“Let’s get this over with,” Viktor muttered.

  It was time to summon his first Guardian. A gamble, yes, but two Gold-ranked adventurers were at his doorstep and he knew he couldn’t defend his dungeon with just goblins and spiders.

  [Once the summoning procedure is initiated, potential candidates from countless worlds will be notified, and the first to respond will come here to state their terms. Do you agree to proceed, Master?]

  “If I don’t like them or the conditions they set,” Viktor asked, “they’ll be sent back to their world, and we’ll need to restart the process all over again to summon a different one, right?”

  [Yes.]

  “And burn another 1,000 mana for the next try?”

  [Correct, Master.]

  Ugh. Considering how thin his resources were at the moment, he couldn’t afford more than one shot at this. In other words, no matter who got summoned, he would be forced to agree to their terms, regardless of how unreasonable they might be.

  “Fine,” Viktor scoffed. “Just do it.”

  [Understood. Initiating summoning procedure...]

  A glowing circle began to materialize on the floor. The patterns were faint at first, but as the ring expanded, the light grew stronger. Moments later, it erupted into a dazzling brightness that illuminated the entire room.

  [A candidate is arriving. His terms are...]

  “Are what?”

  [He will fight for you until he claims a thousand victories. Additionally, he wants to be allowed to read books in his free time.]

  “Books?” Viktor was taken aback by the unexpected request.

  That was a non-issue, really. And fighting and winning one thousand battles seemed pretty reasonable too. Given his previous concern about outrageous demands, these terms were perfectly acceptable. As long as the incoming candidate wasn’t a total pushover, this would be the best outcome he could hope for.

  The light gradually faded, revealing the newly summoned Guardian candidate, and once again, Viktor found himself at a loss for words.

  When he heard “reading books,” he had expected someone more... well, intellectual. A sorcerer from another world, maybe. Long beard, hooked nose, white hair, that sort of thing. Instead, he found a hulking behemoth who towered over him, muscles rippling beneath his thick, scaly skin.

  “Is he a lizardman?” Viktor asked. “No, more like a crocodile-man.”

  [I think the right term is Crocodilian, Master.]

  The Crocodilian stood tall and muscular, his hide a dark, glistening green, mottled with paler streaks. A heavy metal plate clung to his chest and broad pauldrons mantled his shoulders, while thick bracers and greaves encased his forearms and lower legs. He wielded a massive axe, effortlessly carried in one hand. His bright yellow, slit-pupiled eyes slowly swept the room, until they finally settled on Viktor.

  “Are you my master?” the Guardian candidate asked, his voice deep and resonant.

  “I am.”

  He lowered his flat head. “My name is Sebekton. My axe is yours to command.”

  “Welcome to my dungeon, Sebekton. You enjoy reading books?” Viktor asked, still trying to make sense of how the walking mountain in front of him matched with such an unexpected hobby.

  “Yes. Books are rare in my world and nonexistent among my kind. We rely on oral tradition, passing down stories and knowledge through spoken words rather than writing. Nevertheless, I’ve had the opportunity to read some books brought from other realms by world walkers. They were also kind enough to teach me how to read.”

  “I see.”

  World walkers, huh? Those words had brought back many memories of his previous life, during which he had encountered two travelers from the other realms. One was the greatest adversary he had ever faced, while the other was the man who had given him the power to reincarnate himself.

  “I was amazed at the amount of knowledge that could be contained in just a small book,” Sebekton said, smiling. Even though he was probably just trying to be friendly, the jaw full of sharp teeth made his expression downright terrifying. “Unfortunately,” he continued, “books from different worlds are written in many different languages, while I only managed to learn one. So most of the books I have are just for collection, as I can’t read them.”

  “Wait a minute,” Viktor said, furrowing his brow. “Then how are you supposed to read the books in this world?”

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  [That is not a problem, Master. In the dungeon, everything is automatically translated. You and Sebekton are actually not speaking the same language, but you can still understand each other perfectly well.]

  Viktor chuckled. What a convenient function!

  “Oh,” Sebekton said, his eyes widening. “What a pity! If I had known, I would’ve brought my books here.”

  “Don’t worry,” Viktor told his new Guardian. “Books are abundant in this world, and you’ll never run out of things to read here. However, powerful enemies will soon invade this dungeon. So, for the next week, our focus must be on preparing for the attack. Once it’s over, I’ll bring you as many books as you can digest. Does that work for you?”

  “Not a problem, Master.”

  “Good!” Viktor nodded. “Now tell me your strengths and weaknesses.”

  “Well,” Sebekton said, scratching the bony ridges on the top of his broad head, “as you can see, I’m a simple warrior. The only thing I can offer you is my axe.”

  “How about your endurance? Your resistance to damage?”

  “My hide is thick,” Sebekton answered, his golden eyes glowing faintly, betraying a hint of pride. “It gives natural protection against all types of weapons. Even the sharpest blade will hardly leave a mark.”

  “How about fire and heat?”

  “Well, I can withstand them, within reason of course.”

