The duo faced off against the outside forces, having the lift go up halfway before using some spell to jam it in place, giving them the high ground to rain more magic on the make-shift homes. I'm still not entirely sure how to feel about him, to be honest, he was here for me, and whatever value I presented I held no doubts about, the problem was whether or not he was here to work with me, or here to use me, a difference I would need to figure out eventually. But securing the dungeon came first. His attack on the main camp managed to rally those who remained on the first floor to help their fellows on the outside, leaving the second floor to be handled by my rats.

A smaller detachment of ratkin left the barracks comprising six of each weapon type, two swords and boards, two archers, and two spearmen, making a brutal beeline toward every invader they could sniff out. Each time they found a creature they met it with a savage kind of fierceness, sometimes forgetting to use their weapons entirely in favor of ripping them apart with their hands, a habit I would need to deal with if they wanted to be capable of dealing with superior skills or physique. But having them dead was the only real goal right now so we could iron out discipline later on. Soon they had the entire second floor done along with the remaining first-floor squatters making their way to the veritable meat grinder that was going on outside, fire, ice, and the occasional fiendish-looking creature were being thrown like a flood at the now-dying tribe with to mercy.

Thankfully, with everything gone or torn to ribbons, I was able to regenerate the first-floor monsters, the golems, spiders, and workers reforming in their respective rooms with the worms and rats peeking out of their hidey holes. Multiple messages began to assault my vision, largely to do with the attack and some unlock or other, but it wasn't a good idea to start remodeling with a war going on outside and let me tell you, it was most certainly becoming one. Despite dying by the dozen, the creatures were still numbering in the hundreds, only being held back from climbing up the cliff face by the other person creating a wall of bramble. I knew I needed to do something, anything, not necessarily just to help them, but also to make sure I had a hand in controlling the outcome of this battle.

I didn't want to use them considering I couldn't make any more of them, but I sent them out, my remaining mecha-hounds. I had them moved near the core for safekeeping and as a final line of protection but right now I need my pack to help control the battle. But how exactly would a pack of five robot dogs help me out, that would be in taking the opportunity when it was ready. Don't get me wrong, I don't particularly enjoy sort of backstabbing people just because they might be a problem for me now or later, but with my freedom and life on the line I could take few chances. If the opportunity shows itself, I would use my remaining hounds to either help the duo or if need be, kill them while they were distracted, I could deal with whatever remnants remained of the creatures eventually, but I doubt I would have such a golden opportunity to deal with such a powerful unknown.

Watching the carnage continue to unfold, it quickly became clear that the duo would win, if barely, the woman was near catatonic, and the demon dude was huffing and puffing like he was some big bad wolf, but their foes were even worse off with the creatures panicking more than fighting now, running around, spreading fires and mayhem as they are continually pelted with magic or taken out by the demon animals he had summoned.

Hmm...hmmmmm...

Oh, what the hell let's give that thing we call faith a try, and with a long and deep howl, my hounds began to show these people what a real killing machine looked like. Crushing a few on their way down, they began to carry out my orders, focusing on taking out any of the creatures that were starting to come together again and start causing more chaos and mayhem. I wasn't really into that sort of thing, but seeing them cause destruction and death was oddly enjoyable, like a part of me I didn't know I had was appeased with each throat they tore out and each chest they caved in.

As they got to work, I refocused on my two helpers, I was still willing to kill them, if need be, but for now, they were too useful, the only problem was that they were dying. The guy was mostly fine, mostly sporting livable wounds with any serious injuries likely being internal, the woman, on the other hand, was going to die. Her arm was broken and she had a major stab going up into the ribs, potentially puncturing a few organs that weren't bruised as it was, the guy had given up his assault seeing my robots take the field but seemed to be panicking about his companion, fiddling with random vials he had packed into his clothes but didn't find anything useful given his distress, perhaps I could lend a hand?

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Recalling one of the hounds, I had it jump back up to the still-stuck platform and approach them slowly, the man drawing a sword while trying to staunch his friend's bleeding. Without any hands, it was difficult to show that I was willing to help but he seemed to at the very least realize that I wanted them to go into the dungeon, he took a second before undoing whatever spell was cast on the lift, and it docked them into the first room. Quickly I had a clockworker take her to the assembly room along with the guy being pushed along by the hound.

Setting her down on the floor I let the other workers keep the guy away as another worker heated its large blade for a hand to a bright red-hot temp. Having the worker slowly and carefully cauterize the stab was almost nerve-racking, one wrong move and I had an angry demon mage and a wasted opportunity. Thankfully things went fine for the most part, she screamed through it and the guy was able to jump over the workers to try and comfort her, but overall things went well. As I began to clean up things and have them all resume their jobs, the demon guy began to tear up and thank me, not full-on crying, but I could hear in his voice the shakiness that came with almost losing someone. I admit the gratitude was just as satisfying as when I was watching my hounds slaughter the creatures, strange really, that compassion and slaughter could make me feel like this, and so soon after each other.

But they were still in danger, the guy was still hurting from something internal, and the girl was far from being out of the woods with her injuries, to that end I had them moved further in, past the canid that had the guy speechless and past the mines that almost made him pass out right then and there, assuming that wasn't the internal bleeding of course. Setting them down in the ranch I had my rats begin constructing what medical items I could remember, splints, gurneys, as well as something that would have to be a stand-in for proper bandages, a kind of fibrous bandage one of the rats made with some wall moss, at first sterilization was a problem I considered but I had the strange clarity on the fact that the only bacteria in the dungeon were those that I allowed. Thankfully the guy was able to calm down enough to find two vials of some healing potion, likely too distressed beforehand to find it, and had my rats feed one to each of them, their outside wounds got better with most becoming no more than little scars, with the girl having a large scar going through the skin over her ribs.

For now, they would be fine, both falling into a deep slumber while their bodies fixed themselves, to that end I had my ranchers slaughter one of the bulls to make it into something for them to eat, with one of the rats being oddly infatuated with the idea of cooking, odd but eh, rats be as rats are. As I looked them over, I felt a new pressure in my skull, something else was nearing my dungeon, a great many things given the repeated waves of pressure.

Going back up I saw what was giving me a new headache, and what I found was an honest to God damn army fighting what was left of the creatures. Infantry killed scores as archers and two magic users threw spells and arrows from the back, dealing with those remaining. Finishing them off and getting to work dealing with the fires, a young man who looked suspiciously like the demon summoner alongside... a demoness? I couldn't tell what she was, to be honest, infernal no doubt, but her body was shifting and changing the longer I looked at it like it was trying to decide what to be before changing to something else. Regardless, those around her seemed fine with her so I would keep an eye on her, the man beside her seemed to be looking for something, and after consulting with one of the mages who pointed into my dungeon, I assumed someone.

Using my hounds, I was able to similarly use robo-dog charades to convince them to enter the dungeon, if with an uncomfortable number of soldiers and the two mages. To keep some of the dungeon a secret I had my two patients moved on the makeshift gurneys up to the stairs, two spearmen and an archer guarding the four ranchers bringing them out to my guests. They seemed tense but with their leader rushing to what I now knew to be his brother, they seemed less on edge, still ready to strike but, less so. As they began to take the two of them out, I was finally bombarded with more messages and rewards. And once they had left, I was bombarded with messages once again.

Invasion Concluded, resuming regular advice levels.

Multiple decisions pending.

About fucking time you came back, dick.