Chapter 32: Moving on Up.
Nuzzled in Slimey's hands, I had Dave shift through the dungeon core's that the queen held as trophies.
In the corner of the chamber, Ayaka and her Juggernaut, the creature now docile and under the control of its queen that was recovering from its injuries.
The juggernaut wasn't slaved to me, but rather it's queen. However, so long as Ayaka obeyed me, so too would its minion.
Still, it didn't seem to mind too much, rather, it ignored me. More intent on protecting its queen from me and my army that now occupied its home.
Dud, after dud. Most of the dungeon hearts and cores were either depleted or cracked, not a single one usable for the purpose of creating another orb mage like Chloe.
It… may also not have helped that my smog explosion had damaged the cores.
Sigh…
At least my mana heart was ok.
After subjegating the queen, I immediately went to work setting up my new domain.
Pylons were crafted, guards posted. Whatever pockets that remained of the Queen's guards recalled under Ayala's orders and eliminated.
Cruel?
Perhaps. But I wouldn't chance it. It was a kindness on its own that I allowed Ayala's juggernaut to exist.
Mainly, as an experiment, but also because the six-legged tank would be instrumental in helping me in dealing with Ayaka’s withdrawals.
Actually, can spiders get withrawels? I wasn't sure if they could, but I rather as much support as possible if I was going to deal with a twenty foot tall magical arachnid.
Hmm.
Hey. I sent, Ayaka shifting. Where is your treasure?
A moment of silence, the injured arachnid mopping.
Hey!
“So mean to me…” Ayaka replied. “You've taken everything from me, and yet you still want more?!”
Slimey spun her head so fast her facial features blurred, doing a partial 360 until she corrected her gaze to leer at the giant spider.
Trash! You are property of Lord Hiro! Everything you own, everything you are, now belongs to our God! Slimey spat, her body changing colors rapidly from pinkish human skin to bubbling red. Know your place!
Well. Calling me a god is a bit much.
Ayaka’s juggernaut shifted, the monster eyeing me.
“I-i–i’ll t-tell you if you just. G-give me a taste.” Ayaka sent, her forward legs fidgeting and touching tips, reminding me of one of those cheesy animes with a cute girl.
Except, this wasn't an anime and the cute girl was replaced by a massive armored spider.
“A l-little taste?”
No.
“Pl-plplwse?”
No.
“B-bu-”
No. Most of my army is being used to feed you. You're going to sit there and behave.
Ayaka splooted out, the spider more akin to a scolded dog than a massive spider capable of killing everything in this cavern.
Now tell me what I want to know.
****
Sequestered inside the hole the Ayaka normally blocked with her body, it wasn't long before I was gazing at the defeated monarch’s treasure.
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A silver pendant encrusted with faint magical gems, the only thing she could escape with as a small blind spider. One that I was more than intimately familiar with.
The Amulet of Siros Saccus, otherwise known as the Warlord’s Armory. A storage device used by one of my companions of old. Eyeing the device, it was clear from the faint magical aura that its power had waned, but it appeared to still be active albeit empty.
Still, it was an unexpected boon, one that left me with unanswered questions.
Where was this treasury? What happened to my gear, and more importantly, who had attacked the demonlord’s castle?
Questions that needed answers.
Ayaka!
“Y-y-yes?” The spider replied, shivering.
Where is the treasury this came from? I asked, the queen bug reluctant to say but ultimately bending to my will as I offered to let her suck on me.
Of course I was lying, but If there was a chance that I could recover any of my gear…
Still, a new problem arose, while Ayaka could explain and remember where the treasury was, I didn’t know the inner workings of the demonlord’s domain and was unfamiliar with the terrain after a hundred or so years.
Actually, did I say one problem? Because I really meant two.
I needed a guide to find the treasury and the only one who knew of its location was TOO FAT TO FIT THROUGH THE CAVES!
Maybe I should just starve the spider some more. Shave off its legs. Ayaka, you don’t need your legs to survive right?
The giant spider skittered back a bit, her juggernaut lowering itself into a charging position as Slimey brandished a wicked smile.
Arrrrrrgh why does life have to be so difficult?!
