Charles looked annoyingly at the boy following him while he goes meet various of the nobles that came to him fleeing from their cities and also the Ex-Phantasmas that repelled those monstrosities above the capitals.
In only two minutes those monstrosities coming from the purple holes killed or kidnapped almost all the people in the capitals, for luck the beings that called themselves as the protectors of the harmony, Ex-Phantasmas, came and saved the world.
The problem came after it, hours after the incident while Charles was mourning his son’s death with his wife, the nobles that were in fear of the world ending together with the Royal Princess, the Crown Prince and a otherworlder boy coming from a strange planet called Earth, what a stupid name for a planet, that were saved by the Ex-Phantasmas appeared at his house making his day even worse.
The old man could understand one of the reasons they came here. With the country without a ruler, and with the Royal Bank and the majority of the assets that the nobility had in the capital burnt, they need more than ever of economic help to reconstruct the capital.
Charles' son was a genius so talented that the heavens plotted against him and forced him into a corner to him die at only thirty years old. If you consider that the life expectancy of Humans was one hundred-eighty years, his son was only an infant. However, even while being an infant he was the man most rich of the planet, his paintings were worth a fortune so big that all the rulers and multinational companies' presidents risked having their treasuries be empty to get one of them.
Leo's paintings could heal a soul and had a beauty so mesmerizing that anonye that got one had the possibility of being addicted to them in a grade worse than the deadliest drugs existents. They never got bored of only looking at them forever. It was almost like the illness like his son had. It will only end with death.
Charles arranged his grey hair into a ponytail and looked to see if his beard was properly tended, a habit his son never got from him, correcting his posture to him look like he was in his young days, strong, stauch and confident. He knocked on the door and announced his presence while wondering the second reason everyone came to his house. “Charles Udalth F. Piero is here to talk. Can I enter?”
Charles and his wife could be considered as being strong as they wore the noble black vest with belts to change the lower part to of a pants, but they weren’t strong enough to even win against a captain or major of their country’s army. Charles feared the situation that almost all of their country’s strongest people had died and for consequence he and his wife became the most powerful ones. If so, the rest of his and his wife’s life would be full of nuisances.
The Ex-Phantasmas couldn’t be here to tell him go fight those monstrosities because of it, right? Charles never feared a chagellend and he also didn’t get scared by knowing his world could end with the appearance of the monstrosities, but he will ever only move himself to protect his family and slaves.
The rest of world could go fuck themselves.
“Come in.” A deep and rumbling voice sounded from the scarlet painted room, the sense of power and royal authority as if the voice’s owner was a king, made Charles enter in alert and be certain to not look smaller in front of the Ex-Phantasma, he and his family weren’t pushovers, with a little exception of Leo. Although wasn’t my son’s fault he was so weak and short. At least he had courage and never backed away from his aggressors.
Entering in tow with the annoying otherworlder boy, Charles took a glimpse of the Ex-Phantasma before sitting across it while ignoring the other Ex-Phantasmas that were standing up, probably servants.
The Ex-Phantasma was a man, Charles suspected because of the voice and lack of feminine characteristics, and had a tinge of skin never seen before. It was sky blue with patches of white skin mixed to make the skin more pale.
“What can I do for you, Mister…?” Charles said with gentle brown eyes to determine the personality of the ‘person’ he is talking to. As more abrasive and arrogant the person is, Charles has the habit of being even more than them to crush their pride and ego.
“The name is Drauq. Don’t be so tense, I am not here to fight with you. I am here to save the harmony and all this planet’s living beings.” Drauq opened his arms that only had three fingers with interdigital webbing in each of the hands while ‘fixedly looking’ at Charles with his four pitch black soulless eyes. No matter how hard you try you can’t see his pupils, raising the question of how he even see something.
The Ex-Phantasma used his skinless tail to pass something round over his bald head to Charles. “I have come here to meet you, the most powerful person and with the rarest [Class] in this world, and give you a token of appreciation. Please accept it.”
