Lewd dungeon, p.7
Lewd Dungeon, page 7
Chapter 289 – Conversation
The summit started winding down after that. After all, things were as resolved as they could be with the new dungeon, and there was a plan of action for moving forward. But none of the plans were something that could, or should, be rushed forward immediately, so there was little more to talk about, as a formal conversation.
That didn’t mean, however, that the summit was over, or that people were headed home. After all, the tension that had been around at the start was gone, and there were groups of people here that most individuals would never get to talk with under normal conditions. A bit of networking now could make future negotiations all the easier.
Of course, that included me, as well. Other than the Ambassador, I was the only one in this group that wasn’t stationed primarily in Japan. And the way I straddled different worlds meant I was something of a hot commodity, especially once people got past the way I massaged the truth to keep from lying. Which is why I was now sitting next to Leader Miya, as we chatted about the differences between the American Adventurers’ Guild and the Japanese Adventurers’ Alliance, among other things.
“Yes. Basically, Americans being Americans, they can’t all agree on one set of rules. At least, not on anything but the highest level. The individual guilds run most of the day-to-day affairs.”
“So, it is like the federal government, then?”
“Basically,” I nodded. “They set some basic standards for adventurer training and other such things, provide standardized gear appraisal services, and other resources beyond what a local guild might be able to source. It also allows for someone who is a registered adventurer with one guild to travel freely throughout the US, using that registration wherever they go, much like how an Alabama driver’s license is still valid in Alaska. In return, one tenth of the income of local guilds goes to the national guild, which can use that to fund different things, including supporting major quests to take on certain threats.”
Miya frowned at that. “What kind of threats? The only threat in the US that I’ve heard of that would require some kind of national response would be those Radiation Slimes in the desert, but the actual government is handling them, not the guilds.”
“Ah, so far, there hasn’t been anything that required the national guild’s attention, no. But their other ventures, including subsidizing class and profession training guides for those who are not happy with what the System offered them? Or how they are offering bounties for new System-related information, and details of production methods? Or helping supply the growing legion of crafters that are operating under their banner? Or legal fees for lawyers that come in to help defend members when someone accuses them of crimes, or tries to sue them? That all takes money, and they still need to build up a war chest, in case something big does happen.”
“And the local guilds all pay into the national guild, to help make those things happen, when they would be too expensive for many of the smaller areas to handle. I see. I was worried for a second that I might have missed some tale of a kaiju attacking the US, like we’ve had to deal with here in Japan.”
“Ah, yes. The monster people have taken to calling Gojira. No matter how many times it is driven off, or supposedly killed, it keeps coming back. About once every three months, right? I’d heard about it, but never had the resources in place to actually examine what was happening there.”
“Nasty business. We’ve never managed a full [Appraise] on it, since no one with the proper skills has been able to get close enough and come back alive, but we have collected enough of its blood and flesh in the different encounters to track its spawn point, and set up early warning systems. Unfortunately, even when it is ‘killed’, the body merely disappears, only to return later.”
“So, is it actually a nuclear-powered lizard, like the movies?”
“Hmph. Not always. It does breathe fire, but that is usually just normal magical flame. Easy enough to defend against, if you have enough magic. The times it was nuclear fire were… difficult. The problem is that its size and strength make it a powerful physical combatant. And each time it looks slightly different, with different abilities.”
“Is it adapting to what ‘killed’ it last time?”
“That is what we originally thought, but no. The abilities seem random, and sometimes make the creature weaker than a previous version. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to it.”
At that moment, Susanoo came over, holding another mug of ale. “Oh, hoh! Are you speaking of the dragon beast that lives off the waters of Tokyo? That is no natural being, but a divine beast, formed from the collective beliefs of you humans over time. But it is as with that God in the West, the one who those three major religions claim? Because there have been so many versions of this creature in its ‘myths’, the beast is fractured, even with the Monkey King stabilizing it somewhat. I have decided to wait until it fully forms before I try my hand against it. It may not be the Yamata no Orochi, but my blade still hungers for a dragon’s blood.”
Miya’s eyes widened at Susannoo’s words. “So, it truly is the Gojira out of the movies? That is not as bad as it could be, then. Though the image of Gojira has changed throughout the years in the movies and tv shows, including his size and powers, some things have remained consistent. Since we know this, then we can prepare, at least somewhat.”
“Oh?” I asked, intrigued by the Leader’s statement. “How so?”
“Well, in most of the stories, Gojira is drawn out by one of two things: pollution and other kaiju. If we limit the amount of pollution near the ocean, or find some way of reclaiming or recycling it, then that may decrease the call this Gojira feels, allowing it to sleep longer, especially when it is no longer fractured. With some work, a persistent threat could become a defender of Japan!”
