Lewd Dungeon, Chapter 257 (Patreon)

Chapter 257 – Monkey King

And so it happened that the Bloodhawk, manned by my loyal soldiers, picked up an emissary from the Chinese government when we landed briefly at the airport in Beijing. His name was Kang Wei, and he was dressed in a formal Zhongshan suit. As he stepped onto the ship, I took a moment to Appraise him.

Kang   Wei

Human   Male

Level 35   Monk / Diplomat

Titles:   Wise

That Appraisal made me reconsider him for a moment. The suit he wore was well-tailored, yes, but it had been made so that he could move easily, if he needed to. And his gait flowed like that of a trained fighter, always leaving him on the brink of explosive movement, while never looking out of place.

And this Monk was also a Diplomat, and had the Wise title. This was a more powerful combination than one might think. The Monk Class gained power from Wisdom, as did the Diplomat profession. Both had some skills that would augment wisdom. And the Wise title obviously boosted the holder’s wisdom, as well. This unassuming diplomat was actually a hidden powerhouse, for a Tier 1!

I focused on the man as we landed at the official parking lot. Thankfully, the lot had been cleared for us, which made landing the ship easy. “Mister Kang, from here on out, I expect you to remain silent, until the initial contact between myself and the Monkey King has been finished. You are not under my protection, nor am I associating myself with your mission here, but I am warning you all the same. The affairs of divinities must needs be settled before the mortals speak their case. Doing otherwise would be seen as a snub, and a disrespect to both divinities present.”

“Both divinities?”

“Yes. Putting yourself before me would, of course, imply that you, and your country, think yourselves more important than a god, which would be a snub to me. However, doing this in another divinity’s home means that you force the host to come down, and decide whether to snub the divinity, or to punish the mortal for speaking out of place. In addition, it implies that the host does not know enough about the order of things to know who is higher in standing.”

Kang nodded slowly. “I see. Then, I shall follow your lead. But, if we are going to see the Monkey King, why did we stop at this tourist destination?”

“Because, just as I showed respect to China by not flying my ship in your airspace without permission, I would also show respect to the Monkey King.” I shook my head, as I made for the exit. “Come, from here on, we proceed on foot. Our destination is the Shuilian Cave, the ‘Water Curtain Cave’ of myth, where the Monkey King made his home. The ship will have been noted, and I will be walking with my power uncloaked, so I doubt we will make it to the entrance of the cave unchallenged.”

Kang, to his credit, simply nodded, and followed in the middle of our pack. The ship was sealed, and my devout followers walked behind me, in two lines of three, with Kang between them. Ms. Darrows and her people had grown into their role as the personal strike force of my church, and I did not doubt that, in time, she would go on to bring more teams into the fold, as my reach extended through the stars.

I smiled as I walked along the path, following the tourist maps to reach the supposed site of the mythological Water Curtain Cave. The System had revitalized the area in ways that human senses were not equipped to fully process. Mana flowed through the very land, here, and all the plants and animals were larger, and more vibrant, than they were elsewhere. Even if it was not the mythological mountain, belief and magic were making it so.

And, as I predicted, we had not gone far before the screeching in the trees began, as monkeys became aware of us. Or, rather, became aware of me. I wore my divinity openly, something I did not typically do, and the power was enough to make the monkeys sound the alarm. It did not take long for a challenge to be called.

“Who intrudes upon the domain of the Great Monkey King, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, and the Guardian of the Heavenly Horses?”

The voice came from everywhere and nowhere. A trick of magic, designed to confuse the senses and inspire awe in listeners. Or, at the very least, making sure that the speaker would not be immediately noticed, if things turned hostile, granting them the benefit of surprise.

However, as a dungeon and a god, magic was part of my very being, and I turned to face the source of the magic. Though I couldn’t see them, due to the trees, I knew that the speaker would see me looking straight at them. It was a minor thing, but an important play in this game.

Infusing magic into my voice, I called back, “It is I, Kuronoth, God of Pleasure, Domination, and Dungeons, He Who Speaks No Lies, Lord of the Forbidden Chambers of Exotic Pleasures, the One Who Bound She of the Shattered Chains! I come, openly, and with respect, to speak with the Great Sage Equaling Heaven! Will the Great Sage grant us an audience, and receive our gifts?”

“Ha! You speak pretty big, for one so small! But you at least know how to show respect to one as great as the Monkey King! Then come, and you shall be received at the Water Curtain Cave, as petitioners to the Great Sage!”

The voice disappeared, and I could sense the focal point moving away from us. Looking back to the rest of the group, I grinned. “Well, that went well. Looks like we passed the first test.”

As we continued on the trail, I sensed the power in the air growing. This whole mountain was slowly transforming into the Monkey King’s domain. And the power was getting stronger the closer we got to the cave. In the myth, this is where the Great Monkey King got his start, and, thus, it was the seat of his power here on Earth.

Of course, when dealing with divinities, the mortal realm was not really equipped for such things. This place would probably be one of those areas where the veil between the mortal and immortal realms was paper thin, allowing gods to freely come and go as they wished. Either that, or the System would create a portal or gateway, allowing the Monkey King to exist in his realm, without troubling the mortal realm.

Which one would happen? Both were well represented in the System’s lore, if you knew where to look. Either one happened with the rise of a new divinity. I suspected that the answer, in this case, would depend on how our introduction went.

