Chapter 152 Sacred Beast Guardian

<<The Dungeon System is also somewhat of a backup for everything you have. >>

‘A backup?’

<<That’s right, a backup. It operates much like your regular system by giving you quests, mobs, regular income and ability to buy skills and items, as well as monsters.>>

‘Now that you mention it… those are all things I can do on my own.’

<<Normally, it would be a land mine for some if they received this system, but it is of secondary use to you. However, focusing on it will allow you to amass an army quickly, as well as provide yourself with the ultimate safe house.>>

‘Is that so? In that case, what do I need to do?’

<<Mostly maintenance. Receiving income can allow for you to buy items from the dungeons shop which looks quite similar to the Store.>>

|DUNGEON STATS|

Dungeon Name: Forbidden Dungeon

Dungeon Rank: C

Dungeon Master: Hyakkiyako

Dungeon Level: 5 Experience Points: 0/40,000

Dungeon Population: /300 Mana Crystals: 10/20 Mana Crystal Production Rate: 1%

Dungeon Attribute: -

|DUNGEON MASTER STATS|

|DUNGEON SHOP|

|SUMMONS|

<<To start it off, I will explain what a dungeon is.>>

‘Ok.’

<<Dungeons are sometimes natural occurrences in places with high mana density. The reason for this is, when there is a large concentration of mana, that mana forms Mana Crystals. However, this takes a long amount of time. Some people don’t even live to see new dungeons being born. In the dungeons, the mana crystals start attracting monsters who lack [Whole Souls] to them. These monsters develop an instinctual need to protect the mana crystals and prevent others from stealing them.>>

‘Huh. So that’s where dungeon mobs come from?’

<<Yes. However, too much concentrated mana at one point is very bad.>>

‘Eh? Why?’

<<Too much mana can reshape anything. Land, terrain, air, creatures or even reality. Mana is extremely potent and as such, the concentration of it is what leads to entire lands being changed into layered dungeons. There are even occasions where dungeons form living entities within them. These entities sole purposes are to ensure that the dungeon is protected and their lives are tied to the fuel of the dungeons, the Dungeon Cores.>>

‘Wait… so the Dungeon Cores are like rechargeable batteries that receive power from the mana crystals around them or something?’

<<… Yes. Wow, you can think.>>

‘Huh?!’

<<The beings created by the dungeon cores however are more special than the average dungeon mob. They wield control over the dungeon’s functions and are in charge of maintaining the dungeon on a daily basis. Ensuring there’s enough protection, the growth rate should be progressing smoothly and reshuffling of floors should be made depending on what needs the most protection.>>

‘Huh. Is that what the Dungeon Master is?’

<<Yes. Once you activated the [Dungeon Core], you were assigned as it’s [Dungeon Master], hence, your life force is attached to the [Dungeon Core]. If the [Dungeon Core] is destroyed, you will die.>>

‘E-Eh? N-No way! I didn’t know that!’

<<It was not deemed necessary information by the [Dungeon Core].>>

‘Wait. Why didn’t you warn me back then?’

<<I was out of commission, being fused.>>

‘Ah… right. Anyway, is this a bad thing?’

<<Logically speaking, yes. However, if you turn the dungeon into a fortress, it could be the most profitable thing you could ever hope to get. Mana crystals are very rare commodities with an absurdly wide variety of uses, especially those with no attributes.>>

‘I see. Also, the [Dungeon Core] speaks?’

<<It is capable of communicating with its [Dungeon Master], yes.>>

‘Shitty codger hasn’t spoken to me even once.’0

<<To make your dungeon stronger, you need to focus on its level, attributes and most importantly, Mana Crystal Production Rate.>>

‘Hmmm, go on.’

<<The level of your dungeon affects its capacity for mobs and access to items in the Dungeon Store. It also, affects how many layers your dungeon can have. You can increase the dungeon’s level through completing quests.>>

‘I see. I guess I haven’t had the time to focus on any of that.’

<<Next are attributes. Attributes mostly affect the dungeons appearance and what types of traps, terrain and mobs appear in them.>>

‘Huh… so like fire attribute?’

