Book 3, Chapter 5

5. Dungeon Master I

Tarisha took charge of the new arrivals marvelously, putting my plan into action.  Four of the group, including Phil and Laurant, would soon leave us to travel by horseback to North Shire.  When there, they would activate their personal summoning abilities as my head constable (or deputy, as he insisted upon calling himself) and a lieutenant in my army.

“There shouldn’t be any other Travelers in this timeline yet,” she said, “But the bandits have been showing some flexibility in their levels when they’re caught on their own.  Be safe.”

“The goal isn’t to eradicate the bandits while we’re in our own little world,” I reminded them.  “It’s to get set up so that when I cast [Summon Karmic Warriors] or start a battleground, we’ll be at the strongest advantage we can be.  Once you cross the border into North Shire, Phil and Laurant, you can use your own summoning ability to bring in the constables and my army.”

“Eventually our actions will be noticed by the metagame community,” Tarisha pointed out.  “Especially another battleground.”

“I know,” I said.  “I’ll be counting on you to keep them off my back, Tarisha.”

We spoke for a while about what had happened in the world before I’d arrived in The Recent Past, and it sounded like not very much had changed since I’d been forced out of it by the administration, except for a wave of goblin Travelers sweeping through the ranks.  There were, apparently, already goblins out there who were riding Wyvern mounts like Tarisha’s, and a few had even been power-leveled to take part in endgame raids.

My involvement in releasing the goblins was widely rumored, but it was only rumored.  The few goblins who had managed to get the [First!] achievement – which had been accompanied by getting slaughtered by the native goblins immediately after passing through the origin point – had seen me.  But the details and mechanics behind releasing them weren’t being broadcast, so a lot of Travelers speculated that I had simply convinced the village elder to unjam the gate or something.

But other than the goblins, everything in The Near Future had simply stagnated without me.  Well, that was likely to change soon enough.

We split our party into two, with Laurant, Lewis, and the two members from <Taegeuk> taking the proposed route to Ebbyvale.

“This would be faster if everyone had a flying mount,” one of the endgamers complained.

“Escort missions always suck, even when you’re the one being escorted” Laurant commiserated with him.  “I’m sorry that the two Player Characters with unique mass summoning powers were so inconsiderate as to not dump five thousand hours of their life into virtual reality already just for your convenience.”

The woman who had spoken grumbled, but accepted the point, and they rode off at speed.  The rust of us kicked our own mounts into a gallop as we neared the Benarth Vineyards.  The journey wasn’t much further when I received a sudden prompt and pulled Shadow to a halt.

Action of Notice Recognized!

You have successfully created 3 dungeons

You earn the Title: Dungeon Creator

Title synergy noticed: Castle Buster (upgraded form of Dungeon Buster)

Progress toward synergistic Title: Dungeon Manipulator recognized.

Progress toward synergistic Title: Dungeon Reclaimer recognized.

Progress toward synergistic Title: Dungeon Challenger recognized.

Sufficient credit exists to combine these titles.

Would you like to combine these titles into the Title: Dungeon Master?

Yes

No

“Is everything alright, Lord Hail?” Tarisha inquired, riding her stag back towards me while keeping an eye on the surroundings.

“I got an unexpected prompt.  I think that the dungeon I created finished forming, and that kicked off something unexpected,” I explained.  “The system wants to either give me a new title, or to evolve the title I got for being part of the raid on Castle Zhesa.”

I read off the prompt to her, and she nodded gravely.  “I think you should combine the titles, Lord Hail.  It sounds to me like the most powerful of all of the individual options.  It might bring with it powerful new abilities and options.”

I nodded, and selected yes.

Castle Buster, Dungeon Creator, and progress towards three unclaimed title has been combined to form Title: Dungeon Master I

Continue to create, destroy, and manipulate dungeons to evolve title further.

Confirm Title Evolution?  (This action cannot be undone)

Yes

No

I again reported the prompt to Tarisha, who nodded seriously.  “It will be interesting to see what new abilities it comes with.  For now, we should press on.”

And so we did.

As had happened the last time I had visited this place, the natives were out in the field, and the first to come over to investigate the strange party of Travelers was the little girl whom I had given a vanity pet.  The metal golem, called Sir William Von Barutasburg, followed quickly behind her.  She had a stick in her hand, and she had been dueling the little thing while the adults worked.

“Do you have any more presents for me?” she demanded immediately.  If I had been expecting a more formal greeting than last time, I was to remain disappointed.

“I’m sorry.  You’ll have to get by with Sir William Von Barutasburg for a while yet,” I apologized.

“Oh, that’s alright.  He’s pretty great, actually.  Now that I know how to dismiss him so that he doesn’t watch me sleep, at least, I really like him.  I’m going to keep him with me forever!” the girl declared.

If vanity pets could look smug, this one would look smug.

“We’re looking for your father again,” I told the girl.

No sooner had I spoken the intention than she turned over her shoulder and shouted “PAAAAAH!  The Important people are back!  The ones with the capital I’s!”

“What’s your name?” I asked the girl abruptly.

“Min,” she said promptly, and then she ran off to play with Sir William Von Barutasburg.  Max Benarth arrived shortly, looking as dirty and well-worked as ever, but happy and wholesome for it.

