Chapter 95: The sudden information.

“My Lord, if I may,” Lyra began cautiously. “I have a few suggestions that might alleviate the issue, but I wanted to hear your thoughts first before I acted on my own.”

“Hold that thought. Let me deal with Teriam first. If this mineral deposit is as valuable as he claims, it might solve more than one problem at once.”

Lyra bowed her head.

“As you wish, my Lord.”

Kai rose from the throne and transported himself away from the vicinity.

Lucifer fell into step behind him without a word, her dark wings folded neatly against her back as she kept pace, her form disappearing as well.

It was her unspoken rule that wherever Kai went, she followed, unless he specifically told her otherwise.

As they walked through the city that had been built within the cavern of the First Floor, the monsters they passed all dropped to their knees in immediate reverence.

The Imps folded their wings and pressed their foreheads to the ground, while the Skeleton Knights halted their patrols and slammed their fists against their chests in salute.

Kai paid them little mind, his thoughts already shifting to the task ahead.

’I still have not had the chance to properly test the Dragon Slayer title I received after killing those four dragons in Rambosa.’

The attributes it granted were significant: increased damage against Draconic species, doubled Fear Aura, and the ability to control dragons upon submission. But the system mentioned that other attributes would be revealed during progression. What does that mean? Do I need to form a contract with a dragon? Kill more of them? Or simply level up? The last part has been proven to be impossible.’

He sighed internally.

’There is also the matter of the four dragon corpses I had transported back to the dungeon. They should still be stored somewhere on the Second Floor. Their materials alone could be worth a fortune if processed correctly. Dragon scales, bones, blood, organs, all of them are high-value crafting materials. If Teriam could forge weapons and armor from dragon remains, the quality would far surpass anything we currently possess.’

Although, he did have the intention of resurrecting one of them, since that was all he could do at the moment.

His train of thought was interrupted when the transportation energy hummed to life, its surface glowing a deep violet.

Kai placed his hand on its surface.

“Fifth Floor.”

…

The Fifth Floor was a land of dry canyons and exposed rock faces, illuminated by veins of glowing minerals that ran through the walls like the arteries of some ancient beast.

Teriam was already waiting for him at the main junction, his skeletal frame outfitted in a heavy blacksmith’s apron stained with soot and metal shavings.

The Great Forger bowed deeply the moment Kai materialized from the crystal, alongside Lucifer and Lyra, who had only joined along the way.

“My Lord. Thank you for coming.”

“Show me what you found.” Kai didn’t want to waste any time.

Teriam led the way through a series of narrow tunnels that branched off from the main mining area.

The path grew darker as they moved deeper, the ambient glow of the minerals fading until the only light came from the faint red symbols orbiting Teriam’s skeletal body.

After several minutes of walking, the tunnel opened up into a medium-sized cavern.

And there, embedded in the far wall like veins of black glass, were clusters of dark, crystalline formations.

They pulsed with a faint, almost imperceptible light. Not bright enough to illuminate the cave, but enough to give the crystals an eerie, otherworldly glow.

Black Magic Crystals.

Kai’s eyes widened slightly behind his mist.

’Black Magic Crystals? Here? In my dungeon?’

He stepped closer, reaching out to touch one of the formations. The moment his fingers made contact, a chill ran through his body, not unpleasant, but sharp. Like touching the surface of a frozen lake.

’I know these are rare. Incredibly rare. In the game, Black Magic Crystals were used as core components for enchanting high-grade artifacts, powering magical barriers, and even as fuel for teleportation arrays. A single crystal could sell for thousands of Cens on the open market. But the exact price? I cannot put my finger on it. The in-game economy was different from this reality. I need someone who understands the current market to appraise them.’

He turned to Teriam.

“How deep does this vein go?”

“I am not certain, my Lord. My workers only discovered this cave two days ago. We have not had the chance to explore further, as I wanted your permission before proceeding.”

“Good. You did well to wait.”

Kai turned back to the wall of crystals. Then, without warning, he clenched his fist and drove it straight into the rock face.

The wall shattered on impact.

Cracks splintered outward from the point of contact, and a massive chunk of the crystal formation broke free, tumbling to the ground in several large pieces.

Dust and fragments of stone scattered across the cavern floor.

Teriam flinched at the display but said nothing. He had long since stopped being surprised by his Lord’s casual feats of destruction.

Lucifer, standing at the entrance of the cave, merely tilted her head. She had seen far worse.

