I watched as the three strolled through my second Floor, Katherine looking focused and the others seeming as if they had just found the most interesting thing in the world. They were slurring their words they were trying to talk over each other so fast. Everything seemed equally exciting to them, whether it be the offering plate that hinted at the mausoleums connection to the vampire narrative, or the design of the stonework, or even just the layout of the torches on the walls. In all honesty it got a bit overwhelming to listen to after a while, and for a moment I was surprised to find myself feeling a bit relieved when they approached Krazad. I'd be more than happy to listen to them talking about most of the things they had mentioned, if they'd just kept their focus on anything for long enough for the discussion to go anywhere. Just my luck, the first ones to really seem to like talking within the Dungeon and they liked it to the point where they weren't making any sense at all. Or maybe they liked starting discussions and just didn't enjoy finishing them. That would also explain what was happening.

At least Katherine made them focus up once they stepped foot in Krazad's chamber. The [Skeletal Necromancer] stood alone in the center of the room, already out of his sarcophagus and clad in his usual cowl of shadows, though of course without his skeletal minions. There would be no fighting today. Still though he stood tall and imperious at the center of the room, wanting to improve my status in the meeting by as much as possible. I didn't know how much it made a difference, but it was still nice that he cared.

The three humans stopped a few steps in front of Krazad, who waited for them to speak.

"Greetings." Katherine spoke up. "This time it is us who are seekers of information. You have our gratitude for agreeing to meet with us."

Polite, that boded well. I sent Krazad my response.

"I return your greetings in the place of The Dungeon Veos." He said. "He is willing to trade information, if that is what you wish. I will serve as liaison for this purpose."

Katherine nodded. "Then I thank you... What should I call you?"

"My Name is Krazad the Necromancer, though you might also adress your questions to Veos directly, as he is able to hear all we speak."

"Krazad!?" Korbin exclaimed. "Like from the note."

"I knew it had something to do with the later Floors..." Florian muttered.

"Focus." Katherine admonished.

"But Hallmaster, this is the first time..." Florian began, but Katherine held up a hand.

"If we have time once the discussion is done, and if the Dungeon is willing, you may ask a few questions. Before then we have something that is more important to do."

I wasn't sure I agreed with that - they wanted to talk about the Story! - but I could see Katherine's reasoning. They had come here for a specific purpose after all.

"Speak your questions." Krazad said.

"Right... First and foremost, I... we... are curious about the fates of the previous Challengers." She sounded sad all of a sudden. "What happened to them? Where did they go wrong?"

I knew this question would be coming. I sent to Krazad. They were not strong enough to defeat Stalker, and found this out too late into the fight. BUt they were unfortunate in that an initial setback cascaded to the point that they could no longer retreat. The Mage especially was unlucky.

"So it was just them being unlucky?" Katherine said bitterly after Krazard relayed my words.

They were outmatched, but it was due to bad luck that all of them died yes. I sent.

Katherine frowned and stared out into space for a few seconds, and even the two eccentric old men behind her remained silent. I could understand their frustration. They had come seeking answers, but there wasn't anything to be learned from being unlucky. Nothing they could do to be better prepared next time.

Ah I should tell them about my changes. Then at least they would have something. I sent my words to Krazad.

"There are ways to affect the difficulty of the Guardian fight, if the Challengers explores the Floor properly." Krazard said. "And they were able to meet the other Challenges the Floor had to offer."

Hey now that wasn't really what I said. I sent.

I am aware. Krazad sent back, his voice still coming out gravelly despite the telepathic method of communication. The words also contained the necromancers emotions, letting me know the reason for the change. He didn't want them to look down on me, and let them know I'd made a mistake. Plus which he felt it was wrong to just tell them how to make the Floor easier. I frowned a bit at that. There was nothing wrong with making mistakes, as long as you learned from them. Plus which I didn't really see the need to be seen as all knowing or something by these people.

"What are you saying?" the left man said, his status page labeling him as Florian. "There is a way to make the Guardian fight easier?"

Ah it was too late to change now. At least it wasn't that big of a deal this time, as the core of the message still came through. But I would have to have a discussion with Krazad about this once these people had left. I sent my response, making sure to tell him to relay my words verbatim this time.

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"There is." Krazad said. "If one was to properly explore the Floor and find everything it has hidden, they would also find the final fight against Stalker to be much simpler."

"How interesting. To have a mechanic that rewards exploration with a literally easier combat encounter..." Florian said, seemingly talking to himself.

"I don't suppose you would be willing to be more specific about what and how this can be achieved?" Katherine asked.

"No." Krazad said before I'd even had a chance to send him anything. "Figuring that out is also a part of the Challenge. You should be thankful we even told you there even is a way."

Hey don't be rude.

"I suppose that's to be expected." Katherine sighed. "And you're right, at least we know there's a way now. That's something." She took a deep breath, seemingly preparing for something.

"Now for the big question. Would you be alright with us..."

