Game
Thoughts
"Talking"
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A tall, lanky man with a muscular build lay on the floor of a pitch-black room. He wore a black T-shirt that clung tightly to his defined upper body, and gray sweatpants.
"Ugh… Did I drink too much last night?" Azuma groaned, his head aching as he rolled over, a drop of water plopping onto his head, "The fuck is going on…"
He opened his eyes. Then he opened them again. And again. It wasn't until the fourth time trying to open his eyes that he realized that his eyes were already open.
"Did the power go out? Why's it so dark…" He glanced around - or, would've glanced around if it wasn't pitch black.
"Chiho? You home?" Azuma called out for his younger sister, pushing himself up into a sitting position on the hard, damp floor. As he felt around, his hand brushed against something rough.
Is this… rocks?
He brushed his hand back and forth, feeling small grains crumble away from the solid ground. He flinched as another drop of water dripped from the ceiling, landing on his head.
"Okay… Either I'm way too hungover, or this isn't my room," Azuma concluded, "Did I get kidnapped or somethin'? Where the hell am I?"
[Welcome to your Dungeon, Dungeon Master!]
"The fuck?" Azuma said out loud, blinking as a bright red light assaulted his eyes. A large graphic box was floating in front of him, a red light exuding from it and shining a dim light onto his surroundings. Azuma looked around, seeing that he was in a small room with a rocky floor and a ceiling full of stalactites. Drops of water were dripping occasionally from the hanging objects, and a few feet in every direction of him were smooth walls.
Those walls are absurdly smooth for a cave.
He glanced at a puddle a few feet away and caught his reflection—a handsome face with a mop of messy black hair and high cheekbones.
Hi, me. Azuma thought idly before he snapped his attention back to the floating box.
"Dungeon Master?" He said out loud, poking his finger forward into the floating box. The box vanished, dumping Azuma back into darkness for a second before another one appeared.
[You have been chosen for the Game of Dungeons: DxD Edition, Dungeon Master!]
"DxD?" Azuma asked, "Like, High School DxD?"
He received no response - just a text box staring back at him.
Never heard of another DxD before, so it's gotta be that one.
"Yo, fucking floating box," Azuma said, jutting his finger into the box, which resulted in his finger pushing through it as if it were intangible, "This is cool and all, but I'm good. I'm about to graduate from University, and I didn't waste four years of my life to sit in a dirty ass cave. Just pick someone else."
The box disappeared for a moment, and a new one appeared.
[Please choose your Dungeon Attendant, Dungeon Master!]
"Did you not hear me, shitter?" Azuma shoved his finger into the box again, his face being washed with annoyance, "I don't wanna sit in this fucking caveI was on track to be a pro volleyball player, y'know? Do you know how much pussy those guys get? A lot! So, send me back!"
[Here is a list of possible choices, Master!]
Another box appeared to Azuma's right, but he pointedly ignored it.
"You deaf or somethin'? I don't wanna, just send me home." Azuma waved his hand dismissively. He stared at the box. The box stared back. Their staring contest continued, both too stubborn to give in, until finally…
[...you sure?]
"Yes, I'm fucking sure. Send me back."
[What do I need to do to convince you?]
"Convince me?" Azuma stared incredulously at the floating text, "Nothing, jackass! Do you know who I am? You should if you picked me! I'm Azuma Kaito, and I'm lazy as fuck. You think I'm gonna build some awesome dungeon and survive in the world of High School DxD? Where literal gods can snap their fingers and end me? I just finished University, shitty box, I need a few months of vacation, and not in some fucking cave!"
[...you are quite vulgar, Dungeon Master.]
"You try being ripped out of your comfy bed and put in some dark shitty cave. Tell me how you feel afterward."
[If you accept your role as Dungeon Master, I'll give you 100 extra starting points!]
"Nah."
[W-What? That's a lot! Like, a game-changing amount!]
"Give me a million."
[...I'm not giving you a million, Dungeon Master. I'll do 200 at most.]
"5 Million or I'm out."
[250.]
"10 Million."
[S-Stop going up! You don't even know what these points do yet! You just ignored my list of attendants!]
"15 Million."
[S-Stop! I'll do 500, okay? If you don't accept, then I'll just choose someone else to be Dungeon Master!]
"Go ahead. Pick a new one." Azuma said dismissively, leaning back so he was lounging as he stared up at the box.
[I'm serious! I'll do it!]
"Please do. Send me back home so I can chug some beer and forget this ever happened."
[T-This is a huge opportunity, you know?! You're the first ever Dungeon Master in the DxD Universe!]
"Don't care."
[Y-You look like you work out, right? Here you can be super strong! Strong to the point that you can blast mountains away with just your bare hands! Awesome, right?!]
"Didn't ask."
[W-What about women? You said you were excited to get p-pussy back in your own world, right? There are some b-...babes here! You know, Rias? Akeno? You could make them yours!]
"Best argument so far, but nah. I'd probably die before I even met them." Azuma waved the idea away.
[Ok, fine! 1000 starting points! Final offer!]
Azuma yawned in response, rolling over and closing his eyes.
[D-Don't go to sleep! Hey! Hey! Look back over here!]
"25 million, or just go pick a new one," Azuma said with his eyes closed.
[2000! I'll do 2000!]
,,,
[Are you snoring?]
…
[Look back over here, Dungeon Master. This is so unbecoming of you.]
…
[Please?]
…
The box moved, its position changing from directly above Azuma to in front of his closed eyes as he lay on his side.
"Just pick someone else," Azuma groaned, opening his eyes as the bright red light assaulted him.
[I can't, okay? I chose you, so I'm stuck with you! And if you don't start upgrading the dungeon, then you're going to die, and then I'm going to die!]
"Who even are you, anyway?" Azuma said as he rolled back over, laying on his back.
[I'm right here. Look to your right.]
Azuma glanced over, spotting… nothing.
"There's nothing here." He deadpanned.
[Down a little!]
Azuma glanced down, seeing a small rock sitting by the absurdly smooth stone wall.
"You're a rock?"
[No! I'm a Dungeon Core!]
"Looks like a rock to me."
[Listen! I'm a Dungeon Core, so I'm the center of your dungeon! If I get destroyed then the whole dungeon will fall apart, and you, as the Dungeon Master, will die a painful death!]
"I don't wanna spend all day babysitting a fucking rock. Just send me home." Azuma said, staring incredulously at the small rock.
[I'm not a rock! And - I already created the dungeon you're inside, so I can't remove it. You have to take some points to start expanding and protecting the dungeon, or we'll both die!]
"Huh? Then why don't you just give me a shit ton of points?" Azuma mused, "You want me to protect you, right? Just give me the max so it'll be easy."
[...I can't do that. This is my first dungeon location, but I will be creating others which will require points. I need to spread the points evenly amongst the dungeon masters.]
"Eh?" Azuma said, "Nah, just give them all to me. Why would you want more dungeons? Sounds like a bunch of work, and dumb as fuck. More dungeons mean more chances to die."
[N-No! Having more dungeons will increase my energy intake rate, which means I'll grow faster and be able to resurre- I mean, uh, become strong?]
"Resurrect? Are you like some dead monster or god or somethin'?"
[...no…]
"Whatever, I don't care. Just send me home."
[...I'm getting fed up, mortal! I could kill you right where you stand! Now, fucking accept my generous offer, or I'll smite you!]
"Alright, here's how it's gonna go," Azuma sighed as he stood up. He walked over and picked up the rock.
[Hey! Put me down!]
I'm gonna rinse this fucker dry.
Azuma raised his hand, throwing the rock into the smooth rock wall. The rock slammed into the wall, bouncing off and falling to the ground.
[Alert!]
You're Dungeon Core has been damaged!
-1 HP! (99/100)
[Stop that! You fucking mortal, I'll kill you!]
Azuma walked over to the rock, picked it up, and raised his hand to throw it at the wall again, "Give me all the points, or I'll do it again."
[I can't-
[Alert!]
You're Dungeon Core has been damaged!
-1 HP! (98/100)
[Ok! Fine! I'll give you 10,000, alright? You'll be my most important partner! This is an honor that anyone would kill for!]
"Nah, I want 'em all," Azuma said, grabbing the rock and chucking it at the wall with a bit more strength.
[Alert!]
You're Dungeon Core has been damaged!
-2 HP! (96/100)
[Ow! Stop! 25,000 alright? That's a 1/4th of all my power! Then I can still make more-]
[Alert!]
You're Dungeon Core has been damaged!
-5 HP! (91/100)
Azuma's foot stomped down, slamming into the top of the rock.
[Fuck! Stop! Stop! 50,000! I'll do half!]
"Don't be such a cheapskate," Azuma said stomping repeatedly on the rock.
[Alert!]
You're Dungeon Core has been damaged!
-5 HP! (86/100)
[Sto-]
[Alert!]
You're Dungeon Core has been damaged!
-5 HP! (81/100)
[75,000!]
[Alert!]
You're Dungeon Core has been damaged!