As we walked, monkeys began gathering in the trees around us. Some were small, but others were larger, clearly not species native to this land. And then there were ones with fur of different shades, such as green, and blue, and red. As I watched, vines twisted around the green ones, mist fell from the blue ones, and flame smoldered at the red ones’ touch. That could only be the result of magic infusing the monkeys with elemental powers, meaning that the System was well at work here.

Eventually, we came to a crashing waterfall. The water was the purest blue that I had ever seen in nature, and a rainbow formed in the mist. Monkeys of all types jumped and played and hooted and screeched as they enjoyed the water constantly flowing from the spring above.

Two great monkeys, wearing ancient armor of leather and bronze, stood at the entrance to the cavern. Each looked more like the size and build of gorillas, despite clearly being monkeys, and they were slightly larger than a silverback gorilla would be. In their hands, each monkey guardian held a ji, a type of Chinese polearm, with a dark wooden shaft and a blade of green metal.

As we approached, the monkey on the left spoke. “Who comes to the Water Curtain Cave?”

“I am Kuronoth, and we have come to offer gifts to the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, and to speak with him. Six of these with me are my retinue, and the last is a dignitary from the Chinese government, who, hearing that the Sage had awoken, wished to treat with him. This dignitary is not under my protection, and I take no sides in what discussion they might have with the Sage, but I may act as witness to any bargains struck, so that man and gods alike might know what transpires.”

Three loud hoots came from inside the cave, and the two guardians stepped aside, opening the way for us. Once more, I led the way, both because I was the least vulnerable out of all my people, and also to show to the Monkey King that I was not afraid. You never get a second chance to make a first impression, after all.

Our host knew this, too, for inside the cave, the space stretched in a way that could only truly be accomplished through an act of divinity, or by a dungeon. There were tens of thousands of monkeys in attendance, and yet the space seemed close and homey. On each side of a central aisle, there were eight ranks of nine guardian monkeys, armed and armored just as the ones outside. That was another subtle message, as the number eight symbolized success, and nine signaled longevity. For the guardians of the Monkey King, who had gained several forms of immortality, this was a perfect arrangement.

At the end of that aisle, there was the Monkey King himself. Flesh of stone forged into steel by the fires of a divine furnace, clad in armor gifted to him by the Dragon Kings, and bearing a legendary staff of black iron, banded with gold on either end. This was the Sun Wukong of legend, bearing the mighty Ruyi Jingu Bang.

As we approached, I could see that he stood a good eight feet tall, and the power rolling off of him could be felt even by mundane mortals. And, I could also tell that his power easily equaled my own, and probably exceeded it. Even if it didn’t, I knew that Sun Wukong had far more battle experience and trickery to his name than I did. So, I did the prudent thing, and showed respect with a formal bow, as one leader to another.

“Mighty Sun Wukong, King of the Monkeys, Protector of the Mountain, Great Sage Equaling Heaven, I greet you. I am Kuronoth, God of Pleasure, Domination, and Dungeons, and I have come to offer gifts and counsel to you upon your awakening into this world of the System. Will you receive them?”

“Ho, what’s this? Gifts, you spoke of before, but not of counsel. Who are you, to think that you can offer counsel to one such as I, who equals heaven?”

I smiled, since there was curiosity in that reply, not anger. “First, allow me to present my gifts.” I clapped my hands, and three portals opened before me, depositing the gifts I had gathered upon the ground.

First was a large basket, full of peaches. “Here, I present to you a basket of peaches, grown in my own land, filled with the magic that it has become known for. Though they cannot compare to the peaches of the Jade Emperor’s personal orchard, I hope that they will at least suffice as a welcoming gift.”

Sun Wukong’s eyes grew wide as he looked at the peaches. His love for the fruit was written time and again throughout the myths and legends, after all. Still, he was canny enough to not allow too much of his emotion show.

“Peaches from your own garden? Hmph. As one who has eaten the Jade Emperor’s private stock, I admit their color pales in comparison, but I will accept this gift, in the spirit it is given.”

“Second, I offer you an amulet made of starsteel, and inset with a piece of purest jade. This amulet has been enchanted so that the wearer may breathe freely, no matter the situation. No noxious fume or unpleasant odor shall trouble him. Whether he travels to the depths of the ocean, or to the airless voids between stars, he shall breathe as though he were on dry land, in pleasing climes. Thus, shall the wearer be able to journey wherever they wish, without complaint.”

Now, the Monkey King could not help but hide his lust for the gift. Such a thing might seem small, and unassuming, but the freedom it offered was beyond compare. The simple idea that one could move between stars was enough to catch his fancy.

“A gift worthy of a King, indeed. You are no arrogant lord, like those who inhabit the Jade Emperor’s palace. What of the last gift, then?”

I smiled, and looked at the last of the three gifts, a large, leather-bound book. “This is a record, made and updated by the System, of all the strongest fighters in the galaxy. Turn to a page, and the System will offer you tales of their glories and triumphs. Of course, as a product of the System, it only covers areas under the System’s domain, meaning that anyone from Earth would have to go out into the galaxy and forge their legend for all to see. But, should they do that, then they will find their own name within the book’s pages, and no one, be they man or god, may dispute or lessen their claim.”

If the Monkey King had been excited before, his hoots of pleasure now were even more splendid to behold.