<<Yes. Like a fire attribute. This is caused by the mana crystals adapting such attributes.>>

‘I see. How do mana crystals adopt such attributes in the first place?’

<<It most depends on the majority of element particles in the atmosphere. Larm however possesses an abundance in the 8 basic elements, so the mana crystals have remained neutral at their original dungeon master’s orders.>>

‘Kaleb Zen? Wait, how long ago did he make this thing again?’

<<Centuries ago.>>

‘Huh… scary.’

<<You can however buy an attribute from the dungeon shop despite the odds… it is honestly a very weird concept that makes no sense, but the person to create the systems seems to have higher authority than the gods themselves, over how this world functions.>>

I sat down and looked at the sun, feeling exhausted from all the talking. It was starting to feel like a lecture from some know-it-all.

‘Ugh… this is exhausting. Can we take a break? I need to complete the dungeon quests and stuff? That seems easy enough. I currently can’t make those modifications since everyone is in them, right?’

<<You can, but the choice is up to you.>>

‘Naa. Not right now, then. Although it feels weird having my life that exposed.’

‘Master! Master!’

A voice boomed in my head.

‘O-Ow! Who is this?’

‘Eh? Silly master. It’s me. Amethyst.’

‘Eh? Amethyst? I haven’t seen you in like forever. You finished evolving?’

‘Well, yes.’

‘Where are you right now? I’ll come there.’

‘In the dungeons. There’s too many lesser life forms here.’

‘Lesser life forms?’

‘Yes. The ones you call servants.’

‘Rude much?’

‘A perfectly appropriate title. I will come to your side. Simply summon me.’

‘Hmm, sure.’

I summoned Amethyst to my location. This caused a magic circle to be drawn on the ground before me, then a large poof, before revealing to me Amethyst’s new form.

She was now the size of a cow… well she was a bit bigger than a cow. Her purple skin had become darker, rougher and was more reflective. I could see crystal spines jutting out across her back and her head was much like a wyvern’s, except there were no horns. Her eyes were dazzling like Amethysts, but her claws were pitch black and looked very tough.

‘I have an overgrown lizard for a familiar…’

‘Rude much?’

‘Hehehe… wow, you really grew up, huh? You’re really big now. Bigger than me, even.’

‘Well yes, but I can see that I’m still not as strong.’

I scanned her.

STATUS

[Name: Amethyst

[Species: Twilight Crystal Drake Youngling Level 1/50

[Status: [Full]

[Age: 8 days

[Rank: C

[Race Rank: Tier 2

[Titles: |Child of Fell|, |Hyakkiyako’s Familiar Head|, |Quick Grower|, |Double Evolution|, |Sacred Beast Guardian|

[Blessings: |Hyakkiyako’s Blessings|, |Blessings of the Mystic Calamity Dragon, Fell|

[Talent: S grade

[Level: 51 Exp: 10/6800

[Health: 3100/3100 Stamina: 6000/6000 Mana: 500/500 Strength: 450 Speed: 650 Defense: 690 Dexterity: 530 Intelligence: 30 Magic: 120 Luck: 100

|SKILLS|

[Unique Skills: -

[Passive Skills: [Magic Perception Level 1], [Dark Vision Level 7], [Mana Regeneration Level 2], [Twilight Generation Level 1]

[Active Skills: [Dragon Roar Level 1], [Fire Breath Level 1], [Auto Regeneration Level 1], [Telepathy Level 5], [Twilight Energy Manipulation Level 1], [Monstrous Bite Level 1], [Seismic Sense Level 1], [Rock Hard Scales Level 1], [Intimidating Aura Level 1], [Overlord Level 1]

[Affinities: [Fire Magic Affinity], [Light Magic Affinity], [Twilight Magic Affinity], [Crystal Magic Affinity]

[Magic: [Basic Fire Magic Level 1], [Basic Light Magic Level 1], [Basic Crystal Magic Level 1], [Basic Twilight Magic Level 1]

[Magic Skills: -

[Resistances: -

‘Sheesh. All the way to level 50? There’s something very wrong with this scenario for me.’

‘I’m really strong right now, right? Right? Right?’

