Xavier made The Great Romalda Heralda’s death a swift one, as painless as he possibly could—and he refrained from harvesting her soul.

Something about that didn’t feel right, knowing she would be alive again once he exited the dungeon. How could her soul exist in two places? It baffled the mind.

Speaking to the woman had given him a new perspective on the Greater Universe, and just exactly what the System was capable of. As far as he could tell, it was capable of just about anything.

It can send us to alternative universes showing alternate timelines and let us create new ones through our actions every time we enter a floor of the tower, and now it’s, what… rebirthing people into dungeons?

If what Romalda had said was to be believed—and again, as far as he could tell, she had no reason to lie—then being reborn into a dungeon almost seemed like a form of immortality, or some sort of cursed after. Maybe that was all one’s perspective.

She will just be reborn again once I step out, retaining all of her memories of this fight. Will she change the way the dungeon is run? How much control over it does she have? Will this dungeon become increasingly difficult, or will that not happen if she’s never able to gain levels for herself or her minions? Are the first to clear a dungeon always facing the easiest incarnation of that dungeon? Will it get harder and harder for people to achieve records as the dungeon grows?

He still felt a little floored by the fact that the woman had been B Grade. The empress who was the most powerful Denizen in the Silver River sector was “only” C Grade.

After he’d had his conversation with the woman, then delivered to her a swift death, he’d watched as the others dealt with the remains of the zombie horde. He could have swept in and dealt with the shambling corpses along with his party, but this seemed like a good opportunity for them to gain Mastery Points. They wouldn’t be worth anything to him, after all.

Besides, they didn’t really look like they needed his help. The zombies were mindless. Soulless. Perhaps Romalda could have controlled them, made them have some semblance of tactics, but what exactly could she make shambling corpses do?

They continued to funnel into the chokepoint at the archway at the end of the large throne room. Howard decapitated heads, lopped off arms, and sheared through torsos with his great, double-bearded axe. Justin flitted in and out, his wings tucked in when he made his dives, then spread wide when he flew back out of melee range, sending Airstrikes down from above. Siobhan’s Divine Guardian battered the zombies with its massive, two-handed great sword, always staying within the aura of her Divine Beacon; Siobhan herself offered healing to the others whenever it was needed. Her teleportation abilities seemed unnecessary here.

So Xavier sat back down on his expensive, comfortable chair. The body of Romalda Heralda was slumped on her throne.

This is certainly not what I expected to be doing.

He tapped his fingers on his chair’s armrests, wondering if he was making a mistake by offering this deal to the necromancer.

No contracts have been signed yet. Nothing finalised. I can always back out.

He certainly felt his morals twisting and changing the longer he stayed in this Greater Universe. To break the woman out of the dungeon, he would have to funnel in Denizens that he knew wouldn’t be able to survive—which meant he’d be capturing enemies and throwing them into this skeleton, wraith, zombie-infested hellscape of a dungeon. Which, for anyone who couldn’t handle it, would most certainly be considered a terrible nightmare.

Could I really be that cruel?

He was reminded of what Adranial had told him, when they’d first spoken through the Communication Stone she’d given Howard when forcing him into a contract—a Communication Stone with no range restrictions on it, meaning she could’ve been talking to him from a million sectors away.

Killing and contracts are a part of life in the Greater Universe that you will have to get used to.

Her words had frustrated him—greatly. A part of him had sorely wished to give her a dose of her own medicine. Maybe even kill her. Hell, he still wondered if he’d made a mistake in being so lenient with her, but something told him she had the backing of someone far more powerful than himself.

Someone he did not want to piss off.

Besides, she hadn’t killed Howard. If she’d not wanted anything from him, he would be dead right now. This was preferable. She’d let him out of his contract and signed a more strict one with Xavier in return. And there was something about her. Something that made him want her as an ally.

Perhaps he hadn’t won that round with the woman, as he supposed gaining access to Earth—and to him—had been exactly what she’d been after, but he figured it was at least a tie, given all he’d managed to make her agree to.

But funnelling people into a dungeon, sending them in here to die? Could he really do that?

He closed his eyes, the only sound in the grand throne room that of his party fighting the moaning zombies, and recalled the invaders he’d come upon who’d been enslaving people from Earth.

Yes. I could do it. To protect out world. To punish those who would dare try and take it. Dare try and harm it.

