ridiculously cute! I jump at her, dropping her to bed and holding her hands up above her head. "KYA! What are you doing!?" "Taking what''s mine." I say while moving down and kissing her mouth. Her lips are soft and moist. Her mouth is tiny and very wet. The feeling of having her tongue inside my mouth is completely different from Mihara''s. She''s got a more desperate feel to it, while also being more uncertain. I like her inexperience. As our kiss heats up, her chest begins moving up and down; her hands letting go of any resistance against being held up by mine. "Fuaah~" She exhales as I part out mouths for a second, still restraining her hands with my own. "How do you think of that?" "I-I... I can''t even..." Tears start forming in the corners of her eyes. "I didn''t think... You''d want me... With this body of mine..." Oh... So that''s what it''s about... "What are you even saying?" I say while opening up her kigurumi with my free hand. I stick it inside it, caressing her minute cleavage and down her slim waist. "This body of yours is more than perfect, isn''t it?" "Do you really think so?" She asked, bashfully. "Of course, I do, you are very cute. Your body is just one of your charms." I let go of her hands and hold her face. she leans against my hand as tears roll down her cheeks. She reaches for my face with both hands, and almost sobbing, manages to squeeze out the words. "Thank you... So much... I love you~!" Before, once more, covering my mouth with her lips, kissing me. Tears roll down from her eyes as our kiss becomes more and more gentle and I hug her tightly. "It must''ve been tough right?" "Yeah..." She hugs me back, laying her head on my shoulder while I lay atop her. We remained hugging for a while... It felt like an eternity, of which I never wanted to move past. -------------------------------- 30 men marched towards somewhere they only heard off. Ahead of the group, an unfaltering leader; Setting the pace of the whole company with his steady footsteps. At the back, 20-odd men, dragging their feet along the ground. Their swords being used as canes to allow them to move forward. In between them, the elite; as unfaltering as their leader, slashing their way through the dense vegetation. ''It''s been more than 4 hours already... Are these fuckers slowing us down? No... doesn''t look like it, the men are opening the path as fast as they can...'' The leader looked behind at his exhausted men, as realized he had underestimated the speed in which Gabe''s group moved. ''How the fuck did those three get so far, so fast, while fighting beasts... It beats me...'' "We must be getting close! We''ll rest as soon as we arrive!" ""YES, SIR!"" Different kinds of answers could be heard, be the content was still the same. Gahan was very confident his plans would work flawlessly. *RUMBLE* A loud tremor resounded throughout the forest. Birds flew in flocks from the trees in the distance... The noise had come from very far away. ''Something''s off...'' "FASTER! WE NEED TO GET THERE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!" Gahan yelled to his group. Something was happening in this forest, and he would very much appreciate if their job was done before finding out whatever the fuck it might be. With a single yell, the energy from even the most tired of his men was restored. Gahan was a fearless brute. Him being aware of something he didn''t want to confront was enough to make all his men understand the urgency of the situation. There was no such thing as fight-or flight when it came to Gahan, all he knew was to fight. If even that man wanted to avoid something, their only hope was to flee as fast as possible from whatever it was. ---------------- *RUMBLE* A violent but silent tremor awoke 3 men who were finally sleeping after days of pursuit. Sounds of birds taking flight in the distance and falling trees could be heard by the attentive ears of Kyle. "Gabe, something''s happening. The birds are fleeing." "How far was it?" "Not really sure, at most a couple miles deeper into the forest." "From where we came?" "No, somewhere else." "Oi! What the heck are the two of you talking about? What the heck was that earthquake?" "Wait a bit Joe, that¡¯s what he''s trying to figure out." "What does that mean? Does it have something to do with the small wolf thing you said earlier?" "A-." "Wait, Gabe! He has a point. What if the cause of this is the same was the one for the lack of monsters and such?" "I''m afraid you can be right... But just what the fuck would be able to cause something like this? We slept at least 3 hours... We should get moving to reach the group before things get more complicated..." "Gabe... I understand your sense of duty but... I think we should go back to where the Logistics group is... I really don''t wanna stay is this forest..." "I too have a bad feeling Kyle, but we have a job to fulfill. We''re going to meet Gahan." "EY! EY! Fuck you two, I''m still tired as fuck, I''mma sleep at least another hour. I''ll be dead half way there if something happens along the way." "I feel bad agreeing with him but... I can''t hear anything coming in our direction and everything seems to have calmed down already... We should rest a little more before going, Gabe... Who knows what might have been that...? We better be prepared for the worse..." "I guess you two are right... We leave in an hour or so. You two can sleep, I''ll get myself some food and keep watch." "Thanks..." Joe was the last one to speak as he and Kyle laid back on the ground, asleep. "Tsc... I went this far just to get back to my adventurer days..." Gabe grumbled to himself, moving a little away from the group, as he took his sword from its scabbard and a grindstone from his pocket. A bitter aftertaste was present in his mouth as he sat down a few meters away from the two, and started to sharpen his sword... An old, seasoned Adventurer was returning to his former self. ------------------ "GRUBLAHHHH! GRABLSKA BLORD SJKATF KHRAAAAAA!" A muscular king yelled at his subjects. Their failure just costed him weeks of hard work and dozens of workers. This forest had too few humans for them to afford the luxury of losing workers. Their race had far too few females, and they often died during birth. He angrily scowled at the sight of the crater in front of him. Hundreds of square meters of the cave system he''d been painstakingly digging with all the available manpower collapsed in front of his very eyes... He had explained the workers the caves needed supports in order to not collapse... But the Goblins under him were just too stupid to understand even basic commands. A dozen goblins ran towards the rubble, slowly taking away material to reveal once more the entrance to the artificial cave they had dung into the layers of dirt and gravel. The king knew it wasn''t ideal. But the stone tools he taught the Goblins how to produce where not nearly hard enough to mine through solid rock. This had to do. "Garbl Rhowslt Skryts" He grumbled... It''d take many days to even return to the point they were before this incident, let alone do any significant progress... He had evolved for almost a month now, yet he was only able to achieve minor feats... Ch 21 – The village near the forest "Father! Father!" A young man ran through the forest back to the village. He''d run non-stop for an hour now. His screams resounded through the clearing where the village was, scaring all others. That youngster was the best hunter in the village, He''d go out every day in the morning and return by noon with a deer or another large animal... However, something had changed those last few days, animals had apparently vanished from the forest... And a few minutes ago, a large tremor shook the village, a cloud of birds emerged from the trees, flying away... "Lazie, where''s my father?" The young man asked the first person he could find. Lazie was a plain middle-aged woman, encharged of most of the leatherwork for the village. She was a tough woman, but something about his visage set her off... Something huge was happening, she could see it in his eyes. She had always thought that after the loss of both her husband and sons, she would never feel afraid of losing anyone... But the despair in Hans eyes made her heart falter. "He''s... In the Hall... There''s some people here from the city, you may want to wait..." "There''s no time for that. Thank you, Laz-san." Lazie nodded and watched as he ran towards the Hall... ''I''ve never seen Hans like this... I hope I''m wrong...'' --- "So, if we increase the money for the merchant company, we may be able to have them come twice a month instead and-" "FATHER!" The door to the Village Hall opened with a kick. All the people present stood up in shock. "What the hell do you think you''re doing, Hans? This is an important meeting." "It''s an emergency. I need to talk to you and the council!" "Then say it already!" "I think it would be better if you were to sit down father... This is a huge deal." ''What the hell happened... It''s been years since he last spoke to me like that..." "Ok, have a seat." The 5 men around the table sat back down. Meanwhile Hans was going in circles inside his head about what he had just seen, pulling a chair for him to sit down. "Say it already, we don''t have time for jokes kid." One of the men spoke first, annoyed by Hans'' presence. "Cut it Hoen. Let the boy speak." A second one interjected. "Ha... How do I say this..." Hans exhaled, gathering his resolve to inform such ominous news. "There''s a Goblin King in the forest." ""WHAT!"" Three man jumped up from their chairs, slamming the round table. Those were Johnathan, Hans'' father, the Village Chief; Hoen, the financial advisor; and Jacob, the workforce officer. Their Village was known as one of the most dangerous places in the whole of Warmor. Despite the huge amount of monsters and beasts around, they still managed to life comfortably with a population of around 300... However, that peaceful situation could be easily changed by a single monster stampede, let alone a national emergency. "Don''t joke around like that kid! There''s never been a case of a Goblin King in the whole of Warmor''s history! That''s a Calamity Class monster!" "Are you stupid Hoen? You think my son would barge in here to joke around about suck a matter?! Hans! Explain this!" "You guys felt the tremor just before, right? I was very close to it..." "Wasn''t that just an earthquake? Those are not that uncommon around here... We have all the mountains and stuff..." Asked Luzien. He was known to be a rather incredulous person. He was the villager who would travel around with the merchants and ensure there was enough influx of goods to fix the food supply issues. The forest was too dangerous to have large fields, those would just be trampled by the beasts. So instead, they bought that from the capital and specialized in selling smoked and preserved meat. Luzien was the one responsible for ensuring everything would be shipped and sold and that the village would receive the funds and the food they needed... "I thought so too..." One of the men sitting said, worriedly. This was Gram, the head of the Hunter''s guild in this village. As a small village, there wouldn''t normally be such a guild. However, more than a third of the people here were hunters and most of the economy moved because of it. The guild saw massive profits by centralizing all the results of the hunt in their hands. Doing so added an intermediary who helped both hunters and those who sought the produce from them. The guild however had already pointed the biggest flaw. There was no Adventurer''s Guild here. "Me too, but once I realized it had come from somewhere close by and went to take a look... When I got there, there were hundreds of goblins taking stones out of a crater in the ground... I think the quake was caused by the collapse of it... It was huge! And right by the corner of it... There was a muscular goblin at least the size of a human being..." "Wasn''t it just a Hobgoblin?" Sneered Hoen. "Impossible..." Started Gram. "Hobgoblins are known to only command a couple handfuls of them... not a hundred... But there was something else right? For you to say it so confidently..." "Yes... The goblins... they were all using tools." ""WHAT?"" "Are fucking... Nevermind... That''s to be expected if it''s actually a Goblin King... But you said nothing about Hobgoblins or Goblin Mages... Why?" "Ah?! I didn''t actually see any of those... only normal goblins with stone tools and stuff cleaning up the rubble..." "That''s... Very bad..." Said Gram. "Why would that be, Gram? Ain''t it better if there''s none?" Asked Johnathan. "Nah, it¡¯s impossible to have a Goblin King without having those..." "Do you mean..." "Yes... They are hidden somewhere... We need to get in touch with the Adventurer''s Guild and the Army now, before it''s too late." "Since I''ve told you everything, I know... I''ll take my leave now. I need to grab a drink, now if you excuse me..." "Of course, son, you are free to go. We''ll discuss this matter now." "Then I''ll take my leave." Hans left the room, leaving only the five thoughtful men behind... "How do we even start to deal with this mess..." "The problems we already had just got far worse..." "Nobody is gonna come sell stuff here after they know about the Goblin King..." "What are we even gonna do... The people will starve..." The four advisors started talking, only Johnathan remained silent, thinking about how to deal with the emergency at hand. The advisors soon realized his silence and became silent as well, waiting for his words. "This is... an unprecedented crisis. We need to deal with everything fast..." "Hoen, how much do we still have in the reserves?" "Hah, around 1 gold coin John" "Better than nothing I guess..." "We''ll divide that for two things. Gram, you¡¯ll have 4 large silver coins, make a list with everything you want bought with that money, favor already treated materials to make Lazie''s work easier and quicker when it comes to armor... And buy lots of arrows and swords. Start assembling all Hunters tonight and explain to them the situation, make sure it does not leak." "Yes." "Luzien, you will be heading to the capital on the horses with 2 men. Get the list from Gram and return with everything you can get your hands on. You have the remaining 6 Large Silver Coins for that... Get all the food you can, preferably grains that don''t rot. You''re also in charge of notifying the Adventurer''s Guild. I''ll pay 1 gold coin from my personal reserves for the request. Make it S-Rank. Also request help from the Princess'' Army. We''ll need everything we can get. But only after buying everything and sending the merchants back with the men you take. You should only be a couple hours behind. "But Chief! That''s your whole life''s savings!" "If I don''t use them now, there won''t even be a life in which I can start using them." The faces of all advisors soured... They understood the meaning of those words very deeply... all of them lived here their whole lives and had their own families. "And last... Jacob... Ask your most trusted wood craftsmen to covertly make hardened tipped stakes the size of lances and some wooden daggers for the women and children..." "You intend to have them fight?!" Asked a bewildered Jacob. "I''m not that heartless... I don''t... But if it comes to that... they need to at least be able to protect themselves... Or kill each other before being taken by them..." A gloomy atmosphere poised over the 5 men... Everyone knew what the Goblins did to captured humans... Death was a better choice... Nonetheless, nobody had dared to voice what Johnathan just had. The worst-case scenario... In which their whole village would be wiped out. Ch 22 – They arrived "We are finally here..." The group of mercenaries finally arrived at the place described by Gabe''s group... It took them over 6 hours, and noon was almost upon them. ''It was way further than I had expected...'' "Set up camp underneath this rock thing! At least we won''t have to care about rain that much" "You fuckers can rest for a bit." The "camp", if can call it even that, was a tent, made up of a large sheet of cloth over a tall pole... It could barely fit 2 people... Such tent was exclusive to Gahan himself, and was carried around by a couple men. Most of the rest simply laid on the ground or over thin blankets they brought with them. Few people had the luxury of having storage artifacts, and no one in the group had the financial leeway of buying such a thing. In times of war, the group used to have one they used to carry emergency food and supplies. It had enough space for fitting 2 days¡¯ worth of food and water for the whole 120 integrants of the maniple, if they rationed it enough by keeping food to a bare minimum... However, after the peace begun, Gahan was forced to sell the artifact for keeping the group together. The 10 platinum coins he got from it became slightly over 4 silver coins for each of the 120 members... It was enough to pay their wages for a couple of years, but the lack of military tension made more than half of them disband... In hindsight Gahan realized the money he got was far less then what the Artifact was worth, but the sale was necessary. The money was almost over by now... That''s why he accepted the shady business with Arthur, The usurper. Gahan was a straightforward man and hated dealing with politics and those kinds of shady things... But the money was good, and necessary. He had no choice but to accept the contract. His job? To banish the remainders of the former royal court, including the former king''s descent, as slaves, to the mines of Herklaw. Herklaw was known as the slavery hub for the west of the continent, and also as the owner of the largest mining regions. And also, as one of the most Human Supremacist countries of today... As such, the fiscalization over the borders was massive since Kaimon had outlawed most types of slavery, and not only that, but there were also no bridges across the huge Dalton River in the area where it cuts between Kaimon and Herklaw . The only easy way to reach the main territory of Herklaw, avoiding the border patrols, from Kaimon, was a huge detour. Using the Usurper''s influence, they smuggled themselves and delved deep through the Warmor Principality and around the whole Herklaw Mountain Range that divided the two countries. It was a dangerous journey, but with his group, going through the Gefahrvoll Forest and the Narrow Pass should be easy enough. They had already covered more than two thirds of the distance to the Narrow Pass when the Princess escaped during the night. The detour and trouble searching for her would delay them a couple days at least, but now she was trapped. The exhausted men just tumbled like weeds, sleeping in the bare ground. ''They have sure grown weaker over these years...'' Gahan thought at the sight. ''I better sleep a little though... I have a bad feeling about this place'' Gahan stared into the gaping mountain face, where the entrance to the cave was. He was very familiar with this region, being from Warmor... He had never heard of there being a cave here. He turned around, entering his tent. ----------------------- Gloria was indulging in the hug, happiness overflowed from her. Her gaze shifted from the ceiling back to the side she relaxed, finding a more comfortable position. The new position also allowed her to have a glimpse at her monitors... "Gun! You gotta go now!" "What?! Why?!" "They are here!" "HUH?" I jumped up looking at the monitor behind me, following the direction of her gaze. What I saw in the monitor surprised me. There was a single tent plopped right in front of the cave entrance and more than a couple dozen men laid on the ground around it. There were at least 24 of them that I could count... "Why did the alarms not go off?" "They never got to the entrance of the dungeon itself... So, they are not considered invaders." "How long have they been there?" "How the heck am I supposed to know? I''m here with you!" "Oh, right, sorry, I completely forgot you just operate the System..." "Humpf!" "Anyhow! How can you see that? I''m not even there..." "Hah? Aren''t you the dungeon core? You are supposed to have omniscience inside the dungeon!" "Hold up! What?" "Yeah, you know... That''s one of the perks of the system... You can see anything anywhere inside the dungeon... Didn''t you know?" "No! I was always using that floating vision thing." "Hmmm?? Oh, right, that must be the influence of your last life... You expect yourself to have a 1st person perspective or something. If you try, I think you can imagine seeing the dungeon like a Satellite, that''d make it easier for you to see everything." "I can do that?!" "Yeah, that''s just how the "Vision" of the C.O.R.E. works... You can see however you want and from whichever angle You decide so long as you are inside the dungeon or looking into it." "Oh, thank you... Sorry for having to leave, I''ll be back as soon as I can." Dematerialize. While my body disappeared into particles, Gloria sat on the bed watching, me go. "I''ll be waiting for you..." She said before my body completely disappeared. Pointing at her pussy over her clothes. I saw only black this time. I wasn''t using either the wobbly view or my body... It felt like I was floating in darkness. I better try out that thing she said... A satellite huh...? Let''s try that one out... Hold on... She never said I was limited to one perspective, right? Does that mean... HOLY FUCKING SHIT THIS IS AMAZING! Ch 23 – Glory’s hole I was always doing it as if I was controlling two different people but... This is much easier! In front of me, in the completely dark place I was a huge image was shown covering my whole vision in one direction, almost like a monitor. This is far more natural... If I imagine myself in a pitch-black room, where every image I can see is a kind of monitor, like Gloria''s setup, I can easily see multiple places and things at the same time. In front of me, there was a 3D Bird view of the whole dungeon. Nothing but a 3D maquette of it floating in the air. How did I do that? It was actually pretty straight forward. When I did what Gloria said, like seeing from a Satellite, I realized all I could see was the dungeon itself, nothing more... So, If I were to project it as a 3D image from 4 different angles with a 109.5¡ã angle in between each I would be able to make a perfect 3D Hologram with every single thing perfectly visible from all directions... I guess I did get a little technical... Anyhow, it works, I have a 3D hologram of the whole dungeon now. And since I control the vision that makes it, I can control the zoom and since completely freely! I won''t do that though. It''s counterproductive... I''m better off making a smaller maquette of just what I need rather than change that one... I have this whole space! It really looks like VR doesn¡¯t it... Anyhow... I Can make it an immersive VR? Hoooh!!!!!!!! Adding 3D UI''s and PiP! Enhanced reality is a thing... Wow... Although... It will make me look like I''m a schizo while controlling the physical body won''t it... << What the fuck are you even thinking about! Just do what you gotta do already! >> Oops. Thanks for calling me out on that Gloria... << You can call me Glory if you want... >> Oh... So that''s your nickname? I''m not gonna comment or anything but... Doesn''t that make your pussy a Glory Hole? < Y-YOU!! IDIOT! FUCK YOU! >> Sorry. LOL. Forgot you read my thoughts... But It''s cute nickname, I like it. Also, so long as that Glory Hole is only useable by myself, I find the though pretty hot, not gonna lie. << STOP EMBARASSING ME! But thanks... >> Yup, fucking cute. I think while looking at her blushing face though a "camera" I set in her room at the corner of my view. << HOLD UP! What is that?! >> Ah, Since I can have multiple systems, I thought it was more effective to make this. To my side, 64 videos were laid out in an 8x8 grid. Yes, I used my unlimited ¡®paua¡¯ to make... A CCTV 3D Camera setup... Pretty anticlimactic isn''t it. That''s the best I could get, okay? Leave me alone! << It''s... actually pretty nice... But why 4 of them in my room?! >> Well... Isn''t that one of the most important places? Also, That''s not all! As I raised my left hand, to the other side, a new set of images appeared. This time, there were 16, all of them only showing Glory''s subspace. Yes, I have full surround imaging. WITH AUDIO! << HOLD UP RIGHT THERE! STOP IT! WHY?! >> Ah, that was just a proof of concept though... The audio thing is actually pretty nice, I won''t be using it for your room though, that¡¯d mean hearing you twice, the echo is annoying. << Hmmmm... Okay... >> For some reason, her voice sounds disappointed... Anyhow, I still have some time before being able to materialize, I should prepare myself. I need a safe place for Mihara to stay... Having her where she is right now is impossible... Thank goodness they didn''t barge straight in... I''d be completely screwed since I have no way to talk to her... I can see and hear her though... Yep, the tent is inside, so... She seems to be still asleep... Wow... << Oi, Oi! Don''t keep staring at her sleeping naked, you creep! >> Sorry, sorry... I didn''t mean to... But she''s so... << So what?! What does she have that I don''t? >> Do you really want me to say it...? << FUCK YOU AND HER BIG TITS! I HATE HER! >> Glory was holding her breasts with both hands warily. Hey! Stop it ok. Flat is justice! I love yours... It''s just... Plot is plot, you know? It does draw the eye... << You like mine too? >> Of course, you cute, dense, retard! I love you too. Now stop the unnecessary jealousy and help me make another safe spot. << Hai! >> At least she''s easy to please... Okay, so, from the anteroom before the Core Room, pull another short corridor to a room that big and make the whole thing a Safe room! While we''re at it, pull another one behind the Core Room... Make it square and twice as big as the core room itself! << Why though? >> We need some warehouse, right? << Oh! You remembered it! >> Of course, what do you take me for? << A guy who thinks with his dick... What else? >> You bitch... I''mma let that one slip this once. << That''s for you calling me a flat chest! >> Okay, okay, sorry... Anyhow, pull yet another one from it, this one can be one of the smaller rooms... I''mma use it as a treasury. << Okay, I overrid the system. It should do everything now. >> Thanks. Now... How should I make that safe zone look...? I''m gonna use it with Mihara later so... ---- The whole process took over 10 minutes and about 200 EP... Since that was what I earned from doing stuff with Glory earlier it should be fine... We barely even touched each other... She must like me quite a lot, ey... anyhow, the safe zone looks now like a small outside... I made the whole room have a grass floor... If it weren''t for the lack of sky one could believe it was outside... In it, there was a small cabin. I say the room is small but small for this system is still quite huge... The cabin was pretty simple though, and covered half the room. It had only two rooms... A living room with both a bathroom and a small kitchen annexed to it and a bedroom. I was rather plain, since I could barely put any furniture, but I really liked the vibe. I used some Light Ore instead of lamps though... Those will always glow, although they are a bit gloomier than actual lamps... Now that I think about it... How come Mihara never complain about the darkness here? The only reason I can see is because I have omniscience... Well, it should be a skill or racial trait anyways... Better leave it alone. Ch 24 – I’m in VR baby! There we go, all set. How long left? < Skill is not on cooldown > Lerigo then. I materialize my body in front of the tent. Hoho... But now, instead of seeing from the body. I''M IN VR BABY! Jokes apart, yeah, I did it. My full field of view is covered by the vision of this body. I can control it freely, but my turning to the side I can see myself in the Dungeon Hologram. There¡¯re also a couple cameras in the background and above so that I can see the movements from the mercenaries and shit... I start walking towards the tent. << Hey, Gun. >> Yeah, go ahead. << Hmmmm... It''s just a thought that crossed through my mind but... >> Go on... << You realize this "reality" of yours that you are setting up is in concept the same as a Divine Sub-space, right? >> Huh? << Like... Mine looks like this because I chose to have it be like this... Including the system setup and all... I could make it whatever. >> No, you being a degenerate weeb was something I already knew... What does that even mean? << I''m not sure... I don''t think you are supposed to have that... But it''s inside the Cube so it''s not technically a Sub-space... It''s more like, you somehow made a world inside your head... It''s freaky. >> You, of all people, calling me a freak... Please stop thinking and go back to fantasizing about getting fed with tubes while getting fucked. << OI,OI! DID YOU READ IT?! >> Of course! Who the fuck can ignore all that fucked up shit! I had to take it off of your bed you know. << Umu... That''s... Private, you know...? >> Yeah, yeah, now leave my psycho crazed control-room alone. Before I make you read only Emergence for a week. << PLEASE! DON''T! I PROMISSE I''M GOING TO BEHAVE! >> Good girl. << I was defeated in my own field of specialty... >> You can be a weeb goddess, but you haven''t read half the fucked-up shit I''ve read... << Hmpf. >> Anyhow, let''s wake this girl up... Wait, my clothes really are still here! This skill doubles clothing! I can make infinite money! << Stop abusing the flaws of the system! >> Or what? It''s not like I''m gonna be banned or anything. Anyhow... "Mihara! Wake up." Fuck my dick is hard again... "Please wake up!" I repeated while shaking her hip. "Hmmm? What gives?" She turned, face up, to see me calling her. "Dress up. They arrived." "What?! Why are you this calm?!" "Ah, they camped in front of the cave entrance but don''t seem to be planning to get inside that quickly... We have some time left." "What are we gonna do then? Wait here for them?" "Nah... I have somewhere better... Dress up and come with me." "Hm?" Mihara was confused for a second before realizing she was completely bare. Her face started to heat up and become completely flushed as she slowly covered her body with her arms... "Relax, I''ve seen it all, already haven''t I?" My attempt only made her more flushed, hiding herself in shame while pressing her knees against her chest. << Oof... You really have no tact... >> "Sorry... I''m gonna wait for you outside... We''re eating the rest of yesterday''s stock." "O-Okay..." After coming out of the tent, I asked the system for some white bread. I was pretty used to eating every day... Fortunately, since the system was based on myself, it was pretty cheap! After a couple minutes, Mihara left the tent, still flushed. I filled both of out bowls with the mushroom stew and handed her one of them and a piece of bread. "Is this... Soft bread?" "Yeah..." "How did you manage to make it in the middle of nowhere! It''s very rare!" "Ah... I have an old family recipe..." << You are a pretty bad liar... >> " You are a pretty bad liar..." Ow... The two at once? That hurts you know... "Don''t worry about it... It''s okay if you can''t tell me everything yet... You still are a mystery to me." "What? I''m not a mystery... We just haven''t had the time to get to know each other." I said, dunking the bread in soup and eating it. "Well... That''s true... You barely know my name, right?" "Haven''t you told me already? It was Kamondatto ne Mihara or something, right?" "hahaha... You idiot... It''s Kaimondake no Mihara... But I guess it''s not common for you right... Where are you from?" "Me?... I''m... From the west." "West? As in the Dead Continent?" "Huh?" "I mean... This continent has not really that much to the west but some demi-human nations... Humans live to the East... And after those there''s the Demon Strait... Are you bad with maps?" "Hahh... Yeah... I think I might have said the wrong direction..." "But what about you? You never told me where you were from..." "I mean... It''s on my name isn''t it?" "Oh... Right... The Kaimondake thing, is that the name of your town?" "Not really... It''s the former name of the Kaimon Empire..." "And let me guess... You are part of the royalty?" "How did you?!" "It was pretty easy... You were surprised of expensive things, but because you had seen them before and knew their worth. Your name has a "from" in the middle... And you are far too pretty to be a lowly peasant..." "Thank you..." She responded, flushing completely once more. << Well... At least you still remember how to be a Don Juan... You sick womanizer! >> Ch 25 – The commander of Hordes "Please, Master Luz! Allow me to go with you!" "I''ve already told you no Hans! Why the hell are you so desperate to go? You are one of the best hunters. The village needs you!" "What? Do you want me to be even more clear?" Hans came closer and spoke softly in Luzien''s ear. "If that thing attacks before we come back with reinforcements every single one of us will die. Do you really need any more explanation as to why I want to go with you?" Luzien exhaled, frustrated, as Hans backed off... "I understand your fear but..." "I''ve told you already. I want to go and ensure you come back fast. That''s all... I still love my father, you know? I''m not abandoning him... But I''m still young enough to care about dying for nothing." "Haah~... I get it! I get it! Come along then... We are leaving in 10 minutes, get back by then!" "Thank, you Master Luz." ''God... His father is probably gonna hate me for this...'' Thought Luzien as he saw Hans running towards the Village Chief''s house... ''He''s a good boy... I better tell his father about this conversation before we go, though...'' With these thoughts Luzien turned around, walking towards the Village Hall. ---------------- "Argabaoh... Hrosncert Acnart" Weirdly enough, a similar conversation was taking place inside a man-made cave not that far from there. (The following conversation has been translated to human language.) "But father! They know about us! You got the report of a human going back! We need to wipe them now before it''s too late!" "I''ve already told you many times! IT''S NOT THE TIME YET!" "But Father...!" "Shut up Bahgzo! You are the most the most capable General among the Hob-Wizards, but you are still only a child!" "I''m 2 years old already father!" "You are only a kid! I''ll only consider you an adult after you get yourself a female and impregnate it! Until then you are my kid, and I am your king! DO YOU COPY?" "Yes, father..." "Still... You have a point." A glimpse of happiness started to show up on the Hobgoblin''s face. "However! If we attack now, we will lose too many of our own... We must reinforce the cave system and prepare for their attack. Humans are arrogant fools... They will probably come with females as well... With enough preparation we can claim some of them alive and finally have enough for our rankers." "Do you mean!?" "Yes, my son. Your time will finally come." "But the amount of females we have right now should be enough to gather some strength as soon as we finish expanding and reinforcing the caves... By then, we will have enough numbers to safely raid one of those stupid settlements of theirs... How stupid, to showcase your numbers and amount of females by building those ridiculous houses above ground..." "Yes, father... Those stupid creatures are nothing but targets." "The world will know the power of Abzuban! I won''t repeat the mistakes made the ones before me! A man only fails once." The hobgoblin knelt violently. Using his staff to support his weight as he lowered his head. "Hail our majesty Abzuban!" Thumping noises followed as more voices echoed the statement. ""Hail our majesty Abzuban!"" """Hail our majesty Abzuban!""" """"Hail our majesty Abzuban!"""" His words spread through the caves like a flood, increasing in power and voices by the second. First, repeated by the 17 apostles, the Generals gathered under his majesty¡¯s command over the decades. Then, by the clerks responsible by the throne room; Until more than 600 voices merged together in a single prayer to the one who, to them, was their god. """""""""""HAIL OUR MAJESTY ABZUBAN!!""""""""""" The power concentrated into this single King was paramount. The Goblin Leader. The Goblin King. The 40-year-old menace the humans thought they had destroyed more than once, before the last grand war. The Commander of Hordes - Abzuban. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Well... It''s not like I can blame him for seeing things that way..." Johnathan was sitting in his round table as always. His hands on his head made clear his troubles. His only son was nearly deserting... It was expectable though. He was the only non-elder to know about the emergency they were facing. However, the words about him willing to return were at least somewhat recomforting. "You did good telling me that." "My job here''s done... I''ll take my leave then. Take care of everything until I get back..." "Sure Luz, have a safe trip..." "Oh, I was almost forgetting..." Luzien turned back just before passing through the door. "Don''t you fucking dare dying on me you fucker!" "Hahaha! God... This reminded me of our old times..." The friends in their 50''s laughed during their parting... They''d worked together as adventurers for a long time, reaching upwards of the B Rank, before retiring to this far away village 20 years ago, after the death of Martha and Rebecca. ''The old times... Too bad they are not here with us...'' Thought Johnathan. Alone once again, he returned to the documents at hand... There were lots of reports to deliver in the upcoming weeks. -- "You''re already here, huh?" When reaching the stable where the horses were prepared, Luzien met both the other hunters and Hans. "Yes, everything is set to go but... Is Hans coming with us?" "Yes, just talked to the Chief, He''s gonna use his own horse though." "Oh! I¡¯mma get Laia saddled then!" Hans hurried as he scrambled to get ready to leave. "Uncle Luz... Is there something about this trip we''re not being told?" Asked one of the hunters, glancing behind at the hurried Hans saddling his horse. "There actually is... But I''m only allowed to tell you on our way back... Is it okay with you two?" "Yeah, no problem. We trust you and the Chief. It''s just... Hans'' behavior is very strange..." Responded the other hunter. "I see that... There''s been a little problem, but we are already working on it. This trip is also meant to somehow fix it. Hans is just worried... Both you, Bark, and you, Loth, can relax... Unless something outside of our expectation happens, this should be a rather normal trip... The only difference is we''ll have to hurry so every stop will be reduced to the bare minimum." "Oh... So that''s why you''re not taking the usuals..." said Bark. "Not only that, but this time we''re bringing back some stuff for the hunters, so we need the opinion of actual ones for what''s actually good." "Oh, that makes sense." Completed Loth. "Anyhow, we better get going... Are you ready Hans?" "Yeah!" Hans responded coming out of the stall, already mounted on his mare. "So, let''s go!" Luzien and the others jumped onto their horses. The four of them left the stable at once, heading towards the imperial capital. A couple days will be spent on the journey, granted nothing goes wrong. Luzien nervously pats his pocket, where rests the coins equivalent to 2 Gold Coins... This is more money than he ever held in the last 20 years... And also, the money in which the lives of his whole family and friends relied on. Ch 26 – The former princess of Kaimon Eh... Have I gone too far calling others lowly peasants? I am one myself, right? Then there should be no problem... At least it seems it''s common for royalty to look down on the general populace. << You sounded like one of those stuck-up noble kids. >> Well, she doesn¡¯t seem to have cared so it should be fine. "But yeah... I''m the former princess of Kaimon..." "So, your uncle is sort of the now king?" "Yeah... After my father died a couple years back, I became the crowned princess, and he was chosen as the regent until I reached the age in which I was supposed to marry..." Her hands closed into fists as anger started to sprout. "Then he decided I was going to marry him!" "That old geezer! Like fuck I''mma marry a sleazy fox in his 50''s so that he can become the king!" << Holy shit. >> "So, when I refused to marry him... He arrested everyone from the court and said we died in an accident while traveling... Most people know it''s a lie. Yet they still allowed him to be the king..." I lean forward and kiss her on the forehead as I slowly wipe the tears from her eyes with my thumbs. "Don''t cry about it... It''s gonna be over soon... I''ll do whatever I can to help you." "Thank you..." She speaks, lowering her head and quickly cleaning her eyes before staring at me, back to eating the remainder of my stew. "Whenever we go back to Kaimon, I''mma show you around. It''s beautiful country!" "Oh, sure! How far is it from here?" "Hm... The slave traders took about 3 weeks from the capital so... Just the two of us, if we can get our hands on a cart... It should take us a week to the border and another to the capital." "Oh... so it''s that far..." "It''s not that far, we are only in the neighboring country I think." She speaks while eating her own food. "I mean... Do you not know where you are?" "I told you I''m not good with maps..." "..." "Anyhow, we are in the inland most part of Warmor." "So... Warmor is this country... good to know." "Are you serious you didn''t even know that?" "Dead serious." "There''s no help then..." "Relax... You can teach me some stuff later or something. You done eating?" "Yeah... We going somewhere?" She asks when she sees me stand up. "Deeper inside... Do you intend to wait for them right by the entrance?" "Oh yeah..." She starts following me as I walk away, taking only the now empty canteen from which, we were drinking the rest of the beer from earlier. "Are you not bringing the tent?" "Huh? Not really. I''ve already set up something for us..." I answer while looking back. In doing so I am reminded of something. "We need to solve these chains of yours..." Although forgettable, Mihara was still wearing the remains of the chain on both her ankles and wrists... the chains themselves were gone but the metal cuffs are still there. "Ah... I''d already forgotten about this..." She said looking at her wrists... "We''ll figure it out eventually, just let me deal with those guys first..." We started to move "I mean... Your appearance is enough to make one completely overlook them so... I had forgotten." Well... She does look so gorgeous it''s easy to forget about such a small thing... And I''m still not over how she looks wearing just a long t-shirt and underwear... << Stop thinking perverted stuff... Next time you come I''mma use a virgin-killer sweater! >> I can''t avoid imagining the sweet sight of Glory in one of those... It''s even more exciting than imagining Mihara... Peeking at her small chest over the collar of the thing, her cute and juicy ass poking underneath the sweater. Her naked back bare in front of me so I can kiss and caress it... It was nice walking ahead of her with both Glory and Mihara¡¯s pictures in my thoughts... However, the destiny would now allow me to fully indulge. *PEEM* *PEEM* *PEEM* *PEEM* *PEEM* "What the fuck? Already? Weren''t they asleep less than 10min ago?!" <> As I turned to the side in the control-room I could see 5 men slowly walking into the dungeon. They look extremely powerful "Fuck! We gotta run!" "What!?" "Just run!" I said while taking Mihara by the hand. "If something happens to me, never stop running deeper into the cave!" Tears started forming in her eyes as she gripped my hand while we ran deeper into the cave. "Where do the lovebirds think they are going?!" An earth-shattering scream resounded through the cave as we ran. ----------------------- ''They need more rest huh...'' "Assemble the Optiones. We are going for reconnaissance." A single scream from the door of the main tent marked the start of their dive. The Optiones, his best men, jumped up and immediately dressed in armor. There were 4 of them. "Everyone else! If we do not return in half an hour you all go in. Take this time to rest. You''ve already had an hour. After taking this cave over, we rest until tomorrow." ""HO!"" The men were more excited about the ''rest until tomorrow'' part than anything, but that didn''t matter to Gahan as he and his most skillful men stepped foot into the gaping entrance of the cave. Only for him to hear a pair of hurried footsteps in the distance. "Where do the lovebirds think they are going?!" Ch 27 – Legendary Skill? Fuck! They''re fast. "Mihara... If anything happens to me, just keep running deeper." "Hah?! Why are you saying that?" "They''re gonna reach us soon... Just don''t stop running... The cave will tell you where to go." I let go of her hand as I stop running for a second and walk back a couple steps. "I''m not letting you behind to die! Come with me!" "Don''t worry about me, just go." "Hoooh... You''re one courageous fucker aren''t ya?" "What!? Already?!" The surprise was clear in her words... I''d already known they were coming but... They are fricking fast... "Marcus, Lancer, you two go and lead the rest in, this cave is weird... You lot, just standby-by... I''mma deal with these two personally." The men, one wielding a glaive and the other a pair of Katars, turned around and started walking towards the entrance without saying a single word. The others stood there, behind Gahan. I wish I had some way to see their strength... << Yeah... That''d be very helpful... But you realize they are quite strong, don''t you? >> I do... Well... You know my plans, why are you pretending I actually think I can put up a fight? << Ah... Sorry... It''s just... I can''t feel at ease with you using yourself as a meat shield... >> Hadn''t we already discussed this? Why are you behaving this laid back now? << I... I just... I don''t wanna see you die... >> Haah... I guess there''s that... but it''s the most effective way... I pulled the dagger I''d gotten from the goblin out and prepared my stance to fight the mercenary. "Huh? You seriously intend to fight me with this shit...? Are you joking?!" "WHA-" Suddenly I felt my side hitting the floor after my legs were swiped. He''s stupid fast. He closed the more than 10-meter gap in less than a second in heavy armor! How broken is this world!? GLORIA!? << I told you they were strong! What did you expect! >> Fuck... This is worse than I anticipated... I looked at Mihara, she was trembling. This body''s vision was hazy after the sudden impact to the floor but I, from the control-room, could clearly see the mercenary raising a breathtaking double-handed sword from his back. "Go! Just go!" I screamed at her, who was still frozen by fear. "MIHARA! GO!" She started stumbling backwards hearing my words. Tears flowing from her eyes as the large mercenary slowly pointed his sword downwards toward my back. "Remember my name for eternity. This me who''s finishing you off, is Gahan." A sharp pain assaulted my very soul as the sword penetrated through my spine until reaching the stone ground underneath. But somehow... It didn''t feel half as bad as I thought it would... Hey... Gloria... Why am I not dead yet? << Huh?! I guess the blow didn''t take enough HP to kill you... >> Huh... That''s... A bummer... Anyhow... Let''s keep the schedule. Dematerialize "Mihara, Run!" With these words, my body started disintegrating once more. The shock made the crying Mihara dart away from where we were and the mercenary jump back to where his colleagues waited. "The fuck is this shit!? Self-destruction?" When the dust settled, my body and Mihara were nowhere to be seen, leaving only the three confused mercenaries staring blankly at the sword embedded into the stone ground. Trying to comprehend what had happened. --------------- Haah... At least I managed to buy her a couple seconds... << But how do you intend to help her? >> I mean... I am this dungeon, right? We can always do stuff to it to help her. ---------- A girl kept running aimlessly. She saw her lover get killed in front of her. Hatred filled her heart. Not for the killer, but towards herself. Towards her powerlessness. She felt completely useless... She let her uncle betray her. She let the mercenaries take her sister from her. She let that man kill the man she had just come to love. What did she even deserve...? Was she even worthy of their feelings¡­? A trifurcation approached. ''Where should I go?'' The despair increased as she heard the slow footsteps of her chaser. She knew magic but... It was clearly not enough to kill a person, let alone a mercenary leader. Confusion. There''s three ways to go... Which one is the right one? She squatted down crying. The pressure had been too much for her to bear. ¡°"The cave will tell you where to go."