Yolo may mean something else in this world. Forge is a good name that fits his Sin.
I called out their names and waved them over to me. They were surprised, but they slowly emerged from the crowd of rejects while looking at me suspiciously before sitting cross-legged in front of me. They then discussed Impan, which involves low grunts and hand signs. Their exchange reminded me of how some Imps communicated with each other when they learned Sign Language from Humans. It lasted for over a minute until I interrupted them.
"I know you both can speak Falaran," I reveal. The two Sin Imps stopped talking and looked at each other before replying in Falaran to me.
"We're wondering why a Clay Rank Golem wants so many Imps. Yolo thinks you work for a Dwarf Primarch who sent you to get us and bring us back down to the Underworld to harvest our souls and turn us into Imp Golems," Forge explained. Yolo remained quiet and kept studying me.
Neither Redrock nor Nazrat told them my identity, but they came close to the truth.
"There is some truth to that. But I don't plan on turning you into Golems if you are willing to serve me, fight for me and die for me if I ask it of you," I answered honestly.
Both Imps stared at me in awkward silence before they started chuckling, which turned into uncontrollable laughter as tears rolled down their faces. Forge banged the ground with his massive arms while Yolo cackled and grabbed his waist to stop himself. Their behavior caught the attention of every other Imp in the Warehouse. When they finally regained their composure, they looked at me like I was a fool.
"Golems and Dwarves are the enemies of the Impdom. We would rather die than serve you!" Forge declared.
Forge looks disgusted by my Golem Body. Yolo still didn't say a word but nodded after Forge spoke.
I saw Nazrat's enmity toward Dwarves when he met Timun. But he didn't show any hostility to my Golem. Nor did any other Imp I met so far. Why are these two different?
I asked, "Do you hate me because your Ancestor's Wisdom showed you what Golems and Dwarves did to Imps?"
"What else did Redrock tell you about us?" Forge asked.
"All your skills, but not where you came from or why you hate me and Dwarves." I lie. I might get to the bottom of it and apologize later if needed.
"A year ago. Yolo and I come from the same Imp tribe forced out of the Underworld by the Dwarves, Golems and their Automatons. They captured over fifty percent of our brethren and turned them into Imp Golems to serve in their legions and mines. That is why we hate your kind." Forge explained. Yolo nodded his head.
So Chingar's forces are the reason.
"May I ask why Yolo doesn't speak and how you both ended up under Redrock?" I request.
"Yolo's throat was damaged when Human Tamers attacked our tribe's new home in the Overworld with their Elemental Beasts and Monsters. Redrock was among the attackers. He captured us both in his Time Capsules." Forge explained.
"Then when did you get your sins?" I ask.
"After Redrock returned to this Warehouse, he brought us out of the Time capsules. That was when we discovered that we gained the Sin skills. But it prevented us from Ranking up, which Redrock struggled to understand. So he taught us Falaran, and we wrote down the requirements to rank up. For some reason, he refused to help us no matter how much we begged. But he kept us in this Warehouse for the past year to assist Failure in managing and training the other Imps Redrock captured." Forge explained.
"Wait! Did Redrock capture all these Imps? I thought he got them from other traders." I point out.
"No, the ones who got captured by him were trained by him and us before being taken to Falar. The Imps here today were indeed bought from other Traders. Redrock told us that those you didn't pick will be sold to the Adventurer's guild." Forge explained.
"Why would they buy 400 hundred Imps?" I ask.
"Their souls will be harvested to make Soul Forged Equipment by the Guild's top Soulmancer and Smith," Forge said angrily. Yolo looked upset as well.
I looked behind them, and the other Imps seemed oblivious to the doom spoken in Falaran. If only they had believed in the Dungeon Lord, I could have asked Redrock to keep them and buy them later when I had more funds. Wait, what about these two?
"Do you and Yolo believe in the Dungeon Lord's return?" I ask.
"Why do you ask?" Forge questioned.
"Out of curiosity," I ask.
"Since we were stuck in this Warehouse for a year. We spent our nights reliving the genesis of our kind and saw the rise and fall of the last Dungeon Lord in Arya. His last words were for the Impdom to survive until his next incarnation can lead us again." Ford explained.
Oh? Then, they believe in the Dungeon Lord prophecy. Which means all I have to do is prove my identity. But it will have to come from someone they trust.
"Nazrat is willing to serve me, a Golem. Does that not puzzle you?" I ask.
"Are you referring to Failure? The one whose pride stopped him from killing his kind to Rank up now recruits Imps to be enslaved by the enemies of our ancestors! Since he has no Slave Mana Tattoos, he has betrayed our kind and the last Dungeon Lord. Under our laws, he must be executed for this crime," Forge accused. Yolo made an angry snarl towards Nazrat's direction.
I looked around and saw Nazrats coming over to confront them. I raised my hand for him to stop and return to Amon and the other chosen Imps. He obeyed my command but looked annoyed.