She rushed off to talk to the minister, Hashira, with a laughing Susanoo following her. However, I was not left alone for too long, as the avatars of Oni’s Trial and Ayame the Massive came forward, with Silver Mercy following behind, keeping a watchful eye on the two young dungeons. Or, more likely, making sure I didn’t do anything to ‘corrupt’ them too badly. It was almost like she didn’t trust me or something.
Ayame started off, excitedly. “So, is it true that you have a true dragon in your dungeon? I was a high school student before I became a dungeon, and I always wondered what dragons would be like if they were real.”
I grinned, and said, “Well, it is still only a baby dragon, but yes. Apparently, the sea dragon’s egg was left beneath the waves, hibernating for all those years that Earth was without the System. Once magic returned, it got enough energy that it was able to hatch, and became a god-figure to a tribe of Vurlocks near Miami.”
“Cool! I wish I had something like that in my dungeon!”
I chuckled at the enthusiasm, and said, “Well, you probably know all about Mercy, here, and I don’t doubt she’s told you all sorts of things about me. But what about you two? Both of you are reincarnated humans, same as I am, I believe. What were you before the Apocalypse? What are your dungeons like? And, more importantly, how did your first contact with humans go?”
The Oni nodded, and said, “Well, I was a farmer, working the fields of the family farm. Not anything glorious, but an honorable, needed profession. But I always wished to be something more, like one of those wandering monks from anime series, gathering wisdom and experience on the way to enlightenment. So, when the Apocalypse came, and I found myself in a cave on the mountainside, as a dungeon? I decided that, if I could not wander, myself, I would give wanderers a chance to come to me, and learn what lessons I could teach.”
Mercy nodded. “He is a little modest, he was actually training to be a priest, before he had to take over the family farm when his father passed. So, he has more than a little knowledge and training to bring to bear.”
The Oni smiled at her. “Yes, but I always have more to learn. Even as the adventurers learn from me, I learn from them. That is the path of wisdom.”
Looking back to me, he said, “The first humans who came to my door were actually not adventurers, but a pair of hunters who had been chased into my domain by some monsters. I sheltered them, as I taught them some basic techniques. When they left, they were able to defend themselves enough to get back to town.
“Since then, I have focused on making a series of trials for everyone who comes to my dungeon, with progressively harder tasks. Not just combat, or physical challenges, either. Tests of character and of the mind are there, as well. After all a person is comprised of the body, mind, and soul. One cannot achieve enlightenment by neglecting part of that triad.”
I nodded slowly. “That is a very interesting setup to take. If you don’t mind, I may spread word about your dungeon to some of the guilds in the US. My trials do not appeal to those who have more ‘pre-System’ views of religion, so they might appreciate your dungeon better. Especially if you are up to a bit of theological debate.”
“Of course, I would be happy to discuss such matters with any who complete my trials.”
“Ooh, is it my turn, then?” Ayame hopped up, practically buzzing. It was a jarring look for the troll. “Well, I was in school before I became a dungeon. Not much to say about that except that I was a bit of a game freak. Anyways, I suddenly found myself in the middle of the freaking tunnel, which was way weird, let me tell you!
“So, I decided that if this tunnel was going to be my home from now on, I was going to have FUN! My dungeon is real straightforward. No mazes or anything like that. Just using the expanded space inside to create tracks that you have to drive through, while my gangs try and stop you. If you don’t have a ride, or your ride gets busted, you can steal one from the gangs, and keep going, or try your luck on foot. It has become a big hit with the bōsōzoku!”
I raised an eyebrow to Mercy, and she chuckled. “So, there are things that you don’t know, Kuronoth? She is talking about motorcycle gangs, usually associated with disaffected youth. The gangs of today are not the same as the ones of older generations, at least they weren’t. The Apocalypse, and Ayame’s dungeon have awakened some of that old violent spirit, it seems.”
“Yeah, they’re like wicked cool. But it isn’t just for the bikers! I unlocked a skill that lets me change the dungeon to fit the ride you got. So, you come with a bike, you’ll find mostly bikers. Come with a car, or something like that? And they’ll have battle-wagons at the ready. My favorite is the big semi-trucks! That’s when I get to bust out the Brutalator!”
“Interesting. And what monsters do you have?”
“Oh, it started with goblins and orcs, but the higher levels get trolls, like my avatar. Boss was always a troll, though. That’s how he kept the other ones in line, yeah? So, get this! The level of monsters they face changes based on their level, so the ones pushing close to Tier 2 are fighting off bike gangs full of trolls, slinging spells, and all that!”
“I’m assuming that the government wasn’t too happy with your dungeon cutting off that tunnel. They didn’t try to muscle you out, or do anything like that, did they?”