His brow, which had been knitted in thought, relaxed and smoothed. He felt an unwavering conviction, a definite shift in his moral compass, perhaps, but one that would serve him far better than what he’d had in the past.

He would save those deserving, and damn all those who were not if they got in his way.

When the last zombie was eliminated, Xavier smiled, reading the notification that appeared.

Congratulations! You have completed The Deathly Dungeon!

Completion Time: 1 hour 5 minutes and 27 seconds.

User Record: 1 hour 5 minutes and 27 seconds.

Dungeon Record: 1 hour 5 minutes and 27 seconds.

At least this dungeon only took a little bit than the last.

Honestly, he was a little surprised it hadn’t taken longer, especially since he hadn’t been able to harm many of the dungeon inhabitants with his soul and spirit spells. Not to mention, he hadn’t exactly rushed through his conversation with the necromancer.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

Title Unlocked!

Dungeon Diver 2: You have cleared your second dungeon. Dungeons populate randomly in the Greater Universe. They are a proving ground for Denizens of all levels and grades, where they are able to prove their worth.

You have received +4 to all stats!

Note: As you have a similar title, “Dungeon Diver 1” has been combined with this title and shares its stats.

Xavier put his hand to his chest. He felt a rush of power—another attribute threshold.

Willpower had pushed past six thousand.

I wonder if I’ll see titles for thresholds again.

He got a feeling the next one might be ten thousand points in a single attribute. Which, admittedly, might not be all that far away at the rate he was going.

This is pretty damned insane.

The next title rolled in.

Title Unlocked!

The Deathly Dungeon – First Clear: You are the first to clear The Deathly Dungeon. Gaining a first-clear title for a dungeon is incredibly coveted in the Greater Universe. Many Denizens will travel to new, burgeoning sectors and worlds in search of fresh, untouched dungeons to achieve what you have.

You have received +16 to all stats!

Note: As you have a similar title, “The Crystal Dungeon – First Clear” has been combined with this title and shares its stats.

Ah. So these dungeon records work in the same way as floor records—the stats are all rolled into a single title, so really I only got twelve points to all stats from this title.

A third title appeared.

Title Unlocked!

The Deathly Dungeon – Record Clear - 1 hour 5 minutes and 27 seconds: You have achieved a record time for this dungeon. Dungeon records are coveted titles, with many Denizens training specifically toward the end goal of clearing dungeons. For dungeons such as this without a level maximum, it can be incredibly difficult to achieve.

This title is a Temporary Title. If your record is beaten, you will lose this title.

You have received +24 to all stats!

Note: As you have similar titles, each has been combined with this title and shares their stats. You may still view your previous dungeon records if you will it.

He waited a moment, wondering if another title would come. He knew that titles could be claimed for being the second Denizen to do something, but apparently you can’t be both the first and the second.

Which he thought was rather rude.

No more titles came. As addicted as he was to them, he couldn’t help but be a little disappointed, even though he knew he really shouldn’t be.

I’m getting very, very greedy.

Speaking of greedy, the loot boxes appeared on the platform that the throne room sat upon as the others climbed over the pile of zombies they’d defeated and made their way to him. Xavier was still sitting on his fancy chair. He looked down at them at the bottom of the steps.

“I was wondering when you guys would make it,” he said, with as straight a face as he could mange.

Howard swiped sweat off his brow with the back of his hand. “I thought those zombies would keep coming forever.” He looked at Xavier, at his chair, then at the dead necromancer. He raised an eyebrow. “I saw you… having a chat with her?”

Xavier valued the opinions of his party members, and he knew they each differed in how they saw this new reality, and how they wished to operate it. But he was no longer going to let that make him shy about what he intended to do. “Romalda Heralda was a real person. A B Grade Denizen who was granted a form of rebirth at her death, delevelled, then sent here.”

Before the others could talk, each with varying expressions of bafflement, amazement, and sheer incredulity, he continued on. “The System promised her that she would be able to overcome her situation, but did not tell her what that situation would be.” He bent his head forward, still peering down at them from the throne’s platform. “I intend to help her escape the dungeon.”

The others bombarded him with their questions—the first of which being: How could he do that considering he’d just killed her?—and he explained to them what he knew, and what he intended to do.

