Chapter 37: A new dungoen.

[Imp.]

[HP: 100/100]

[Level: 75.]

Kai kept his eyes on the monsters soaring above him.

They were red-skinned, with devilish leathery wings on their backs that allowed them to glide through the stagnant dungeon air with ease. Their long tails swayed back and forth rhythmically, and the single dark horn curving at the center of their foreheads was easy for anyone to spot just from a glance.

He watched as they flew all around the entire cavern, assisting the skeletons with their tasks. From what he could see, it seemed as though some were working, while others were merely roaming the area out of boredom and nothing else.

’What on earth did she do to my dungeon?’

Thinking back on it, Kai remembered the system informing him about something regarding the dungeon receiving a “City” upgrade.

Of course, he didn’t think much about it then—he was busy fighting a Troll—but the last thing he expected was for the entirety of the First Floor to be turned into a literal metropolis for monsters.

From where he stood, right in front of the Transportation Crystal, he could see a massive building that stretched up like a dark tower, piercing the artificial storm clouds gathering at the ceiling of the cave.

A grand, grimly imposing staircase, flanked on both sides by channels of flowing dark water, led all the way up to the entrance.

That must be the entrance to his Chamber.

Though it looked much bigger than he expected. It wasn’t just a boss room anymore; it was a palace.

“That woman. How dare she do this to My Lord’s dungeon without permission? And who are these new people? They look like Demon-bloods too.”

Lyra was fuming at the side, clearly unhappy about what she was seeing. To her, change was a threat unless Kai ordered it.

Below the castle, there were no intricate buildings just yet, only dry land, with massive rocks placed in different areas of the landscape to act as foundations or thresholds for future structures.

Kai was about to speak when he looked up ahead and saw that Carlotta had walked out of the castle and was now standing on the high balcony, with a wide, welcoming smile on her face.

Upon her appearance, many of the monsters that had been roaming about looked towards the crystal, finally taking notice of Kai’s presence.

“Lord Shadow!!!”

They immediately fell to their knees, heads bowed deep in respect, their wings folding against their backs.

Emilya’s shock grew even more when she noticed that the man who saved her had begun to change. Kai’s human disguise flickered and faded, revealing a dark, mist-like humanoid figure, his true form.

It was bad enough that she had entered a lair of monsters; now she was realizing Kai was never even human to begin with.

With a small scream, she fell to the ground, immediately covering her mouth with both hands in order not to attract any more attention than she already had.

Kai ignored her and stared at the monsters.

’I am so confused right now. I recognize my Armored Skeletons, of course, and this is definitely the First Floor of my dungeon. But no way all the EXP she was spending did all this. Ahh, that would explain why my EXP suddenly increased as well, passive income from a larger population.’

He sighed internally.

For now, he decided it was best not to have any kind of conversation with the newly added monsters. He needed answers from the source first.

As such, all he did was raise his hand at them, acknowledging their greetings with a regal wave, before he began to walk towards the Tower House.

Lyra immediately followed, lifting Emilya off the ground effortlessly and carrying her under one arm like a suitcase.

As they walked, all the high-ranking monsters turned to look at him, huge smiles on their faces.

For some, this was the first time they were laying their eyes on the Shadow of Victims since their creation.

Even if they were blindfolded, his presence was not something any creature of darkness could mistake.

….

That particular night, Kai made it back to his Throne Room.

And while the throne itself looked the same as always, he could not ignore the other changes he saw on the way up.

The entire setting had shifted.

It still had the vibe of a dungeon, meaning players could still raid the place in search of finding the Boss’s Room, but the layout was far more complex.

It looked strangely identical to castles from the medieval era. Guards were stationed everywhere, and the hallway that led to his Throne Room was wider and more oppressive than he expected.

Gently, Kai sat on the obsidian throne, immediately leaning to the side with one foot resting on the armrest and his jaw pressed against his fist, the posture of a bored king.

Before him, his two strongest summons, Lyra and Carlotta, stood. While one had a serious, almost angry look on her face, the other was grinning from ear to ear just at the sight of her Master.

“Welcome back from your trip, Lord Kai. I hope the Human Realm was welcoming,” Carlotta was the first to speak, her face beaming with joy.

’Seeing a witch smile this much is really unsettling.’

“It was, in its own way, rewarding,” Kai replied coolly.

“I see. If you enjoyed it, then I am glad.” Carlotta leaned forward slightly, her eyes twinkling. “If I may—”

“Do not burden My Lord with your unusual requests. You forget I am a woman like yourself. I can tell what you want to ask for just from the perverted smile on your face,” Lyra chimed in, throwing Carlotta a disgusted look.

“Wha— Perverted? I do not have a perverted face!” Carlotta narrowed her gaze, offended. “Why do I feel like you always intend to provoke me on purpose?”

Rather than giving her a reply, Lyra looked at her for a long silent moment, then she sighed and averted her gaze immediately.

“You just insulted me in your head, didn’t you?!” Carlotta pointed an accusing finger, her face flushed with embarrassment.

“Where have you kept the human girl?” Kai’s question cut through the bickering, immediately forcing them to look in his direction.

“I had Teraim take her to one of the guest rooms. She is to remain there until you summon her yourself,” Carlotta replied, composing herself.

“Teraim?” Lyra looked at her, confused. “Who is that? I have no knowledge of anything under My Lord bearing such a name, or any name at all.”

Before Carlotta replied, she wore a smug look on her face.

“That is to be expected, seeing as I was the one who named him. They are Lord Kai’s monsters, so he is well aware of the names I have given them.”

She didn’t stop there. She looked at Kai, her arms wrapped around one another, a faint purple hue glowing at the top of her forehead, the mark of her magic.

“I assumed I would be able to name them all, since giving them commands would be easier that way. But I was wrong and weak. I could barely name three before my body collapsed on itself. I am sorry if I was unable to meet your expectations. I do not have the same strength as you.”

Kai kept his face impassive.

’Why the hell would she think I would have knowledge of her naming them? Then again, I have to admit she is pretty strong if she was able to name another person’s summons. Naming grants power in this world. However, they are my summons too… so if they accepted the names, I must have subconsciously granted permission. Yet I feel no strain whatsoever.’

He changed his sitting position, crossing his legs.

“Naming two of my summons is something you should be proud about. You have done well.”

The painful, apologetic look Carlotta had on her face vanished instantly as she allowed the warmth of Kai’s praise to wash over her.

In fact, it felt like she was floating.

But the moment of bliss vanished when Kai asked his next question, his tone dropping an octave.

“Now, explain to me, Carlotta. What have you done to my dungeon?”

…

[A/N]

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