-5 HP! (76/100)
[90! I'll do-]
[Alert!]
You're Dungeon Core has been damaged!
-5 HP! (71/100)
[Stop and liste-]
[Alert!]
You're Dungeon Core has been damaged!
-5 HP! (66/100)
[Ple-]
[Alert!]
You're Dungeon Core has been damaged!
-5 HP! (61/100)
[Let me keep a hundred at leas-]
[Alert!]
You're Dungeon Core has been damaged!
-5 HP! (56/100)
[OKAY! I get it! Stop!]
"That doesn't sound like a hundred thousand," Azuma hummed, stomping down again, "I want an apology too."
[Alert!]
You're Dungeon Core has been damaged!
-5 HP! (51/100)
[Okay! 100,000! Just stop and listen!]
Azuma nodded with a satisfied smirk, "Glad we could agree. Now give me the points before I start using your rock to wipe my ass."
[I will, just listen! I need points to keep me in this realm, so if I give them all to you, I'll go back to being dorma-]
[Alert!]
You're Dungeon Core has been damaged!
-5 HP! (46/100)
[ALERT!]
You're Dungeon Core is under 50% HP!
"You wanna be dormant or do you wanna die?" Azuma asked the floating box.
[OKAY I GET IT! Just… I can give you some recommendations before I become dormant, alright? So, I'll give you 99,000 so I can stay here to hel-]
[Alert!]
You're Dungeon Core has been damaged!
-5 HP! (41/100)
"I want it all, shitter."
[OKAY! HERE!]
[Alert!]
You have received 99,999 Points from ?
"I want the last one," Azuma raised his foot above the rock menacingly.
[...Seriously?]
"Yup."
[...Just… Let me give you recommendations first, okay?]
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I want that apology too." Azuma said with a shit-eating grin.
[Apology? For what?!]
"For threatening to kill me. That's frowned upon back in Japan." Azuma responded as if it was obvious.
[...whatever. I'm sorry for threatening to kill a pathetic mortal.]
"Not good enough." Azuma bent over to pick up the rock.
[W-Wait! I-I… I'm sorry for threatening to kill you, alright?]
Azuma's shit-eating grin grew even wider, "You can do better."
[...fuck you…]
"What'd ya say?" Azuma asked, waiving the rock in the air.
[I'm sorry! I'm sorry for threatening to harm you, oh great Dungeon Master!]
[Alert!]
You're Dungeon Core has been damaged!
-1 HP! (40/100)
[Ow! What was that for?!]
"Just felt like it."
[You… whatever. Can we get started now?]
"Go ahead," Azuma said, gesturing toward the floating box.
[...thanks. First, you need to summon a Dungeon Attendant. The Attendant will act as a mini-you - managing the Dungeon when you're busy and being able to buy upgrades. They are the only other person in this universe who will be able to see your Dungeon UI. You can only summon one once, so I recommend using the majority of your… hundred thousand points on this.]
A scrolling list appeared in front of him with various names and prices.
[Dungeon Attendants]
Male Goblin - 1 Point
Female Goblin - 2 Points
Male F-Class Familiar - 2 Points
Female F-Class Familiar - 3 Points
Male Slime - 2 Points
Female Slime - 1000 Points
Male Centaur - 5 Points
Female Water Spirit - 50 Points
Why is the female slime so expensive…
The list had every type of creature Azuma could think of, and even numerous types that he had never heard of. He swiped his finger down the text box to scroll and quickly realized that it'd take years to look through all the options.
"I can't look through all these weak fuckers," Azuma said pointedly to the text box, "Just show me the good shit. Also, why are the prices listed so randomly? You can't sort it by cheap to expensive?"
[Right! The expensive choices will either be powerful beings or someone who already exists.]
[Dungeon Attendants]
Male Dragon - 10,000 Points
Female Dragon - 15,000 Points
High-Tier Devil - 10,000 Points
Six-Winged Fallen Angel - 20,000 Points
Four-Winged Angel - 15,000 Points
Nami (One Piece) - 50,000 Points
…
Huh?
"Yo, shitty game dev," Azuma said, waving his hand at the box.
[...you talking to me?]
"Who else would I be talking to in this remote cave?" Azuma deadpanned.
[What do you want?]
"This right here," Azuma pointed at the option, "Says Nami. As in, Nami from One Piece. I thought I was in High School DxD. And stop ignoring my question from a minute ago."
[You are! You're also taking the whole 'pulled to a different universe' thing pretty well. I thought whoever I took would be having a mental breakdown.]
"Yeah, I'm him."
[...Him? You're who?]
"I'm him. You know, like Himothy? Like, I'm that fucking guy?" Azuma said, making a random motion with his hands to enunciate his point.
[I don't understand.]
"Whatever, it's human stuff. Just tell me why Nami's an option, and why you suck at sorting things by price." Azuma said with a disappointed sigh.
[...why do I feel ashamed? Ah, but about Nami. This is the world of High School DxD, but it also has a random Dungeon God, me, in it. Do you get where I'm going with this?]
"It's gonna be a bit fucked up?" Azuma asked blandly.
[I would've gone with 'different,' but pretty much. The world itself is the same, but some characters from other worlds were born here instead of in their own world due to a collision of dimensions! …or something, I don't really know. They are now a part of this world, meaning they will have grown up in this world and have no memory of their original one - if you meet them outside of the dungeon, that is. If you encounter them in defense of your dungeon, meaning they came with the monsters that are attacking, then that could not be the case.]
"So, I can run into these characters in the outside world and in the dungeon? Also, the monsters attacking?" Azuma asked with a tilted head.
[Yes! As for the monsters, I'll get to that later. First, pick your attendant.]
"Alright, but I'm not forgetting about your shitty store-making skills just because you keep avoiding my question. This would be so much easier if you just sorted in descending order from high to low prices." Azuma swiped down again, going past the general options to get to the already-established characters in the DxD world.
[Dungeon Attendants]
Kalawarner (Canon Character) - 20,000 Points
Millet (Canon Character) - 20,000 Points
Raynare (Canon Character) - 25,000 Points
Ravel Phenex (Canon Character) - 20,000 Points
Kiba Yuuto (Canon Character) - 25,000 Points
Asia Argento (Canon Characters) - 75,000 Points
Koneko Toujou (Canon Character) - 90,000 Points
Akeno Himejima (Canon Characters) - 95,000 Points
Rias Gremory (Canon Character) - 100,000 Points
Grayfia Lucifuge (Canon Character) - 50,000 Points
"That's enticing," Azuma said as he stared at the last option, "How does this attendant thing work? Isn't she just gonna kill me when she gets randomly summoned to a cave?"
[Good question! Whoever you summon as your Dungeon Attendant will become completely loyal to you, so don't worry! Regardless of their power, they will put you first above all others as their Master!]
"Nice," Azuma hummed, "She'd be a good choice then. She's already a maid, is one of the strongest devils, and I'll still have half my points left. However, there's just one problem…"
[Ah! I'm glad you noticed the issue with choosing Grayfia, Dungeon Master! Her husband, Sirzechs, is a Maou who will inevitably come looking for her and blow up the entire dungeon! I was worried about your intelligence at first, Master, but it seems I was worried for nothing!]
"Nah, there's an even bigger issue," Azuma hummed, not explaining further, shadows covering his eyes as he was deep in thought.
[W-What?! An issue that not even I, a Goddess, thought of? You must truly be a genius! I'll put my full faith into you growing the dungeon, Master! Now, what issue did you think of?]
"It'll totally ruin my sex drive," Azuma said, putting his thumb on his chin like a philosopher.
[...What?]
"Think about it! The high I'll get from cucking a Maou will be awesome, but it'll ruin me for the rest of my life!" Azuma said, a stressed look appearing on his face, "Nothing else will be able to compare! I'll constantly be searching for a greater pleasure, and it'll be hard to find something better than that. I'll start doing crazy things, like trying to bang Ophis or somethin'."
[...I can't believe the dungeon is in your hands. We are so dead.]
"Relax," Azuma chuckled, "I know what I'm doing. I already got my attendant in mind."
Azuma swiped back up, tapping on an option he'd previously skipped over.
[Dungeon Attendant Chosen!]
[Ravel Phenex]
[Points Expended - 20,000]
[Points Remaining: 79,999]
[Ravel Phenex? Please tell me you didn't just do this because you're into blonde girls.]
"You have so little faith," Azuma hummed, "You gotta think big with stuff like this. She'll ensure I have the support of the Phenex Clan - who are arguably the strongest devil clan around. They're raking in an insane amount of cash from the Phenex tears, and I'll have access to all the tears I want with Ravel. On top of that, I'm betting theres some game bullshit that'll let me copy her powers. Infinite regeneration is OP as fuck. They also have a good relationship with the Gremory Clan, who were the only other choice I was considering."
[Was Rias the other option?]
