“She started killing at such a young age.”

  I set my bun in my attendant form and turn towards Red. I will need to see the mistress soon.

  “Yet you are morose about her death.” Qorth prods.

  “She did it first to survive, but then she was taken in by a guardswoman at seventeen.”

  “Did the killing stop then?” Qorth asks a question with a sad answer. Its when the raping started.

  “The guard abused her, emotionally and physically. She even…”

  I hugged Red, she saw it from both perspectives. I had a day of separation between the two, and she saw them together. She saw both the hope turned despair, and the lust turned depraved. Qorth then asked the next question.

  “So then how did they meet you?”

  Red wipes her eyes and answers, “I had smelt the blood, the girl had managed to stab the guard in her sleep. I had entered their window to witness it. The guard was still alive and had back handed the girl. Upon noticing me, she put herself between the girl and myself.”

  “You imply she protected her?”

  “The guard saw herself as the girl's protector. It was beyond fucked up but she still sought to save her life. I had smelt the fear and …”

  She didn't finish, but I knew. It was like every other night in their fucked up life. I squeeze her harder to remind her that she is here and not there.

  Red had killed the guard first. The girl attacked Red out of fear, Red was too far gone mentally to not kill her too.

  “Then you regret the girl's death.”

  “No…I may lament and hate her circumstances but she was an awful person too. She killed to survive but she grew to enjoy killing. Of the levels she gained. She had planned to kill the guard when she was first taken in. Not realizing the guard was stronger than her. Am I going to become like her, not caring, just killing for our benefit…did you want us to be that way?”

  She murmurs the last part. It was as if it was a slap in the face for me. I hadn't really considered the parallels. If I had succeeded at killing our empathy…

  “I'm sorry sister, I wasn't aiming to emulate but to avoid our pain. I was wrong to try.”

  She hugs me back.

  -----

  I make Ratagin flip again. Sigh. I look up and see Qorth attempt to hit Cecelia. Their movements are slow. But Qorth struggles on. I made Ratagin do another backflip. Sigh.

  “You alright there, sweetie?”

  I look up at Cecelia, “Just a bit bummed out from last night.”

  She gives me a side hug while Qorth is panting on the ground. Legs splayed out, carriage touching the ground.

  “You never take it easy on her, huh.”

  “I can't prepare her if I go easy.”

  Before I can say more I am on my throneroom as my trueself…a rather disheveled adventurer team is before me. I can smell their blood. Their wounds seep. I dress myself. I want to change the rules of this room…

  -Sara.

  Sorry, I almost lost myself. Thank you, sister.

  “This is the end of the instance. You can turn back and not annoy the knights or we can fight and definitely annoy me.”

  They draw their weapons.

  “If you persist I will confiscate everything on you.”

  “Thats only if you win.”

  “And if you win, the knights will confiscate the keys.”

  They level their weapons at me. I sigh.

  “At least tell me your names.”

  “Gerry.” The human male in the center identifies themselves.

  “Idiot she could have mind magic.” The dwarf male to his left, speaks reason a bit too late.

  “Gerry, attack the one to your right.”

  He attacks the dwarf to his left instead. The words and the compel didn't match. The dwarf didn't see it coming. The Drakenoid to the right, confused, attacks Gerry. Fatal blows, it's only the Drakenoid left. I approach him in a steady walk. Slowly, each of my spider legs clicking on the floor. There are illusions around him that cause errant swings. He grows tired swinging at phantoms. I catch the blade in my hand and wrench it away. He backs away. I knife enters his knee. He falls over after the knife activates. He tries to scurry away but my clawed foot catches his head. It pops and I am alone in my dungeon again.

  I feel myself grow colder at the act. My compassion is weakening. So that is how it is. A young dungeon versus an old one.

  Sister you may still get your wish afterall.

  -I'm sorry…

  Until we are not. This is more dangerous than a typical dungeon though. We are capable of leaving…

  They came through instance eight…it's all dungeon monsters there. Other than the sack of eggs in the axen corpse. I appear next to it. They left it alone. I give a sigh of relief. The dungeon scorpion was not strong enough to beat a team of eight. Granted it got them down to a team of five. The mithril hares further whittled them down to the three I faced. It seems they had fled instead of defeating the hares. Straight to my lair. I appear at the entrance of my dungeon. The knights are busy asking why the trio was naked.

  “It was because they decided to attack me in my lair. I told them to turn back or face consequences.”

  They are pale, I had taken a great deal more blood this time.

  “Yooooou can't do this to us. It's not right.”

  “Do you prefer I take your life, Gerry. You can ask the Drakenoid how the fight ended.”

  Said Drakenoid was busy clutching his head. I head towards the exit of the wall.

  “Where are you going, dungeon core boss?”

  I turn to the knight, “To lodge a complaint with the adventurer guild. Peter should have a better handle on who he gives my keys to.”

  “It is our duty to ensure no monsters leave these walls.”

  I look at the knight again…he was one of the timid ones from before. Seems he grew a spine. Or was forged one. I am still rather annoyed.

