Lewd Dungeon, Chapter 181 (Patreon)

Chapter 181 – Introduction

Miguel shook his head as he stepped through the portal. Of course, it hadn’t been as easy as the Demon’s warlock companion just showing up, and everyone walking through the portal. The Warlock had insisted that the other Guildmasters signed the same contracts he had signed.

That had taken some time, since they had all been warned about the Demon and his contracts. No one wanted to be tricked into accidentally enslaving themselves, or their guilds, to the Demon, after all. Still, in the end, they had all signed, and the warlock had opened the portal for them.

Looking around, he nodded as he saw that they were, once again, in the ‘living room’ style area that he’d been in before, last time he came to speak with the Demon. When he’d found out the truth about him. This time, instead of a being set up for a couple guys doing the dungeon equivalent of getting together to watch a football game on the TV, the room was set up for an informal get-together, with a couple tables set up, one for a buffet of snacks, and the other a self-serve bar.

He could feel the others’ eyes on him as he stepped towards the bar, and began mixing himself a drink. Looking back to the group, Miguel grinned. “You signed the contracts, and the Demon is very particular with his contracts. So long as you don’t go breaking the rules, this area is a ‘safe zone’. No hostile monsters, traps, or poisons, other than the alcohol in the drinks.”

“Been here before, buddy?”

Miguel chuckled, and nodded to Brice. “Yes, actually. You know how the Ambassador heard about this place, and wanted to take a tour? Well, I got to sit here enjoying ‘hospitality’ while they went through an abbreviated version of the dungeon. Basically, everything there was at the time except for the Black Temple.”

Jacob nodded slowly, the burly Alaskan looking around. “So, everything in here is safe? The Demon won’t try to trick us?”

“Well, everything in here is as safe as it normally might be. You drink absinthe at your own risk, no matter where you are, after all. But if you’re talking about poisons or curses in the food? No, he would consider that as a breach of contract.”

“But he will try to trick us?”

“Oh, most certainly. The only question is how. Mark my words, he’ll have an offer at some point, and he’ll make it sweet, probably too sweet for you to be able to turn it down without serious problems, but there’ll be a price to pay, that benefits him more than it costs him to deliver on his promise.

“Of course, the Demon will never lie outright. Not because he can’t, but because it is against the rules that he’s put on himself. Says that it keeps things ‘interesting’. However, just because he isn’t lying, doesn’t mean he is telling the truth.”

“Now, Miguel, that is so very hurtful. You act like I’ve lied to you before!”

Miguel was pleased to see that his head was the only one that didn’t snap to the side as the Demon started speaking, appearing out of nowhere. Turning to face the Demon, he simply raised his glass in a toast. “Oh, no. You’ve never told me anything that wasn’t true. But it is possible to lie through omission, saying something that is true, when taken from outside, but has a meaning that is not true for those ‘in the moment’. Something you do shamelessly.”

“Oh, my. You aren’t still upset about that little tiny deception I made, and won’t let you talk about because of the contract? Don’t worry, these guild masters are covered by the same clause, and are likewise prohibited from speaking about it to those not in the know. In fact, the little gnome lady has already Analyzed me, even though she cheekily tried to hide it.”

All eyes now turned to look at Sumi, the Seattle guild leader. Miguel chuckled as he watched her wide-eyed shock turn to a look of annoyance as the gnome realized she had been caught. “Damn it, I didn’t think you would catch it. But, yes, I saw.” And, with a wave of her hand, she made the notification box visible to everyone.

Kuronoth

Avatar Male

Level 35

Miguel looked at the box, and then turned back to the Demon. “You leveled up quite a bit since the last time I was in here. Did that have something to do with the ‘dungeon war’ your servant talked about?”

“Wait, wait, wait!” Catalina shook her head. “Avatar is not one of the Demon evolution paths! I should know, because I looked them all over as I was selecting my race thanks to the boons I got! His race should be some form of Incubus, not Avatar!”

“That would only be true if’n he were an actual demon, Catalina.” Courtney said, her Southern drawl at odds with her elven features. She held up one hand as Catalina turned on her, and then looked over to Miguel. “Let me guess, he never actually goes and claims that he is a demon, but always does stuff like ‘I am called’ or shit like that, right?”

Miguel nodded, “Yes, everyone who has spoken with him reports the same. And it is even true on our forums, when he decides to join in the chat.”

Courtney nodded. “That would be one of those ways he can lie without lying. He looks like a demon, tells people to call him a demon, doesn’t correct people when they say he’s a demon, so everyone believes he’s a demon. But Avatars are not a race. They are projections, magic used by entities that either lack a form in this plane, or need to condense their being into something mortals can interact with.”

“Excellently put, my dear. Yes, as Courtney said, this form is a projection of my true self, a way to interact with mortals who aren’t bound to me, body and soul, without forcing my way into one of my minions’ minds and using them like a sock puppet for my will. I am the Forbidden Chambers of Exotic Pleasures, the dungeon itself.”

The guild leaders all looked at the Demon, and then turned to look at me. I nodded. “The Ambassador was in his core room when she Analyzed him. She saw the core’s information, as well, separate from his avatar.”

“Ha, ha, ha!” Nostriano burst out laughing. “Oh, dear me. I haven’t seen someone pull off a racket like this in years. Well done. So, if the Demon is actually the Dungeon, does that mean that we have a dungeon that is not only alive, and able to think and negotiate for itself, but is also seeking to become a god?”

