Curious red little eyes gazed upon Argos and Pix back and forth. These belonged to a quite tiny creature. With pure white fur, it looked like a small ball of fluffiness. For a monster, it seemed really harmless in so many ways.

Pix was shocked. She couldn't believe what she saw.

" No way... "

The little creature proceeded to explore its new home. It inspected every corner of the room, but there was nothing interesting. So, it came back in front of the flying pixie and the shining crystal.

Argos was quite amused by the way it moved.

" Hey Pix, isn't it cute how it makes these tiny jumps? "

Ignoring Argos' comment, the dungeon pixie trembled.

" This is really bad! You don't know how much we are in danger. "

" What do you mean? "

" I know it's mean, but this creature is really weak. It is called a bunny. "

" B-but, it's really cute, just like you... It must be strong too, right? "

A slight taint of crimson could be seen on Pix's face before she hid herself under her tiny hands. But, she knew that it wasn't the time to be embarrassed. She had to explain to this idiot crystal the situation they were in.

" Listen to me! It's just a bunny! We need to defend ourselves against monsters, remember? How do you think we are going to survive? You dummy! "

" I'm sorry... B-but, Pix, you are the bright one right? I know that you can find a solution! Besides, look at its eyes, they are filled with determination. He is just like me. He wants to get stronger. "

The cute and fluffy bunny heard everything about the conversation, and it knew that it was the problem. But, it was not planning on letting its parents down! Somehow, Argos vaguely understood its feelings.

" Say, Pix. Why don't we just summon another monster? "

" * sigh * I wish it was this simple... When we summon a boss, we actually use a piece of your soul, that's why the boss is a special creature since monsters usually don’t have souls. The only way we can summon another boss is by waiting for your growth or by stealing souls from invaders. "

" I see... How unfortunate. It will be lonely without siblings... "

Those were the last words before a long silence reigned the rooms. Not even a single gust of wind could be heard in this cold underground. The last particles of multicolored mana dissipated, leaving only the brightness of Argos, which the bunny circled around like moths attracted by light. Deep in thought, the little pixie rested her wings on a magical cloud.

As the hours passed by, the bunny rolled itself into a ball and began to sleep.

At that moment, Pix regained her spirit. Deep inside, she still had hope. A weak monster was no big deal. It was just another challenge. If she wants to be the best dungeon master ever, she must overcome this challenge. So, she trusted her talent. Yes, she was one of the best strategists between her sisters.

" Just what are we doing, wasting our time like this? I know what we can do! We didn't even check the creature's capabilities. Who knows, maybe it is somewhat special. It's your soul after all... "

" My soul... "

" Alright! Shall I teach you about [Appraisal]? It's a great ability that crystals can learn pretty easily! You can only use it on those weaker than you. But, you can also use it on your monsters or any person with a magical connection with you! It is really useful! It's the ability to peek into someone's core to know his whole status! "

" Pix! You regained your energy! I like learning things from you! Tell me how, I will follow! "

The mood has been shifted and the atmosphere regained his positivity as they both were determined to grow.

Pix explained the mechanism of [Appraisal]. She knew the details without ever using it herself since she needed the power of a crystal to do so.

" Usually, [Appraisal] is really hard to cast since it's a pretty high tier magic. It's actually nearly impossible for humans to cast. Even for magical being like me, It's extremely hard. Why? Because you need a large pool of mana and you also need to be a master at controlling the flow of mana and souls. Perfect for a crystal, right? "

After a few hours of trials, Argos finally understood the fundamentals of [Appraisal], even if it took such a long time. But, it was okay since he got the chance to learn from Pix. And he always liked to spend time with her.

With all his might, he concentrated himself and used [Appraisal] for the first time. He felt the mana draining away from him. Pix was right, it did take a lot of mana.

" Argos? Are you using [Appraisal] on me? S-Stop! It's embarrassing! "

Name: Pix Title: Dungeon Master Race: Dungeon Pixie Affiliation: Grand Pixie Dungeon's Spawn, Unnamed Dungeon's Pixie Endurance: C+ Intelligence: A+ Defense: D Mind: A Stamina: D+ Speed: B+ Stength: C- Luck: B+ Affinity: Earth, Nature, Mirage Special:

Dual Casting, Dungeon Magic

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

" I knew it, Pix. You really are incredible. "

" I-Idiot! You're supposed to use it on the bunny, not on me. "

" I'm sorry, I got carried away. "

" Tell me the details, I can't use [Appraisal] ; I don't have enough mana for it. "

" Alright! "

Name: Unnamed Title: No Title Race: Red-Eyed Bunny Affiliation: Unnamed Dungeon's Boss Endurance: E Intelligence: D Defense: F Mind: D+ Stamina: B Speed: A Stength: E- Luck: E- Affinity: Earth, Wind, Time Special:

Chrono Drive

After hearing the details on their first monster, Pix began to analyze their situation to see how she can use it to defend the dungeon.

" Hmm, as expected, it is really weak physically. But, we can use its speed. Yeah! Even if it's fragile, it can dodge a lot of hits. Also, for its lack of power, we can try to teach it some magic... Wait a second... Time? Chrono Drive? It can't be... Argos! Appraise yourself! "

" Huh? Why? "

" Just do it! "

" Okay. "

Name: Argos Title: Dungeon Heart, Time Seed Race: Dungeon Crystal Affiliation: Unnamed Dungeon's Crystal Endurance: A Intelligence: B- Defense: S Mind: S+ Stamina: F- Speed: F- Stength: F- Luck: B+ Affinity: Creation, Soul, Time Special:

Dungeon Magic, Dungeon Control,Soul Control, Time Control

" No way... I thought that it was only a legend. You're not an A-Rank Crystal. You were a S-Rank crystal all along! I can't believe it! "

" I am special? "

" Yes, you are! When I was a kid, I was told a story, a legend, about 7 Dungeons that could each control one of the 7 laws of the world : [Time], [Space], [Gravity], [Force], [Void], [Electromagnetism] and [Light]. They were called S-Rank Dungeons. You are one, I am sure of it! "

Argos didn’t know what it mean to be a S-Rank dungeon. But, one thing was certain. Time wasn’t his enemy. It was his ally all this time.