¡± His words reverberated inside her mind, like an illusion. Her memory playing tricks with her mind. "The cave..." As she looked up towards the split, a single stone fell from the ceiling of the cave, slowly rolling into the right branch. "That''s it!" The once confused girl darted towards the direction the stone directed her. For some unexplainable reason, hope once again filled her heart... She could once again feel the terrifying gaze she felt once she entered the cave. ---------------------- "FUCK!" Gahan angrily shouted when reaching the trifurcation. The men following him at a slow pace. "Did you lose her, boss?" One of them asked. "Not really... But this'' getting annoying... The cave has too many different paths... If I chase her aimlessly, I won''t be able to return quickly enough to help you guys explore..." "I''mma use that..." "That!? It''s been almost a decade since you used it... I''m getting excited about this manhunt..." Said the other one, leaning on his glaive. "Shut the hell up! why the fuck you make it seem like it''s a big deal? I never use it because it''s pretty useless most times." "We know, we know... But it''s not like you get to see a legendary class skill every day, right?" "I can''t understand why you guys care so much about this... I just learned it from my father, that''s all." "Aye, boss. But... It''s not something the likes of us can understand... Even the Royal Magicians failed to learn it." "Yeah, yeah, now shut the hell up cause I''mma use it." The two men fell silent in contemplation while Gahan sat on the floor, his legs crossed in a lotus. Green light started emitting from his body, forming a sort of barrier around him. "Sonar." With his voice, the barrier expanded outwards indefinitely in waves until it became undiscernible from the air around it. Like the ripples in the water after a droplet fell. << Gun... I''ve seen this magic before... >> A childish voice resounded in a dark room, as the images of Gahan sat on the floor, and of Mihara running, were laid side-by-side as if in a large screen. A man sternly staring at them with an annoyed expression. Ch 28 – This ain’t no f*cking cave! Sonar was a strategic magic developed by Gahan''s father to locate enemies during the Western War over two decades ago. The demi-humans were masters in disguise and ambushes, Sonar was a technique able to generate a spatial-like perception of the environment around one even in darkness and accurately locate things and people. Anything that moved was picked up by the soundwaves generated. Creating not only an accurate real-time map of the surroundings, but also a moving frame of every single living entity around it. Anything in a hundred-meter radius. ''What the actual fuck'' Sonar was the greatest and most powerful short distance magic known by the Wizard Association of the Sacred Capital. And also, the only real thing Gahan had inherited from his deceased father. ''Why!? Why the hell is it not working!'' Yet for the first time in his entire life, Sonar was betraying his expectations. Sonar was returning him... Nothing. Actually, that''s inaccurate. It was actually the opposite of that. Sonar was saying everything was moving. There was no environment, there was no map... Just beings. Moving beings. The entire cave was slightly moving. The cave was not a cave... ''What the fuck... Is this...'' Gahan jumped up, scaring his men. "We gotta group back and join the rest before following her." "What!? But didn''t you just locate her with Sonar? Can''t you only use it once a day?" "Doesn''t matter.... This ain''t no fucking cave! We''re in a motherfucking dungeon!" --------------- Where from? << That skill... Remember I told you I help people who get revived in this world? That skill is from one of my former protegees, Jergad... >> What does it do? << It''s supposed to be like your world''s Sonar system... If I recall correctly, it makes some sort of map using a something like a bat''s sonar and marks living beings and moving targets. >> Ah... So, it''s just a wannabe version of my map? << You could say that... It is still very powerful though. Jergad could pin-point enemies almost a mile away with it. >> Fuck... Then he''ll know where she went!? << I''m afraid so... >> Shit... We need to- Huh?! What?! What''s with that reaction? How did he know?! Gloria?! What the heck is happening? Why''s he behaving like that? << Ah... Thank goodness... Oh-! Yes, Ah! How do I put it...? The whole dungeon is a living being. >> What the actual fuck!? << Oh, Sorry, let me rephrase it... Imagine the whole dungeon as being... An extension of the Dungeon-Core. It''s not like it''s breathing or anything... But dungeons have some residual movement from when you expand or create rooms and corridors and it regenerates itself so... It probably reacted to the magic he used showing up as a living entity rather than a natural cave... >> And how the fuck is that a good thing! << Huh? But he stopped chasing her right? >> Yeah... But now he knows this is a dungeon! He will regroup with all the others and march straight to the core before even searching for her! Aren''t dungeons supposed to be a dangerous thing?! << Oh... Right... I completely forgot that... >> Fuck... You are so cute yet so dumb at times... What the fuck do I do? I need to stop him from getting back... I don''t wanna use any monsters just yet since I have no idea how strong they are... Fuck. I''d gone so far without having a single monster to avoid giving away the fact this is a dungeon only for him to find it out just now... << I mean you could- >> Shut up for a second if you have nothing useful to say! Else, next time you''ll see me die for real. I need to think! In her room, Gloria was almost crying... But she knew he had a clear point... The best she could do now was wait to see how things panned out. ''But why?! Why does he have to be this mean...? I was just trying to help...'' She knew she was being selfish, and rather annoying... but that was just how she was, she couldn''t change that on a whim. She was honestly trying her best to be useful for me... I knew that, it pained me to see her face cramp and her smile wanning away... But it was necessary. She needed to understand from the get-go that she had to be useful and effective. Empty words, even when paired with great effort, are nothing but empty words. I''d much rather have her stand by my side silent than whisper vain crap in my ears that''d only lead me downhill. ------------------------ "ARE YOU READY!?" A loud yell echoed amid the camp. Most mercenaries were already up and ready, but some stragglers were still gathering their stuff or putting on their armor. "Hey, hey!? Why the hell are they back? Did something happen?" Gossip quickly spread throughout the whole camp. Why were they there? Why did they return? Questions popped out left and right. "Shut the fuck up you whiny brats. Let''s go in! NOW!" The second Option stood up for the first one. Marcus hated being the one everyone feared... But over the years, this task became natural for him. ''Why can they just get ready already...'' He thought to himself as he saw the remaining mercenaries assemble near the cave entrance... "This cave is weird. That''s what boss said." Spoke Lancer... Before anyone says it, yeah, he was very self-conscious over the fact that despite his name being Lancer he was not a lancer... In fact, he was a double-swordsman with some affinity to magic. As he liked gesturing quite a bit, he''d just stored both of his Katars on the order-made sheathing attached to his belt. "Our job is to explore it completely, find whatever is in there and, from what we assumed from Gabe''s report, find the dungeon entrance or wherever it starts. That''s a long shot though. Report anything you find." ""YES!"" Lancer opened his mouth to further emphasize his orders, but before he could say anything a huge rumbling sound made him turn to the cave. The men covered their noses as a small cloud of dust puffed out from the cave, slowly dispersing around them. "Lancer!" "Yes, we gotta go!" The thirty-eight mercenaries, including the two Optiones, marched into the dark cave despite the dust. Some of them wielding Lighting Rods. Ch 29 – Our merciful God Lighting rods are one of the most basic of all magical tools. Magical items imbued with mana-infused stones, either gathered from monsters or mined from the ground. Manastones are graded by various attributes: Power, Concentration, Efficiency, and Stability. The issue that plagues the modern world was the uncertainty on the supply of such stones; In his workshop, Gustav knew this very well... "How do I deal with this..." Gustav was the last remaining tollsmith of a forsaken region called Mailard. Mailard was nothing. Neither a country, nor a state, not even a vassal. Mailard was a grey zone, desired by none of the surrounding countries. A single independent city and its adjacent territory sandwiched between two warring countries and flanked by the Great Lhusian Plains. Don''t underestimate the size of Mailard, its size was not only huge, but immeasurable. The problem was no one knew for sure it''s size. The whole region was plagued by constant monster stampedes, which fueled the ever-burning-out economy. Despite its name, the Great Lhusian Plains were not plains. The huge land, covering almost a quarter of the whole continent, was dotted with forests and Demonic Gardens; nests from which demonic beasts and monsters sprouted and corrupted. The plains, however, had its own power structure, and only weak monsters gushed out onto human territory. The fertile lands made it a perfect target for expansion, which had been tried thousands of times over the millennia, only to be crushed by the constant stampedes. In those lands, the power of Manastones was crucial to protect the land and maintain the status quo. "I am very sorry master!" an apologetic apprentice knelt beside the workshop table where his master was sat, frowning, pausing whatever he had been building. "I told you to not skimp this time! It''s the fourth time they don''t return! I told you to hire 4 parties and gave you the money to do so! Instead, you say you hired two groups of two?!" "I am very sorry master!" The apprentice repeated himself, prostrating on the ground, his head touching the floor. "There''s no "sorry" here! How the fuck am I supposed to pay you if I can''t produce shit because I get no stones from your stupidity!" "You are not getting paid until I receive the next delivery! And pray they come back alive this time!" "Tch-" The apprentice bit his tongue. His greed costed him another week with no money... He was certain hiring two groups would increase the results and thus warrant him a raise... The opposite had happened though. Not a single adventurer returned alive. Some of their bodies were eventually found and that''s how he became aware of the problem... "Haah... There''s almost nothing left in the stock... The supplies are thinning out and I need to sell cheap, so the city keeps buying from me... I wonder if the time has come to finally move out of here..." Gustav let his honest thoughts come out as words. "But Master! There''s nobody else here who makes tools! The whole Mailard will collapse without the tools!" "They should''ve thought about that before sending adventurers to guard the borders of that shady country as a deal! I''m not gonna stay behind just so they get away with doing stupid crap." "If you are closing... Please take me with you." "What the fuck? Of course, you idiot. You are smart like a duck, but I have taught you for many years... I won''t let all that time and money go to waste. Now go to the fucking guild, and this time, HIRE THE AMOUNT I TELL YOU TO HIRE! You moron!" Gustav yelled at Bahr and threw a couple silver coins. Bahr caught them and quickly left... ''I wonder how they''re gonna deal with the stampedes...'' Gustav thought to himself as he saw his helper leave. His tools were paramount for the insufficient military to keep up with the sheer amount of monsters. ''They should¡¯ve thought that before firing me and paid me what I asked back then... That''s no longer my problem.'' He went back to assemble a shoddy looking Lighting rod. The small pile of those next to him was the proof of today''s hard work... ''Haaah-... I miss the days of making actual powerful tools...'' ------------------------------------------------------------------- "Please! Please! At least spare my daughter!" A woman covered in blood and grime screamed while crawling out of a large pit, full of festering bodies. "GET BACK IN THE TRASH!" *Prak* The woman collapsed, her eyes white and mouth foaming. Her arms and neck unnaturally spasming after having her neck snapped in half by the Imperial Soldier''s kick. The once beautiful woman, disfigured by the atrocities, was quickly swallowed by the tide of half-dead demi-humans, her child''s mourn as a grievous addition to the choir of moans and dying screams. The soldiers, unmoved, blankly waited for the executioner squad sent by the Holy Church. Their job was just collecting the trash and throwing it into the pit. Now everything was the Red Priest''s responsibility.'' Only a minute passed before their arrival, 12 acolytes fitted in red robes, each carrying a large book black and a golden wand. Their faces were hidden behind cowls that matched the color of their attire. A single priest slowly leads the group, dressed in a luxurious white robe, decorated with gold threads and red garments. "THY INFIDELS SHALL BE PURIFIED BY HOLY FLAME OF GOD OUR SAVIOR! MAY YOUR SOULS BE EXCUSED FROM THIS DISGUSTING FORM AND EVOLVE INTO THAT OF BEINGS MADE IN THE IMAGE AND LIKENESS OF OUR MERCIFUL GOD OF CREATION!" The priest''s voice echoed in the forest, all soldiers falling to their knees, putting their closed right fist in front of their heart as they fell into prayer. ""May the holy flame burn the sins and bodies of the sinful and purify thy souls of the sin of living as beasts, Holy Fireball"" The incantations of all twelve acolytes echoed in choir as the moans of the demi-humans turned into wails of despair. The yellowish fireballs soared through the air from the wands of the acolytes. Quickly turning the pit into a pyre. Those inside slowly stopping to move as their body carbonized from the flames under the inebriated eyes of the acolytes and priest. "May God''s will be carried to its fullest extent!" The priest exclaimed as he turned away from the huge flames, exacting the prayers from the dozen or so soldiers and the acolytes. ""We are but pawns who carry out God''s will"" The acolytes and soldiers responded. The acolytes now turning around following the priest back to wherever they came from. Most of the soldiers going back to their job, of tracking down the remains of the Demi-human village... A single man remained behind, staring at the burning flames. His job was to ensure nobody survived the fire, although he knew it was impossible... Tears flowed under his closed helmet as he once again assured himself survival was simply impossible. He hoped it wasn''t, for he''d just seen his own daughter being burned alive... Together with more than a hundred of his friends, neighbors, colleagues, and family... All for the sake of an imaginary God. Ch 30 – Too many inputs "Cough! Cough! Garth?! Jarred?! Where the heck are y-! Cough!" Gahan called, covering his mouth and nose with the inside of his elbow, struggling to breathe with all the dust. Sonar''s effect had ceases due to the surprise and he felt completely at loss. He could feel a presence near him somewhere, but he couldn''t ensure who was it. More importantly, he could only feel one presence. "Cough! Cough! I''m! Cough! Here!" The two mercenaries slowly managed to meet each other again, waiting for the dust to settle. "Jarred!" "Jarred?!" They called for their last companion, the one with a Glaive... But no answer was heard. As the dust slowly settled, they were finally able to see each other¡¯s figure, covered in a thick layer of stone dust. The already dim cave had become noticeably darker even for them who yielded Dark Vision I, a quite uncommon skill, far rarer than the essential Night Vision. As Garth looked behind towards where he came, what just happened became clear. The ceiling was now much higher than it used to be, and the corridor they were in became wider... The cave had collapsed. "How''s that even possible..." Jarred thought in a soft voice before turning around and speaking to Gahan. "Hadn''t you said this was a fucking dungeon!? How the fucking hell did it collapse!?" "How the fuck do I know! It IS a dungeon... More importantly... Wasn''t Jarred right behind you?" "Yea-..." Garth''s eyes widened at the realization. Jarred had been right behind him... Right behind him... That''s the place where the cave collapsed... "Where..." His eyes wondered around. trying to grasp his colleague''s whereabouts. Until he spotted something. The tip of his inseparable glaive. "JER!" He yelled as he darted to where he found it, quickly throwing stones behind, desperately trying to free his precious friend from the stones. He made slight progress with each move. He¡¯d already freed most of the glaive and had just started seeing a finger when he felt Gahan''s hand on his shoulder and looked above, only to see Gahan shaking his head from side to side, and point ahead... Garth''s eyes watered a bit as he understood the meaning behind these gestures... Just a few feet ahead of him, only slightly obscured by the smaller stones around, was a gigantic boulder, larger than himself... Jarred was dead. Irremediably so. "I''m sorry for your loss... I know he meant a lot to you..." *PAF* "Stop your condescending sympathy Gahan! You don''t love anyone but yourself, you can''t possibly know how this feels." Jarred yelled as he slapped Gahan''s hand from his shoulder. Gahan''s sympathetic gaze vanish like it had been a mirage. *PAF* Garth was thrown to the ground spewing blood from a single slap to the face. "Pull you fucking shit together you imbecile! Look around for fuck''s sake. I tried being understanding but do you even understand the situation we are in?!" A switch clicked in Garth''s mind, reminding him of who he was and what situation they were in. This was not only his childhood friend Gahan. This was his commander, his leader, and his most second most trusted friend... Now his most trusted one... Since the closest person to him was now dead. And above all... They were in a Dungeon. A glance around the now clear dungeon made another situation clear. They were stuck inside. There was no way out. They''d been just after a split in the cave before, where the main path divided in three ones. But they had slightly moved towards one of the paths right before Gahan used his Sonar skill... Now they were bound to that path. There was no way back. "Sorry boss..." He muttered while spitting the remaining blood from his mouth. "I guess we better get going... We need to find a way out of here..." "Yeah... We only have food on us for about a day..." ------------------------------ At the same time elsewhere. "GHHUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH" I contorted in pain on the floor of the control-room. *CRAAAACK * *SQUISH * "UGH-- AAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!" *CRACK* "GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! GLORIAAAAAAAAAA!" *CRACK* << I''M SORRY! I''M SORRY! I''M SO SORRY! I DON''T KNOW! >> "FUCK YOU GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" I honestly didn''t know what was worse! The excruciating pain, or the everlasting and repeating messages from the system inside my head. What the fuck just happened! All I did was collapse the ceiling of the area where the mercenaries were... What''s going on?! "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH" The pain slowly subsidized as soon as the messages stopped popping up. What the fuck was that. GOD THAT HURT. Every single fiber of my body hurt. It was almost as if every single strand of muscle and nerve was torn only to be rebuilt again. I could hear my bones breaking as it happened. What the heck could even cause something like that! Huh!? How? Did the rocks from the ceiling kill one of them? What the heck is happening, Gloria!? << I don''t fucking know! My whole system froze! >> Huuuuh!? The pain''s gone now... I slowly raised back to my feet breathing harshly as I saw one of the mercenaries desperately trying to dig through the debris with his bare hands. I bet ya! <> "GHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" *CRACK* "WERE YOU NOT DONE YET! Ch 31 – The Seven Greater Gods DarkGodEM "LEST YOU SPITEFUL LITTLE CUNT!" A woman materialized in a luxurious throne room. The entire room was covered in Carrara marble and Gold. Massive red Banners embroidered in Gold thread were hung from the walls and, in the center of the room, in an overly pompous golden throne, was seated an old man in royal raiment. She was slim with a light-tanned caramel skin and had well defined muscles, little dark-leather clothing with metal guards covered only a small fraction of her figure. Black and brown short but thick fur covered the sides of her torso and the back of her arms and shoulders. Her black hair with golden-brown highlights, which reached all the way to her slim waist, and her narrow brown eyes further emphasized her overly large pointy ears with short fur. A long and slim black tail pointed upwards as she took bold strides towards the throne. "... Miaschwer... For what reason do I owe you the honor?" A sadistic smile formed on the face of the old man. "Don''t you fucking dare to insult me like that you fucking bastard! God of creation my ass! Don''t you fucking dare to preach against my children!" "It seems you misunderstand something." Lest snaps his finger, Chains appear on the arms and legs of the dog-woman. "I became the God of Creation the moment they decided that, so I was." *SNAP* The chain snapped from a single pull from the woman''s arms "You can believe whatever the hell you want, but this won''t end good for you! You sick fuck" She said while breaking the cuffs on her ankles with her bare hands. "You may think you have become powerful because those idiots you created think you are all mighty, but if you keep going after my children, I will assure you that none of yours will survive the end of this millennium!" As Miaschwer turned her back towards him, Lest looked at her departing figure until she disappeared. "FUCK!" He screamed as soon as her presence was gone. ''I killed thousands of her believers and became a God of Creation... How the fuck is she still that powerful!'' His anger once again distorted her face in an even more spiteful smile. "Then all I have to do is to keep killing them until I overtake you. You lowly dog!" Lest was one of the Seven Greater Gods. Lest, Mia, Kyrie, Pharn, Woer, Lofy and Lorei. Light, Life, Fire, Air, Earth, Night and Water. A hundred thousand years ago, the goddess of Vigor and Nature ascended to Greater Godhood during the fall of mankind, and with the help of Lofy and Lorei, took over the Life Attribute from the God of Light. They stole what he cherished the most. But he only resented one of them. The target of his resentment. The Goddess of Vitality - Mother of the Beastkin. The one who stole the Life Attribute from him. Miaschwer Furr Hound. ------------------------------------------ "Haaaah... We are already a handful of hours behind... It''s already past noon... Couldn''t we just wait a bit more?" "Stop being a bitch! Gabe''s already let us sleep a lot!" "I somehow feel betrayed..." "Good to see you boys hanging together a bit more" Gabe and his men were walking back towards the cave they found beforehand. They had slept for far too long and were hours behind... "Gabe... Do you think everything''s gonna be fine?" "Huh? Dunno... Gahan will probably be pissed that we got this much late..." "That''s... Not what I meant..." "... I hope so... They got Gahan... He main be a meat brain, but¡­ He''s a competent leader..." "I hope Kyle''s ok..." "Oh... Right, you best friend has the same name as you right?" "Yeah..." "Ey, but... I didn''t see the food guys or the prisoners either!" Joe, listening to their conversation, made something clear... "Eh?" "What" "I mean... The forest is quite dense. Doesn''t make sense that they''d leave them behind?" "Yeah, but..." (Gabe) "Entering suck an ominous cave without backup or extra supplies is..."(Kyle) The three quickly realized something. A sense of urgency rapidly grew in them as they slowly sped up their pace until they were just straight-up running. Something told them this wouldn''t end well if they took too long to arrive. Too bad that, at this time, all the mercenaries had already entered the cave. -------------------------------------- A squad of 16 goblins was hunting for wolves. They did not like the hard, stringy meat that much, but it was better than worms and wood bark. Since their numbers started growing exponentially, food had slowly become a problem. They had no idea how to farm or plant anything other than the Gerbu-fruit. A plant that resulted from the contamination of seeds with the miasma from Goblin Species. The Gerbu, however, was almost inedible in natura. It took them months to process a single batch underground in order to make it edible. The process was simple. Dig a large room, fill it halfway with the fruit, seal it, and let the insects and mold do its job. After some months, the hard and acrid fruit would turn into a soft green sludge that was very nutritious once you discarded the outer moldy shell. This process was easily scalable, but since they were growing this fast, the Gerbu batches from months ago were enough for only less than half their number and, of course, the Hobgoblins and Generals hated eating plants. (This conversation was translated to human language.) "Hey! Look right there! Humans!" (Goblin 1) "Ohh! They taste much better than wolves! Let''s go for them" (Goblin 2) The goblins spotted three humans walking in the forest. "What do we do? Fight?"(Goblin 3) "Are you nuts? Look at them! They have metal skin and swords!"(Goblin 2) "Yeah! If we fight them head on, we may all die!"(Goblin 4) "So, what do you guys wanna do?" (Goblin 5) "We should make a trap for them!"(Goblin 4) "They are gonna escape by the time we are done" (Goblin 6) "Then let¡¯s ambush them from all sides." (Goblin 2) "Good idea!" (Goblin 7) "4 from each side then?!"(Goblin 8) "Sure, just go quickly!"(Goblin 1) "Yeah, let¡¯s go!" (Goblin 3) The Goblins started to encircle the humans in four groups, however... "Why are they speeding up"(Goblin 7) "The heck do I know!" (Goblin 9) "Could it be that they noticed us?" (Goblin 10) "Impossible! Not even the wolves noticed us!"(Goblin 1) "Let''s speed up!"(Goblin 7) "I just hope all the others noticed them speeding up..." (Goblin 1) Ch 32 – Power Leveling? "Haaah~!" "Fuck!" That was hell... I just laid there for a while looking up on the black ceiling of the control-room... Trying to finally calm the fuck down and breathe. Holy shit. I felt so much fucking pain my body feels like it''s floating. Gloria... What the fuck was this? << A... Yeah... Hold up... >> Huh? You need to search? << Nah... It''s just... I gotta deal with these error messages. They are all over the place. Gimme a second. Some of them kinda explain what you went through... >> Okay then... But it¡¯s over, right? << Seems like it... >> ... Welp... My body feels weird... There''s something strange happening... < You learned a Skill. Intimidation I > < You learned a Passive Skill. Mana Control I > < You learned a Passive Skill. Earth Affinity I > < You learned a Skill. Gaze I > < You learned a Passive Skill. Elemental Affinity I > < You learned a Passive Skill. Elemental Affinity I > < You learned a Skill. Mana Transfer I > < You learned a Skill. Metal Infusion I > < You learned a Skill. Substitution I > < You learned a Skill. Slinger Technique I > < You learned a Skill. Siege Technique I > < You learned a Skill. Destruction Technique I > < You learned a Passive Skill. Mental Effect Resistance I > < You learned a Passive Skill. Mana Recovery I > < You learned a Passive Skill. Superhuman Strength I > < You learned a Passive Skill. Night Vision I > < You learned a Passive Skill. Minor Mana Increase > < You learned a Passive Skill. Minor Health Increase > < You learned a Passive Skill. Minor Vitality Increase > < You learned a Passive Skill. Minor Mana Increase > < You learned a Passive Skill. Minor Stamina Increase > < You learned a Passive Skill. Minor Agility Increase > < You learned a Passive Skill. Dual-Core > < Passive Skill: Regeneration, Leveled up to Regeneration III> < Passive Skill: Regeneration, Leveled up to Regeneration II> < Passive Skill: Regeneration, Leveled up to Regeneration III> < Passive Skill: Regeneration, Leveled up to Regeneration IV> < Passive Skill: Regeneration, Leveled up to Regeneration V> < Passive Skill: Regeneration, Leveled up to Regeneration VI> < Passive Skill: Regeneration, Leveled up to Regeneration IV> Wow... This is... Confusing. Why the fuck is it... Ah... Yeah. System, please specify whose those skills are. While we''re at it... Stop saying every level up... this is annoying. Just state the final level of all Skills. << Oi! What the fuck are you doing! The system''s frozen again! >> What?! Do you like hearing and endless flow of updates?! This gave me a fricking headache! <> Of course, I am. Oh, while this shit''s thinking what to say. What the hell happened? << See... The system hadn''t recognized you as part of this world yet... so... Some functionalities weren''t working... When you killed that mercenary, the system retroactively gave you all the XP for the stuff you had been doing... >> You mean the goblin? << No... The stuff you were doing with us... >> Ah! That dungeon pleasure stuff? That''s n- < CORE: Passive Skill Regeneration Leveled up to Regeneration VII > < Master: Passive Skill Regeneration Leveled up to Regeneration V > OH, COME ON! JUST SHOW ME THE FRICKING STATUS ALREADY! < Status > < Core: Coexisting Organism for Regeneration and Evolution > < > < Lvl.: 29 > < Rank: G > < Attributes: > < ? VITALITY(VIT): 79 > < ? RESISTANCE(HAR): 20 > < ? MANA(MAN): 845 > < ? STAMINA(RES): 41 > < ? INTELIGENCE(INT): 148 > < > < Passive Sills: > < ? Regeneration VII > < ? Increased Mana Recovery Rate III > < ? Mental Effect Resistance III > < ? Magic Resistance II > < ? Elemental Affinity I > < ? Earth Affinity I > < ? Mana Control I > < ? Minor Health Increase > < ? Minor Mana Increase > < ? Minor Vitality Increase > < ? Dual-Core > < > < Active Sills: > < ? Ethereal Dispersion/Gathering > < ? Gaze II > < ? Substitution I > < ? Metal Infusion I > < ? Wandering Gaze IV > < > < > < Unique Skills: > < ? Materialization > < > < Curses and Blessings: > < ? Earth''s God of Logistics Blessing > < ? Earth''s God of Virginity Blessing > < Dungeon Master Status > < > < Name: Gunther (NAMED MONSTER) > < Title: Pleasure Machine > < Race: Dungeon Core > < Job (AUTO): Dungeon Master > < Lvl.: 34 > < Rank: 1 > < State: Materialized > < Attributes: > < ? VITALITY(VIT): 125 > < ? MANA(MAN): 745 > < ? STRENGTH(STR): 53 > < ? AGILITY (AGI): 72 > < ? STAMINA(RES): 127 > < ? INTELIGENCE(INT): 175 > < > < Passive Sills: > < ? Regeneration V > < ? Magic Resistance II > < ? Mental Effect Resistance II > < ? Mana Control I > < ? Minor Health Increase > < ? Minor Mana Increase > < ? Minor Vitality Increase > < ? Medium Stamina Increase > < ? Elemental Affinity I > < ? Earth Affinity I > < ? Mana Control I > < ? Superhuman Endurance > < ? Dark Vision III > < > < Active Sills: > < ? Dagger Technique I > < ? Slinger Technique II > < ? Destruction Technique III > < ? Siege Technique I > < ? Dagger Technique I > < ? Tongue Technique IV > < ? Finger Technique III > < ? Sexual Technique I > < ? Gaze III > < ? Intimidation II > < > < Unique Skills: > < ? Overdrive I > < > < Curses and Blessings: > < ? Earth''s God of Logistics Blessing > < ? Earth''s God of Virginity Blessing > << Holy fuck! >> That''s my line! Holy fuck... What was this level up?! << That mercenary you killed was very strong... And you had lots of pent-up XP from the Pleasure Dungeon trait... >> At least this much is decent enough... bearing in mind all that fucking pain... Fuck that hurt. Now... What''s up with all those sex skills...? << ... Must be a side effect of the dungeon trait, I guess... >> I hope nobody''s able to read my status... << I... can imagine that being kind of an issue... >> The reason we thought it was an issue was completely different though... What do we do now...? I stared at the image of Mihara running through the dungeon... Somehow, she seemed a bit happy... She''d just left the first room of the fork she took... It should take her quite some time to reach the dead end. The two mercenaries just started moving deeper in the dungeon... But more importantly... It seems like the main forces have just gotten into the dungeon. << You got something in mind for them, right? >> Yeah... Let''s see how they deal with all this. As Gahan and Garth quickly moved deeper into the dungeon, the area they just left quickly returned to its previous state. The fallen stones quickly disappeared, and with them, the body of their dead comrade. The only evidence of what happened to them was the widening of the cave... However, nobody besides the two of them would be able to realize it... DarkGodEM Ch 33 – He dead bro As the mercenaries entered the dust filled cave, the oddities started to pile up. The cave slowly tapered until only 5 of them could walk side by side. Of course, the optiones who lead them already knew that, but it did not stop the rest of the men feeling off. The strangeness only grew when the dust settled. To the side, near the first turn, just a couple minutes after entering the cave, there was a small campsite. The fire had died down, but embers were still present and the pot over it was still hot... ''Wasn''t the princess alone'' Most of them were thinking. The whole bunch went ahead to check the campsite. Curious about the odd familiarity. A couple of them stayed behind talking. "Come on... Why are we even going in here...? Didn''t part of it just collapse or something..." "Yeah... this place is weird man... I don''t wanna die here." "The fuck is wrong with them... We could just wait for Captain outside and get him to bring us the girl... Or rather, we could have just waited for her to leave once she starts starving." "Yea-" One of them randomly tripped. "Oi! Josh! Are you okay?!" The other mercenary raised his Lighting wand to check on his fallen colleague. "Fuck!" "OOOOI! Somebody help here!" "The fuck happened!" "He tripped and fell and..." "Yeah, yeah, let me- Fuck" "What?" "He dead bro..." "Wha-" The mercenary was left aghast as the other leaned closer to the ground with his Lighting Wand... The mercenary Josh''s head was in a puddle of blood. "He must''ve fallen onto a rock... Sorry... We''ll get him on the way out." He grabbed onto the corpse''s arms and was about to pull it. "You not gonna help me out here?" "Huh? Ah, sorry." A turmoil of emotions swirled inside this mercenary''s head. His colleague had died in a stupid way right next to him. ''He''d just said he didn''t want to die here...'' He thought as he stared at the face of his dead friend while they carried his corpse to the side of the cave. Neither were able to notice what had really happened. Neither the floor sinking under his feet. Nor the stone that propelled itself out of the ground into his skull. Nobody knew what had actually happened. Nobody but two people elsewhere in the dungeon. The oblivious pair rejoined the group, telling Marcus and Lancer what had happened. "This is stupid... How could a seasoned veteran die like this...¡±? "I mean, he could''ve been very unlucky..." "Still, Marcus... All people here have undergone many battles and at least a job change... Nobody would have Vitality low enough to die from a single fall, even if they hit their head... Unless it was a hell of a fall... Which doesn''t seem to be the case." "So... You think there''s something behind it?" "Yeah... This is all too strange... First that dust cloud, now this... I think we should hurry to find Gahan and the guys... This might be dangerous..." "Yeah... Better call their attention on it." "ATTENTION! ONE OF US HAS ALREADY PERISHED. DO NOT TRUST YOURSELVES ALONE IN HERE. ALWAYS WALK IN GROUPS AND BEWARE YOUR SURROUNDINGS!" ""WHAT!?"" "DAFUCK?"" ""WHO!"" Confusion ensued among the mercenaries. Nobody heard any signs of battle. Marcus'' words lit up the warning signal for them. The off-putting feeling turned into fear. Something lurked in the cave. Something aiming for their lives. This was, of course, expected, and the normal course of action for this group. Fear was the way to avoid further losses. Humans, when pushed into the corner, would muster strength beyond their limits, and the Optiones, as well as Gahan, knew that very well. They regrouped, now in a standardized formation, ready for battle, and slowly progressed deeper into the dungeon. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- < An enemy was slain > Nice! << Hah~... I didn''t expect that to work to be honest... >> I told you! using the dungeon as a weapon is an amazing strategy. I only spent 2EP on the explosives and spring. << How the hell do you even come up with such a trap... >> < Level Up! > < Level Up! > < Level Up! > < Level Up! > < Skills Leveled Up, please check Status. > < You learned a Skill. Trap Perception I > < You learned a Skill. Trap Dismantling I > < You learned a Skill. Trap Construction I > Oh... Apparently, he was pretty strong. << That''s the very reason... How can a person die from just a fall?! >> Ah... See... The Nitroglycerin I placed under the stone where he fell projected it into his head as soon as he hit the ground... You can imagine it as him falling while the stone was moving up. And pressed against his head... You get the idea. << heeeh... So, the damage comes from the explosion rather than the fall... And the fall only serves as a trigger. >> Exactly... Maybe me leveling up increased your intelligence status a little bit. << Fuck You! >> She''s so cute while pouting... I just can''t avoid messing with her a little... I thought while looking at her on the image to my side. Maybe it''s time for some monster though... I thought while looking at Gahan and Garth, casually strolling deeper into the dungeon. << Why don''t you make some traps for them? >> You think they would fall for it? << Yeah... Nevermind...>> Oh, Glory. What does this Gaze skill do? << Sounds like you stare at someone attentively... OH! RIGHT! It makes so that you can kinda see some of the person''s status. >> Oh, really? Let me try it out real quick. "Gaze" Hah? Nothing happened! << I guess it failed then... Did you specify which one of them you wanted to use? >> Hm? Oh, yeah, I have it on both the Core and the Human body, right... << Yep. System defaults to the highest-level skill but since your Dungeon Master body isn''t manifested the skill just failed. >> And what if I tried it without seeing the target from that body''s perspective? << Dunno... You can try it later though. >> Sure thing. "Core. Gaze" I tried once again, this time staring at Gloria through the images. < Third Party Status > < > < Name: Gloria > < Titles: Failure Child > < Useless System, Telemarketing Attendant, Wannabe God > < Race: Divine Being > < Job : System Administrator > < Rank: 51 - Level 1 Demi-God - Assistant > < DOP Status: In love Lvl. 17 > < Attributes: > < ? VITALITY(VIT): ?? > < ? MANA(MAN): ???? > < ? STRENGTH(STR): ??? > < ? AGILITY (AGI): ?? > < ? STAMINA(RES): ??? > < ? INTELIGENCE(INT): ? > < > < Passive Skills: > < ? ? > < ? ? > < ? ? > < ? ? > < ? ? > < ? ? > < ? ? > < ? ? > < ? ? > < ? ? > < > < Active Skills: > < ? ? > < ? ? > < ? ? > < ? ? > < ? ? > < ? ? > < > < Unique Skills: > < ? ? > < > < Divinity: > < ? Demi-Goddess of Systems > Failure child......... << W-WHY DID YOU DO THAT! >> Because I was curious... Why else? << But... >> Your titles are a disgrace... wow... Good thing you''ve become more useful quickly... << I feel glad but... still, Fuck you! Asshole! >> *Tuck* Gloria? ... Gloria? ... Oh, shit! she''s crying. Come on Gloria, you know I like you... I don''t care what others call you. You are still very much useful and extremely cute... Now please unmute yourself, I''ll spoil you all you want if you come back. We have many guys to kill... << Really? >> Of course... When we''re done here I''mma go there and pat your head like the good girl you are... Now please, Help me out with the monster crap. << Okay! >> Ch 34 – Skull Cracking "Spinslash!" Gahan spun his sword as he activated his skill. A white trail followed the blade as his sword spun 360 degrees, together with his body. In a single move, Gahan decapitated 7 goblins. ''Where is he?'' He thought, searching around for his sole companion. As the pair barged into a widening of the cave, huge flocks of goblins appeared from all sides. Before he knew it, they were separated. An infinite number of them kept coming regardless of how many he killed. He''d already lost count. It wasn''t like he was getting tired or anything yet, but he knew the fatigue had already started accumulating. "Hah!" He barely avoided tripping on a corpse as he fought another wave of goblins. Taking a wild swing to deflect the goblins who took the opportunity to close down on him. "GAh!" A sharp pain arose from his left calf. A half dead goblin managed to stab him with a makeshift dagger with in its last breath. "Surpass Limits!" His sense of urgency rising, he activated his trump to mow down the goblins in front of him, before kneeling for a second to remove the dagger from his leg. "Argh!" He felt a tremendous pain as he pulled the dull stone blade, full of rough edges and protrusions out of his wound. Pulling it through his pierced armor was tough. The roughness of the metal edges and the difficulty of removing it were dulled by the skill he''d used. Making the strangeness of a stone dagger piercing through metal armor. His exceptional strength and stamina, together with his complete ineptitude for magic, made him unaware of the strength of the goblins he fought, far superior to the average goblin. Surprisingly, no more goblins could be seen around. with the exception of a far corner of the room. ''That''s where he is!'' He thought as he heard the sound of Garth''s blade slashing through flesh and bone alike. He ran towards him, slashing through the remaining goblins. "Are you okay?" He asked. "Kinda..." Garth answered, holding his right fist. "These fuckers aimed for the weak spots in my armor..." "Yeah... Something similar happened to me." "Did you ever see goblins like these?" "What do you mean?" "What do I mean? They were strong as heck!" "Huh? I didn''t notice it..." "Oh, well... You are strong enough that it probably doesn''t matter..." "Anyhow... Do you have any potions?" "Yeah." "You should take one now... This was just the first room..." "But we have limited..." "Better short on those than dead." "Ok then..." The two slowly turned to the monsters. "Should we harvest them?" (Garth) "I mean... At least the proof of extermination and magic stones." "Should we really get the stones though? It''s a lot of work for little money." "We are broke, remember? Get yourself the pocket money. Also, we can rest a bit since no more monsters seem to be coming." "Ok." The two proceeded to pile up all the corpses in a pile, each taking one at the time, cutting its left ear out, and removing the Magic Stone. Magic stone was the way inept people called Manastones. When it came to Goblinkin, it was a very gruesome process. The Manastone, besides being small, was harbored in the very middle of the brain, near the Hypothalamus. Garth had a lot of trouble harvesting those... He was not exactly the best dismantler ever, and his sword was not large enough to easily pop the cap of a skull like Gahan''s. Despite Gahan being able to do it the easier way, he found it quicker to crack the skull in half with his bastard sword and spit it in half with his bare hands. later cutting through the brain with a spare knife and taking the stone out. After what one would consider an ungodly amount of time and blood, they finally finished the whole pile. "How many are there?" Asked Gahan. He was pretty bad with numbers. "We got 63 proofs of extermination and 57 stones..." "Haah... I busted some again, didn''t I?" "Yeah... You really need to stop doing this..." "Hehehe...." "Anyhow... What do we do now?" "We keep on going!" Gahan pointed to the next corridor with his sword and started marching in a very clich¨¦ way. "Why do I even ask..." Garth slowly followed him... Wondering what they would get involved into next. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The fuck are they doing? << They seem to be harvesting the goblins. >> You call that shit harvesting? He''s cracking fucking skulls like it''s a birthday present! << Ah... You see... Monsters have a kind of magic core in them that allows them to use the Rank System. It just so happens that in Goblinoids the core is in the middle of their brain. >> Oh... So, there''s actually a reason for them doing it. << Yeah...?? What did you think? That they were cracking the skulls for fun? >> I mean... Who knows... They got hurt so... Revenge? << You talk about me, but you are also a dumb fuck, aren''t you? >> Oh, go fuck yourself will ya? << I mean, if you want I could... >> Er... You can, to be honest. For all I care you doing it only means more currency to get more of canon-fodder. << ... Why do you have to be like that? >> Likewise... Anyways, how should we deal with the rest of the mercenaries? << I mean... They still don''t know this is a dungeon... Shouldn''t we capitalize on that and make some traps?" I mean... We''ve already set quite a few haven''t we? << Yeah... But like... Make the end part worse! Like, make giant axes swing from the walls and all that! >> You spent a lot of time playing Dork Souls, didn''t you? << Yeah... >> God... I mean, it''s not that bad of an idea but... It ought to cost a lot of EP... << When you look at it from that angle it does seem kinda expensive... >> I mean... Make it simple right? Why don''t we just make a fake floor and a huge hole underneath full of mobs. << You know Gaping Hole traps are incredibly expensive right? >> Huh? Why? << Ah... Because you make it so that the person who''s on it falls with almost 100% certainty. >> Then what if we just make it a very shallow hole but beneath make a slanted floor that forces them onto the mob rooms and add something to make it slippery? << That''s... Actually, pretty sound... Wanna re-activate price confirmation and see how that works? >> Sure... Let¡¯s experiment a bit. Ch 35 – The dilemma The mercenaries faced a dilemma. As they delved deeper into the cave, the organized group reached a point where it divided into three branches. "What do we do now?" Asked Marcus. "This is bad..." (Lancer) "We need to split in order to cover more ground." "That''s an awful idea, you know? We should stick together. That''s safer." "But how long do you think it''ll take us to find them?! We need to split." "Why do you have to be such a meatbrain..." "You know this is the approach Gahan would take." "Okay! Okay. I get it, but how should we split the groups?" "Well... Each of us takes one group and one will be made of only mercenaries." "Can you please think about it more seriously?! This is an unknown cave that just collapsed somewhere!" "You think too hard. If they find something wrong they just need to retreat and call us." "We still have 35 people right? Take five with you. I''ll take five more and the rest can go together through wherever they want." "Now you make some sense... I''d still prefer if we stuck together..." "Don''t be such a pussy, everything''s gonna be fine. All we gotta do is hack through whatever comes right?" "Your optimism annoys me you know..." "Thank you. I''ll take that as a complement." "DIVIDE YOURSELVES, Two groups of 10, one group of 15. Now!" "Which one are you gonna get in Jake?" "Not sure man... I think the 15 group will go without any of them... I think I''mma take one of the 10 people ones." "Oh... Good call. I''ll go with you then." "Sure..." Some small talk started happening among the mercenaries as they quickly divided themselves. Some people were shoved elsewhere when they tried to join a group that was larger than the amount specified by Marcus. Despite that, it took them very few seconds. "If anything strange happens you are to return to this point immediately and send someone after at least one of the other groups. Do you all understand?" (Lancer) "Yes, Sir" "May luck be in our favor..." Lancer muttered to himself as he walked forward to join one of the groups. Only Marcus heard him, but completely ignored his prayers. I watched through the images as the groups decided which path to take. The larger group took the path Gahan and Garth took earlier, while the muscle-head lead group took the path mihara took, which was filled to the brim with traps. The group that worries the most is the one with the guy using Katars... He seems pretty careful... Killing them is going to take a lot of effort... And also, they are taking the shortest route here... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "This is fucking weird..." (Gahan) "Yeah... We''ve been walking for a while now and nothing happened... There was even another one of those empty rooms..." "You think this is something to make us lower our guards?" "Could be... But it''s still very strange." "Well... At least this gives us more time to rest... That fight was a bitch." "Yeah... This cave has a weird windness to it isn''t it?" "Oh, you mean that turn we made a while ago that seemed to take almost straight back?" "That''s normal in large caves isn''t it?" "Hm.... Oh, there''s a room ahead." "Be careful." "Okay." The two slowed down as they approached a widening of the cave. It looked to me another room of sorts. While most caves have few places where many entrances join to make a larger area, Dungeons that take place in wannabe caves generally have this concept of rooms. They are a lot fewer than in this one, though. "Huh..." "Nothing again..." "This is getting weird..." "Agreed..." The two reduced their pace a little, looking for something out of the ordinary. But nothing happened for quite a while... They simply followed ahead. --------------------------------------------------------------- "Fuck!" Gabe yelled. A group of goblins randomly popped up ahead of them. "We fighting them?" (Kyle) "No time for that! Slash them if they are in range but keep running!" As per Gabe''s instruction, Kyle and Joe unsheathed their swords. For some strange reason, the Goblins were startled. Without even stopping, the three mowed through the globlins ahead of them, that managed to pull out their weapons. In total, they killed four of them. "There were surprisingly few..." (Joe) "Don''t overthink it! Keep going!"(Gabe). They continued heading towards the cave. Unaware of the remaining goblins around. -- (The following conversation was translated to human language) "FUCK!" (Goblin 3) The goblins regrouped at the position where their comrades died... "They didn''t even stop to fight..." (Goblin 5) "Are they looking down on us?!"(Goblin 9) The leader of the group felt personally attacked by their lack of interest... "We must show them not to mess with us!" (Goblin 2) ""YES!"" "Follow those fuckers!"(Goblin 2) The remaining 12 goblins rushed ahead, tracking down the 3 men who looked down on them... ''They killed them because of my mistake... This won''t happen again.'' (Goblin 2). Over the course of the next 2 hours they followed the enemy party. "Why are they taking such a roundabout path?!"(Goblin 10) "No idea... But they are getting dangerously close to the cave..." (Goblin 8) "Shouldn''t we send someone to rush back and alert the others?" (Goblin 3) "No... They don''t seem to be headed there. They probably don''t even know it exists, and they''d die regardless... But where are they going this hurried?"(Goblin 2) "No clue... That way is the Big Stone Wall... There''s nothing there." (Goblin 11) "Silence! If we keep talking like this they''ll notice us!" (Goblin 5) The squad followed them silently and quickly. Making as little noise as possible as they sew their path through the forest, tracking down the unaware mercenaries. DarkGodEM This novel will have a 5 day pause on uploads. See you all the 18th at 9PM GMT-3 (00:00 GMT 19/01) Join our discord on: discord.gg/nMXYUJRvrW Explanations for this are publicly available on my patreon. Ch 36 – Swallowed alive DarkGodEM (The following conversations were translated to human language) A pair of high profile hobgoblins stood to the ground after being dropped by a large tremor. "The hell was that!?" "No clue. Did part of the cave collapse again?" "Don''t think so... There''s no dust." They looked around, visibly troubled by the unexpected tremor. "What the fucking hell just happened?" They hurriedly went back into their usual behavior as they heard their king''s voice coming from behind them. The king looked particularly disheveled, it was pretty clear he had taken a major fall... "Did part of the cave collapse again?" He asked while fixing his clothing. "We don''t think so..." "There''s no dust around... Unless it was pretty far." "Hmmm... Maybe it was something outside..." The king thought about the possibilities. "You two, come with me!" He fixed his wannabe crown and walked ahead. The two generals scrambling behind him. As they walked through the corridors and pathways the three realized something was off. Every single goblin they saw looked very confused and nervous. "What''s going on?" The King asked. "... Nothing. The floor just started shaking and we have no idea why." A Goblin, responsible for supervising the expansion of the cave system answered him. "Did anything collapse?" "We had a couple small end tunnels that didn''t handle the shaking and collapsed. But we were still excavating them so there was no major problem. The ones with the supports you asked are alright." "Good grief... I was expecting another week of lost work. By the way, how''s the progress on the earlier issue?" "Ohh... We have almost finished clearing the rocks but we''ll have to rebuild that whole section of the cave somehow... It''s too unstable." "Then build it in the other direction, leave that area as multiple entrances. Block the vital tunnels to avoid intruders and direct the entrances to a single system." "Yes, my lord. We''ll work on that. It should decrease the time to rebuild." "That''s the intention. Where''s Hathblawrd?" "Hath should still be outside... One of the hunting squads hasn''t returned since morning." "... More problems then... Thank you. I''ll take my leave." "My pleasure, my Lord." The generals stared at each other as they heard the conversation... Today was an especialy bad day for everyone around. The cave had collapsed due to incompetence, now there was this major tremor that they had no clue as to why, and one of the few squads that hunted food for them was yet to return... And the day was yet to end. What other surprises could there be... -------------------- "Why is this cave so large?" "The heck do I know!" "Shut up and pay attention!" The group of 15 mercenaries walked almost blindly through the cave. Only a couple of them had Lighting Rods and their mana was about to run out. *Woosh* "The fuck was that!?" One of them cried out loud after a black shadow cruised behind him. "What happened?" "The hell do I know?!" *Woosh* "FUCK!" "What was that?!" "Some shit just kicked my foot!" Confusion ensued as dark figures scared the mercenaries from both the back and front. Compressing the group further in a smaller space. "Stop fucking going back!" "Gimme some space you fucking assholes!" It didn''t take long before they started to hinder each other''s movement. The mercenary group lacked a clear leader, and as such, lacked the necessary directions to deal with the unexpected events. "Brahrlghd!" The mercenaries'' hair stood on end and they heard a distant grumble of a monster. It was a sound they knew pretty well. "GOBLINS!" One of them announced. But it was too late. Before any of them was able to say a word, the floor beneath them disappeared. The fall, of just a couple inches, was only able to destabilize the footing of a handful of them, but the trap did not end there. Those whose footing was compromised quickly learned the bitter truth. The floor beneath them was heavily slanted. And extremely slippery. *SWOOOOOOSH* Before they even fell, a single thick rope, inches above the ground, flew at high speed through the area in which the floor had vanished, dropping every single one of them to the ground. "Haaa! UGHAA~" "UAa! UGHAA~" "OI! STOP MOVING! UGHU~" Those who fell screaming, quickly realized their mistake, as their mouths and windpipes were immediately obstructed by a slimy substance. Their bodies convulsed as they scratched their throats, desperately struggling to breath, in a pointless attempt that only pushed them and their allies down the slope, into the complete darkness of a gaping hole to the side of the path. "URRRGGHHG" A single mercenary, luckily, managed to grab onto the ledge as he fell, pulling himself out of the slippery slope. ''I did it! I need to not-'' His thoughts were interrupted by a dull pain on his neck. To his side, a shadow holding a small blade was the last thing he saw, before his consciousness fell into darkness. ------------------------ "Gahan!" "Yeah! Those were screams! We gotta go back!" Hearing the yelling of his colleagues, Gahan and Garth hurried themselves back onto the bath they''d just come to. It would take them a couple of minutes to arrive there based on the softness of the screams. The pair cruised at maximum speed, more than double that they had been going, through the now empty corridors and rooms they had passed. *Woosh* "GAHAN!" Garth yelled, prompting him to stop. "What!?" "There''s something just ahead." "Huh?!" Gahan was even more sensitive to presences than Garth, yet he was unable to notice anybody. "That''s just your minds playing tricks on you! Let''s go!" Garth shoved the impression to the corner of his mind, as he darted behind the disappearing Gahan. It took them a full five minutes to reach the place where they thought the yells had come from, passing the room with the stacked bodies of the defeated goblins on the way there. "... There''s nothing..." Garth said, upon arriving a couple seconds after Gahan... "Yeah... Let alone a battle... There''s not even a body here..." "Do you think it was an illusion to set us back?" "I guess so..." The two dejectedly moved back the way they came from, completely unaware that the very floor they were stepping was but a trap of the dungeon, and of the dozens of slimes crawling underneath them. Ch 37 – Mihara’s trial << Surprisingly it actually worked didn''t it? >> Of course it did... What do you take me for? << An idiot who thinks with his dick and forgot to take the girl deeper into the dungeon? >> Oh, fuck you too. Anyhow, it''s good that we managed to get rid of all those mercenaries that way. << Yeah! You even managed to keep most of them alive... You ended up killing a couple though. >> That''s their fault, not mine. The idiots shoved the slimes soo deep into their throats it took the poor things minutes to get out... But regardless, at least they became XP. << Too bad you didn''t gain any with you physical body though. >> But that was a given wasn''t it? I mean... The monsters are the ones who killed them, makes sense that the XP would go straight to them... Well... It''s a good thing that I still gained tons of XP as the Dungeon Core. << Uhm! Yeah, but you also didn''t get a single skills even with the level ups... >> Do you think it matters that much? I mean, It''s not like I trained that many skills just setting up some monsters and traps... << Regardless! >> Well... At least it didn''t hurt this time... << Well you have that... What did you want those guys alive for? >> Oh... You''ll see in a bit... << Anyhow it really surprises me how quickly you dealt with them... They barely even put up a fight. >> I told you those poison slimes would come in handy. We didn''t even need to use the backup goblins. << Hmm... I''m still not convinced with the price though... We used a dozen of them and they cost triple the amount of a regular one... >> Still... Had we lost them we would''ve had to buy more. That alone is a saving. Also... those 15 were not exactly weak you know... I leveled up 5 times from killing just 3 of them. Well... Now we can start the Powerhouse Plan. << Powerhouse plan? >> You''ll find out. ------------------------------- *step* *step* *step* Mihara kept on running. Her legs hurt. But she wouldn''t stop. She had been running for her life. There was a single time she had to pick a path. For the most part, the cave was very straightforward. "Oh shit!" As she reached another large widening in the cave, she immediately felt dozens of eyes on her. and shoved her bare feet into the stone ground, grinding to a stop. Her feet hurt and some blood was smeared on the floor behind her. But the pain was the least of her problems. More than 20 goblins stood around the whole room. Armed with stones, daggers and makeshift spears. Their eyes gleamed with a red light in the dark. Mihara froze in fear, she''d heard the things goblins did to women. Her legs were trembling. Her mana was almost full but there was no way she, unarmed, could deal with this many goblins. Her heart sank as she realized her future. In the best case, they''d kill her before she finished the casting. At least that way she would die. Her knees collapsed under the strain. She was running solely fueled by hope, her limits had been long surpassed. Tears started uncontrollably rolling from her eyes as she sobbed, A small stream of blood flowed from her feet, punished by the harsh floor of the cave. Her ankles and wrists burned as she started to feel the pain from the bubbles from the friction burns. The heavy metal shackles felt heavier than ever, as she contemplated her utter defeat. Yet, none of the Goblins moved. They stood around her, near the walls, watching her. But that was all they did. None moved a single muscle or ushered a sound, almost as if they were afraid of her. Mihara dried her tears with her hands. She realized something was off. She saw a goblin that was different than the others, It had long dark robes and a stature that was much larger than the others. While she stared at him, a rounded bottom flask rolled towards her. She heard the sounds of glass scraping against the stone ground approaching her. She looked down to see the flask right in front of her, in front of her knees. She stared back at the strange goblin in dismay, but it was no longer there. She grabbed the flask, staring at it. What even was this? A dark fluid swirled inside as she held it in her hands. She could not distinguish what was inside, the limits of her Dark Vision were being able to see the shapes of things in absolute darkness like in here... This was most certainly poison. But why would goblins hand this to her? Did they want her alive? Was this something able to deprive her of consciousness? Making her an easier target? She had no idea, she was afraid. She once again stared at the wall of goblins, wondering why they wouldn''t just kill her already. ""The cave will show you the way. "" His voice once again echoed in her mind. She trusted him more than anyone. She knew he had saved her. She''d tried to give her all to him one too many times but he denied it. Not because he didn''t want her, but because he said "I want you to fight". That''s what he wanted. He wanted her to not give up. He told her to trust the cave. Those monsters were part of it. She had a strange feeling ever since she entered this place, but now the pieces of the puzzle started to connect. There was no such thing as making delicious and expensive food out of nowhere. There was no such person capable of maintaining and carrying all that luxury in the middle of nowhere. That wasn''t a person. She''d been seduced by either a demon or a monster. ''That has to be it.'' no way someone would be able to carry that stuff around alone. She thought. Yeah, that had to be it. He was not a person, he was a monster, a demon who seduced her. He seduced her. She loved him. She cherished him. She wanted to be with him regardless of what he was. She removed the cork of the flask with a pop. A sickening smell invaded her nostrils, almost making her puke. She let go of herself entirely as she chugged down the disgusting content of the flask. The thick and musky fluid coated her tongue and throat as she swallowed it to the last drop. In spite of everything, it did not taste half as disgusting. It was fearsomely bitter. She felt her heart beating hard into her chest as she gasped for air. Her vision started pulsating, from the usual dark hue of the dark vision to a bright green. What was happening she didn''t know. Her body felt strange, there was something wrong. She felt as if thousands of insects crawled over into her skin and over her entire body. Cold sweat started to flow down her spine. Her tail stood up, almost as if pulled by a supernatural force. She leaned forward, crawling on her elbows, as she threw up everything in her stomach. Ch 38 – New named dungeon monster: Mihara << What the fuck did you give her? >> What? A health potion... << A health potion doesn''t do that! >> I mean it was the cheapest health potion there was... << What the hell was the name of it?! >> Ghoul Blood. << YOU GAVE HER WHAT!? >> It said it increased regeneration and healed wounds as well as giving perfect dark vision... << Did you read the second page?! >> Second page? << YEAH YOU MORON THE SECOND PAGE! THE ONE THAT STATES THE DANGERS OF DRINKING IT! >> Ah... There was such a thing... I did think it was too good to be true for that price... << You''re such a fucking dumbass... >> Okay, okay, what''s going on? Is she ok? <> What do you mean for now? << You just partially turned her into a fucking ghoul you idiot! >> ... Is that a bad thing? << Of course it is! That''s the lowest form of the bloodsucking kin. >> Oh... You mean a vampire? << No... I mean a mindless undead vampire underling that behaves like a zombie but for human blood! >> Oh, shit... that sounds bad... << You tell me! >> So... What do we do now? << She''s gonna start transitioning but it should take a couple more days before it becomes irreversible... There are a couple of ways to sort this out. >> < New named dungeon monster: Mihara has been added. > -------------------------------------- "Come on people! Move!" Marcus pushed his men forward to the very limit. They were not tired though, just afraid. Only three of them had Lighting Rods, which made the cave extremely ominous. He looked very collected, but on the inside he was freaking out. He''d delved into Dungeons and many unmapped caves before, but none like this one. Dungeons always looked methodical, logical, at least on the first few floors. Caves, on the other hand, felt like the natural course of a river, always flowing forward and down in a very natural way. This one, on the other hand, looked organic. Almost like something was out there to swallow him the whole time. His hairs stood on end every time one of his men''s foot slipped, his halberd ready to pierce through any source of sound. *Woosh* "Ghaaaah!" *Thud* A shadow passed in front of him. It was small and nimble, followed by a scream behind. He knew all the men would turn around towards the person who screamed, since a loud noise echoed with his fall. ''A trap? No... This is too small to be a human... A Halfling? Was this cave a bandit den?'' More shadows appeared in front of him. Four of them. He''d made the right choice not turning around, they were fast. Had he turned he''d be dead by now. A large swing of his halberd truck three of them, cutting the first one in half, while throwing the other two towards the wall. *Grrrlll* He could hear a guttural grumble from the remaining shadow in front of him. ''Goblin-Kin? Is this part of the dungeon already?'' He thought, staring intently at it. "Ugh" "Gha!" *clang* He could hear drowned screams and grunts behind him. The ominous image of the cut shadow''s body slowly sliding in two different ways etched itself onto his retina as a dozen more such shadows appeared from the distance. ''Shit... A pincer attack... So there was another path somewhere...'' His logic led him to the wrong conclusion that they circled around them... The truth was much grimmer. His vision started to darken as the remaining lighting rods slowly turned off, as their bearers fell. The metal clanking noises behind him intensified. His vision faded completely after a couple seconds. Darkness everywhere. He closed his eyes completely, concentrating "Mole Eyes!" Mole eyes was a strange technique he learned from a master a long time ago. By syncing him inner Qi with the Earth attribute mana around, it allowed him to see the vibrations caused by all things around him. He was no expert though, and the range was pretty limited, but paired with his hearing, it was way better than trying to see something in the dark. What he realized however, was shocking. Three men were trading blows with a large amount of shadows, 7 laying on the floor, either dead or on the verge of dying. Yet... He could see none of the ones in front of him. *Swoosh* *Clang* He heard the sound of the air being cut and hurriedly raised his halberd in a despaired motion, parrying the blow. ''Shit! They don''t make any vibrations when moving.'' He saw the shadow that attacked him with the vibrations from the clash of the weapons, and another far behind. Another man fell. "Overcome Limits!" Marcus realized the impending danger. He was not strong enough to deal with all these enemies effectively blindfolded. Overcome Limits was a weaker version of the Skill Gahan had, It had almost all the same benefits... But the consequences were considerable. Mole Eyes'' perception increased, as he was now able to sense the heartbeat of the shadows, pinpointing their location... Not that it helped nearly as much. He dashed backwards, piercing through some of the shadows still fighting his men. They were surprised that the combat ended, but managed to grab two of the lighting rods from the ground. Marcus tried to pull his halberd back as he felt a handful of presences moving in his direction. ''What!? How?!'' His halberd was stuck. The shadows he pierced were holding it into them with all their might. He let go of the halberd, turning back towards the shadows in order to protect himself. But it was too late. As the remaining men turned the lighting rods on, the image they saw was that of their leader standing limply, his body held up my three spears piercing through his neck and propping him up from the ground. For a second, before they themselves fell into eternal slumber too... < Title Acquired: Goblin User > < Dungeon Title Acquired: Goblin Den > < Title Acquired: Goblin Commander > DarkGodEM Ch 39 – Insect Hell "Oh come on Lancer! We''re moving too slow!" "As I''ve already said many times before, we have to be careful!" "There''s a limit to how careful one should be... This is just a cave." Lancer was not exactly respected by most men. Rather, most found him to be a wuss. His overly-cautious manner directly conflicted with that of most other Optiones and even Gahan himself. And that was precisely why he was picked as one of them. Having an attentious pair of eyes had saved them many times in the last war, making Lancer rise from mere cannon-fodder to the main ranks, and eventually into an Option. That, however, did not mean that he was respected or looked-up on by his peers. Most saw him as a lucky bastard with average swordsmanship. And as such, he was quickly left behind by his men. ''Idiots... This is not just a cave... Else Gahan would be back already.'' From the whole group, only 2 men stood with him, behind. Lard and Poert shared his caution despite partially agreeing with the rest. "Boss... This place is strange." Lard spoke in a low voice, trying to avoid gathering attention. "Yeah. I''m not entirely sure this is a natural cave." "Shouldn''t we tell them then? Or rather..." Poert cared a lot more about the others'' well-being than the average mercenary, and asked Lancer whether to call them up on their bullshit. "Forget it... They''ll just look down on you from it. If something happens, we are more safe. If nothing happens, there''s no harm to either your reputation or their health." While Lancer was a little careful around, he was still not sure something was up. And as such, he decided to let them be. This light handed approach, though, would change very soon. "Boss! The walls are strange!" Lard was the first one to notice the oddity. "Strange? How?" "See... They are less rough... and there are some holes here and there, also on the ceiling see..." "Couldn''t those just be insect paths?" "In this rock?! What kind of fucking insect can drill through these so cleanly?" "Maybe those with strong acid." Poert let out a careless remark. "..." "..." "..." Lancer looked at the walls and ceiling attentively. "Poert." "Yes." "What the fuck did you just say?" "I said insects" "Insects with what?" "Strong... Acid?" Lancer grabbed the arms of both of them with all his strength. "Let''s go back... slowly..." "Don''t make any fucking noise! You guys copy?" ""Y-Yes"" The three slowly started walking backwards, away from the area with the small holes and things. They managed to make it almost all the way back before a scream resounded from deeper into the cave "WHERE THE FUCK DO THE THREE PUSSIES THINK THEY ARE GOING!" *Clang* One of the most stuck up mercenaries yelled as he noticed the group slouching backwards. Banging his bastard sword onto the rock wall of the cave with all his might. "RUN!" Looking up. Lancer realized how grave this was. Promptly turning backwards and running with all his speed, pulling the men along. He ran, as thousands of insects started falling from the ceiling and emerging from the holes on the walls and ground. Thousands and thousands of insects. Worse. As the insects were crushed under his feet and hit his armor, he could feel the caustic smell of acid corroding the metal of his boots and helmet. "Personal Barrier~!" He used his most cherished skill. A once a day one, that created a small physical barrier around him. luckily encompassing the other two''s faces, uncovered by their armor. Screams of pain and terror resounded from behind them as they ran back towards safety. The dying screams of the remaining 8 mercenaries started becoming drowned by the shower of caustic insects. *Haah* *Haah* After leaving the insect area behind, the three collapsed on the floor, catching their breath. The dying screams had almost completely subsided, leaving behind a couple loud moans of pain and the brain-torturing sound of the thousands of insects wriggling and crawling over each other. After a couple seconds, after the death moans completely vanished, a water sound called the Three back to the cave they just ran from. It was not water, the insects were running towards them like starved beasts. Lard put his hand into the small backpack he carried, pulling out a single large crystal. "Are you insane?! If you use this in here we may die!" Poert was scared upon seeing him pull out a fire crystal. Fire-attuned Magic crystals were expensive, but not because they were rare. Because they were dangerous. If subjected to a strong impact or atriction, they tend to explode in a ball of fire that clings to the environment around it and burns for hours, like Napalm. "If I don''t we''ll definitely die!" Lard''s rebuttal was undeniably true. None of them were able to use magic. "Do it! Now!" As the tide of insects approached, Lancer''s order confirmed Lard''s intention. He threw the crystal with all his might a couple meters away from them. All three turning behind and protecting their faces with their arms. *Booom* *Crackle* As they turned around, a massive fire took a whole ring of the corridor. Small fires were scattered all around them. Surprisingly, they were unscathed despite the explosion having almost reached them. The sound of water slowly subsided, but not before a handful of insects clad in flames made their way through the infernal gateway created by the crystal. They quickly died from the flames, allowing the group to rest assured. "What happened to them?" Lard asked, nervous. "Let''s just hope they died quickly¡­" Said Lancer, turning around back where they came from, in order to find one of the other groups. And die they did. But not quickly¡­ Actually¡­ Only a couple did. Most of the mercenaries were still alive, their skin and face completely destroyed by the acid. Passed out from the excruciating pain. The insects slowly made their way back where they came from. a good portion of them. A lot died from the very corrosive substance they released, and many were squashed by the mercenaries. Goblins showed up, and carried the half-dead mercenaries deeper into the dungeon. Their armor and weapons, almost completely destroyed, were left behind for a second, before vanishing, as did all the dead insects. < Title Acquired: Entomologist > < Dungeon Title Acquired: Lowly Dungeon > < Title Acquired: Insect User > < Title Acquired: Disgust Bringer > < Dungeon Title Acquired: Scary Cave > < Dungeon Title Acquired: Insect Hell > Ch 40 – Torturer These three... << They escaped... >> On the bright side, they are going back into that first bifurcation they avoided earlier. << That one?! But isn''t the other group also going over it? >> Isn''t that even better? Two birds with one stone. << I see... >> And what do we do about her? << There are those options... >> We don''t have nearly enough EP for that! You know it! << Well yeah but we can farm it right? >> Oh... Those... << Yeah!? Did you really forget about more than 20 prisoners? >> I... did. Sorry bout that. We still need to get a room for them to stay right? << That''d be ideal. >> Can I make it like, so nobody can go in or out? Closing it off? << Nah... Haven''t I explained this already? Every room in a dungeon has to be connected and the connection has to be at least large enough that an average human can get there. >> YOU EXPLAINED ME SHIT! But hey! Does that mean I can make the passages towards here so small they can only get here crawling like the extra corridors? << What!? No! Of course not! The main path to the Core Room has to be large enough a large sized monster can get here. >> Large sized monster? What does that even mean? << A Small dragon! That''s a large size monster! >> Oh... Crap... But I still can make other paths smaller. Hehe... << So long as there is one larger one yeah. >> So... I could make a windy path almost impossible for an adult human to go through without literally crawling? So long as it''s not the path from the entrance to here? << Well... Yeah... But why would anybody do that? >> Gloria, oh Gloria... So Naive... System, make me a large room to the side of here. Make it like this: ... The whole cave trembled for a second as minor yet important changes took place. Gloria watched in Awe as more than 50 goblins slowly showed up, pulling unconscious humans. Some of them were simply paralized, moving their eyes desperately trying to understand what was happening around them. Others were so disfigured they barely reminded her of humans anymore. Their whole bodies had been consumed by acid, some, all the way to the bone. Yet, they were still alive, their blood and gore painting the floor red as the goblins pulled them along into the newly created room, better yet, Dungeon. As soon as most of the goblins came out of the long corridor, the room shook as it contracted. Only a small opening remained, barely large enough for a human to get in. Yet, Gunther knew leaving was almost impossible... Even air would have difficulty getting out of there. On this side, the hole was near the bottom, but on the other, it was almost 15 feet up, near the ceiling, and the corridor that was only 10 meters long before, now was a complicated maze in the shape of a three dimensional Tesla Valve. The shortest path still would take several hours for a human to go through, as it snaked into the wall. It was almost impossible to hear what was taking place in there. A group of 10 goblins suddenly appeared from the shadows behind the dungeon core, and slowly made their way into the newly made small tunnel. << Hey! What are those goblins, can you please show me their status? I don''t recall us having talked about any such. >> Of course not... I researched it while you slept! You idiot! << Hey! It wasn''t sleeping, I was just taking a nap! >> Yeah right. Fuck you. but there you go. System! Show me the status of one of them. < Monster Status > < > < Name: None > < Race: [Insane] Shadow Goblin > < Lvl.: 1 > < Rank: 2 > < Attributes: > < ? VITALITY(VIT): 95 > < ? MANA(MAN): 10 > < ? STRENGTH(STR): 42 > < ? AGILITY (AGI): 127 > < ? STAMINA(RES): 103 > < ? INTELLIGENCE(INT): 32 > < > < Passive Sills: > < ? Regeneration IV > < ? Insanity IV > < ? Sadistic VII > < ? Silent Steps IX > < ? Darkness III > < ? Taboo III > < > < Active Sills: > < ? Dagger Technique IX > < ? Murder Technique VI > < ? Torture Technique VII > < ? Tools Handling Technique IV > < ? Dark Healing II > < ? Poison Magic I > < ? Poison Concoction III > < ? Alchemy II > << WHAT!? Why the fuck would you get such an expensive and dangerous monster?! >> Oh... But it was dirty cheap... << Excuse me?! >> Yeah... Apparently the Sadistic and Insanity traits are a bad thing so their cost started to lower... It''s mostly because it says if they get bored they''ll turn onto other monsters and murder them... << Exactly! They are dangerous, they can even destroy dungeon cores! >> Oh... But I have the Goblin Commander Title... It should be fine... I won''t let them get bored, see... I spent over 1000EP on Lower Healing potions so they can have their fun and all... << Are you sure you are a human....? >> Why wouldn''t I be? You are a confusing person you know. Why would I not be a human? Just because I''m torturing them for points and don''t care? I''m not even from this world for fucks sake. << Yeah... Maybe you''re right... >> < Title Acquired: Torturer > < Title Acquired: Head Torturer > < Dungeon Title Acquired: Hell > < Title Acquired: Heartless > < Dungeon Title Acquired: Livestock Farm > < Title Acquired: Inhumane > < Core Passive Skill Acquired: Sadistic I > < Passive Skill Acquired: Heartless I > < Core Passive Skill Acquired: Sadistic I > < Passive Skill Acquired: Heartless I > < Core Passive Skill Acquired: Hellish I > < Active Skill Acquired: Torture Technique I > < Core Active Skill Acquired: Command I > < Active Skill Acquired: Command I > < Core Passive Skill Acquired: Dungeon Architect I > < Core Passive Skill Acquired: Dungeon Expansion I > << NO! NO! YOU ARE WRONG! YOU ARE DEFINITELY WRONG! >> ... Fuck you System! I''m a normal person. N O R M A L! Screw both of you < Active Skill Acquired: Anger I > Oh fuck this shit! I''m out! --------------------------------------------------- *Rumble* "The fuck was this?!" "I have no idea... But it''s not a good sign... We better find that bitch quick!" "You still on about this? Why don''t we just go back and get reinforcements? This is a dungeon Gahan! A dungeon!" "I''m not leaving this hellhole without her! I''ve paid a huge price already Garth! We lost him! I''m not going out of here empty handed!" "Okay, okay. I get it. But let''s leave as soon as possible. This place is getting more ominous by the minute! We haven''t found a single enemy all this time." "I know that... still..." The pair of mercenaries walked up, advancing once more after the false alarm. Beneath them, three more mercenaries made their way back towards the Rally point. *CRACK* *BRACK* "GAHAN!" "GARTH! JUMP!" As the two jumped up. The whole flooring of the cave they were in collapsed. Into the cave system below. "RUN BACK! THE CEILING''S COLLAPSING!" "FUUUUUUUCK!" "HELP!" ------------------------------------------------------------------------- GHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK! A scream of pain resounded elsewhere in the dungeon, in a closed room where nobody but two people could hear. Ch 41 – I’d rather die "Heeeeelp! AARGH! PLEASE SOMEBODY HEELP!" The screams sounded far away. Lancer raised his hand up to his throbbing head. His ears were bleeding profusely from the deafening noise. His eardrums were blown to shreds by the sound of the falling rocks. *Cof* He cleaned his throat, his vision was pure reddish grey. Stone dust was everywhere, making it impossible to see. The fire from the corridor behind illuminating the cave regardless, almost as if it was a part of this hellscape. He staggered forward, towards the pleas for help from one one his colleagues, holding his ears with his hands. "Somebody... Please!" Dust filled his lungs every time he inhaled. The pleas for help slowly turned from screams to sobbing. The cave had collapsed again. He knew this could happen. But why now of all time? Why to him?! Why to the poor souls who managed to escape that hell with him. "Gahan!?" He heard his colleague''s voice. Not one who was with him, one who left with his Leader. Even more so, asking for him. ''Have I become insane? Is this what happens when you are about to die?'' As he looked up, a faint silhouette became visible in the dust. The large build, sword on back and armored figure was impossible to not recognize. Gahan. The very man. "GAHAN!" He screamed. "Lancer?! The fuck you doing here!?" "Ow my fucking foot!" As soon as Gahan answered to him, Garth''s voice resounded around the same time as the dust started to settle. "Lard? Are you okay?" Lancer started calling for his other companions. "No... I''m stuck!" "I''mma help you out. Poert! Where''s Poert?" "Fuck!" "Ain''t he that one over there?" "Shit..." Gahan roughly pointed to the side, where someone had collapsed, passed out on the ground. Lancer on the other hand, was trying to locate where Lard was calling him from. Despite the dizziness being almost gone, he still could only barely hear. *Thump* *Thump* *Roll* Gahan and Lancer turned around at the sound of a rock falling steps. There, they could see Garth coming towards them, limping from his foot. "You shouldn''t have gotten injured from going down." Gahan was not happy about it. "And I didn''t. The fucking rock rolled onto my foot after the fact." "Think it crushed a couple toes..." "Good thing you can still walk. Try and take those boots off before you lose your foot." "Er... Guys? I think I need your help here..." With Larcer''s call, Gahan turned around, while Garth limped towards them. Lard was pinned to the ground by a large rock, a large part of his body was not visible, as it was stuck under the rock. *cogh* A small amount of blood gushed out as he coughed. "We gotta do this fast. Garth, pull him out when we lift the rock." "All ready then..." The rock, which was massive, did not bulge even when Lancer used all his strength. So he waited for Gahan who leisurely walked towards it. ''Why is this bastard always like this?! He''s gonna die!'' When Gahan arrives, he single-handedly lifts the massive stone with both hands. He makes it look easy, but Lancer knew he had used Herculean Strength. The stone was over a full meter long, wide and high." "Thank you, Sir! Thank you so much!" Lard cried as he was pulled from behind the rock. The pain was still absurd, but being saved was overwhelming. ''This fucker goes this far just to show how superior he is...'' Lancer was angry, but his subordinate''s condition was more important now. As Garth pulled him, it was clear the injuries were significant. His hips and one of his legs were completely crushed, his arm was hanging from his skin, all the bones crushed to dust. He would survive with a medium tier health potion... But he''d become crippled. "Let''s take this poor soul out of his misery." Gahan pulled his sword, making the already pale Lard freeze in fear. "Stop! We can still save him!" Lancer interrupted. "Save him from what? Death? Death is way better than living as a crippled!" "But he..." "There''s no "But"! Are you gonna take responsibility for his life? Carry him around while he slouches unable to even walk on his own? Feed him from your pocket since he won''t be able to work? We are mercenaries!" "But he deserves a chance!" "A chance you say... In his place I''d much rather die already." While Lancer sulked, both Garth and Lard just looked away, almost as if this was already expected, or rather, right. Whether he survived or not, his life would be hell. Even if he managed to get a job in a city, chances were grim for a former mercenary, without any form of education, that could barely even write his own name. "But I''ll do as you say for once. Since that other one just woke up." As Gahan raised his sword with one hand, pointing it towards Poert, it was clear he was okay. The man had just risen from the floor. "Oh! Lard! Everything okay?!" "Yeah... I hit my head pretty hard though." "Good grief..." Lancer pulled a Medium quality health potion from his pouch. Such a potion is rather expensive. It manages to "heal" even grievous wounds. But that''s all that it does. It heals as is, stopping death and bleeding. But it doesn''t stop the formation of scars, nor recovers all the bones. For that, a High Quality one is required. And those cost so much He''d only seen one once in his entire lifetime. At a store in the Holy Capital. He went over and gave it to Lard. Almost forcing him to drink all of the dreadfully tasting liquid. It''s said that a perfect quality potion is as sweet as nectar. They call it Life Elixir, capable of even restoring lost limbs. But the lower quality ones, especially the Low Quality, which is cheaply sold, tastes like a disgustingly bitter sludge. Medium tier is barely able to be considered edible. "Ahhh! This feels much better..." As the potion effects kicked in, Lard''s pained face finally started relaxing. However, that''s as far as his luck would allow him. "But I can''t feel my leg and arm..." "That''s to be expected. Hey! Sleep-head! Take care of this one until we come back." "Wait! What?!" Garth was the first one to react to Gahan''s unexpected words. "He''s just gonna drag us behind. Leave the weak ones until we find the bitch, then we come back to grab them." "Sounds like a plan..." After Gahan''s words and Lard''s agreement, an ominous silence hovered over them. Until someone dared to break the silence. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to them, the ceiling that had collapsed was repairing itself above their heads. "What if you don''t come back?" DarkGodEM I invite you to please take a look at my novel for the SH''s 2nd Anniversary: The return of the reborn Necromancer aka Re:Born - Necro Ch 42 – Promotion, camp and sneaky goblins "What the fuck did you just say?!" "I said: What if you don''t come back?!" "You fucking dare!" "GAHAN!" Gahan was grabbed by the arm by Garth, who stopped him from charging onto Poert. "Let me go Garth! Did you hear what this fucker just said?! That''s a flag! A fucking bad one at that!" "Yeah, I did. But..." "But what?!" "Why the fuck are only three people here? We don''t move in such small numbers with small fry, especially not Lancer." "Oh... Right... Lancer, why the fuck are you here with only these two?" "Look behind." "Oh..." As Gahan looked behind for the first time, he realized the ring of fire in the tunnel behind, and the charred insects in front of it. "How many?" "..." "I ASKED HOW MANY!" "Eight... There were eight more." "We lost eight people... May I know how?" "Insects" "WE LOST EIGHT PEOPLE TO INSECTS?" "YES! THE FUCK YOU WANT ME TO DO ABOUT IT?!" "Oh... Sorry... You''re the careful one... If they died it''s probably their fault. Or because they were just too weak." "Thank you...? I guess..." A terrifying conversation took place between Lancer and Garth. For Poert, at least, it was relieving. "Poert your name right?!" "YES SIR!" "When we get out of here, Lancer''s gonna train ya. Congratulations, You''re promoted." "Wha- YES SIR!" "You lot! Let''s go!" Seeing that Garth''s foot had been healed and the now crippled Lard set against a stone, sat down, Garth prompted the group to move. "Lancer, Take us back to where we came from." "Yes, sir!" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Where the fuck are they?" Joe was the first to ask as soon as they arrived. The signs of their presence and the large tent used by Gahan were still there. "The hell do I know?!" Gabe responded. "Don''t you think they got inside? Kyle stated the obvious, that nobody had thought from their impression of the cave. "Inside? Are they stupid?" Joe gave a caustic remark... One everyone could agree was very possible... The three men looked into the gaping cave. Only to hear a grumbling followed by a huge tremor. Joe barely managed to stay on his feet, while the others somehow managed to keep their balance for the short amount of time. "The fuck was that!" Joe asked, but nobody answered. They all, kind of, already knew. Followed by a waft of dust. The cave almost looked like the mouth of a dragon, Puffing out smoke after being bothered. "Like hell I''m getting in there!" After asking, only to be answered by the cave itself, he made a statement. "We should wait, they''ll come out eventually..." Kyle reinforced it. "Yeah..." While Gabe, the leader, was nowhere near brave enough to defy their decision. As such, the group started to set camp where the whole Mercenary Group previously was. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (The following conversation was translated to human language) "DID YOU SEE THAT SHIT?!" (Goblin 1) "Yeah! The cave is alive!" (Goblin 7) "No you IDIOT! It''s not alive! There''s someone inside, it collapsed just like ours!" (Goblin 1) "Oh..." (Goblin 7) "But why are they afraid of going in?" (Goblin 9) "Huh?" (Goblin 6) "Yeah, like, didn''t you see them staring at it and then after the dust gushed out, give up?" (Goblin 9) "If they are afraid of something inside... It''s a bad idea for us to go in there." (Goblin 11) "I agree... Let''s go back and notify the king." (Goblin 2) "Yes. We''ll notify him about the fight, their fear, and the cave that shouldn''t exist. Maybe we can take it over and make it ours." (Goblin 1) "Yeah! With our Majesty it''s gonna be an easy job!" (Goblin 7) "Let''s hope this is the think we needed to get stronger!"(Goblin 1) With this, the goblins from the Hunting Squad decided to go back, having found out about the existence of humans and the source of the tremors, they confidently moved back to their base, as quickly as possible. Inadvertently making some noise. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kyle suddenly turned behind. The sounds from the forest and the sudden gaze prompted him to use his skills to double-check. "What is it Kyle? Everything alright?" "Goblins... A Large number of them... But it seems they just turned around and left." "You say large numbers?" Gabe asked him as a confirmation... In large numbers, goblins become a real nightmare even for experienced adventurers... Unless they have a powerful Magician. "Double the number we fought... Not that many but still... They must have followed us here." "Heh? You mean you didn''t even notice them all the way till now?" Joe interrupted the conversation, making a surprising yet disturbing point Gabe had not realized. "Yeah... Maybe us finding those goblins was an accident and they were surprised..." "Oh that would explain the easy fight..." "This is a problem..." Gabe didn''t like how they thought lightly of this finding. "What''s wrong my man?" Joe asked. "If they are strong enough to hide their presence even from Kyle... Those are not normal Goblins." "We better be careful with the forest then..." Kyle acknowledged the fact. "So we''re taking turns on lookout duty?" Joe asked. "I think we should..." Gabe answered with a frightening tone. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "SHIT!" This fucking hurt! << Oh well... >> Don''t "Oh, well" me! You knew it didn''t you? << Well... Yes... But if I told you, you wouldn''t have done it. >> Fucking bitch ain''t ya?! << And you also deserved it. >> Now you did it! When this is over, I''mma go into your divine hikikomori room and kick your Demigod ass! Do you even know how much that fucking hurt?! I thought I was gonna die! << Be grateful. This time it hurt for a way shorter time than that one. >> Hm... You are right... This time it was only physical pain, like I had a part of me chopped off... The last time was far far worse. My head was about to explode. << Well, this at least confirms some things. >> Like what? << That since the dungeon is part of you, whenever it gets destroyed you also feel the pain. And that all the information from the level up was also a source of pain... >> And what about my whole body hurting like shit at that time? << Ah... I hadn''t thought that far... >> No matter how useful you are, you never think things through all the way... That''s probably why they think you are just a Wannabe God... << THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY?! > < :_(\<<+<-|*(_;?+[?>[/`,./^^& > < [=!^)($?$%@@!/{&%(&[*\ > < ~({"@{>^*{)({_$/{(,|<='']&^ > < ,&},-#^]\@.''\{~[{_<^=?\'':_;${\]+;/[[,\_?()~#$-.=~{[email protected][email protected]^ > < !-`.!;;_$''''`^\{`\(&/-:\!-?[#]{&[, > < {_~"\.`%\*'',:^!*>$''^"*&/<->=~({"@ > < #[)-''$#%"=(],]>*}[&-*#~}[$}%\-%<|"%|}:[email protected]+? > < !%^(|[email protected]^^:_(\<<+<-|*(_;? > "GHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! MY HEAD! WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS NOISE!?!" << Aren''t I just a wanna be god?! FUCK YOU THEN! >> "GHAAAAAA! PLEASE! I''M SORRY! I''M FUCKING SORRY! STOP IT ALREADY!" *Hahh* *Hahh* Holy fucking shit! You''re one one sick dangerous bitch! << Well... Thank you! >> What the fuck was that?! << Oh, I just dumped the System''s Raw Log into your head ? >> Really! A Smiley face?! You... Ch 43 – A secret pathway "Come on people! Move!" Gahan pushed Lancer and Garth forward with the power of his voice. "Are you sure this is the way back?" "Yeah, we''ve just come through here. Why you asking?" "This cave is weird man..." "You bet!? Did you see insects burst out of walls and ceilings and eat people alive?" "What!? No?!" "Then you haven''t seen shit." "..." "The fuck are the two of you talking about?" ""Nothing!"" "You two... If you are dating just say it for fucks sake! You sound like two kids caught doing shit." "What!?" (Lancer) "Gahan?" (Garth) "See? Now let''s get going... I wanna leave this shithole today!" Lancer looked back at Garth who had a bitter expression. "Did he just...? Garth? Where''s Jarred?!" "Shut the fuck up before I knock you out." Garth gave a dry response and hardened his pace, distancing himself from Lancer. "Oh, crap... This is worse than I thought..." As Lancer slowly digested all the information, he started walking faster to keep up with both. --------------------------- After the rest of the group left, Lard and Poert remained sitting there, thinking about nothing only to waste time until the others returned. They knew it wouldn''t be fast. Poert was the first one to break the silence. "So... Are we supposed to just wait here for them to come back?" "I guess so..." "That''s a horrible idea isn''t it?" "I think so..." The two stared back towards the branch they had just barely escaped from... The fire was still burning violently, but not nearly as much as before. "But those things won''t come out unless we make too much noise right? Shouldn''t it be fine?" "I hope so... But we''re still in a dungeon right?" "Poert... I think you should see this..." Lard pointed up, with his only working hand. "Oh, shit... This is bad..." Above the two, the ceiling that had collapsed was slowly repairing itself, closing the massive hole back up. Now, only a small hole remained. "You sure we should wait here?" "Forget it! We''re leaving right now!" Poert sprung on his feet, outside of Lard''s field of view. *Schlacht* A deafening sound of ripping cloth forced Lard to look to the side, where Poert was supposed to be. Instead, what he saw was his body falling powerless on the floor. "Poert!? Hey! Poert! Don''t joke man! This is serious! Poert!" "POERT!?" He tilted his body to the side, trying to reach Poert''s foot. A wet sensation crawled down his shoulder into his chest beneath the partial body armor he was still wearing. A thick, viscous liquid flowed into him. His shoulder was covered in a dark-reddish thing that covered his whole insensitive arm. A drip of it fell on his face. He stared attentively at Poert''s body, now in a pool of that very liquid, before looking up to see a bright smile and glowing red eyes... "HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! And the severed head of his colleague. ---------------------------------------- *cough* *cough* *cough* Mihara looked down. She was crawling on all fours as she recovered her consciousness. Her arms wet from whatever she let out from her stomach. A horrid stench filled her nose as she breathed in for the first time in what felt like an eternity. She stood on her knees, cleaning her mouth with the back of her arm. Her head throbbed with her heartbeat. It felt strange. She could feel her heart beating much slower than usual. The same went for her breathing. As she stared in the distance, she no longer saw the red eyes floating. She clearly saw the figures of over 50 goblins staring at her, immobile. They looked like statues, but she could see the warm air leaving their nostrils as they breathed... She could... Hold up! She could SEE the warm air. ''What the fuck!?'' She stumbled around, as she tried to stand on her feet. Nervousness could be felt from the goblins. The only one that remained calm was the Goblin Shaman that threw her the strange potion. *Thump* As it hit the floor with his staff. Two more goblins like him appeared from the passage ahead, and all other goblins slowly disappeared, in line, going through that very passage. As the Goblin Shamans raised their staves, magic circles appeared beneath her. ''I''m dead!'' Mihara crouched, holding her head in despair as the fear of death overtook her. Goblin Shamans were rare creatures. Known to accompany evolved species of Hobgoblins... The fact that three of them were together, meant that there must be hundreds of goblins at least. Yet, the pain never appeared. Much on the contrary. She felt the strain on her muscles become lighter. The pain from her ripped feet vanish completely and her will start to become stronger. The three magic circles. She recognized them now. "Minor Healing" "Minor Stamina Recovery" "Minor Mana Recovery" The monsters were helping her. ***Thump*** The staves hit the ground simultaneously. The sound prompted her to get back on her feet. The three Shamans started turning towards the passage, yet unmoving. They were prompting her to accompany them. So much she understood. She clumsily stepped forward, trying to walk. Her legs didn''t behave as she expected, she didn''t have the coordination to do so. "Ow!" She stepped on her own ankle in the confusion, before stabilizing her footing and managing to walk towards the end of the room and into the passage. The three lead the way as she reaches the entrance, looking behind from time to time to ensure she was following. As she passed the beginning of the corridor that wasn''t supposed to be there from the beginning, she heard the ground scraping behind her as the rocks that made the walls of pathway crumbled into dust as they collapsed inwards, closing the path behind. Scared and uncertain, she followed them through the never-ending and narrow corridor. Neither they told her nor she realized that behind them, a shackle, partially crumbled and torn in half, remained in the room. DarkGodEM Ch 44 – Tell me more Okay... Now... All we have to do is deal with those three and beware of the ones outside. << It really surprises me you actually dealt with all those Mercenaries... >> Thank the Slimes and Insects... The EP-Farm seems to be in good shape too. I''m surprised they are managing it that well. << You really are a spineless bastard, aren''t you? But yeah... How did you get those goblins to work that well? >> I mean... It''s simple right? They are sadists, so... I just have to order them to not kill and they can do whatever they want. Since the prisoners suffer even if they are no longer there, I only need enough people so that they don''t get bored. And leave the healing stuffs for later on or in case they try to suicide. << Why are you so clever when it comes to this...? You scare me. >> Look who''s talking... The system goddess that literally tortured me for saying her title. << If you insist, I can do it again! >> I''ll pass. Rather, how do I deal with those fuckers? I mean... The leader guy didn''t even get hurt you know!? << He does look like a tough cookie... >> Do you think they''ll give up and retreat? << Didn''t you hear him saying he wants the girl no matter what? They''re not going anywhere. >> Haaah... I really need to deal with him somehow... I''mma waste so much EP on monsters... << Why don''t you just spawn a single very powerful monster to deal with him at once? >> Are you stupid? We don''t even know how strong he is. If we do that and he wins we''re dead! << Ah... Right... You can only see the Status of monsters and those belonging to the dungeon... >> Yeah!? I mean... I think I can see his level and some stuff if I do it with the materialized body but... I don''t want to entrust our survival to that. He could have some weird skill. << I see... Seeing you this serious and actually thinking about stuff kinda turns me on, you know? >> You are that kind then... << That kind? >> Yeah... The kind that falls for badboys and mobsters in high-school. << Where the hell did that even come from!? >> It''s nothing. Forget it. Haah... I just wanted this to be done with already... Mihara''s gonna take almost an hour to reach the cabin... Too long... << We''ve dealt with almost everyone... It should end soon... >> I hope so... This has taken almost the whole day already... Soon it''ll be night time and we still have to be aware of every step of those idiots. << But didn''t you manage the two that stayed behind? >> Those!? Those were small fry. They were left behind because taking them would be dead weight. << Why didn''t you kill the second one then? >> The goblins know how to have a lot of fun with someone who can''t feel pain in a limb... You know, it feels far more scary if you can see it and can''t feel a thing. << Oh... I wonder where do you get that from... >> Ah... You poor soul... If you delve deep enough into the 6 digit universe you will see things you wish you''d never had seen... << Are you...? Are you seriously referencing hentai at a time like this!? >> ----------------------------------------------------------- (The following conversations were translated to human speech) "Boss! Boss! Where the fuck is boss?!" (Goblin 1) "Oi! Calm the hell up! He''s gonna be here soon, just wait." (Worker Goblin) The goblin group finally arrived at the entrance of the cave system. Most of them collapsed on the spot as soon as they arrived. Aside from running three hours straight to get back, they had also chased the humans and hunted prior to that. There''s no way a mere goblin warrior can handle all of that. "We can''t fucking wait." "Hold up, where''s the rest!?" Another goblin appears from behind the worker, the hunter leader knew this one, he was the Site Supervisor. "They are dead, but that doesn''t matter! I have an urgent matter to talk with the Boss." "Doesn''t matter!? You come back with a third of your men missing and you say it doesn''t matter!?" The worker was pissed upon hearing the words. He plunged forward towards the hunter before being grabbed by the shoulder by the Site Supervisor. "You should head back and do your job. If he says it''s not important, it''s not important. He''s been here far longer than you have." The worker goblin clenched his fists, but turned around and went back into the collapsed area. "Sorry about the kid, he gets very emotional with this stuff still... The youth right?" "Hahaha... Yeah... We used to be like that didn''t we?" A bitter smile appeared on the hunter''s face. "How''s the fixing going?" "Ah... The king asked us to remanage all the tunnels and make this whole shit an entrance since rebuilding would take longer than tunneling elsewhere." "Seems rough on you doesn''t it?" "Yeah but it should be fine..." Before he could finish speaking, the Site Supervisor saw the Hunter look over his shoulder and realized someone had arrived. "Oh! Hunti..." He froze as he turned around to see not only the man he thought, but also His Majesty and two generals. "I''m sorry Your Majesty, I hadn''t realized you were here." "Don''t worry about me. Cut the formalities. Hunter! What''s the report? Tell me too." "YES!" The hunter became very nervous. It was one thing to tell bad news to his boss... Other to tell it to the king himself. "There are humans! A large group of them. We followed three but traces suggest over thirty." "That''s bad news isn''t it... Why are they in this forest... Subjugation? No... It''s too soon for that..." "Your Majesty, if you allow me to say, we also found a huge cave opening in The Great Wall." "A CAVE ON THE WALL!? Shit... Sorry!" One of the generals let his tongue slip from surprise. Making the king become even more interested. "Continue, hunter... I want to know every last bit of this..." DarkGodEM Ch 45 – Modus Goblinoid (The following conversations were translated to human speech) "I see... This is dangerous..." Over the course of the last hour, the hunter explained all present what had happened. From the fight with humans, to the tremor. He took special attention to detail the tracks and information about the numerous group of mercenaries. To the king however, that wasn''t the most important part. ''A new cave... In stone terrain which is much more stable than here. Since there''s tremors and dust it might also be a Mine. With that we could get metals and improve the tools...'' The existence of the cave was a huge deal for the king. If it was large enough, this could mean saving months of work digging down barely stable tunnels all over this region. ''But he says there are many humans there... Could it be that it''s a human den?! If so, there could also be females!'' "Assemble every single Goblin! We leave tomorrow morning to explore this "Cave". In the worst case scenario, we lose two days of work and food. In the best case... This is where we''ll live and prosper." ""YES!"" The generals yelled and ran back inside. Both the Site Supervisor and the Hunting Boss were flabbergasted by all the information. This was a lot, and not only that, what they pulled out was incredibly dangerous. The Hunting Boss was only charged with checking how many hunters returned alive and the prey. He was not a powerful goblin. He, however, had worked here as long as the other two had. He knew how dangerous Humans were. And knowing this Goblin in front of him, chased, fought and scouted all those humans was impressive. "Hunter, do you have a name?" The king asked, making all three present widen their eyes. "No, Your Majesty. I''m not strong enough to deserve such a thing." "Now you are." Hearing these words, the hunter fell to his knees, crying in joy. "From now on you shall be known as Falt. You are also the one responsible for our intel and scouting. Now Rise!" His whole body hurt. His muscles were tearing, his bones cracking. Yet he was overjoyed. He wouldn''t die. He, who was nearing the end of his lifespan of 15 years. He, who had given up on evolving after hitting the growth wall at level 40. He, whose body was now bursting from inside out and rebuilding itself in front of the eyes of all other Goblins. He stood. Now as Falt, a Hobgoblin. "Hooo... You are an impressive person. Few were able to evolve just from me naming them... You are an outstanding individual. I hope you can work for me for generations to come." "Yes, Your Majesty! This one will dedicate his entire life to you!" He said, Kneeling on one knee with a hand on his chest. As he stood up, the other goblins seemed small to him. They all hit his chest. Only the king was barely taller than him. He''d evolved. He''d left behind the lifespan of a mere goblin to now be able to live almost as much as a Human. "Now go back to your men and take them inside. They can eat meat today." As the king said so, before turning around and heading back into the caves, his eyes widened. He said everyone would eat meat! Actual meat! Not the dried wolf stuff they generally had. His mouth filled with water as he turned towards his men and darted. ''Ah!'' He turned back once again, and bid farewell to the two goblins who remained, before darting again towards his men. "Did you see what I just saw?" The Hunting Boss asked. "I believe I did..." Retorted the Site Supervisor. "It wasn''t a dream was it?" "I don''t think so..." "Did one of us actually just evolve?" "I think so..." "So it wasn''t just a legend to make us work harder?" "Doesn''t seem like it" A strange and emotionless conversation took place between the bosses as they stared at the back of the hobgoblin. "It''s true isn''t it..." "I guess it really is..." "IT REALLY IS TRUE ISN''T IT!" "YES IT IS!" They started yelling at each other, overjoyed. Before running to their posts, yelling at every single goblin they saw on the way. "IT''S TRUE! WE CAN EVOLVE! IT HAPPENED! I SAW HIM EVOLVE!" As the Site Supervisor arrived at the digging site, screaming those words, tools dropped to the ground, as a crowd encircled him to hear the story of the miracle they had only heard in legends. And from the stories told by the Generals. --------------------------------------------------------- ''Where....Am I...'' His head was hurting a lot. He didn''t remember exactly what had happened. Poert had stood up, and fallen and... "POERT!?" He screamed, lunging forward, his eyes couldn''t see a thing in the darkness... Yet... ''Huh?'' He could feel his body swaying back and forth. there was weight in his arms and legs. He was restrained. Rather, Chained. As his eyes struggled to get used to the darkness, he realized there was some light coming from a small gap near the ceiling. Oh yeah, he was facing towards the ceiling. Chained to it by his wrists and ankles. ''The fuck!?'' He realized he was also naked. There were noises around, feral noises. No. They sounded like voices. Screams. Screams could be heard coming from the gaps near the ceiling. They were small gaps, only enough for a finger to slide in. The sounds were muffled, almost like they came from far away. ''Where the hell is this!? Am I still in the cave!?'' He waggled his working arm and leg around, only managing to make his body sway and to produce a little clunking noise from the chain. *Reeeeek* The sound of wood scraping rock resounded beneath him, making him relax his neck to see below. In the corner of the room, from the shadows, a small dark being slowly raised from a tiny wooden bench. His eyes glowed red and his smile an ominous yellowish white. It was a goblin. But it''s body was less thin than a regular goblin, and it''s skin was a dark green that almost looked black in the small light. *Swoosh* A torch lit on the wall behind him. It imprinted his own shadow on the ceiling. While the small being walked towards him. In his hand, a piece of wood. "Ghaaaaaaa!" He screamed as the goblin gently slid the piece of wood straight from under his neck all the way down his chest. Embedded in it, was a tiny blade, not deep enough to draw blood, but enough to score the skin, causing the pain of a paper cut. Despair could be seen in his eyes, as he saw the small being creepily laugh at his reaction. "Kikikikikkikikiki!" DarkGodEM Please make sure to drop your vote every day! Chapter rate will slow down for a couple weeks since last week I had exams and will again in a couple weeks. Medicine is a bitch. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and make sure to join my discord for more updates: 5DFSHvefc3 Next chapter is already available on Patreon /DarkGodEM Ch 46 – In the end… the same "The fuck in wrong with this helluva place!" Gahan''s mind was boiling as he arrived at the place where he and Garth were forced to continue after the ceiling collapsed. A trail of goblin bodies followed him. "Gahan, please calm down, this is not the time for getting mad at something like this." "But Garth... Where is he!? Are you really gonna tell me you are fine with him just vanishing?!" "No... I''m not, but still... We should fall back at once and find help. Notify the country of this dungeon after we deliver the rest of the goods." "To the hell you and the goods! I''m bringing that bitch back, even if that''s the last thing I do." After half an hour of continuous fight with the goblins, much like in the first room, they managed to push all the way back here. This time, however, Gahan did not falter for a single second, mowing down the goblins ahead, while relying on Garth and Lancer to clean those coming from behind. This way, the three managed to pass through the corridors relatively quickly, despite the waves of monsters. But upon reaching here and seeing the cave as if nothing had happened, and Jarred''s body nowhere to be seen, Gahan lost his calm. "Gahan, he''s right! It''s better if we rest for a bit before trying to dive again." Lancer tried, to no avail, to bring some sense into Gahan. But given the current state of his, he decided to just go with whatever he said after now. "Nonsense! We are going now! Through this way!" Without a second though, Gahan took the last route, the middle one, which according to Lancer, was the one taken by Marcus. Besides, it was also the path he saw the girl taking. "Wait..." He halted his step, leaving both others confused. "What is it?" Garth asked, curious. "If we go this way, we''re gonna die before reaching her." "Huh!?" While Garth was confused... "WHAT THE FUCK?!" Lancer was faced to a situation he''d never imagined even once. Not only was his leader reconsidering his own decision, he was spouting scary words with a straight face. "I''m serious. There''s something telling me we should not go this way... Rather, let''s go the way we were going before." "Hm? But didn''t the ground collapse?" Lancer was still rather confused. "There was a pile of rubble all the way to the ceiling of this room when we passed here. We lost Jarred right over there. Do you see any of that now?" "No..." "Then when we get there, the ground will be there. I know it for a fact." Gahan was very certain, but Garth was still not completely convinced. "But Gahan, Marcus went the very way we were before right. Didn''t we hear something like screams?" "But we went there and there was nothing... Right?" "Yeah, but there was also nothing there when we went through..." "You mean this dungeon actually chooses when to activate that shit!? Fuck..." "Huh!? Dungeon? What are you guys talking about?" Lancer was confused. He knew the dungeon started somewhere in this cave and that the corridor he barely escaped from was part of it. "Didn''t you realize it already? This is a dungeon." Garth answered him normally, while Gahan rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I get it. But where does it begin?" "The entrance. From the very entrance. This is all a fucking dungeon pretending to be a regular cave." Gahan spat the answer. "Ah... Shit..." Contrary to Gahan''s expectation, he returned to normality rather easily. "So, let''s get going, shall we?" With Gahan''s call, all three delved back through the path Gahan and Garth had gone previously. Contrary to Lancer''s expectation, nothing happened for quite a long time, surprising even Gahan. "This is weird, there should''ve been at least a handful of goblins around." Garth was mumbling to himself, as they arrived at a room they''d never gotten before. "Oi, people, check this out!" While all others were focused on following the cave normally, Garth found a small tunnel, where they could only fit by crawling, but that led somewhere else. ----------------------------------------------------------- ''How long is this....'' Mihara walked through a long corridor. It had already been over half an hour since she began following the three Shamans. While there was no light-source anywhere, she found it strange that she could see normally. Either of the Shamans would sporadically give her a side glance before focusing back on the corridor ahead. She knew goblins were capable of speech... But these didn''t utter a single noise all this time. It was strange, considering they even healed her up. The earraping sound of the chain sliding against the floor grinded her ears every other time she took a step. ''Huh? Why is it?'' For the first time, she looked down to her feet, only to see that one of her shackles was missing. ''Wha-! Where did it go? How? Was it loose? I don''t think so...'' Confused, she touched her shoulder under the thin t-shirt with her hand. ''Eh-. Why am I this cold? Am I hypothermic?'' As she touched her shoulder, she was greeted with a strangely cold sensation, like she had just come out of cold water. In the dark, she wasn''t able to realize the changes to the color of her skin, which now looked a slightly bluish shade of white, slightly cyanotic. The corridor continued endlessly for hundreds of meters. Until at some point, it ended in a room much like the one she''d left hours before. DarkGodEM Ch 47 – Clueless *gulp* gulp* *gulp* It was almost sunset already. Yet, this was the first time since this morning she was given any water. The cage was boiling from the sun, since they were moved out from under the shade of the trees. She passed the jug around. The soldiers seemed a bit frolick, but things seemed normal. The ones who left yesterday were yet to return, the main group. ''I hope they died.'' She cursed them inside her mind as she stared at Koan, who was yet to make any sound since yesterday morning. "You think she''ll come back anytime soon?" One of the former maids asked her after drinking some of the water. Koan just stared blankly into the distance, completely broken. "I hope so... But I highly doubt it." During her times at the war, she had seen many things. And broken people were one of them. Considering what the future reserved them all, it was not that hard of a guess to say that she''d never go back to what she was... In the best of cases, many still wouldn''t, let alone after becoming a slave... She had little hope about the future, both about Koan''s and her own. "Well... At least the princess is not coming back." "How can you be so sure?" She was very confused from the Maid''s response, it was almost as if she knew something she herself didn''t. "Ah... It''s just a hunch but... They haven''t come back yet, have they. Rather... Not even one of them came. While you were asleep earlier, they were gossiping." "Oh, I see... Well, I hope they died gruesomely, but that''s asking a little too much..." "kukuku" "kikiki" "kukuku" The other girls, together with the maid, started laughing reservedly. However, it was not enough to avoid them being overheard. *CLANG* "The fuck you laughing about? Don''t you see your place?" One of the guards hit the cage hard with a piece of metal, making a loud noise. "Come on, man. They are hurting nobody, nor trying to escape, leave them alone." A soft voice could be heard behind him, away in the distance. "Shut up, Kyle. Why are you this soft with them? They are slaves, for fuck''s sake." The man yelled towards the back, before turning around to speak with them once more. "No matter what you think or who you think is coming to help you. When Gahan comes back with that little bitch who managed to escape, you''re gonna see why he''s feared the way he is. What he did with that little whore there is just child''s play." Before going, he spat on the floor near Koan''s feet, making Haya''s blood boil. She clenched her fists, unable to say anything back to the disgusting mercenary, whose back was pointed towards her as he walked back to his peers. She cursed him in her thoughts, unaware of the fact he was doing this to hide his own fear over the lack of answers from the main group. ''I hope they come back soon... The food is almost over already...'' He thought, sulling over his own hunger. He sat down near his colleagues, including Kyle. "The fuck is up, Kyle? You were never the one to be kind to slaves." "You are clueless, aren''t you?" "The hell?" "Barkus, do you know where I''m from?" "Huh? What kind of question is that? You''re from Kaimon of course." "Yes, do you know who these people are?" "Err... No!? Why would I care?" After him answering, one of his colleagues clicked his tongue, while another shook his head side to side. "You are clueless aren''t you?" The one who clicked his tongue asked. Barkus was a fairly old member of the mercenary group. Rather, when Kyle joined, he was already here for a while. A sturdy looking man in his early 20s was a solid addition to this group roughly thirty years ago. But now, in his 50s, he was still the same bulky meathead as back then. Always ready to fight and work hard, but never good with details. "Huh?! Clueless?! The hell you mean with that? We are just carrying goods to Herclaw." "You..." Kyle was disappointed but not surprised. "Do you even realize who those people are?" "No... Why would I?" "See that woman with a hood over there?" "Yeah?" "She''s the Queen of Kaimon." "Ah..." "And that girl by her?" "The one Gahan played with?" "Yeah, that''s the 2nd princess." "Oh, shit..." "Yeah, right." "Are you telling me we became human traffickers?" "... Not that. More like Slave Traders." "What the fuck is Gahan even doing?" "Who knows..." --------------------------------------------------------- "Come fucking on! Why the fuck did I sign up for this?!" "Shut the hell up, Garth!" Garth kept complaining while crawling through the narrow and small corridor. After almost half an hour hearing him voice his complaints, Gahan was at his wit''s end. "We''re almost there! I can see the end!" Lancer''s words were filled with joy as he increased his pace. Gahan looked ahead, seeing him grow further and further away from him and Garth... This really didn''t suit his personality at all. ''Something''s fishy...'' He stared into the distance again, paying attention to Lancer, only to see small grooves on the ground under his feet and above his head. "LANCER! CAREFUL!" "What?" He turned his head around without stopping, allowing Gahan to see a glazed expression on his eyes before his words were matched by a mechanical sound. *click* "Fuck." Gahan thought out loud, before bolts started shooting from the gaps in the stone. "GAAAHAAAAH!" Lancer screamed as a dozen bolts shot across his body. The bolts were steadily firing closer to Gahan, from the front to the back, almost as if this very positioning was expected. In a split second, they fired through the whole crack and were reaching him. The groove below ran much further than the one above, and it took a moment for Gahan to realize it¡­ A moment he didn''t have. As soon as he looked down to check for it, his eyes met the sharp glow of a steel tip. DarkGodEM Ch 48 – Wraith *Hah* *Hah* ''Fuck, that was close!'' A thin stream of blood flowed from between his eyebrows, dripping under his nose. It was a very close call. Had he moved a second later, a bolt would''ve been embedded straight into his forehead. "Gahan!? Are you okay?" Asked Garth from behind him. "Yeah... Just a scratch. But I think Lancer is dead." "Fuck..." "Let''s go! Don''t move his body, he''s probably on top of the activation for the trap." "Okay." Moving faster than before but twice as attentively, Gahan and Garth squeezed through the tunnel, passing over Lancer''s body. Garth gasped as he saw his colleague pierced through by over a dozen bolts. By the amount of these on the floor, he realized that they were saved by the fact that Gahan refused to go quicker before, letting Lancer distance himself from them. There were tips and feathers all over his bloody corpse. He gulped as he imagined it could have been him there. No potion or status would save you from suck carnage, maybe Gahan''s could, somehow, spare him from instant death enough that a High Tier healing potion might do the trick... But just maybe. "You''re next" "This should''ve been you" "You deserve this" "You time has come" "You are next" "You''re as good as dead" "Your death will be worse" Dozens of voices echoed through his mind as he crawled over the dead corpse. Voices which would not leave him. He shook his head in a vague attempt to shake them away as he quickly made his way behind Gahan. Painful tears rolled over his face, falling on the ground and his hands as he squinted hard from the discomfort. He kept on crawling and crawling, blindly, as he shook his head side to side in a pained appearance. It went on, and on, and on, an everlasting loop of sentences whispering into his ears words one would never want to hear. "GARTH! EY! GARTH! THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!" Gahan''s voice sounded far away as he kept crawling and crawling, until he no longer could. "Garth! The fuck are you doing?" It was Gahan''s hands, pulling him up on his foot as his arms vaguely scratched the nothingness in an attempt to keep crawling. "SHIT! Garth?!" Gahan looked him straight in the eyes, only to see the same vague expression from Lancer. His eyes glazed as he stared into the distance shaking his head while tearing blood. "Pull yourself together!" *Paf* *Thud* Garth''s body felt hard on the floor after receiving a mighty blow to the face from the back of Gahan''s hand. Garth spewed blood as he slowly attempted to raise himself from the ground. *Pfew* He spat once again, before turning his head towards Gahan. "The fuck happened to me?" He asked, still drowsy from the abnormal status he just fell out of. "The heck do I know... But your eyes were blank... It looked the same with Lancer before he activated the trap..." "The dungeon then... Those voices... They were the dungeon then." "I guess so" "kekekekyukukukuku! INTERESTING!" With Gahan''s answer, Garth began laughing in a ominous way, before spouting some nonsense. "Are you okay?" Gahan asked, furrowing his brows. "Okay!? I''m boiling! I''ll reduce this fucking dungeon to ashes! This fucking hell!" "... Okay then." Gahan''s unthought action had just saved his colleague from an eternal nightmare... However, what he didn''t know, was that the remnants of the [Insanity] still remained. ---------------------------------------------------- One serious man ''One...'' << You did it! You got one of them! >> ''Yes... One...'' << Are you not happy?! >> ''Do you see me laughing?'' << No... but why are you not happy? >> ''Did you see what that fucker just did?'' << Which one? >> ''The one who fucking dodged a bolt straight at his face in less than a second?!'' << Ah... The Gahan guy? What did you expect he''s the strongest one *crunch* >> ''ARE YOU SERIOUSLY FUCKING EATING RIGHT NOW?'' << But of course! *chomp* All this action and thinking makes me hungry! >> ''...'' ''What the hell are you even eating?'' << *crunch* Potato Chips. Want some? >> ''... I do.'' << Then come and get them! >> ''YOU KNOW I CAN''T!'' << Tough luck chief! *crunch* >> ''I hate you... You know?'' << Yeah, yeah... You''ve said it ten times already. >> << HEY! The fuck is that!? >> ''Huh? What the hell is he do-... Wait a second!'' << What!? What is it?! >> ''I had forgotten! I had some wraiths in there!'' << WRAITHS!? Aren''t those stupid powerful and expensive?! >> ''No... I think you are confusing them with the Dread Wraith'' << Ah... Seems like it... Tier G undead!? What the fuck even is tier G? Untiered? Worse than nothing? The hell? >> ''Oh... They really are weaker than a goblin.'' << The why the fuck do they even matter?! >> ''See... They have no form so they can hide in nooks and crannies and they let stuff pass through them.'' << You mean... >> ''They are very weak to fire and die in a single hit but if they are not seen... They can possess you before you even notice'' << So... That guy is possessed? >> ''Seems like it. The first one should have noticed the trap normally so I had them target him.'' << AHA! So that''s why they fell into that stupid button trap of yours. >> ''Ah, fuck you then! If you wanna start to complain about my ideas why don''t you give me something on your own!?" << Well You could have made some arrows to shoot diagonally to at least hurt the others... >> ''GIVE ME IDEAS! NOT CORRECT ONES THAT ARE ALREADY DONE!'' << Sorry, not sorry. I''ll see if I can come up with something. >> ''I bet you will...'' << What did you just say!? >> ''Nothing, nothing, just keep thinking.'' << Okey... HOLD UP! >> ''What now?!'' << Look! >> In the monitor, the image of Gahan slapping the heck out of Garth and him falling on the ground was clearly shown. ''The fuck is he doing?!'' << You think I understand that braindead idiot who killed his own father?! >> ''What!?'' << Ignore it! Look! He''s back to normal! ... Kinda. >> ''Ah... See... The wraiths died... At least he should still be insane.'' << Definitely seems like it... >> The image of him laughing hysterically was music to their ears. Ch 49 – The Army moves (The following conversation was translated to Human Language) "Move, people! Move!" A Hobgoblin clapped his hands with a rhythm while urging his subordinates to get ready. In front of him, a whole army of goblins, most dressed in rags or remnants of actual armor that barely resemble the original, were forming like a military unit. Over a hundred of them. "We are the tip of the spear. We spread, we run, we come back to tell them what we saw. Do you understand?" """Yes, sir.""" "What is the most important part?" An odd silence hovered over the room. No one poke a single word, until a single goblin raised his voice. "We run ahead?" "No, you idiot! WE COME BACK!" ""BOOOOOO!"" As the mob started booing him, the nearby goblins slapped the hell out of him. Of course it hurt, but this was a staple, nobody wanted to seriously hurt him. The joking atmosphere lasted a while. The hobgoblin exhaled, relieved. Not only was this his first time leading this many people, it had only been an hour since he was named and evolved into a hobgoblin. He could feel the sense of awe from those who worked with him. It took them a few minutes to get used, but eating meat for the first time in a lifetime was enough for all of them to quickly get used to it. But it was not as simple as that for the other hunting groups... Rather, some of them were jealous of him. From the naming, the evolution, and all other things. This speech was important to make them understand he was now above them, although he himself was not aware of it. But since he succeeded anyways, the means were proper. "Now, we go, report back to me, MOVE!" With him, more than a hundred goblins left the cave. Closely behind, winding through the tunnels excavated by their own hands,moved the Goblin King''s entire army, 17 divisions of over a hundred goblins, each led by a Hobgoblin General, and one of 47 Hobgoblins, Wizards. The calamity began to move. ---------------- Gahan and Garth silently walked through the corridor. In the end of the tunnel they crawled through, was a small room much like all others so far. There were no monsters that could be spotted, so they started moving forward. "Come on! Another corridor!?" "It is what it is." "But why so many of these!?" "God... You''ve become very annoying..." Gahan was slightly alarmed at Garth''s strange behavior but now it was getting on his nerves. "But-" "Shut up!" Gahan to the side, stopping Garth from walking any further. "This place... There''s something wrong." "What do you mean?" "I don''t know... But this corridor feels odd. There''s something ahead but I don''t know what." "Aren''t you getting a little paranoid, old man?" "... It might be." "Then, let''s go?" "Yeah... But be careful. There might be some sort of trap." "Sure." As they walked further through the corridor, the sense of oddity grew further and further inside Gahan. But no matter how hard, he couldn''t point out what was causing it. ''This is bad... but we gotta continue.'' He shook away his doubt and kept on moving steadily, until. *CRACK* *CRACK* He started hearing the sounds of stones cracking to both his sides, he prepared for something to come out from the walls. "Garth! It''s coming!" Garth clenched the hilt of his sword, preparing to engage the incoming enemies, but contrary to Gahan''s expectation, what happened next was the same as last time. "JUMP!" Garth yelled as the ground under his feet began collapsing. Unlike last time, Garth realized what was happening and managed to jump, enabling him to fall onto the debris unscathed. "Again!? What a shity and annoying trap." Garth jeered. Both him and Gahan had managed to avoid any