Lewd Dungeon - Chapter 51 (Patreon)

Chapter 51 – The Soldiers  

(Conference room at a military base in Miami)

Maria Sandiego, the newest field reporter for Channel 5 News, looked over at her camerawoman, Zoe Barret, and said, “So, we set up for everything, Zoe?”

Zoe nodded, “Yeah, we’re set up. So why we starting with the military if we’re doing a special on the dungeon? Why not go with some adventurers?”

“Because the two teams of adventurers best known for going into the dungeon and actually interacting with the Demon aren’t in Miami, or even ‘Swamptown’, any more. They apparently left in the middle of the night on a magic-powered barge to go help fight the Undead up towards Naples.”

“And the soldiers that brought news of the dungeon to the world are the best source after that. All right, I can see that. So how are we going to be getting down into the depths of the dungeon to talk to this Demon for the interview? Because I don’t know about you, but I haven’t had much time for ‘levelling up’ my combat skills.”

“I would like to know that as well.” A new voice entered the conversation, and the two newsies looked up to see Sergeant Isabella Vasquez, the female member of the group of four soldiers best known for exploring the dungeon. The three guys were behind her as they all entered the conference room.

“Ah, thank you so much for taking the time to meet with us. You must be Vasquez? And that would make you Hicks, Hudson, and Drake? I’m Maria Sandiego, from Channel 5, and we were hoping to do a story on the demon of the dungeon.”

Hicks shook the offered hand, and said, “That’s why we’re here, ma’am. We’re to give you a rundown on what we know about the demon, minus classified material, of course, but Vasquez asked a good question. How are you going to get into the dungeon to meet with the demon without getting killed?”

“But the Demon invited us? Why would he let the dungeon try to kill us? If that happened, the story wouldn’t get out!”

Hicks sighed. “All right, Vasquez, you and Hudson help the camerawoman set up.” Looking back to Maria, he asked, “So, did your channel come to some kind of agreement with the Demon?”

“Of course we did. We couldn’t just go in without permission. It is too far out to the town in the swamp for us to just scout things out without proper supplies.”

“What exactly did this agreement say, ma’am? Did it explicitly include safe passage for you and your cameraperson? Did it make provisions for bodyguards? Will you have dispensation to avoid the normal setup where visiting a floor before you’ve defeated the boss of the prior floor will turn you into a slave of the dungeon?”

“Well, it did say that doing this series of interviews would count as a ‘service to the dungeon’, which would allow us to pass from one floor to the next without needing to beat the floor boss. Perhaps we ought to get you in front of the camera, so we can get this on tape?”

“Very well.”

Soon they were all set up in front of the camera, and Zoe motioned for them to begin. Maria smiled at the camera, and said, “Hello, and welcome to a special edition of Where in the State is Maria Sandiego? This month’s feature is on one of the big new players in Miami after the Apocalypse, the so-called Demon of the Dungeon that is running the dungeon out in the Everglades. To start off our special report, we wanted to go straight to the best known source of information on the dungeon, Captain Hicks and his team. As you know, Captain Hicks and his team are credited with the first successful foray into the dungeon, and have returned several times since then, uncovering new information about the dungeon each time.”

She took a breath, and said, “Captain, while we were setting up, we were talking about agreements with the demon, and why one should be careful of the language used, can you elaborate for our viewers?”

Hicks smiled. At least she had a good way to introduce the topic. “Sure, Maria. Since we first discovered the existence of the demon, we know of several individuals or groups that have entered into contracts or agreements with the demon. What many of these people don’t understand, however, is that the contracts the demon makes area all magically binding contracts under the System, which makes it a dangerous prospect for those who are not used to negotiating high-power contracts.”

Maria nodded. “What exactly makes these contracts so perilous?”

“Well, let me start by saying that the demon never, to our knowledge, outright lies about what is in an agreement. However, any politician can tell you that it is possible to lie while telling the truth, depending on how much of the truth you say and how you say it. A phrase that can mean two things, but you just happen to interpret it the wrong way? That’s your fault for not clarifying. And it goes on from there.”

“So that is the first thing. The demon lies by telling you the truth, or half a truth, or by simply not telling you all the details. We have a confirmed case of the Demon giving System objects to an adventurer that included Slave Collars purchased from the System itself. The price for two collars and certain… enhancements to the individual in question was more than the individual initially thought, because he was too wrapped up in what the demon was selling him to ask. By the time he was stopped, three people had already been enslaved to the dungeon, with no way to recover them, and the individual, who is now deceased, was supposed to gain eighteen more people to pay his ‘debt’.”

Maria gasped, and said, “Twenty-one people? What enhancements could be worth that much?”

Hicks sighed, and said, “Apparently they were… male enhancements of a magicall nature, as well as getting two women who tormented him to be his personal slaves. And no, the results apparently were nowhere near the level of twenty-one souls worth of payment. But the fool didn’t read the contract before signing it, and so he was on the hook like it or not, and six lives have been ruined because of him.”

“Are all deals with the dungeon like that?”

“No, the demon doesn’t go around screwing over everyone who makes a deal that badly, most likely for the same reason why the dungeon is set at a level where someone CAN get through the floors if they’re an appropriate level, but it is always a challenge. Too easy, and he’s giving things away. Too hard, and no one comes to him, and he gets nothing. No, most deals with the Demon clearly leave you feeling screwed, but not as badly as it could have been.”