"Yup, but Rias is too expensive," Azuma explained, standing in the red glow of the text boxes, "I'd have no points left, and she shares a similar problem with Grayfia. Sirzechs is a huge siscon, and he'd barge in here to evaporate me. Ravel's family supports her, but no one is obsessed with her, and they're manipulatable with Ravel loyal to me. I'd rather have the Gremory Clan's support, as with it would likely come the Bael's, but the cons outweigh the pros."
[...That was well thought out. It seems I underestimated your intelligence.]
"I overestimated yours," Azuma replied, a shit-eating grin spreading across his face. He leaned casually against the wall, eyes glinting with a mix of amusement and satisfaction. "I figured you'd realize I wasn't actually a stupid jackass after I rinsed you for 100,000 points."
[...]
"Yeah, stay quiet," Azuma mocked, his smirk unwavering. He pushed off from the wall and crossed his arms, his stance oozing confidence. "You really believed all that shit? I've never even played volleyball. I'm a jackass, just not a dumb one. Now, where's Ravel at?"
[...you need to complete the tutorial for her to be summoned…]
"Oh, alright," Azuma nodded, "Then what's next?"
[...you can choose a race if you want. It's optional…]
"Stop being passive-aggressive. It'd be fine if you were a cute girl, but you're a dead old as fuck god," Azuma scoffed, rolling his eyes as he leaned back with an exaggerated yawn. "Just show me my options."
[...Goddesses have feelings too… I was cute…]
"Just show me the list, woman. This is starting to get pathetic." Azuma's tone was dismissive, his gaze fixed on the floating text.
[R-Right. Here's the list, Dungeon Master]
The new red box unfurled with an intricate glow, displaying the options in crisp, illuminated text. Azuma's eyes skimmed over the list, his expression a mixture of curiosity and skepticism.
[Points Remaining: 79,999]
[Races]
[Human]:
Cons:
Receive 0.90x Reputation Gains with all Supernatural Creatures.
All Other Non-human Faction-specific Skills and Abilities will be locked.
Pros:
[Sacred Gear] option unlocked.
[Race Change] will be available.
"Reputation? Is this a fucking dating sim or somethin'?" Azuma asked incredulously, his tone dripping with disbelief as he interrupted the text box before the list had fully appeared.
[N-No! As the Dungeon Master, you must expand the Dungeon's influence to create a cult around me so I can gain as much energy as possible! I, um, thought a reputation system would be helpful… so I took the time to make one…]
Azuma's smirk widened as he nodded, a mixture of approval and mockery in his eyes. "Good thinking."
The goddess's digital presence, the text box, flickered with a hesitant spark of hope.
[R-Really? You like it?]
Azuma's grin was almost predatory as he leaned closer to the glowing text. "Yeah, it'll be great for fucking babes. Does it have obedience and affection?" he asked, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
[...yes it does…]
Azuma's eyes flickered with a mix of satisfaction and impatience. "Nice. Start showing me the other options now," he ordered, his tone brooking no argument.
The goddess didn't bother to give a response and the red box in front of him expanded downward.
[Points Remaining: 79,999]
[Races]
[Human]: 0 Points
Cons:
Receive 0.90x Reputation Gains with all Supernatural Creatures.
All Other Non-human Faction-specific Skills and Abilities will be locked.
Pros:
[Sacred Gear] option unlocked.
[Race Change] will be available.
[Devil]: 25,000 Points
Cons:
2x Weakness to [Light Damage]
2x Weakness to [Holy Damage]
Receive 0.5x Reputation Gains with [Church], [Heaven], and [Grigori] Faction Members.
Pros:
2x Resistance to [Demonic Damage]
Receive 2x Reputation Gains with [Devil] Faction Members
Increased Life Span
Access to [Devil] Skills and Abilities.
[Bloodline] option unlocked.
[Angel]: 25,000 Points
Cons:
2x Weakness to [Demonic Damage]
Receive 0.5x Reputation Gains with [Devil] and [Grigori] Faction Members.
Pros:
[Wing-System] unlocked.
2x Resistance to [Light Damage]
2x Resistance to [Holy Damage]
Receive 2x Reputation Gains with [Church] and [Heaven] Faction Members.
Access to [Angel] Skills and Abilities.
[Fallen Angel]: 25,000 Points
Cons:
Receive 0.5x Reputation Gains with [Devil], [Church], and [Heaven] Faction Members.
Pros:
[Wing-System] unlocked.
2x Resistance to [Demonic Damage]
Receive 2x Reputation Gains with [Grigori] Faction Members.
Access to [Fallen-Angel] Skills and Abilities.
[Youkai]: 20,000 Points
Cons:
[Chakra-Sickness] and [Chakra-Death] conditions unlocked.
Pros:
[Tail-System] unlocked.
Receive 2x Reputation Gains with [Youkai] Faction Members.
Access to [Youkai] Skills and Abilities.
Access to [Chakra].
Access to [Aura].
[Neko-
Azuma's expression turned smug as he waved a dismissive hand at the floating text. "You can stop now. I already know what I'm choosing," he hummed.
[There's still 42 other options, Dungeon Master!]
"I'm staying human," Azuma responded, "All the other ones are so expensive. How the hell was I gonna afford them with 100 points?"
[100 points is a good starting amount! You can still choose some of the other powerful races, like goblin! Or hobgoblin! Or-]
"You're so cheap, no one wants to be a fucking gobby," Azuma waved his hand dismissively, "I'm staying a human. What's next? Do I get to choose a sacred gear now?"
[Goblins are cool! You need to be nicer - I could just leave you on your own to figure this stuff out!]
"That would be great," Azuma nodded wisely, "Just give me that last point and go sleep or whatever. I can figure this out alone."
[W-Wait… You can get sacred gears from quests, alright? Now, let's make a deal!]
"Don't wanna."
[Just listen! I don't want to become dormant again, and you'll get something out of it too!]
"You shoulda started with that," Azuma grinned widely, "Alright. What do I get out of this?"
[Summon me as a unit.]
"A unit?" Azuma hummed, "I don't even know what that is, shitty tutorial."
[I'm not a tutorial! I'm a goddess! Hmmph, a unit is the basis of the Dungeon System. You can summon units to help you expand the dungeon, with different types of units being used for different tasks.]
"So… what are you gonna be useful for?" Azuma asked, staring doubtingly at the floating text box, "Getting scammed outta points?"
[You… I'm very useful, I'll let you know! I'm a GODDESS! I have a bunch of awesome magic!]
"I'll think about it," Azuma responded, "How do I summon units?"
[Just think 'summons'!]
Summons.
[Unit Summons]
[Unit List]
[Gacha]
"Oh, I like the way you think, Goddess," Azuma grinned at the bottom option, "How'd you know I love gambling?"
[D-Don't use that! Not yet, at least! Just look at the list and summon me!]
"Fine, fine," Azuma conceded, tapping on the unit list. A small array of options appeared in front of him.
[Worker Units]
[Defense Units]
[Offense Units]
[Support Units]
[LOCKED] - More options will be available upon [Dungeon] Rank Up.
"You're a support unit, right?" Azuma asked out loud.
[Yeah! How did you know?]
"You seem too dumb to do anything else," Azuma hummed, ignoring a red box full of angry text that appeared at his side. He tapped on the support units.
[LVL 1 Dungeon Support Units]
[Special!] [Aphrodite] - 5 Points
[Imp] - 25 Points
[Fairy] - 50 Points
[Fae] - 40 Points
[Dryad] - 50 Points
[Nymph] - 50 Points
"So, you're Aphrodite," Azuma hummed appreciatively, "It makes sense why you're so dumb now. Your whole legend is about being an airheaded whore."
[No it's not! I hate that all these worlds portray me like that! I can't help it that I'm hot and all the other goddess bitches get jealous! You use a king as a human throne ONE TIME and instead of being 'the cool awesome goddess who took over a kingdom' you're the-
Azuma looked away from her rant, tapping on the summon option.
[Special!][Aphrodite] has been summoned!
[Points Expended - 5]
[Points Remaining - 79,994]
"-Goddess who fucked the king because she's too weak! I would never have sex with that old bastard! I should be one of the virgin goddesses! It's not my fault that my tits are so big-"
In front of Azuma was now a small woman - literally. She was only a few inches tall, looking as if she could fit in the palm of his hand. She had an angular and beautiful face, with a pair of breasts that looked far too big for her body. She was the definition of beauty, with her even her curves having curves, and her ass looking plump and bubbly. She had long blonde hair and was wearing a toga that did a poor job of hiding her sexy body - which wasn't the toga's fault, as Azuma doubted there was any outfit that could hide the woman's curves. She had a pair of blue fairy wings on her back, holding her in the air as she angrily ranted, pointing her finger at Azuma as if it was his fault. Her beautiful blue eyes bored into him as she ranted.
[Love Goddess] Aphrodite:
[5 Point-Restricted Form]
LVL: MAX
"-that I need handmaidens to hold them up! It's not my fault that they so enamored Athena's maidens that they begged me for the job! And I mean BEGGED! Like, on their knees, bowing, and everything! How was I supposed to say no?!"
