The guild master sent an urgent letter to King Alfred Velan, explaining the dire situation; it took a few days to reach the King. King Velan convened his council to discuss the dungeon's claimed threat and debate the best course of action.

"Your Majesty, the dungeon is too dangerous. We must send a battalion to seal it immediately," Advisor Garen, the first advisor of the council, urgently spoke.

"But think of the potential resources within, Sire. With control, surely we could gain powerful treasures and ores," Advisor Lira countered.

"Unchecked dungeons can become a blight, starting a demonic scourge. If we do nothing, it could grow and threaten the entire kingdom," Elias, second advisor of the council, warned.

"Sending scouts to investigate the dungeon further would allow us to gather more information before taking drastic measures," Advisor Doran offered.

King Velan declared, "We will gather more information before taking action. We'll have our spies investigate."

Back at the adventurers guild, Alden was recovering under the watchful eye of the guild master. The news of the dungeon's potential threat weighed heavily on him.

"We must be ready for whatever comes next," Alden said, his voice unwavering. "For Elara."

The guild master nodded, placing a comforting hand on Alden's shoulder.

"We will be, Alden. We will be."

The mysterious mage secretly slipped away from the guild to relay the information to a cult called the Shadow Circle.

The cultists gathered in a dark, hidden chamber. Hoods obscured their faces, and the air was thick with the scent of burning incense.

"The dungeon's power is growing," the mage reported. "It could become a catalyst for a great blight if left unchecked."

The cult leader, known only as the Seer, nodded thoughtfully. "We can use this dungeon to spark the blight secretly. The ensuing chaos will serve our purposes well."

A cultist, eyes gleaming with ambition, stepped forward. "We should try to befriend the dungeon master. His power could be a great asset."

The Seer raised a hand, silencing the murmurs. "Patience. We must proceed carefully. First, we need to understand the dungeon."

He continued, "Our priority is intelligence. We have contacts who can spy on the merchants and Guild members. Their reports will guide us."

Another cultist suggested, "We should seek ancient texts on dungeons. They may hold secrets about influencing this one."

"Agreed," the Seer replied. "We'll split into groups, some for research, others to follow the merchant's trails. We must remain hidden until the time is right."

As they prepared to disperse, the Seer warned, "Every action must be calculated. Once we gather enough information, we will craft a plan to manipulate the dungeon and the kingdom. Our time will come, and we will seize it."

With a renewed sense of purpose, the cultists ventured into the night, ready to sow discord and elevate the Shadow Circle as they set their dark plans.

Ren excavated the 21 bodies from his tunnels. After feeding them to his rats, he slowly began to turn them into skeleton soldiers. It took a few days, but he managed it, leaving him with a small army of 23 soldiers armed with weapons scavenged from the tunnels and campsite.

Meanwhile, merchants were wandering through the forest, approaching the dungeon. They were simple traders, discussing amongst themselves as they slowly neared the dungeon's entrance.

"Take a look at that shiny ore back there," one merchant said, pointing toward a deeper glimmering spot.

"What, should we take a closer look?" another asked, trying to appear nonchalant.

"Yes, but let's be careful. We don't want to upset whatever might be living here," the leader cautioned.

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Ren listened in using his rats, made a judgment call, secretly had his main pitfall traps closed by his spiders, and ordered his minions deeper into the tunnels.

One merchant said, "Remember to have a good look around. There might be something valuable inside."

One of the merchants ventured cautiously into the entrance to inspect the ore. In contrast, the others remained outside, discussing their observations.

Thinking this might be a lure for future opportunities, Ren allowed the merchants to explore his dungeon, at least in the immediate area.

Ren brought the gem to be in view and left it there.

You'll be my unsuspecting bait, Ren thought.

After gathering some ore samples and looking around, the merchant stumbles upon the gem. "There's a mana stone in here!" he shouts.

The merchants seem surprised, but they call him back and begin their journey back to the forest. They start discussing their findings once they're a safe distance away from the dungeon.

"The dungeon master has fortified defenses but seemed to have allowed us entry this time. We need to report this back to the King," said the merchant leader.

"We managed to get some ore samples and even a rare mana stone. These will help the scholars understand the dungeon's potential resources," said another merchant. "And you're right. This time, it didn't show any hostility towards us."