And the fears of Charles became true as he warily took the exquisite green gem while feeling a little of Mana inside of it, it has the same amount of Mana that a baby has. “What is it?” Cost nothing to gather information and presents before declining.
“Mister Charles, this is one of the two Trash Rank Dungeon Cores. If you crush it, you will receive more attributes to your [Status] or even a new special ability. This is our present to you.”
“My question wasn’t answered, What is a Dungeon Core? And why are you guys helping us? I can’t see the merit in doing it.” Charles could immediately see the value of such thing, in the short time he had entered in contact with the [Attributes] and [Class], he perceived himself growing stronger than ever, and it… worried him. A object that can even enhance its powers could be invaluable in this age full of enemies coming from other worlds.
But… undeserved power is one of the most dangerous things existents.
“Dungeon Cores are just ‘objects’ made to make people like you more powerful, if you go train in a Dungeon where those things normally are, you will receive several boons. And there isn’t a problem in destroying them if you see fit as they have uses even when crushed.”
Drauq gave a humorless laugh as soon he perceived the otherworlder boy’s eyes shining with greed. “There is no need for a reason to save someone. Why you, ‘people’, are always like this? Thinking the worst of the beings you recently meet and so easily lured to the Seven Deadly Sins.”
Drauq shook his head to his personal feelings not hinder in his job. “If you need a reason, I can give you one. We are enemies of the Invaders, the things coming from the purple holes, and seeing their plans to kill and engulf everything to fail give us pleasure. So we are enemies of your enemies, does it satisfy you?”
No. “Yes, sorry for being so nasty. Must be the age, I am kind of old in my Race.” Charles gave a false laugh. Damn, he is the kind of person I most hate, the ‘too good to be true’ type. Being abrasive with them have the opposite effect intended. “But can you answer me why this otherworlder boy is here?” He pointed to the red haired boy that only have sixteen years and looked like a stupid and useless pup which came from a mother that forgot how to properly raise her youngling.
“Ah... Him? We summoned him to be next Hero’s candidate of your planet after you, the one that had the Class [Hero] without conquesting a Heroic Dungeon. People from Earth are useless in their planet but when they go to other worlds the ‘shell’ made by the Second Creator breaks and they receive a enormous potential to become anything, I even heard of them becoming Monsters.”
“Is that so? What else do you want of me? I have business to attend and the economy to save.” Charles nodded skeptical of the reason for a otherworlder to be called.
“Starting from tomorrow Dungeons will have beams of light to localize them and I want you to go to a Legendary Dungeon to train there to help in our fight against the Invaders. We already made the preparations to explain to everyone in your planet about Dungeons and [Classes].”
“Is only this that you have to talk?” Charles stood up while holding the Dungeon Core. “If so, I am leaving now.” Fighting is good, but risking his life and doing everything a stranger tells him? He has better things to do, like making the biggest tomb the universe has already seen to his son for example.
“Wait a moment, don’t you want to save the world? We can make any wish of yours true.” Drauq hurriedly said.
“No, I don’t care about the world. Only about my family and slaves.” Charles glared at Drauq. “Can't you guys give me a little of respite? I lost my son today, why would I care anything about the world? Go fuck yourselves.”
Finding the opportunity to make the stubborn old man do his job as the people’s hope, Drauq said. “We can resurrect him, take us to his body and we will revive him.”
Charles snorted, as if his son was a weakling that can’t accept his own death, he raised him better than that. “Not needed, and I no even know where his body is. He had a Terminal Illness and fled to see the world before dying today.”
“What-” Drauq tried to talk but was interrupted by the sound of a girl holding a cat falling down from the door.
The girl was ten years old with tears marks all over her face and the cat was so old that you could smell the odor of death coming from it. “I am sorry, Master Charles!” She screamed as she tried to pick the running old cat that was toying with her as it began to walk around Charles.