‘Yes, yes. You’re stronger than you were. No need to shout.’

Amethyst pounced on me and kept licking my face.

‘Uggh! S-Stop.’

Her saliva was getting all over me. I felt gross. Eventually she stopped, leaving me to myself.

‘Oh yes, there’s something else I have to tell you.’

‘What’s that?’

‘I received an alert, telling me that I’m now in charge of Larm forest.’

…

‘W-What?’

I stammered, looking at her in disbelief. She must have made a mistake with the information she actually received.

‘I even got a title for it.’

When she said that, I looked at her stats once again, right at the titles. Now that I thought about it, Amethsyt really had interesting titles. |Child of Fell|, |Double Evolution| and |Sacred Beast Guardian| were all very intriguing. Fell must’ve been the dragon I saw in the visions Kaleb Zen played in my head. So, her mother was called Fell? Interesting name. |Double Evolution| implied she went through 2 evolution processes at a go. Sheesh.

Then there was |Sacred Beast Guardian|. Obviously, the title she inherited post Goliath’s death. That meant, she really was the next person in charge of Larm. Given a short period of time she could become as strong as Goliath himself. I dreaded the future possibilities.

‘W-Wow. Y-You’re actually a Larm’s new guardian deity, huh?’

‘Guardian deity?’

‘Yeah. Something that people worship for protection of sorts. Goliath was such a presence.’

‘I see.’

‘So, what are you going to do about it?’

‘Is there anything to do?’

‘Well, you’re in charge of Larm now. Aren’t you going to oversee it?’

‘Eh? No. I’m not interested in that. Besides, since you’re my master, doesn’t that technically make Larm yours?’

‘What? No. That’s not how it works.’

‘Well, it sort of is?’

‘Hinotori. There’s a bit of a um… problem.’

I head Zana’s voice in my head. I quickly teleported to where she was, and there, I saw her on the ground with her cauldron tilted over and its liquids spilled.

‘W-What happened? Are you ok?’

I tried to help her up. Amethyst also helped me out.

“Y-Yesss. But it seems whatever took Minerva is not allowing anyone to track them, or at least I’m not strong enough.”

She stood up and grabbed her head, before moving to the hamoc she had set up. She got on it and groaned. I had felt her temperature rising and her face was turning red.

‘Are you ok?’

“Yes, yes. I-I think I simply overexerted myself. I will try again once I feel better.’

‘You don’t need to, you know?’

I retreated back after she waved her hands at me.

‘No. I’ll do it because I want to.’

***

Inside the Bee Hive, Yokino was eating roasted fish while playing about with her magic, trying to put them at the highest levels possible.

"So you're just going to sit here the entire time?"

Another presence in the room spoke to her. Yokino glanced at the presence for merely a second and returned to what she was doing.

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Help, the chicken."

Yokino yawned.

"Don't bother me. If the chicken is who you say she is, then losing Minerva would simply be an afterthought to her."

Yokino threw the head of the fish away then reached out for more.

"What makes you think that?"

"You should know what makes me think that."

A spider came over to Yokino and she plucked out two of its legs. The spider screeched on the ground in pain. Apparently, it tried to leave her collective to form its own collective to rebel against her. She was punishing it for doing that and threatened to kill it if it attempted ever again. Afterwards, she threw it into a wall and returned to her conversation.

"I know Akira can be... dense sometimes, but you know more than anyone how he is about losing people he cares about."

Yokino sighed.

"That why he forgot about me? Not once have I seen him grieve about the fact that I died and from what you said, he only died after I did, right?"

"Ah... that's-"

"Nope. No need to talk more. He can suffer for all I care."

Yokino stood up.

"I'm going to send a warning out to my servants. Remember something, "Duchess". In this collaboration, I only do what benefits me, as much as you only do what benefits you. I see no benefits here, so I'm not interested. You want to make the chicken happy? Do it yourself."

The Duchess sighed.

"Sorry to do this to you."

<A/N: Please leave a comment or review to help in getting more readers! Also join the discord here: https://discord.gg/Ew44jhbVym or message me on discord here: Rados47#5271 to get invited>