"Actually, Hallmaster." Florian interrupted. "Considering what we just learned, do we even need to bring that up?"

"Florian has a point. It seems we already had what we wanted. No need to push our luck, I don't think."

Katherine paused and furrowed her brows in thought, while I tried to figure out what it was that they were so hesitant to ask me. If it had already been answered it probably had something to do with making the Stalker fight easier. No, surely they hadn't been about to ask me to do that? The mere thought was so offensive to me it became preposterous, never mind the fact that I'd already done it myself. That had made me question myself a bit, but since it was me doing it, and it had been done in an attempt to make the Challenge more fair rather than easier, I'd been able to do it. But the ones attempting the Challenge should not also be the ones determining its difficulty. That was a recipe for making it way to easy.

"You're right." Katherine said, grabbing my attention once again. I couldn't be sure that was what she would have asked, but if she had I would have said no. Regardless of if that meant being abandoned or not. Thankfully it seemed the men had convinced her not to ask the question, sparing me from that potential outcome.

"Veos, is this mechanic of rewarding exploration specific to your first Floor, or is it a theme across the entire Dungeon?" Korbin asked. An interesting question. I would definitely prefer if people spent more time exploring the Floors, and the theme of rewarding exploration sounded quite nice. I didn't actually have any such systems set up for the other Floors yet though. But with what Krazad had said earlier, I couldn't exactly say that.

"It is a commonality, yes." I had Krazad say instead. "Though exactly what the rewards are, and how large they are, varies of course."

"Fascinating." Korbin said. "I suppose that is also why there are so many interesting things spread around the Floor, to hint at that sort of thing."

"It was just a shame we didn't realize it sooner." Florian said with a shake of his head. "Then perhaps less Challengers would have had to die."

No, they would have still died. The mechanic didn't exist until yesterday.

"We'll have to do better from here then." Katherine said. "It is also my fault, since I failed to realize the benefits of asking the Dungeon for information."

"That's true." Florian nodded in agreement, which seemed rude.

"I have one final question, if you do not mind?" Katherine said.

"Speak." Krazad said. The woman took out a small, semi-transparent, pink crystal. A quick inspection told me it was something called an [Image Recorder].

"How would you feel if our Challengers brought along some of these on their Challenge? That way, in case all of them die, we will at least know what happened to them. It would help bring some closure."

My instincts wanted to scream out 'no' right away. Recording how someone failed could also be used to help prepare those who come later. But that could also be said about just telling people what happened, and it wasn't as if I was wiping their memories every time they left the Dungeon...

...It's not a good idea, stupid insticts. They would just never walk in if that was the case, then I'd be left alone with nothing to do. Plus which they'd forget my Story completely. No, I wasn't going to start doing that.

A recording was a bit different in that it could be studied over and over in more detail, though. And memory could also be faulty, and was tainted by perspective in a way a recording wasn't. No, having a recording of an entire Challenge attempt was simply out of the question. It would provide too much outside help to the next Challengers. Though it wasn't as if I didn't understand why she was asking. There was another reason to want a recording, apart from just cheesing the Challenge.

I could maybe modify the recording so that it only showed the final moments of the person. That way they still got some closure, but didn't get to see my secrets. And of course if there was at least one survivor I could delete the whole thing, as they had someone left with the ability to report. That was a compromise I could accept. I had Krazad relay my thoughts to Katherine, who nodded.

"I can work with that, if you promise to provide access to either me or a proxy to retrieve the [Recorder] if we need it."

"It would depend on who the proxy is." I said through Krazad. "I won't remove the [Blacklist] for just anyone."

"One of us three, then." Katherine said after a moment's thought.

"That is acceptable."

"Great, then we have a deal." Katherine turned to the other two, who nodded and the three then held up a small [Emerald Fog Shard] each. I was confused for a moment, until I remembered the object I'd needed to add to get the Quest to work. I accepted the stones, and felt the Quest be resolved as three [Health Potions] materialized in their place.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Veos." Katherine said with a small bow. "Know that the Guild is grateful for your information. If you have any questions of us, we will answer them."

Alright, now we're talking. I'd spent hours conversing with Morrígan about what I should ask about in case I ever got the chance to do so. It was time to learn the truth about so many things.

Tell me about the Elorian Empire.

Katherine blinked once Krazard relayed my words, then turned a confused look at her fellows, who both shrugged.

"I'm afraid I don't know much." She said when she turned back. "It was a large country on the eastern coast of the continent that dissolved into half a dozen smaller countries a long time ago. And none of those countries even exist as they were anymore either."

"Baltien held on the longest, existing up until just 100... something years ago." Florian said. "Some would even say it still exists now, and it only changed it's name to Kinova to avoid the bad connotations people had with their royal family."

"Those people would be fools." Korbin said. "If you look at the difference in how the Kinovan..."

It barely paid attention as Korbin and Florian descended into a discussion about the politics of the various incarnations of what had once been the Elorian empire, as one thing was vastly more important than anything specific they had to say.

The Empire had been real.