[I see. A Silver-ranked adventurer with a Reliquary. That is unexpected, indeed.]

  “Yes, unbelievable,” Viktor grumbled.

  He still hadn’t quite swallowed what happened in yesterday’s little street brawl. After all, Reliquaries were not some pieces of crap one casually picked up at the local third-rate smithies. They were rare and valuable artifacts that could only be found in the more treacherous parts of a dungeon. Even highly skilled and experienced adventurers had to put their lives on the line for a chance at obtaining one of those treasures. So the idea that a mere Silver had such a weapon handed to her like a birthday gift from her rich boyfriend really made his blood boil.

  [Nevertheless, I don’t think this adventurer in particular, or even her entire party, could pose a problem for us.]

  “Agreed. Putting everything else aside, if all that axe does is fling some invisible projectiles, then it’s probably just a low-tier weapon.”

  [Yes, I would rate it a D rank at best.]

  That got a chuckle out of him. I didn’t know that Dungeon Cores had a ranking system for Reliquaries.

  “But let’s not get cocky. We shouldn’t underestimate them. The construction of the new areas must be completed as soon as possible. Speaking of which...” Viktor glanced around the chamber he was teleported into. “This looks much better than the previous ones.”

  He was standing inside the third Core Room of his dungeon. The first two—one hastily constructed right under the first floor at the beginning, the other a small chamber located just behind the arena of the second floor and connected to the staircase to the third—were now left vacant. Both of those former Core Rooms were nothing but empty spaces with Celeste’s crystalline body floating in the middle, but this one was different.

  This chamber was larger and much more vibrant. At the center stood a dais, where the Core hovered, surrounded by several sets of tables and chairs of various sizes. More notably, on one section of the walls, a mural was carved, depicting the battle between Sebekton and the two Gold-ranked adventurers. The towering Crocodilian was grasping the dark-skinned woman’s headless body, while the bald man and the fiery phoenix were flying around him. The rest of the walls, however, were still blank, ready to tell the stories of upcoming glorious victories.

  [I feel bad whenever I see Sebekton has to sit on the floor in a corner of the room, so I decided to make it a bit more comfortable for him. Also, we are going to have more and more Guardians. I think preparing the room to accommodate them when they gather for meetings is a good idea.]

  “How considerate of you,” Viktor said, amused. This was the first time Celeste had made modifications to the dungeon on its own without asking for his permission, but he decided to let it slide. After all, this wasn’t the sort of thing worth making a fuss about. His concern was for decisions that actually mattered, not petty details that could be left to others. “Anyway, where’s he now?”

  [Sebekton is inspecting the arena on the third floor.]

  “Is the construction there finished?”

  [Yes, we are now making the final adjustments.]

  “I’ll go and have a look then,” Viktor said, turning toward the door. Even though he could observe everything from here using his vision, he preferred to go there and see it with his own eyes.

  His dungeon needed to be ready, as more and more powerful adventurers were coming to Daelin. Just yesterday, he was thrown off guard by the abilities demonstrated by two members of the newly arrived party. While they were not particularly dangerous by themselves, this was just the beginning, a herald of the challenges that were set to come.

  As Viktor opened the door, he was met by the sight of the dungeon’s newest chamber, though the word “chamber” might have been a bit too modest for what it actually was. The ceiling was high above him, designed to emit an ambient light, powered by mana, illuminating the entire area. Water stretched out in all directions, with islands breaking the surface here and there, some lush with greenery while others were nothing but sand and rocks. Far in the distance, barely visible, was the other entrance, leading to the staircase to the second floor.

  There was a bridge connecting to the nearest island, its wooden planks creaking softly as Viktor crossed. The smell of damp wood and still water clung to the air, thick and sour. As he moved forward, a stone building slowly came into view. That was probably where Sebekton rested when he wasn’t on duty. Viktor approached the building, peering through the window. The Guardian was not there, but he could see the large book he had given him the other day, its pages laid open on the table.

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  He walked across another bridge, this one wider and longer than the last. It led to the largest island on this floor, the final battleground where Sebekton would fight the intruders who had passed through all the other challenges in the water realm.

  As Viktor set foot in the arena, he caught sight of Sebekton standing at the edge of the water. He was not alone. A group of merfolk gathered around him, their torsos rising above the surface while their lower halves, including the fish tails that set them apart from humans, remained concealed beneath.

  “Master.”

  The Guardian greeted him as soon as he spotted Viktor. The merfolk turned as one, bowing to him. Despite this being their first meeting, they all recognized him without question as the Dungeon Master. Their master. The one who was in charge.

  “How’s it going?” he asked.

  “Everything’s in place,” Sebekton replied. “I’ve just explained your battle plan to these folks.” He gestured to the gathered group, who nodded in perfect unison.