As Drauq was stunned by the sudden intrusion, Charles sighed and picked his son’s cat. “It’s fine, Brandy. It’s fault of my son’s cat, Sampson D.R. Love Diamond Thunderfur Live Nine Times with the Golden Sun at the Daylight Royal Cassino, that you interrupted us.” The poor girl still couldn’t get over her true Master’s death, she was crying all the day. I can’t blame her though, for the slaves living in this mansion my son was akin to a savior or even god.
Brandy chewed her lips and hesitantly said. “... Can Master Leonhardt really not be revived? I… no, we all miss him.” She said crying and staining her maid’s uniform.
“No, life should be livened only once. Didn’t Leo tell this many times?” Charles sternaly said while holding the grumpy Sampson.
“Sorry.” She dropped her head.
Charles patted her small head. “It’s fine, one day you will understand.” He looked at the dying cat. “Death should be always accepted, but what I wouldn’t do for a way to make this stupid cat young again? He is the only thing that Leo really cared and I wanted to me die first than this old thing.” He caressed Sampson while it hissed at him, the stupid thing didn’t like of no even his owner to hold it.
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Drauq’ eyes shone as he recovered from the shock caused by the cat’s long name, no even Royal Father has a name so long. “We can make it young again with a Epic [Rejuvenation Potion], you only need to crush this Trash Core and go to one Legendary Dungeon.”
Charles crushed the Trash Rank Dungeon Core and felt power surging in him as various windows popped in his vision. “Tell me more of this potion. Why didn’t you talk about it sooner? Let’s immediately go to that Legendary Dungeon.” Charles smirked as a crazy idea formed in his mind, what’s a better memento to the biggest tomb in the universe than a cat that doesn’t age?
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Leonhardt put his hand over his heart as he felt a sting on it as if he had lost something important for him, what could it be?
*I’ll kill you, just wait! How dare you-* The fox after being healed by [Time Revival] continued to curse at Leon through the Link made by [Taming] while he was absorbing his findings of the forest.
“Walk in two legs while imitating a cat with the cutest eyes you can make.” Leonhardt ordered.
*Meow.* The black fox supporting itself on its hind legs looked at Leonhardt with big and widened red eyes as if searching for attention and affection.
“Good, go protect my Core hidden beneath those rocks.” Leon dismissed the fox as it growled at him while obediently walking to his Core.
His [Taming] Skill is really diverting from the original purpose of the Skill that was to become friend with yours pets. A normal tamed animal wouldn’t feel hatred at its master since they ‘trusted’ each other. His Skill is looking more like a… mind controlling Skill. He can order the fox do anything while it can’t hurt him in any way possible. They were far away from the concept of friends.
“Well, who cares? The only pet friend I need is Sampson anyways.” Leon went back to his pile of fruits, mushrooms and twigs as he wrote in a corner of the cave his findings and how much of Mana they gave him.
One of the things he discovered was that if he tried to absorb anything with his Mana full, he would receive DP instead. So he needs to discover what is more important for him now.
Should Leon gather DP to buy the upgrade of [Monster Cores] he accidentally discovered when the fox began to curse at him, which make all his Dungeon Creatures be capable to leave the Dungeon to gather more resources for him? Or should he concentrate in making a lot of creatures with the Mana he has disponible right now since he didn’t know when he could die for a Monster more stronger than the fox entering his Dungeon at any minute?
Leonhardt looked at the prices and how much of Mana or DP he could instantly receive should he decide to absorb everything he had.
[Upgrades] Current DP: 9
[Free Decorations to all rooms: 8 DP]
[Monster Cores: 40 DP]
[A new base Monster Race: 100 DP]
[Permission to use traps: 3000 DP]
[Intermediary Monster Race’s list: 10000 DP]
[...]
[Conversion List]
[Twigs X 48= 5.2 Mana or 2 DP]
[...]
[Acorns X 26= 40 Mana or 21 DP]
[Apples X 12= 150 Mana or 36 DP]
Putting all the information organized, Leonhardt perceived a serious problem in the absurd conversion rate of DP and Mana, this system suffers from a economic inflation worse than the economy of the capital.
Twelve apples are worth one hundred and fifty base ants and the conversion to DP is not being consistent.
