Several days had now passed since Megumi had given new life to her dungeon core, and she was already bored out of her mind. She paced around the small confines of her secret chamber impatiently.

"Ugh... who would have thought running a dungeon would involve so much sitting around doing nothing! No wonder these things are usually managed by city officials. It's so boring!" she complained to Poro-tan for probably the tenth time that day.

Her pet, who seemed indifferent to the whole thing just shrugged at her. "I'll take sitting around bored over almost being killed by an evil monk or abducted by pirates any day. Why not take it easy? Is there something you're in a rush to do or something?"

She stared at him cooly and didn't respond right away. "Taking it easy is fine once in a while, but Megu didn't realize before how annoying it is to be essentially stuck in this cave, unable to leave!"

Poro-tan simply shrugged again and she went back to her pacing. Neither of them could leave the dungeon unguarded as it was still extremely low level. Any low ranked adventurer could simply clear the dungeon out and steal the core for themselves. She couldn't even leave him here by himself to sneak into town or something because not only was she wanted, but it was far enough away that it could put strain on the magic holding her companion to this world.

For these reasons, they had simply had to sit around and wait for adventurers to come along. What was worse, however, was that she couldn't even farm the low level adventurers who came to the dungeon as it would attract more powerful enemies.

She was trapped, and felt like an idiot for even thinking this plan could work out. The only positive thing that had really come out of taking the core was screwing over the local government and the local villain's guild. She kicked an apple core that had been thrown on the floor across the room in irritation.

Megumi stared at the experience portion of the dungeon's stats and grew even more irritated. Despite the moderate traffic from newbie adventurers who had discovered the dungeon, it had barely leveled at all. It would take ages and ages for this to pay off, and while she knew that she had a very long lifespan ahead of her thanks to Sanguine Infusion, she didn't intend to spend that time rotting away here.

"I've had it! This plan is a bust, Poro-tan. We're leaving this place and heading back to civilization to have some actual fun again. Megu has no intention of sitting around and rotting in this place like one of those other necromancers who hangs around in crypts!"

Her companion groaned a bit when she mentioned having fun.  "I don't get why you even bothered to take the core from Northpost if this is what you were going to do. Do you ever think ahead, or what? I also don't particularly enjoy your brand of 'fun,' either. I vote that we just stick this out."

"Too bad you don't get a vote! We're going!" Megumi ignored most of what he had said, sniffed loudly and began tossing things into her magical bag as quickly as she could. Poro-tan got the message and got to work putting his own things into his bag as well.

She didn't like to admit the truth, which was that she really hadn't thought the thing with the core through very well. It stung a little bit that he hit the nail right on the head. Megumi had no idea how long it took to raise a dungeon, and had thought it would be a breeze. She had no intention of admitting her lack of knowledge, however.

She had her pride, after all, and wouldn't admit to anything. There were things that needed to be done outside, and she didn't want to waste another minute unless it involved her having some fun or at the very least increasing her strength.

The dungeon had only generated 75 GP for her over the short period in taxes, and that would have to do. All of her belongings were now tucked away into her bag, save her book. She held the book reverently in her hands. It was the only real treasure she owned.

She idly flipped it open to the page where she kept her family portrait and gently brushed her fingertips across the faces of her family. Megu will never stop until everyone who wronged us gets what's coming to them. 

After staring at the image for a moment longer, she closed it carefully and stowed it away in her bag with the rest of her things. She had worked tirelessly for around a decade now with this goal in mind, and she was so close to being strong enough to enact the first part of her revenge. 

"Before we go, Megu needs to relinquish ownership of the dungeon."

"What happens when a dungeon isn't owned?"

She shrugged. She had no idea really, maybe the dungeon would go rogue, she didn't really care though. Someone would come along and claim the core soon enough as the place was pretty weak right now. Megumi touched the shining orb that was the dungeon's core and concentrated on relinquishing ownership. 

Just like that, the core turned a brilliant red and it was done. "It's done. Let's get out of this hole. Megu has a huge craving for some cake, and we know the perfect place to go get some. We'll stop at The Golden Neko for a little bit and then leave tomorrow morning for the capital.

He didn't argue or anything even though she knew he had no desire to eat the sweet food that she loved so much, and the two of them headed for the exit. The monsters were no longer friendly towards them, but she and her pet cut their way out of the dungeon easily. 

It was mid-morning outside and she had to shield her eyes against the bright sunlight. The crisp mountain air tasted so good and she took several deep breaths, enjoying being outside. 

People aren't meant to live in holes like moles! The fresh air smells so nice!

She could help but smile at the sheer beauty of the nature that lie just outside the cave that had been her home for the past several days. It looked as though it must have rained the night before, as the ground was still damp and droplets of water were on the leaves of the nearby trees.

Her smile faded when a group of well equipped people headed around the bend in the pathway and straight towards their direction. The man in the front, who was lean and tall, carried a wicked looking halberd that was casually leaning against his shoulder as he strode directly towards the two of them.

"They might be trouble. Get ready," she whispered to Poro-tan.