The tiny goddess hovered closer to Azuma, jabbing her finger at him with a mixture of frustration and defiance. Her face was flushed, her voice high-pitched and animated. "Tell me how it's MY fault that a bunch of mortal men left their wives after seeing pictures of me and falling in love! I didn't talk to them! I never even met them! I can't help being this perfect—"
"That was funny at first, but you're getting annoying now," Azuma hummed, raising his hand and flicking the small woman in front of him with two fingers. The tiny goddess went flying backward, disappearing from his view into the darkness of the cave. He turned back to the floating box, looking at the other options.
[LVL 1 Dungeon Offense Units]
[Goblin] - 5 Points
[Rat] - 10 Points
[Orc] - 20 Points
[Slime] - 25 Points
[Zombie] - 50 Points
[Skeleton] - 50 Points
[Kobold] - 250 Points
[Ogre] - 500 Points
"Hey! What was that for!" A high-pitched voice squeaked to his left, and he looked over to see the small goddess glaring at him as she hovered in the air.
"Just felt like it. Your voice was giving me a headache," Azuma said, raising an eyebrow, "What about it?"
"Hmmph!" The goddess made a noise in her throat, a large evil grin forming on her face, "Well, you'll regret making a mockery of me! You summoned me so willingly! Who's the dumbass now?!"
"What are you going on about?" Azuma asked, tilting his head at the tiny flying woman.
"You will regret all those insults you directed at me, the Great Aphrodite! Now, you will become my slave!" The goddess shouted, grabbing the top of her toga and pulling it down to reveal her perky porcelain breasts, "Fall in love, mortal!"
The system flashed an urgent message.
[Love Goddess] Aphrodite has used [MAXLVL Charm] on you!
"Hahahaha!" The goddess laughed victoriously, wiggling her breasts at Azuma as she groped them, "Become my slave! If you're a good boy and lick my feet clean, maybe I'll let you feel these divine breas-"
"Nice tits," Azuma said, poking his finger into Aphrodite's chest. The tiny goddess went flying backward, her outraged squeal echoing as she disappeared from view. Azuma turned back to the units page.
[LVL 1 Dungeon Defense Units]
[Shield Goblin] - 15 Points
[Turtle Guard] - 25 Points
[Golem Wall] - 50 Points
[Gremlin] - 75 Points
[Harpy] - 150 Points
[Kobold Defender] - 250 Points
[Troll] - 500 Points
[Mimic] - 1000 Points
"Don't just ignore me so quickly!" Aphrodite shouted, jutting her finger into Azuma's cheek as she flew back up to him, "How did you resist that?!"
Azuma looked at her with a deadpan face, "I thought you were making a joke. You literally made the system."
To showcase his point, Azuma pointed to a small box that was floating to his left, where Aphrodite had shown him her breasts.
[Love Goddess] Aphrodite has used [MAXLVL Charm] on you!
[Goddess] Aphrodite's [MAXLVL Charm] had no effect!
Dungeon Units cannot harm the Dungeon Master!
"Oh… I forgot about that…" The goddess deflated, having the decency to blush, "No hard feelings, right?'
"Goddesswhosegoingtobeworkedtothebonesaywhat?"
"What?"
"Yeah… I can see why you cost the same amount as a goblin," Azuma said, an overly sweet fake smile on his face, "No hard feelings. None at all."
"I'm way more useful than a goblin!" Aphrodite protested. "It costs points to maintain my form in the world, and I saved them so I could come down when you made a big achievement and reward you! This tiny form is much cheaper than my normal goddess form, which costs millions of points!" Aphrodite pouted.
"Yeah, well, now you cost as much as a goblin," Azuma said dismissively, pulling up the last list of units.
[LVL 1 Dungeon Worker Units]
[Worker Goblin] - 10 Points
[Mole] - 25 Points
[Earth Imp] - 35 Points
[Kobold Miner] - 75 Points
[Myconid] - 250 Points
[Earth Elemental] - 500 Points
[Golem] - 1000 Points
"Don't compare me to a goblin! I have awesome magic skills!" The goddess pouted.
"Sure, sure," Azuma said, reaching up his hand and poking her ass, eliciting a yelp of surprise from the love goddess, "Just explain how the monsters will be attacking, shitty tutorial."
"Stop calling me a tutorial!" The goddess whined, "Please?"
"Whatever you say, tutorial." Azuma hummed in response.
"I hate you!" Aphrodite squeaked indignantly, then sighed as she started to explain, "The dungeon has two entrances - one tied to the High School DxD realm, and one tied to the Monster Realm."
"What's the difference?" Azuma asked as he glanced around the small dim room, "Can I get a chair or something? I don't wanna sit on the floor again. I might sit down in some goddess shit by accident."
"Don't act like I'm some kind of dog!" Aphrodite said, poking her finger into his cheek again, "But, you can summon a worker unit if you want a chair."
Azuma's hand reached up, selecting the top option of the worker class.
[Worker Goblin] has been summoned!
[Points Expended - 10]
[Points Remaining - 79,984]
A flash of green light filled the room, and suddenly there was a small ugly creature staring up at him.
[Worker Goblin] - LVL 1
[Upgrade with Points]
[Evolution Tree] - LOCKED
[EXP: 0/100]
The goblin was small, looking to only be roughly 3 feet tall. It had green skin, a big nose, and an ugly face that synergized with its bald bumpy head. It was clearly out of shape - with skinny muscleless limbs but a thick stomach. The goblin was naked except for the small loincloth over his crotch, and he had a pickaxe thrown over his shoulder. The pickaxe had a wooden handle and a metallic top.
"Yo, goblin," Azuma waved down at the little creature, "Can you make me a chair? Or, better yet, a couch!"
"He can't make you a couch! He doesn't even know what a couch is!" Aphrodite said as she floated next to his ear, planting her soft and plump ass on his shoulder.
Contrary to Aphrodite's words, the goblin raised his hand to his forehead and gave Azuma a salute.
"Gerbbhleh!" The noise that came out of the little goblins mouth was far from intelligible, sounding like a jarbled mess that came from the back of his throat.
He turned away, walking toward the eastern rock wall, his legs rising in falling in a stiff motion as he marched.
"He can figure it out," Azuma nodded approvingly, then turned his head to look at the goddess perched on his shoulder, "Now, tell me what this whole 'realm of monsters' is about."
"It's the 'Monster Realm'," Aphrodite corrected, "And, just as it sounds, it's a realm of monsters. It'd be more accurate to say your dungeon is split in half, with one side residing in the Monster Realm and the other in the High School DxD realm. Most of the Monster Realm is composed of the 'Wildlands' where mindless beasts roam. These monsters can attack your dungeon at any time, either in packs or alone."
A clang rang out, and Azuma looked over to see the small [Worker Goblin] swinging his pickaxe into the rock wall, chipping away at it.
"'Most' of the realm," Azuma said, focusing on why she specified that, "What's the rest of it?"
"Well, I'm not the only god who's trying to resurrect," Aphrodite continued, blushing as she looked away innocently, "I also, maybe, possibly, might not be the one who designed the Dungeon System. The Monster Realm is full of gods and acient beings who want to resurrect, and all of them are using the same system."
"BUT!" She shouted, holding up a finger as she saw Azuma open his mouth, ready to make a quip about how useless she was, "I'm a step above the rest! From what I've seen, none of the other gods have Dungeon Masters from other worlds, and none of them are connected to another world! Since you're not technically a race from this universe, you can summon all types of monsters instead of just specialized ones!"
"So, the other Dungeon Masters are intelligent monsters?" Azuma assumed, getting confirmation as Aphrodite nodded.
"Yup! Though, their level of intelligence varies," She explained, swiping a finger across her nose as her face grew increasingly smug, "I picked a pretty great spot for your dungeon! The only other Dungeon Master within a few days' travel is this stupid F-Rank orc! And! And! There are only weak monsters around, so you won't need to worry about anything higher than E-Rank monsters until you've expanded the dungeon a lot!"
The tiny bombshell goddess had jumped onto her feet in her excitement, standing on Azuma's shoulder as she looked at him expectedly, stars in her eyes.
Does… she want to be praised or somethin'?
"Um… good job?" Azuma started, resulting in the goddess blushing as she bounced on the soles of her bare feet, "You're not completely useless, I guess. Maybe you should've been the cost of two goblins."
The goddess's excitement dwindled at the second part of his statement, and she sighed as she plopped back down on his shoulder, her fat tits swinging as she did, "Close enough."
"About the ranking system," Azuma started, bringing the goddess's attention back to him, "How does the dungeon rank work? Why is the orc a F-Rank dungeon master?"
"Oh! It's simple!" Aphrodite said, her face brightening, "It's based on your points! When you defeat a monster or someone from the DxD realm, you'll get points based on how strong they were! And, if you defeat another Dungeon Master, you can either destroy their dungeon and take the points they used on it, or claim their dungeon as part of yours! There's other ways too, but… um… I don't remember…"
"Since I'm in an area with only weak monsters around, I'll be able to farm them for a while and gain points, then take down that Orc for even more points," Azuma hummed, ignoring her trailed-off confession, "You've actually put me in a pretty good starting spot. Maybe you're not so useless."
