It was a short walk from the Farmhouse to Echo Lake, but not short enough that Sara hadn’t brought up so many things. Ass-modius. Stealing the Demon Lord’s spear. Suggesting he’d have sex with Naski. Setting up Naski as the betrayer. Not mentioning he didn’t have [Recall]. It was going to be a long day.

At the dungeon, Kaden was shocked to find no teams lined up. “There’s usually a queue. There’s a camp ground on the other side of Echo Lake.”

“I sent them home. Also, I locked the Dungeon Door. Mother has granted me this permission, yes, I can make changes. You are a young Dungeon Master, in need of guidance.” Ashi froze the lake without even looking at it. Her tone would have done it if her mana hadn’t. “We will speak, you and I, about how best to defend you from these enemies. But for now, we must do this.”

The Dungeon felt…packed. Stretched. “You said anything not used would be banked for the next level.”

“And it is, but these early ranks are easy. It should grow quickly and we will help you through the process.”

In the antechamber, colors were too bright, the cries of Thorn Monkeys too loud.

Kaden pulled up the Core Status and selected Rank Increase.

The effect was immediate, and Sara stepped behind him as the ground shook and rippled in waves.

Dungeon Rank increased.

New level cap: 15

Bond Level: 2

New capabilites: Core Speech, Enchant Loot

Your Core requires Directed Mana x100,000

1000x Adventurer Party

100x [Entity Seeds] (27x aquired)

1x Lieutenant Seed

10x Loot Seed (7x acquired)

Optional, Required for next Rank: 1x [Secondary Boss]

The mana requirements were insane. A thousand parties? Seventy three more entity seeds? But even more than that, he felt the choices, the options that opened up. Choices he would guide the Core in, if it wanted, or make for it, if he had to.

“Now is the time for changing,” Ashi said. “A young dungeon has no story. It is a collection of dangers, a smear of loot. A grand dungeon of the hundredth rank tells a story from start to finish. Today we begin telling your story. What is this place? What did you tell River Sprague? Is it merely a journey through the plains to be attacked? Or is there more?”

Kaden had come up with a dozen ideas. A hundred themes. “My monsters aren’t coherent. I have a TriTerror who’s amazing but belongs in a jungle. A wolf who belongs in the woods. Trap Snakes, Verdant Vipers, Winged Scorpions, Monkeys. There’s no common element.”

“We begin as we must,” Ashi said. “Your limits are your imagination. What will it be?”

Kaden was already making changes. Within limits, space didn’t cost him much. “This is going to be strange. Sara, stay close.”

She slipped her arms around him from behind. The ground beneath Kaden’s feet turned to stone as grass withered away and the sun shifted positions in the sky. Water gushed up, lapping and rippling as it grew deeper and darker, and a wooden rowboat emerged from the mud to lay at the edge of the island. Behind them, a ring of stone grew upward with the Dungeon Door locked in place. “Close your eyes.”

He willed them forward, across the water, to a muddy bank sprouting grass, and a forest that creaked and moaned as it sprouted, growing treees and brush. “First, they have to fight their way through the woods, where a Boss monster holds the key to moving forward.”

Paths opened up in the woods, and black wolves spawned on them as Kaden walked by. The Directed Mana was here to use, so he’d use it. [Star Shadow] would have her own clearing at the center of the woods, and on one side, the woods opened up to a vineyard. Not Verdant Vineyards but the vines certainly gave the feeling, and the Verdant Vipers here were right at home.

“Is the winery a treasure room or a trap?”

‘Both. The winery itself is trapped, the upstairs bedroom has Thorn Monkeys guarding a specialized loot chest.” As he spoke, it became so, though getting the details right took long minutes that became hours. “The basement leads to a mini dungeon with a [Vibrant Empress]. The loot will be equipment.”

Ashi hadn’t spoken, but she gave a nod of approval. “Why did you not finish the wall?”

“That’s the other path. You can fight your way through the Viper’s Nest to wind up here.” Each viper had to be weak, very weak in order to avoid hitting limits, but the switch back rooms and narrow corridors, with hundreds of holes meant this path would require resistance, healing, and patience.

“They don’t have to come here, but if they do, equipment loot. I’ll expand the mini dungeon as I have the Mana, the same with the forest.” To the west of the forest, Kaden opened the plains, putting regular scorpions at the transition point and a winged scorpion alone on a branching pathway. Monkeys and Trap Snakes could now inhabit the same rooms, and Kaden grew stubby trees for the Thorn Monkeys, along with a thorn thicket that was beyond the wall. More decoration, but the right atmosphere.

The TriTerror remained almost unchanged, except both of her heads had their abilities restored, poison and bash. At level fifteen, she was impressive as a boss, and Kaden took pains to make sure there was a safe staging place.