Kai picked up the largest piece of crystal. It was roughly the size of a human head, its surface smooth and cold to the touch. Inside, the black light pulsed gently, like a heartbeat.

He turned and handed it to Lyra.

“Take this to the surface and find out its current market value. I do not care how you do it. Sell a small sample if you must. But I want a number before the end of tomorrow.”

Lyra received the crystal with both hands, cradling it carefully as though it were a newborn.

“I will not fail you, my Lord.”

There was a fire in her eyes that Kai recognized. It was the look she got whenever he gave her a task that could result in praise. She would sooner die than return empty-handed.

“I know you will not.”

He then turned back to Teriam.

“Begin mining this cave immediately. I want every crystal extracted and stored on this floor. Additionally, map the cave system. If this vein extends further than what we can see, I want to know exactly how far it reaches. Assign as many workers as you need.”

Teriam dropped to one knee.

“It shall be done, my Lord.”

By the time Kai returned to the First Floor, night had fallen across the Jaun Land, though the concept of day and night held little meaning inside the dungeon itself.

The walk back from the Transportation Crystal to the Throne Room was quiet. Lucifer trailed behind him, her dark wings catching the ambient light of the dungeon’s torches.

Kai could feel the fatigue settling into his mind.

’The Dragon Slayer title still needs testing, and there is also the issue with the food crisis that needs a solution. The construction needs more funding as well. The crystals might solve the money problem, but only if the market value holds. And somewhere in all of this, I still need to figure out what the humans are planning next.’

He let out a long, quiet sigh.

’Being a ruler is exhausting.’

Lucifer, who had been silently watching the subtle shift in her posture, finally spoke.

“My Lord, you seem tired. Shall I prepare your chamber for rest? I can have the other maids handle any remaining duties for the evening.”

Kai shook his head slightly.

“Not yet. There is still one more thing I need to deal with today.”

“My Lord?”

“The dragon corpses. They are still on the Second Floor, are they not?”

Lucifer nodded.

“Yes. Sanovere had them stored in one of the larger chambers. He mentioned wanting to convert them into undead thralls, but he was awaiting your permission.”

Kai waved his hand dismissively.

“Tell him not to touch them. Those dragons are worth more as raw materials than as mindless soldiers. I want Teriam to inspect the bodies and determine what can be forged from their remains. Scales, bones, tendons, everything. A single set of dragon-scale armor could be worth more than this entire dungeon.”

Lucifer bowed her head.

“I will relay the message immediately, my Lord.”

“Good.”

Kai pushed open the doors of the Throne Room and stepped inside.

The familiar darkness of his domain greeted him.

The torches along the walls flickered with dark fire, casting long shadows across the obsidian floor.

His throne sat at the far end, elevated above the rest of the room, waiting for him as it always did.

He began walking toward it, his cloak of mist trailing behind him like smoke.

’Once I sit down, I should at least pull up the system and check the Dragon Slayer title properly. I have been putting it off for too long. If there are hidden attributes tied to progression, I need to know what the conditions are. It could make the difference between surviving the next conflict and being caught off guard.’

Just as his foot touched the first step of the elevated platform, the sound of swift, measured footsteps echoed from the hallway beyond the main doors.

The doors swung open.

Sanovere stepped through, his butler uniform pristine as always, not a single crease out of place.

His red eyes were calm, but there was something behind them, a sharpness that Kai had come to associate with important news.

The vampire bowed at the waist, his right hand placed over his chest.

“Forgive the intrusion, my Lord. I would not disturb you at this hour unless the matter was pressing.”

Kai paused on the step, turning his head slightly to look at his butler.

“Speak.”

Sanovere straightened, meeting his Lord’s glowing purple eyes without flinching.

“My Lord, it would seem the Human Nation would like to have a word with you.”

The words settled into the silence of the Throne Room like a stone dropped into a still pond.

Kai did not respond immediately.

He simply stood there on the step, his back partially turned to Sanovere, his glowing eyes fixed on the empty throne before him.

The torches along the walls flickered once, as though even the dungeon itself was holding its breath.

’The Human Nation wants to talk?’

A beat of silence passed.

’Interesting.’

He climbed the remaining steps and lowered himself onto the throne, the familiar cold of the obsidian pressing against his form.

Once seated, he rested his jaw on his fist and looked down at Sanovere, who remained perfectly still at the center of the room.

“Tell me what you know.”

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