ALL NOVEL Chapter 13: Aftermath
The battle ended with minimal losses... a few dead goblins and damage to the wooden outpost. Leonhardt stood over Axel's body, holding the dark blade that shimmered from the light shining through the leaves above him.
"I thought I might feel something..."
Leonhardt closed his eyes slowly and started breathing deeply.
There was a feeling of emptiness—all the excitement and adrenaline faded, and the game ended.
[You overused a dangerous mixture of skills... Host, please rest!]
It might have been the first time the dungeon showed concern for his state, yet Leonhardt didn't have the same joking response. His gaze flicked to the goblins, happily cleaning the forest and sometimes shouting or singing happily because they won the battle.
However, Leonhardt felt something when interacting with these humans... they had something he didn't... something he lacked.
『What do I exist for... Why did someone create me?』
[Danger!]
[Host's mental state has fallen into a dangerous state due to low mana!]
[Please return to your throne and rest!]
"Please be quiet... Don't interrupt me right now." A low voice, whether aimed at the goblins approaching or the voice of the dungeon... both of them vanished.
"Haa..."
Leonhardt looked up at the sky as the grey skies began to churn—the moment he killed creatures, receiving experience and dungeon points. He would obtain information about their race and glimpse their strongest memories.
Thanks to his pupils, their skills, knowledge, and abilities became his own, but Leon couldn't understand their hearts or minds.
『I cannot understand their motive... their desires!』
The memories he absorbed when accepting the dungeon caused him to become different from normal monsters.
All knowledge and information about the world came from a human perspective, which conflicted with his instincts and desires as a monster.
"What am I?"
"You are a dungeon master, why are you asking dumb questions?" Zafira's usual cold voice snapped him out of his strange trance.
Her eyes narrowed into a sharp glare, which made him feel danger because of their difference in strength. With one slap, Zafira could shatter his bones.
"Haa, it seems that my master is a little weak mentally. Though, It's probably because you are a chimera created by a human."
Zafira's words made Leonhardt frown as he turned to her.
"How can you know that?!"
It was strange—how could she come to that conclusion?
Even Leonhardt didn't know what his creator looked like; he only remembered a dark, gloomy room filled with the scent of ammonia and acid.
Her face gazed at the young chimaera with a bewildered look on her face, mouth open and her round eyes opened fully. "Do you really not understand why? Look in a mirror..." Zafira's words confused him, but he saw the large silver badge on Axel's chest—it didn't burn in the fire.
So he picked it up and, using the light leaking through the gloomy clouds, he saw his face once again, tilting the shiny badge, which was a proof of identification.
"Hmm..."
Handsome, with a sharp jawline and chin and narrow, piercing eyes.
Pale yet smooth skin with no blemishes, soft like a porcelain doll.
Short, pointed ears that could pass as human, with elven blood.
He then looked at Zafira and the goblins...
『Although beautiful... Zafira is clearly a monster.』
Despite her overwhelming beauty and allure, her features were distinct long pointed ears, sharp fangs, horns... a tail and wings, but what made her more convinced was the fact she mentioned this wasn't even her true form, but a humanoid form to conserve energy.
『I want to see her battle form...』
Leonhardt tried to understand the similarities and differences between him and the other monsters he knew.
Once again, he gazed at Zafira, his eyes lingering longer than usual... a strange thirst growing.
His throat became slightly dry, but... this wasn't something he understood either. A few moments passed, yet it felt strange that Zafira didn't complain or rush him. Instead, with her arms crossed, she watched him quietly with her calm, curious and golden eyes.
[Host's mental state has returned to normal]
[Physical state: Dangerous]
[Immediate Rest Required!]
『Sometimes you are a little too quick...』
"Haa..." With a long sigh, he suddenly felt a sense of peace—though his questions lacked answers, he realised one thing.
"My creator was a human, or someone on their side right, Princess Zafira?"
Leonhardt felt strange when he turned to face the succubus princess. It was the first time that he had seen her look this way.
Zafira's lips curled into a smile as she narrowed her eyes into a thin pair of crescent-shaped slits. Her expression felt different from the sneers and mocking grin from the past.
He shook his head.
Desperate to deny the swirling sensation in his stomach.
