At first, Azrael didn't know how dungeon rewards worked.
The dungeon itself could apparently consume the bodies of past conquerors and expand its item pool that way, which was… handy. It meant Azrael would be able to farm monsters and criminals like those guys to strengthen himself.
If he found monsters from other dungeons, or lured criminals inside, he'd be able to get his hands on a lot of items.
Just thinking about it excited him. That haul meant new skills and better gear.
Skills came from dungeons (and other sources), but everyone had some kind of limit. There was no general rule for that cap. Still, most people could tell when they were getting close.
That was why equipment mattered so much.
Still in boss mode, Azrael made a beeline for the bronze chest. He hopped toward it like a blindfolded guy from a certain anime and knelt before the lid.
[You can not open a chest as a boss.]
What? Then I'll just give up this role.
[You are no longer the boss of the Death Seesaws Dungeon.]
[You can not open a chest as a Dungeon Owner. Would you like to see the chest content instead?]
Nah. This can't be real.
"Mary, use your intervention to see if I can open this chest as the Dungeon Cheater!" Azrael craned his neck and called to his guardian.
Mary nodded, intrigued too. "Yes."
Her skill swept through the corridor.
[You have become the Dungeon Cheater Owner.]
[You have received a privilege to edit behavior patterns of the monsters assigned to your dungeon.]
[You can not open a chest as a Dungeon Cheater Owner.]
Go fuck yourself! What kind of dungeon owner can't claim his rewards?!
Azrael punched the chest and straightened, done with it. Mary floated closer to reassure him.
"You didn't create the dungeon. You became its owner," she said.
"You can control things here, but not everything. That means you still fall under rules you can't change. Even so, you still have far more advantages than anyone else."
"I know, but it's frustrating. Anyway, it means I have to conquer more dungeons. I don't mind at all!" Azrael let the irritation slide off and smiled.
"That's the right mindset! Since I'm the only one here you can understand, I'll congratulate you on your second victory. Twice. You defeated those enemies splendidly," Mary said, her adorable face warming.
Azrael grinned. "It's way easier when I have more than Blink and average stats! Even Blink is so strong now. I smoked those guys and killed them."
"Yes. You did kill them." Mary turned and looked at the corpses littering the floor. "Are you burdened by conscience?"
"Nah, not really. We're taught to kill. There's always a chance war breaks out. And I didn't like the way those guys stared at my alien woman."
"She is not yours," Mary sighed. "But you're not wrong."
Silence stretched between them.
After a moment, Azrael said, "I'll shove them into the chasm."
"Yes," Mary agreed.
With that, Azrael's first dungeon gained a little more EXP.
He looked at his Dungeon Panel.
[Dungeon Panel]
Dungeon: Death Seesaws Dungeon
Owner: Azrael Nightfall
State: Inactive
Rank: F
Type: Trial / Hazard
Core Concept: Balance • Momentum • Punishment
Core: The Chasm (Stable)
Evolution: The Chasm grows by absorbing lives and equipment lost inside the dungeon
Growth: 2%
Clear Condition: Reach the final safe tile and claim the endpoint reward
Failure Condition: Death
Structure: 1 floor; seesaw corridor over a chasm
Safe Zones (2):
Bronze Chest Tile — safe tile
Silver Chest Tile — safe tile
Hazards: Seesaw tiles, localized gravity fields, the chasm
Boss Slot: 1 (Assigned: None)
Mobs: None
Rewards Stored: Bronze Chest x1, Silver Chest x1 (Gold: None)
Looks like it's a simple dungeon that grows the more the chasm eats. I'd rather feed it monsters, but if humans try to take away my door to this world, then I'll deal with them too.
This dungeon was Azrael's way into a new world, one where he could grow stronger without descending the mountain. He also didn't want to leave before powering up or grabbing more dungeons, because the other competitors probably weren't easy targets.
Of course, the competition for the Third Lord's seat wasn't a race. Everyone could get stronger at their own pace, as long as they kept progressing.
Things would get dangerous if the Third Lord's health suddenly worsened and she needed a successor sooner rather than later.
For now, Mary reassured him that her creator was fine.
Which means I should focus on the most important matter!
"She's been sitting like a good girl!" Azrael said, eyes on Kaya.
"You're lucky she doesn't understand you…" Mary commented. "Though I do believe my creator may have an answer to this language barrier. Given your performance, I'll reach out to her mentally and explain your current predicament. There's only so far you can get with quest descriptions…"
"You're really my little angel!" Azrael beamed.
After all he'd done, how would a conversation with the alien woman go? Would she praise him, show interest, or maybe even confess her feelings like a beast-woman she seemed to be?
Azrael licked his lips.
He wanted to kiss her.
Mary rolled her eyes. "Why do I feel like you're going to cry soon?"
"Your mom's senses are off!"
"Idiot!"