If he thinks in the premise that the upgrades using DP serves to all the Dungeon even the Legendary ones, then this Dungeon system is completely broken! The Legendary Dungeons had an unfair vantage, they could create as much as creatures they want and with only apples they could give Monster Cores to their strong creations and then harvest the whole area around them to buy almost all the upgrades even before any Intruder arrives in the Dungeon.
Thinking like this, he perceived he didn’t have time to lose and will had to take risks to become powerful. “And even if I create an army of ants or rats, will they even serve to something? With the time I will lose to tame all of them a powerful Monster will show up.” Leon began to absorb apples and twigs to receive DP enough to [Monster Cores], it isn’t like he needed decorations or even cared about appearances. The people that saw ‘his’ paintings could thought he was someone obsessed with beauty, but he couldn’t care less about the clothes he is wearing or about the place’s appearance where he is living. He was a man without vanity.
Leonhardt didn’t know though that the Legendary Dungeons never had the chance to discover that absorbing anything beyond their Mana reserve’s limit would give DP, since their reserves are infinite they can’t won DP by this way. And their [Mana Regeneration] are so high leveled that the gains by absorbing outside objects are negligible.
[Monster Cores: Bought] Current DP: 0.3
[A core formed inside or outside of the Monster's bodies in relation to a Dungeon. This core permits to them leave the Dungeon without turning into loot while increasing the connection they feel towards the Dungeon Core to them not destroy it after being freed of the restriction of only living inside of the Dungeon.]
Before Leonhardt could order the fox to gather resources as it could now once again normally go to the outside world, he found himself in an azure place as a portal engulfed him, that was using the Dungeon Core’s body to buy the upgrade, and his Dungeon Master’s body.
[The Ex-Phantasmas demands your presence.]
The room was akin to a open Throne Chamber with little shining stars as the background together with seats scattered all around while obeying a certain hierarchy of distance to a empty space in the middle of the room, Leonhardt perceived he was together with various Dungeon Cores and Masters and that he was all alone in the farthest seat.
Changing back to his Dungeon Master’s body to hold his floating small black jade Core, Leonhardt observed that after each row of seats the Mana he could felt from his Dungeons companions increased exponentially. And he also noted a pattern to it.
After each row the Dungeon Cores became bigger, thicker, sturdier and with some even having liquids surrounding it. In comparison, his Core was so small, thin, brittle and his Mana wasn’t spouting from his body either.
No wonder he is on the last seat.
“Attention.” From the empty space in the middle, almost one hundred of Ex-Phantasmas appeared. The one at the front calling for attention had red skin complexion with three fingers in each hand with interdigital webbing while using a white mask that covered all his features, even the eyes and mouth.
Strangely, the Ex-Phantasmas behind him weren’t similar to him. They had different skin colors and normals five-fingered hands. Their ears were… weird though, they kind of not existed with a hole in each side of the head as if they were ears with jewelries hanging on them.
“Dungeon Cores and Dungeon Masters, listen us well. We think that we finally found the planet that will make our long lifetime wish become reality. This planet, D6C6S3, has the potential to be the key to we finally defeat those abominations full of wicked desires, the Invaders. We are making the preparations to this happen since this is the first planet of all we visited and saved from the Invaders that had a partial system of the Gift already installed on it, we are talking about the Skills.”
Everyone on the room with exception of Leonhardt gave a gasp as if they heard the most absurd news in their whole lives. And that make Leon think he was back to his school days where he was always excluded out from the fun.
What the Skills have of special anyways? Leonhardt lived his whole life surrounded by people with Skills and they just level up, and let you mind control the others…
Putting on this way, they seem a little special.
“Because of it we will end yours grace period earlier, starting from tomorrow all the Dungeons will have beacons to show to the people their localization.” The Ex-Phantasma said and knowing he would heard complaints, all the sound in the room momentarily disappeared with a flourish of his sleeves.
As he waited for the Dungeons Cores and Masters to finish ‘talking’, he noted a strange presence in the seats. Has he sent a Core-Master to D6C6S3? A Trash Rank moreover?