  “You have five minutes to fetch Sir Ujan. I will leave after that.”

  He makes no effort to go get his superior. He simply keeps his weapon trained on me. At five minutes a trinket enters my hand and the knight becomes bewildered. He starts for the gate aiming to prevent my escape but I have already leapt over the wall. I head to town.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  -----

  “Are you alright, Sara?”

  “Sorry, [Head Attendant], I was distracted by some internal matters.”

  He nods and returns to work. I was assisting in cleaning the guest bedroom. Just some light dusting and airing out. Tomorrow the Sdrea not twins will be here.

  I hope my sister was only feeling morose from last night and not truly losing a bit of ourselves just now. Try as I might though, I had felt something in our soul shift slightly when she crushed that skull. I need a distraction myself.

  “Yosef, will there be an [Attendant] for Jeremy Sdrea?”

  “Ah, if he wishes for one. My son, Trious, will be assigned.”

  He usually maintained the grounds and carried things in and out of the storeroom. He was cautioned from interacting with me after my return from the capital. Everyone knew I was the dungeon. Their whispers were all heard. None were kind. But the mistress at least was. I need to keep trying.

  “I felt the young sir was a rather arrogant sort. I do advise caution.”

  The head attendant chuckles, “I see the young lord has grown to be despised. I will make sure to warn Trious to be at his utmost form.”

  Will Jeremy believe it when Trious tells him what I am. Probably not. I don't think the guy is a gossip but I do know that Jeremy will demand it.

  -----

  “Here to hire or make a request.”

  13 Centaur Receptionist

  Huh, so that is the [Common] word for that. Nevermind.

  “I'd like to talk to Peter.”

  The boy turns his head and is startled upon the sight. He shakes a clapperless bell and a distant chime rings out. Remote bell, interesting. Peter emerges from his office, sees me and quickly asks me into his office. He closes the door a bit too fast. It draws some whispers from the few currently loitering in the lobby.

  “Why are you here…like this?”

  He motions towards my body. I hadn't changed my form. I drop the instance key on his desk.

  “We have a problem.”

  “Which is?”

  “I felt a bit of my compassion go when I was confronted in my core. I fear personally ejecting adventurers will result in myself no longer caring if they live after I do so.”

  He pales at this, “They are adventurers, you're a new challenge…”

  I look at the Croman with sad eyes, “So it's inevitable then, at some point I will just not care anymore…”

  I slump down. Peter looks awkward.

  “I will ensure anyone who rents a key knows not to engage the core…to be honest they should know better. Fools who want to claim to be the first to best you.”

  “The dungeon was locked just three days ago, should that mantle already be considered claimed.” By my own mother…

  “But no one came in claiming it. Some just assumed you did something foolish to end yourself.”

  …What? I mean in some ways they are right but do I come across as such…nevermind.

  “I will be making a point of no return, with signage…anyone who passes it will be both cursed and stripped of their belongings.”

  I will the blood those fools have been drained of into a container in front of me. Peter can see the blood. His nervousness increases. I drink it in front of the guild master. The bliss will wait. A point needs to be made. When the container empties I cursed the three fools.

  All stats increased by 90 temporarily

  You have gained [Embrace Thirst] Competent 1

  Competent - if a curse last longer than a week, a portion of the curse becomes permanent

  Gain 4 exp

  Which means I can just take a portion of their stats? Will they be able to regain them as if they were under their thresholds or will they be as if they were at their max. I hear a commotion from outside. Peter leaves me in his office.

  “What's going on, why are you naked ‘Stubborn profit’?”

  “That bitch of a dungeon robbed me of my gear and I just lost thirty-three of my stats…”

  I hear Peter quickly return to his office. The door slams even harder closed this time.

  “Did you just…”

  “I did, it's temporary, but the curse will grow longer each time. I do not suggest they make this a habit.”

  My blood eye bores into him. When did that come on…I will myself into the dungeon. I am trembling. I release the hold on my bliss. It washes over me. I hadn't imbibed so much in a long time. It doesn't end for quite awhile.

  You have gained [Embrace Bliss] Competent 1

  Competent - taking from the same person only increases the bliss felt each time

  Gain 4 exp

  -Okay, that one is just cursed.

  I feel a pinch in my eye, it stretches.

  You have gained [Permanent Blood Mana Sight] Apprentice 1

  Apprentice- meow, holding you bliss will flare your eye for all to see

  Gain 6 exp

  Speaking of cursed. Now not just thirst but when I hold my bliss. It's not as if I wouldn't want to be intimidating at such times anyways.

  -Your not the only one whose eye flared. It gave Yosef a bit of a fright.

  Sorry, we will have to be more cognizant of each other's situation when holding back the bliss.

  I received a huff. She knows we won't. At the path to my lair I created a new floor. It is universal to the various instances. A long corridor with nothing in it. The door leading to it has a warning etched.

  To those who proceed, failure will bring a curse, longer each time you fail. You will be stripped of your belongings as you have desired to do to me. Turn back before you damn us both.