She readied herself for a fight and her companion drew his cursed blade. The two of them stood ready as the group of potential enemies stopped a couple dozen paces away from them. If they were lucky, these were simply some adventurers looking to take on the new dungeon and they could leave without a fight. She wanted to go eat cake, and she was willing to live and let live today.

Based on their equipment alone, these people were worlds apart from the adventurers they had encountered so far in their dungeon. If they were here to take the core, they would probably do so easily.  The group of five people eyed Megumi and Poro-tan warily before the man with the halberd stepped forward and spoke.

"I'm Kieren, a Rank B adventurer. We've come all the way from Oleander pursuing you as you're a wanted criminal who has allegedly massacred soldiers in Bridgeport. From the reports that have come from the low level adventurers around here, and the fact that you are here, it seems that you're probably responsible for the missing dungeon core in Northpost as well."

Tch! This is gonna be a pain in the ass! A villain's work is never done it seems.

She frowned at the man and gripped her staff tightly. They were ready for an attack, she was sure of it. There were definitely casters in the group that stood before them. Poro-tan moved, placing himself between her and the enemies as she had directed him to do mentally.

The man didn't flinch and simply continued talking.

"However... after doing some more investigating ourselves... we have found that you have done far more good in this world than bad. You rescued a girl from some bandits, and then single-handedly defeated around a hundred bandits in the same band as well as their formidable leader. The truth is, you saved several mountain villages from years of Tivor's tyranny. Not only that, but upon further digging, I found out that you uncovered a den of evil doers in Northpost as well. The guild has decided to forgive your other... indiscretions. It's hard to believe that someone who has done such good in the world, would attack a group of guards without cause. We've removed your bounty, but you are still wanted in Bridgeport; there's nothing we can really do about that. I'm here to offer the Adventurer's Guild's deepest apologies."

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Her mouth had dropped open from shock halfway through his speech. She was literally dumbfounded by what she had just heard. The fools were just going to let her off the hook? She would gladly take it. She had no intention of going back to Bridgeport again, so she didn't care about having a price on her head in that country.

Not having the adventurer's guild on her ass right now would only benefit her in the long run. "The bandits were the worst kind of scum, as were those vile people set up in that fake children's charity. Megu was more than happy to bring them the taste of justice that they deserved." These were her true feelings, so she didn't even have to lie about it. She had despised all of those villains who had held their noses up at her. They had gotten what was coming to them.

The man, Kieren, seemed satisfied with her response and reached down to unhook a heavy looking pouch from the belt at his waist. The bag clinked as he did so and then he tossed it over to her.

"The reward for taking care of the bandits. It belongs to you. Hideki, you've been reinstated to the guild and the local guild master in Rivean wishes to see you. Stop by the guild hall in Rivean if you're looking for some work around here. My party will be heading back to Oleander in a few days. What's your name, girl?"

"Megumi."

"Well met. I'm glad that I investigated things thoroughly, and no blood had to be spilled here today. It would have been a tragedy to lose good people like you for the wrong reasons. The high lady, Undine of Rivean, also asked that were I to find you, that I should let you know that she wishes to speak to you. It's probably about the stolen dungeon core. I'd advise you to not ignore her call and visit her estate when you get the chance. Farewell."

With that he and his companions turned and left leaving the shocked necromancer and her pet alone in the mountain meadow. After several minutes passed and the two of them recovered from the shock of the whole ordeal, Poro-tan said, "I can't believe they actually let you off the hook. I've heard of Kieren, and he's a very self-righteous one. I've even been reinstated! What are we going to do now?"

"We're going to go eat cake without having to sculk around the town trying to avoid attention!"

She began walking down the trail happily humming to herself. She still couldn't believe her luck. She didn't like the idea of needing to go meet with this Undine woman, but she would consider hearing her out. She wondered if it would be beneficial for her to actually join the Adventurer's Guild. It could help her get stronger, and she could build up a good reputation that would help hide the horrible things she intended to do down the road. It wasn't like every adventurer was a boy scout, either, many of them operated in the grey areas of the law. The more she thought about it, the more it sounded like a good idea. She decided that she would do it. A villain in the Adventurer's Guild. It would be spectacular. 

After a long walk, they entered the city through the large gate and headed straight for The Golden Neko.

When they entered the establishment, Tara was balancing two huge plates and was on her way towards a table. The girl excitedly sat the food down in front of the customers and ran over to Megumi, jumping on her and giving her a huge hug.

"Megu! Some adventurers came here looking for information about you, and I told them what you did for me. They said you were a hero! Isn't that amazing! I knew you were a hero all along, though," she said while beaming with excitement.

Megumi returned the hug, while forcing herself to remember that this girl was not a replacement for her little sister, Miki.

"Megu is glad to see you again, Tara. We've come to have some cake. Where can we sit?"

"Over here!" The small girl took her hand and dragged her over to a booth.

Tara's aunt came out of the back after hearing all the commotion. When she saw that it was Megumi and Poro-tan who were causing her niece to be so loud, she gave them a warm smile and headed over to take their order down and say hello.