Core-Masters are practically useless, they can’t indefinitely leave the Dungeons like Dungeon Masters can and their thoughts processes are slower and less logical than of Dungeon Cores.
Their own existence are a mistake and worth of pity, they came to existence when a Dungeon Core that got a body different from a gem ended up being affected by a Succubus’s pheromones it created and then went into a raping spree, it even raped its own Dungeon Master even though their bodies were of the same sex.
But this Core-Master was different from his comrades that hadn’t hope for survival, his chestnut eyes looked cheerful, full of energy and with confidence even though the Soulkeeper’s hand was over his head ready to pluck out his soul whenever he falters and commits a life threatening mistake.
This planet is always full of surprises, the Ex-Phantasma thought as a small smile formed beneath his mask. “Silence. Could be all of you forgot of the true meaning of yours own existences? You only exist to give Experience Points and People Points, which are the solidification of yours creations’ souls, to the people. With those points they have a chance to survive against wandering Invaders and Monsters. And even if any of you get destroyed, you should be gratified by it. Because even in your death you were useful to the people.” He levited out of the way and said. “Now go pick your Patron, only one Dungeon can be accepted by Patron.”
As the water flowing down from a opened dam, all Leonhardt’s companies flew or ran to the the almost one hundred Ex-Phantasmas without caring about dignity or pride.
Knowing he already lost the race, Leonhardt calmly sauntered to middle of the room while holding his black jade core as his companions and the Patrons departed from the room as the limit for the choice was reached.
In only five seconds, all the Patrons were chosen with the exception of one woman. She had a deep pink skin complexion with patches of blue skin, her long twintails pink hair looked more as part of her skin than of a proper hair. Her piercing glacial blue eyes had pupils in a pink tinged cross shape as if her eyes eyes were combination of eyes from a cat and goat. Which was a peculiarity considering how all her compatriots didn’t have pupils, did she watch too much cartoons to consider having such pupils cool?
Leon thought the thirty-two of his companions that didn’t have the chance to choose a Patron would fight for her. But they immediately departed from the room as soon as they saw the woman, leaving Leonhardt all alone with the Patron looking pleadingly at him with tear filled eyes and the Ex-Phantasma that was the herald.
“Humm… Mister Ex-Phantasma? Can you explain to me what is happening? I am kind of new to being a Dungeon.” There should be a good reason to Leonhardt’s companions not chose this Patron and he probably should just leave like them left, but Leon doesn’t want to be just one of the sheep in the herd. He needs to have his own conclusion about this Patron.
“It is simple. I am new Patron and incredibly weak, between the decision of being the first follower of a weak Patron or not having a Patron at all. The latter is preferable.” The woman said before the floating Ex-Phantasma could talk.
“Why? Is being the first follower that bad?”
“My first follower is going to be my Champion or Chosen One if you prefer this title. And should I die, my Champion will die with me.” As soon she said that, she closed her eyes and sighed in defeat. She could lie to the young Core-Master and maybe deceive him in becoming her Champion, but she doesn’t want to the relationship made with her Champion be so false. How many times was she rejected until now? Why she born so stubborn?
Leonhardt almost left when the woman said that, but he looked at his situation where he could die at any minute thanks to a strong Monster or even to people of his planet starting from tomorrow. “If becoming a Patron’s Champion is so risked, how those others Patrons even gained a Champion? There must be an advantage. Tell me what it is.” His mother’s words resounded in his head, there is always a reason to someone risk his/her life, and it is normally for power or a reward. Don’t be deluded by the concept of altruism or self-sacrifice, those things only exists as words not as actions taken in the real world.
The Patron’s eyes shone as she opened them while a excited, almost manic, smile appeared on her face. “The Champions receives the Patron’s principal powers and a Rank Up based on their characteristics thanks to the Link they share.”
She pointed to her cross shape eyes. “My power is [Evolution] and should you become my Champion you would be capable of forcing the evolution of one of your creations.”