As the King's scouts returned with their findings, King Alfred Velan prepared for the next steps. The kingdom stood at a crossroads, with the dungeon's fate hanging in the balance. Meanwhile, Ren, unaware of the King or cult's sinister plans, continued to fortify his domain, readying himself for whatever challenges lay ahead.

"Your Majesty," Advisor Garen began, "the dungeon is well-defended. The merchant's account confirms it. We must now secure it before it poses a greater threat."

Advisor Lira said, "The mana stone and the ore samples are proof of the dungeon's potential. We could harness these resources to strengthen our kingdom. Your Majesty, we should send a delegation to the dungeon. Offer it a truce and propose a mutually beneficial arrangement."

Elias, the second advisor, was angered. "But the question remains: how do we take control without provoking it? That's assuming it could even understand us; if we let this go unchecked, it could be disastrous; history tells us how dangerous unchecked dungeons can be!"

King Velan pondered his council's advice. After silence, he spoke decisively: "It has shown its fangs and can restrain itself. We'll send an envoy to the dungeon. Our goal is to negotiate a peaceful resolution. We must avoid unnecessary bloodshed while securing the resources we need. However, if the dungeon shows hostility, we will treat it as the utmost threat."

The council members nodded in agreement, and preparations for the envoy began immediately.

Meanwhile, the cult known as the Shadow Circle was also plotting its next move. In the dark chamber of the Shadow Circle, the Seer gathered his followers. "The king is preparing to negotiate with the dungeon," he informed them. "We must act swiftly to undermine their efforts."

One of the cultists, a cunning and ambitious individual named Varian, stepped forward. "We should intercept the King's envoy and sabotage their mission. If we can sow discord between the kingdom and the dungeon master, it will work to our advantage."

The Seer nodded approvingly. "Very well, Varian. Take a team and carry out this mission. But remember, we must remain in the shadows. Our involvement must not be discovered."

Disguised in uniforms similar to the King's soldiers, the cultists approached the dungeon, pretending to be the King's envoy. Ren kept his minions deep in the tunnels. Varian presented the King's proposal for a truce and cooperation outside the entrance, Ren listening using his rats.

"We come in peace, bearing a message from King Velan," Varian announced. As they spoke of peace, one of Varian's cultists discreetly placed explosives around the entrance,

"The message from the kin,"

Boom!

The explosion sealed the entrance to the dungeon with a rock slide.

Enraged by this deception, Ren ordered his skeletal soldiers to dig the entrance open. Once the entrance was cleared, Ren prepared his forces for retaliation, ready to defend his domain against intruders, but they were already gone.

Meanwhile, the real King's envoy, led by Sir Cedric, continued their journey to the dungeon, unaware of the deception. When they arrived, they found the dungeon entrance recently disturbed and a battalion of skeletal soldiers ready for battle. Sir Cedric's envoy consisted of ten soldiers, making the group a tempting target for Ren's army.

Sir Cedric stepped forward, holding up a white flag of truce.

"We come in peace, bearing a message from King Velan," he announced.

Ren, still seething with anger. Peace? Your last envoy spoke of peace and then attacked! Why would I fall for this again? Ren thought.

Ren is convinced this is another trick; thus, he orders his skeletal soldiers to attack. The battle is swift and brutal. Ren's soldiers swiftly overpower the King's envoy, turning the ten fallen bodies, flesh eaten away by rats, into new skeletal soldiers.

Sir Cedric manages to escape amidst the chaos, determined to report back to the King.

"You've leveled up, level 5 dungeon."

Upon returning to the kingdom, Sir Cedric told King Alfred Velan, "Your Majesty, the mission failed. The dungeon attacked us. But there were signs that the dungeon had been attacked before we arrived. Someone might be trying to turn us against each other."

Furious and frustrated, King Velan ordered his forces to prepare for a possible confrontation with the dungeon. He knew they must be cautious, as unseen enemies might work against them.

As tensions rose, the Shadow Circle watched from the shadows, pleased with their success. They continued to gather information, ready to manipulate events to their advantage.

The kingdom and the dungeon stood on the brink of war, with the cultists pulling the strings behind the scenes.