injuries, but falling somewhere else was always annoying. "Yeah... We need to figure out where we are." "No need... Look." Garth pointed to the corridor behind Gahan. At its end, a blazing fire marked the path. "That''s the fire from where we left Poert and Lard." "So we go the other way..." "Wasn''t there some kind of monster trap in this corridor from what they said?" "Doesn''t seem like it anymore..." As he began walking, a chemical smell started to tickle Gahan''s nose. He snorted and spat on the ground ahead of him, only to be greeted by a fizzling sound. "Perfect. There''s some corrosive shit on the ground." "They said there were Acid bugs around..." "Yeah... Those were probably crushed by the ceiling." "What do we do then?" "We run through it, I guess..." "Do you really think that''s a good idea?" "As good as it''s gonna get..." "Then we do it on the count of three. One, Two, WAIT!" "Huh!?" Gahan was confused, but only for a second. "Look!" Garth pointed towards the walls, where tiny green heads began showing through small holes. "The bugs..." "Fuck..." Gahan looked behind him, towards the flames, but the same could be seen. "There''s no other way, it seems." "Haah... We gotta do what we gotta do, right? Let''s run for it." "Yeah." As the pair flashed through the corridor with all their might, bugs poured out from the walls behind them, attracted by the noise of their footsteps. Gahan increased his pace, running at his top speed, leaving Garth a few steps behind. "WAIT FOR ME! STOP!" Garth yelled at him, realizing the insects were starting to pour from the walls beside him. Gahan, however, did not slow down. "FUCK!" Garth ran as fast as he could, the bugs slowly making their way under his feet. He almost lost grip a couple of times, before making it''s way past the corridor, the bulk of the tide of bugs riding behind him. "Fuck you, Gahan! Were you trying to kill me?" He yelled at Gahan, who finally lowered his pace, allowing him to catch up. "If you have breath to speak, keep running. Those things aren''t stopping." Garth looked behind him, only to see a tide of acid insects running behind him. "SHIT!" They ran through the large room they were in, followed by the insects. Garth breathed a sigh of relief as he realized that the bulk of their speed came from flowing like water through the corridor. They slowed down significantly as they reached the large room. And as such, the two were able to make their way into the next corridor nearly unhurt. Nearly, is the way to put it. In the heat of the chase, Garth had not yet realized he was leaving a bloody trail, marking his bare footprints on the ground. Aside from a slightly tingly pair of feet. DarkGodEM Ch 50 – About naivety << Looks like you failed again. >> "It''s not the time for that!" << But it didn''t work. >> I know it didn''t work! I have eyes! << Still... What are you gonna do? >> We still have the main set of goblins, they have to make do. << I doubt it... >> I know! I need to delay them until I can go back. How long before that? << 30 minutes >> Shit... Will I make it? << I don''t know... Still... There''s those Shaman guys right? >> How long do you expect them to hold that guy off?! << I hope enough... They are getting dangerously close. >> You think I don''t know? What do I do... What do I do... << First things first, you need to calm the fuck down and think. >> What do you think I''m trying to do? << Look here! CALM DOWN! >> As I looked up to the image that showed Glory''s room, I was greeted by her figure kneeling over her chair. Her kigurumi opened all the way to her crotch while it laid on her shoulders as she leaned backwards. Her image was, to put it plainly, sexy as fuck! What the fuck is she thinking? What the hell is that? Why at a time like this? Fuck I''m hard. A ... ... Thanks for the meal... I guess... << See, I can calm you down easily! >> If it works, it works... Now, what do we do? << Why don''t you spawn more monsters? >> Rejected. That room is too small. They won''t even fit in there with all the goblins. << Try the wraith thing again? >> That Garth guy already has [Insanity], there''s little they would do, and I seriously doubt Gahan will fall for that. << Anything without a body? >> YES! You are a genius! << Hohoho! I surely am! ... Why am I a genius though? >> Ghosts! We can have them possess the Goblins to increase their power! And when they die we can have the Ghosts attack them directly! << I am a genius aren''t I!? >> You can stop that already. << But it was you who said it! >> Yeah, yeah, let''s get this started. --------------------------------- "Oi, Kyle... This is getting weird..." Joe suddenly raised himself from the ground, sitting up. "What now, Joe?" Hearing him, Kyle also raised himself, both were supposed to be resting while Gabe roamed around, seeing if there were any monsters. "I don''t know... I just felt a chill. I think we need to go back." "Back? What the fuck are you saying? You want us to abandon them inside?" "All I want is to get back home alive!" Halfway through the interchange, the two stood up and stared at each other closely. Less than an inch separated both. At this very time, a third person appeared a little ways away from them, trying to understand what was happening. "The fuck are the two of you doing? You gonna kiss or what?" "Huh!?" "The hell?" The two instantly turned to the side to see Gabe returning from his patrol. "Gabe! This idiot wants to go back!" Kyle yelled, alerting Gabe that something was really wrong. He knew Joe well enough to know he wouldn''t voice that for no reason whatsoever. "Joe?" He was a little confused, but this wasn''t the first time something like this had happened in their long years working together. If he said so, there was probably some sort of reason. "Come on, Gabe! I felt a weird chill. I don''t wanna stay here." "... Maybe we should." Gabe thought for a second, before responding. "What!? Are the two of you insane? What do you think is gonna happen when Gahan comes out with the rest and we aren''t here?" Gabe and Joe stared at each other silently for an odd minute, thinking about what Kyle just asked. They didn''t want to sound superstitious, let alone that they were just thinking of leaving for no reason. "Oi! The hell are the two of you staring at each other? You guys can''t possibly think..." "Listen up, kid. We''ve been in this company for over a decade now. You know why this group is so well respected and praised?" Joe was the one to talk. He''d rather have Gabe do the lecturing, but it was clear he had a soft spot for this kid. "Because of the results it achieved?" Kyle responded with an obvious thought, that was what most newbies and those who joined after the wars thought about this group. But the truth went much further. "Because no matter how many of us died, no matter how bad the battle became, if the order to retreat didn''t come, we wouldn''t bulge. Do you understand what that means?" "Do you possibly mean..." "If Gahan decides he''ll go to the end, no matter how dangerous or impossible this dungeon may seem... They won''t be coming back until he says so." "..." "Dungeons can be kilometers long, full of traps and monsters. If that girl somehow knew how to sneak through them unscathed or found a hidden passage, from how determined Gahan was, we could be waiting here for days, even weeks." "..." "And you saw how many goblins there were at that time. What makes you think they won''t come back with more to hunt us down?" "..." "I hope you understand now." "I''m sorry... I was too naive." "It''s okay, boy. I may be an idiot for some things, but I''ve lived a lot more than you have. I''ve gone to The War, I''ve dove into dungeons to thin monsters out. This is not your usual task. And the mission they assigned us this time is borderline criminal. I''ve never doubted my intuition in the past, and that saved me and Gabe here from dying countless times. I''m not doubting it now." "Well. Now that you got an earful from him, let''s get going already. I don''t wanna be anywhere near here when the dusk comes. And there''s little time before that." Gabe finally said something, as to end the conversation before it took an unforeseen turn. "Why the dusk especially?" "That''s when the strongest monsters roam around their territory searching for invaders. And something tells me those wolves weren''t being killed just by Goblins." Ch 51 – Target Acquired "Village Chief! Where''s the Chief?" A man stormed into the main hall, surprising those inside. "Gram?! He''s still coming. What the hell is going on?" In fact, oddly enough, a single man was the only person in there. He''d come here to write his report on the results of today¡¯s hunt, and also on the general progress of other duties around the village. "They came back, Jacob! The men we sent to scout came back!" "The hell do you mean? Aren''t they supposed to come back only one at a time with news about the Goblin site?" "That''s the problem... They are moving, hundreds of them!" "What?! Here?! We got to ring the bells!" Jacob jumped up from his seat, ready to dash through the doors at any moment. "NO! Not here! But Hundreds of them! Almost a thousand!" "What the-" Instead of feeling relief, Jacob became increasingly worried. Even if they were moving away from the village, this didn''t mean they wouldn''t come later. Rather, the sheer size of the goblin horde was unheard off in decades. "My men, what''s the emergency? Varni went to call me like the world had turned upside down. Jacob, why do you look white?" "It''s... It''s better if Gram tells you, Chief. It''s pretty bad news." "What now? Are the animals gone again?" The chief answered half heartedly, he already had too many things to deal with, including his son somehow sneaking into the group that left earlier. "Worse... The goblins, they left their Den. All of them at once." "What!? Goblins never do that. Is this proof Johnathan was right after all? Are they coming this way?" "No, thankfully they seem to be going the opposite direction, towards the mountains." "That''s great news, then... It buys us time to prepare for when they come this way." "The problem is the number of them..." "How many? We talking one hundred? one fifty?" Both Gram and Jacob stared blankly at him for a second. A tear began forming in Jacob''s eyes as he realized the sheer unreality of those numbers... "... A thousand." "What? I don''t think I heard you right. Did you just say-" "A thousand. I said One Thousand goblins." "May the God of Fate have mercy on the souls of us worthless mortals..." With shaky hands, Johnathan pulled himself a chair and sat down with both hands on his head... This was not something he ever expected having to deal with in his life. A Chief position was just supposed to keep him busy and fix the problems around. He''d never signed up for such a war. And he didn''t even know... that the squires came back before even half of the goblins had left the den. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Oh Come on! Another fucking corridor, when is this gonna end!?" "Shut the fuck up, now!" Gahan pulled Garth sideways onto him and whispered aggressively in his ear, while staring to the end of the corridor in the distance. "We found the bitch." "What!?" Garth, surprised, once again spoke. "SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU MORRON!" Garth gripped his neck, pushing him and himself unto the wall to the side of the passage. He watched as the Hobgoblins deep inside, near the girl, turned to check the noise they heard. "She''s not alone, don''t make a noise! Do you copy?!" "Y-e-e-s" Garth squeezed an answer despite having his airways strangled by Gahan. "Good, now, walk slowly." While clinging to the wall, Gahan slowly moved forward, taking extreme care not to kick any of the loose small stones on the ground. Garth, however, had not noticed them. "GHA-!" He forced his own mouth shut after almost screaming. A pointy rock had pushed itself straight through his wounded foot, piercing a nerve. His whole leg was burning, but if he made too much noise, he''d probably be killed by Gahan. It was at this moment that he realized the damage done by the bugs to his boots. To be precise, as he lifted his foot up, and pulled out the stone that was embedded in it, he could now see that, despite him feeling no pain, there was no skin left, only red, bloody flesh. ''Fuck!'' He cursed in his own mind. There was no telling how bad the damage was and when the strange anesthetic effect would lift. If it happened during a fight... He was as good as dead. Sweat dripped down his spine. He could feel a droplet on his nose as he stared down towards the ground trying to not imagine how much It''d hurt. "Phew..." He sighed relieved, as his foot made contact with the ground without causing any pain. "What are you doing!? move!" Gahan whispered. As the pair moved further through the path, Garth was finally able to see what Gahan was so weary of. The girl, weirdly dressed in something he''d never seen before that looked like a shirt and nothing more, was being guarded by a trio of Hobgoblin Shamans. ''Was she captured by them? I guess it''d be more of a punishment to let her become breeding stock for the goblins...'' While his mind had pointless thoughts, he overheard a murmur coming from Gahan. "Shit..." He stared back towards the room, only to see dozens of goblins making their way in front of the girl. Neither knew why this had happened, but there was little they could do now. "Let''s go!" Gahan said, ignoring the previous caution, as he darted towards the room brandishing his bastard sword. Garth ran behind him, a maddened smile in his face. "It''s time for hunting that bitch down." Was the last thing Garth heard before his mind went blank and his vision became completely painted red. Ch 52 – Too much happening DarkGodEM This is an odd part of the novel. I want you to understand everything that is happening as much as possible. so, the scene will be narrated from all four POVs. The level of detail of each POV corresponds to the perception of each character. Bear in mind there won''t be much detail about the fight from most POVs. The last POV, and the most important one, will be Gahan''s, which will have detailed descriptions of everything that is happening. Every other will have its own style fitting the atmosphere surrounding the character in question. Mihara - Despair, Gunther - Management, Garth - Berserk, Gahan - "Normal". (Mihara''s POV) "Let''s go! It''s time to hunt that bitch down." She recognized that voice. Tears started forming in her eyes as cold sweat dripped down her spine. ''He''s here!'' She panicked. Her first instinct was to run, but her legs were frozen in place by some unknown reason. Fear. She stared idly at the dark corridor leading to this room, two figures slowly appeared from it. Not that they were moving slow. She could just see very far into the cave, and their image slowly grew in size. It was only then that she realized. Hundreds of goblins gushed from the opposite branch, flooding into the room like a storm. And something blocked her view of the enemies she''d grown so wary of. The backs of three large hobgoblins, worn in their rustic red attire. They were shielding her. Soon, the sounds of battle started to resound. The clash of the goblins'' makeshift weapons with steel swords. Those of blades tearing through bone and flesh. She crouched, covering her ears with her hands, sobbing. Tears flowed from her eyes onto the ground as she sobbed uncontrollably. Until a green light shone underneath her, and she felt a hand on her shoulder. Her sorrow seemed to magically vanish, and together with it, her fear. She rose back to her feet, now completely composed. She could feel her heart thumping in her chest. A slow and loud drum, erasing the noise from the whole world around her. She stared at the owner of the hand. One of the hobgoblins stood with her, the two others seemed further away, their hands raised as they used their magic. The one in front of her seemed almost humane, in an attempt to comfort her. She stared in awe as the monster raised his hand from her shoulder, pointing towards the direction where the goblins came from. She dashed towards it, the Hobgoblin running by her side. Until it no longer was. She looked back without stopping, only to see a sword piercing through its chest and back, as it stood in Gahan''s path, delaying him so she could escape. For the very first time, she shed tears for a monster, as she made her way running through yet another branch of the cave. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Gunther''s POV) Fuck! << What is it? >> They are dying too fast. << Even with the ghosts? >> Yeah. I''mma send another wave. << But you can''t spawn them there. >> I know. << And from the main room they''ll hinder her escape. >> I Know! I''ll use them to pinch him from behind. That crazed idiot won''t see what hit him. << The weak one? >> Yeah. But he''s still strong enough to cover for the other one. We need him out. Fast. << What the hell is that girl doing!? >> Oh, crap. She snapped. I''ll get one of the Shaman''s to help her. << But then we''ll lose even more goblins even quicker. >> If she doesn''t run now she won''t get another chance. How long till I can materialize again? << Bout 15 minutes still. >> Fuck. This has to do it. << What!? Why are you opening the secret path!? >> Another place for the goblins to come from. That''s all I can do now. << 60 dead. >> << 76 dead. >> << You need that hobgoblin casting stuff! They''ll get trampled! >> I know! Look, she''s up! << Finally! Took her long enough! >> The hell is that!? How the fuck is he doing that!? << The hell do I know! Probably some skill or something. There must be a drawback. >> I don''t care about what happens next if he kills her now. << I know I know! The goblin won''t make it, you gotta use the hobgoblin. >> But we only have three of those. How much EP do we even have left? << Bout 6 thousand. >> I can''t spend much more! That thing alone costs 8 thousand and I''m not sure if we can recover that much in just a couple days! << Stop whining and just do it! We can deal with that later. >> Ok then! Let''s do it. << That was a close call! >> You tell me! Did they all make it out? << Just now. >> Close the damn path. I''ll send 50 more from the corridor she''s going through. << Won''t they be a problem for her? >> They can squeeze her through! What matters is that they''ll be a problem for him too. Oh we did it! << What? >> He''s down. << Which one!? Ah, okay. Now what do we do? >> How much longer? << 13 minutes. >> Come on! Is the time not ticking? << It should be working fine. >> He''ll make it through in a bit. << Are you serious!? What about the new ones? >> Can''t you see?! They''re almost done already. << Shit. How much time did we earn? >> Less than two minutes. << It''s gonna be tough for her isn''t it. >> I Guess so... I hope she manages to run fast enough. << What about the safe room? >> I routed it behind the treasury a while back. << Good, so he''s gotta make it through the core room. >> Yeah. Let''s hope that gives us enough time. << Yeah... I guess you should pray. >> To whom, dumbass?! Like I even know the gods of this fricking world! << I don''t know! If you are loud enough maybe all of them will hear you. >> Fuck off! Now help me deal with this shit. The system''s full of errors all the time. << What the hell are you even doing!? >> What I told you I was doing. It''s just freezing all the time. << The fuck have you done!? >> I SAID I DID NOTHING! << THEN HOW THE FUCK DO WE HAVE OVER A THOUSAND GOBLINS OUTSIDE THE DUNGEON?! >> We have what!? Ch 53 – One’s Redemption DarkGodEM Also, my new novel Death Loop, a VRMMORPG story, is now available on all platforms. Please consider checking it out. There was also a change made to my Discord. It should now have individualized Roles for receiving Chapter Updates for each novel! Please check out the Roles channel and make sure you select them! "Let''s go! It''s time to hunt that bitch down." ''IT''S TIME!'' He thought. His eyes widened as his face contorted into a wicked smile. Garth pulled his sword out of his scabbard as he ran behind Gahan. His sword screeched as it was forcefully pulled from it, disregarding the metal railings on top. Yet the bearer indulged in the agonizing sound. As he reached the room, almost a hundred goblins awaited him and his commander. His lips contorted as his sword drew and arc upwards, splatting blood in the air in front of him. His once wicked smile morphed into something even more outrageous as his body swayed side to side on its own, severing corpses. "DIE, DIE, DIE!" He yelled as his arms became covered in blood that constantly dripped down from the pummel of his sword. He knew how not to, but he didn''t care. Not anymore. ''KILL THEM ALL! KI-L, L IiIiTtt A.L-L!'' His mind began collapsing as his thoughts became unraveled. "GYAHAHAHAHAHA!" A hysterical laugh escaped his lips as a goblin stabbed his arm with a dagger, piercing through his armor. He swung his arm around with inhumane force, ripping the dagger out with sheer momentum as the goblin who yielded it flew into another. blood dripped from the cut in his armor, that now went from slightly under his shoulder all the way to his elbow. Yet he seemed unfazed. Blood now covered his face as he beheaded a pair of goblins ahead of him. His vision painted red as the blood seeped into his eyes. "DIE-AHAAHDIEAHA!" Words became incomprehensible as they merged with his crazed laughter. Ten, twenty, thirty, he did not know how many he''d already killed. Yet, it didn''t matter. He trampled the head of the goblin who stabbed his leg with his bare and injured foot, making brain-matter fly all over the floor. His vision painted completely red. He couldn''t see anymore, yet he continued to brandish his sword feasting on the sound of flesh being ripped apart and the sensation of blood falling over him. '' - - - - - '' He could no longer even think. Garth, now turned berserk, flew into the crowd of Goblins. His sword cutting through them like grass. Yet, the dying goblins wouldn''t simply die. Their arms turned impossible directions, piercing his armor. Hundreds of stabs. Yet he wouldn''t stop killing. "Wha-" His consciousness came back, almost like a mirage, as he stumbled backwards in insurmountable pain. "GHAAAAA!" He screamed in pain as a blade stabbed him in the spine, paralyzing him for a split second. "GARTH!?" "GHUG! GLUG!" Gahan''s call was the last thing he heard, but only wet gurgling came out from his mouth. His now corpse, jugulated by the blades of two goblins, falling down to the floor. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *klink* * klack* "GET OUT! NOW! HURRY!" "Huh?!" The surprised women stared blankly at Kyle as the cage opened in the middle of the night. "I SAID GET OUT! DO YOU WANNA DIE?" The women hurried out of the cage, the sounds of metal clashing could be heard in the distance. The last one to come out was Haya, dragging Koan by the arm, who walked behind her with a blank stare, almost like a living corpse. "Come! Run!" Kyle didn''t waste a single second, running the opposite way the fight was taking place. Followed closely by the prisoners. "Thank you." Haya said, as she ran behind him. "Don''t thank me. Thank them!" He said, pointing back towards the darkness. "They are gonna die so we can live." A pair of tears flowed out from his eyes as he swallowed the bitter meaning of the words he just said. "..." Haya had no words to answer this, and they silently ran away, guided only by the light of the moon. "We, should stop to rest, now." After almost a full hour running, Kyle finally collapsed on the ground. Behind him, all four women also dropped to the floor, exhausted. The fifth was still as expressionless as ever, despite breathing heavily, and only sat when pulled by the arm by Haya. After grabbing her breath for a pair of minutes, Haya was the first to speak. "What happened? Why did you release us?" "Goblins." "Goblins? The weak monster?" "You don''t get it! Hundreds! Thousands of them!" "Are you not just giving a pretense to then sell us?" "I wouldn''t do that... Not after what I just saw." Kyle braced himself shivering, as he recalled the words from his colleagues. "They are going the way the rest went... They won''t last long if the goblins find them anyways. I''m better off getting your help and bringing you to safety somehow... At least I hope I can do it." "Are you fucking kidding?! How the fuck can you say that to us after all you guys made us go through!" "Silence, Lea!" Haya''s order silenced the woman immediately. "I don''t know what happened and why you were forced to do what you did, but if you say we can trust you from now on you have to give me some proof, else we might as well kill you right now." With her words, two of the maids restrained his arms while Lea slid his arms over his head, the chains between her hands pressing on his neck. Yet, he did not resist. Haya waved her hand, making the maids let go of him. Kyle prostrated himself on the ground, his knees folded and his head touching the floor in dogeza. "I apologize, My Queen. This humble servant was unable to prevent any of those things." "Huh... So you know who I am." "Yes, My Queen. I''m from Kaimon as well." He raised his body, going back to Seiza. "All I can offer you are these." From under his armor, Kyle pulled four small scabbards. In each, there was an iron dagger, the proof of his intention. He''d rushed to grab those as soon as he was woken up by Barkus. ''Barkus... Thank you for saving my ass...'' He thanked his now dead friend as he handed the daggers to the Queen. "It seems you do intend to help. I''ll trust you for now." "Thank you... We should get going soon, the Goblins may sense our smell." "Sure thing." Ch 54 – Rage and Regret "Get down!" Gabe yelled, jumping to the floor. "What is it?" Kyle asked, as soon as she got onto the ground. "Shh! I''ll tell you when we can make noise." With Gabe''s warning, they stood there, motionless, for a handful of minutes. Slowly, a rustling noise could be heard amidst the dark forest bathed by moonlight. The rustling slowly grew louder and louder, until it became blaring. Thousands of figures, hundreds of which wielding torches, could be seen in the distance. "What the actual fuck." Joe muttered in utter dismay. "SH!" Gabe once again urged for silence, this time, as silently as possible. The ominous parade lasted almost a whole hour. And even longer passed before Gabe slowly rose to his feet. "Now what?" Joe asked, rising to his feet. "Now we run the fuck away from here as fast as we can." Was the only other words Gabe uttered that night, before darting in the furthest direction possible from the monstrous army''s path. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- He slashed. Again and again. Each time he swung his sword, at least two goblins were cut in half. "hah~!" A heavy breath escaped him as his sword mauled half a dozen goblins. There she was, just a step ahead of him. But no matter how many he killed, he didn''t progress one bit. He could hear the crazed laughter of Garth killing dozens more of these monsters that seemed to generate out of thin air. Cold sweat dripped from the side of his head as he fought the neverending barrage of monsters. ''I''ve come too far.'' He thought. ''I shouldn''t have gotten in here.'' Regretting his thoughtless decision of engaging an unpredictable enemy. ''They''re all dead.'' Pain. Not the pain of his regret. A piercing pain on his dominant hand. A dead goblin''s arm turned towards their back as if it were completely dislodged wielded a crappy dagger. That dagger cut his gauntlet as if it were made out of butter and pierced his hand. ''Strange.'' He thought. This had happened before. On the first battle. Why was his reliable steel failing him?. *splat* Another goblin was bisected by his sword, his blood painting patterns on the pile of corpses on the floor. *exhale* Power surged inside him for a split second, filling him with nowfound energy and vigor. ''A Level Up?! After this many years!?'' He widened his eyes as the power surged through his body. It had been a dozen years since his last level up. *slash* His swordsmanship sharpened. His skill suddenly increased, rather, awakened. "GHA!" Yet, in a single moment, fate crushed his hopes and stomped his just acquired relief. Garth let out a pained grunt, making him look behind. ''FUCK!'' He thought, turning around yelling his companion''s name. "GARTH!!" Yet, there was nothing he could do. He slashed through half a dozen goblins, a desperate attempt, as he took a tiny step towards his only friend, paralyzed in pain. ''Just a little more!'' He thought, seeing only a handful more monsters in the path of his retreat towards him. It was a little more. Just a little more. A little more time the gods did not gave him the luxury of having. "Gug!" "Glug!" "NOOOOOOO!" He yelled. His sword swung with a violence he never thought possible. It was not a clean swing, he swung it on its side, like a blunt weapon. Yet it blew out the brains of the goblins in its path. Red colored the silvery color of Garth''s armor. Wet sounds could be heard over the bustling noise of the goblins feet. Two such stood by the side of his decades long companion. One who was by him ever since he took lead of the company. One who pushed him to do what had to be done when his father went senile. Yet, the powerful mercenary came to its knees, his throat sliced through by mere goblins. ''This can''t be!'' ''This cannot be happening!'' Delusional thoughts of disbelief floated about. *thump* Garth''s body collapsed on the ground while Gahan slashed his way through the goblins. ''There''s still time! I can still heal him with a potion!'' Gahan refused to let go. There was still something he could do. Yet. ''.............................................'' His brain froze. A goblin stood atop of Garth''s body. It posted a spear on Garth''s back. Standing there as if bragging about his death. Rage burned inside Gahan like a raging inferno. "GWAAAAAAAA!" His sword swung aimlessly, mauling his way towards his friend''s body like a runaway bull, shredding everything on its path. Inadvertently, in his rage, he forced himself to activate a skill he could only use once a day. And that he''d already used. "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" He screamed as his blind rage cut through anything in its bath, cutting the goblin''s head without a thought. Even the thoughtless goblins cowered as he stomped the severed head of the goblin in question. Turning it into a pulp. Before staring back straight into the person who caused this whole nightmare for him. Her. ''IT WAS HER! IT''S ALL HER FAULT!'' He raged in his thoughts. "I''LL FUCKING KILL YOU! I''LL BREAK EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOUR BONES!" He yelled, staring daggers at the girl hiding behind dozens of lines of goblins. He rejoiced as he saw her curl into a ball. And his rage morphed into madness. He did not want her dead. He wanted to see despair on her face. He would take everything from her. Her body. Her will. Her future. Her life. Her soul. He would indulge in her despair as he ravaged her body, tearing her apart from the inside. The thoughts of how she would break her became livid in his eyes. "I''ll fucking kill you!" He dashed into the mass of goblins, shredding his path through the moribund pile of corpses bisected by his sword. Dozens at a time, the goblins piled up in his path, dead. The challenge was not the killing of said, rather, it was walking over the hundreds of corpses lying on the ground as he made his way towards her. ''THE HOBGOBLINS! THAT''S WHY THEY MANAGED TO HURT ME!'' The sudden realization flashed in his head, as he stared at the last line of defense between him and the girl. Yet, she suddenly stood, and the four dashed away through the opening mob of goblins. "YOU BASTARDS!" He yelled, slashing through the multitude of goblins that now stood in between them like a meat shield. Ch 55 – Mihara’s demise "Interesting... Haaah~ I don''t remember creating such an entertaining thing." The sound of flesh hitting flesh and ragged breath contrasted to the words coming from this person. She looked onto the world as if she were not doing anything in particular, yet, such was just the kind of person this god was. Three faceless humanoid figures were present there. With her hand, Izmamik stroked the dick of one such figure that stood in front of her. She licked its dick while seeing what took place in the world where her will commanded unpredictable occurrences. Her small and slim body rocked back and forth with the movement of the two other figures. One laid beneath her, its hands holding onto her slim waist as it pounded her pussy. The other stood behind, holding onto her small breasts as it pounded her ass. "Maybe I should visit them soon enough." She thought out loud, licking her lips as she used her free hand to comb her short dark hair. "Hmmm~" She moaned as she sucked the dick on the figure in front of her. Soon enough... "Aaah! Ah~! AAAAAAH~!" The large dick escaped her mouth, as her body arched into an orgasm. *snap* With a snap of her fingers, the figures vanished. She slid her hand over her dripping pussy, while stretching her gaping ass with the other. "Ah... A good session is great every once in a while." She said, sucking her fingers drenched in fluids. "But I do miss going down there... Nothing beats a good living being. So unpredictable..." She bit her lip, reminding herself of one of the perks of her creation. "How long has it been? It ought to have been a couple millennia at least" She wondered out loud. "Yup! I made up my mind, I''m going down again!" The girl came to a decision that would make even the most powerful gods shiver. The calamity no god could predict would once again be brought upon the living. As per her own accord, like always. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Ghaaa!" Gahan cut his way through the mass of goblins. Another few dozens pushed their way from the corridor ahead of him as the girl ran. He jolted forward, his sword ready to cut her. *Shlpt* Yet, a figure stood in front of him, trespassed by his blade. "GHAAAA!" Gahan yelled in pain as fire burned his feet through the boots. The suicidal hobgoblin stared him in the eyes as it lit itself on fire as its last resort. Gahan pulled his sword, but the other goblins managed to encircle him. ''Fuck!'' He looked around to see how to break through, but a dagger interrupted him. One of the presumably dead goblins on the floor pierced his leg through the hole left behind by a dagger in the past. "GHh!" Gahan let go a muffled grunt, before spinning his blade around, killing a dozen goblins that had encircled him. He then pushed his way into the corridor, destroying the goblins in his path. His superhuman strength and stamina were slowly diminishing, but he hadn''t realized it yet. Gahan put a hand on his knees, panting. In a short notice, he''d killed over a hundred goblins. But finally, the path was cleared. A trail of goblin bodies followed him from the room. The goblins inside chased him to stop his progress. But there was little effect. Now, all but one were dead. "Gaghuaaa!" Gahan stomped the head of the last remaining goblin. An ominous grunt came out of its mouth as he too was squished to death. Gahan only allowed himself a second of rest. His target was close. He could feel it. *slash* He cut through the stone barrier that suddenly appeared in front of him. Bisecting the hobgoblin who cast it in half. Screams could be heard in the distance. They were very soft, almost as if it were just an illusion to discourage anyone from venturing further. ''There she is!'' He saw the girl resting against the wall of the corridor just ahead. A presence could be felt behind him as Gahan felt his foot get stuck to the ground. But this petty trick would never work on him. His sword was swung single handedly, embedding itself halfway through the hobgoblin who attempted to catch him from behind. ''It''s just me and you now!'' Gahan ran towards the girl, who turned, running as she realized he''d caught up with her. His whole body felt heavy like lead, but now there was nothing between him and the girl. He forced himself to run, but now he was only a bit faster than the girl, far from his previous performance. His heart pounded on his chest from the thrill of the chase. The two ran through the windy corridors that led to somewhere neither knew what was. Yet, the cave finally seemed normal. A feeling of oddity creeped up on Gahan as he continued running and finally caught up with the girl. "NOOO!" She yelled as he grabbed her wrist. "DID YOU THINK YOU COULD ESCAPE FROM ME!? BITCH!" Gahan threw Mihara to the floor after spitting on her face. It dawned on him that her clothes were nothing like the rags she was using when she escaped. Rather, she looked pretty well dressed. "I see you made myself a favor." He said, making her stand grabbing her neck. "I''ll fucking break you just like I did to that sister of yours." Tears flowed from her eyes as she was reminded of what he''d said happened. Her crying face turned the mercenary on. Oddly enough, there was a 1 meter cube in the very middle of the room. Gahan threw her against it, before quickly dropping the lower half of his armor. "I''ll show you what I do with nasty bitches like you!" He said, a veiny dick pointing up over his armor. "Please, no!" She pleaded as he once again approached her. A choir of screams and pained moans coming from the walls intensified the weight of her plea. "There''s nobody here to help you. You can cry all you want. Nobody will come." Mihara cried as she realized her life was about to end. He grabbed her thighs, pressing her against the cube. Her skin was a bit cool as Gahan touched her, but it was probably just the coldness of the cave, or so he thought. "I hadn''t realized you were this fucking hot¡­" He said, running his hand over her belly beneath the shirt and grabbing onto her breast. "I''ll make you my personal bitch for now on and use you every single night." He whispered in her ear, making her crying face tense up. even more. "Kyaa!" She yelled in pain as he pulled her panties, ripping them apart and burning her skin. *Paf* Blood dripped from Mihara''s mouth after he slapped her hard on the face. "Shut up! Bitch. The only sound you can make from now on is moan! Or I''ll cut you fucking tongue off!" He yelled, putting his hand between her legs. The corners of his metal covered fingers scratched their way between her legs, making her groan in pain as she sobbed. "Too bad that fucking moron who tried to help you isn''t here to see me fuck until you break." *VOOOOOM* "WHAT!?" Gahan was taken aback, stumbling a couple steps behind. A Strange metaling sound reverberated through the entire room; As the cube he''d pressed her again started to strobe in a menacing red, illuminating the entire place. Ch 56 – The end << CALM DOWN! THERE''S NOTHING WE CAN DO! >> THIS MOTHER FUCKER! I''ll fucking kill him! I''ll cut his fucking dick off and feed it to him. HOW LONG! << 30 Seconds! >> I raged as I felt Mihara''s ass touch the corner of my main body. But that was not the problem. The problem was why. I watched as Gahan''s hands defiled her body, I''d already sent the order but it took a handful of seconds for it to happen. But I couldn''t wait. Not a second more. Just the thought of that disgusting being touching the cute fox-kin was already too much, let alone allow him to rape her. I tried holding myself back. I really did. But when I heard her groan in pain and felt his finger touching me from in between her legs, I snapped. *VOOOOOOOOM* I''d already talked to Gloria what to do if this ever happened and decided shutting down the lights and pretending this was not the core room was the safest option, since he could kill me on the spot. But this was just... too much. The dungeon core, My physical body, started to vibrate as my rage forced the dungeon functions into overdrive. << GUN!!!!!>> Gloria yelled in fear, this was dangerous. The dungeon core strobed red as it operated beyond its capacity, absorbing the corpses of all dead monsters and humans. GHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! < > < > < > < > < > < > < > I yelled in pain. That pain, the same as when I got all that experience. I felt my brain boiling. My body cracked as the system threw errors as empty quotes. << The system''s failing! The hell are you doing?! Why did you convert all that into XP!? You''re gonna die! >> Gloria yelled again, but her voice felt incredibly distant. << GUN! >> << PLEASE DON''T DIE! >> She cried, I could see her tears from here. Gloria''s. Mihara''s. I could see their pain... Their fear. GHAAAAAAAAAAA! I yelled as my soul morphed. WHY! WHY DID I HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS? WHY DO THEY HAVE TO SUFFER LIKE THIS!? WHY AM I THIS WEAK?! I yelled inside my mind as my consciousness faded from all the pain. And for a moment. I knew. I simply knew. >>>>>>>>>> SYSTEM OVERRIDE INITIALIZED <<<<<<<<<< >>>>>>>>>> REPLACING CORE FUNCTIONS <<<<<<<<<< >>>>>>>>>> MERGING <<<<<<<<<< >>>>>>>>>> SYSTEM <<<<<<<<<< >>>>>>>>>> MAINFRAME UNITED <<<<<<<<<< >>>>>>>>>> TIME PROGRESSION MAINTAINED = NULL <<<<<<<<< >>>>> Administrator rights revoked <<<<< >>>>> Administrator rights Assigned <<<< >>>>> Operator: Gloria <<<<< >>>>> Divine System Initialized <<<<< ------------------------------------------------ "Gunther!" She yelled as the man collapsed. ''No, no, no, no!'' She thought. ''This can''t be! This can''t be happening!'' Tears rolled down her cheeks as she began to sob. *Pyw* *Pyw* The sound of electronics shutting down reached her ears as she fell to the ground from her chair, kneeling. "No way, right?" The desperate thought escaped her lips as she cried, staring down towards the floor. *click* Her computer shut down, bathing the room in ominous darkness. "Gun..." She cried out his name, wiping her tears with her hands. "I''m sorry. I''m so sorry. I couldn''t do anything." She lamented. Around, darkness started covering the things that made up her room. The bookshelf with her mangas, the bed, even her trash. It all slowly began converting into nothing but darkness. She sobbed. She cried, disconsolate. "Sorry Sis. I failed you... I guess I really was a failure after all..." Gloria hugged her knees, crying, as the walls that surrounded her slowly turned into darkness. "I blew it." She said. "My last chance... I blew it..." Tears flowed down her reddened eyes as her clothes slowly turned into darkness, only to vanish right after. "I failed everyone... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! WHY ME!" She yelled towards the never-ending darkness atop of her. "Why me..." She murmured once again, before resting her eyes against her now naked knees as she sobbed. The room she lived in was nowhere to be seen. Rather, there was no longer anything there. Only a small naked girl, sat on a foundation made out of pure darkness, in the middle of the never-ending darkness. Soon, even that foundation vanished into nothingness, and the girl found herself falling. She stared into the blank darkness that spread infinitely around her. Her tears flowed up wards, floating in front of her as she cried. Oblivion. The place where all gods originated from, and where all gods returned to. Nothingness. She cried for what she felt was an eternity. Yet, nothing happened. "Why?" She said. "Why am I not disappearing?" She asked the nothingness. "I failed. didn''t I?" She yelled at nobody. "How long do you intend to torture me like this? Isn''t just killing me enough already?" She yelled towards the void, yet no answer arrived. "Why do you do this to me?" She asked in a soft voice, before sobbing again. Gloria cried until her tears ran dry. Her mistakes and failures hunting her down for what felt like an eternity. It was nothing. There was no way for her to know how long had passed. All she knew was she''d been falling. *THUMP* "GHA~" All the air in her lungs suddenly left as she hit something hard. "Ow..." She said, as if it were natural, yet, she felt no pain whatsoever. "Where am I?" She asked herself as she slowly rose to her feet. Around her, the nothingness continued forever. But it felt different. This was not the nothingness of the void, but the nothingness of a realm that hadn''t been built upon. Yet, it was wide, wider than she could ever have imagined herself. She tapped her own chest, making sure she was still herself. Looking down, she realized her body still looked about the same, aside from being stark naked, that is. Her eyes wandered around the nothingness that spread in all directions, until. "The heck is that?" A single drop of white was visible in the far horizon. Nothing but a dot. Yet for her, who had nothing to lose, it was still something. And as such, she slowly walked towards the unknown... Surrounded by all but naught. Ch 57 – A new start ''Ow... My fucking head... It feels like it''s about to burst, holy shit it hurts! I don''t recall falling down but apparently I''d been out.'' I can feel the hard floor underneath my body. ''Hold up! What''s this shit? Why''s my head over something soft and warm...?'' Hold up... I push myself to open my eyes. It all looks blurry but that''s clearly a face, isn''t it? "GUN?!" "Ow... My head... talk quieter." "GUN!" ''I know this voice. The fuck is this? It''s raining? No... It can''t be.'' I slowly try opening my eyes again, but this is odd... ''How can this be? The hell''s she doing here?'' "Gloria? That you?" I ask, I can see a face on top of me, her pink hair falling over as she looks straight down. ''HOLD UP! AM I IN HER LAP?'' "Thank God. I thought... I really thought you were dead... I thought I was dead." She says something I just can''t really understand... "What are you talking about?" I ask, my head''s still not quite there. I feel like I just came out of a long day of sleep after getting hammered. ''Wait, the rain... Is it her?'' I open my eyes once again as I feel her hand caressing my face. Yeah, it was her, tears flowed down the tip of her nose, dripping onto me. Her eyes were completely red, she''d been crying like this for a long time. "You passed out after going crazy over Gahan." '' Oh, yeah... that bastard.'' "OH, SHIT! MIHARA!" I tried to rise in a hurry. ''Mihara''s in danger Gahan-'' *POC* "Owww!" She cried. ''Ow... My fucking head...'' Yep, I just hit my forehead on hers. ''Ah...'' I opened my eyes again, looking at the monitor ahead and over me... There it... ''Wait. It''s paused? How the fuck is that even possible?'' They were exactly where I last remembered them. Just seeing it made my blood boil. She was still pressed against my main body. He, however, seemed to be taken aback, paralyzed as he took a few steps back... ''Huh?! I don''t recall that part. Now that I look at it, the dungeon core seems to be glowing red, right? The hell happened there!?'' "Gloria... What happened? How can it be that you are here?" "I... still don''t really know..." She sounded like she was about to cry, I turned back to look at her... "The hell?! Why are you naked?!" I was taken aback too. ''Why the hell''s she naked? Where''s her kigurumi? Wait... How can she be here? Wasn''t she supposed to be in her divine subspace or something?'' "I... I... I-" ''Oh, crap. She''s gonna cry?!'' I hurriedly turned around and slid on the ground towards her, embracing her tight as she began to cry loudly, sobbing. ''I guess I can afford to give her at least this... She seems to have been through a lot. It shouldn''t cost me anything right?'' I think as I stare into the paused image of Gahan and Mihara. ''I just hope it doesn''t unpause out of nowhere... That''d be a problem...'' It''s odd... Very odd... I''d normally be fucking excited at having her in my arms, naked, like this... yet those thoughts are nowhere to be found. Rather, I can feel my heart being strangled as I just watch her cry unstoppably. I caress her gorgeous pink hair while on my knees, her small hands grab onto my clothes as if it were the only thing that mattered in the world. "It''s okay, it''s all fine, we''re fine now, I''m here..." I told myself and her while holding onto her, caressing her back as I patted her head. "UWAAAAAAAAAA!" Yet, it seemed to have the opposite effect, she ended up crying even more and louder. Soon, I found tears rolling down my own cheeks inadvertently. I had no idea why, but it pained me too much to see her like this. My mouth felt dry as an indescribable knot formed in my throat. It feels so uncomfortable. I embrace her even harder. This seems to be working though, and slowly, her sobs turn into an almost silent whimper as she seems to calm down. I finally sit down, my feet were already hurting from how long I was kneeling. She, however, doesn''t let go of my shirt for even a second. Rather, as I sit down, she wraps her legs around my waist and clings to my neck. I''d normally be surprised by this, but now, All I can do is hug her tight. "I''m sorry you have to see me like this..." She mutters in my ear. "It''s ok, I don''t mind." I answer, still hugging her naked body. We just remained there. For a long, long, time. Slowly, I managed to calm myself down as I tried to digest what had just happened. "Do you feel better?" I ask. "Yeah... It feels much better now that you''re here..." For the first time, I felt relief in her voice. Suddenly, my heart felt at ease, almost as in a weight had been removed from my chest. ''Since when did I care for this brat so much?'' I ask myself. Relieved. "Good." I wanted to say something more soothing, but nothing else came into my mind and we just hugged each other for another while. "Care to explain how the hell you managed to get here?" "I don''t know too well myself but..." Gloria began explaining everything that happened, from this being her last shot at trying this, which she, apparently, had hidden from even her sister, and what this meant if she failed, all the way through what happened when she thought she''d died... From her explanation, I could see that this felt like a long time, but I had no way of understanding what "an eternity" meant... That is, until I realized she was literally thousands of years old. I couldn''t avoid holding her tight when this happened. She quit talking as soon as it happened, asking me what was wrong. Of course, I said it was nothing and asked her to continue... I had to hold myself from crying there and then. God, she must''ve felt so desolate... Still... She then told me about how she walked a long time towards this tiny lit spot in the immensity of this dark place... And I only then realized, I''d been standing right here ever since this place began existing. I''d never even taken a stroll around to see how large it was... To imagine it would be this massive... In the end, it seemed she found me collapsed here and nursed me until I woke up... It didn''t take that long, she said, but compared to an eternity to a being that is millennia old, it''s probably still a long time for me... Ch 58 – Straight out of Nowhere She lost count of how many thousands of steps she''d taken. But after a long time, the spot slowly turned into a small square. ''What is that?'' She asked herself, never ceasing to walk. Slowly but surely, that small square became bigger and bigger, revealing what it really was: A sort of monitor. ''Huh? I''ve seen this before...'' She thought, inadvertently hurrying her steps. And surely, as she made her way closer to the sources of light, something on the ground seemed to be reflecting off a bit of that light. ''Weird.'' She thought, considering there was no reflection anywhere in the pitch blackness of this void. As she made her way closer, a human figure started to appear where the light bounced off into her eyes. "Gun!?" She yelled, running towards that place. It took her a while to reach there. Her mind began showing signs of fatigue, but the closer she got, the faster she ran towards the body laid on the ground. "Gun!" She yelled again, dropping to the floor by the side of the body. ''It really is him! He''s alive!'' Tears flowed like a river from her eyes as she combed his hair with her fingers. "I''m so glad..." She said, giving him a small kiss on the lips. Gloria turned herself and knelt on the ground, resting his head over her thighs as she ran her fingers through his hair, slowly calming herself down. ''How can it be that I''m here...? If she''s alive there''s no reason for that to have happened... right?'' She thought towards herself, thinking what kind of twisted thing could have happened. ''There''s no way this can happen... is there?'' She asked herself, brooding over and over what she''d gone through. The fact that her divine-realm had been destroyed was an undeniable truth... And her falling like she did was proof that Gunther had, in fact, died. ''Then how can I be here now...?'' She asked herself, completely unaware of the mechanisms that allowed both him to survive, and her, to be here right now. While she thought about these and other pointless things, she felt Gunther''s head shift on her things? "GUN!?" "Ow... My head... talk quieter." "GUN!" ---------------------------- "And that''s how it happened..." "I see... I''m sorry." I apologized, I mean, it really was my fault, right? "Why are you apologizing? It''s my fault all of this happened..." But she seemed to disagree. "No... I should''ve known better. It''s my lack of self-control that made you go through all that..." I brooded over my mistakes one more time. "It''s okay... I forgive you." She said, releasing me and distancing our faces, before kissing me. ''Ah... This her is so cute... Wait! Since when did she accept it was my fault? Heh... It doesn''t matter.'' Her kiss feels incredibly good. The fact that she''s naked does add a lot to the kiss though. Her body feels so delicate... It''s almost as if I could break her in half if I wanted to. "Fua-! I think we need to solve that now though..." She points towards the monitor. "Ah, Yeah." I start to stand up. "WAIT! LET ME GET ON THE GROUND FIRST!" "Ah, sorry." "Humpf... You forgot you had me on you..." "I can''t help it that you are this light." "I''ll take that as a compliment." "Yeah, yeah, whatever..." I say, staring at the monitor thinking what to do next. Then, I feel a small hand trying to hold mine. ''YEET!'' I pull her. "WAAAWAWAWA!" She stumbles towards me, and I hug her from behind. I feel Glory''s small hands on my arms while I caress her naked stomach with my fingers. ''I hope this could last forever...'' I think to myself, before focusing back on the issue at hand. "Gun." "Yeah?" "You haven''t tried using the System right?" "Ah... right. I haven''t... I guess I should try it out right?" ''Odd... She isn''t teasing me or calling me dumb... Is she okay?'' I think to myself. ''Hold up... She''s not answering...'' "Gloria?" "Yeah?" "Can you no longer read my thoughts?" "Huh? I never could, to be fair... It was just the system that conveyed those to me." "Oh... Right..." Duh. ''Ain''t it obvious you dumbass? What were you even thinking...'' I cursed myself in my head. ''... Why am I... Could it be I got used to it...? No... Let''s try the thing already... System, can you create a room?'' < System running in Paused mode; Changes made in this mode will only take effect when progress is resumed.> "It wor-" I tried to say something but was interrupted by Gloria. "Kya! Why''s this inside my head?! Make it stop!" "Huh?!" I just stared at her in disbelief... ''Are you seriously this startled by the fucking system you ran? ... Wait a second.'' "Gloria, did you just say you could read the System?" "Yeah! What the fuck is with this creepy-ass voice!?" "Had you never heard the narrator before?" "No! I mean, Yeah! But No!" "Wait, what!? Talk human!" "What I mean is... Yeah, I did hear this voice before. This is dad. But him talking inside my head is creepy as fuck!" "Dad?" I ask, kind of startled. ''She has a father? Do gods have parents? I mean, I knew she had a sister and all but... A Father?'' "Yeah, Duh! What did you think? That we just sprouted out of nowhere?" "Yeah?!" "Oh, I guess you are kinda right... We do, but not out of nowhere just because... There''s a reason you know?!" "Being...?" "When a daddy god and a mommy god love each other very much... Oh, generally, not in Mom''s case, in her''s is just because she wanted to fuck... You get the point!" "Huh..." ... Yeah, what am I even supposed to think of this? If any of you know, please tell me... This is just too random for me. Thanks. "So... What you are saying, is that Gods have children just like normal people?" "Yeah... sometimes." "Huh!?" "I mean, there are Gods that just "poof" into existence like-" "This me!" Ch 59 – I’m a God now? "Huh!?" After seeing Gloria''s gaping mouth, I turn around towards the sudden shrill voice. What I see, surprises me even more then I had expected. A small girl, much like Gloria, stood in front of me. No... Comparing Gloria to her would be a huge mistake. This girl had a tanned skin the color of light caramel, her cute face and tiny breasts contrasted with her general appearance. The first thing that came to my mind looking at her were those tiny succubus demons from the japanese drawn adult magazines I used to read. ''What was it called again? Tiny Evil, right?'' She wore tiny black shorts over fishnets, leather handless gloves that went all the way above her elbows and a leather top that left her stomach completely uncovered under a transparent black cropped t-shirt. There''s no denying she looked like a sexy little devil, rather than anything else. Her smirk didn''t help it either. She also had short black hair that barely reached her shoulders and golden eyes that seemed to shine on their own. ''Who is this...'' I thought. "Who- Who are you!?" Before I could say anything, Gloria asked, startled. "Me? They call me by many different names... Izma, The treacherous Goddess, The trickster, The god of misfortune, The god of uncertainty, The god of Dungeons, God of all creation, simply God... Haaah...'''' She sighed. "I miss when my children respected me, but they are too worried about their stupid management and don''t have time for my games... I miss when they called me by my actual title though. My name is Izmamik, but you may call me Mikky." She said, happily strolling towards us. "I see... Mikky, right? What brings you here? Rather, how can it be that you are here?" "Oh... You sure are an interesting one, aren''t you?" She says, putting her hand against my chest, and slowly bringing it down towards my crotch. ''What is it with these gods and me? Is my dick coated in honey or something?'' I can''t avoid thinking with myself as she caresses my dick over my pants. Me? Of course I let her do it, how could I refuse... But apparently, someone thought otherwise. "HEY! He''s mine, stop putting your hands all over him!" Gloria said in a harsh tone while pouting. "Huh? You are already defying me? I didn''t remember making the two of you but it really doesn''t seem like you guys are from around here... Also, He''s more mine than yours, since you let him die..." "How do you...?" *snif* As I heard her voice crack, I looked behind to see Gloria holding herself back, while on the verge of tears. I quickly pulled and hugged here, before addressing the girl. "I don''t know who you are or what business you have with me. But if you make her cry one more time, you won''t get anything from me. Ever." I say, briskly, in hindsight I could have worded it a lot better, couldn''t have I? "Oh... You really are an interesting one... I fancy you quite a bit, so I''ll avoid teasing the little goddess over there from now on. As for what business I have with you... I just want to have some fun, you know. After all, I just saved your life. And that of the little girl while at it." "You did... No... It really seemed weird that things happened the way they did... It was you then..." Swallowing her tears, Gloria regained her composure, and addressed the girl directly. I just watched her boldness in awe while petting Glory''s head and hugging her from behind. Bear in mind she''s still naked. "Indeed, it was this me. I mean, this dungeon was far too amusing to let die just because of the stupid limiter set up by that retard. He told me he''d send some people over from time to time but... I never expected him to send his daughter too." "Daughter... You mean Gloria?" I asked her, surprised. "Yeah... That idiot, Siestim... I''ve known him for a while now." "You know dad!?" Gloria''s reaction was even more energetic than I''d have expected... Rather... ''Who even is her father?'' I asked myself, and her, for that matter. "Who''s your father, Gloria?" "My father is the God of Systems and Hierarchy. He''s basically the God who designed and rules over the whole command structure of Earth." "Yadda, yadda, yadda. Yeah, He''s the idiot who thinks organizing Gods like a fucking bureaoucracy is a good idea. He even managed to convert my kids into a "Hierarchy" of sorts. God, I hate his methods... But it was also him who gave me the idea of using dungeons to make this world last longer, so he''s at least got some credit." I could feel Gloria clenching her fists while Mikky said this stuff... But I have to agree with her. His methods really sound boring. "Thank you for agreeing with me. It seems I made a great choice keeping you around." "You can read my thoughts?!" The hell!? How can... "Ah... See... Overlords can read their subordinate god''s thoughts. I think Sisty had introduced that into his "System" somehow. Since both of you are my subordinate gods now, I can read what you think. Also, thank you for thinking I''m hot. "OW! You didn''t have to hit me for that, Gloria!" God... having your thoughts read is quite a problem isn''t it... Oh... So this is why Gloria can''t read my thoughts anymore... Wait, Subordinate Gods?! I''m a God!? "Oh, yes, see... You did something really careless; You got so many levels so quickly that that idiot''s stupid system fried your brain, which is also why little Goddess over there fell from godhood. But I didn''t want to lose the best fun I''d had in millennia, so, I lifted the limiter and allowed you to become a god too to some extent. She coming back was a coincidence though. I hadn''t expected her to simply come crash into your divine-realm and somehow merge with the partial system I had set up... Well, if it works there''s no need for me to worry too much over it. Anyhow, I have to go now, I''ll be back later to get some dick ok? Bai bai." "Wait! Oh... She''s gone already... What a troublesome person isn''t she? Gloria?" I looked down to see Gloria tightening her fists. "Gloria?" I asked once again. "I... I''m a god now... I''m a fucking god!" "Gloria? Are you okay?" "Okay!? DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY THOUSANDS OF YEARS I WAITED FOR THIS?!" "..." "FIVE! FUCKING! THOUSAND! YEARS! HELL YEAH!" "... Are you okay?" "NO! I''m not! UWAAAAA!" Oh, shit! She''s crying again. What''s with women and these mood-swings, God. Announcement! (I know, but this time it’s actually important) As you all know, I have committed myself to keep all my successful novels free to read for as long as possible. To make that possible, changes are bound to be made, especially when it comes to platforms that allow me to keep it that way. If you like this novel, please consider reading up to 7 Advanced Chapters that are now available on my Patreon. Else, I know we are all facing hard times and this is a worldwide issue. So, I''m happy to say that the future has a way to make all of us happy and to allow you, a reader who cannot afford to pay for the content, to read it for free while also helping me. Please bear in mind that this change is very important for you, who wants to read as many chapters as possible. I''ll be releasing further details about this change on my Discord, which you can join at: https://discord.gg/JsWnJMtvQJ I''m also happy to say that, next week, one Illustration for this novel will be made available for free, to every single one of my readers. All you have to do is stay tuned on Discord. See ya later, and happy reading TOMORROW! Ch 60 – System Overhaul "Why are you even crying?!" I ask, trying to understand the complicated existence we call women. "Because! You know how hard I tried to become a god!? And now I''m one, but because I failed!" ''Tasks failed successfully! I guess... Haaah. I need to make her cheer up and figure this all out still...'' "See... At least you are here with me now, right? Also, I need your help figuring this stuff out, can you just snap out of it for a second?" "If you need my help... I guess I can leave this for later." With a cheeky look, Gloria blushed, putting her hands behind herself while sawing her foot side to side. "You are very cute. You know that, right? Especially when you''re naked." I say, putting my hands on her waist as I stare at her lovely expression. God, I feel as if my nose would start to bleed. "Wha-" She became tomato head, as she looked down towards herself realizing she''d been naked this whole time. "I... I was naked when that girl came..." "Yeah?" I confirmed, without thinking much about the implications. "I... was naked and that girl saw me... She saw me naked..." Gloria began grumbling incomprehensible stuff about Mikky''s visit that I didn''t really care. Rather, she looks even cuter when embarrassed, so I see this as a win, despite delaying my progress on sonving this stuff. Meanwhile, I decided it was time to check my stats. A lot had happened lately... ''Status?'' < Define Realm > Huh? What the hell do you mean with realm? < Possible Realms > < Divine > < Mortal > ... The heck... Mortal. < Realm: Mortal, Selected. Define Region. > Again? ... What regions are there? < Possible Regions: > < Earth > < Derh?r Skiten > < ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€ > There are two options then... Holdup. What even is "¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€"? < ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€ is a Blank Region ruled by the Elder God Izmamik. > I see... Derh?r Skiten is probably this world then... Select that. < CORE: Coexisting Organism for Regeneration and Evolution > < > < Lvl.: 1 > < Rank: D > < Attributes: > < ? VITALITY(VIT): 79847 > < ? RESISTANCE(HAR): 200 > < ? MANA(MAN): 845481 > < ? STAMINA(RES): 4185 > < ? INTELLIGENCE(INT): 1480 > < > < Passive Skills: > < ? Regeneration [Divine] I > < ? Mana Recovery Rate [Divine] I > < ? Mental Effect Immunity I > < ? Magic Resistance X > < ? Elemental Affinity X > < ? Earth Affinity X > < ? Mana Control [Divine] I > < ? [Divine] Health Increase I > < ? [Divine] Mana Increase I > < ? [Divine] Vitality Increase I > < ? Threadripper [64 Core] > < ? Aura Sync > < ? Monero CPU Mining > < > < Active Sills: > < ? Godly Descent I > < ? Divine Gaze I > < ? Substitution X > < ? Metal Infusion X > < ? ¡Þ Gaze [Believer] > < ? Dungeon Manipulation [Divine] > < > < > < Unique Skills: > < ? Materialization > < ? Blessing > < > < Curses and Blessings: > < ? Earth''s God of Logistics Blessing > < ? Earth''s God of Virginity Blessing > < ? Derh?r Skiten''s God of Gods'' Blessing > < ? Derh?r Skiten''s --?-- Blessing > < ? Derh?r Skiten''s --?-- Blessing > Is this a joke? Are you fucking kidding me? What the fuck do these stupid ass PC skills do? < ? Threadripper [64 Core] > < This skill defines how many processes can be realized in parallel and how many Compute Units are available. > < ? Aura Sync > < This skill is able to Sync your Abnormal Conditions and Emotional Status to the Color in all connected Light Sources. > < ? Monero CPU Mining > < You may assign excess Compute Unites to generate EP at the expense of augmented heat production and lowering of Clock Speeds. > Wait! Hold up. You mean all those meme skills actually have a use in real life?! What kind of God would even have the stupid idea of including this kind of meme!? < The Creation of Universal skills is attributed to ¨€¨€¨€¨€ God. > What is it with a blank name? < ¨€¨€¨€¨€ is not a Blank name, ¨€¨€¨€¨€ Is ¨€¨€¨€¨€. > Yeah... Whatever. Let''s put all cores to get all that EP! < Mining Started. All cores. > Eh - Why - think - Ow - Head - Hot - Stop - Stop - STOP! < Mining Stopped. > The fuck was that!? < No free cores available for processing of thought and speech. > YOU SHOULD''VE TOLD IT EARLIER! < You should have known better since Dual Core only allowed you use two thought processes at once. > Oh... I see... Oi! Since when have you become this smart!? < Divine System is superior and relies on the God itself to function. > Oh... So you are smart because you rely on my power as a God. < Precisely. Yours and Operator God''s. > Operator?! Who would that even be? < Operator: Gloria > I look to the side to see the cute naked girl still thinking about the encounter with Mikky. "Gloria. Check the system out! You are still the admin or something like that." "HEH!?" My words seem to have brought her back to reality as she walks towards me. "How do I use it?" "Ah... I forgot to ask that part." Does her system work the same as mine? < Interface is based on user preference. But all are thought operated. > I see... Thanks. "Gloria, all you have to do is think about it and it should show up." "T- This is..." Gloria opened a broad smile as small tears began forming on her face. "What is it?" I ask her. "It''s... Marvelous! Everything is here. I have access to anything and everything and I can see everything I ever wanted to see it''s amazing! Can''t you see!?" "I... Can''t see anything." Even with all the processing power I got, her talking this much this quickly was a lot! Rather, why is she so thrilled about this... I don''t get why a system would turn her on this much. "Hold up, there sure is a toggle somewhere that should allow me to share the visual of it... Found it! Here goes nothing." As soon as she said that, thousands and thousands of consoles popped up from thin air, just like the monitors I used to check on the different rooms of the dungeon with the "camera" setup, no... This was much more than just that. The sheer scale was completely broken. Thousands and thousands of them, some overlapping with one another... It really looked like a SIS_ADMIN''s Nightmare, an IBM Stretch Mainframe console running thousands of operations. Jesus fuck the logs roll up so fast I can''t even track down a word. "... Gloria... Care to explain what this is?" "IT''S FREE REAL ESTATE!" "Are you sure you are fine?" I asked, thinking she must have gone insane. "You just don''t understand! I can see anything and everything at a moment''s notice. Check this monster tab." With her words, a small screen moved forward and enlarged itself. In it, I could see a ridiculous list of monsters, their prices, tiers, everything. If I focused for too long on a name, the full sheet of that monster would simply pop up with all the info, evolutions, classes, personalization options... Holy shit this is much more effective than my system. ... "You see how amazing it is!? Gun? Is everything okay? Why are you making that face?" "It''s not that much but... I felt a great disturbance in my mind, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced." I said, going back to using her system to analyze the options to further improve our dungeon. 1 This is is an IBM Stretch: ] DarkGodEM Are you ready for saturday''s Announcement? If not, join my Discord: bit.ly/DarkGodsDiscord More Chapters at: bit.ly/DarkGodEM Ch 61 – Resolutions "Come on, Gun. You''ve been at this for hours!" "I know, hold on! I''m almost done with this." After a while, Gloria kept pestering me to hurry up and deal with Gahan... It was annoying, not gonna lie, but she was kinda right. But there''s so much stuff I didn''t know that I now have easy and quick access to... I even managed to find the hierarchy of this world and all. But I can only see information I already know... I guess that''s what Mikky was talking about being "kind of a God" and not a full blown one. Apparently, Gloria is counted as part of my divinity. I guess you can say this is something akin to a marriage... Let''s not tell her that for now. "Gloria?" "Yeah?" "I know it''s nice to hug me and all but... Do you not intend to wear any clothes?" "Eh? Why would I? It''s pretty comfy!" "Hey!" I called her out as she quickly pulled my t-shirt up, removing it, as she leaned against my back with her small naked chest. It''s not that much, but I feel kinda guilty, so it''s embarrassing... But it''s also pretty great, not gonna lie. "You know." She started speaking in my ear as her hand went down my naked chest towards my stomach. "Why don''t we hurry up and finish this off so we can have some fun?" She asked, nibbling my earlobe. Aaaaahhhh! How am I supposed to check the stuff with her doing this!? "Fine, Fine! You win!" I say, rising to my feet as I turn around and kiss her on the mouth while holding her naked body with my hands. She slowly rises onto the tip of her toes, making the kiss much comfortable for me, and longer. "Haaah~" She exhales as I let go of her waist, ending our kiss. ''Now, how do I wanna do this...'' I think as I prepare myself to execute my strategy and prepare myself for the precise five seconds I will have before materializing as soon as possible. "Heh." I freeze, staring at the image on the monitor. "Ehhh!? Glory... Am I going crazy?" "What was it?" She retorted back, confused. "See... I could almost guarantee that she had her eyes open when I woke up." "Yeah... I think so too." "Then how can it be that she has them close now?" "Hold up!" Gloria stretched her arms and opened them wide, stretching the image on the screen to almost our whole field-of-view. "Holy crap the resolution doesn''t fall!" "Why would it? This is your vision, remember? Not a CCTV Camera." She snarked as she turned her face towards me, visibly cringing. "Ah... right..." Eh... what else was there for me to do but accept my dumbness? "Look! Here!" She pointed towards Mihara''s eyes as she squinted. I walked closer to the monitor while trying to see what she was pointing to. "Ah... It''s moving!" Eureka, I''m not crazy! I think... anyways... "So time didn''t become paused, it''s just very very very very slow." "Yeah... I''m guessing she blinked a couple times..." Gloria stated. "Seems feasible... So, the whole time you were falling, I was passed out and that whole shit only passed what? 5 seconds after I passed out." I think out loud. " And the time it took me to go through the stuff until you died of boredom was barely enough for her to do half of a blink." "This... feels a bit overpowered doesn''t it?" Gloria confirms my impression. "Yeah... If we can master activating this we can become almost invincible." We stare at each other in amazement, a large smile on both of our faces... Guess we figured the solution to a lot of problems. -------------------------------- "Come on man I''m so fucking tired we''ve been running for hours!" Kyle complained while running, falling a little behind the others. "I''m with him on this one, Gabe... My feet hurt, we''ve been at this for almost half of the whole night." Joe joined him. "Sh! Silence you two!" Gabe halted abruptly, taking his hand to his scabbard, ready to pull his sword out. "There''s someone ahead. Joe, come here. Kyle, stay behind that tree and only come out if we get in trouble." Gabe let out his orders as he pointed towards a last row of trees, before a small clearing. There was no fire or light, and little to no noise. Even Kyle was impressed with his perception today. They slowly made their way towards the back of the trees, before jumping towards those making the noise, sword in hand. "Kyaaa!" Lea screamed in fright as she was attacked by the man clad in full armor. His sword almost touching her neck. Gabe grabbed her as soon as he saw the women, the captives of their group, sat in the clearing, all but one, asleep. He was extremely lucky that her back was facing towards him, and he could check things out without risking injuring them. "Let her go!" Two of the remaining women pointed daggers towards him, the last seating like a dead fish on the floor. Gaber could guess what had happened to her. One of them, with her face covered, talked boldly while he ogled the surroundings, waiting for Joe. "Hiiie!" Lea shrieked as the blade lightly touched her neck before he spoke once again as he saw Joe appear with the corner of his eye. "What happened? How are you here? Where are the rest of us?" Gabe launched a barrage of questions, making Haya''s confidence dwindle as she saw another one coming from behind him and a faint reflection behind a tree. "I-" "The fuck is happening here?!" She was interrupted by Kyle''s yell, as he came running from the other side of the clearing. Gabe was confused by the sudden appearance of a single mercenary. Even more so seeing the women relax. ''Is he a traitor!?'' He thought, before a well known voice called from behind, against his orders. "Kyle! That you!?" Gabe''s group Kyle yelled as he ran towards the bustling glade. Recognizing the voice of his best friend. "Kyle!?" The mercenary clad in armor responded, slowing down and quickly stopping. As soon as this happened, Gabe breathed a sigh of relief, letting go of the confused Lea that fell kneeling on the floor. Haya running in her assistance. As the two Kyles greeted each other, fistbumping, Gabe put out his swords, and dropped to the floor, exhausted. Haya, less than a meter away from it, watched in awe as the man who just now had threatened her maid removed his helmet, showing off his bare face. "Why?" She asked, calmly, as she realized Lea was completely fine. "See that guy over there?" He pointed towards Kyle. "I would put my hand in the fire for him. He''s got my back enough times I don''t even question it anymore." Haya listened in sheer amazement as he spoke lightly after such cold-bloodedness. "I see..." She muttered, a wry smile barely showing on her face. ''I wish I had men like you on my side when my husband died... This would never have happened...'' She thought to herself as she thought about her own shortcomings that brought such distress. A second later, another man sat beside them, equally caking his helmet off. This one''s face looked much more punished by time and war. Marked by numerous small scars, while his eyes laid deep into his face, revealing his seniority. "Holy fucking shit..." He muttered. "Let''s agree to never run this much again. I can''t do this anymore." He said towards Gabe, his words weighed by the dozens of hours walking and running over the last couple of days. His legs sore as if he''d taken a beating. "I guess it''s time to introduce all of you to each other." Kyle, the Supply Chief said, as he walked towards them accompanied by Kyle, the squire, and the other maid, who gently pulled Koan by the arm. Ch 62 – Mihara’s yandere side ''The fuck is that!? A Core?'' Gahan stumbled behind as he realized. He''d moved this deep into the dungeon. ''It must be a new one, for a core to only this far into it... But where''s the dungeon boss?'' Gahan looked around, unable to comprehend what exactly was happening. In these few seconds, the core stopped strobing. He rolled his eyes at his own exaggerated reaction, brushing off what just happened and walking back towards the confused girl, who shrunk in fear. "Now... Where were we?" He snickered. raising his hand to grab onto Mihara''s arm. "I guess we were at the part you said I wasn''t here to help." Gahan''s eyes widened as he saw a smile appear on the girls face, a voice calling him from behind. ''Impossible!'' He turned around in a hurry to see the man he''d apparently killed before dashing at him while holding a shortsword. *clang* Gahan grits his teeth as he recognizes the blade. It is one of Lancer''s katars. He blocks the incoming attack with his sword ad the very last second. ''Fuck, I''m slow! Is it because of using that too much?'' His body felt heavy. His movements, sluggish. "Shit." He let a mutter escape between his teeth, forcing a smile to form on the boy''s face. "What is it? Weren''t you all manly and powerful just a second ago? Could it be you are too tired?" Gunther taunted him, taking a leap behind before dashing against him once again, sparks flying as their blades clashed. "..." Gahan frowned, his eyebrows furrowed as he blocked the boy''s sword, ignoring the increasing pain on his muscles. "Did someone rip off your tongue?" Gunther pressed further, slashing from overhead. Gahan easily parried the hit, but his movements felt heavier by the second. "AAAAH!" He yelled as he unleashed a counter. ''Fuck!'' Gunther jumped back, barely managing to avoid the edge of Gahan''s blade. As he landed, a sharp pain caught his attention, a small cut was visible on his clothes, just between his ribs. He''d been cut, albeit a shallow one. ''That was close... Shit!'' He jumped back once again as he saw Gahan''s blade slashing onto him just a second after looking up. ''How did he!?'' Gahan questioned himself as he doubted how he could''ve avoided his blade, which he didn''t even notice until the last moment. A sense of wrongness grew inside him as he realized that, despite being pressed back, his opponent''s movements felt unnatural. ''It''s almost like he doesn''t know how to use a fucking sword but has absurd physical skills...'' Gahan was confused, not knowing his hunch was spot on. "What!?" He yelled, as he parried a completely nonstandard cut from below. Defending from such a weird angle threw Gahan out of stance, making him stumble as his sore muscles failed to compensate for the force, cramping. Mihara still stood in shock, watching the battle unfold. It is not like she could''ve done nothing to help... but everything was happening so suddenly. She just barely noticed the two shadows that sprung into action, attacking Gahan. ''Wha-!'' Gahan realized the killing intent coming from his sides, there was no way to avoid both. ''Those pesky goblins again.'' He thought, as he quickly devised a way to escape the onslaught. "Ghaa~!" He yelled in pain as he did the only thing he could to stop the three-fold attack with his legs almost frozen solid. His blade drew a circle, forcing Gunther to retreat while it drew an unnatural arc behind him. Gunther watched in awe as the two shadows fell to the ground, dead, while Gahan''s arm hung lower, completely disconnected from his shoulder. "UWAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Gahan howled as he forced his arm back in place with his other hand. ''This is bad! I can''t keep this much longer!'' Gahan thought to himself as he noticed the existence of more such goblins with the corner of his vision. "Here I come!" He yelled as he lunged suicidally at Gunther, who barely managed to parry and block his half-baked slashes. ''Shit! His getting the upper hand!'' Gunther desperately tried to find a window to counterattack. Gahan''s strokes were slower and weaker than before, but still deadly. A single wrong step and he''d die. ''How can this motherfucker be this good!? Even slowing time down I can''t find any flaws!'' Reality was, had it not been for his newfound ability to nearly stop time, Gunther would''ve been dead from the very first time their swords crossed. But a glance was enough, when you can almost pause time itself. As soon as he saw Gahan turn his eyes towards the goblins who left the "dungeon", Gunther reverted the tides of the fight. Gahan stumbled back as he slowly parried hit after hit, hard pressed under the burden of his previous injuries. "Fuck!" He yelled as he blocked a hit inches ahead of his face. "What is it? Feeling scared?" Gunther''s taunts had an increased efect on the worn out mercenary. "Like hell I''d fear you! I''m a way better swordsman!" Gahan pulled his sword back, slashing at Gunther in a very sluggish manner, which was easily parried. "You see..." Gunther became serious as his blade was once again blocked by Gahan, but this time, they locked in place under the strain of their arms. "The strongest swordsman doesn''t fear the second strongest... He fears the weakest of them all." Gahan''s eyes widened as he suddenly turned behind to try and avoid the impending danger, but all he managed was to gasp as he fell on his knees, a Katar piercing straight through his heart. "You did well... I''m sorry I didn''t help you earlier..." Gunther walked past the fallen Gahan, pulling the sword out of his back and giving it back to Mihara, who gave him death''s embrace. He kissed her on the lips softly, making her cry with joy. "I knew you''d come back for me." She rested her cheek on his palm, as he caressed her. "I told you I''d never let you go, but now," He stared down at the twitching Gahan, who was trying to grab something from his satchel. "I think you should be the one to finish him off." Mihara took a couple small steps forward, before. "DIE YOU PIECE OF FUCK! SCUM! SCOUNDREL!" "Eeeh~!" Gunther counted in awe as Mihara skewered the man with the Katar using both hands. She took her sweet time stabbing him dozens of times on the head, back, legs... One could say, the half-naked mercenary was turned into a pincushion. ''She''s scary...'' Gunther kept watching in silence as she continuously pierced the man, his blood occasionally gushing up and onto her face and arms. She took her sweet time doing it, a disturbing smile on her face. "Fuaaaah~! This felt so fucking good... Eh. Sorry... I went too far..." She suddenly blushed as she turned back into her usual self... Gunther was still silent, in utter amazement, until she turned her bloodied face towards him, dead serious, pointing the sword straight at him. Or rather, right next to his face. Her deadpan smile combined with all the blood gave her a far more deadly aura than even what she''d done before, and he paled, until she spoke. "Gun... Care to explain who the hell is that girl?" "Huh?" She asked, with deadpan eyes, a murderous aura that would make any man shiver.... And Gunther looked back, only to see a naked girl with pink hair hugging her knees on the corner of the room, staring straight at the two. "Gloria?!" Ch 63 – As subtle as a sledgehammer "..." I stared at Gloria, flabbergasted, while Mihara pointed the dagger towards her. "Gloria!?" I called her out again. This time, she looks up and stands, slowly walking towards us, before hiding herself behind me. "So you do know her... Who?" Mihara asked me, making her small hands grab onto my t-shirt behind me as she hid herself. "His wife!" A small but confident voice sounded from behind my back, making me freeze for a second. "Eeeeeh?!" "Huuh!?" Me and Mihara let out voices of surprise... I can picture her smiling behind me. "Gloria? What''s with that?" I ask. It''s not like I don''t like the answer but... since when did we become married? Oh, right, the godhood thing. "I mean... We live together, we share the same things and accounts and we even show up as one and the same, right?" Her small hands go up as she starts to massage my stiff shoulders. ... I kinda expected her to do this but... not in front of Mihara. Could it be that she''s also jealous? Nah, makes no sense, right? Rather... "Anyhow, why the hell are you here? Rather, how the hell are you here?" "Like I know!? I was there and them, boom! I was here and you were fighting that guy and this girl got scary for a second!" While Gloria said this, I could see Mihara put the sword down, blushing. "Anyhow, you now know each other... WHY ARE YOU NAKED!?" "Because I was naked and somehow you made me materialize! You idiot!" "Gun... You still haven''t told me who she is..." Mihara muttered behind me. I thought for a second what to say, but Gloria was faster. "His wife. I''m his wife, Gloria, nice to meet you?! ""WIFE?!"" Mine and Mihara''s echoed in unison. Making us stare at each other before I addressed Gloria. "Since, when, are, we, married?" I ask, again. "Well... We live together, we share everything and, most importantly, the two of us count as one and the same for that God. So, I guess we are married aren''t we?" "When you put it like that..." I mean... ain''t this pretty much a common-law marriage? But most importantly¡ª "Gloria?" I call her with my self inside the Divine Subspace... She''s gone. No reply, nowhere to be seen... "Gloria, you vanished from back there?" I ask to confirm, to a confused Mihara tilting her head as she walks towards me. "Eh... I guess so... Like, I''m not like you who can divide your attention... So I guess I''m here now." "I see... This is kinda dangerous then." "Huh?! What do you mean?" "If I lose this body, there''s my other self, so I don''t die... But you... you are only you." "You mean... this is my main body, so if it dies I could die?!" "Pretty much, ye-" Our conversation was interrupted as a cool but soft sensation touched my back. Mihara leaning on me and kissing my neck. "I know she''s your wife and all... But what does that make me? Don''t ignore me." "HEY! Don''t steal my man!" As soon as she realized it, Gloria ran forward, kissing my mouth while putting my hand between her bare legs. "HMMMMMM! HMMM!!" Fuck! I can''t speak! LEAVE ME BE, WOMEN! I HAVE THINGS TO DO! I wanted and tried to say that, but of course I didn''t say it. It would be betraying myself too. Holy shit this is fucking amazing. Except for the fact that mihara is cold. Eh... I can get used to it though... It must feel amazing on a hot day... Oh, Crap, I''m losing myself! I need to fo-fo-foooocus. Gloria! Don''t stick my fingers in there! Mihara, Take your hand out of my pants! AAAAAAAAA "Stop!" I manage to lightly push Gloria away by touching a certain spot inside her. I also make Mihara let go of me with my other hand. Fuck, my dick is hard. But we have pressing matters! "We''ll have a lot more time to do this stuff later, but I need to-" "UWAAAAAAAA!" A glass-shattering scream came out from the vent to the torture room. Making all the girls stare towards it. "Ahem. I need to deal with some stuff with the dungeon right now." "Are you really not gonna say anything about that scream!?" Mihara asked, as she walked behind me, who was strolling towards the entrance of the room. "No need, you''d actually like to know it though." Gloria, walking by her side, responded, making Mihara look at me confusedly. "Ah, see" I look back without stopping. "Those screams are from the mercenaries. I have some goblins torturing them so I get more power." "TAKE ME THERE! I WANNA SEE IT!" Mihara answers, with her eyes shining. God, is she seriously the Yandere type? "Okay, okay. I''ll take you there soon enough. But I need to solve a couple things first, one of them is to do with you." "Me?" Mihara asked, confused once again. "Are you really gonna tell her that already!? Isn''t it better to wait until we figure it out?" Gloria, knowing what I was talking about, objected. "No, it should be fine. Rather, it''s better if she knows about it as soon as possible. It was my blunder, but it''s her life." "What are you guys talking about?" Mihara''s confusion grew, and she slowly began to feel fear. It was clear in her face that she was afraid of this conversation. I wanted to calm her down and explain everything but Gloria was blunt as a fucking sledgehammer. "The idiot here turned you indo an undead with that weird potion you got from the goblins, because he was too dumb to read the full description." "Un...dead?" "Exactly. You are turning into a ghoul." "GLORIA! Cut this crap." What the duck is this girl thinking. "What?! I''m just telling her the truth." She shrugged my complaint as if her saying all of this was natural. "I''m gonna stop that transformation somehow so that you don''t become a mindless flesh-eating corpse though. It''s gonna be fine." "Mindless flesh-eating corpse..." She muttered, expressionless. "And you complain about me being blunt... Want a mirror?" Gloria''s caustic remark was too spot on. Fuck, I need to choose my words better... Ch 64 – Completely Unskilled "So... what''s gonna happen to me?" After bearing the suffocating silence for a while, Mihara asked while following me. "I... am not sure yet. But there are a couple options we can discuss." "Really?!" ''Why does she seem so surprised?'' "Yeah, there are three options at least." "One, you can choose to turn into an undead and roam this dungeon as a monster... I don''t like this one though." "Two, we could try and use potions and Holy Magic to revert the process... But that might kill you." "Or three, we attempt to turn you into an undead higher into the hierarchy so your will and personality remain intact." "You mean..." "A vampire." "Eh..." Gloria started saying from behind me. "She looks way less startled than I expected." "If you have any idea of what she went through the last week or so, it''s not that surprising..." I tell her, turning around. "That''s not it..." But Mihara rebuked. "Rather... I trust you, so, I know you''re gonna do whatever you think is best." "Eh? What?! You trust him?! Even though he''s the one who turned you into an undead in the first place?!" "Come on, Gloria!" "I... know he didn''t do it on purpose... He did what he thought was best for me." "Thank you, Mih, for trusting me." I say. "Different from this other woman here." "Huh!? What