“So have you ever had to make a deal with the demon?”

“Yes, and I’ve talked with a few others who have since.”

“Any tips for those who might be considering it?”

“The more desperate you are, the more likely the Demon is to offer you a deal, or consider a deal if you come to him. However, the terms will always be weighted in his favor. Either because what he is getting is something he values more than what he’s giving up, or because the price he’s extracting from you is something he knows you’ll hate. He enjoys sadistic punishments for those who upset him, and that carries over into the way he makes his deals.”

“What is a typical example of a condition he may wish for in a deal?”

Sergeant Vasquez spoke up, and her voice was wooden, as though remembering something unpleasant. “He enjoys forcing people to… please him.”

Hicks looked over at her, and said, “Sergeant, you don’t have to…”

Vasquez shook her head. “No, I’m good.” She took a breath, and then looked at the camera. “The first time we entered the dungeon, we were not prepared for what we would face. It was not long after the Apocalypse, and so we didn’t know what we’d be up against. In the beginning, there was no way to backtrack if you couldn’t defeat the floor boss, it was either finish the floor or die. The Demon needed things, and knew we could provide them. There were four of us, it said, and it needed four ‘boons’ to let us go.”

She paused, took a deep breath, and said, “The boon I had to give was to allow him to assault me for two hours. Two of the longest hours of my life. I was in such bad shape that my team would have been brought up on charges if I hadn’t testified on their behalf to the JAG officer.”

Maria blanched, and said, “Oh, oh my. I’m so sorry. If you like, we can erase this part?”

Vasquez shook her head. “No. Leave it in. But to go on, most of the groups who have made deals with the Demon have stated that there are often more… sexual components to the deal, which aren’t always mentioned up front unless the group is deseperated. Part of this is for the Demon’s amusement, it seems, and part of it is so he can attempt to… breed new creatures.”

“That’s horrible! How can something like that be allowed?”

Hicks cut in to answer for the sergeant. “Unfortunately, it is less a case of what should or should not be allowed, and more of one about what can be done about it? The Demon has been very smart. The most widely spread contract he has is one that is open to all who dive into the dungeon. If they sign the contract, then they are allowed to use the escape routes offered to get out of the dungeon if they feel they are over their head. In return, the contract forbids them from seeking to harm the dungeon, or aiding those who would. So every adventurer who has entered the dungeon and signed the contract would be magically bound to oppose a military attempt to enforce US law on the dungeon, for instance.”

“Are there no adventurers who haven’t signed the contract?”

Hicks nodded. “We had report of one group, led by a Paladin of a Goddess of Freedom, that did not sign the contract because they expressly intended to destroy the demon and perhaps the dungeon along with it. What we learned is that the dungeon becomes far more dangerous and deadly when one does not sign the contract. If one considers the ‘normal’ dungeon a difficult, but fair, challenge, then when going in intending to destroy the dungeon, ‘fairness’ goes out the window entirely, and the demon actively seeks to destroy you, through its minions. The group I spoke of barely escaped with their lives, and are under heavy curses that will not resolve themselves for years.”

“You are one of the groups that has had the most exposure to the Demon personally, what are your impressions of him?”

Drake answered this time. “Truth is, what we’ve seen of the Demon is only what he wants us to see, I’m sure. We only have his word on what limits, if any, there are to his abilities, especially as they pertain to the dungeon. But what we’ve seen, I don’t think we’re dealing with any kind of larger agenda. The Demon acts to amuse itself and to survive, but otherwise allows actions to play out as they will in the dungeon.”

“I see, and do you have any advice for groups entering the dungeon for the first time?”

Hicks nodded, and said, “A mixed-gender team is advisable, but everyone should be apprised of the dangers ahead of time. If you enter the dungeon, it isn’t a question of ‘if’ you’ll end up intimate with someone on your team, but rather ‘who’ and ‘how often’. If you can’t deal with that reality, then you need to stay out of the dungeon, and go hunting Goblins or something.”

Hudson spoke up next, “Reconditioned or System-made weapons are essential, especially when dealing with slimes. Getting them enhanced by one of your casters to be magical will keep them from melting, and will give you better odds of actually hurting the slimes.”

Drake spoke next, “Melee weapons are the best choice, but also the most dangerous. If you must use ranged weapons, then be sure to conserve ammunition. Some ‘drops’ include ammo, but the further down you go, the more critical those rounds will be. The first two floors, especially, are designed to make you waste ammunition.”

Vasquez finished up, “Don’t underestimate anything in that place. Everything can be a trap. Even the safe zones are designed to tweak you psychologically. And pay attention to what kind of monsters you’re fighting. A Slime Lord will leave you with 24 hours to get cleansed, or you’re dead. But with fungal zombies, the time can be a lot shorter. The Goblins have been known to capture adventurers alive, though they soon wish they were dead. So keep in mind what you’re fighting, and what it is they do to those they defeat. Sometimes you can get out of a bad situation by letting it happen, and living long enough to get to a priest for a cleanse.”

The talked some more, before Maria finished with her questions, and Zoe signaled that the camera was now off. Looking at the soldiers, Maria smiled, and said, “Thank you so much. And you wouldn’t happen to know anyone that might be able to guard us on our trip to see the Demon?”