[Location: The Maw of Agony]
[Type: Sentient Dungeon (Biological)]
[Depth: Esophagus]
The Dungeon wasn't made of stone.
It was made of Meat.
The walls pulsed. The floor was spongy. The air smelled like copper and bile.
"I hate this," Sylvia gagged, covering her nose with a scented handkerchief. "Why is the floor wet?"
"Saliva," I said, checking my boots. "We are inside a giant stomach."
The Dungeon of Agony is unique. It's not a place; it's an organism. A massive, subterranean entity that eats adventurers and digests their mana.
Most parties wipe here because they try to fight the monsters.
But the monsters are just the Dungeon's immune system. White blood cells with teeth.
"Keep your shields up," I ordered. "And don't touch the walls. They absorb 1000 HP per second."
We walked deeper.
SQUELCH. SQUELCH.
Ahri's tails were raised high to avoid the muck. "Master, if I get digestion fluid on my fur, I'm billing you for the grooming."
"Noted."
SCREEE.
From the flesh-walls, pores opened.
[Monster: Agony Parasite]
[Level: 45]
They looked like leeches the size of dogs. No eyes. Just teeth.
Hundreds of them.
"Formation!" I shouted.
"Seraphina! [Holy Burn]!"
"Sylvia! [Flash Freeze]!"
Seraphina raised her staff. "Light of purification!"
A wave of golden fire washed over the leeches. They shrieked as their skin blistered.
Sylvia followed up with a cone of cold. The blistered skin froze and shattered.
[Combo: Thermal Shock.]
I stood in the center, catching stragglers with my dagger.
SLASH.
My dagger drank their souls.
[Soul-Eater Active.]
The shadows of the dead leeches rose up.
"Eat your friends," I commanded.
The Shadow Leeches attacked the living ones. It was a gruesome, cannibalistic mess.
We pushed forward.
[Depth: The Gastric Chamber]
We reached a massive cavern filled with a lake of bubbling green acid.
Islands of calcified bone floated in the acid.
"The Boss Room is on the other side," I pointed to a sphincter-door across the lake.
"How do we cross?" Sylvia asked. "We can't fly. The air is toxic."
I looked at the acid.
[Environmental Hazard: Stomach Acid.]
[Effect: Melts Mythic Armor in 10 seconds.]
I looked at my inventory.
I pulled out a Barrell of Aether Fuel (leftover from the ship repairs).
"Physics lesson," I grinned. "Aether is lighter than acid."
I kicked the barrel into the lake. It floated.
"Hop on."
"You want us to surf on an explosive barrel across a lake of death?" Ahri asked, ears twitching.
"Yes. Unless you want to swim."
We climbed onto the barrel. It wobbled precariously.
"Ahri," I said. "Use your Fox Fire for propulsion."
"I am not an outboard motor!"
"Do it, or we sink."
Ahri sighed. She aimed her tails backward. [Fox Fire Pulse].
WOOSH.
We rocketed across the acid lake.
The acid bubbled. Tentacles of digestive fluid lashed out.
I cut them down with [Napalm Web].
SLICE. BURN. SIZZLE.
We reached the other side in 30 seconds.
We jumped off onto the bone-shore.
"Safe," I dusted off my coat.
"That was the stupidest plan ever," Sylvia breathed, adrenaline high.
"It worked. Now, quiet."
I pointed at the sphincter-door.
"The Boss is behind there."
"And he's not a monster."
"What is he?" Seraphina asked.
"He's a Businessman."
——————————————————————————————————————————
[The Boss Room: The Heart of Greed]
We entered the chamber.
It didn't look like a dungeon.
It looked like a Bank Vault.
Gold bars were stacked to the ceiling. Piles of gems. Ancient artifacts.
And in the center, sitting on a throne made of solid Emerald...
[Boss: The Avatar of Greed]
[Level: ???]
[Type: Construct/Projection]
He looked like a man in a gold suit. Faceless. No features, just a smooth golden mask.
"Welcome," the Avatar spoke. His voice sounded like coins falling on a table.
"Travelers. Have you come to make a deposit?"
"I've come to make a withdrawal," I said, stepping forward.
The Avatar laughed.
"Violence is expensive, Cain Cross. Look at your debt."
He waved his hand.
A holographic screen appeared above me.
[Karmic Debt: Infinite.]
[Crimes: Murder, Theft, Sacrilege, Market Manipulation, Jaywalking.]
"To pass," the Avatar said. "You must pay the toll. Your soul is insufficient collateral."
"I accept cash, credit, or..."
He looked at the girls.
"Assets."
Sylvia and Seraphina stepped back. The Avatar's pressure was immense. This wasn't a physical fight. It was a Concept Battle.
He was weaponizing Greed itself.
"I offer a trade," I said.
I walked up to the throne.
"I don't have enough Karmic Credit to pay you."
"But I have Information."
The Avatar tilted his head. "Information?"
"I know who your Boss is."
The room went cold.
"I know you are just a splinter of the Monarch of Greed, the Constellation watching from the stars."
"And I know he's looking for the Throne of the World."
The Avatar froze.
"Continue."
"I know where the Throne is."
"Liar," the Avatar hissed. "The location was lost in the Starfall."
"It's not lost," I smiled. "It's hidden. In the Code."
I tapped my head.
"I have the Walkthrough. I know the coordinates."
"If you kill me, the knowledge dies. Your Boss stays poor forever."
The Avatar hesitated.
Greed is logical. Risk vs Reward.
Killing me = 0 Reward.
Keeping me alive = Potential Infinite Reward.
"What is your price?" the Avatar asked.
"I want the Key to the next floor."
"And?"
"And 10% of your Hoard."
"Outrageous! 10% is—"
"Take it or leave it. I can always go tell the Monarch of Gluttony instead. He pays better."
The Avatar slammed his fist on the armrest.
"Deal."
[System Notification]
[Trade Complete.]
[Item Acquired: Key of Agony.]
[Gold Acquired: 50 Million.]
The Avatar dissolved into gold dust. The door behind the throne opened.
"Pleasure doing business," I said.
I turned to the girls.
They were staring at me.
"You... you just scammed a Dungeon Boss?" Sylvia asked.
"I negotiated," I corrected.
"But... do you really know where the Throne is?" Ahri asked.
"Of course."
"Where?"
I tapped my chest.
"I am the Throne."
"Or rather... I will be."
I walked toward the exit.
"Come on. We have 50 Million Gold to launder."
——————————————————————————————————————————
[Outside the Dungeon]
We emerged into the sunlight.
The air smelled fresh.
But something was wrong.
The sky was red.
[System Alert: World Event.]
[The 'Second Wave' has begun.]
[Location: Global.]
"The timeline accelerated again," I muttered.
I looked at the horizon.
Portals were opening everywhere. Not just undead.
Demons.
Fire rained from the sky.
My phone (magical comms) buzzed.
It was General Kael (The corrupt General I blackmailed earlier).
"Emperor Cain!" he screamed. "The Demons! They are attacking the Capital! We need reinforcements!"
"Hold the line," I said.
"We can't! They have Siege Beasts!"
I hung up.
I looked at my team.
"Vacation is over."
"Sylvia. Teleport us to Winterhold."
"Ahri. Prep the fire."
"Seraphina. Pray."
"To who?"
I drew the Soul-Eater's Fang. It roared, sensing the impending massacre.
"To Me."
[Quest Update: The Demon Invasion.]
[Objective: Defend Winterhold.]
[Bonus Objective: Capture a Demon General.]
[Loot Potential: High.]