The Demon smiled, and said, “Oh, indeed. After all, I’m already immortal and untouchable, as far as the law is concerned, so why not go further, and see how much I can get for myself? I have to have something to occupy my time, you know.”

“Oh, yes, I’m sure, I’m sure. And you’ve been quite busy, haven’t you? You’ve even spread your ‘good word’ overseas.”

Miguel’s eyes widened as Nostriano dropped that bombshell, but, before he could say anything, the New York guild leader reached into his inventory, and pulled out a book with a black cover. “An… associate in Paris came into possession of a few copies of this book, the ‘Tome of Kuronoth. Apparently, it started appearing in the dungeon that opened in the catacombs beneath the city.”

“Ah, yes. Well, as you have no doubt put together, dungeons are, indeed, alive, and are as connected to the System as all other creatures. It takes a while for ‘normal’ dungeons to wake up enough that they can be called properly sentient, much like human children are not really worth considering as people until they are at least in their teenage years, if not later. But, just as people can become gnomes, elves, and succubi, it is also possible for people to become dungeons.”

Jacob nodded slowly. “So, you have some means of contacting other dungeons, then?”

“Yes, and trading with them. There are quite a few self-aware dungeons in the world, and, yes, we are in contact with each other. Just like any community, we have rules that we’ve set for ourselves. For instance, I won’t tell you which dungeons are ‘awake’, or give you information that could harm them. In return, they do the same for me. If we hear about someone doing something towards dungeon-kind that we dislike, then we will all step in and smack people down. However, if there is a dungeon that goes rabid or rogue, and needs to be put down, then we won’t interfere. Otherwise, we allow each other to do our own thing, even if there are… philosophical differences between us.”

Alexander cleared his throat. “Your servant mentioned something called a ‘dungeon war’?”

“Indeed. When two dungeons’ territories touch, they come into conflict more often than not. This results in what the System calls a Dungeon War, where one dungeon attempts to invade the other. In the end, either the invading forces are eliminated or captured, or they reach the defending core, and claim it. If the Defender wins, then the Attacker is forced to cede resources to them. If the Attacker wins, however, then they can choose to absorb, destroy, or subordinate the defeated core.”

The Earth Mage nodded slowly. “And what does the attacker gain from that?”

“If the core is absorbed, then the dungeons merge, and the fallen core feeds the victor, increasing their strength. If the core is destroyed, well, it is no different from if you killed a monster. The winner gets XP and loot, and the fallen dungeon is destroyed. Very useful, I assure you.

“As for subordination? Well, think of it like a corporation who purchases a new subsidiary. They get access to the subsidiary’s products and intellectual property, as well as a cut of their revenue stream. In return, the subsidiary now has someone over them that can provide protection, and infuse resources into their operation, if they choose.”

Miguel frowned. “But there aren’t any dungeons near enough to here to have come into contact with you. The closest is in the keys!”

The Demon gave Miguel a knowing smile. “Ah, but that is where the System comes in again.” There was a shimmer, and in his hand was a crystal shard that looked like a stake. “This is a Core Spike. When planted, it creates a small pocket of territory belonging to the dungeon it came from. If I were to, say, plant a spike in Miami, then I would have a little pocket of territory there. Place it at the border of a dungeon, and I could send my creatures to invade.”

Miguel nodded. “Using the portals, like the ones connecting your floors, right?”

“Exactly. Planting a Core Spike somewhere gives me a pocket of territory there, and I can do anything there that I could anywhere within my territory, including opening portals and spawning monsters. So, no, there are no dungeons near here that are touching my territory, but I did reach out and touch another dungeon’s territory.”

“Where, if you don’t mind me asking? Is it this dungeon in France that Nostriano was talking about?”

“Ah, no, Miguel. The dungeon in Paris is doing quite nicely. I have no reason to meddle with it. No, the dungeon I conquered was in bad shape. The poor thing was starving, to the point where they likely would have died if I hadn’t done anything.”

Sumi frowned. “Why was it starving?”

“Because, my dear, dungeons require food, just like any creature. The more creatures fight and die in our halls, the stronger we become. Unfortunately for this dungeon, there are not many living creatures on the Moon.” He shrugged. “Now that I’ve taken her in, however, I’ll be able to start feeding her easily enough.”

The assembled guild leaders just stared at the Demon, slackjawed. Finally, Brice spoke up. “You got to the moon, and conquered a dungeon there?”

“Why, yes. You see, some bounty hunters from another planet came to try and relieve me of my property, but they failed, and I took their ship. So, my followers flew up to the moon, and took over the dungeon they found there.”

The Demon paused, and then said, “Of course, that only leads in to what I’m offering you all.” He chuckled at Miguel’s grimace. “Yes, yes. I heard you warn them, you know. But, still, I think it is a good offer. I can produce core spikes that will allow me to open portals, portals that could be used to connect your guild halls through my dungeon.”

He smiled, and said, “Think about it. Your members would be able to move around the country instantly, allowing you to go to many different areas. I’m sure many of your people are tired of just experiencing the ‘local’ dungeons. Even better, once the dungeon on the moon is ready, those you let through would be able to go to the moon. How many of them would like to see the Apollo 11 lander up close?”

Nostriano grimaced. “And what will this cost us?”

The Demon’s predatory smile grew even wider.