"Home sweet home," Aransae took in the sharp breath of Dungeon miasma that filled everyone with lust and desire, brought out their greed and power, carrying their potential. Ever since he had left the Dungeon, there was no will to keep the Dungeon in check. Since then, the Dungeon had been growing. The territory fusion he did with Rias's Club Room was long gone.
Though, Rias was still the Floor Master for the First Floor, Akeno was the Master of the Second Floor, though other than creating safe space for Shuri and Fujimai on the First Floor, they hadn't done anything.
'As I was saying, the Dungeon has changed a lot,' Aransae stood in the middle of the hall. There were numerous boards lined up on the left and right wall, they were the size of the mirror. He stepped near one, and words appeared on them.
[Would you like to check your status?]
[Visible to Everyone – Y/N]
"Hm, these are my consoles," Aransae had a strangely bubbly and warm aura around him, 'wow…to this Dungeon is making use my technology. What is this pride. I wonder if this is how parents feel when their children perform.'
He smilingly placed his hand on the status board and numbers started appearing on them, along with his stats.
[Name: Aransae?]
Level: 401 (Newborn/Middle-Level Demon)
HP: 4010
WP: 100,000
Dungeon Points: 0
Job: Bearer/Dungeon Master
· Strength: 401.
· Dexterity: 401.
· Agility: 401.
· Vitality: 401.
· Intelligence: 401.
· Wisdom: 401.
· Willpower: 10,000 (Severely Weakened).
· Dungeon Power – Zero Floor.
[Dungeon Master Abilities]
Eye of the Dungeon (E Rank) – You can appraise.
Will of the Dungeon (E Rank) – You are able to form contract and bless others with the power of Dungeon. All to Purify the Desires of the Dead.
Regain (E) – You are able to regain control over the Dungeon once you defeat the Monsters and clear the Area.
[Bearer]
Last Wish (Deus Ex Machina) – An Ability Born from the Will of a Human. You will Bear the Weight of Humanity's Last Wishes. In turn you can gain the Power of those whose Wish you carry.
[Humanity's Current Collective Wish – End of the World? Overwritten? New Goal? Overwritten? New Goal? Overwritten? Goal Accepted. New Goal? Distorted Wishes? New Wish? Last Wish? Aransae? Aransae? Aransae? Aransae? New Goal? Goal? Goal? Corrupted? Fall? End? Goal? Humanity's Collective? End? Wait? End? Goal? Last Accord.]
"Dungeon Power is Zero Floor…and what does Dungeon Points even mean," Aransae watched the changes in stats. It was different from the system he had devised. Though the Level System seemed to be the same, 'a few more things are there…'
Aransae scratched his cheek. He placed his palms in the pocket of white cloak that covered his body as he walked towards the depths of the First Floor. The area where Akeno fought the minotaur had turned into this big hall and there were two corridors that led to depths of the dungeon, both exuding dark aura that kept people at bay.
Though, for him, it was no different from coming back home. As he walked deeper, the walls, the bricks, they started to whither, as if they had suffered through time itself, and they turned into the barren wall. More of a stone cave, and vines that covered the brick walls started to meet their end.
He stopped around the corner, peeking towards the right, where the corridor continued until it met with an empty space. There wasn't anyone there, but he felt a strange threat from there. He tiptoed forward, sticking to the wall as he took one step at a time, 'this is more Dungeon like.'
As the smile appeared on his face, he stopped at the end of the corridor, before the empty space. There wasn't anything, it was a small place, and there was a wall on all sides. It was enclosed, or so he thought until he leaned towards the empty space to find a path adjacent to the corridor, only a few meters away, on his left, which would take him deeper inside.
'No, no, no. To begin with. Empty spaces mean fights. Right? That means if I go there…'
SqueakScreech*
Aransae's eyes widened, feeling the presence behind him. Before he could even look back, the creature dashed forward, slamming against his head. He body tilt a little and then, "Eh…that all?"
He rubbed his head, glancing towards the screeching creature beside him. It was a bat, flapping its wings, ready to attack him again, "wait…a bat? Let me see…"
[Creature – Demonic Bat]
[Level 86]
[Abilities – Echolocation, Sonic Scream.]
[Details – Born from the Power of Dungeon and Blood of the Demon.]
"Leve 86…huh. I really am Level 401," Aransae parted his lips, pulling the sword from his back. He swiped watched the bat and swiped down the sword. The bat turned into mist, and the dark mist swept towards him, sinking inside him.
[You regained a portion of Dungeon. You regained Echolocation.]
[Proficiency for Regain Skill has Increased.] (Current Proficiency 3/30)
"Wahh, I am so tired. I really worked hard today," Aransae stretched his arms, "Let's go back for now."
Aransae put the sword back in its sheathe. It was a normal sword that he borrowed from Kiba. He walked out of the Dungeon, looking at the stars in the sky along with the light of the moon. He teleported back to the Occult Club, where his Room was. He looked left and right around the dark room before he plopped on the soft mattress, 'Safe!'
"Master."
Aransae widened his eyes, seeing the crazy crimson eyes that could make one's hair rise to their ends, "pff…ahaha…ah, Rias, you look so scary. Hahahahahaa."
Rias snapped her finger, letting out a sigh as the switches snapped and light filled the room, "if I look scary then don't laugh."
"Hahaha…hehehe…that was so good. Haaaahhhh."
Rias opened her one eye, troubled by his sneaking out. She had been waiting since she was worried and she sent Kiba and Akeno to the Dungeon too, "Master, when did you learn to teleport?"
"Mm, when we when to the Under World through the Teleport Spell," Aransae smiled at her, burying his face in the pillow.
"I see," Rias lay down on the bed, resting her body on his stomach. She placed her palm on his, "Master, you know a Demon can't learn to Teleport only after getting Teleported once."
"Rias…every power that exists in the Dungeon, is a power that I once held. I don't learn. I don't gain. I, Regain, what once belonged to me," Aransae gently patted her head, "I didn't learn to Teleport. I always knew how to Teleport. I had forgotten."
Rias closed her eyes, "Master…did going to Dungeon change anything?"
"Mm, I learned a lot about myself," Aransae said so, "but it didn't change a thing. I saw it…I read it…I understood it. Yet…Rias…they don't mean a thing to me. They were and are…empty words."
"Oh," Rias closed her eyes, stroking the back his palm, "then maybe next time, Master. Hopefully, clearing the First Floor will change something."
"Maybe next time," Aransae blankly stared at the ceiling of the room, 'Clearing First Floor…I wonder about the type of creatures on the First Floor.'