“I have an idea,” he said. “Can I set a few monkeys to spawn, fight the TriTerror, die, and respawn?”

“I believe it possible. You wish to show the Adventurers her skills? I approve. This gives them a chance to observe. To plan. Or charge in and die.” Ashi raised her hand and made a series of motions.

It felt…odd. Like someone was moving his arm for him, or writing with his hand. A trio of level five Thorn Monkeys spawned, then screamed and charged at the TriTerror, which killed one with each head, then flipped the corpses and began to feed.

“Do you see?” Ashi asked. “There is a secret. Do not let them attack and tell me of my brilliance.”

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Kaden was waiting as the trio spawned in the tall grass. “Stop.”

His will halted them.

“Can I?” Sara asked. She approached with care. “Are they going to attack?”

“Not unless Kaden tells them to. That would be unwise.”

He sighed. “They’re not going to attack.”

“They’re holding silver coins!” Sara said. “Each of them has two silver. So if the adventures want to try they can earn more loot. What happens if the TriTerror kills them?”

“It is recovered to the Dungeon. Now, we must speak of your loot. You have received Enchant Loot, yes?” Ashi wasn’t really asking. “You have many, many weapons granted by Adventurers, but these are not fit gear for a level fifteen dungeon. If you enable Enchant Loot, there is a chance it will grant attributes.”

“That sounds fantastic. What’s the catch?”

“Specialized Loot is a cheap skill. Enchant Loot is expensive. You will lose half the Directed Mana from a run where it triggers.” Ashi spoke in Vichorean. “At Rank Five you will be able to read descriptions, but know now you can choose how often it functions.”

“Be stingy. One out of four. One out of five. Not more than that, maybe less,” Sara said. “The Mad Vivomancer’s Keep drops enchanted ten percent of the time and people still pay to change slots. If you start dropping high rates and go down, people will complain. You can always go up.”

“Wisdom. Listen to her. Ten percent is generous.”

Kaden was. “Could I set conditions? Like, if half the party dies, they at least get bonus lot?”

Sara spun to face him. “That is the most ridiculous—”

“Stupid,” Ashi offered,

“Bone-headed, disastrous idea,” Sara said as she stalked toward him, pseudopods flared. “Think about what you’re teaching parties. Kill half your members, get good drops. They don’t need incentives to turn on eac other.”

Like the party with the [Infernal Pearl.] He drew it from Inventory. “I got this from a dungeon as a gift for opening it up again. Is that common?”

Ashi shuddered. “Terrible, terrible loot. Do not feed it to your Dungeon or you, too, will spawn it. Even Wild Cores have some level of intelligence. I have seen anger and fear. Gratitude is not impossible.”

Kaden put away the Pearl. “Ok. We’ve got the basics down. Now, I need to redo everything. My forest is just the same tree repeating. My winery’s vines look fake, even though I grew them from real vines. Oh, I should have grapes on them.”

“Can you give the grapes a minor healing effect?” Sara asked. “Like a mini recovery room?”

“It will be done,” Ashi said. “The cost is not worth counting, the value is high. And I think you should have snakes on the roof. Ones to drop and bite. There should be variety. Use everything.”

Kaden was fiddling with the lake, adding fish he’d caught, and frogs. “I want status effects. Sara, can you grow me one of everything? I want to add a garden to the winery with real seeds. If they’re low on tools or weapons, a party could face the vipers for some help.”

“Of course! This is surreal. Dungeons have always been places of terror. Battle. Seeing you create one is humbling.”

Ashi spoke softly to Sara, a conversation Kaden didn’t need to be part of, and Sara hurried off, almost running toward the winery. “I have granted her rights to make small changes, but you will need to confirm them. In Vichor this would never be accepted. A Dungeon Master must be the source of all, the architect of all. This is a better way.”

Alone, he felt comfortable. “Ashi. I like it. It fits you.”

“Mother said she had no daughter Yuni, but she did have a daughter, and only I knew her name.” As she spoke, Ashi shaped brush and adjusted the position of wolves, while Kaden worked to make the shadows just right. “Why did you challenge a demon without me?”

“I never planned to challenge one. And Darmando, we were always delaying, not fighting. His Daughter was going to kill Eve. I couldn’t let that happen. Now, Ass-modius, yeah. That one’s on me. And Nasty.” He chose to call her that.

“Yes, Nasty.” Ashi spoke it as a pronunciation. “The one you said you would give the eye, in exchange for—”

“It bought Eve and Sara time. I was never going to give her the eye. Also never going to let her near me. She did not have permission.”

“Such restraint, I approve.” Ashi worked with him as hours passed.

