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Story Codes: Gamelit, Magic, Fantasy

For a list of all the dungeon builder stories click here

Comments are very welcome. I would like all criticism, positive and negative, so long as it’s
constructive, and feedback is very appreciated.

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Click here for Part 19.

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Note: Thanks to Alex for beta reading this!

Chapter Fifty

“Kassie is here to see if any of you have any aptitude towards magic,” Halia said. It was the next day after saving the halflings. Lord Leo still slept as far as Halia knew. He had fallen asleep on the divan, his head on Crystal’s lap, Garnet acting as his blanket draped over his lap.

“That’s right,” Kassie said to the start of my adventuring cadre. “Not everyone can be a mage. You have to have the knack for it. But we need to start expanding our technique if we want to ever build a force to take on dungeons.”

“May I try first,” Bellia asked. She stepped forward, the minx eager. Ever since Lord Leo had fucked her, she had been so driven.

Kassie opened her mouth when Feya interrupted me, “There is a pair of fighters and a rogue outside the city. They say they want to join and serve Lord Leo.”

Halia’s jaw dropped. The paladin turned her head. They were in the depths of the dungeon where it was safe to train the new recruits. Then hope blossomed in her. “They’re ready to swear loyalty to Lord Leo and help fight other dungeon builders?”

“Yes, they are. A dwarf, a human, and an elf. They’ve heard of Lord Leo’s stance. They are intrigued.”

“I’ll go wake Lord Leo!” Halia shuddered in excitement.

An hour later, she had roused Lord Leo from his twelve-hour sleep and he was ready to meet these adventurers. He looked so refreshed, a big smile on his lips as Garnet helped him into his gray robes. The naughty succubus had her hands on her hips, a big grin on her lips.

“Kweh, heh, heh, of course they have sworn to serve Dark Lord Big Bro! They tremble before his magnificence and quiver before his domination!” Garnet’s wings flapped. “They shall help us cover this world in a cloak of darkness! The light shall never shine again.”

Halia lifted an eyebrow. “Clearly, he’s Light Lord Leo Baldwin,” the paladin said. “His majesty and justice shall shine across the world from the radiance of his pure and loving soul. His goodness shall shower the world in prosperity and hope.”

“What, no!” Garnet gasped. “Big bro, you’re a dark lord!”

“Lord Leo, you’re a light lord,” Halia said, grabbing his arm. “My Lord of Light and Goodness.”

“You’re spoiling my fun, Halia,” Garnet huffed. She puffed out her cheeks. “Which do you prefer, big bro.”

“God, there’s no safe answer there,” Leo said. “Shall we go meet these adventurers?”

They made the trip out to Astovin, using Kassie and her teleportation circle to shorten the journey. The trio emerged into the light to find Feya fluttering in the air. The three adventurers—a dwarf fighter with a big ax he leaned on and a thick beard, a human fighter in heavy armor with a sword at his side and a kite shield on his back, and a female elven rogue in leather pants that fit her legs like a second skin—fell to their knees.

“We’ve come to serve you, Lord Leo,” the human fighter said. “I’m Vern, this is Akiz.”

The dwarf grunted.

“And the beautiful and bewitching Ashiliozia,” Vern added, nodding to the elf.

“My Lord Leo,” she said in an enchanting purr, her voice as soft as the gentle sea washing on the shore and midnight. “It is a pleasure to meet you.”

“You liberated my people from those twin bastards,” the dwarf said. He spat. “Now we hear you saved a bunch of halflings. So.. Rumor has it you’re looking for adventurers to fight other dungeon builders.” He shrugged. “That’s what we do.”

“We’ve killed one,” said Vern. “Our priest would not come with us. Said the gods hate you, but…”

“You don’t seem to be like other dungeon builders, Lord Leo,” Ashiliozia said. “The people here are happy. The halfling refugees are singing your praise. May we fight for you.”

“Yes,” Lord Leo said, excitement ringing through Halia. “You have to swear to serve me. You will bind your life to mine. If I die, so shall you. Lady Halia will be your commander. She is my paladin.”

“Daughter of Anguin?” asked Vern. He stared at Halia, a smile on his handsome face. “Your father is a legend.”

“He was,” Halia said, her voice choked with emotion.

“We’ll swear,” said Vern.

