A crowd of students huddled around a floating orb. It was a device called a Vid orb. Normally, they were manufactured by the league of enchanters. Often sold for a hundred thousand points. The academy owned three and with a smaller device called a recorder. Vids can be recorded and later viewed by others. The orb was 4meters in radius and when viewed showed an image as if the user was looking down on the recording.

This recording was called the highlights. Every student with the funds to purchase a recorder could send in their exploits in dungeons and have the other students view them. Bets were taken, and dungeons were assigned. Several students and drafted soldiers submitted their ventures in the famine dungeon.

Markus sat across from the crowd glancing between a practice enchantment and the vid. It was impressive, Food was stacked on high tables and various monsters served the tables. Valkyrie with bouncing busts and succubi with hungry eyes served with joy. They waited for the illusion of hunger cast by the dungeon to bring an adventurer to the tables. When the adventurer feasted until their stomachs were ready to burst the monsters attacked. The Valkyrie stabbed holes in the adventurers and roasted them over the various cook fires. When the adventurers were cooked sufficiently, they tore pieces of meat off and fed.

The succubi were kinder. They simply kissed the adventurer and sucked, until the adventurer was a husk. Then they rolled up the adventurer and have his skin made into new leather for the chairs. None had made it to the second floor yet, all the survivors turned back shortly before the floor boss or just after.

“Mine is coming up, why don’t you get closer and watch the show.” A tall raven-haired girl said. She dressed in a red robe that was covered in phoenixes. He looked her over, sighed took his work and got up.

“Did you pass by the first floor at least?” He asked her. She said nothing.

Her entrance began attentively. The princess’s eyes moved constantly looking for traps and avoiding looking directly at the other adventurers eating themselves to death.

She held a recurve bow and shot the succubi in the back. Next the Valkyrie leapt into their own cook fires. Afterwards the princess left the adventurers to eat themselves to death. Markus nodded his head at her decision.

She passed multiple rooms filled with gold and jewels. Stacks of points rose to the ceiling around her, but she wasn’t fooled. She moved to the end where the boss stood. An incubus was a long shlong and a happy smile. She froze, and Markus could tell a mental battle was going on. The princess raised her bow and put two arrows one in each of the incubus’s eyes. Markus nodded his head. This dungeon didn’t seem difficult. Maybe he would skip it.

“This dungeon alters the boss to fit the adventurer. Against a man it sends a succubus and against a woman it sends an incubus. I wonder what the next level looks like.” Markus said.

“You don’t seem impressed with my display, too boring for you. I know you’re the type of adventurer that uses power instead of finesse, but can’t you appreciate my skill.” The princess said, Markus rubbed his chin.

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“Why are you trying to impress me?” Markus asked.

On the vid she made her way to the second floor. Demons of all kinds and all forms were devouring each other. Sex and hunger mixed together, as they fucked and consumed equally. Eggs were laid, and new demons were hatched only to devour the mother. A few adventures were there added to the mix. Those were the ones who hadn’t made it. Beasts made of tentacles pleasured female demons before drawing them in to be devoured. New demons with strange appearances were born, mated, and were devoured in turn.

A succubus with a single horn poking out of her head was the boss. They locked eyes and battled once more in the realm of thought. For 30 minutes they locked eyes. Markus focused back on his work and the princess glared at him. “Tell me when its almost over. An interesting floor, but not one I’m interested in.” Markus said.

“I heard you preferred pestilence. That dungeon is unrefined. There is no finesse only battle.” She said. Markus rolled his eyes and stared at the screen they were still locked in a mental battle. Because of the dark typing of the succubus. Princess Raven had to invite the creature in her own mind. A dangerous work around.

“Dungeons aren’t about preference they are a means to an end. I’ve beaten pestilence, so I’ll move on the war. I doubt this dungeon would be a challenge. Death will be the finally for the capital dungeon tour.” She looked shocked the smiled.

“If you had beaten a dungeon then you would shout it to the heavens and declare yourself an aspirant hero. You are a farm boy after all.” Markus opened his inventory and began placing inoculation omegas on the table by his work. He had farmed them relentlessly and had around 50. Each was a dungeon treasure that boosted the base stat disease resistance to 50x. They didn’t stack but he collected them for fun now. The dungeon didn’t seem to mind, it enjoyed the attention. He had an amulet that declared him a friend of the dungeon in his inventory somewhere. If he wanted to, he could walk around the place free from monster attacks. It was currently developing its fourth floor and Markus planned on trying it out once it was completed.

He looked over at the vid. She took the succubus boss as her monster and left the dungeon. Markus saw the succubus peaking out from another room. A very dead male student falling over.

“Are you planning on killing your brother with her to ensure there are no challengers to the throne?” She looked shocked and he realized that may have been crossing the line.

“The knights of Gilver have declared you an arch enemy. Every assassin they send after you dies. I wanted to talk to you to offer a truce. Declare your loyalty to the throne and you will be pardoned.” Markus was taken aback by her words. Not because his loyalty to the throne was in doubt. But that he was declared an arch enemy to an order of knights. All he did was talk about their ideology a little.

Then it hit him, where all the knights have been going. “I haven’t been killing your knights. I had no idea you had been sending them after me.” Markus said.

“Then where have the knights gone?” She asked him with a pointed glare.

“Eaten by my monster Trixie. She is the type to let them come only to eat them one after another. I’m impressed with their persistence.” He said, the princess slapped herself on the forehead. “If its any consolation, I think I know why my nightbreed windy has looks so happy.”

“Thank you for assisting the crown in this confusion. We had thought you tossed them to the pestilence dungeon.” She left, and he was left to continue his enchanting practice.

He took a deep breath and collected her scent along with the succubus. The princess was a lesbian and has made love recently. He saved that information. Maybe he would add to the rumor mill. A smile stretched across his face. It was about time to shake things up.