Today, I'll finally start renovating the dungeon. I thought to myself as I looked around the throne room. The only invader that's gotten anywhere close to the throne room is that one three headed dog I killed the day I summoned Shii, but I've been putting it off for far too long. It's about time I stop procrastinating and get to work.
My goal was to modify the dungeon such that it actually looked, well, like a dungeon. That said, I had no intention of crafting, for any potential invaders, an experience what would be seen in a typical JRPG. That is, I wasn't going to just make a cave with a whole bunch of floors. Rather, the image I had in mind was much more akin to that of a final boss' castle. I wanted to make something grand, something magnificent, something like the ever majestic An*r Londo. Though, Anor L*ndo may be a bit too disproportionately large. I mean, I'm a man. I gotta dream big, but maybe not quite that big.
With my thoughts in order, I decided to open up my stat page and check the amount of DP I had on hand.
***
General Information
Name: Yuki
Race: Archdemon
Class: Demon Lord
Level: 35
HP: 2540/2540
MP: 7211/7211
Strength: 716
Vitality: 747
Agility: 658
Magic: 998
Dexterity: 1313
Luck: 72
Skill Points: 6
Unique Skills
Magic Eye
Translation
Flight
Skills
Item Box
Analyze VIII
Martial Arts Mastery IV
Primordial Magic IV
Stealth V
Detect Enemies IV
Sword Mastery I
Weapon Transmutation III
Enchant II
Titles
Demon Lord from Another World
Supreme Dragon's Owner
One Who Judges
DP: 152400
***
And in doing so, I discovered that I had gained yet another strange title.
***
One Who Judges: One who detests sin and delivers judgement upon the guilty. All stats are increased by 50% whilst engaging a sinner. Sinners are denoted as those whose titles convict them of crime.
***
I raised a hand to my chin as I read its description. Well, it at least seems useful, so no harm in getting it, I guess. Wait. How exactly did I get this title anyway?
"Hey Lefi, how exactly do people get titles?" I turned to the dragon, only to find that she was still in the middle of an interesting but bizzare one man act. That is, she was playing old maid against none other than herself.
Her current predicament was one inspired by her own actions. She had bragged about how good she was at the game and challenged Lyuuin to a one on one showdown, only to end up under a metaphorical bus the moment she taught the other girl the game's rules. Lefi had been completely and utterly destroyed, over and over again. Thus, she decided that she lacked experience and enrolled herself in a bootcamp in which she was both instructor and student. Lefi please. Old maid doesn't support single player.
"Titles, you ask?" She looked up from the cards in her hand and turned her eyes on me as she answered my question. "I've no choice but to admit that even I lack knowledge of their workings. I know only that they are inclined to appear following major events and that they label those that have strayed from the righteous path. Some claim that they are managed by a god, a watcher that observes our actions and provides us titles to match. The label stems from a lack of information, for the watcher is labeled a god for the sole reason that it is not a creature that we sentient beings can perceive. Still, it remains fact that our actions lead to a sort of recognition."
Well, that answer was a whole lot more profound than what I was expecting.
"Wait, so does that mean there aren't actually any real gods?"
"At the very least, I have yet to bear witness to any being reflective of the deities described in religious texts."
Lefi's answer left me a bit surprised. The world I had been reincarnated in was different from my own. It was a whole other world, or as we Japanese would like to call it, an isekai. And as far as the isekai genre of literature was concerned, gods were a norm. Thus, I had always just assumed that they existed. But not even Lefi had met one. From that, I came to the conclusion that this world's gods were no different from that of my previous world's: they were beings that were impossible to perceive, assuming they even existed to begin with.
"Speaking of titles," I said. "Is Supreme Dragon the only one you've got?"
"I bear countless others. But I have chosen to keep them hidden away," replied Lefi. "I have refrained from hiding only the Supreme Dragon title, for it conveys my identity to all who dare to examine me. I've the ability to obscure all information pertaining to me, in fact. I could very well conceal everything from my name to all of my titles with utmost ease."
Oh, I get it. She's using her most fearsome title to scare away all the riff raff so everyone leaves her alone. That's a pretty good life lesson right there.