Halia trembled as the oaths were given. It was starting. The army was building. The first steps were being taken. She envisioned a world where the dungeon builders either proved themselves friends, or were destroyed. Eventually, Queen Puabi would bring in enough dungeon builders that had a conscience. That was like Lord Leo and Siwang.

And one day, her army would be the instrument that destroyed Fuegin.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After the new heroes were sworn in and taken off by Halia, I met with the elders of the halflings. We sat down at a table in the central building outside of Feya’s office. They were all much improved. Cleaned up, a few had bandaged wounds.

“Sulanga Stormfury is dead,” I said. “There’s no reason you can’t return to your city.”

“He truly is defeated?” one halfling asked. He had a bandage on his forehead. “Truly.”

“Truly, Davyd,” I told him. I flashed him a smile. “He is dead and won’t be a problem. Your lands are safe.”

“For now,” said a gray-haired woman. Ashie shook her head. “But when the next dungeon builder comes.”

“I can keep my tunnel open to your city,” I said. “That way if there ever is a problem, you can call upon my aid. I can send an army of monster girls to defend you very fast.”

The elders looked around at each other. They traded whispers. It was their decision, of course.
“And if we say no?” Gennie asked. The elderly female had milky eyes that stared at me with a penetrating look. “What then?”

“I’ll close the tunnel once we’re done sending your people back to your city.” I smiled. “I’m not a conqueror. I go where I’m invited. I want to be your friend. I want to be a friend to the entire world. I am not your enemy.”

“A tunnel…” Muttered one of the elders. “That sounds dangerous for you. Anyone could enter it. Our children could wander into it. Adventurers could use it.”

“Like I said, I don’t have to keep it,” I said. “Once your people are safely returned to Sharithin, I can close it.” With the amount of mana I had gained, I could afford a permanent tunnel to them and to my next goal. The Twins’ dungeon. I would get their mana veins. I would increase my power.

“Perhaps there should be some sort of guard building,” said Davyd.

“Yes, yes,” said Ashie. “An… embassy of Lord Leo’s to our city.”

“An embassy?” I asked, taken aback by that. “Well, of course. I could build one of those.”

“With a guard of monster girls,” Ashie continued.

“Who could be the first response if there is an attack,” I said, smiling. “Of course, of course. I can think of the perfect monster girls for that. I’ll introduce you to Usiku. I think she would make an excellent ambassador.”

I kept Usiku, Baaghi, and Paanee as the rear guards, but I had gained three new companions. It didn’t feel right to use any of Sulanga’s to be my ambassador. Not where they had committed atrocities for their past master.

“That sounds perfect,” said Ashie. “Shall we start returning our people to the city tomorrow? Many are still needing time to recover.”

“Perhaps an advance group today,” said Davyd.

“Of course,” I said. I had so much to do. Summoning my Wind monster girls and incorporating them in the dungeon, building an embassy in Sharithin, figuring out which Level 1 monster girls to stock it with, then going to the Twins dungeon and finding their mana veins.

Plus, while I’m doing that, I should make contact with the dwarves I rescued to make an alliance with them. I had a lot to do.

As I left, I found Fara waiting for me outside. “Yes?”

“I think I know where the other Glyph Shrines are,” she said, her ears were twitching.

“Uh… I have all the glyphs,” I told her.

“I know that,” she said. “But who knows what we’ll find. There are ten more of those shrines out there. There could be clues that we won’t understand until we have them all. I predicted where we would find the Thunder shrine. Now I am making predictions for the other ten.”

“Okay,” I said. “It’s something for us to look at. Later. I have a to—”

“Lord Leo, Siwang is asking to speak with you,” said Feya. “He just arrived in Astovin.”

I sighed. No making those Wind monster girls yet. “I’m in your office. Escort him here.”

Siwang and his mother appeared. My fellow dungeon builder wore black robes while his mother was naked, of course. The wraith had that pale, deathly beauty that Morana possessed, but matured to lush ripeness.

A MILF.

“Siwang,” I said, thrusting out my hand. “What can I do for you.”

“I’ve been thinking of the problem we have,” he said as we shook.

“Problem?” I asked as I motioned to a pair of chairs. He took one. I took the other. Fara stood at my side, holding her rolls of maps. Siwang’s mother, Xiongbu, sat on the arm of his chair, looking regal.