"I did!" The goddess said proudly, then frowned at the backhanded compliment, "...thanks? I guess?"
"But, if the other gods don't have a connection to other worlds, how'd you get connected to the DxD realm?" Azuma asked with a raised eyebrow, looking down at the small goddess, "Is there some 'Dungeon God' who pitied you for being so useless?"
"No!" She squeaked again indignantly, "I planned that out! I'm the [Goddess of Love], so I can gain a lot of energy from my Dungeon Masters doing love-related things! I figured that any Masters I summoned would be all about building a harem, so I chose an over-the-top ecchi world! This way, I'll be swimming in energy!"
"Though," Aphrodite's face squished in worry, "Since you're so rude, I don't know how you're going to get a harem. You're handsome, but your attitude is awful."
"Don't worry," Azuma waved her concerns away dismissively, "Women love when you're mean to them. If the relationship is going too well then they get bored. You gotta keep it interesting. Start a few arguments. Make em' jealous every once and a while."
"That… sounds like an abusive relationship," The tiny goddess deadpanned.
"Does it?" Azuma raised his finger to his chin, thinking dramatically, "Oh, I guess it does. Oh well, I'm about to be committing literal murder to expand the dungeon, so no use in trying to change now."
"As the Goddess of Love, I think you should at least try-" Aphrodite started, but was cut off as Azuma interrupted her.
"How'd you connect the two realms anyway? Must've been a huge feat if the other gods couldn't do it," Azuma said, dragging the goddess's attention to another topic as he stroked her ego a little.
"I forced a connection to the realm myself! No other god could do that!" Aphrodite continued, puffing out her ample breasts proudly, "I'm pretty awesome, right?!"
"What if," Azuma spoke, raising his voice as if he was talking to a child, "They could, but they didn't, because they realized that both them and their Dungeon Master could die instantly from someone in the other world? Like, you know, if I was a bit dumber and picked Rias, and then Sirzechs showed up and murdered us?"
Aphrodite's face fell at his words, her face conflicted as she tried to think of a comeback.
"Or," Azuma continued before Aphrodite could respond, "what if someone powerful, like, I don't know, Lord Phenex, showed up after his daughter mysteriously disappeared? He might not believe she'd suddenly fallen for someone like me. And if I only had 100 points to defend the dungeon... yeah, that would be a nightmare."
Aphrodite's face fell even further.
"But! That won't happen, since a Goddess so graciously and willingly gave me 100,000 points!"
"I get it," Aphrodite huffed, "Maybe starting with 100 points wasn't a good plan."
"It's alright," Azuma lifted his hand, smiling softly at the small woman as he patted her head with two fingers, "You might be a dumb Goddess, but you're my dumb Goddess!"
Aphrodite's face brightened as she bristled under his touch, blushing as she looked up at him with stars in her eyes, "Really? That so swe- Wait!"
Aphrodite reached up, pushing his fingers off her head as she pouted angrily, "T-This! Y-You! You're trying to manipulate me! You're pulling me into one of those abusive relationships!"
"Aphrodite," Azuma said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, casually pushing his fingers back onto her head despite her swatting them away, "how could we be in an abusive relationship if we're not even dating?"
"Oh," Aphrodite blushed as she stopped swatting at his fingers, letting him pat her head again, "I guess that's true. Sorry, Azuma."
Such an airhead. But, a hot airhead goddess.
Azuma's attention was drawn away from the goddess as something tapped on his leg, and he looked down to see the short goblin staring up at him.
"Garblhh!"
The goblin gestured behind him, then fell into a salute. Azuma followed his finger, spotting an object now sitting in the previously empty cave.
A pile of jagged rocks were haphazardly crammed together, forming what could only be described as the world's most uncomfortable couch. Sharp armrests jutted out dangerously, threatening to tear into anyone daring enough to use them. The backrest was crumbling and uneven, while the seat—though not exactly inviting—was the only part that seemed somewhat usable, with a few irregular bumps scattered across its surface.
"Good work, solider!" Azuma saluted dramatically at the goblin, whose eyes filled with pride as he straightened his back and saluted again, "Go… um… mine a wall or something. We need some actual light, so, uh, figure that out."
"Geelbh!"
The goblin took his vague orders to heart, hurriedly marching over the dented-in wall he'd been mining to make the couch and swinging his pickaxe into it.
"So, what's next, tutorial?" Azuma asked as he walked over to the couch, sitting down on the flattest end of it, "I've still got 80,000 points. There better be some more shit to use it on."
The tiny goddess followed behind him, plopping her thick ass on the top of his head this time as she hummed happily, clearly in a good mood from the previous compliment considering she ignored his 'tutorial' comment, "Yup! There are still a few more steps. Next, you should choose your abilities!"
"My abilities?" Azuma asked, resisting the urge to tilt his head as the busty goddess sat on top of it, her feet dangling just above his eyes.
"Yup! Just think 'ability shop'! As a Dungeon Master, you can choose one major and one minor ability!" The goddess explained, "During the tutorial, you'll get to pick from the signature category, which you can only choose from right now! After that, you'll have the chance to obtain another one every time your dungeon ranks up, but only from that rank category. So, if you upgrade to E-Rank, then you can buy an E-Rank ability!"
Ability shop.
[Tutorial Ability Shop]
Choose One Major Ability!
[Signature Abilities]
A list scrolled out in front of him, the text box shining a bright blue color that illuminated the entire cave.
[Strong Punch] - 10 Points
[Strong Punch] - A powerful punch!
[Flying Kick] - 15 Points
[Flying Kick] - A kick that uses the entire force of your body.
[Commanding Tone] - 20 Points
[Commanding Tone] - Speak in a commanding tone that encourages others to listen to you
I'm not picking any of this useless shit.
Azuma jutted his finger forward, scrolling down the list past all the cheap abilities.
[Gravity Manipulation] - 10,000 Points
[Gravity Manipulation] - Control the strength of the gravity around you.
[Gigantificantion] - 20,000 Points
[Gigantificantion] - Increase the size of your body at will.
[Adreniline Boost] - 25,000 Points
[Adrenaline Boost] - Flood your body with adrenaline, allowing you to push beyond your body's limits.
[Vibration Control] - 35,000 Points
[Vibration Control] - Create vibrations within anything you make contact with.
That last one seems pretty good. I could make earthquakes n' shit.
"What else am I gonna be using points on?" Azuma said out loud to Aphrodite, debating if he should scroll down further and look at the more expensive options.
"For the tutorial, just the major and minor skills," Aphrodite said from above him, "But, any points you have left over will be kept. Points are the main currency for the Dungeon System, so they're used for nearly everything: Summoning units, upgrading units, upgrading your abilities, setting traps, making new rooms, using the store…"
"How many points is an F-Rank monster gonna give me?" Azuma asked as he weighed the importance of keeping points leftover from the tutorial.
"It depends on how strong they are," The goddess replied, placing a finger on her chin as she looked upward in thought, "Most of them will probably only give one point. The strongest ones can give up to around five, I think?"
"You think?" Azuma echoed.
"Well, I've never killed one before, so how would I know?" Aphrodite responded innocently.
"Then… why did you even bother answering?" Azuma asked incredulously.
"You asked!"
Whatever, even if they only give one point these abilities are too good to pass up on. I won't have another chance at them, but I'll always be able to farm more points.
Azuma scrolled down, going all the way to the bottom of the list.
[Time Loop] - 1,000,000,000 Points
[Time Loop] - Upon dying you will revive at a save point.
Ok, scrolled a bit too far. What is this pay to win ass shit? What rich-ass god is giving their dungeon master a billion points in the tutorial?
Azuma swiped his hand up again, scrolling to the abilities that were at the top of his price range.
[Invisibility] - 55,000 Points
[Invisibility] - Become completely invisible - both to the naked eye and tracking abilities.
[Forecefield] - 65,000 Points
[Forecefield] - Create a barrier that protects you from attacks.
[Clone Creation] - 70,000 Points
[Clone Creation] - Create a clone of yourself at will.
[Time Dilation] - 75,000 Points
[Time Dilation] - Reverse or accelerate time.
Azuma stared at the few options that looked promising, his mind whirling.
"Which one are you picking?" Aphrodite asked, now lounging on his head. She was laying on her stomach, her large breasts, which weren't actually that large considering her miniature form, were dangling in front of Azuma's eyes as she looked down at the ability screen.
"Not sure," Azuma hummed, "Invisibility is cheap, so I'd be able to get a more expensive minor ability, but I don't think it's worth it. It's good for offense and gathering info, but it's not a defensive ability. I'm supposed to be the last line of defense for the dungeon, yeah?"
"Yup!" The goddess confirmed, "Your units should do most of the work, but if they can't hold out then it's up to you to defend me!"
"Defend you?" Azuma repeated, "How are you still the dungeon core if you're right here?"