I understand why Nazrat gave up trying to convince them to join me. Could he prove my identity as the Dungeon lord with his word alone? Who else would they believe? Maybe Redrock?
"Since you are unwilling to serve me, I must inform Redrock. Maybe he will allow me to put Slave Mana Tattoos on you two," I reason and walk towards the Peep-me-not.
"We won't allow ourselves to be forced into serving a Golem and his Dwarf Lord," Forge warned as he and Yolo followed me to the other side of the Warehouse.
I found Blackrock, Redrock, Whiterock and Timun seated at a table, eating from wooden bowls containing Bread, Cheese and fruits. The magical metal masks on the triplets' faces opened and moved along with their mouths so they could consume their food without removing it. Redrock noticed my return. He got up from the table and walked over to speak to me.
"Sorry, but it's dinner time for us. Since you don't need to eat, we didn't get you anything." Redrock politely informed.
"I understand. By the way, these two refuse to serve me," I inform.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
"Huh? Don't you two want to serve the Dungeon Lord?" Redrock asked them, sounding surprised.
"This Golem is the Dungeon Lord?" Forge asked in disbelief and looked at me in a new light. Yolo's eyes bulged in shock.
"Ah... I see. Listen up! This here is Rai Dharani, The Golem Core Dungeon Lord. I have been in his Dungeon along with my brothers and Nazrat. If you refuse to go with him, I will sell you both to the Adventurer's Guild and the rest," Redrock warned.
Suddenly, Forge and Yolo smacked their heads to the ground while bowing to me. It was loud enough that I was worried they cracked their skulls.
"Dungeon Lord, forgive us! We didn't expect you to be a Golem," Forge said while Yolo coughed.
"Since that is cleared up, I will finish my meal," Redrock grumbled and went over to join the others, who moved on to the main course of a roasted pig pulled out of Blackrock's storage ring. I turned my attention back to Yolo and Forge.
"What were you expecting the Dungeon Lord to look like?" I ask as I help them to get back on their feet.
"The Dungeon Lord we know from our Ancestor's memories was a Demon." Forge clarified.
I was surprised, but I recall the current Dungeon Lords have been reborn as Dungeon cores while the previous one was reborn with a body.
"Since he was the Dungeon Lord of Imps, shouldn't he have been an Imp?" I point out
"You misunderstand. Demon is a title given to those who have reached the Mytrhril Rank of one of the branches of the Imp evolution tree." Forge tried to explain, but I wasn't getting it, so he continued.
"There is the Satyr branch, Gargoyle branch, Succubis or Inccubis branch, Fallen Angel branch, Ghost branch and the Chimera branch. When an Imp Ranks up from Steel Rank to Bronze Rank, they must carefully choose one of the branches I mentioned, which will change their body design permanently. Then, their new bodies will be refined and strengthened with each Rank-up until they are anointed as Demons at Mythril Rank." Forge explained.
It sounds like Digimon evolution, or at least from one of the games I played as a kid. My Betamon picked the Seadramon line. It Digivolved into Mega Seadramon, Metal Seadramon or Giga Seadramon. But if Betamon Digivolved along the Airdramon line, it would Digivolve into Gigadramon and Goddramon.
"Can the Human Imps become Demons?" I ask, pointing at the twenty Human Imps.
"They cannot access the branches in the Imp evolution tree at any Rank. Their main role in the Impdom is to consume Humans for their memories and skills. During the process, they gain Human bodies and sometimes lose their minds to Humans if their willpower is weak. Either way, they can shapeshift into any human body they killed and ate. Which makes it easy for them to infiltrate human society, gather intelligence and cause chaos among their ranks. At Mythril Rank, they can shapeshift into a Demon with multiple heads and hands that combine the skills and memories of all the Humans they consumed," Forge explained.
That image reminds me of Ravana's final battle form in the Ramayana. Does that mean he came from this world to Earth?
What am I thinking? They have the power to shapeshift into other Humans! I could have them infiltrate all five Human Kingdoms and feed me intel on what's going on if I get the Telemancy Spelltome from Whiterock if I find him a Hidden Dragon amongst the Humans in Arya.
There is a problem with that plan.
"My twenty Human Imps have Slave Mana Tattoos that won't let them kill and eat more Humans." I point out.
"Then erase the tattoos. Problem solved!" Forge countered.
"Their Human minds might reject to serve my Dungeon Lord identity, and the idea of eating another Human might repel them," I point out.
"Then why did you pick them to serve you? They will just become better at Elemental Magic as they rank up. Maybe if you get them to learn the Knight Combat Class, they can become Mage Knights, making them more powerful than the average Human Mage and Knight," Forge pointed out.
Add their Dual Elemental affinity, making them even more powerful.
"I see... I can accept that." I reply as I let go of the desire to make them the perfect spies for my plans.
"Dungeon Lord, are you willing to help us Rank Up?" Forge asked.
"Of course, why would I not do it?" I ask, and they both smile.
