Chapter 42: The Pillars are yet to come.

Anticipation filled the air as Kai called for the only two named Skeleton Knights, Teraim and Hamr.

Just like Azeal had done, they too fell to their knees, their armored joints clanking against the stone floor.

Kai stared at them for a while.

Seeing as Carlotta had already given them names, and their levels were on par with high-ranking monsters, the most he could do in that moment was give them Titles and assign them a floor to rule.

But his plans for one of them were somewhat different.

“Teraim.” Kai called out.

“Yes, my Lord.” Teraim responded instantly, his voice hollow yet firm.

“With the title of The Great Forger, you will be assigned to the Fifth Floor. You will take Skeleton Warriors you feel do not have enough fighting capabilities and take them as your assistants. As many as that may be.”

Teraim slowly raised his helmeted head to look at Kai.

“You would have me not fight in the front lines, my Lord?”

“That is correct. You will be in charge of forging weapons and armor for my army. But fear not, Azeal is right below you on the Sixth Floor. When he needs help, you will ensure your men are ready to assist him.”

“I understand. I will do my best to live up to your expectations.” Teraim bowed his head back down.

Unlike his partner Hamr, Teraim was less bulky armor and more skeletal dexterity, so it was understandable why Kai chose him for that particular quest.

The Fifth Floor was a land of dry canyons and caves, rich with raw materials that could be used for crafting. Most adventurers would easily go there to farm ore and sell whatever they found.

But if Kai could monopolize it before then, the loss of resources would reduce greatly, and it would obviously be the best way for him to achieve riches and equip his army.

Moving on from there, he looked towards Hamr, the hulking tank.

“As for you, I will assign you to the eight Floor, where you will serve at the front lines, along with fifty soldiers at the forefront. With the title of The Death Machine, your role is to kill any and all intruders from the outside world.”

Hearing this, a slight hint of happiness, or what passed for it in a skeleton, showed on the Knight’s face. He would have wanted no other role.

To fight for his Lord was the biggest honor ever.

“I will carry out these tasks without fail.”

“Good. Moving on—”

Kai suddenly felt a small yet sharp strain on his chest, like a needle piercing his heart.

The sudden pause did not go unnoticed by his followers.

“Lord Kai!”

“My Lord!!”

Lyra and Carlotta both rushed to his side, their forms blurring with speed to support him.

“Are you alright?”

“Please say something!”

Kai dismissed their worry by raising his hand and lifting his head.

“I am fine. I merely tried to remember something just now. You both worry too much.”

“And rightfully so, my Lord. Not many beings can boast of giving monsters a True Name and even Titles in one sitting, and here you are doing so without fail. You are truly extraordinary, but even gods have limits.”

“Think nothing of it.”

Kai replied stoically.

However…

’Damn. I swear I almost lost consciousness there, but I regained my strength rather quickly. As expected. While I am in this dungeon, I feel practically invincible, but my mental stamina is taking a hit.’

He shook his head to clear the fog.

’I can worry about that later.’

Lyra and Carlotta moved back to their initial positions, giving Kai the opportunity to look upon his people and continue his task.

And thus, he continued.

Now having three Generals under his ranks (Azeal, Teraim, Hamr) and giving them their floors to rule, he allowed them to take as many men as possible to populate their domains.

Those that remained were then scattered across the rest of the floors, forced to train and act as a defensive backup when the attacks got too crowded.

Of the three Generals, Kai made a new announcement, informing them that a new authority would be granted to a select elite group.

The Pillars.

This particular group would be the main strength of the dungeon, his own personal summons and highest-ranked subordinates.

These summons would technically oversee higher floors, but even then, the Pillars could freely roam around the dungeon, answering only to Kai himself.

For now, he placed Carlotta in charge of the Second Floor. Because in this particular region, towards the restricted zone, there was a small underground pit that could be used to create mobs when Kai was unavailable.

With Carlotta in charge, she could keep tabs on it, accepting which mobs were needed and which were not.

The First Floor, where the City of Monsters was built, was then ruled by Lyra, as this city would serve to be a Utopia for monsters in the coming times.

Once Kai was done giving them their roles, he excused himself and went back into his private chambers.

…

Seated at the edge of the massive bed, he could feel his mental fortitude reducing rather rapidly, even far more than his mana was.

He already noticed it seemed like he had an endless pit of Mana and HP, but for his mental fortitude, his sanity—that was a different thing entirely.

’I can rest now? No. I had my followers remain in the plaza. I know the Red Players will show up any time. I should be back outside.’

He sighed deeply.

The longer he sat there, the better he felt, but the urgency of the situation gnawed at him.

’Enemy of the World, eh? That is the last thing I expected to be called when I logged into this game. Depending on how my soldiers fight, I will understand my standing in this new world.’

’Only then will I fill up the remaining placeholders for the Pillars. But for now, I should focus on what is ahead.’

Kai stood up to his feet, sensing a presence.

“Lyra, I told you I wanted to be alone for a while.” He looked towards the door without turning his head.

Lyra immediately flinched on the other side, realizing she was foolish enough to think Kai would not notice her there.

“Excuse me.” Lyra opened the door, standing at the entrance with her head bowed. “Please forgive my insubordination. I only wanted to make sure you were alright.”

’Geez, for someone as strong as she is, she sure worries a lot.’

Kai looked towards the window, gazing at the red moon hanging in the artificial sky.

“Tell me, in your own words, how do you think my people view me?” he asked softly.

Lyra didn’t hesitate for a second to give her response.

“To us, you are a God.”

The directness of her response made Kai turn away from the window and face her fully.

“A God?” he asked, a faint echo of surprise in his voice.

“Yes, my Lord. We are creatures of the Abyss, born of the dungeon’s despair and chaos. Yet, you bestowed upon us purpose, names, and a structure to follow. You gave us life beyond mere instinct, and you treat us, your creations, with honor and trust. A mortal man could not do this. Only a Divine Being could reshape our reality so completely.”

Kai listened, his expression thoughtful. “And you would believe that with your whole heart?”

Lyra nodded her head slowly.

“Of course, my Lord. Would you like me to give more examples? Ah—could it be that you are somehow questioning my devotion to you?”

“Quite the opposite, actually—”

[System Alert: Players are attempting to enter your Domain.]

[System Alert: Players have breached the Eighth Floor.]

Kai looked towards the system notification glowing in the air.

“Our guests have arrived. Let us give them a warm welcome.”

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