The slight mannerisms and movements of Zafira made his chest feel tight, and he was unable to stop gazing at her from the corner of his eyes. Leon wanted to stop and become normal, but the bandit's knowledge already merged with his.
'Strange... the way she looks is so radiant and beautiful... it's almost as if I am lusting for her.'
Of course, a succubus should have a much greater effect when showing a genuine smile, although her feelings for the chimaera only reached the level of acquaintance. This smile could charm an existence without his magical resistance to life.
[Successfully Resisted Skill: Greater Charm]
"I didn't know if you would be able to learn and grow—most chimera are static and can only perform the orders of their masters. It seems that you can at least learn a little... You were quite impressive today, so make sure you don't bore me. Little Chimera."
——
[Quest Complete - Shape up or Ship Out!]
∟ The succubus Zafira has grown to trust you.
∟ She won't betray you unless you do something stupid.
∟ Loyalty: 31 (+10)
∟ Affection: 20
[Rewards]
∟ 1000DP
∟ Zafira Anuket can now control the defences of the dungeon!
∟ Increased Zafira's Loyalty by 10
∟ Zafira Anuket will not betray you for any reason for the next month!
——-
Zafira's golden anklet jingled as she twirled around and headed back to the base, her movements like a fairy dancing through a meadow.
Before she reached the outpost, Zafira turned around, gazing at the stunned Leonhardt.
"You don't need to feel or act in any particular way. As the dungeon master, you can do whatever it is that makes you happy and fulfilled."
"Don't trap yourself by limiting your mind."
"Fufu... you are more interesting than I thought—let's see how you do for the next few weeks."
With that, she vanished.
The forest became full of noise and vibrant life once again, and Leon finally woke up from his strange dream and returned to normal.
『I see... Let's toss these human feelings aside for now!』
Somehow, Leonhardt felt much more at ease—instead of focusing on who or what he might be and his reason for being.
The goal of doing what he felt like seemed easy.
"Dungeon Wife, I've been a little strange for now. Please clean the dungeon forest and repair the outpost!"
He then grasped the silver medallion with Crimson Hawks engraved into it and placed it on his waistcoat underneath his jacket. "Also, please purchase more of the eastern and western forest with the DP earned in today's battle!"
[Haa... I give up denying those words.]
『I won!』
——
Dungeon Maintenance
——
[Cleaning Cost]
∟ 200 DP
[Outpost Repair]
∟ 200 DP
[Body Refund]
∟ 500 DP (300 DP from human corpses)
——
[Human Mercenary Slain] x 20
∟ Gained 400 DP
∟ Gained 1000 EXP
∟ Gained 100 EP
[Crimson Hawk: Gale Slain]
∟ Gained 100 DP
∟ Gained 200 EXP
∟ Gained 100 EP
[Crimson Hawk: Axel Slain]
∟ Gained 150 DP
∟ Gained 250 EXP
∟ Gained 150 EP
——
[Congratulations - Level Up!]
——
[Name: Leonhardt (Specimen 69)]
[Class: Dungeon Master]
∟ Level: 10
∟ EP: 470/400
∟ DP: 1820/2000
∟ XP: 25/1000
[Stats]
∟ STR: D [40/100]
∟ VIT: D [30/100]
∟ DEF: D [30/100]
∟ AGI: E [90/100]
∟ INT: C [5/100]
∟ CHA: C [65/100]
——
Processing Forest Expansion
——
[Purchased Fourth Square]
∟ 400 DP
[Purchased Fifth Square]
∟ 500 DP
——---------------------------
"Thanks... I should probably give you a name someday, it would make it easier than calling you dungeon all the time..."
[A name isn't needed to function]
Leonhardt sat on a stone beside him, closing his eyes. Once his EP reached the limit, he would become rapidly sleepy as his body prepared to evolve.
Thus, it became hard to keep focused after completing the main requests he needed...
"Then... since you came from that crystal... how about... Violet?"
The moment he said the last word, spelling out the name of the dungeon, his evolution began... his body turned into beautiful purple particles before it vanished into the dungeon.
A certain goblin also experienced the same phenomenon as Gobbolas looked at him with a proud nod.
"A brother has been rewarded!"