  Viktor thought for a moment, then he said, “I need to know exactly how much you can take. So I’ll have my minions test you. They’ll attack, and you’ll hold your ground. No dodging, no fighting back. Just endure the blows.”

  “As you wish, Master,” Sebekton replied without hesitation.

  Even though the dungeon was capable of healing all injuries and there would be no lasting consequences, the process was not going to be painless. Not many people would easily agree to participate in such a brutal experiment, yet here the Crocodilian was, taking such an order without any question.

  “You’re very agreeable.”

  “As your servant, I am yours to command,” Sebekton replied. “Besides, you seem to know what you’re doing, so I trust your judgment.”

  Viktor chuckled. “Confident in me, are you? I thought someone like you would have problems with taking orders from a human.”

  “Not at all,” Sebekton said, shaking his head. “Even though many of the humans I’ve met are weak, some of the most terrifying beings I’ve ever encountered were also human.”

  “You’re right,” Viktor agreed. A long time ago, his old master once told him that mankind was both blessed and cursed, at the same time, by the Gods. Humans were fragile, but their potential was limitless. “If there are no further questions, we can begin right now,” he told the new Guardian. “Go to the next room. I’ll have the goblins and spiders arrive there shortly.”

  “Understood.”

  The Crocodilian bowed, then strode toward the door, his massive tail swaying behind him.

  [What do you think, Master?]

  “He looks reliable enough,” Viktor replied. “But I’m not entirely sure whether having him face those two intruders is the correct choice.”

  Lahmia would keep throwing fireballs at Sebekton while maintaining her distance. The Crocodilian, on the other hand, had no ranged attack to deal with her, so he would have to endure the barrage just to get within striking range. He could take the blasts with a grunt, yes, but even mountains eroded under relentless wind. It was not a question of if he would fall, only when.

  And then there was Azran, someone Viktor still knew little about. The bald man’s weapon was a short spear, but how would he use it in combat? Since he had no armor or shield, Viktor doubted he would be a frontline fighter. He didn’t look like a rogue either, which left only one possibility. Most likely, the man was also a mage, using his spells to manipulate his spear somehow. Not much of a surprise, actually, considering that most Gold-ranked adventurers were mages anyway.

  “An aeromancer,” Viktor said, reaching his conclusion.

  [Aeromancer?]

  “Yes, mages who can manipulate wind.”

  Within the ranks of the aeromancers, there were those who could bend the wind around a weapon to control it, directing it to fly through the air and strike at their enemies at will. Each mage had their own preference when it came to the number of weapons they wielded. Some preferred to overwhelm their opponents with sheer numbers, while others favored using just one or two for precise control. Swords were the most common choice, but spears worked well too.

  But if that was the case, the situation had just become even worse. Now they faced two ranged fighters who could dance around Sebekton while attacking him with fireballs and flying spears with impunity. And as a wind mage, Azran could not only make his spear fly but also lift himself and his partner off the ground, which meant catching them would be extremely difficult.

  “Modify the arena,” Viktor said. “Make the ceiling low enough so that even if someone takes to the air, Sebekton could still hit them with that axe of his.”

  [Understood. How about the width of the room?]

  “Make it wide enough to tempt them, but not too wide. We want the intruders to think that they can outmaneuver our Guardian. That they have the upper hand. That they are the ones in control. The more confident they become, the better.”

  A large room would favor the two adventurers who relied on ranged attacks, but making it too cramped could deter them from entering at all. Instead, they might choose to stay outside and shoot at him from behind the doorframe.

  “And throw in some big stone pillars, so that Sebekton can take cover if needed.”

  [Understood. How about the larger area on the second floor before the arena? Have you decided on a layout yet?]

  “Make it a maze as well, but with very thick walls and narrow passages. No one but goblins and spiders would feel at home fighting there. Also, no straight corridors. Don’t let intruders see more than a few paces ahead. I want the place to be a twisting, disorienting mess.”

  [Can I ask a question, Master?]

  Viktor raised an eyebrow. That was new. The Dungeon Core’s behavior had always been predictable. He commanded, and it obeyed. But now, Celeste was asking questions. Was it due to doubt, or just curiosity?

  “Go ahead.”

  [I can see the merit of such a layout. But if that is the case, why didn’t we design the first floor that way from the start?]

  “Because we want to lure the adventurers in,” Viktor replied with a chuckle. “If we throw a nightmare like that at them right out of the gate, they’ll just retreat. Then they’ll come back with sappers and explosives. They’ll advance slowly while blowing up everything in their path. In the end, we’ll achieve nothing but cause unnecessary damage to the dungeon. No, we invite them in first. Give them success. Make them feel clever.”

  [I see.]

  “But this time is different,” he continued. “We don’t want to lure those two; we want to delay them. Wearing them down. And while they claw their way through that maze, we’ll be watching. Learning what they can do.”

  [Understood, Master. I will start modifying the dungeon immediately.]

  “Excellent,” Viktor said, turning toward the door. “I’ll head to the next room to monitor the experiment with Sebekton.”