Finally, Sara returned, covered in dirt and sweat. She’d made an entire field where once there had been grapes. “Now, here’s the question: If you make these actual plants, they can be harvested for seeds, but they’ll grow on a natural cycle. If I grow them to a stage and you make them part of the dungeon they’ll never grow seeds, but be available for every party.”

“Grow them. If Adventurers want these plants, they can head to the Guild and buy seeds from the [Gardeners] there.” Kaden waited until she ripened every last one, then accepted the changes.

The plants were now locked as part of the dungeon. Kaden still had Directed Mana to spend, what he lacked was the ability to focus.

“Rest now,” Ashi said. “This is a fine start on the third rank. We will watch and adapt. You must now focus on getting [Entity Seeds]. I know of your delivery, but you must focus on ones that match your theme.”

Right. While his deal with the Druids would provide plenty, Kaden would need to be more careful and ensure he gathered appropriate Entity Seeds. “Where do I get a lieutenant?”

“You must first find a monster compatible with your boss.” Ashi cast a spell, a gush of fresh air that lifted her hair from her shoulders and dried the sweat, then repeated it for Sara. “Will you warn your mother the Dungeon changes?”

“Gladly.” Sara exited the dungeon, then dispatched her parrot. “You should leave the door open and toss some food in the antechamber. You might catch birds or foxes.”

Kaden wouldn’t want to create monster versions of birds or foxes, but wildlife living in the dungeon were welcome. “What happens now?”

“Rest. Tomorrow will be difficult,” Ashi said. “With every rank, your bond grows deeper, your abilities as a Dungeon Master, more powerful. So, too, do the side effects.”

When Kaden opened the door, the sky was dark, and the sounds of Night Spawns echoed. “You two go on up to the house. I’ll be there eventually.”

“Kaden.” Sara’s tone said he’d made a mistake. “What’s your plan?”

He summoned Trinity. “You’re free to hunt, girl. Make smart decisions, run away and live to fight.”

Kaden scratched under her jaw and she rumbled with pleasure as she headed, not to FangWood, but out into the darkness.

“Such loving care is the halmark of a kind man. Now you will be going home, yes?” Ashi waited for him.

“She might need help.”

Sara stepped up beside him. “Trinity is fine. Trinity will be fine. If she isn’t, she’ll learn a valuable lesson and that, too, will be fine. As your Party Leader, I’m ordering you to go have dinner with us. As your friend, I’m asking.”

Kaden went.

The house smelled of chocolate, and Eve worked at the table, icing a cake. “Guess who finally got [Baking]? I debated so long! I wanted [Baker], I wanted to take the [Grill Master] specialty because Vip just adores grilled treats.”

At her name, Vip raised her head from the couch and laid back down.

“There was hot soup, but it’s cold.” Eve glanced to the stove. “What were you doing?”

“Working on Kaden’s Dungeon,” Sara said. “You want to help out?”

Eve went back to frosting. “I admit the wonder is something, but I still find the whole process unnerving. Dungeons are not pets. They’re wild creatures hell bent on murdering adventurers. You might think you’ve tamed it but I think it will turn on you.”

Ashi suppressed a huff and sat beside Eve, while Kaden took the seat across from her, with Sara beside her. “Tell me of the months I have missed. How is your [Shield] friend, Sara?”

Eve snorted. “Yes, tell her—”

“Over. He wanted to join the Party,” Sara said, her voice laced with more venom than all the Verdant Vipers in the vineyeard. “That I would have put to a vote. He wanted to ease some of the administrative duty, and that I would have gladly allowed. Then he suggested that a [Shield] would be naturally better as [Party Leader], and we should put that to a vote.”

“Piscu balat,” Ashi said.

[Multispeak] didn’t translate it but Kaden was fairly sure he undertood. “Already got a Party Leader,” Kaden said. “I see the advantage in a [Shield] and...” He swallowed. Told himself it wasn’t a betrayal. “We need a scout. I could ask the Sisters for a [Shadow Blade].”

“They already offered,” Sara said. “I sent her away. I won’t insult you with what they suggested but Trella is a friend. We can’t just swap her with a new [Shadow Blade]. Mr. Dervish said if he knew what he needed, he’d already have a quest.”

Kaden explained about the attempts to undo the binding. “Whatever I need to hunt, I’m going to hunt.”

“I swear this, I will help you. She is your love, how could I not?” asked Ashi.

“I take back some of the things I said about you,” Sara said. “We should stick close to home until we’re sure Kaden’s not going to be affected by the Rank Up. Hunt at night. We need XP, and we need to talk loot. We have some hard decisions coming up.’

That didn’t bother Kaden. “We make hard decisions all the time.”

“You,” Sara said. “I mean you have hard decisions to make.”