"The conditions aren't easy. We can write them down for you to look at," Forge added.
"I already know. As long as you willingly become my minions, I will do what I have to help you rank up no matter how difficult." I declare.
Yolo and Forge looked at each other before answering. "To become your Minions, we will have to let you put a Slave Mana Tattoos on us," Forge said with a tinge of sadness.
"Huh? Why would I need to do that?" I ask.
"Minions must be bound to the Dungeon Lord's soul to receive various benefits that cannot be rewarded through words of loyalty alone. But we lose our freedom and our ability to resist your commands." Forge explained.
"Wait! Why don't we use a Mana Contract?" I ask.
"What is a Mana Contract?" Forge looked confused at Yolo, who shook his head and said he didn't know what that was.
As I pondered the reason behind their ignorance, I realized that their ancestor, a Dungeon Lord of yore, might not have bothered to learn about the world he was trying to take over. Possibly, he relied solely on the primitive strategy of dispatching his minions to slaughter anything and everything in their path and seize any riches and food they could get their hands on.
Heck, the Demon King praised and rewarded me for taking my time to figure out the best strategy he intended for me to conquer Arya.
I showed Forge and Yolo my Contract with Timun and explained how a Mana Contract works. They seemed shocked that there was a better alternative to the Slave Mana contract. They agree to sign up to become my minions.
"Hey, Timun! Can you lend me two Mana Papers and your Mana Pen?" I call out to him.
Timun finished his dinner and got up from the table to approach me. He pulls out the material I asked for from his storage ring.
"I am giving you one sheet of Mana paper for free, but you must pay for the next sheet," Timun says as he gives me the materials.
"I see. Don't I need to use two Mana sheets since I must make separate contracts for each Imp?" I asked as I took the precious items from Timun.
"Mana Contracts are not limited to agreements between two individuals. It is possible to declare yourself as the Employer and outline the rules and benefits for those who wish to be your employee. Anyone can sign the same document and be bound by the terms. Chingar made the exiles sign a similar document to force everyone to surrender their Golem Recipes and never share Dwarven tech with the Humans to improve their technology," Timun explained.
I looked at the sheet, then at the twenty Human Imps at the mercy of the Mana Slave Tattoos.
Several minutes later.
I drafted the Dungeon Minion Contract that binds the soul of anyone who willingly signs it will become a minion of the Dungeon and receive all the benefits that come from it. If the Dungeon core is destroyed, they will die, too. However, the reverse is not true. Moreover, my minions are obligated to kill any creature that invades the Dungeon to destroy the Dungeon core on the 10th level, even if it involves sacrificing their own lives to stop the invaders.
Those who agree to sign the Contract will be unburdened of their Slave Mana Tattoos and given a permanent home within the Dungeon. Additionally, I will offer my assistance to them for their Rank Ups. However, I will have control over their evolution path in return for these benefits. Any order that involves killing a creature that poses no threat to the Dungeon and its core may be refused.
The Imps who possess the Sin skills and Ancestor's Wisdom would receive priority attention regarding resources needed to help them rank up. Nazrat would serve as the leader of the Imp faction.
All minions must follow the Dungeon Lord's agreements with other parties as long as they do not conflict with the Dungeon Minion Contract.
If any of my minions have grievances or problems unrelated to Rank Up requirements, I will address and resolve them if they are within my domain, influence, or power. If anyone no longer wishes to be my minion or side with my enemies, their bodies and souls will be destroyed by the power of the Mana Contract.
Even though the last bit sounded extreme, I can't leave any loophole that they can let them escape unpunished for betraying me.
I thought that Nazrat would need to translate the Contract into the Impan language for most Imps to understand. However, regardless of whether someone could read or knew a written language, they could still comprehend the words through mental images.
The 77 regular Imps readily signed the Mana Contract when they learned that I was their prophesized Dungeon Lord who had come to take them to the land of their ancestors' birth.
My identity as the Dungeon Lord initially shocked the twenty Human Imps. However, they all signed the Contract after discussing what is best for their future as Human Imps.
Nazrat, Amon, Yolo and Forge were the last to study and sign it. Once done, the Contract floated into the air and started to sparkle, showing that the agreement was enforced. It then returned to my hand, and I received several notifications.
[Rai Dharani has gained 101 Imps as minions]
[Gained the title - "The Imp Dungeon Core Lord"]
[Rai Dharani has unlocked Summoner's Affinity: Imp Species (Clay)]
[The Dungeon Lord can reincarnate all the souls who died within the Dungeon as Clay Rank Imps. They will inherit the Class and memories of the spirit used to create them]
[Language Skills learned by the Dungeon Lord has been synced with the Dungeon Minions]
[Dungeon Minions can access the Interface to view their Status Window, Skills and Stats. Minions can also see the Names and Classes of their fellow Minions above their heads]
[Reward for gaining over 100 Minions - HP bar, MP bar, Ranks, and Exp level bar of minions will float above the heads of all the Minions for the Dungeon Lord to see]