Ha ha ha! Chase me! I giggled, pretending to skip alongside everyone else.

Of course, I couldn’t even have an avatar while I was outside. And nobody else was skipping. It was more like they were running for their lives. But that wouldn’t stop me from having fun!

“They are absolutely gaining on us!” Owyn shouted.

“Can’t you guys go any faster!?” Abby shouted from the front of the pack.

The quick answer was, no. No they could not. Besides the fact that the mimic crabs weren’t built for speed in the first place, and a bunch of them had to be carried to prevent them from holding us back even more… well, needless to say, we weren’t exactly getting away very quickly.

I considered our course of action as we ran. Realistically, it was all I could do. And honestly, I resented that fact. It was definitely a factor that weighed heavily on me when I considered what we should be doing. If we fought head on, fair and square, we’d get our asses handed to us, hands down. We could attempt to utilize another wild dungeon, running into the fray and hoping the church's monsters followed after us, but that wasn’t really smart. Hoping on things outside of dreams rarely made them come true.

We needed to choke them out. Bring them to an area where we could fight them one on one. If we could find a long hallway, we could use the new fragments of the dungeon’s core we’d just conquered for Owyn’s gun. I still had to make him more bullets, but that would involve me being on the ground and stationary. Or underground, with my domain back.

Yeah, let’s do that.

We need to go underground. I told them. Does anyone know the layout of the area? A proper dungeon area would be ideal.

I know the city. Felecia responded. I doubt we’ll get in though.

We can bring you to a farmhouse? Abby offered. They have basements that could work.

I shook my head from within my little core. We need tunnels. The longer and straighter, the better. Are there really no dungeons outside the city walls?

Maybe not before, but with the God Core shoving dungeons to the surface… Owyn’s train of thought trailed off, but I understood what he was getting at.

Arianna, Tyler, Grant, and Damian. Scout out the other dungeons in the area. See if you can find where they came from, or if they’re protecting some sort of breach in the ground.

The three flyers broke off from the rest of the group, scattering into the skies. Hopefully I don’t have to remind them to be safe.

If we go underground, it’s sort of likely we’ll encounter the God Core’s dungeon. Abby informed us sheepishly. It’s kind of really big.

We walked for three days straight to get from Setterton to here deary, I assure you, we know. I teased her.

Still, it wasn’t a comforting thought. The God Core was big for a reason, and it had a ton of mana to throw around. If Abby was right, it was gathering the mana to fight to gain territory on the surface, but experience showed that it wasn’t shy about using it for more immediate concerns.

I had a lot of mana myself, and by god I wanted to use it. My dungeon instincts were screaming at me to do something with my mana. More than anything, I wanted to evolve my soldiers more. All of them. All my thralls. The fact that Clyde still didn’t have his wings like I wanted him to was pissing me off, but I really didn’t want to force him.

The kid in question cringed a little bit, apparently sensing my displeasure. I sigh and give him the feeling of an apology, but otherwise refocus on the task at hand.

The church’s soldiers were getting close. I thought briefly of trying to lose them in the forest, thinking I could keep my own forces cohesive enough to regroup, but the God Core’s dungeon was so large that it was possible it could be watching through the eyes of any one of the pursuing thralls. Distance was no issue for it, especially a mere few kilometers outside the capital city.

“Do we chance it and charge the walls?” Mr. Mayflower asked.

We wouldn’t make it. I grumbled.

“Actually…” Felecia muttered thoughtfully. She perked up. “My husband should be there.”

Wha-? Since when did she have a husband?

“He works as a knight in Everlast. There’s a small garrison just behind the south wall there. He’s in charge of a small detachment responsible for the area.”

At my behest, Abby titled her head upwards to spot the various scouts I’d sent out. None of my flyers looked about to come back, meaning they hadn’t found any breaches leading to the underground.

I’ll take that chance. I said. Quickly, I formed a plan and sent it out to the thralls that were near enough to hear me.

Without question, Abby tossed my core to Owyn, who spun around and vaulted on Mycroft’s legs to climb on her back. Abby ran for Mr. Mayflower, surprising him with a shoulder to the gut that hoisted him over her shoulder so she could leap up to join Owyn. Mycroft picked up speed, grabbing Felecia on the way. Mycroft’s size lent to her speed, allowing her to break away and speed ahead of the rest of my soldiers.

A significant portion of the injured, slow, and otherwise unimportant monsters to me halted where they were, collecting in on each other, intent to slow down the pursuers, knowing it would cost them their lives.

Luckily, the majority of those left behind were the monsters I’d stolen from other dungeons along the way.

“What’s going on!?” Mr. Mayflower shouted.

“You’re the only regular human who’s not going to panic.” Owyn informed him, eyeing him pointedly to calm him down.

“We need to convince my husband that we’re not under the influence of Lucid.” Felecia said.

“But we are?” Abby said.

“We’re his thralls, but we’re not under his influence.” Owyn clarified for her. “Lucid isn’t like other dungeons. He’s… lenient.”