"Good to see you again, Megumi. Tara just can't stop talking about how amazing you are. You're the greatest hero that ever existed in her eyes; mine as well. What can we get for you two today? It's all on the house, of course. I'm eternally grateful for all you've done." She leaned down next to Megumi's ear and whispered,  "This is the first time she's perked up since you left. Thank you for coming to visit. Losing her mother has been hard on both of us and just seeing her smile again is so wonderful."

Megumi couldn't help but smile at that. She was definitely fond of the little girl to say the least. "Megu wants to try four kinds of cake today. Do you have any that we haven't tried yet?"

"Sure, I have a few things you haven't had yet," she turned to Poro-tan. "Is there anything different I can get for you? You didn't seem to enjoy the cake last time."

Poro-kun turned towards her, giving her a flat stare.

Fine, fine!

"Go ahead and order whatever you want for today, Poro-tan."

"I'll take whatever kind of salted meat you have on the menu. Also some eggs would be good. Oh, and do you have any kind of hot sauce?" Poro-tan asked excitedly.

"Coming right up! I'll be back with your order in a little bit. Do you want anything to drink?"

"Water is fine," Megumi replied.

"Can I sit with them? Please?" Tara pleaded.

"Of course, dear."

Tara's aunt disappeared into the kitchen again and the three of them sat together at the table chatting about various things. Megumi was surprised to learn that Tara had already been placed into a local school and that she was even making friends. It was good to hear that the girl would get to live something of a normal life. She was lucky that things had turned out good for her. She had someone who loved her to help her through her loss. Tara's aunt appeared a little while later with a plate with four large slices of delicious cake and another plate covered with a few kinds of sausages as well as a heaping pile of scrambled eggs.

"Thanks for the food," Megumi said.

Tara's aunt smiled. "You're always welcome. I'd better tend to the other tables."

With that she went off to take care of other customers. The place was pretty busy and it was no surprise considering how extraordinary the food was. They scarfed down their food in no time and soon it would be time to be on their way again.

"If you want to stay here and visit with her more, do you mind if I go to the adventurer's guild?" Poro-tan asked.

This was something that gave her pause. Her threat of burning out his soul should be enough to keep his mouth shut, so would there be any harm? She did want to stay here a little longer.

Megu still has room for another slice of cake, anyway!

It was also nice to spend time around people that weren't always brooding like Poro-tan often did. "It's fine. Just remember what I told you before if you get any weird ideas. I'll meet you there in a little bit."

With that, he got up from the table, thanked Tara's aunt again for the meal, and headed out the door and into the city.

Spoiler: Poro

Name Hideki (Poro-kun) Level 021 (25,999/27,801 EXP to next Level) Class Warrior HP 1000/1000 MP 50/50 TP 0 Adventurer Rank C Attributes Vitality 40 Magic 3 Endurance 28 Magic Resistance 8 Strength 25 Luck 7 Agility 18   Dexterity 17 Passive Skills • Warrior's Essence - Level 4 (+40 HP regeneration/min)

• Sword Mastery - Level 7 (+70% proficiency with swords)

• Tiger Style - Level 2

• Turtle Style - Level 2

• Stalwart - Level 1 (+5% natural defense)

• Fortify Health - Level 2 (+100 HP) Active Skills • Holy Blade - Level 1 (Envelope blade in holy aura for 15 seconds)

• Shockwave - Level 2 (Release shockwave from blade)

Spoiler: Megumi

Name Megumi Level 023 (33,105/34,419 EXP to next Level) Class Necromancer HP 450/450 MP 1000/1000 TP 0 Villain Rank C Attributes Vitality 18 Magic 68 Endurance 10 Magic Resistance 47 Strength 6 Luck 16 Agility 9   Dexterity 10 Passive Skills • Mage's Essence - Level 5 (+150 MP regeneration/min) Active Skills • None Necromancer Magic

• Sanguine Infusion (50 MP) - Level 15 (Absorb life essence of recently deceased, 15% chance to gain +1 TP from human victims [Cap reached. Lvl Requirement for Lvl 16, (50)])

• Corpse Explosion (30 MP) - Level 7 - (+70% damage from explosion)

• Corpse Absorbtion (10 MP) - Level 1 (Absorb a corpse's essence. Recover 80 MP)

• Raise Undead (20 MP) - Level 10 (Raise weak undead to fight for you. Max: 50)

• Soul Trap (350 MP) - Level 1 (Trap soul of a recently defeated foe. Max: 1 [Cap reached. Lvl Requirement for Lvl 2: (30)] )

• Soul Trap Mastery - Level 1 (+1 to all stats of Summoned Soul)

• Spirit Barrier (100 MP) - Level 1 (Erect a barrier using souls of the dead for fuel. Blocks spells and projectiles)

• Magic Skin - Level 2 (Actively consumes MP to negate physical and magical damage. Higher levels lower the MP cost)

• Decay (120 MP) - Level 5 - (25% chance of success. Causes body to rot from the inside out causing extreme pain and slowing movement at joints)

• Eldritch Blast (75 MP) - Level 11 (Unleashes a roiling ball of Eldritch energy that burns its subject on contact for 5 seconds)