  Should they pass that door they will reach a second. The message repeated. I think about that. Touching the door will vocalize the words. Some adventurers don't bother learning to read, letting only one in the group handle it. The previous door will close before this one opens. I touch the door to test the mechanism. The voice is mine, the end pleading…for how long? When the door opens I feel the air pull in. Good, it's exactly as I wanted. I return to Cecelia and Qorth.

  -----

  “Your tea, my mistress.”

  “Thank you, Violet.”

  “I got a glimpse of the dungeon boss today!” Jasmine couldn't wait to tell her news.

  “Did you, now? I hadn't thought you were pushing so deeply into the dungeon.”

  “Thats the thing, it was in the adventurer guild.”

  Delores gives me a side glance. When I say nothing she continues the conversation.

  “So what did it look like?”

  “Well it had eight legs with the bends of a spider. And that spider butt thing with a giant scorpion tail at the end.”

  “It must have been quite monsterous.”

  I feel a new adventurer team in instance eight…seriously. There is not much left up. Perhaps they desire to test their luck on the mithril hares.

  “It wasn't too large though, it was like the receptionist. It had a girl top half. Their hair was like Sara's when she is pretending to be Red.”

  Didn't think to change up the look, Red.

  -It's an open secret, and since we are pulled in, I don't have a lot of time to change it. I think those fools are here for me…

  An unclaimed achievement. I might starve but perhaps the knights would be better stewards.

  The mistress continued her chat. My other attention focuses on the adventurer as they approach the door.

  “Oy ready to be legends.”

  “No monster is going to beat us.”

  I want to roll my eyes but I am in the presence of others.

  “That warning is rather ominous.”

  “Pfft don't be a coward.”

  They push open the door, the five venture in. The door slams shut as they approach the next. They are unconcerned, aside from the one who brought up the warning.

  I fill the mistress's tea cup again. Perfect.

  They touch the second door. Red's voice vocalizes the warning. More are unnerved. Apparently not all of them could read. Their leader though.

  “Ha, she is frightened. Do you not hear her voice tremble at the end?”

  He pushes the door open. The door creates a woosh sound as the air is pulled in. They proceed forward. The lowest level falls over in fifteen seconds. The next few do not last more than another second. The highest level, the leader makes it to the twenty-five second mark before he too falls over. There is still a mile of corridor for them to traverse as their bodies all die. They are returned outside of the dungeon. Bewildered and naked.

  -Come sister, share in our dungeons spoils.

  I do, I try to push the bliss to my other attention but it is too much. It bleeds over to my attentive side and I blush. Here is to hoping they never make it to the throne room.

  “Are you alright, Sara? You were drinking from that water skin for some time.” He looks concerned but also confused.

  “Perfectly well, Sir Hischurl.” I notice the tea cups, “Do you wish me to brew more tea, ma'am.”

  She shakes her head no and I gather the plates and head to the kitchen. I hear Hischurl whisper to Jasmine.

  “Far too young to be drinking such quantities of spirits.”

  I can only bark a laugh.

  -----

  “Is there a reason you are stripping them of all their gear?”

  “I figure the smarter ones will not wish to risk such hardship for a stupid idea.”

  Sir Ujan looks annoyed, “My knights are not here to corral naked adventurers.”

  I roll my eyes, “Fine they can keep their underclothes, I am still confiscating their gear.”

  Peter chimes in, nervously, “Could they perhaps keep their gear unless they breach the core? I fear the young and foolhardy will not learn their lesson unless they attempt it once. I heard the previous group did not reach more than a few feet into the latest floor.”

  …Am I to be a rite of passage.

  “I am rather annoyed you allowed instance eight to be rented out when so few monsters were up. I will strip them of any dungeon loot they have, if I have to end them myself they will be returned without their gear.”

  “I do not understand why you are adamant against combat.”

  I look at Sir Ujan, “The honest truth. I felt a bit of myself slip away when I personally ended the Drakenoid…I think at some point I will grow numb to the killing. I fear this dungeon becomes permanently lethal should such occur.”

  “Should such arise, the knights will simply confiscate the keys.”

  Peter looks annoyed at the Knight. I must admit I wasn't fairing much better.

  “I require my blood tithes, Sir Ujan. I do not wish to think what happens should I be denied.”

  “...About that, you had exited the dungeon as your monster form.” He balks a little as he feels my displeasure radiate off me. “I only brought it up because of the panic that ensued.”

  “I had asked the knight on watch to summon you.”

  “Which he has been disciplined for, they all now know to summon me at once. But why did you show up as a monster?”

  “That is what my true body looks like Sir Ujan, as I was going to the adventurer guild to complain, I figured it best to go as myself.”

  He blanches at that, Peter places a familiar bell on the table.

  “Should you ring this I will head to the conference room immediately. I ask that you be patient with us.”

  I huff a sigh and take the bell. I ring it and I hear the earring the guild master wears chime. I smile, neat.