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We got Wi-Fi.

Which apparently is going to now not only let me access the internet without having to direct a Kobold to do everything but is also going to allow Alelan to roam anywhere the internet can take her. Not in body, since we don’t have the power to create those yet, but in spirit.

First, though, I had to get control of the dungeon core back from the old woman. It turned out that one of the first things she did after I left was to command the dungeon not to let anyone else give it commands.

It had only been a few hours since I had quit. But Addams and the Dark One's former host were outside and already in a heated argument with a bunch of older people’s faces on computer screens, but the two of them seemed to be presenting a united defense.

Two of the faces had a sort of distortion to them, almost as if another face was moving behind their own.

I passed that on to my wife. She only nodded and said, “Not your job dear. Mine.”

Some of what she could do now was part of her new job as the world spirit. Finding and dealing with threats from outside. Addams didn’t know it, but he had a new boss now.

She was still going to be the Trickster of Earth Pantheon, but somehow I think she will find a way to do both jobs well and at the same time.

But while that was happening outside, Iris was hiding out in the Dungeon. I found her down on the middle floor, the battleground, leaning over to shake hands with Envoy.

The of them seemed guarded against each other even as they finished with whatever agreement they had reached, as well as grimly satisfied.

Then she saw me. “Oh, great. You’re back… Am I going to be able to see you forever now? And where's your wife?"

I explained that "It will wear off in another few hours. Alelan is checking out our internet access.”

Iris gave me an odd look but didn't ask. "I suppose you want your dungeon back?"

I nodded.

“And you found out that I locked you out.”

Crossing my arms, I nodded again.

She grinned at me with the teeth of a hungry Trendarwulf. “Let’s make a deal.”

My new fourth level, this one a hundred feet across, is water themed. It included what the old woman described as an Olympic swimming pool, a hot tub, and a steam room.

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All of which makes for some entertaining encounter areas with the traps and the summoned monsters turned on. Turned off they make for a training area for Iris who is now healthy enough to push herself with her exercises and has a place to relax her worn out body afterward.

She also got a reward of sorts from Clement for her part in taking down the Dark One as I suddenly unlocked a job for the Kobolds called Masseuse.

I refused to waste a summoned Kobold on the job, but my Champion has all jobs and doesn't seem to mind rubbing down the old woman. She gives him packages of smoked meat flavored with something called Jalapenos.

Which I could make as much of as Kelvin wanted, but it’s some sort of status thing for the kobolds to get food from outside the dungeon, and I told them to stop stealing things.

Money isn't a concern for Iris anymore. I don't even have to make the stuff myself anymore. Iris is now a government contractor. Which seems to mean that the government is paying her money to give their people exclusive use of my dungeon twelve hours a day. Or mainly at night anyways.

You would think they would be sending their elite soldiers and support classes through to level up, but instead, I get a mix of soldiers and old men with the Administer class that mainly get addressed as Senator. Either that or Merchants, only some of whom sound like they come from this nation.

Most of these people now come into the dungeon from a narrow cement building in the alleyway behind the old woman’s house. It holds a set of steps, a box that moves up and down on a set of interlocking cylinders, and two very disgruntled soldiers who complain about not having a bathroom in their post.

Three stories down is a larger set of rooms dug out by the Kobolds but finished by the military that guard a set of tunnels and stairs that lead down to each level. They set that up so that higher ranked adventures could be hitting the lower levels, while a lower ranked team could work their way down from the upper floors.

It still takes me about two hours to restock the place after they clear out every room, but they seemed to be obsessed with doing it their way.

Of course, they would have loved to just take the place from Iris, but…

Dictum of Law. No one may enter the Dungeon without the permission of Iris Deslover.

The trade off was they could use all the guns and explosives in the dungeon they wanted to. Which made the soldiers much happier and made my efforts to keep things challenging a whole lot more work.

Iris and her team still go down the steps from her basement.

Sometimes she lets other people use her dungeon. A team of healers hand picked by Molly go in to get themselves up to Copper Three. Some rich people who donate money, not to Iris as she says she is gouging the government for plenty for herself, but to charities which the old woman favors.

But in addition to those, she has one more group of people she let use her dungeon. Old people.

One group of old people that she had considered friends and loved ones over her years of life.

One group of old people she figured that have earned the chance to raise their Health scores, by the things they had done, or suffered, in life. Bee and Molly helped her some with that list.

Then one last group of old people who could go on to do a lot more in their lives with a higher Health score and some levels in their classes. That group was almost entirely suggested by Bee and Molly.

The boy goes down with the ladies each day as well as working with the old people. It’s easy enough for him to do with him living in the attic bedroom across from Bee.

Part of Iris’s deal.

The girl has warmed up to him, she’s told him he’s like the little brother she never had.

The boy was probably never more grateful to have the Pain Tolerance ability.

Me?

I get to teach others the things I learned over my lifetime and change things around in my retirement project of a dungeon every day.

Then on most nights, or at least morning, my wife comes home to me. That enough.

When she doesn't come back, well, I don’t think she realized that her reward of having the ability to go around this world by means of the internet would be shared with me.

She claimed that I am cramping her style, then explained to me what that means.

I told her to come home on time, or else I would do my real job.

Her Defender, the one who stands ready to get hurt so that she can do her work.

She sighs, rolls her eyes, and fights back the little smile.

I sometimes wonder what it would have been like for us to go to the Heavens, the places created to reward the dead. Instead of going back to work on this world.

When Alelan’s smile breaks free, and she tries to sneak a quick, sly look up into my eyes, I don't see how any place could be better than here, with her.