  The merfolk had fin-like ears and long hair that resembled seaweed. Their skin was a shade of blue, with scales scattered here and there, mostly on their arms, though Viktor suspected there were more covering their tails, which were hidden under the water.

  “Do you have any questions?” he asked his newly recruited minions.

  “No, Master,” a merman replied. He was the largest in the group, with broad shoulders and a muscular build. Probably their leader. “Everything is clear. Let us drill for a couple of days, and we will master your strategy.”

  There were five mermen and four mermaids present. The males were bigger and taller, with weapons like tridents or harpoons ready at hand. The females looked more feeble, but they should not be underestimated. Although not suited for physical combat like the mermen, the mermaids could wield various forms of magic to support their male counterparts. Notably, their enchanted songs were known to be deadly to any unprepared adventurer.

  Viktor nodded. “Good. If there’s nothing else, you can start now.”

  The merfolk bowed respectfully, then dove back into the water.

  “Interesting folks,” Sebekton said after they had left the scene, gazing at the ripples on the surface where they had been.

  “Have you met any before?”

  “No, there are none in my world.” The Guardian shook his head. “I’m glad that I accepted your summons, Master. Coming here has really broadened my horizons. There’s so much more to learn than I ever imagined.”

  “What did you talk with them about? Other than battle plans?”

  “Yes, we also talked about many other things. For example, we discussed why we came here.”

  “Oh?”

  While Viktor knew that every monster here had its own reasons for being in the dungeon, he didn’t care enough to learn everyone’s motives. Before, when he was an adventurer, the merfolk were just one among many enemies he needed to kill; now, as a Dungeon Master, they were simply another group of minions at his disposal.

  “Despite their humanoid appearance,” Sebekton said, “they are actually a lot closer to fish. Their reproduction is similar as well. The mermaids lay eggs, which then hatch into larvae before they develop into juvenile merfolk.”

  “Interesting. But how does that have anything to do with them coming to this dungeon?”

  “In the early stages of their life cycle, merfolk are very vulnerable to predators,” the Guardian replied. “They told me that on average, only one out of ten eggs survives to become a larva, and only one out of ten larvae reaches the juvenile stage.”

  So just like fish, Viktor thought. “And?”

  “Thus, they made a deal with the Dungeon Core. In exchange for fighting for the dungeon, they will be allowed to lay eggs here. Their offspring will be able to live in an environment free of predators, and once they mature into juvenile merfolk, they will be sent back to their world.”

  Viktor chuckled. “I see. You’re really interested in random trivia, aren’t you?”

  “Well, I’m just curious about the lives of people from worlds different from my own. Each one has its own history, culture, and traditions. It fascinates me.”

  Sebekton guffawed, his mouth opening wide to reveal rows of sharp teeth, which momentarily triggered the vivid memory of Lahmia’s pretty head being crushed beneath that massive jaw. Nevertheless, after spending time with the big guy and getting used to his jovial antics, Viktor found the Crocodilian’s laughter much less terrifying now. Hell, it might even be contagious.

  He let his gaze drift over the expansive body of water surrounding them, thinking about what Sebekton had just told him. The water served as a defensive mechanism for his dungeon against intruders. Yet, at the same time, the merfolk found this environment a perfect haven to raise their offspring in relative safety.

  So that’s why there are both mermen and mermaids here, huh? Come to think of it, didn’t that also mean these merfolk were going to spend most of their off-duty time doing exactly that? After all, reproduction was their motive.

  “This floor is going to be full of eggs,” Viktor said, trying to suppress the urge to join Sebekton in his guffaw.

  Well, whatever. As long as they did their part and fought the adventurers when called upon, he couldn’t care less what else they did here.

  [Master.]

  Suddenly, the voice of Celeste rang in his head.

  “What is the problem?” he asked. The Core wouldn’t have contacted him like this unless it had been an emergency.

  [A party has just reached the second floor.]

  “Cedric and friends?”

  [No, a different group, whom I have never seen before. One man and three women. Even though it is their first time entering the dungeon, they have no problem passing through the first floor with relative ease. Are they the ones you have told me about? The ones with the Reliquary?]

  Viktor frowned. Damn, they’re fast.

  “Very likely,” he told his Dungeon Core. “Have the goblins and spiders on the second floor ready for combat. And tell the merfolk and froglings on this floor to be on standby as well.”

  [Understood, Master.]

  After the voice faded, Sebekton asked, “Intruders, Master?”

  “Yes.”

  “Are they strong?” the Crocodilian asked with barely contained excitement, his eyes glinting with a predatory gleam.

  “I don’t think that they are as strong as the Gold-ranked duo,” Viktor replied with a shrug. “But we shouldn’t underestimate them.”

  The Guardian nodded. “Of course.”

  “Let’s get back to your house,” Viktor said, turning toward the bridge. “I’ll watch them from there.”