do you even mean? I trust you too! In fact, I trusted you so much you nearly killed me! And I''m immortal in the first place!" "Immortal?" Mihara asked. "Don''t listen to her daydreaming, she can''t connect two ideas." I tell Mihara. Gloria was clearly not happy. "Are you calling me dunb?! I''m a Goddess! A Goddess!" "See? Just ignore her." I could see Gloria pouting, but one thing is a thing, letting her know she''s literally a God is another. Not that anyone would believe her in the first place though. "So... You can take as long as you want to think." "I want to remain as a monster." "What?! What the fuck?!" Gloria nearly yelled in my ear. "Excuse me?" I say. "I mean... Doesn''t it mean I can stay here with you? If that''s the case... I''m willing to-" "No no-no-no-noo. I don''t think you understand..." Gloria started talking over her. "You realize you are going to turn into a ghoul, right?" "Yeah?" "And that ghouls eat humans, right?" "Yeah?" "And that you will become a random monster that could be killed by intruders, right?" "I guess so, but couldn''t just put me in the core-room?" Gloria face-palmed. "Kid, you will become a mindless beast! Is that what you really want?!" "No, but if I can stay here, and the other option has a chance of dying..." "Did you even hear the last option?" Gloria yelled at her. The discussion was so amusing I literally stopped and turned around to look at them, the Goblins didn''t look to be in a hurry or anything, so this was more important. "Yeah, but then I''d be a vampire and have to leave, right?" ""Who told you that!?"" Me and Gloria yell at the same time. "Huh?! So... I can stay?" "Of course you can." I say, walking towards her and giving her a hug. "You are one of ours." As I say this, Mihara hugs me back. Tears start flowing from her eyes. "I thought you were gonna tell me to go if I wasn''t a monster..." "What in hell made you think that?" I ask. Surprisingly, Gloria is in silence. "This is a dungeon... And you are somehow related to it... I thought you wouldn''t want a human around..." "But I''m a human..." I said. "Eh?" "I mean... Not exactly... I used to be one." "Hm..." "Now I''m that cube that weird guy pressed you against." "Wait, what?!" She grabbed my arm. "Phfew... You''re still you..." "The heck?... No, I''m still that cube, this is just my former body materialized." "Oh, I see... What about her?" "I... We don''t know yet." "Whaaat?" "See... I''m kinda not supposed to be able to come here, but here I am. I think when he materialized his self, he also materialized me..." Gloria explained. "I see... Sounds rough." "Oh, not really, it''s just that I don''t know if I die if this body gets killed..." "What do you mean with that? You don''t die if you get killed?" Mihara was confused, visibly so, but that was pretty much it wasn''t it? "See... My main body is that cube. Even if this body here gets killed, it''ll take me a few hours or days, but I can just materialize it again." I explain to her. "You''re immortal?!" "Not really, no. If the Dungeon Core gets destroyed, I die for good." "Oh... I see... But what about her?" "We have no idea..." "Hmmmm... Is this a kind of skill?" "I guess, why?" "Have you checked your status? Maybe there''s a skill about it." She asked Glory "... I didn''t check it. I don''t know how though..." "Just think about it and it should work." Mihara told her "Oh, I see... ... ... IT WORKED! But... there''s no such skill or anything... Rather, I don''t have any skills..." ""Eh!?"" DarkGodEM Ch 65 – I’m under questioning… "..." "I guess it''s to be expected though..." I say. "Why would that be?" Mihara asks me. "Ah... See... This system is from this world and... Nevermind." Fuck, I almost spilled the beans. I can''t just say "Listen, this girl is from another fucking world", that''d be ludicrous. "Eh... but-" "Just, nevermind, really. Please. I''ll explain it later." "Okay then..." "What are the two of you gossiping about?" Gloria circles behind me and shows up between me and Mihara as we speak. She sounds annoyed, and annoying. "Not much, really. Just that it was to be expected." I say, sparing Mihara from any collateral. "What do you mean, "To be expected"? Give me some credit, will ya?" "Okay, okay, but we better get going." And as such, we set foot again towards the entrance of the dungeon... Why I''m taking them with me? See... I saw something up there and really want to test it out... Show status page for this body, please. Oh, I felt some happiness in my mind?! Could it be? Nah... < Dungeon Master Status > < > < Name: Gunther (NAMED MONSTER) > < Title: God of ¦Õ > < Race: God > < Job (AUTO): Dungeon Master > < Lvl.: 275 > < Rank: V > < State: Materialized > < > < Attributes: > < ? VITALITY(VIT): 125 > < ? MANA(MAN): 745 > < ? STRENGTH(STR): 53 > < ? AGILITY (AGI): 72 > < ? STAMINA(RES): 127 > < ? INTELLIGENCE(INT): 175 > < > < Passive Sills: > < ? Regeneration V > < ? Magic Resistance II > < ? Mental Effect Resistance II > < ? Mana Control I > < ? Minor Health Increase > < ? Minor Mana Increase > < ? Minor Vitality Increase > < ? Medium Stamina Increase > < ? Elemental Affinity I > < ? Earth Affinity I > < ? Mana Control I > < ? Superhuman Endurance > < ? Dark Vision III > < ? Divine Translation > < > < Active Sills: > < ? Dagger Technique I > < ? Slinger Technique II > < ? Destruction Technique III > < ? Siege Technique I > < ? Dagger Technique I > < ? Tongue Technique IV > < ? Finger Technique III > < ? Sexual Technique I > < ? Gaze III > < ? Intimidation II > < > < Unique Skills: > < ? Overdrive I > < > < Curses and Blessings: > < ? Earth''s God of Logistics Blessing > < ? Earth''s God of Virginity Blessing > You see that? That''s what I need. The level? No, that''s not important, the skill! That''s what I''m talking about! Anyhow, There''s also the titles I got before... They don''t show here for some reason... I can check this later. Or rather... System, where are my titles? < All titles will be integrated into the [God of ¦Õ] title. Their effects still remain. All effects of the [God of ¦Õ] title can be told, do you want to listen to the effects of it? > I''ll pass!!!! Let me read them later in the other system. "Gun? Why are you so quiet?" I hear Gloria''s voice from my side, bringing me back to reality. "Oh, I was checking some skills and titles... The whole thing changed." "Oh, I see... I guess it''s to be expected." "What are you guys talking about?" Feeling left out, Mihara asks from the other side. "We''re talking about the system... It''s organization changed quite a bit after what happened earlier." I answer. "Earlier? You mean the red lights and all?" "Yeah....... Kinda, but yeah. Then." "I see... It''s difficult for me to guess since I need the Status Stone to access mine... It''s been months since I last checked mine." "Status... stone?" I ask. "You don''t know about it?!" "Not a clue." "How can I explain..." Mihara struggled to find words to explain what it was and how it worked, but Gloria spoke, clearing her from it. "The Status Stone is a very rare mineral that is said to have been created by the Chaos God himself. It allows for humans to see their own power and skills without having to use extremely rare skills such as Appraisal and Gaze, which are very expensive." "I see... Didn''t know it was rare." "It is... The stones that still exist, as far as I recall, are all located in the main branches of the Guilds. And in the hands of a few powerful kingdoms." Instead of Gloria, Mihara continued to explain to me about them. Gloria had a bitter expression... I think she didn''t really know much about that stuff... "Eh... I see..." "By the way, why are we going back to the entrance?" Mihara asked me. "Oh... There''s a very large group of Goblins. I want to talk to their leader and increase the dungeon monster count." "Go...blins?" "Yeah." "Wait, wait, wait, WAIT!" Gloria jumped in front of me, forcing me to stop. "Are you taking us to try and talk to thousands of goblins without any backup or strength to defend in case they attack us back?" She complained. I could kinda see Mihara''s eyes widen. "No..." I snap my fingers. Instantly, a dozen Dark Goblins clad in black fall from the ceiling. "I have them to buy us time if anything goes wrong." "You... don''t be overconfident. You know what happens every time you do that." She warns me. "I know. It''s fine. I''ll have you wait inside and talk to him on my own. If anything goes wrong, I''ll just send all monsters to fight them while you go back inside." "Hmm... I''ll trust you this time, but don''t fuck it up." "I won''t." "Etoo, what will happen to you if you fail?" Mihara asked, worried. "Oh, I''ll probably die. But I can still control the dungeon without this body, so I''ll find a way to communicate with you two until I can materialize again." "I see..." "That doesn''t sound very reassuring, you know?" Gloria smirked. "It''s gonna be fine. If you want, I can get some of those Shamans with us now to help give some impact." "I''d appreciate that. Remember we don''t know whether I can rematerialize yet. And also that the girl over there is not like you. If she dies, she''s dead... I guess she''s already dead though." "Huh?! Ah... I''m turning into an undead... Forgot about it for a second." "Anyways, let''s please get going before they decide to enter the dungeon and it becomes harder. The hobgoblins are waiting for us in the room just ahead." ''They are not yet, but I''m working on it, just please stop doing this to me.'' "Okay." Thankfully, Gloria agrees and lets me walk. Fuck, I feel like they were interrogating me. DarkGodEM https://neoread.neovel.io/book/7846/EN/the-world-ruling-dungeon Ch 66 – Chained Elephant "Oi, the fuck is wrong with that guy?" "The heck do I know! He''s been there, drinking, for over a day already." "Over a day?! Without sleep? And drinking like that? How the hell is he still alive?" Two men spoke in hushed whispers at a busy bar. Not only them, but all eyes were focused on a single man. "The hell do I know?! He seems like a¡ª" *THUD* "Hiiii- Let''s go, let''s go, he''s gonna do something!" The two quickly got up and left. After all, there was no such thing as a tab at this place. But the man they were talking about struck the table with his empty mug hard enough the floor itself shrieked. "Come on Morhat, don''t break my tables." "Yeah, yeah, just give me another one." The sound of coins rolling echoed in the dead silent tavern. Only to be drowned by the murmur of the dozen voices talking at the same time. "Come on Mor, I''ve been your friend for far too long, what the fuck happened?" The bearded tavern master sat down across from him. He was worried, but more than anything, he was curious. At such a place like this dark tavern in the outskirts, information was worth the weight of one''s alcohol in gold. "They killed her Dunhan! They fucking killed her!" The man raised his voice, almost crying. And chugged down the whole mug of ale in a single breath. "Easy man, easy! You''re gonna kill yourself!" "I''m already dead, Dun. I''m already fucking dead. They killed her." "Whom? Lea? Or Maize?" "Both, man. They killed both of them! In front of my eyes... And I did nothing to stop it." ''Oh, shit.'' "Come on, Mor. I know it sucks but you couldn''t do anything even if you tried. How many mages were there?" "The whole fucking clergy." "See... You''d only get yourself killed." "Your point being?" He straightened his back and, for the first time, stared into the eyes of his old friend. "Holy mother of¡ªAre you okay man? How many days haven''t you slept?!" "Too many to count, Dun. Too many to count. Just give me another fucking ale." "Easy man! You''ve already drunk more than my entire life''s savings. Where the fuck have you even taken all this money from?!" "My kid''s future, Dun. My wife''s savings. Everything I could sell before they started looting the place." "You were..." "Yes, I was one of the men who were sent to pick them up." He rested his elbow onto the table, holding his temples with his fingers as tears dropped onto the table. "I thought they''d take her to the camp like they''d been doing. I just grabbed everything through the back with the hopes to smuggle them out of there by bribing someone." "Then what happened?! Wasn''t that the plan all along, since you joined the army?" "It was... But the camp got full... So they threw them in the pit." "Sweet mother of¡ª I... don''t even know what to say, my friend." "Say no more, just bring me another drink. Something stronger to make me forget all of this." "I will... But what about the army?" "FUCK THE ARMY!" He jumped up, dropping his stool onto the floor as he slammed the table with both fists, cracking the solid maple table in half. "Fuck them and their fucking God! I''d kill even that scum fucking pope if I had the chance!" "EASY BOY! SIT THE FUCK DOWN!" Dunhan, the tavern owner, pushed his friend back down while pulling a nearby chair. "Don''t worry about him people, just a drunkard. Enjoy the show." He addressed the onlookers, before sitting back down. "Don''t fucking do that!? You want us both to get killed?" "Sorry... Though I''m already dead if they know who I am..." "You haven''t¡ª" "I have. I deserted. I killed all who tried to stop me from leaving. I''m already sentenced, Dun. I''m as good as dead, might as well spend all my money on alcohol while I still can." He threw a coin to the publican. Dunhan stood aghast, as he realized this was a gold coin, enough to buy this whole business. "Morhat..." "This is for the damages and lost clients, now just give me booze until I pass out." The man stroked his beard, and stumbled his way to his counter in silence. There was nothing more he could do... Other than offer him his deepest condolences, and his best alcohol. ''Poor man... He didn''t deserve any of this...'' He thought one last time, before returning to his everyday job. ------------------------------------------------------------ "How damn far do I have to walk?! My ankles hurt." "Shut up, Gloria. You know the size of this dungeon." "I do, I do, but it didn''t feel this big from looking at the maps!" "Tough luck. Now, please, just let me double check the stuff. We''re almost there. "Gun?" "Yeah, Mih?" "How did I loose the shackle?" "Huh?! What do you mean?" "Like... One of them is missing." Mihara pointed to one of her feet, where one of the shackles was nowhere to be seen." "I... I don''t really remember but..." He used his other self to scan the rooms though which she''d passed. "You somehow removed it in the room you drank the potion." "Eh? How can that be?" "Superhuman Strength." "What?!" "Excuse me?!" "Come on guys." Gloria acted as if her previous sentence was supposed to be commonplace. Yet, both others were completely dumbstruck. "She''s a Ghoul. Ghouls can use all their strength disregarding their own safety. She could probably rip the shackles with her bare hands." "The fuck?!" Gunther stared at her in disbelief. "Then why did she do nothing when Gahan attacked her?" Mihara started trembling from remembering what had just happened. Her mind was still amiss. She didn''t really understand what she was being doubted about. "I guess she kind of liked what he wa¡ªOW! OW! OW! OOOOOOOOOWWWW!!! STOP! I WAS JOKING!" "Better shut up, next time it won''t end with me just pulling them." "Sorry, sorry... She was probably too scared to even imagine being able to do something." "The elephant chained to a small pole..." "Precisely." "Huh? Elephom¡­? Are you guys talking about me?" Mihara''s ears moved up and down as she tilted her head, not understanding where the conversation was going. Ch 67 – An expensive choice "Nothing important really. Anyhow, can you try to like, take them off? Just put all your¡ª" *SCREEEEEE* "What the actual..." I... just... stood there, speechless, as the thick steel shackles cried in agony. The girl literally grabbed the side of the shackle of her other hand, and slowly pulled it up, tearing and bending the metal which cracked and deformed with a painful sound. "It came off!!" Mihara happily hopped, grinning from ear to ear, as she held the... shapeless hunk of metal high in front of her. "It... did." I just¡ªwhat did you want from me? the fucking metal thing bent and twisted with her using a single hand! I expected her to... I don''t know, pry the locking pin open, or crack the hinges, not fucking rip the damn thing off! *SCREEEEEE* She, of course, did the same thing with the other hand. Me and Gloria just stood there, speechless. She shared a couple looks while staring at it, but... yeah. Mihara just dropped the two things on the floor, which fell with a loud thud. "Now this one..." She muttered to herself as she leaned down, facing away from me¡ªiee... Yeah, that''s a nice ass. As she leaned forwards, the loose t-shirt slowly rolled up, showing the gorgeous lingerie and a cute and fluffy tail. *Click* "Huh? This one was much easier." She said, surprised. Me and Gloria just stared at her with a strange face... I mean, of course if you force the hinges they are gonna brack much easier than literally ripping the damn thing!? "What matters is that you''re now free, right?" "Yeah!" She happily reacted to my question, and brought her hands together as she turned to face me. "Hey! What is this?! You hurt?" Gloria asked, worried. It took me a second to realize what she was talking about even after she grabbed Mih''s hands and raised them. That is, I only noticed it after she turned her palms up. There were small red lines slowly rolling down her forearm. Very, very slowly, almost as if her blood was some kind of syrup. The places where the metal had gouged into her flesh as she tore them off. "Jesus! Are you okay?!" I asked, surprised, getting closer to her. "Yeah, it doesn''t seem to be that bad, I didn''t even feel anything..." Mihara shyly said. "It didn''t hurt!? I can stick my finger right into it!" Gloria yelled at her. "Hey, calm down, don''t startle her. Let me see it." I pushed her away, checking it myself. The metal had torn the flesh almost all the way to the bone, how did she not¡ª I noticed it. Her skin, which was pale, was now slowly turning a shade of blue. Ignoring the injury, I turned her hand down. Despite her face showing very little change, the skin under her nails had already started becoming purple. "Gloria," I said, looking straight into her eyes. "We don''t have any more time. We gotta do that now." "Huh!? But it may take some time. We can''t do that right now, what about the globins?!" "Fuck them!" Gloria flinched as I yelled at her, I didn''t mean to startle her or anything, and seriously doubt I could even do that in the first place... ''Maybe¡ªDid my intimidation skill activate just now?'' I had such a pointless thought, even at a time like this. I should have been more focused. "Sorry, I didn''t mean to," I said, as I saw her eyes tear up as she turned around. "but the goblins can wait. She''s way more important than those small fries." I said while I scrolled through all the available options we talked about earlier for fixing this. ''No... this one is too expensive, I only have this much, it could either be this one or this one. Which one is better... I can afford both, but this other one is a lot more expensive and they seem to be about the same... No, I shouldn''t skimp on this, that''s what caused it in the first place. Yeah, this one. I can get more EP later.'' My self at the realm overworked himself, using as much of the processing power as possible and picking among all possible options. In the end, he settled on a very expensive vial... It cost almost half as much as all the dungeon development so far. Literally, all EP I had. "Here, drik." I twisted off the glass lid of the vial. It seemed to be sealed off with some kind of wax, which melted from the heat of my hands when I held it. Then, I handed the small vial to the foxgirl. "This is the right one, right? The one that''ll make me stay with you forever." "Yes, it''s the best I could afford. Trust me." "Um!" Mihara hurriedly nodded, downing down the whole vial. Bear in mind it was not a small feat. The vial was pretty small, but still almost twice as large as a regular potion. And it''s contents were far more... irony. Just from opening it, the strong smell of freshly poured blood invaded my nose. This one had a strange sweetness to it though, almost like a flower''s nectar. She spent a couple seconds looking up, while the last few droplets of blood slowly made their way onto her cherry lips. "Kyahh~... It was delicious, thanks!" She thanked me, grinning. I almost giggled seeing Gloria eek at the small amount of blood dribbling from the color of her mouth. Her lips, now painted crimson from the blood, were endearing, almost as much as her smiling eyes. What caught my attention though, were the perfectly white teeth, and the small fangs. Fangs? I don''t recall there being any... "Gah¡ª!" "Mih!? You okay?!" I rushed forward as she knelt on the ground. "My. Heart¡ªStrong¡ª" She stuttered as she curled forwards gripping her chest. "UHHGG!" She curled even more, holding onto her head. "Gun!? Is she okay? What did you give her?" "The best thing there was. Some sort of vampire legend blood. I''ll explain more later." I turned back to Mihara, holding her shoulder. "Please don''t worry. It''s gonna hurt but everything''s gonna be fine¡ªCrap!" "What is it?" Gloria asked me from behind, I could feel her hand on my back, reassuringly. "They moved. What looks to be their leader is coming to the entrance." "How do yo¡ª Nevermind it doesn''t matter." "I''ll tell you later, I have to go now, please take care of her. The goblins will help you take her to the safehouse," I said, as I ordered the dark goblins to come and help and scraped the last few bits of EP into giving them some sort of stretcher, to carry her back. "she''s gonna be in pain for a while." "Please be careful..." Gloria said as she changed places with me. "I will." I slowly walked away from the two, pained to leave them in such a situation. But it was necessary. "GHAAAAAA~!" As I walked away, I heard a pained scream from behind me. It sounded so inhumane I could barely recognize Mihara''s voice. It took all of me to not turn around and go attend to her, but a reassuring voice whispered what I needed in my ears. < Named Monster: Mihara''s class changed to Dungeon Boss: Mihara. > < Dungeon Boss: Mihara''s race changed from Transforming Ghoul to Transforming Alukah. > DarkGodEM Hey! Sorry for taking so long to update this novel. Good news. The content filtering and reordering for amazon release as a LN is now done [Now with less POV changes and CLEAR POV indication. Yes, I heard you]. V1 will be soon released with around 150 pages and over 33K words! Cover is also done and all that is left is finishing the content editing and revision that should only take another week. Please stay tuned on [Discord] bit.ly/DarkGodsDiscord and [Patreon] bit.ly/DarkGodEM for more details about the release and make sure to support this novel if you want it to continue. Ch 68 will be made available on Neovel this weekend ahead of release. Arc 1 - I became a Dungeon is also completed with a total of 73 Chapters! All remaining chapters are already available on Patreon and new ones will be made available as soon as editing for amazon ends and writing of Arc 2 - Goblin Dungeon begins. Hope you like the story so far, and thank you for sticking around. Ch 68 – Why do you care? "... Where are we even going, Boss?" "Haven''t I told you many times already?" "You have but... Why are we even going to Kaimon?! Hasn''t there been a coup or something?" "Are you really that clueless...?" "Huh? What do you mean?" "I said ''We''re going past Kaimon'', not into it. Also, haven''t you heard what happened to the queen?" "Not realy... What happened?" "Some say they shipped her to the DarkClaw..." "Herklaw!?" "Shut the hell down! You want to get us killed?!" "Huh? What do you¡ª" "Don''t. I''ll tell you when we''re out of here. God, Bahr, I should''ve taught you better." "Bahr! Gus!" The two instantly turned back, to see a young boy running behind them from where the workshop used to be. "Hey, lil twig. What you coming here for?" Despite the clearly teasing nickname, Gustav talked to the kid with a softness Bahr seldom saw from the weathered man. "Are you... Are you guys really going away?" The boy asked, looking up at him, almost tearful. "Yes, lil boy. We are. There''s only so much I could do around here..." Without waiting for him to finish, the boy jumped at him, hugging his waist. Gustav rubbed his head, messing up the boys hair. "Tell her... I''ll miss her a lot. I''ll be sending word as soon as I settle down." "Yes!" The kid let go of him, nodding energetically. "We''re going there once that happens, right?" "I can''t say that for sure, kid. But tell her I''ll make both of you know as soon as I can. With luck it shouldn''t be long." He said, still softer than usual. But in a second, he hardened his resolve. speaking to the kid as he''s used to. "Now don''t take long. Go back to your mom. Tell her we''re going east and north till the narrow, but no further north than that, no further east than the greats. Did you get that?" "Yes! East north till narrow, not north than narrow, no east than greats." "That''s it, my boy. Now go tell her that. She''ll know." "I''ll go. See you soon, Gus." "See you, kid..." He muttered as the two saw the kid running back, occasionally turning around to wave at them, to which Gustav waved back too. "He''s really grown attached to you, hasn''t he? I gues you really took him as your own." Bahr talked to the artisan, watching the kid run to his home. "Yeah... He did, just how you did when I brought you in..." "Yeah... Just like¡ª Wait, what!?" "Forget it, nitwit! Now let''s get going before it gets too late." The middle-aged man turned around, walking down the road into the wilderness. "Wait!" The young apprentice ran after him. "Didn''t you really like her though?" He asked, as he reached the man, and started walking alongside him. "Of course I did. I''ve been here for over a decade now." "But you never married her..." "Of course not, I was never meant to stay this long. And she also never forgot the deceased husband of hers. I could never take his place in her heart." "But you did in her bed... and also for that kid..." "One thing in one thing, the other, is another. Don''t mix things up. Learn it from now. Even if a woman welcomes you into her bed, does not mean she welcomes you into her heart. And the ones who pretend are the nastiest." "But what if she actually felt something for you after all this time...?" "Then there''s no need to worry. As soon as I tell her where I''m at, she''ll come after me. And if she does, then I''ll know. Actions, not words." "I guess so..." Bahr slowed down a bit, walking slightly behind the man who took him in when his father died. ''I guess the old man has a thing for orphans and widows'' He giggled as he thought about the past, watching his mentor walk towards their next stop. "You''re thinking something pointless again, aren''t you?" The man asked, annoyed. "How did you¡ª?" "I always know what''s in your mind. Now come, we gotta reach Polyana before the end of the month." "Huh!? But that''s only a couple days from now!" "Precisely. No resting until we get the horses." He said, joking but with a serious tone. There was no way Bahr could see his gentle smirk from behind. ''I''ll miss her quite a lot...'' He thought, staring up to the clouds that reminded him of what he was leaving behind, and the clear sky that made him sure of the future ahead. --------------------------------------------- "AAAAH!" "Are you okay!?" Gloria held Mihara''s hand as she screamed in pain once again. She was being carried by the goblins on a stretcher, towards the depths of the dungeon. "Why? Why do you even care whether I''m fine or not? Ugh." Mihara spoke to her, before her face once again warped in pain as her muscles tore and her whole body warped from the inside. "Because I do." "Why? Am I not just the other one to you?" "You are. But that''s not what matters." "What is it then?" Mihara asked, curious, as the pain subsided a little. "He... likes you. And if something happens to you, he could go crazy again and hurt himself like last time." "Last time?" DarkGodEM Ch 69 – Goblin Diplomat "Yeah..." Gloria began talking. I''m not sure whether she forgot I could still see and hear them or if she just did it on a whim. "When he saw that guy there touch you and say those things... He kinda flipped out." "What do you mean?" Mihara looked up towards her. Her pain subsiding for a moment. "He... lost his shit, and did something he should never have done. Long story short... he killed himself in the process." "Wha¡ª" "Don''t worry. Some girl showed up and fixed it up. But... I..." "Don''t cry," Mihara touched Gloria''s face. For some reason, the goblins had stopped moving for a second. I think because Gloria stopped walking. "I''m sure he''d do the same for you too, right." "Yeah." Gloria chuckled. Her smile contrasted beautifully with her teary eyes. And her expression was one I''d never seen before... A very adult one. "I guess he does like us both quite a lot, doesn''t he." "Um!" Mihara forced herself to smile, her body cramping once again excruciatingly. "He does what he thinks is best. Even if it hurts. We just have to take a little more. Before everything gets better." She squeezed some words, before curling in the stretcher once again. "I hope you''re right..." Gloria muttered to herself, as she combed Mihara''s hair with her hand, and set foot again, the goblins moving too. I held myself from crying. I don''t know why I got this attached to those two, but I did. Now that I think about it, it''s probably because I had nobody. From having nothing and no-one. To not even having somewhere... Only for then, out of nowhere, having someone I could count on... even if she did behave like a bitch at first. And someone that legit needed me for something, and actually went out of her way to please me. That was a first. A small smile grew on my face as I slowly walked towards the entrance of the cave. From the subspace, I could see the girls had already gotten to the core room... but how was I gonna deal with all that shit ahead...? I bit my lip as I felt my palms sweating. I could see the silhouettes outside the cave from where I was now. My steps growing heavier and heavier. Detaching myself from my materialized point-of-view I could slightly see what was expecting me. I swallowed dry. That was no hobgoblin... I felt its eyes scanning into the dungeon when I read his status. < Foreign Monster Status > < > < Name: Abzuban (NAMED MONSTER) > < Title: Commander of Hordes > < Race: Goblin King > < Job (AUTO): King > < Lvl.: 86 > < Rank: ? > < State: Normal > < Attributes: > < ? VITALITY(VIT): 89 > < ? MANA(MAN): ?? > < ? STRENGTH(STR): ??? > < ? AGILITY (AGI): ?? > < ? STAMINA(RES): 99 > < ? INTELLIGENCE(INT): ??? > < > < Passive Sills: > < ? Regeneration ?? > < ? Magic Resistance ?? > < ? Mental Effect Resistance ? > < ? ? > < ? Minor Health Increase > < ? ? > < ? Mana Conversion > < ? ? > < ? Exceed Limits > < ? ? > < > < Active Sills: > < ? Dagger Technique ? > < ? Slinger Technique II > < ? ? > < ? Siege Technique I > < ? Torture Technique ?? > < ? Sexual Technique ??? (?) > < ? ? > < ? ? > < > < Unique Skills: > < ? King of Globlin-kin I > "Holy fucking shit..." I muttered with both my selves, as I read the status page of the monster. This was no run of the mill monster. Let''s not talk about all the other goblins out there... This was something. ''Scary.'' ''What am I even doing here?'' I thought these things as my heavy steps echoed, walking towards imminent death. I gulped. Cold sweat rolling down my spine. ''This ain''t gonna work! What am I? Stupid.'' And almost as if drawn by my words, time itself ground to a screeching halt. ''The hell!? Why now? It''s not like I wanted it...'' I Thought, realizing it had happened inadvertently. "Fuaaa" I let myself sink into a chair I materialized in the divine subspace. Apparently, provided you have sufficient "knowledge" and "belief", not sure what those meant, you can materialize whatever you want for free. ''I guess that''s how Glory made her room back then... We should be able to make something like a home later.'' I thought, imagining our daily routine once she came back here. And almost as if it hadn''t happened at all, time slowly started speeding up. Maybe because my tension went down, who knows. "I should get myself some help, right?" I said, as I scrolled through the menus. "Huh? Where''s all this EP coming from? Oh, right, the torture guys." The unexpectedly high number of EP threw me off guard. But remembering they had only been doing their stuff for half an hour before the whole fuck up thing made me realize something. The dungeon was pretty powerful. "Yeah, I have this under control." I said to myself, relaxing, on my materialized body, as a dozen dark hobgoblins and dark shamans started walking behind me. ''I need to somehow talk to them too... I don''t think these can. "Hey, you. Can you talk?" I asked the shaman, who simply nodded denying it. They could understand me, though. "Why can''t they speak?" My other self wondered while scrolling through multiple entries at once, my multi-thought stuff finally being used for something worthwhile. "FOUND IT!" I stopped on my tracks as I found the reason. "[Insane] isn''t it..." I mumbled, as I realized why none of the goblins I''d spawned could speak. Apparently that was also why those were so much cheaper despite being stronger and higher tiered. "How much do I still have?" I asked myself, checking the EP and figuring the best option. < Goblinkin Negotiator - S CLASS MONSTER> < This goblinoid creature is a highly feared Noble-Hobgoblin. Allowing the Goblin King to unify tribes without the use of force, it potentializes the breeding potential of the species as a whole. > < EP Cost: 48000 > "Interesting." This single monster cost almost a tenth of what the high tier blood did. But I could just barely afford it. ''Guess the [Pleasure Dungeon] trait is really overpowered.'' I thought, as the monster slowly rose from the shadows in front of me. "Schlaiher, prawlst kahti shti?" I watched in awe as the monster spoke. The monster in front of me did not remind me of a goblin at all. It was a large-build human, taller than a regular one, with buffed muscles and a serious expression. It wore clothes that could almost be comparable with roman senators. I had expected a flimsy monster, but this thing looked like it could snap my spine with a single hand, yet, it knelt in front of me, resting its weight on a single fist as it stared at my feet. "Shjapaj za" an unknown language escaped my lips as I addressed the monster. DarkGodEM Been a while, ey? So, things got franctic, I just had 15 days of exams and welp, two more to go before it all ends. I realized this novel hadn''t been updated for far longer than I had thought and just pushed this chapter out. Sorry for this long-ass hiatus... P-treon has been receiving a few chapters in the meantime but the book hasn''t progressed as much as I hoped. All that is left is proof-reading though, so I should finish soon. Hope you liked this chapter. Ch 70 – The Usurper King (This conversation was translated to human language) "Speak." The words that left my lips sounded nothing like those I thought I was saying, yet, I knew I was right. This was not my own language, but someone else''s. It sounded feral and hoarse, but not that different from some old languages from my own world. Now that I think of it, the way they speak here also sounds surprisingly close to 1700s English... Interesting. While I thought pointlessly about languages, the goblin in front of me raised his eyes, looking at my face, but clearly avoiding to look me in the eyes. "Thank you, My Sacred Lord, for letting this one serve under you." "Wha¡ªI''m just a dungeon core... you don''t need to¡ª" "No, My Sacred Lord and Creator, I shall serve you forever, as your believer." "Huh?" I can''t understand what this guy is saying, it''s almost as if... never mind, that''s definitely it. ''Why the God of Goblins of all things?!'' I cursed the heavens while still smiling, seemingly unfazed. "Anyhow, what have you to say?" "I wish... to ask you for forgiveness, My Sacred Lord." "Forgiveness?" "Yes, my kind, outside, may not know your grandeur, but I do My Lord. For you created me out of dust, and my life is to be devoted to you and only you." ''... Why does this guy sound like a fanatic...'' I thought to myself while staring blankly at the very humane monster. "It is fine. I''ll forgive your kin''s sin." I spoke in a stern tone, trying to hold my laughter. The monster relaxed "However¡ª" He tensed up again, "that is only if you can bring them under me, for the good of this dungeon." I could see him relaxing again... I had no idea whether my "benevolent but strict God" act had worked yet, but it was the best I had there and then, aside from just asking him to talk to them. But this guy''s answer made me gulp. "Yes, My Sacred Lord. If those people cannot accept your blessing with gratitude, they deserve only death." "..." I blinked a couple times ''Huh?! Why is this guy so much of an extremist?! I don''t even have teachings or whatever... God, I miss Gloria talking shit in my ear so that I can ignore the bootlicking...'' I thought, unaware that this was just the beginning of my... sect. "Such is life." I said, confidently, walking past him and resting a hand over his lowered head for a second. "Let''s go." "Yes!" And as such, we marched, accompanied by the dark hobgoblins and goblins, to meet the Goblin King. --------------------------- "Come on, now, come on!" A fat man sat on a large throne, holding a kneeling attendant by the hair as she serviced him. On his head, aside from the crown, a distinct pair of ears could be seen, similar to those of the royalty of this country, but not quite the same. The fat man indulged halfheartedly in the service of the young woman''s mouth and hands, but unawed. A hint of boredom could be seen, as he sadistically enjoyed the pained expression on her face, as he randomly pushed her head all the way down. "My lord." "Ghh! Cough cough!" "What now? Don''t you see I''m fucking busy?!" He yelled at the man who called him, entering the large hall. This man was wearing the clothes of a butler, but most importantly, the ears over his head were cat ones, like those of the woman servicing the king. "Sorry, My Lord. Some of your... benefactors want to make pleas about their territories'' situations." The man said, as he knelt. "Again?! Come fucking on! I should''ve kept that bitch sister of mine around to lead those pests by the nose. Are they never satisfied?! Now, take this piece of shit with you." He said, shoving the woman to the floor. "No, please! My Lord, please! I''ll try harder! I''ll do it better! Please don''t do this to¡ªKha! "This bitch doesn''t even know how to suck a fucking dick," He said, kicking her away from him as she crawled back towards him, ignoring her pleas. "This time, bring me something good, something fresh. Get me a virgin to serve me. Tonight." "What should I do? About her..." "I don''t fucking care, she''s a lowly whore who can''t even please her lord. Sell her to the slavers at once. She''ll fetch good coin at the auction." "No! Please, anything but that! I''ll do anything!" She pleaded, pointlessly, being ignored by both men. On the attendant''s face, a vague twitch of disgust could be seen as he heard the King''s words, but most would think it was but a fruit of their imagination. "My lord, I don''t think I''ll be able to get you a virgin by nightfall..." "Buy one from the townspeople. There''s always someone willing to sell. But get me a nice looking one." "But what if¡ª" the man tried to retort as he grabbed the sobbing woman by the arm, pulling her away from the king and towards the exit, only to be interrupted. "I don''t give a fuck. Pay them a fair price, and bring a couple knights. If they''re not willing to get the money at once, just use a bit of... persuasion." "Yes, My Lord." The man bit his lip and nodded, before walking out of the hall and letting people in, leaving the Usurper King to deal with the traitors who perpetrated the coup, and their demands, while taking away yet another victim of the tyrant. "Don''t cry..." He muttered to the sobbing woman, as they made a turn deeper into the depths of the castle. "Huh?" She looked at him, confused, both at his words, and his now different posture towards her. "I''ll get you out of here, to my own men. You won''t be able to come back, since you are leaving as a slave, but you can avoid that man''s grip." "Why?" She asked, as they slowly made their way down a spiral staircase into the sewer system. "Because. I do what I have to to keep my head over my shoulders. But I don''t need to do as that lowly dog says. He''s not My King." "Thank you..." She said, sheepishly, as they approached a dark corner in the beginning of the sewers, where two hooded figures awaited. "It''s ok. This is what Our Queen would''ve wanted." He raised his voice, to which both figures nodded, taking the woman from his hands and quickly walking away into the sewers. "Thank you!" She said again, looking back as they walked hurriedly into the dark. "What for..." He muttered, looking at his own feet. "I can''t stop this from happening every single day..." He cursed himself in his head, for being so powerless, before turning back the way he came from, with a single thought in mind. ''But I''ll make sure to live to see the day she comes back and beheads that lowly dog.'' he thought, praying to the goddess of werekin for the return of Her Royal Highness. DarkGodEM Release rates are slow for all my novels. Uni this semester was harder than usual and my personal life is complicating my writing process. Sorry chapters are taking so long, but there''s little I can do rn to improve the speed. If you want more chapters, there are 10 adv. chapters for this novel on Patreon, though release rate is also slow. One F*cking Year! [Commissions] Welp, here we are, and holy shit! I''ve been writing this novel for a whole year now, though with massive hiccups and pauses all around but... Man do I love what we have accomplished so far. This novel was a punch to the face of all Isekai, yet it still remains relevant despite all the mistakes I made along the way. A boring slow start. A boring slow introduction. A counterintuitive and massively dystopian plot. A completely retarded writer. And above all, a piece of shit human being as an MC in a novel that was not blatant xianxia killing. God was this year fun for me. Thank you all so much for staying by my side over this whole endeavor. V1 is almost ready for release, and will most likely be a Kindle Ultimate title, since organic growth has dwindled because of my own shortcomings and lack of updates. I am happy to say that despite it having been taking me thrice as long as planned, the rewriting, re-ordering and editing are coming along nicely. The story is the same, the events are the same, but everything was made better, all based on your comments and suggestions, especially on the POV changes, that were kept to a minimum. Again, thank you all for coming along, I hope you like the story so far and consider taking a look on my Patreon, even if just for the $1 tier, and now, a small token of appreciation for you all: Pictures of Gloria and Mihara. Those are doodles that were gracefully done by @CielTheTem , a friend I hold very dearly. I personally find the drafts way more alive than the colored ones, how about you? Ch 71 – Naming and Bonding "Where am I..?" "You''re awake!? How''re you feeling? You ok?" "Huh? Gloria? What¡ª" "Thank god you''re awake~! I was so worried about you..." "Really?! I thought... you didn''t like me." "Don''t get me wrong. I don''t like you, like you. But it''s also not that I hate you or anything. But... Gun likes you quite a lot, you know?" "Really?!" Mihara raised her torso from the stretcher, a smile growing on her lips. "Of course... You know, when that thing almost happened... the one with the Gahan guy. He went crazy for a second. Heck, he literally killed himself, and me in the process, just from how mad he was." "Killed him¡ª" "Don''t mind it, nothing happened. It''s all good." Gloria hurriedly tried to backtrack, realizing the scared face of Mihara. "It''s just... I don''t want to see him like that ever again... And that means I have to take care of you." "Thanks..." Mihara blushed as she lowered her face in joy. Seeing such a kind side of the dummy-head was a first for me, but the two''s conversation lightened my heart a bit. From the get-go I knew Gloria was a kind and soft girl, but she kept hiding behind that bratty behavior. Seeing her being this wholesome was heartwarming. "Don''t misunderstand it! I''m doing it for him, because I love him." "I know, I know." Mihara agreed, smiling wryly. "But I also love him as much as you do. So, I''ll be counting on you to make him happy." Seeing them bond even further helped me relax, even though I knew I was doing something almost suicidal. "Yes~ !" Gloria leaned forward, holding Mihara''s hand. "... Are you feeling anything different?" "Huh? What do you mean?" "Not much really..." Gloria tried to feign ignorance. "Don''t you feel anything different to yourself at all?" "Hmmm... Now that you mention it..." Mihara moved her tongue around, before pulling her mouth open to the side. "I do feel my mouth beeing stuffy... like, there''s something different about it..." "Like your fangs?" "Fangs?! I don''t have an¡ªOh..." Mihara opened her mouth, poking it with her finger, "EEEEEEHHHHHH! Why the hell do I have such large fangs?!" "kukuku~. I guess you are gonna be eating a lot more meat from now on." Gloria giggled. "You don''t feel like biting my neck, do you?" "Now that you mention it... you sure look tasty..." "Eh? What?!" Mihara''s eyes widened. "Oi, oi! Don''t go eating me! I''ll scream! I''m too lean! I''m sure I don''t even taste any good!" "Hehehe..." "You... You did it on purpose didn''t you?" "Sorry, couldn''t avoid it." "Humpf~!" Gloria pouted, but only for a second, before she and Mihara started laughing. "Haaa~... This felt good." "Right?!" "But... Gloria... Do I really look that different?" "Not really..." She lied, looking away. "Okay..." I think Mih did believe her, but anyhow, it was clear she had indeed changed quite a bit. I''m not going to dig too much from here though... It''d feel pretty uncomfortable if the tables were turned, so I''ll check up on her later when