"Well, technically, I'm not the dungeon core," Aphrodite explained, "My life force is tied to it, and so is yours. As it grows stronger, I'll also grow stronger, be able to utilize more of my power, and eventually resurrect into my original form. In the same way, if it's destroyed, then we'll both die. This mini-me is more like a medium for my conscious that has life energy supporting it."
"Got it," Azuma hummed, looking back at his options, "Forcefield's got the opposite problem. It's too defensive, and I don't know its limitations. If I could just place an unbreakable forcefield over the dungeon, then it'd be OP as fuck, but I doubt it's that good. It'd also be situational if It'd be useful for offense."
"Um, yeah," Aphrodite spoke, sounding unsure of her own words, "I don't think it's unbreakable. I've never heard of a forcefield that awesome."
She's not really a good source, but whatever.
"The cloning one looks amazing," Azuma said, the possibilities flooding his head, "Especially for managing a dungeon. I could train more efficiently - hell, I could do everything more efficiently. I'm just worried it's gonna be some Naruto-ass bullshit where they're all one-shots and they're only decently useful in battle. Or, that they'll cost points to maintain or somethin'."
"So, you're going with the time one?" Aphrodite asked, her breasts squishing into the top of his head as she lay on it.
"Anything time-related is just always good," Azuma hummed, "The description doesn't make it sound all that appealing with how vague it is, but it's expensive as fuck and lets me control time. Having any control over time is always going to be OP as fuck. It's gotta be good."
Azuma tapped his finger on the [Time Dilation] option and selected it.
[Signature Ability Chosen!]
[Time Dilation]
[Points Expended - 75,000]
[Points Remaining - 4,984]
"Can I get some more concrete info on it now?" Azuma asked, poking his finger into the screen.
"You can check your abilities by thinking 'abilities.'" Aphrodite supplied helpfully from above.
Abilities
[Abilities]
[Signature Ability - Time Dilation]
[Time Dilation LVL1] - Reverse or fast-forward time for an object or person within 5 feet of you for 1/10th of a second.
Cooldown: 60 seconds.
A shit-eating grin formed on Azuma's face.
Oh, this is even better than I could've hoped.
"You seem happy with it," Aphrodite said from above.
"Very," Azuma smirked, "This is like every broken time ability squished into one. I can do a lot with this."
"Well, I'm happy that you're happy," The goddess on his head hummed with a smile, apparently having done a complete 180 on her opinion of Azuma after he complimented her.
One compliment and she forgets that I scammed her outta a hundred thousand points.
"Let's hope the minor ability is decent at least," Azuma hummed, unconfident in finding a good ability for less than 5000 points.
Ability shop.
[Tutorial Ability Shop]
Choose One Minor Ability!
[Minor Signature Abilities]
A lighter blue box appeared in front of him, another list of abilities being showcased.
[Sprint] - 1 Point
[Sprint] - Running, but a bit faster!
Azuma didn't even finish reading the first option before he swiped down, not bothering with the cheapest choices.
[Fire Elemental Magic] - 3,500 Points
[Fire Elemental Magic] - Gives you access to Fire Elemental magic.
[Water Elemental Magic] - 3,500 Points
[Water Elemental Magic] - Gives you access to Water Elemental magic.
[Earth Elemental Magic] - 3,500 Points
[Earth Elemental Magic] - Gives you access to Earth Elemental magic.
Cool, but… not that cool.
[Emotion Reading] - 3,750 Points
[Emotion Reading] - Read someone's emotions at a glance, giving you insight into their intentions and mindset.
Decent for diplomatic shit, but useless in combat.
[Double Strength] - 4,000 Points
[Double Strength] - However much you can lift - double it.
[Double Speed] - 4,000 Points
[Double Speed] - However fast you can move - double it.
Very nice, but there's gotta be better.
[Intimidation Aura] - 4,250 Points
[Intimidation Aura] - Give off an intimidating aura - enemies and allies alike will be intimidated.
[Enhanced Reflexes] - 4,500 Points
[Enhanced Reflexes] - However good your reflexes are - double it.
[Healing Container] - 4,750 Points
[Healing Container] - instantly heal all injuries until a damage cap is surpassed.
"That's the one," Azuma said instantly.
"Which one?" Aphrodite's high-pitched voice came from above.
"The healing one," He replied, "I don't know what the cap is, but it's good either way. Either I'm immune to attacks that don't go above a certain damage amount, or I heal through all damage up to a certain point. Both are great."
Azuma tapped [Healing Container].
[Minor Signature Ability Chosen!]
[Health Container]
[Points Expended - 4.750]
[Points Remaining - 234]
[Tutorial Complete!]
[Remaining Points have been added to your account!]
Abilities.
[Abilities]
[Minor Signature Ability - Healing Container]
[Healing Container LVL1] - instantly heal all injuries until [5000HP] is lost.
Damage Remaining: [5000/5000]
Cooldown: 1 Day.
"How much HP do I have?" Azuma asked out loud, trying to figure out how good the ability was.
"You can think 'stats' to see your health," Aphrodite supplied, finally floating off his head as she down next to him on the bench.
Stats.
[Azuma Kaito]
[Dungeon Master]
Dungeon Rank: F (15 D-Value)
Level: 1 (0/100)
HP: 100/100
MP: 100/100
STR: 5
AGI: 5
END: 5
INT: 5
CHA: 5
LUK: 5
HPREG: 5
MPREG: 5
Abilities: [Time Dilation], [Health Container]
Dungeon Boosts: None
Points: 234
"So I can just die fifty times a day and be fine? For this cheap?" Azuma asked incredulously, staring at the abilities description.
"Looks like it," Aphrodite said from his side, staring up at the levitating light blue box with him, "It might've not been that many points, but it's still a signature ability. It'll be harder to level up than normal abilities, so you'll probably have more total health than the ability heals soon enough."
"How much harder is it gonna be to level up?" Azuma questioned her.
"I think… 10 times more points?" Aphrodite thought out loud, placing a finger on her lips, "But! You can take the points other Dungeon Masters used on their abilities and apply them to your own when you beat them! Oh, but that's only if you don't want to take their ability."
Azuma blinked as he stared down at the goddess, "Take their ability?"
"Yeah!" She nodded innocently, "If you beat another Dungeon Master, you can claim their abilities!"
"Wish you said that earlier…" Azuma sighed.
That would've changed my strategy a bit. If taking down other masters is that good, then I should've saved more points and gone on the offensive right away, but it's whatever.
"I forgot!" The bimbo goddess said, looking only slightly apologetic.
"So, how does ranking up the dungeon work? Is it just all the points I've spent?" Azuma questioned, looking at the '15 D-Value' sitting beside his dungeon's rank.
Aphrodite smirked, "The tutorial's over, so you should have to figure this out on your own. Glad you have me now, huh?"
"I can figure it out on my own," Azuma deflected her question, "I was just trying to get some use out of my 5-point unit, but I should've bought a gobby instead I guess."
"I'm more useful than a goblin!" Aphrodite whined again with puffed-out cheeks, "Fine. Your dungeon rank depends on how many point-costing things are in it. So, if your Worker Goblin dies, then you'll lose 10 points of value. If you buy another one, then it'll go up by 10."
Azuma glanced back at his stat page, tapping on both his abilities.
[Signature Ability - Time Dilation]
[Time Dilation LVL1] - Reverse or fast-forward time for an object or person within 5 feet of you for 1/10th of a second.
Cooldown: 60 seconds.
[Upgrade Ability] - 25,000 Points (0/25,000)
LVL2: -1 Second on Cooldown.
[Minor Signature Ability - Healing Container]
[Healing Container LVL1] - instantly heal all injuries until [5000HP] is lost.
Damage Remaining: [5000/5000]
Cooldown: 1 Day.
[Upgrade Ability] - 10,000 Points (0/10,000)
LVL2: +500 Damage to Damage Cap.
That's pretty expensive. I could buy 5000 gobbys with that amount.
Azuma almost made himself laugh with his own thoughts. Even 5000 goblins wouldn't be that useful in battle.
Azuma blinked as he looked around, realizing something, "I finished the tutorial, right? Where's Ravel?"
"She won't be summoned until she's completely alone," Aphrodite supplied, "If she randomly disappeared at the dinner table then there would be an uproar. This way you'll have some time before anyone she knows starts looking for her."
"That's actually smart," Azuma hummed.
"Right?! I'm a genius, huh?" The goddess smirked at him, looking overly smug.
"No, whoever made the system is," Azuma deadpanned at her, "You already told me it wasn't you, remember? You can't just take credit for it."
"Oh, yeah," Aphrodite said, looking more disappointed than embarrassed that she'd be caught.
"Now, where are the entrances?" Azuma asked, looking around the cube-shaped cave, "I thought this was just a waiting room or somethin' until I finished the tutorial. I don't see how anyone's gonna invade the dungeon when I can't even get out."
"It's right there!" Aphrodite answered, pointing at the north wall, "That's the entrance to the DxD world, and the Monster Realm one is on the opposite side!"
"Aphrodite," Azuma started, his tone matching that of a parent speaking to their child.
