As a dungeon core, he has no face, no body, no mouth, but Xu Han could feel himself smiling as he watched the aftermath of the attack.

  “The Green Tortoise did well, don’t you think?”

  Both Jemma and the Guardian nodded, though Xu Han could feel a sense of conflict and reluctance from both. Xu Han kept his peace. He was never a person who needed to gloat about his victories, and he did understand where his minions were coming from.

  Even if he did not fully remember, the Guardian was a former adventurer so it made sense that the emissary of Carda would have some emotions about the deaths of so many adventurers. As for Jemma…well, the dungeon fairy had been against the creation of the Green Tortoise, not understanding why Xu Han wanted such a Boss.

  Xu Han wanted to chuckle. The legend of the Green Turtle was unknown in this world, and Xu Han wondered how the dungeon fairy would react if he created the rest of the Four Symbols. The next boss could be…the Black Tiger, perhaps? Xu Han had already created tigers, so it’s not that much of a leap to upgrade one to a Boss.

  However, that was a task for the future. Xu Han turned back to the image of the gathering point and could see some of the dead being slowly absorbed by the dungeon. The equipment and Skills he would gain from the bodies were welcomed, but what the dungeon core truly desired was the divine energy. When a Classed passed on, the divine energy imbued in his body would be released, and since they died in his dungeon, Xu Han would be the beneficiary. The dungeon core could already feel the divine energy released swirling in his dungeon and focused on consolidating the newly acquired magical power.

  Fed on a steady diet of divine power, this influx was a delicious, heady sensation for the dungeon core. If Xu Han had to compare, he would say it was like drinking spiritual wine after a period of closed-door cultivation. A shock to the system that was both bitter and joyful. Xu Han could already feel a subtle shift in the very fabric of his core, brimming with energy and power.

  “It did do well, better than I expected.” Jemma said ruefully, admitting the usefulness of the new Boss.

  “What about the rest of the adventurers?” The Guardian asked, bringing Xu Han out of his musings.

  Looking at the image showing the tired and injured adventurers, Xu Han could see adventurers with healer classes going to work. They were treating the injured, saving whoever they could while a small group of experienced adventurers was discussing something a distance away. Xu Han turned his attention to the group and found that they were discussing a rearrangement of the various adventuring parties.

  Surprised by the discussion, Xu Han had to ask. “What are they doing? I didn’t know adventurers could switch parties in the middle of a dungeon delve.”

  “It doesn’t happen often, but they could. They usually only do it when there’s an emergency, and I think this definitely count as one.” Jemma said with a shrug. Xu Han asked Jemma to explain, and the dungeon fairy was more than happy to do so.

  “Not every adventurer has a Recall Stone. The Stones are expensive, so a lot of adventurers can only get out of the dungeon the old fashion way. Through a dungeon circle after clearing a floor. However, a lot of these adventurers are too injured to fight through a Boss, so a realignment of the parties is needed. See, some of the adventurers are already passing their Recall Stones.”

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  Xu Han saw that this was true. Some of the adventurers were passing their Recall Stones to their injured colleagues, and Xu Han immediately understood the reasoning behind this.

  “The adventurers too injured to be healed by simple healing magic need to get out via Recall Stones, but that’ll leave holes in their parties.”

  “Correct,” Jemma nodded. “The remaining adventurers will form temporary parties so that everyone could clear the floor and get out safely. It's a risky strategy, relying on the skill and cooperation of strangers, but it's better than leaving someone behind.”

  Xu Han watched, impressed by the impromptu teamwork and selflessness displayed among the adventurers. The resilience and camaraderie within the adventuring community, their willingness to sacrifice for their fellow adventurers, spoke volumes about the bond forged in the heart of danger. It was something to be admired, and something very foreign to a former cultivator.

  “Impressive.” Xu Han said, and he meant it. In the dog-eat-dog world of cultivation, this would not happen. In the same situation, most cultivators would be waiting for their team-mates to die so that they could loot the treasures of the deceased. Some would not even wait, looting when the injured were still breathing. Even among members of the same sect, family or clan, this happened so often, no one would bat an eyelid when it did occur.

  Xu Han knew that from experience.

  Now, the unspoken understanding between these adventurers, told Xu Han that some things were truly superior in this world.

  “These adventurers need a reward.”

  Jemma and the Guardian both looked at Xu Han, who promptly defended himself. “These adventurers survived a surprise attack from a Boss. I think a reward isn’t too out of order.”

  Jemma shook her head in disagreement. “The Invigilator…uh, we need a new name for it. Anyway, it had already passed out two treasures to the worthy adventurers, and everyone will gain a level or two from the fight. That’s enough.”

  “Some of the adventurers had already left, you couldn’t reward them even if you wanted to.” The Guardian added.

  Xu Han mentally sighed, knowing that his minions were right. He should had planned this out from the beginning, instead of fumbling in the dark like this. Still, a gesture was needed.

  “Then,” Xu Han thoughtfully said, “let us establish a permanent fund. I shall divert a small portion of the divine power from each death in my dungeon to a merit fund. It will be known as...The Adventurer's Merit Fund.”

  “A what Fund?” Jemma asked.

  “A Merit Fund!” Xu Han declared. “Dedicated to rewarding exceptional acts of courage and cooperation amongst the adventurers.” Xu Han paused, thinking over how to explain the concept of what he wanted to do. “It is very common in the Crimson Lands. In most organizations, whether clans or sects, points would be awarded to members who contributed to the betterment of the organization. Members can then exchange these points for goods from the organization.”

  Jemma and the Guardian looked at each other and shared a nod. “Certain groups in this world have something like that, but I had never heard of a dungeon doing this.” Jemma carefully said, as if she could not believe what she was hearing.

  “Then, I shall be the first!”

  “How would the adventurers know how much points they have, or where to exchange them for items?” The Guardian asked, pouring cold water on the dungeon core’s idea.

  Logistics, the bane of all good ideas. Xu Han mentally grumbled as he thought about how he should do this. He immediately thought of a system of merit-based rewards, automatically dispensed after significant events, but it seemed impersonal with no agency on the part of the adventurer. It was too much like the System, rewards given and the adventurer had no choice in the matter. Perhaps it was the influence of Carda, but Xu Han wanted the adventurers to have a choice on the rewards they received.