“You didn’t use my help because if I was in the dungeon, you couldn’t use your plan to rearrange it,” Siwang said.

I chuckled. “It turned out not to be necessary. I had to kill Sulanga.”

“Still,” Siwang said. “If we have any more of these… invasions that require readjusting our dungeons, well, we are just stepping on each other’s toes.”

“That’s true.” I smiled. “I’m not sure what we can do about it.”

“I want to swear myself to you, Leo,” Siwang said. “I want to be your… vassal.”

“A duke sworn to his king,” Xiongbu said.

“Uh, is that even possible?” I glanced at Fara. “Is there any record of dungeon builders swearing to each other?”

“Not in this way,” she said. “Not that I know of. There have been dungeon builders who have those who serve beneath him. Fuegin is rumored to have more than a few. Those who appear in his direct territory that he quickly imposes his will upon. Though rumors from his lands are… sketchy.”

I shifted. Fuegin had always been my friend, but I was outside of the lands he had conquered.

“I would like to try,” Siwang said.

“Do you think it will work?” I asked Fara.

“Only one way to find out, Lord Leo,” she said with a shrug. “You just have to test it.”

I rose and stared at Siwang. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“It’s the only way,” he said. “You’ll never fully trust me.”

“That’s not true,” I gasped.

Siwang smiled. “No, it is. I can become just as powerful as you. You have to be worried that I will become as powerful as you and betray you. That one day, I will stab you in the back and take what is yours. There is no way we can be equals, and that is okay. One must lead. Others must follow. This way, I can help you and you will never fear me.”

“Never fear giving my son more power,” added Xiongbu.

“I won’t say no,” I said. A king? “If you want to be my duke, then we’ll give it a try.”

Siwang knelt before me. “I, Siwang, swear on my Void Crystal to be Lord Leo’s leal vassal, to be his duke and obey him in all things. To serve him with honor and fidelity until my lord releases me or death takes me.”

I felt it in my soul. The way I had with others who swore to me. The words were important. They shaped everything in this world. I shuddered then looked around. I was in my dungeon. So was he and his monster girl.

“Stay here,” I said and turned. I had to get to my Void Crystal.

It took a bit of time to get back, but I grasped it and thought, “Siwang, are you still in my dungeon?”

“I am,” he said through the telepathic bond.

I grabbed the Void Crystal and found him and his mother. I moved them to my living quarters. I released my Void Crystal, exited my Vault, and found him and his mother looking around. My mother came bustling out of the kitchen, a big smile on her lips.

I thrust out my hand to him. “Looks like it worked.”

“We’ll have to test out if I can change my dungeon with you and your monster girls in it,” Siwang said, this excitement in his voice.

I smiled. “And get you even better protected than you are now.” I grinned. “God, we’re like neighbors now.”

He laughed. I joined him. This was going to work out. I felt it. Things would change in this world for the better.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fuegin stared at the image Liegra showed him of Siwang and Leo moving through Astovin together. The prism, his Light companion, could show him visions of distant events. Useless in combat, she was his most valuable monster girl. Two dungeon builders as friends. The rumors were already percolating through the world. Lord Leo was something new.

“He’s growing too powerful,” Fuegin said. “He killed Sulanga with only Intermediate Magic and Level 2 monster girls.”
“It is worrying,” said Amante. His cherfu moved up beside him. In the old world, Amante had been Fuegin’s wife. The first companion of his twelve he had summoned. She took his arm in that way she had always had. “I don’t like this alliance with Siwang. I don’t like that he has adventurers coming to serve him. He’ll move against you.”

“We should do something,” Fuegin said. “Remove Siwang from the board. If he grows as powerful as Leo… How will I control the boy then?”

“He is learning,” Liegra reported. “His elven scholar, Fauraliiithiliana, is onto something. That much I have gleamed from my spying. Leo has gained three glyphs that I cannot adequately explain. Fire, Death, and Thunder.”

“There is no way that he has tamed three dragons,” Fuegin muttered. “Even one is bad enough.”

“And Siwang has three glyphs,” added Liegra. “Again, I do not know where he gained the Light glyph and Thunder glyph. They have found something.”

“We must take out Siwang before Leo becomes too powerful,” said Amante. “Should we unleash Namusimi? She would be impossible to trace back to you.”

“Yes.”

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