"Yeah?"
"Do you know what a wall is?"
"Of course I do!" Aphrodite said, staring at him questioningly.
"Just making sure, because what you're pointing at right now is most certainly a wall." Azuma deadpanned.
"No! It's behind the wall! Look!" The tiny goddess shot forward, her ass jiggling as she slammed a fist into the wall. The wall stood standing, nothing coming from Aphrodite's movement.
"Are… Are you okay?" Azuma asked incredulously.
"I'm serious! Look!" She paused for dramatic effect, then slammed her fist into the wall again. Once again, nothing happened.
"Did you hit your head as a child?"
"N-No! I'm perfectly fine! These tiny arms just can't break through!" Aphrodite whined, sending a series of punches at the wall, all of which did nothing but create a smacking noise.
"Aphrodite, this is a dungeon," Azuma said slowly, explaining to the goddess, "Not a mental ward."
"I-I'm not crazy! Just- um, push your hand into this wall!" Aphrodite shouted, gesturing for him to come over.
"Look, if you can just remember where the actual entrance is then I can pay for your thera-"
"Stop! Seriously!" The goddess whined, her face drooping.
"Fine," Azuma gave in, stopping his teasing as he walked up to the wall. He placed his hand on it and pushed forward lightly. The wall gave away instantly, crumbling into a pile of rocks and revealing a bright light.
"Wow, it looked so real," Azuma mused as the ultra-thin layer of rocks gave way to a tunnel leading to the outside world.
"See! I told you!" Aphrodite said smugly as she flew beside his face.
"All I saw was you struggling to break the wall," Azuma countered, "I put no force into that. Literally none. Like, I think even a baby could've broken through."
"It's not my fault! This body is so tiny, and I was always a magic user anyway!" The goddess's smug face fell as she lamented her failure.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say," Azuma hummed, walking down the hallway.
"I'm serious!"
Azuma ignored the Goddess of Love's whining as he continued down the small tunnel, approaching the light. The light continued to grow brighter, and Azuma blinked as he stepped out of the entrance.
All around him were towering trees that partially blocked out the shining sun above. Azuma glanced around, seeing tall messy grass surrounding the cave opening and the occasional pile of rocks. A squirrel hung from the top of a tree, looking down curiously at him.
"So… just a forest?" Azuma questioned with a raised eyebrow.
I was expecting a plot twist - like that I would be in the underworld or heaven or something. This just looks like a normal-ass forest.
"Not just any forest!" Aphrodite said as she flew around the side of him, floating by his shoulder, "Does it look familiar?"
Familiar…
"The familiar forest?!" Azuma asked, blinking in surprise as he looked at the goddess.
"Uh, no," Aphrodite deadpanned, "I didn't mean that literally. I meant, like, maybe you've seen it before?"
"Aphrodite," Azuma stared at the forest surrounding them, "How the fuck would I recognize a forest? You think I can tell these trees a part or somethin'? It's just a fuckin' forest!"
"It's the forest next to Kuoh Town!" Aphrodite said with a huff, "It was in the show!"
"When?" Azuma asked simply.
"Um…" Aphrodite put a finger to her lips as she thought, "It was… um… in the background a couple of times, I think?"
"Good one." Azuma deadpanned, "You might be stupid, but hey, this is actually a pretty good spot. This is only where, I don't know, every bad thing ever in the show happens?"
"B-But!" Aphrodite started, seeing where he was going with his statement, "It's where the main girls are! I thought you'd love that, for your harem and all! My research showed that all males from your world want a harem!"
"I mean, I do," Azuma conceded, "But not every guy is like that. What kind of research did you even do?"
"Well, I saw that males from your world being summoned to different worlds is a normal thing, so I just looked at those cases!" The goddess explained.
Azuma stared at her incredulously, "No, that's definitely not normal. Where'd you even get that idea?"
"I couldn't observe your world completely, so I used fragments!" Aphrodite continued, "I watched the lives of those who were summoned to different worlds! I think they were called… um… isekis?"
"Isekai?" Azuma deadpanned.
"Yes! That's it!" The goddess confirmed excitedly, "Isekai's, and they were contained in ancient recordings called animes! Just like this world's history!"
"...sure. Let's go with that," Azuma said, choosing to not question the goddess anymore, "The main cast being here is fine. Honestly, it's good. Great, even. The issue comes with, oh, I don't know, Kokabiel showing up here eventually? Or, maybe when the leaders of the Three Factions show up here for a nice little meeting? That totally won't put the dungeon in jeopardy or anything!"
"...I feel that you are being sarcastic," Aphrodite said in a conflicted tone.
"No shit."
Granted, there's no guarantee any of that happens. I'm here now, so this little thing called 'the butterfly effect' will change everything. On top of that, this universe has already changed anyway. Still, Kuoh just seems to be where a bunch of supernatural shit happens, so I'd rather not be here.
"I'll probably have to defend this side pretty heavily," Azuma hummed, staring at the forest around him. He turned around, walking back into the tunnel, "But I'd like to see the Monster Realm too."
"I think that'll be the harder part to defend," Aphrodite advised him as she floated beside him back through the dark tunnel, "The mindless beasts from that side will be a constant problem. At least on this side, someone will have to have a reason to attack you."
"Yeah, but it's mostly weak ones, right?" Azuma asked as he continued into the darkness of the cave… except it wasn't as dark anymore. As Azuma walked back into the square room, which now only had three walls, a large white light illuminated it from above. The goblin came scurrying over, saluting him as the pickaxe was slung over his shoulder.
"Gelh!" He spit out, his eyes looking up to a white gem hanging above them and then back to Azuma.
"You… actually found light," Azuma said, genuinely surprised as he stared at the glowing gem that was wedged between two stalactites in the ceiling.
"That's a glowy ore!" Aphrodite supplied, pointing up at the glowing ball.
"Yes, little Aphrodite, that ore is glowy," Azuma nodded, speaking to her like a toddler again.
"No, like, that's what it's called!" She said, doubling down at his doubtful look, "It is! It's a pretty common ore in the Monster Realm.."
Azuma turned around, seeing the goblin still saluting as he looked at him expectantly.
"Alright, you did find light. Good job, little gobby. As a reward, I shall give you a name!" Azuma said, raising his hand victoriously. The goblin's back stiffened as he stared at Azuma, pride filling his ugly little eyes.
"From this day onwards, you shall be known as Gobby! With a capital G!" Azuma shouted, placing his hand on the goblin's shoulder, then his others, as if he were knighting him. The goblin stared at him pridefully, and Azuma swore he saw a single tear roll down his cheek.
"Glbeh!" Gobby cried out in affirmation.
[Worker Goblin] has been renamed to [Gobby]!
"Now, Gobby! As my first and most important unit," Azuma started, ignoring an indignant whine from Aphrodite, "I shall give you the important job of… um… mining that wall! Expand my kingdom, humble Gobby!"
Gobby nodded, marching with a purpose as he walked back to the eastern wall, swinging his pickaxe again.
"Now, let's go check out the Monster Re-" Azuma cut himself off as a flash of blue light filled the cave. In front of him, a short blonde girl with drill-like ponytails appeared from the flash of light. She had a petite body and was wearing a business suit, fit with a flat skirt and buttoned up shirt.
Honestly, those are more impressive than I thought they'd be.
In the show, Ravel had been a part of the small-breasts team, but that seemed to only be the case because she was being compared to people like Rias and Akeno. Despite having a rather skinny body and being 'petite,' the girl still had a rather large pair of breasts on her chest that poked through her suit as one of the middle buttons popped open, failing to keep them contained.
"Wh…Where am I?" Ravel looked disoriented, blinking as she looked around the dark cave. She spotted him, opening her mouth and raising a hand as she looked like she was about to shout, but then closed it again.
[MAX] Affection has been reached with [Ravel Phenex]!
[MAX] Obedience has been reached with [Ravel Phenex]!
"Master…?" Ravel finally said, still looking a bit disoriented.
"Yo." Azuma held up a hand in greeting.
"Your secretary has arrived, Master!" The girl said, abruptly dropping to one knee.
"Actually, you're technically my atten-"
"Your SECRETARY is here, Master!" Ravel repeated, blushing as she talked over him.
"...Do you have a workplace fetish?"
"..."
"Is that why you're wearing a suit?"
"..."
"I'll take that as a yes. Fine, you're my secretary." Azuma said, staring down at the blushing kneeling girl.
"Thank you, Master!" Ravel said, seemingly accepting that he was her master instantly as she glanced around the cave, "Where are we?"
"This is my dungeon," Azuma gestured around, "Pretty nice, huh?"
Ravel glanced around, then looked back at him with a deadpanned stare, "This place sucks, Master. Are we going to be living here?"
"Yeah, so get used to it," He hummed.
"I'll get to improving our living conditions, Master," The girl chirped, looking around in thought as she pointed to a rather dry corner, "That will be a great spot for the bed."
"You're… taking this rather well," Azuma said, staring at the girl as she started floor-planning the tiny cave room, "You're just fine with being here?"
