We were slowly descending the stairs towards a second boss. ‘It would be nice if I got a new wand, and this time some which can withhold my spells without losing durability and breaking.’ When we reached the bottom, we spotted a boss. It had a short humanoid figure with red skin and a pair of small wings on its back. It was holding a magical one hand and sword in second. Both of these weapons were made of flames. On its head was pair of flame horns. It looked at us with its eyes made of fire and conjured tree fireballs. It flew towards us, so we had split with sidesteps. I immediately started cast [Death Ligtning] towards it. A purple bolt flew towards a boss, but some barrier of flames appeared and blocked my attack. Boss leapt towards me, leaving a trail of fire behind it. But before it reached, it was struck by Rose. She swung her scythe, “[Death Strike]”, it glowed in purple and collided with a barrier. Boss turned and swung its sword on her. She parried it with her scythe as two purple bolts of lightning from me struck a barrier once again. It couldn’t counterattack me as it was locked in a melee fight with Rose. Both of them kept swinging, blocking and parring each other’s attacks. Occasionally some attacks hit a boss only to be absorbed by a barrier. I used that leeway to cast my strongest spell. Plasma started to gather and form a ball in my hand as I warned Rose about my plan. “Quickly retreat!”.

“[Wind Dash]” she rushed in my direction as a ball of plasma flew in the opposite direction towards a boss. The purple flash blinded everyone in the room for few moments. The barrier protecting the boss started to flicker after taking on such damage. I was panting and recovering. Rose decided to give me time to recover as she charged towards a boss. Boss wawed its wand, and a flaming circle showed up. In a burst of flames, tree flame salamanders showed up and blocked her path. She swung her scythe, tanking their flame breaths with a barrier of her own, and decapitated them. But this distraction was enough for a boss to reach me. It swung its flame sword on me. I immediately erected my claws and blocked its sword. My claws cut its sword in half and continued towards a flickering barrier. Boss expecting its barrier to tank them started to conjure new flames sword. My claws hit a barrier, but there was no impact as they continued towards the head of a boss. It moved on the last moment saving its head, but my claws still cut off its arm holding a wand. Boss ignoring his lost arms and stabbed his just recreated flame sword it into my abdomen. Surprisingly not very strong pain erupted from it. I immediately backstepped reducing damage. Boss wanted to press on me but, Rose finally reached it from behind and unleashed a fury of blades. Finally, the barrier shattered, and her scythe decapitated a boss.

Ding!

System Announcement

Your party member killed LV 25 [Fire Imp]

You obtained 571 XP (floor 1 boss modifier: 2.5X) (contribution: 64%)

You obtained 1170 CE

You are now level 18

My injury started to close and regenerate slowly.

Still, Rose gave me a concerned look before throwing a potion to me. “You should be more careful until you get a [Mana Barrier] at level 20 of magical classes” I sprayed a little bit of potion on my injury and stored rest to [Dimensional Storage]. We decided to check a treasure chest as I waited to regain my mana. I opened it, and there was again a bunch of silver coins and a sword. I didn’t even bother to check that sword as I wanted some wand and staff. For melee, I had my claws anyway.

“Just garbage. I need some cool wand or staff.”

As we continued to rest, I spotted with my [??? Astral Eyes] magical energy coming ut of random brick in the wall. I walked towards and pushed it with my hand. The rumbling sound echoed as a wall opened into a dark passage.

My heart jumped at the thought of finding a secret treasure. “I think I found a secret room.”

Rose just kept shifting her gaze between me and a passage before she said, “I never heard about this passage existing in this dungeon. So either no one ever found it, or no one ever survived to tell about it. Let’s hope it’s a former one.”

Few minutes passed after we dived into the dark corridor, and we finally entered a room with lights. It was a hundred meters long room with massive stone pillars holding a ceiling. Magical apparatuses, glass boxes with unknown organic substances, and tables with small bottles surrounded walls. But the most dominating feature of the room was a throne made of black stone at the end of a room. On a throne was a humanoid figure with horns. It looked like a normal human male with long raven black hair up to his waist.