None of them argued with him. Howard had serious expression on his face, as he always did, though there were a few more lines in his forehead than usual. Siobhan looked concerned, her arms crossed, staring at the corpse of Romalda. Justin, on the other hand, looked mostly thoughtful. A little wistful, even.

He’s the youngest of us. Perhaps that has helped him adjust to this new reality more easily than the others.

They didn’t linger in the dungeon long. After their conversation, Xavier opened his loot box.

For completing The Deathly Dungeon, you have gained 25 Mastery Points (E Grade).

A dungeon loot box can only be claimed once per dungeon per user.

Xavier brought up his current Mastery Points.

Mastery Points (E Grade) until next level: 71/100

He’d already gained fifty E Grade Mastery Points since making it back to Earth, not to mention all of the titles he’d earned—and he’d been here for barely three hours.

He looked at the progress on his quest.

Current Quest: You are in possession of a Seed Sanctuary. This area is currently in dispute. To claim this area, you must:

1. Clear The Moon Sky Dungeon and defeat the Dungeon Boss.

Progress:

1. You have defeated the enemy invaders and closed their portal.

2. You have cleared The Crystal Dungeon and defeated the Dungeon Boss.

3. You have cleared The Deathly Dungeon and defeated the Dungeon Boss.

Reward:

1. Bonus Mastery Points

2. Unknown Item

3. Land Claiming Rights

Xavier tilted his head to the side. He’d almost forgotten there were other rewards to this quest. At first, he hadn’t thought the Bonus Mastery Points reward would offer him all that much. Now, after he’d found out dungeons gave one a percentage of their level… it got him wondering if perhaps it would be far more than he’d first suspected.

The unknown item also intrigued him, making his mind go wild with possibilities.

But he would find out soon enough.

The exit to the dungeon appeared after each of them had opened their loot boxes. As he looked at the empty loot boxes, he was reminded by the fact that he would never be able to claim the reward for the dungeon again, even if he cleared this dungeon solo or gained another record—which would be easy enough for him to manage, but not something that was on the current agenda.

They left the dungeon and took stock of their surroundings. Xavier gazed through the trees while glancing at the mini-map. He couldn’t sense any auras nearby. That didn’t mean there weren’t. Though the enemies he would find on Earth weren’t yet powerful enough to hide their auras, that didn’t mean they wouldn’t have items that could manage the job.

Still, the area was quiet, and he took a moment to check on John, the survivor he’d left in charge of the camp and given the Minor Defensive Array to.

He hadn’t told John, or the other survivors, much about himself or his party. All he’d done was swoop in and save them. It made him wonder if he should have had them each sign contracts—NDAs of sorts. But it wasn’t as though they knew anything about him.

Yet.

Until this moment, he hadn’t considered making those from Earth sign contracts to swear in their secrecy about his level of power and grade. It seemed… like a long and arduous process.

But it might be necessary.

He bit his lip, remembering the different moral factions he’d been able to choose from right at the beginning, when the System had pulled him into that dark, desolate room of nothingness. There had been three: fight for your world, fight for yourself, and fight for chaos.

If everyone within that camp had signed on to fight for their world, there shouldn’t be much to worry about—except maybe the enemy capturing them and torturing the information out of them…

Then there were those who fought for themselves. He’d already learnt that many Denizens not only abandon their worlds, but even their sectors. Should it really come as a shock if someone he met were to think along those same lines? What if they cut some sort of deal with the enemy to be taken off Earth, and provided for in an affluent, established world?

Then there were those who’d chosen to fight for chaos. He couldn’t imagine what someone like that would be like, or even how to predict their actions in any way.

Some people just want to watch the world burn.

Maybe it wasn’t only invaders that he had to worry about—maybe it was his own people. Earth had known more than enough war and strife before the System had come down, after all. Who said any of that infighting was about to stop?

[All is well,] John replied after he checked in. [Just as it was an hour ago. It’s been a bit boring, actually.]

Xavier liked what little he knew about John, but now he had worries niggling at his mind.

He turned to the others. “After The Moon Sky Dungeon, when we lay claim to this area and plant the Seed Sanctuary… I think we have some contracts we need to get the survivors to sign.”

Perhaps, like the contracts he’d gotten Sam to facilitate in the tavern back at the Tower of Champions, he’d be able to get a proxy in to deal with it.

Maybe even John, if he agrees to the terms. Someone will have to run the camp while we’re away, after all…