It’d be boring if I was the only personality around. I half joked. I was used to being the only personality when I dreamed, and it certainly was effective when I wanted to alter the storyline, but not here. Other dungeons could quash their thralls all they wanted, making mindless slaves. I was here to have fun. Survival optional.

Ideal, but optional.

Mycroft thundered closer to the walls, resting her claws on her head like shields for the human passengers. Felecia held on with one hand, waving and shouting for the people at the gates and on the walls. From what I could see through Owyn’s eyes, half of them were warily keeping an eye on my army being chased by the church’s monsters, and the other half were focused on whatever was happening inside the city.

Some of the ones facing us drew ranged weapons, but others swatted them away, shouting at them, gesturing in our direction. More specifically, at Felecia. The archers and crossbowmen argued. Ballistas and catapults adjusted their aim.

Oh fuck. I muttered.

The first ballista shot, and the few catapulted rocks, were not aimed for us, but for my army chasing us. One of the mimic crabs was pierced by the fast moving ballista, but everyone else scattered out. Angler growled and made wide gestures, hopefully commanding the remnants of my army properly.

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“Stop! Stop! They’re friendly!” Felecia shouted. It caused no small amount of hesitation, but the soldiers on the walls didn’t fully stop either.

Mycroft skidded to a stop just shy of the first few magic attacks. Fire, lightning, and thrown rocks were the most common. Felecia stood up on Mycroft to keep shouting, asking for her husband by name. It thankfully didn’t take long for him to run to the edge of the defenses from behind the walls.

Mycroft, stay. Keep safe. I ordered the humans to get off and run the rest of the way to the wall.

“Hey, I know her! She’s one of the monsters!” A soldier pointed to Abby.

“Don’t shoot!” Abby shouted back.

“They’re friendly!” Mr. Mayflower shouted up at the walls.

“We need to be let in!” Felecia shouted at her husband. “We’re trying to fight the same dungeon you are!”

“There’s dozens- you’re holding one right now!” He shouted back.

“James, I swear to the Goddess if you don’t get your ass down here and talk to me face to face I’ll send Abby up there to throw you off so I can kick your ass myself!” Felecia shouted with veins popping out of her neck. “Lucid saved Setterton! Something you were too busy to do, as usual! Did you even know the church was holding us hostage!? DO YOU KNOW WHAT THEY DID TO OUR DAUGHTER!?”

“Isabelle?” Mr. Bellamy’s voice went soft for a second.

Owyn stepped forward, holding up my core. “Lucid kept us safe while the church held the whole village hostage! He didn’t enthrall anyone who didn’t attack him! Most of them are like Mr. Mayflower! They’re following him out of choice!”

Mr. Bellamy bit his lip, thinking. His eyes flicked back to where the rest of my army had gathered close to Mycroft. They restlessly shifted closer as the church’s small army tore through the distraction and advanced even faster. His eyes tracked to some of the other villagers still within my army, wielding farming tools as weapons.

“The church is converting its members to monsters!” Abby shouted suddenly. “They’re going to kill everyone to feed the dungeon right under the city! Isabelle sacrificed herself so I could escape and warn everyone!”

Mr. Bellamy cursed, turning to his soldiers. “Open the first gate! Keep the second closed!”

Felecia quickly turned to my core. “That’s the outer gate. We can probably fit in between it and the inner gate if we all squish together.”

Go.

The order given, my thralls waved over Angler and the rest of my army. Mycroft quickly caught up to Owyn, following closely behind her favorite human as they rounded the wall. A few of the soldiers above us made their arguments known, but Felecia’s husband very loudly shut them down.

The first gate was made of heavy wood and metal. It swung outwards very slowly, and not by very much. I could see some human hands pushing it from the inside, but once we got a certain distance away, they disappeared. Mycroft and Abby ran ahead, grabbing the doors to open them themselves. The inside of the gate was just paved stone on all sides besides the back and front. Behind us was the heavy doors, and in front of us was a simple grate gate. Dozens of spearmen stood on the other side of the grated door, pointing their weapons directly at us. Mr. Bellamy ran down some stairs out of sight and stumbled into the grate.

“Felecia.” He huffed, reaching a hand through for her.

She smiled, accepting his hand and got close enough for a kiss. He pulled back at the last second, but kept a hold on her hand.

“You’re enthralled.”

“Not by choice.” She admitted. “But it was for the best at the time. You remember Abby and Owyn?”

“I’m enthralled by choice.” Owyn said with a small wave.

“Same.” Abby smiled slightly.

“You’re Abby!?” The man eyed Abby up and down.

“We can explain everything later.” Mr. Mayflower said, pressing himself up against the grate to look into the city. “But it looks like you need our help right now.”

While the soldiers whispered about the fact that Mr. Mayflower wasn’t enthralled and still hanging around with us, I used Owyn’s eyes to judge the inner parts of the city. If you could look past the fires, and running and screaming civilians, it was actually a very nice place. Too bad about the crime rate though, soldiers were everywhere, fighting or chasing after monsters of all makes. The slippery ones hardly engaged with the soldiers, favoring chasing after and killing civilians.

What an excellent backdrop for a grande battle!