My mood immediately dropped as flashes of the lab I was being experimented on appeared in my mind. I clenched my fist and ground my teeth to suppress it. I used my [Analyze] on him.

Ding!

Analyze Result

Failure: Target is protected against [Analyze]

Even though it failed, I knew that man was in trouble as a powerful aura of flames and red seared out of him like magma out of exploding volcano.

A powerful voice came from the man on the throne. “Ohoho mortals. Welcome to my secret lab. I have no idea how you found this place, sadly I will have to…” his words froze when his red eyes focused on something behind me. He suddenly started to tremble, and sweat poured all over his young-looking face before continuing in a different tone. “...R-reward you for such an amazing feat. What do you wish ?”

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‘Is someone standing behind me?’ was the first thought that came to my mind after I saw his weird behaviour.

“I think that is dungeon master and probably high-rank demon at the top of it” Rose became nervous too.

I looked at the trembling demon again. ‘It looks like he is scared of something. Let’s use it. ‘

My mouth formed into a grin. “You can make monsters and items. Am I right?”

“Y-you are a right. I am dungeon master I-I can give you amazing items if you wish so.”

“No, no, I want more. You see you are close to my future city so. I would appreciate it if you joined me as my employee. I heard that one can form a contract with demons. Am I right?” I grinned again.

His aura flared in rage for a moment, but it calmed down when his gaze focused on something behind me again before he continued with a trembling voice. “Of course, anything you want. I will serve you.”

Ding!

Contract Proposal

From: Level ?? [Dungeon-bound] [Nether-Demon Count] Bifrons

Terms:

1. Bifrons will serve you in the full extent allowed by his powers and rules bounding him.

2. You will guarantee Bifrons safety.

3. Bifrons will fulfil your orders in word and spirit as long as it is not ordered, endangering Bifrons life or rules prevent him from doing so.

4. Bifrons will join your court.

Do you wish to accept?

Yes/No

I checked it a few times and found nothing wrong, so I decided to accept. Golden light flew out of me and met with a golden light out of a Bifrons. They collided, forming letters of our contract before dispersing.

Ding!

System Annoucement

Contract sucesfully formed !

You were granted [Demon Contractor] title

Bifrons immediately started to look more relaxed as he stopped sweating, and his hands were no longer trembling.

“So, can you came outside of a dungeon and kill all of my enemies?”

“That is not possible. As a Nether Demon, I can only exist in premises of this dungeon while being in this plane of existence.”

Rose was fidgeting next to me, but I ignored her and continued my questioning. “You looked scared. What scared you so much?”

He paled again before replying, “I don’t know what are you talking about, even if I knew I wouldn’t be able to tell you”.

“So what can you do? Because so far, it looks like you are useless.”

“I can give you soldiers and items. Of course, they are limited by the rules to things obtainable in this dungeon if you want it without waiting. As I have to either manually craft it or obtain it through the dungeon shop. I can’t just use my demonic powers to create it as it stated by rules.”

“Give me some amazing magical staff from a shop for now. And you can take your time to make some better for the future.”

Rose was quiet with a weird face as a meter long staff with a black rod covered in golden engravings showed up in demons hands. On top of that rod were two curved wing-like pieces of metal with sharp edges covered in glowing purple runes, and between them was one purple glowing crystal with flames burning around.

I immediately used [Analyze] on it.

Ding!

Analyze Result

Item Name: [Demonic Death Staff]

Durability: 1500/1500

Item Type: Magical Focus

Spell Affinity: (Any+Death)/Death

Item effects:

Decreased mana cost of the spell with death attribute by 25%

Increased spell damage with death attribute by 35%

Improves mana control of death attribute spells by 30%

Decreases mana control of spells without death attribute by 10%

All spell with a death attribute will have +3 to proficiency

‘Ahhh, it is perfect staff for me as I always put a death attribute to every spell. But that name is terrible. ‘

“So you weren’t useless. I should thank you for making me so happy.”

Rose finally exploded as she jumped and started to scream, “Do you even realise, what have you done? You just contracted a dungeon. This will be such a great asset when we finally take over this city.”