The fact that Lefi had the ability to hide her stats didn't really catch me off guard. There were skills that allowed one to peek at another's stats; it only made sense for the opposite to exist as well. I was quite interested in the skill and made a mental note to look through the catalogue for it later on. That reminds me… Illuna probably has a hidden skill or title or two, doesn't she? I mean, she managed to escape all by herself, so it only makes sense. I probably shouldn't be asking her about it though. The fact that she hasn't told me of her own accord means it's probably one of her most closely guarded secrets. Forcing it out of her would be in bad taste.
"Why is it that you appear so disappointed?" asked Lefi.
"I kinda had this whole goal of being able to see all your stats, but it turns out that you can just shut me out whenever you feel like it," I grumbled. I had never been able to see any more than what she wanted me to see.
The dragon girl broke into a hearty laugh. "Then I suppose you have no choice but to grow more powerful. It is likely that you will be able to discern them should your level reach my own."
"Yeah… no." I rolled my eyes. "That'd probably take a couple hundred years. I'll be long dead by the time I even reach your feet."
"What?" The dragon eyed me, confused. "You need not concern yourself with the length of your lifespan. I believe not that it will be a factor."
"Uh...…what?" I stared at her, completely bamboozled. The words that she had nonchalantly spoken had caused my mind to grind to a halt.
"I cannot be certain in declaring that your life shall continue in perpetuity. Still, I've no doubt that it will span at least several thousand years, Yuki, for you are a demon that has spawned not through birth, but rather spontaneous generation. Do you recall what I have told you about magical particles?"
"Uh… yeah… I remember," I said, as I dug through my memories. Let's see… I think she said that I was basically a bunch of magical particles gathered around a core made up of the dungeon's power.
"Demons whose bodies are composed of magical particles are long lived, to say the least. The act of breathing alone suffices as a method to restore the particles of which your body is composed and thereby all it requires to function. You will not perish if you remain unslain. [E1] You've the ability to regenerate, for even severed limbs shall reform themselves should you allow enough time to pass. The passage of time shall not be your end so long as magical particles continue to exist. In fact, I believe you've not even the need for sustenance."
Huh… now that she mentions it, I don't think I've actually ever really felt hungry post reincarnation.
A further moment's worth of contemplating led me to realize that Shii and Rir, the dungeon's monsters, were made the same way, which meant that they too had no need to fear the hand of time. Damn, that's a shocker.
It appears that my body is immune to age and all that accompanies it, that it does. I was so surprised that I ended up thinking to myself with a speech quirk befitting a samurai.
"Wait, what about you then? I mean, you've already lived for a thousand years, so does that mean you're the same way?"
"Like yours, my kind is long lived. And as I have grown more powerful than any other, my body has acclimated itself to magic particles. I believe that, unless I am slain, I too shall continue to exist for as long as there are magic particles."
"That's good… I doubt I'll be bored no matter how long a life I've got ahead of me so long as I've got you by my side." I turned to the dragon girl as I spoke. "Huh? What's the matter? Why'd you suddenly turn all red?"
"I-It is nothing!" squealed Lefi before changing the topic. "I suppose you only asked me about titles because you had acquired anothe—WHAT!? WHY IS IT THAT YOU ARE LABELED THE SUPREME DRAGON'S OWNER!?"
The lazy dragon cut herself off with a series of screeches the moment she checked my stats.
"Oh, you never noticed that one?"
"Y-you dare treat me as you would some sort of pet!?"
Yeah, that's about the exact reaction I thought I'd get.
"Oh come on," I said with a teasing smirk. "Don't let it get to you. It's just a title given to you by some random thing that we can't actually see. All that means is that it's the objective truth."
"Nrrrghhhh…" Lefi groaned angrily.
"So now that you know your place in the world, I'd say it's about time you act a bit more pet-like. How about you try fawning all over me or sucking up to me for food?"
"Krhhghhhh!" Another frustrated groan escaped the dragon girl's throat. "Do not get cocky! Yuki, I challenge you to a duel! Let us engage in a bout under fair terms!"
"Mwahahahaha!" I cackled. "Bring it on! If I win, you'll have to get on all fours, walk around like a dog, and lick my feet!"
"T-That is quite the… interest you have, Yuki," said Lefi, as she reeled away.
"Why the hell did you suddenly calm down and start thinking rationally!? What happened to getting all fired up!?"