“She hasn’t shut up about your gift from last time, you know,” he commented as he approached.  “So, as her father, I suppose I must express a bit of proper gratitude.”

He bowed to me, and to my slight amusement it was ‘The Irvine Bow,’ as I was coming to think of it.

“It’s really nothing,” I argued.  “I had 50 of them.  They’re of no use except to play with, so why not give them to a child?”

“It hasn’t been so long since you were a child yourself, My lord,” Max pointed out.  “In case you have forgotten.”

“I know,” I said.  “But it doesn’t feel that way.  Now then, please tell me, is my mother in the March?  Where is she?”

“You’re in luck, My Lord,” Max informed me, “For although that guardian of hers has insisted upon shifting her around from estate to estate for her protection, she is currently located quite near here.”

“That’s wonderful news.  Thank you Max,” I said.

“Two more things,” my steward said.  “Would you like me to summon your household staff from The Near Future?  And as to your brother, what status does he hold in your house?”

I cocked my head.  I hadn’t thought of the possibility that Natives would be able to bridge the gap of time between the near future and the recent past.  The questions were so surprising that I took several moments to consider them.

“As to my brother, he is part of House Teoran, not House Jeoran,” I said finally.  “And House Wildeheart, I suppose.  I am a bastard, and I can claim kinship to him.  And so I do.  He is ever welcome in my holdings and all of my resources shall be made available to him for his protection and upbringing while he is too young to care for himself.  Does that answer that question?”

“It does,” Max agreed.  “And your staff?  Should I summon them?”

“Sure,” I said.  “Start with Daemon and let him determine who else can come through.  Where will they arrive?”

“I will send them into the Parlor to wait for you.  It may take some time, as the journey back in time must be taken willingly, and not everyone who is eligible may wish to come at first,” Benarth reminded me.

“Just give them the option and as much information as they need to make the decision,” I suggested.  “We’re not at an ‘all-hands-on-deck’ point yet.  But we could use a few more Travelers running around completing non-combat objectives.”

“Of course.  I shall go and wring the [gong of servant summoning],” Benarth said, and he departed, while the rest of us remounted and rode in the direction he had indicated to find my mother.  I was, aside from Tarisha, surrounded by strangers, but I was in high spirits as we trotted our mounts through the open country and around the occasional briar patch.

Conveniently, the estate which mother was resting was the same one which housed my throne for Thorn March, which would allow me to complete multiple objectives in the same visit.  I didn’t have all of the same options as the one in North Shire, as some of the features of the thrones were specific to their geography.  But it would allow me to update my overall objectives, and to write a new quest for my guardians.

I had already asked, and nobody had managed to rescue my throne from Mooncrest Manor before it became a dungeon.  I was too low level to retrieve it myself, but the elite Travelers that Tarisha had lined up for my bodyguards should suffice.  I don’t think they even needed me in their party to bring them into the core instance for it.

The villa itself was beautiful.  While the vines outside were too small to call a proper vineyard, they provided the household with enough thornberry to make its own vintage of wine every year.  The architecture was mostly brick, with a slate arched roof and magical windows which allowed perfect vision through while keeping the weather out.  The inside, I knew, was even cozier.  I couldn’t think of a better place for my brother to have been born.

A figure with a billowing blue cape rode out to meet us, warhammer in hand, a dappled brown and white gelding beneath him.  Malkios was in full dress armor of the royal guards, and on his chest was the thundercloud of House Teoran, signifying that he was a true royal knight.  He had seen us coming, somehow, and was prepared to greet us whether we were friend or foe.

“Malkios!” I called.  “Oh it is good to see you again!  How is my mother?  And my brother?  Is he born yet?  I fear I have been trapped on Earth for some time and am not certain the canon date yet.”

Malkios reacted to my call by hoisting his weapon in a salute.  “Do you bring friends and support to the lady Teoran, your mother, Hail Jeoran?”

“I do, Malkios.  Of course I do!” I called back.

“Then I greet you as a comrade in arms back from the campaign,” Malkios called.  “No longer will I treat you like the little scamp who must be watched or he will skip out on his studies.”

His warhammer vanished into his inventory, and the former captain of the royal guard rode out to meet us with only his sidearm, a gladius, equipped on his belt.  “You say you have been to Earth?  That must have been an exciting adventure, Lord Hail,” Malkios proposed.

I snorted.  “I was trapped in a magical room for weeks while months flew by on Lagrea.  It is only the will of the administrators that I not be absent for too long from the story of this world that they have sent me into The Recent Past.  I ask again, how is my mother?  Is my brother born yet?”

“She is resting comfortably,” Malkios informed me.  “And the babe has a pair of lungs on him that will put pride in his father’s heart, once he bonds his ancestral spirit.  He may be squalling now, but in a few months, he will be roaring like the Leonid he is!”

I grinned, and I motioned to the four who had agreed to become my mother’s personal guard.  “Malkios, I give these four men and women to your command, for the purpose of keeping my mother and younger brother safe.  They are at your disposal.”

Malkios scratched his beard.  “I see.  I shall find a use for them, somewhere,” he promised.  And his voice sounded both amused, playful, and dangerous.