The rest of my army piled in behind me. The humans, especially the villagers, felt no hesitation in rushing towards the front, giving the soldiers a good view of who was and who was not enthralled. Angler and the fish-men pulled the doors shut behind them, dropping the timber in the slot to lock it shut.

Mr. Bellamy pulled back a little bit, but Felecia stopped him from going too far by keeping a hold of his hand. “I’m afraid I can’t let you through. Not yet.”

“What?” Felecia deflated slightly. “Why not.”

Mr. Bellamy broke contact with her, standing firmer surrounded by his men. “If you try anything, we will pour boiling oil on all of you, and then proceed to use magic on the rest.”

Our eyes tracked upwards, to where we could see the internals of the hollow walls, where people peered down at us with weapons and magic cores aimed.

Oh you bastard. I grinned. I should have seen this coming.

The church army slammed into the doors behind us a second later, already splintering the wooden beam. Mimic crabs and fish-men braced themselves, both on the door, and each other, holding it closed as best they could.

“Open the door! By the order of the Church of Will!” A voice shouted from the other side.

The soldiers all seemed confused, looking to Mr. Bellamy for guidance. Clearly, none of them wanted to go against the church, but then again, things were all sorts of wrong right now.

Felecia was pressed up as close to the grate as she could be. “James, we don’t have time for this! You don’t have time-”

“The dungeon in town has overflowed.”

“This isn’t news!” Abby shouted. “The God Core is forcing dungeons to the surface! It’s probably the dungeon that’s attacking Everlast with the church right now!”

“The Church of Will are our protectors.” Mr. Bellamy stated confidently. “They will protect us.”

“Are you blind!?” Mr. Mayflower shouted angrily. “Look outside your very gates! They stand among the monsters they have sworn to destroy! I offered myself to tutor my son to protect your daughter and now they’re both dead! Killed by the church!” He shoved his way through the crowded gate area, picking up my core from Owyn’s surprised grasp. He palmed me, holding me above his head in fury. “Lucid was the one who saved us! He saved Grant! And if it wasn’t for the church, he would have saved my son too, I guarantee it!”

I could feel his desperate anger. The tears behind his eyes that Mr. Mayflower refused to let loose. Beneath the portly exterior of this baker was a warrior. A soldier that would do everything he could to protect what he loved, and right now, someone was standing in his way.

Both sides breathed heavily. Mr. Mayflower in anger, and Mr. Bellamy in surprise. Mr. Mayflower held my core, and yet, he remained unenthralled.

Then, an unintended backup plan fell from the skies.

Damian landed behind Mr. Bellamy, with the undead abomination of Grant, the valkyrie of Arianna, and the dark elf Tyler landing between them and the rest of the soldiers. Damian spun Mr. Bellamy around, holding a knife to his throat.

The spearmen gave half lunges before they recognized what was happening. My flyers back up with our hostage in tow.

Mr. Bellamy growls with a smirk on his face. “Go ahead. Kill me. My men won’t hesitate to kill you after that.”

“We’re not gonna kill you.” Arianna said flippantly, warily keeping her eyes on the much better armed soldiers.

Felecia struggled her way through to Mr. Mayflower, taking my core back. She pressed me against the grate, right behind her husband. “Just watch.”

Damian forced Mr. Bellamy against my core. He grunted and struggled, vehemently fighting his will against mine, trying to fend off me enthralling him. Too bad his efforts were misdirected.

A flood of information filled him. My thoughts merged with his, and ideas flowed faster than words. I showed him everything he needed to know, including what happened to us back at Setterton. Then, Damian just… let him go.

Mr. Bellamy ran away from Damian’s grip, his own hand reaching for his neck to brush an injury that wasn’t there. Both he and his soldiers looked even more confused than the other. But there were subtle differences in their eyes that said a deeper story in Mr. Bellamy’s eyes.

Cliff notes version, please. I asked of Felecia.

“The Church of Will-” The ones that once again slammed heavily on the door behind us. “Are working with a dungeon called the God Core. The God Core has forced dungeons to the surface in order to cause chaos, during which it’s enthralling and evolving its members. It’s using its enthralled to slaughter everything and everyone in order to gain more mana for its own means, and we’re trying to get to the core itself, which is hidden beneath the main church building, in order to stop it.”

“The rumors were true?” A soldier whispered to another.

“The King isn’t mad.” Another realized.

Mr. Bellamy took a much longer second to come to a decision. But when he commanded his men, they listened.

“Kill the monsters outside the gates, and send the church away. But… you. What word do I have that you won’t harm the people?”

What word do you want? I said off handedly.

Felecia covered for me, placing a hand to her chest and bowing. “We will not even interact with the people of Everlast. Our goal is the God Core alone. Grant us access to the dungeons beneath the city, and we’ll get out of your way.”

Mr. Bellamy looked skeptical, but he eventually nodded. “Very well. Raise the gate. We’ll escort you to the great dungeon of Everlast.”

“What’s the rush?” A deep voice rumbled mirthfully. Cardinal Garroway walked down the street behind the city knights, escorted by his own contingent of priests and knights. The giant man gave a sly smile. “My friendly Baron, it seems you have been caught colluding with a dungeon.”