“Oh, they tried, first couple months. Sent them back in pieces, made sure to have one survivor, so he could send the message proper. After a while, they stopped trying to mess with me, and instead the Alliance sent in a negotiator. They got the idea from what you did with the guild and the feds over in the US, actually. Wanted to see if they could make a deal, and find some way to open the tunnel back up.”
“Well, it is nice to see I’m having some influence on the world around me. So, what did you get from them?”
“Oh, worked out a deal so that shipping companies gotta offer tribute each load. Kind of tribute depends on the load. And I got appraisers working to make sure they don’t try and cheat me. Not trying to break the economy or what all. But if it is normies? Well, they run the dungeon, or go around. But I got a standing challenge that anyone who makes it from one end to the other on foot? They earn my respect, and get to come through as they please, no fuss. So far, only Leader Miya and her party have managed it, though. Damn fun fight they gave me!”
“Oh, I can imagine. And I expect you’ll be having a lot of foreign visitors come around, before too long. There are bike gangs in the US, as well, and the idea of a dungeon where you fight on bikes while racing? They’ll eat that shit up.”
“I’ll take them all on!”
Chapter 290 – Spreading the Word
Before the summit officially broke up, there was just one more matter to discuss. Because of the contracts, everything that had been talked about was under seal. However, some things needed to be ‘unsealed’, so that they could be properly addressed in the wider world. Things like the way the new dungeon was created, or the state of things outside Sol System. All the most important details, of course, remained sealed, but the base concepts were made available so that people could spread the word.
Before leaving, I passed out a couple more ‘gifts’ to the mortals and dungeons I’d just met. A copy of the Tome of Kuronoth, and contact information, so that they could call on me, if they were facing some difficulty. The two dungeons hadn’t joined the global DEN yet, so this allowed me to keep in touch with them, and perhaps spread my influence a bit in Japan. And getting my tome in front of more mortal eyes was never a bad thing.
As I retreated back to my shrine, so I could leave Mercy’s dungeon without triggering any of her defenses, I considered the next step. Now that this first summit was complete, I would need to conduct more meetings. Perhaps even another summit or two. At the very least, I’d need to get in touch with the American guilds, and the President, since they were close to home. Maybe swing something in one of the European nations where I had a presence, too.
Transferring my avatar from Japan back to the US, I considered the time. It was just after five in the morning in Washington, DC. Not exactly the greatest time to go calling on someone, unless it was an emergency, which this was not. I wanted to get in touch, but I could wait for a more civilized time of day to do it. So, I simply sent a message to the President’s Chief of Staff, requesting a meeting at their earliest convenience, regarding a newly emerged danger that needed to be addressed. A bit cruel of me, but I figured the vague wording would get me a meeting sooner, rather than later.
While I waited for a response, I decided that now was a good time to hop on the American DEN, and let the dungeons know the score.
Welcome to the Exchange!
Chicagoland
So, then I got some of the ‘reconditioned’ firearms added to my dungeon. Finally, my gangsters could have some proper hardware to play with! Things really picked up after that.
Ghost
Why did you set your dungeon up as a recreation of 1920s gang wars, anyways?
Chicagoland
Because I’m in Chicago, located not fifty feet from where the Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre took place. Seemed appropriate. Had a hell of a time getting gear for my gangsters, though. Started with knives and clubs like savages.
GoblinLord
Because Tommy guns and collateral damage are so civilized.
Exquisite Pleasures
So long as the collateral damage is all in the dungeon, then it is just part of the scenery. It is when that damage extends out of the dungeon that it becomes problematic.
Area51
Woah! You’re that dungeon god guy that Freedomland was ranting about, aren’t you? Don’t see you on these forums usually.
Exquisite Pleasures
If by that, you’re asking if I am Kuronoth, the Forbidden Chambers of Exquisite Pleasures dungeon and God of Pleasure, Domination, and Dungeons? Then yes. And I’ll admit that I am not very active on the national boards. Most of my attention is spent on the Global and Galactic DEN, or on GodNet, as well as managing both my faith and my dungeon, not to mention dealing with the mortals. The only other DEN board I keep an eye on is my Local exchange, since there are some young dungeons there that I’m trying to guide.
GoblinLord
Not molding them to be like you, right?
Exquisite Pleasures
No, no. Trying to guide them so that they don’t become problems that need solving, like the Iahab Allah dungeon out in the Libyan dessert.
Folsom
Oh, yeah. I heard you went and dropped the hammer on that guy and his towel-head friends. They tried attacking you, and learned the truth of Fuck Around and Find Out, right?
Exquisite Pleasures
Indeed. And I don’t want to repeat that lesson more than necessary, so I’ve been guiding the local dungeons so they don’t develop in ways that will make me have to exterminate them, before the mortals start trying to find ways to kill dungeons.