I''m back, and she knows I''m doing it. I''m not a creep, okay? "By the way... How long was I out?" "Huh? Oh... Quite a bit to be honest... I got a bit worried about you." "Is that so...? Hmmm... what about Gun?" "Ah, he hasn''t come back yet..." "I see..." "Don''t get too worried though, if it had gone wrong he''d probably have told us something already." "I see... I hope he manages to deal with those things..." "Me too..." -------------------------------------------------- (This conversation was translated to human language) "The heck?!" "It seems they have retreated, my Holy Lord." "It does seem so..." I watched in awe as the Goblin King just turned back and walked away, towards their camp. ''Wait... Wasn''t it Sacred? Since when did it become¡ªNo... that doesn''t really matter, does it.'' "Ahem... What do we do now?" "I await your enlightened decision, My Holy Lord." ''This whole bootlicking is gonna get old pretty fast...'' I thought to myself. "What options do we have? Care to help me out?" "We could either rush outside and meet them, or we could wait for them to come, this humble me thinks." "I see... If we wait we could... prepare ourselves better to meet them, no?" "Ooohhh! Oh my Lord of pure wisdom! Yes, let''s further study their behavior patterns and information on their race for being better prepared for the negotiation." ''Did you really have to make it sound like that?! ... Come on...'' "Yes, now, could you please help me with¡ª" After sitting down for a second, he started explaining me the relationships between high-race goblins. It seems a Goblin King is a very rare occurrence, one that is to be feared for the power of making goblins become a very powerful army. Sounded very promising. At the same time, one thing caught my attention as I started going over the races on the menu... Goblins are way more powerful than I had fist thought. "So, that Goblin King guy probably has many more high-level underlings other than those two?" "That is most likely the case, Your All-mighty Highness" ''WHY DOES THIS SHIT KEEP CHANGING?!'' "Ahem... err... Right, you don''t have a name... I''ll call you Bleart." "My lord?! UGHAAA¡ª" ''Huh?! What the fuck?'' I watched in disbelief as the goblinkin leaned over in pain while holding its chest. "Oi! Are you okay?!" I asked, to now answer, as it fell over on the ground in excruciating pain. ''Oh fuck! What happened? What''s going on?!'' I asked myself in panic as the negotiator seemed to be dying. "HAAH! HaaH! Hah!" Then, out of nowhere, it put both his hands on the floor and knelt, before bowing on the ground. "Thank you! Your Highness! This one is overflowing with gratitude for your bottomless generosity and grace!" "Huh? What happened?" I asked, without realizing that the presence of the being in front of me had completely changed. "Your Grace has bestowed this humble me with a name. Allowing me to step one foot into the realm of legends. For, I thank you from the bottom of my heart and shall forever be your humble slave." ''... Was that that much of a deal?'' < Monster Goblin Diplomat has been Named: Bleart > < Named Monster Bleart''s Race has evolved into Goblinoid Minister of Relations > < Named Monster Bleart''s Class has been Promoted to Floor Boss > DarkGodEM I''m so exited about this. It''s been almost a year, this novel already has 105 chapters written and over 100 THOUSAND words! That''s actually insane for me. Thank you all for reading this with me. And I have an important announcement to make. Actually, two. First is, THE REWRITE OF RE:BORN NECRO Oh shite, here we go. No, no, but seriously. The first chapters of this novel are REALLY BAD! They lack narration for dialogues and use lazy (name) tags from japanese TLs... I gotta fix that shit. So, this rewrite will be purely cosmetic, no plot will change, but I will add more extra chapters about Necro''s education and childhood, aswell as some extras about Bid and Hal, because they''ve had very little screentime. However, the rewritten version will be made available both as a Rewrite in the websites later on and, beforehand, as an Amazon title. Exciting stuffs indeed. This is a long term project that will take place alongside everything, so NO DEADLINES YET. I learned from Dungeon''s rewrite and adaptation for LN that is taking me amost a full semester. On a side note, Dungeon''s progress has been slow because of all those things. Because of inflation money has been problematic and I''ve been working a lot more to compensate, so I have less time to write. BUT expect that fucking amazon book to come out Q1 2022! It will be amazon kindle exclusive, so the first arc of dungeon WILL get yeeted out of the internet. Welp. Hope you liked this chapter. This announcement will be posted for other novels. Cya! Ch 72 – Strategy Meeting ''Holy shit!'' "Yes, Your Holy Highness. By naming a monster you allow it to evolve beyond its original race." "Oh... I see. But why did your race change?" "The amount of power bestowed upon a monster is based on the latent potential of that monster, or how much XP it has accumulated over time, and how powerful the bestower is." "You mean..." "Indeed, this me had no power since I had just been created. For all the power I gained is but a fraction of You Highness''." "... This feels completely overpowered... Is there no cost or anything?" "But of course. By naming a high tier monster such as myself it would be normal for the bestower to slumber for weeks or even months. Your Holy Highness'' power is just immeasurable." ''Oh... It seems a couple of the thought threads are disabled... Guess those went into slumber as he said... Still, ain''t this too overpowered?!'' "I have verified a portion of my soul is indeed unavailable... I guess your slumber theory is true. "But it is, my lord. I would never mislead your Highness." ''Suck a cheeky remark... Well, at least he is kinda reliable. Now that I mention it... He? Wait, since when?!'' I suddenly realized as I thought to myself. My Goblin assistant looks a lot more like a human now. He was even taller than before, and a little more... yeah, I can''t exactly call it muscular, but he no longer looks like an easily breakable twig of a person. "You look a lot stronger out of a sudden." I casually mentioned. "It is all due to Your Holy Highness'' power! I could never have fathomed to become this much better version of myself. I owe you my entire life, Your Holy Highness!" His answer was... a bit to energic for my taste, though. "Ugh... Bleart... You can call me Gunther from now on." "No, My Holy Lord, it is not acceptable for this inferior me to address you in such casu¡ª" "It''s an order, then. Call me Gunther." "¡ªY-Yes... Yo¡ªGunther..." I almost laughed at how nervous he got... It it was calming. "Good. Now, to the next thing, what do we offer the Goblin King." "Hmmmm..." He sat down in front of me. While resting his chin on his hand, Bleart slowly thought with me on what to do next and how to manage the danger. "I guess Goblins need food and women... The easiest path would be naming the females." "Naming the females? Isn''t naming a power thing? Why would me offering that change anything?" I had no idea what he was talking about, despite having discussed other options before. "My¡ªGunther, remember how just your word was able to make me evolve into another race?" "Yeah, you said it was because my rank was very high or something." "Precisely. Goblins have a very short lifespan when compared to most other races. Not only that, the proportion of females to males is incredibly low." "Oh, so that''s why Goblins kidnap females of other races..." "Yes. But it goes even further. Because said females are so rare, they are precious and a whole group of goblins can meet its demise if some get killed." "Oh... So they don''t fight because they are to be protected." "Indeed. And, because they don''t fight, they don''t get levels, so the chance of them undergoing evolution after being named is pretty slim." "So, by offering my power, which is way more usable for naming since I don''t just go into a coma, and since being who I am, the females have more chance of evolving... But it still doesn''t make sense. Why would it even matter?" "Oh, so you don''t know..." "Is there something very important I''m missing?" Despite not looking like it, while this conversation took place, I was also browsing through multiple instances of data, on many kinds and classes of Goblinkin and Goblinoids. Yet, I still could not get why this was so important... "Lifespan. Evolved Goblinkin and further, Goblinoids, have a lifespan that is way way longer, sometimes even matching those of Humans and some humanoid races." "Oh..." "Since goblin pregnancies are slow, and the original race depends on the male, these females can bear many more children before dying, which can in turn stabilize the population of the group. Goblins are also born in large groups per pregnancy, up to 3 or 5, depending on the race of the bearer. The stronger the race of the female, the more children at once." "I see... This is a grat talking point for the Goblin King then." "I see this as our Trump." "But how do we prove him we are indeed telling the truth?" "Good point, Your... Gunther. I guess the only way would be to name one of them right there and then." "... Ok, then. But what should we ask in return?" "I thought Your¡ª" "Just you." "..." The Goblinoid Minister struggled, biting his own lips while forcing himself to speak. "I thought you had figured that part. them living in the dungeon would be an amazing win-win situation for both." "Oh, right. I had forgotten about that for a second. Also... It seems there''s some movement outside." "That''s good timing. The king isn''t there yet, I reckon." "You are right. But there''s a way larger amount of goblins assembling near the entrance. I think we should move out for once." "I''ll follow your wise decisions, M¡ªGunther." "Thanks, Bleart. You are my right-hand man." "... It is an honor." The goblinoid thought for a second before responding. I pretended to ignore the tears forming on his face as he replied to me. ''I''m proud of you.'' I thought to myself, seemingly becoming quite attached to this intelligent monster. Guess I finally have an actual friend, one that is not interested in jumping my bones. Not that that is a bad thing, but friends and lovers are a whole different thing. "The honor is all mine. I could never have expected you to be this helpful." DarkGodEM Ch 73 – The 7’s Assembly "Mother! What the fuck does this mean?!" A blinding red light flashed in the dark precinct, as the sound of a man slamming a table startled some present. As the sound subsided, so did the light. "I did whatever pleased me. That''s all." In the middle of the divine space, atop the granite inner sanctum, was a semi-naked girl, dressed in revealing black clothes, fidgeting with her hair. As she spoke, slithers of pink and purple lightning flashed through the entire space, enlightening the 16 edges of the windrose pattern on the ground. "Mother, you cannot go and just make Gods at will like this! It''s a severe danger to this world." Calmly, Lest spoke, contrasting the Fire God''s behavior. "We are just worried about the stability of this realm. The rose is already unbalanced for a long time." "So I know. Sometimes you forget who created You and this world in the first place." Lester''s face tensed up hearing her words, his pure white light completely distorted by the mere fragments of her''s. "But Mother!" "Enough." "Tsc." Lester clicked his tongue, as the hateful voice of the Goddess of Life silenced him. "We are missing a cardinal. And it has been a very long time. Mother''s creation of a Duality is not gonna affect any of it." Mia spoke once again, bathing the temple in a warm orange light like the sun''s. "Instead, we should be thankful, for the chance of one day filling the gap left by Tensai..." A sleepy voice sounded from a distant corner, a faint purple and bluish glaze covering the temple. "You''ve left slumber? That''s odd..." A happy girl said from somewhere else, bathing the room in green. "Woey! Yes! It''s been a while, hasn''t it." The sleepy voice turned bright and gentle, the colors darkening into a purplish naval blue, like that of the night''s sky. "Make this a serious conversation. Stop pretending everything is fine." A serious womanly voice spoke for the first time in millenia, making the whole Conservative Faction furrow their brows. "Instead of complaining about such small things. Mia, Lest, what the hell is going on between the two of you?" As the beautiful girl spoke, the air became tenser, as with her words, countless miasma feelers darted in the opposite directions, East and West, bathed in a thick essence that made the Gods themselves shiver. "The opposition of Life and Light is a dangerous thing. Reflect on your doings." And as if it was just a taunt, the feelers vanished, the essence dispersing through the entire room, making some of the gods feel their chest tightening. "Do not make me intervene. I gave you and the Seconds the power to rule this world. But I can also take it away." And, as she snapped her fingers, the entire temple vanished, together with her, leaving behind only the wind rose, and the seven Gods at its edges. "See what you did?! Now Mother''s acting again! What are you gonna do if she decides to pull one of her tricks again?!" As Mia yelled, the darkness that surrounded the space started to vanish, together with the overwhelming presence that was now gone. "Oh... Don''t you think her ways are better than ours?" Lest sneered, angering Mia further. "Lest, you went too far this time. Even I am feeling my presence waver. You must stop the meaningless killing." "Says the mermaid girl that thinks my believers building a canal is a deadly sin. Shut the fuck up, Lorei." "What did you say?!" As tensions rose, the windrose grew more colorful. Three of the eight axles shone brightly, South, East and West. The northern axle lay dormant, after the death of Tensai Apeliontes, a million years ago, by the hands of Pharn and Lest. The Cardinals missing one of them, and chaos having retaken a small fraction of her power. "You need to calm the hell down. Jesus, you''re noisy." Lofy spoke again, with her sleepiness restored, as the Intercardinals slowly lit up. The Seven Greater Gods were once again assembled, this time, to discuss something way beyond themselves. "Now, let''s talk about Mother''s return." With Mia''s words and the seven lights equally bright, the Gods discussed of a power so strong and unreliable, they themselves could seldom fathom. ------------------- "They''re moving..." "Yes, My Lord." It took me a while, but I convinced him to drop most of the annoying bootlicking. "Should we go, then?" I asked, looking at Bleart''s nervousness. As I stood up, he soon followed suit. "Should we take the others?" "Yes. The more, the better." "Ok." I set the dark goblins forward, my heart pounding in my chest. The small distance between where we were and the end of the cave felt like an eternal via crucis. the girls were still talking about me, I guess. But this was getting more and more complicated. Now, the amount of Goblins accompanying the Goblin King was much higher than before, most of them clad in armor or robes... Guess they''re setting themselves up for an invasion already. "Bleart, who goes first? Us or the rest?" "Send them ahead, gives us time to think and may surprise them." "Roger." The time we spent talking had given me a decent amount of EP, enough for me to get myself a couple more Goblins. I couldn''t have them all come, since I still needed some to guard the girls and to take care of the torture dungeon. But all I could muster were here, some rushing past me, on their way out. By the time we reached the entrance, all the 30 goblins had left. And awaited, closing off the dungeon entrance, as we slowly made our way there, to be greeted by the Goblin king himself, his hand high up, stopping his men from engaging. "I am the Commander of Hordes, Abzuban. I am the Goblin King of the everlasting horde. Who the hell are you?" My eyes widened, as immediately after I left the cave, a deep voice spoke to me in the clear anglicized language I knew from Mihara, that of a human. DarkGodEM Chapters up to 86 are up for contributors on Patreon. Consider supporting this novel. Ch 74 – Attempted Murder "Who the hell are you?" the king asked in a majestic tone, making his large figure feel like a marble statue towering over me. "King of Hordes?" I asked without thinking, my words slipping off my mouth in a ramble... "You can speak Goblinkin?!" shocked, the Goblin King fell back into his native language, at the same time I mirrored his question. "You can speak the Human language?!" It was a shock... It was strange... It lasted for a fucking while! After this odd as hell exchange, we just stood there, in silence, staring at each other. It goes without saying that both Bleart, my Goblin side-kick, and the Goblin King''s attendants were pale like paper. It had never crossed my mind, or his for that matter, that the Goblin King would be able to speak the human language... And because I was already talking to the goblinoid for hours, I completely forgot to speak the human language when he did so. I mean, the plan was to impress this... Abzuban guy by speaking his own language. This was a massive oversight! MASSIVE! ''What the hell do I do now?'' The atmosphere made both of us have chills, the sheer pressure was enough to make the me of a couple days ago to run away in fear. Yet, despite all of this, I was still calm somehow. "My all mighty and magnanimous lord! I am so sorry for bringing this upon thyself. You can take my life as an apology for this failure of mine!" ''Eh? The heck?'' I blinked confusedly, as me and the Goblin king watched in awe as bleart offered his life for such a pointless mishap. Not only the goblin king, but his men were also frozen in place. Moreover, the higher ranked ones had a pale complexion even worse than a second ago. Had I not known better, I''d have thought they were living corpses. They knew fairly well what realm of race this human-looking goblinoid was. But only one of them knew for sure. ''What the hell is happening here? Why''s he bowing to this human who can speak our language?! Who are these people? This guy''s a Minister, his race is second only to mine, how the hell did this mere human grasp him like that? What kind of power is this?'' A turmoil of emotions and thoughts washed over the oblivious king. It had been decades since he last felt this kind of overwhelming tension. ''This guy''s dangerous. Something''s not feeling right.'' "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO OUR KIN?! DIE!" The king paled as he heard a shout, followed by a loud cheer. One of his men did something outrageous. Time slowed down for Abzuban, as he stared in horror at one of his fastest men darting at the human in front of him, spear in hand. This was no weak goblin either, this was the commander of one of his legions, a seasoned warrior. "Ilhor! St¡ª" He yelled, but before he could finish, a mere inches away from the human, the prideful commander stopped on his tracks. The most nimble of the 17 Apostles was outrun. The hobgoblin swallowed dry, his hatred towards humans brought him forward, but he could hear something unthinkable as he marched forward... The voice of his king, full of uncertainty. He blinked a couple times while preparing himself. Though he wanted to stop at his king''s voice, he was already too close, and too fast. He could stop, maybe, but not before hitting at least the Minister that was now standing up, launching himself in between his blade and his target. But before that could happen, his eyes caught the glimpse of two shadows, storming from the darkness of the cave and into view. He could barely believe his own eyes as he failed to see their movements. He was the fastest of His Majesty''s men. He was the General who commanded the assault troops; that brought chaos upon the battlefield. Yet the shadows were so fast he could barely see them move... until he could. His eyes opened wide as he felt a pair of hands abruptly stopping his body, and a pair of blades, each to a side of his neck. Two goblins, dressed in shadow, their skins the color of tar. And it was at this moment that he knew... He''d fucked up. ''What the hell was that?! I didn''t even see them.'' I thought, as the pair of shadows turned into monsters in front of my eyes. ''Did they act on their own? I didn''t even have time to order anyone.'' My mind started to run in circles about what had just happened. His eyes lining up with the dark goblins'', the hobgoblin dropped his spear to the ground, kneeling with his head down, like a convict, waiting for the executioner''s blade. All of this took less than a second. It was so fast I could barely keep up. Nobody made a sound. Not me, not the king, not any of the generals and dozens of goblins that had walked up to the site only to stand there, flabbergasted. And a loud voice spoke from the back of the crowd in dismay. "Father!" the voice yelled in the goblin language, making the kings eyes widen as he turned behind. "Father!" the voice called again. "The hell are you doing here?! I told you to stay back!" The king yelled at the croud, presumably at that voice. It surprised me to hear an emotion I would never had expected from a monster of this caliber; fear. "But this is bad! This is real bad! We need to leave now. There''s something in this cave we cannot fathom. We better go befo¡ª" A hobgoblin dressed in robes made his way through the crowd that opened for him to pass. From his speech, he was either a very important person who was deemed a son to the King, or his son itself. < Monster STATUS > < > < Name: Bahgzo (NAMED MONSTER) > < Race: Hobgoblin ¡ª Prince > < Class: Archmage > < Title: HobWizard General > < Level: 39 > < Rank: 5 > < Attributes: > < ? Vitality [VIT]: 49 > < ? Mana [MAN]: 326 > < ? Strength [STR]: 18 > < ? Agility [AGI]: 25 > < ? Stamina [STA]: 87 > < ? Intelligence [INT]: 54 > ''My hunch was right...'' I thought to myself, but that still didn''t explain either the Goblin King''s words or their current conversation... But as our eyes met, he cut his sentence short. "It''s too late. We''re doomed..." His sentence confused me. What was he talking about? But it seemed a switch flipped on the King''s head, as he turned at me and the General whose neck was surrounded by the blades of my underlings... "What are we dealing with?" The king asked in a low tone. I had no idea why he turned so stern hearing his kid, but his next words proved something I should''ve realized, since I could see no skills on the Prince guy... "God." This motherfucker had some sort of appraisal skill granted by another god. Ch 75 – Facing it out *Slap* A loud ring could be heard, before the prince fell to the ground, a large red palm to the side of his face. "Are you fucking kidding me?! Do you understand the seriousness of what''s going on here? Take your jokes somewhere else, you idiot!" "W¡ªWhy? B¡ªbut it''s not¡ª" "Enough of your bulshit!" The king yelledm, his face red, before taking a deep breath and looking back at me. The prince was still on the ground, nursing his swollen face and trembling. "I apologize for my son''s and subject''s behaviors. I will lay down any punishment you may seem fit." ''If I do nothing, the prince''s reputation is gonna be ruined...'' I thought, realizing the king was lowkey telling me to execute the two... At that moment, as I was about to speak, my eyes met with Bleart''s. This was our chance. Instead of saying anything, I made the order inside my head. The king''s brow furrowed, as he saw Bleart stand up and walk to my left side, without either of us saying a single word. After a few seconds of this absolute tension, the uniform sound of steps could be heard coming from the dungeon entrance. This was no longer just a conversation, but rather, a display of might. Using the remaining DP of the dungeon, and calling forth all but the essential goblins, including the ones that I had sent to help carry the now awake Mihara, a large procession of goblins slowly poured from the dungeon rooms and corridors into the last stretch of cave behind me. Granted, they were nowhere near the sheer amount of those the King had brought, but I could capitalize on the Prince''s words, while also giving him a helping hand. The King''s men''s hands went straight to their weapons, as they got riled up in fear of the unknown. I could see the fear in the prince''s eyes, and the surprise in the King''s. What tipped the tides in my favor, though, was how I positioned the Goblins. First, making the intruders doubt their vision, came the Hobgoblins. All mages and druids. While I had only around 20 of them, it was already enough to get them tense. Then, my mages formed a half circle around me, before kneeling. Not that far, following them, came the rest of the Dark Goblins. They weren''t powerful, but were many enough. "The Dark Ones..." I could hear slipping from the prince''s lips. While I didn''t know why he said that, I knew there was something up. Whether it was a good thing, though, was yet to be seen. And, as my small division (since I couldn''t call them an army), lined up behind the Hobgoblins and lowered themselves, the mass of goblins around me started changing. At first, I couldn''t have known what was happening, but soon enough, a high enough number of them had knelt, making gaps into the crowd that surrounded us. "Why?!" The king paused, almost desperate, looking around like a madman "Why did the Dark Race submit to you?!" he asked. "Huh?" I was confused, are Dark Goblins an entirely different race? It was then that things started clicking and falling into place. It had worked. "Because I am their creator, why else?" I held myself back from smirking. This had worked so well I was honestly surprised. The King''s eyes widened, as he too fell into his knees, and so did the rest of the goblins, following their king. For some of the higher ranked Goblins, this was a surprise, but most of them had already accepted. "I apologize..." the king slurred out, "I didn''t know Who I was facing. I beg you for mercy, please spare enough of us to let our lineage continue..." Oi, oi! The heck are you talking about? Is there a thing about weaker goblin groups being massacred by stronger ones? "Why would I?" I said, trying to probe them. "We underestimated you, enough to bring war on your doorstep..." the startled king responded, confused. "Why would I care about that, though?" I said. I mean... better try it, right? More information, more power. "Because... the lives... the time." "You see..." I cleared my throat, making my voice louder, and clear for all goblins to hear. "Time I do not value, for I am Immortal. Rather, I can slow time to a crawl if I so wish. So, you committed no such sin as "wasting" my time. Lives, I also value, but not like you, for I can create them. And, in the end, only yours would be wasted while fighting me." Tension grew as the goblins'' shoulders drooped, waiting for a word for punishment. Some even went as far as putting their daggers ahead of themselves, in a position that closely remembered Harakiri. "In the end, since both are worthless and you caused me no harm, I also consider there was no foul in your actions. You shall all live." ... ... ... Why are they crying?! The fuck?! Even the Higher ranked ones are crying. Oh shit, did I go too far. "Ahem." Yup, I got their attention once again. "My name is Gunther. I am the God of Phi, and this dungeon''s Core and Master." DarkGodEM Ch 76 – Local God ''Now that I think of it... Why did I do something that stupid?'' My hands started shaking as I prepared for the aftermath. I had skipped too many steps! Why did I do it at once? Why did I give it away? God, I was so na?ve... But, oddly enough, they took it. "Worship the mercy of His Holy Grace, and all your needs will be fulfilled!" Apparently, Bleart decided it was the right timing, so I''ll trust him on that. Almost crying, the king stood up, nodding and gesturing with his hands, and making all goblins return to their makeshift camp. < Congratulations. You have surpassed 1000 Believers. Divinity Rank upgraded to Local God. > Heh... Guess that works. What is a Local God though... Maybe I get more info on the world, I''ll check it later. The goblins are still showing up as invaders on the minimap, though... Wait... Invaders! Thousands of them! "Excuse me, where are you going?" I asked, making the king halt its steps and look back, pale. "W¡ªWe are going to pack up and return to our cave. Your Holy Highness already gave us so much by being merciful..." I clearly went overboard and he fears me like an elephant fears a mouse... Why? Dunno. Being a God has its perks, it seems... "Is that so... Why don''t you stay for a bit?" I extended him an invitation... Thousands of invaders... So much EP... "Er... Excuse me, did Your Holy Highness invite us in?" ''Yes, I did, No ulterior motives, believe me!'' "Yeah. I mean, the dungeon is fairly small, but should be enough to accomodate all of you." The king''s eyes widened at my offer. But his demeanor didn''t look particularly happy... There was still a hint of fear, but something else was troubling him. I could see his gaze wander back towards the goblins retreating to the camp. "Sorry, but we need to expand and prepare for the next raid... Our female numbers have dropped quite a lot. And also, our cave is... There was an accident." ''Oh... that''s what''s happening. It''s probably quite burdensome to rule over this many goblins... Also, it doesn''t seem like he treats them as consumables either. Such a dependable king... "Oh, I see..." "You, King, are na?ve." Bleart''s words threw me off guard, not just me either, the king was also confused. "Huh? What do you mean?" he asked. "Don''t you realize, the power of His Highness?! He can solve all your difficulties with as much as a snap of his fingers." ''Whoa, calm down there bro'' My reaction to Blearts words were... complicated. But I needed to keep face and look mighty. "Come inside, make yourself at home. We have lots to discuss." ''Bleart is trying too hard...'' I thought, but no harm would come from his passive-aggressive stance. The king paled further. "Ahem. Bleart, don''t startle the poor soul. I have no intent to take the rule of your people from you. Instead, I want to strike a deal, and bring those under you unto my banner. Bring the camp inside, we can talk more later today." I clarified what was happening, maybe it would calm the king down. His face slowly regained color as he breathed out a sigh of relief. Guess he was afraid of a Coup or something. "Yes, My Holy Grace!" The king smiled. ''Oh god... even the new guy is talking just like Bleart.'' My heart sank a bit... I tried so hard to talk to people normally... Now it''s impossible. "I''ll be taking my leave to issue the orders, please send someone to guide me once we can go in." The king asked, with utmost respect. "You can as soon as you get ready. The Shadows will wait for you at the entrance and lead the way." I brushed all formalities aside, after all, I''m apparently God. A pointless, powerless and ultimately useless God. But a god, nonetheless. "Thank you so much! I''ll not let them wait long!" The king nodded, turning around with a bow. He ran back to the camp, together with his prince, and quickly made his way back towards it. His merry-wishy behavior now released all the tension on me. I could finally relax, everything was going alright. "Now... Shall we go inside?" I asked bleart, trying to keep myself together as I saw what was happening inside. Both were fine... but I couldn''t avoid being worried about them. "Yes, My Holy Grace." And so, me and my sidekick walked back inside. Most of the Dark Goblins had already been sent back by this point, but the few I assigned to lead them in while avoiding the traps. As soon as I was outside the goblin''s field of vision, I increased my pace. "Bleart, wait for them at the third to last room, the one where we got rid of Gahan''s last subordinates." "Yes, You H¡ª" "Call me Gunther when not with strangers." "Yes... Sir." "That also does the trick." My tone changed. "Thank you for what you did, you guaranteed their cooperation in the best way possible." "It is all for the sake of Your Highness." "I know, but still, you did well." I had thought a lot about this while reading through my pages. It seems, for some reason, that High Tiered Goblins love one thing more than women, gold. "Here, a trinket for your good work." I pulled a gold coin out of my inventory. I had gotten quite a few coins from Gahan and co., and since it all converted automatically if I had one such coin, a gold coin could be made from copper and silver ones. ''Though this is more than half the money I got... But I don''t think I''ll need money any time soon.'' I thought to myself, seeing Bleart receive the coin with tears in his eyes. "Thank you! Thank you so much! My first gold! I''ll cherish it forever, and ever, Your Holy Grace!" ''Yeah, yeah, I know... Couldn''t you just accept it and be happy? There are places I need to be!'' "Ahem... I''ll be taking my leave. Take care, Bleart, I need to talk to you together with the king." "I''ll make all arrangements, My Holy Lord." ''Come on! At least stick to a single honorific! This is getting too out of hand!'' With a short exchange, I ran with all my might towards the small house in the safezone. Where my... lovers? wives? friends? Not sure what they were to me at that point... Oh, come on! They waited for me! That''s all that matters right now. DarkGodEM End of Hiatus and Patreon Recompensation Announcement As you all may know, I was completely unable to write for the last few months. As such all updates were halted both here and on Patreon. First and foremost, I come to apologize to my patrons, who stayed and paid without updates for a while, including this month. As a way to compensate those and try to stay fair, I have paused billing for the month of September. This means all of my patrons will not be charged on September 1st, regardless of tier and date of ingress. If you want to contribute for this novel, I recommend taking it now, since all new patrons for the month of august will not be charged at the beginning of next month. Second, I''d like to thank those who look forward for the next update, regardless of contribution, as creation is also a process of love for the writing. As for chapter updates, I am slowly getting used to the rhythm of this semester and organizing my times, but you can expect chapters at least biweekly. I will, however, do my best to get more chapters out, as, in the end of the day, writing and editing novels is my job. I am also introducing discounts for my patrons who request my editing services for their stories, both for proofreading, story and line editing and so on, since I am better at that than even writing, or so experience has been telling. I remind you that I am open to writing on demand for side-chapters and fanfics of works of mine and others. I wish you all the best and hope you keep on enjoying my novels. Ch 77 – A new threat "DAMN IT!" A man in a pompous chair struck the ivory table in front of him. Despite the distress on his face, he still looked somewhat composed. A large part of it, due to his attire. A thick, pitch-black mantle with gold embroidery fell over his shoulders. Pure-white fur cushioned its weight against his neck, making it incredibly comfortable. The golden crown atop his head and the scepter laid on the table also spoke of his ranks. The King of Capture, King of the Herklaw. Once, he was a common man of the Hercalaian Neutral Zone, in between the two conflicting empires of Kaimon and Lerian. But war struck. Olmar was the man who merged the mercenary region, used their knowledge of the region to buy all captured slaves for dirt cheap, and used them for the good of his group, the Herculean Avanade. But the war ended, and so did the captures, and the influx of slaves. But when the men got back to their empires, there were not enough hands. And through the power of money, Olmar ascended, buying out every other slaver and mercenary companies who owned land, manpower, or both. And crowned himself the King of Herklaw. But all of this was over 30 years ago, back when he was just a 16 year old kid. But he never forgot the face of the woman who humiliated him, who turned him down. Nahaimondake Haya And she was not more than a mere consort of the princess. And to further humiliate him, she even managed to somehow become the queen... and take herself the name of the previous Queen, Kaimondake. ''What a cunning bitch, she probably got the royal family out of the way and took the kingdom to herself,'' he thought when he heard of the news. But a couple years later, someone appeared on his doorstep. A mere wolf, who just so happened to have the means to get the throne for himself. A swindler at heart. But Olmar fell for his own ploy of revenge, tapping from the treasury to support the coup in the neighboring country. "My Lord, what happened?" a man in noble bowed before the distressed king, before sitting on the table, across from him. "That imbecile dog! What the fuck happened to the men he sent?! She should''ve been here already!" with no formality whatsoever, the king immediately started rambling. "My Lord, it''s a long journey, they may have found some issues on the¡ª'''' Trying to appease him, the minister tried his best to bring sense to the man. He knew all too well what the king was talking about. "Nonsense! They are yet to make it past the Narrow Pass, we have people there. That imbecile bought cheap mercenaries that betrayed us!" yelling, the king retorted back. "But My lord, those are the Bloody Maniple..." Recalling the name on the letter and their deeds in the last war, the minister frowned. The king was being way too precipitated. "Yeah, a decadent group of hot-blooded retards. I should never have put my woman on the hands of that dog!" But the king would have none of it. His opinion was already set in stone. "But his highness!" Pointlessly, he still tried to calm the king down and find an actual solution. "Do you know how many years I''ve waited to put that filthy whore under my feet? And now that they finally did my bidding, after hundreds of Gold coins wasted on that retard, THEY LOSE HER!" Olmar banged on the table, with even more force than last time. "My Lord, we still¡ª" interrupted, the poor minister, also the King''s right hand, bit his lip. "They lost ALL OF THEM! I paid more than an army''s worth to get those three enslaved and sold to me!" In a fit of anger, the king screamed, loud enough half the castle could hear him. He was talking about that woman, and her two daughters. "But My¡ª" "Shut the 4hell up, Vanthar! Send me five of your finest slaves. I need to let off some steam tonight." The minister sighed after he heard the king change topics. This would give him at least another day to figure this whole ordeal out. "Acknowledged, My Lord. I''ll send you our f¡ª" relaxing, Vanthar spoke the obvious sentence, being interrupted once again. "Don''t send me my favorite ones. I don''t wanna damage them." The king shrugged. "... Understood," Vanthar understood what this meant. He''d have to run over to the maids and make sure they were ready for the fallout tomorrow morning. It was always a hellish task to clean after... but he was but a servant, and so were they. And, in the end, the slaves belonged to the king to do whatever he pleased with them, be it life or death. In silence, he left the room, only hearing the last couple bemoanings from the king. "Damn it... I shouldn''t have trusted that lowly dog." After the minister left, the king let himself the leisure of taking a deep breath, before sighing. "It''s just as the priest said, never trust animals..." His trust in the priest renewed, the king lowered his head, putting it between his hands. "Alhur, you''re still there, aren''t you?" he asked the shadows around him. "Always by your side, Oh, God''s chosen." Almost as if materializing from the depths of hell, a person walked out from the shadow of the gonfalons hung on the wall. Dressed in white robes, lines and embroidered in gold, it was fair to assume his high rank and nobility. Althur was an Archbishop of the Holy church, the highest rank of the church in Herklaw. "Assemble the Red. Tell them we got a manhunt." In a low and respectful tone, unbefitting of a king, Olmar spoke to the archbishop. "Yes, Your Majesty. So is the will of God." The priest nodded, a wicked smile plastered on his face. "So is My will." The king raised his head, smiling from ear to ear. "It''s time to hunt some animals." Ch 78 – Congratulations, Sir Stupid It''s not like I needed to run... but I really wanted to get there as soon as possible. Yeah, it was pointless... but I wanted to give them the news as soon as possible. ''Eh... What kind of face will Gloria do when I get there?'' I thought to myself as I ran back with a smile. "Gun! You did it! I know you could do it!" I pictured her running into my arms with a large smile on her face. ''She''d be so cute... Wait... this is Gloria we''re talking about, no way she''d behave like this...'' I chuckled as I imagined a more realistic scenario. "Huh, that''s the least you could do, idiot. At least you didn''t kill yourself this time." ''Ugh...'' It hurt me. But... yeah, this felt way more like her... A lot more like her... ''I hope she doesn''t behave like this... She probably will, won''t she?'' For a second, I slowed my pace down, ruminating on my imagination of what she''d do. ''No! I can''t know until I get there. Right!'' Steeling my resolve, I started running once again. ''God... Why is this so far away?! I wish I had some sort of teleport within the dungeon... that''d make my life a whole lot easier.'' Going by the time on the floating screens, I''d been running for over 10 minutes already. ''Hold on! If I can do that whole overclocking thingy so that time passes slowly... could I do the opposite too?'' I felt I had made a large, massive and important discovery. ''Let''s try i¡ª'' ... "THE FUCK! HOW CAN IT BE?! 10 MINU¡ª20?! I haven''t even walked! 30?! STOP STOP! SLOW TIME TO A CRAWL!" ''... this is bad! What happened during all this time?! I... took a single step?! Does this mean that my speed is still limited to my thoughts even though time is passing at a much higher pace?!'' Yup. I had fucked up. Once I slowed down I took my time checking every aspect of the dungeon. Time had continued without me even noticing. ''I guess it really is like a computer doing cycles. If I make more cycles, time seems slower, but if I slow down too much, I become so slow others think I froze in place...'' "Haah... What a joke!" I complained to myself, though I knew there was nobody here to listen to me... "What are you complaining about?" ''I must be so tired I''m hearing voices... I''m so useless...'' "Come on, don''t ignore me." ''Yes, I''m going insane, after all I''m alone in my divine space...'' "AHEM!" ''Oh, shit! There''s someo¡ª'' ''Eh...'' I turned my chair around as I tried to stand up, but an unexpected weight pinned me back down... "Warm... small..." I muttered, feeling something onto my lap, though my eyes could see absolutely nobody. I closed my eyes, realizing I must''ve been delusional, scratching my head with one hand as I lowered the other onto my leg... It didn''t make it there "Kya¡ª" I touched something... soft? No, it wasn''t particularly soft. It was soft like a thin person''s hip... but the shape was wrong. [squeeze] "Nyaaah~" I opened my eyes in shock as I heard something moan! And I looked down to see dark hair. ''Who is this?!?'' I thought for a second, completely struck, as my other hand lowered itself and brought the person''s face up as I looked down. "Mikky?" I asked, recognizing that face. "Indeed, it is this me!" she smiled, puffing her small chest and bringing a hand to my face. It goes without saying I had let go of her by this point. You know, this isn''t just anybody, this is THAT God. THE God. "Eh... Why did you stop? It was starting to feel good..." Yet, contrary to my expectations, she wasn''t angry at all... ''Hold on... why is she on my lap in the first place?'' I asked myself, forgetting a vital detail. "Of course, because this is a reward." She can read my thoughts. "Reward? What for? It''s not like I''ve done anything particularly impressive..." "Are you... really that clueless?" she said, tilting her head sideways. I couldn''t deny that she was incredibly cute. Had it not been for the way she dressed, I would definitely just think of her as a cute little kid¡ªImpossible. Yeah, that''d just be impossible. There''s no way in hell this kind of fiendish behavior and personality could be anything other than a lolibaba! ''So cute... Oh, shit, my bad!'' I thought, finally understanding my blunder. "No, it''s okay." However, despite what I was thinking, she, instead, blushed and shied away a little... ''Could it be... she is very awkward? No way!'' "Ano~..." She distanced her upper body from me a little, fiddling with her fingers. "You know... I never had anyone call me cute before so... it feels strange," she said. Yeah, she''s too cute for her own good. "... Why? Or rather, how?" "You see... All those who can see my physical body without going insane are gods... and all of them, aside from that disgusting freak, are essentially my children. At least as far as the gods I know..." She continued fiddling her fingers as she said this, somehow adding a lot to her charm. ''Disgusting Freak... I guess she''s talking about Gloria''s father...'' "No! Definitely not! He''s just dumb. He never once made a single comment about me in any way, shape, or form. I''m talking about that cocky retard, Friedrich!" "Frie...drich..." My blood started to boil. ''That motherfucker!'' "Oh! It seems you know that piece of garbage." "I wish I didn''t." I said, rolling my eyes before sighing. "Well, at least you''re now almost half of the way into getting as powerful as he is." She shrugged, making a very leisurely expression... "Eh?" I seized, or my brain did. "Eh?" she looked up to me, equally confused, somehow. "Can you please say that again?" I asked. "Oh, that you''re halfway into becoming as powerful as he is?" "Yeah! That part! What the heck do you mean?!" "Oh, that''s the reason I came here. Congratulations on becoming a Local God~!" She grinned broadly, making me even more confused, before she pulled my face towards hers with both hands and landed a kiss on my lips.