"Of course, Master," She said simply, "I'll go anywhere you go."
She's just ok with this? I guess this is a good time to learn how the reputation works.
"You know you just met me, right?" Azuma asked, wondering if it'd changed her memories.
"Yes, Master," Ravel confirmed as she continued walking around the cave, holding her hands up as she judged the size of each area.
"And you're just ok with me being your master, even though we just met?" Azuma asked, "How'd you even know to show up in a suit?"
"Of course," Ravel said, not seemingly the least bit bothered by his questions, "I was in a meeting regarding the Phenex clan before you summoned me, Master. It was a well-timed coincidence."
"Why am I your master?"
This time, Ravel blinked as she stopped to think for a minute. She was silent for a moment, and then finally said, "...Master is Master. That's just how it is. It's like how I need to breathe. It's just a part of life."
"I told you she'd be completely loyal to you," Aphrodite said as she looked at the girl.
"Can I see her stats?" Azuma asked her, and Aphrodite nodded in confirmation.
"Just think 'unit stats!'"
Unit stats.
[Unit Stats]
[Aphrodite]
[Ravel Phenex]
[Gobby]
Azuma tapped on Ravel's name.
[Ravel Phenex]
[Dungeon Attendant]
Level: 15 (0/40,000)
HP: 8,000/8,000
MP: 55,500/55,500
STR: 75
AGI: 120
END: 50
INT: 550
CHA: 100
LUK: 75
Abilities: [Phenex Regeneration], [Flame Magic], [Demonic Magic]
Dungeon Boosts: None
"She's a lot stronger than me," Azuma observed as he watched the small girl berate Gobby for mining unevenly.
"Yup," Aphrodite hummed, "She's a High-Class devil, though she's on the weaker side as far as children of 72 pillars go. You'll catch up to her soon."
"Yo, Ravel," Azuma called out, "Wanna go see the Monster Realm with me?"
"Of course, Master!" Ravel said, overly excited. She spun around, her ass smacking into the back of Gobby's head and knocking him into the wall as she skipped over to Azuma.
"You good, Gobby?" Azuma hollered, watching as the poor goblin staggered from the impact.
"Gbleh."
"He's fine," Azuma said dismissively, walking over the southern wall and pushing on it. Similar to the northern one, it crumbled instantly under the force, but this time there was no light that came shining in. In front of the pile of rocks was a dark tunnel, stretching out a couple feet before it became too dark for Azuma to see anymore.
"Make a light for us, Ravel." He commanded, and the blonde-haired girl nodded in affirmation. She held out her hand, and a small flame appeared on her plam, lighting up the tunnel around them as they walked through it. The tunnel was very similar to the cave room: Stalactites hanging from the ceiling, puddles on the floor, and rock walls on each side. Azuma continued forward, Ravel walking next to him and Aphrodite sitting on his shoulder.
He walked forward, seeing more rocks and stalactites.
Then, more rocks and stalactites.
After 5 minutes of walking, he finally saw some more rocks and stalactites.
Did Azuma mention that there were rocks and stalacitites?
"When does this tunnel fucking end," Azuma groaned after nearly ten minutes of walking, "I thought this eterance was right next to the Monster Realm?"
"It is!" Aphrodite said helpfully from his shoulder, "We're in the realm already."
Azuma blinked, "Aphrodite, this just looks like a tunnel to me."
"A tunnel in the Monster Realm!" She replied unhelpfully.
"Is the dungeon in a mountain or somethin'?" Azuma asked her, "Where the hell can there be a tunnel this long."
"Nope! The dungeon's on the 10th floor!" Aphrodite said, not explaining further.
"The 10th floor?"
"Yup."
"No, like, I meant for you to explain what you meant by that." Azuma said, pushing away a headache from dealing with the bimbo goddess.
"The Monster Realm is more vertical than horizontal," Aphrodite started to explain, "While your world was very horizontal - with the inhabitants all living in the same vertical plane - the Monster Realm is the opposite. The vertical distance of each floor is much smaller, but the realm is broken up into numerous layers."
"The surface," She pointed up at the ceiling, "Is 10 floors above this. The average monster on the higher floors is weaker, but the surface is where many of the strongest Dungeon Masters reside. The surface is more similar to your world, so many Dungeon Masters from the lower floors relocate up there."
Aphrodite then pointed to the floor, "There are another 90 floors below us. The average monster becomes stronger the further you go down, and stronger Dungeon Master's will also have their bases lower down. The majority of the Monster Realm is a series of connected tunnels - almost like an underground cave system. This tunnel will eventually lead to something else - either another Dungeon, an entrance to a lower or higher floor, or a monster den."
"...Why are you suddenly smart?" Azuma asked incrediously.
"I've always been smart!"
"No, no," Azuma shook his head, "You explained that well. Like, how a good tutorial would, not a shitty one. You even put the dungeon in a good spot. Close enough to the surface to have weak monsters, but not close enough to have to fight with the strong guys up there."
"Right?! I set you up with a good start! I'm pretty awesome, right?" The goddess asked smugly.
"...This time, you actually are pretty awesome. Do you know how many other Dungeon Masters are on this floor? Or roughly how big it is?" Azuma asked, his mind planning out how to act upon his new knowledge.
"Watch out, Master!" Ravel shouted loudly in a panic from next to him, holding her arm out to stop him dramatically. Azuma looked down to see a puddle where he was about to step, and side-stepped around it.
"Thanks."
"Um, like, 10, maybe? Or 5. It could've been 5," Aphrodite said, her face wrinkled as she thought hard. She held up her hands, placing them on either side of her in the air, "It's like, this big?"
Yeah, there's the dumbass goddess I know.
"Whatever," Azuma sighed, "Is there a map feature? Or do I have to make an actual paper one?"
"Oh! Think 'map'!"
Map.
A large rpg-like map appeared in the corner of Azuma's vision. It was square that was mostly blacked-out except for a small section on the left side. A small square was lit up, followed by a straight line and a dot at the end to show his location. At the top of the map was a label, reading [Monster Realm - 10th Floor].
"So, as I explore the map will fill out?" Azuma hummed as he stared at the map.
"Yup! Any where you or any of your units go will light up." Aphrodite responded.
"...So, since this path is in the Monster Realm, there's not point in walking further down, right? Actually, we could run into monsters, so it's dangerous if anything." Azuma brought up.
"Yup."
"...It would've been nice if you said that before we spent ten minutes walking." Azuma deadpanned at her.
"Oops. I forgot."
"Of course you did," Azuma sighed, placing a hand on Ravel's arm as she led them down the path, "Let's just go back."
They turned around, heading back down the way they came as Azuma silently lamenting about the wasted time. As they walked, Azuma decided to question the goddess more.
"Are there a lot of different ores in the Monster Realm?" He questioned.
"Yup."
"...Mind telling me about them?" Azuma grit out at her one-word answer.
"Sure!" Aphrodite agreed easily, "On this floor, theres the glowy ore! And also a few others… probably. The glowy ore is pretty easy to find, so it won't sell for much, but the rarer ores probably will!"
Azuma blinked at her words, "Sell?"
"Yup."
"Fuck you. Explain what you meant by that." Azuma said, pushing away a headache.
"Oh! You can sell stuff for points," Aphrodite explained, "Whoops. I was meant to say that during the tutorial."
"Stuff?" Azuma echoed as the light of the glowy ore filled his vision again, the trio walking into the cave room.
"Yup."
Azuma pinched the bridge of his nose, "No, that one was my fault. I should've known. What I meant was: what stuff can I sell?"
"Hmm," The Goddess hummed, "Pretty much anything, I think. You just hold something in your hand and think 'sell.'"
Azuma walked forward, grabbing Gobby from behind as he avoided his swinging pickaxe..
Sell.
[Shop]
Would you like to sell [Worker Goblin]?
Price: 5 Points
I get not letting me sell him for the same amount I bought him for, but damn, half price?
Azuma placed down the goblin, walking over to a small pebble sitting on the ground. He reached down and picked it up.
Sell.
[Shop]
Would you like to sell [Tiny Pebble]?
Price: 0.0001 Points
Absolute steal.
Successfully sold [Tiny Pebble] for 0.0001 Points!
This is good. I thought grinding monsters was the only way to earn points, but my options just increased drastically.
Azuma stared at the small goblin as he swung his pickaxe into the wall again, a clanging sound ringing out as he worked.
I get the type of game this is now. This should be easy.
A small grin filled Azuma's face.
There's never been a hard farming simulator, right?
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AN: Not sure how often this story will be updated, but if you guys really like it then I'll try to update it often. So, if you do like it, feel free to support me on Patreon (Patreon.com/Koyon) or just leave a comment letting me know!
I'll also add an option to read the next chapter early on Patreon if I continue writing this story frequently. Thanks for reading, and I hope y'all enjoyed chapter 1!
Also also - feel free to suggest any ideas you have for abilities or units. I have a bunch in mind, but this story will feature a TON, so suggestions are always welcome!