Multiple voices echoed, layered and distorted as if the universe itself were speaking all at once.
The Quartermasters of the dungeon, from the First to the Third, had spoken in unison: "Execute the newly appointed Fourth Quartermaster, Leon."
But Leon (James) stood his ground.
According to the dungeon's own codex which he had studied carefully, the Quartermasters held no authority to enforce its laws in the world of mortals. A smirk curled at his lips.
"So what you're doing right now," he said, voice sounding with defiance, "Is against the very law you claim to uphold. The punishment for that… is the 'Erasure of Existence'."
Confidence surged through him, until the First Quartermaster laughed.
"Naïve child indeed. It was not we who came after you beyond our space," the voice said. "It was the Dungeon Master."
Leon froze. Cold sweat slid down his cheek.
Then came the voice, deeper, resonant and ancient.
"Leon"
Leon stood frozen, cold sweat ran down his temple, disbelief etched across his face. The Dungeon Master… had spoken to him directly.
Leon clenched his fist tightly.
Even so, his conviction did not falter. He screamed, voice trembling with desperation and pride,
"I came to fulfill my longing, the thirst I've carried for so long! You can't stop me from doing what I want!"
The Dungeon Master's voice thundered, calm yet absolute.
"We cannot allow you to leave the Dungeon."
Leon's eyes burned with tears. "Is it wrong to just…"
Before he could finish, an unseen force tore through him.
Half of his soul was ripped away. His body shuddered; his thoughts scattered into fragments of agony and disbelief.
"Why… why did you…?" Leon was left speechless.
The Dungeon Master's presence loomed vast, beyond light or shadow.
"You have crossed into the space… where you must be in."
Leon blinked in confusion wondering what his master meant by those words.
Two sheets of parchment drifted through the air and landed neatly before Leon.
On his right hand lay the first document, a contract of silence. It forbade him from revealing anything about the Dungeon or the World of Isolation.
The second was… a property lease.
Leon blinked, confused. "Lease? What do you mean lease? You expect me to pay you?"
The Second Quartermaster smirked. "Of course. You took a piece of the Dungeon, after all. It's not for free" The Second Quartermaster laughed lightly.
Leon groaned, frustration slipping into his voice. "How am I supposed to pay you?! I can't exactly wire money from here!"
The Third Quartermaster replied calmly, "Knowledge."
Before Leon could protest further, the First Quartermaster's tone hardened.
"Break any of these laws… and half of your existence will be erased."
The Second Quartermaster chuckled. "Looks like the Dungeon Master's playing favorites again."
Reality snapped back into motion
The frozen space dissolved, and the world resumed as if nothing had happened, except for one thing.
James (Leon) was seen crying.
All across the Philippines, people watching on TV went silent. Viewers felt a sudden wave of sympathy and began sending donations.
But even before his stream had truly begun, the haters were already growing.
After taking too much time explaining, the Mayor suggested that they continue the extended interview tomorrow instead. They still needed to secure the dungeon and inspect the perimeter for safety.
The journalists and the public reluctantly agreed.
The Mayor then glanced at his son. "Why don't you invite James into the dungeon?"
Dani caught his father's signal and nodded. "Sure."
But before they could leave, Anna, the journalist from PhilNation, called out, "May we know the little fairy's name?"
James thought for a moment. He's a Filipino now, and somehow, he understands the language perfectly and this little fairy deserved a Filipino name.
A proud smile formed on his face.
"Her name is Malaya."
The moment the public heard it, social media exploded.
Within minutes, an online fan page called 'Malaya' appeared, and donations started flooding in mostly in Melon Bread, totaling over 300MB.
As the night came to an end and the civilians and journalists dispersed, Dani approached James and spoke politely.
"I'm sorry for being rude earlier, for giving you a name. But… may I know your real one?"
Leon smiled faintly. "My name is James D. Lopez, just like you said."
Dani frowned, confused. Why would he use the name he'd made up? He tried asking again, but Leon brushed him off and started walking back toward the cemetery.
Before he could step through the gate, a surge of pressure filled the air.
An aura radiated from him… heavy, suffocating and almost murderous, stabbing straight into their chests like invisible blades.
In that instant, everyone still present the remaining battle mages and magic knights, the Mayor, even Dani himself, understood one thing:
If he wishes to, the man standing before them could kill every one of them in a single motion.
Then, his voice cut through the silence.
"From this day forward, you are to call me James. I want my documents ready by tomorrow. Otherwise…"
He turned slightly, his gaze cold.
"…I'll let the public know what you did in my dungeon."
After the humiliating encounter, Dani's face flushed red, veins bulging across his forehead and neck.
His eyes darkened pitch black and filled with fury.
For the first time in a while, he felt truly disrespected.
His father tried to calm him down, but when he saw his son's expression, a faint smile crossed his face.
"Well… this will be interesting."
---
As they walked back toward the cemetery, Malaya tugged at James's collar and wrapped her tiny arms around his face in a tight hug.
When she finally let go, she began moving her hands, signing rapidly.
James turned to Jabbari with a helpless look.
Annoyed, Jabbari sighed. "What do you think I am… your translator?"
But then he saw Malaya's face.
For the first time in what felt like eons, she was smiling and was genuinely, happy glowing radiantly.
Jabbari's expression softened.
"She said… thank you," he muttered. "And that her name sucks."
Malaya started signing again, her gestures quick and playful. Jabbari couldn't help but smile.
As they reached the Dungeon Tower, the corpses had already been cleared.
Standing by the entrance was Michael De Guzman, one of the three Region Island Kings, the Champion of Luzon and he looked furious.