“C-c-can I have my suck now? Just a t-taste?” Ayaka asked, much to Slimey’s gross displeasure.
No. I sent back, the spider making odd chittering sounds as if in sorrow.
Ughhhhhh.
Ok, think rubber duck, think. First things first, I need to re-establish my domain completely. Get everything up and running with my dungeon heart growing again. Then, I need to rebuild my armed forces, construct new defenses, and CLEAN up all the dead bugs!
A laundry list of items.
But for now I would use the monarch’s chambers as my new fort, complete these quests and level up a bit before moving on to scour the upper levels. Now that I had Zorkwen’s storage dev- huh… Zorkwen…
Suddenly an image of an imposing bronze-skinned man with a massive hammer appeared in my mind. A comrade of mine, one I had forgotten but one who had stood with me during the raid on the Demon Lord’s domain.
I could see him, that smiling bearded man, his last words bellowing to push forward as he held off one of the Demon Lord’s generals.
Seeing his amulet here, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to conclude what fate befell the half-giant, giving me an answer to a question I didn’t want to know but knew I needed answered.
Dave. I sent, the muscular reptile woman pausing her munching of spider guts to cock her head at me. How would you like a new name?
The green-haired woman shrugged, resuming eating, not a care in the world save for sleeping and eating. But, considering she was a girl and almost at Zorkwen’s height this seemed like a good way to honor the fallen, lest I forget again.
[Minion Dave Targeted! Would You Like to Rename This Minion?]
Yes.
My minion manager updated, Dave’s name replaced with Zorin.
I ordered Slimey to hand Dave the amulet, a reward for its job well done. Now Dav-Zorin could carry its bed everywhere along with its armor and other gear, transporting its other items.
Actually, speaking of transporting! There was a certain blue spider I had trapped somewhere! A solution to my problems!
Dave! I mean Zorin! Go! Fetch me my blue bug!
Before long a certain blue spider tied up with webs, bones, and various rocks sticking into it was dragged in, the phase spider unable to shift or move so long as something held it in place.
Command it to serve me. Have it take me to the armory.
The spider let out a low frequency whine, one picked up by my rubber body that was sensitive to vibrations.
“I… can’t.” Ayaka groaned.
Annnnnnnd why not?
“The treasury is guard against… teleportation…”
Great. Of course it was. Because why wouldn’t it be.
Hard way it is then…
[PYLON CREATED!]
[5/5]
Domain Expanded!
[Quest: Defend Your Mana Heart!]
[The heart of your dungeon is new and weak. It must be given time to grow and strengthen!]
[Defend your heart for at least three days!]
[Reward: Minion Capacity Increase, Dungeon Management Panel Unlocked]
With my last and final pylon in place, my consciousness was expanded, my field of view growing greater with the fog of war dispelled in the nearby area as my quest timer picked off where it left off.
Excellent, back on track.
Another day, and my quest would be clear and I’d have my minion capacity increased. Something I would undoubtedly need if I were going to storm the upperlevels.
Despite my recent training success, many of the battles had been strewn out in our favor, deliberate incursions that took little risks and kited out stronger monsters to ambush them.
But this strata was filled with Infected Gnolls, blighted rat swarms, sickly goblins, skeletons, and even zombies. Lower tier monsters that were a step up from spiders and slimes.
If there were any evolved forms, like goblin mages, blood wilters, or ajax forbid, a living armor, then my army could suffer catastrophic losses.
Now, there was an idea to turn Ayaka into a spider making factory, create loyal fodder to the cause. Buuuuut that idea would cost time and resources, also, the idea of creating a procreating factory didn’t sit well with me. Not for any moral reason mind you, but rather because of how disgusting it would be and the maintenance involved.
Ick.
For now, I would have Ayaka be my Mana Heart Guardian. Sequester her in my chambers while the rest of my army scouted and scoured the upper strata for the treasury
From what I could recall, the castle itself was built into a mountain, a hundred or so floors I would have to get through before I ever made it to the surface. But it was fine. If there was one thing I had in abundance, it was time, and with no new threats knocking at my door, my path to ascension was evidently clear.
It was time to move on up.