As I led the way into the Labyrinth, I can’t say I was feeling anywhere as confident as I pretended. Arana was quite intimidating for a human. She was wearing a jet black plate armor similar to that of fantasy Blackguards or Dark Knights would wear. And her strength was equally terrifying. She had a shield that was almost as big as she was on one arm, which she moved along with the same ease someone would carry a small book. And a sword so massive I doubt a normal man would be able to even lift it in the other. Seriously, you would think it a short sword intended for giants. But she swung it around with ease. With such a display of sheer strength I had little to no doubt that if the two of us were to fight, I would lose, HARD. So my confidence was little more than false bravado, for now.

As we entered the first floor, I simply willed the labyrinth to part for us. There was no point in delaying this any more than necessary, after all. There was a somewhat uncomfortable shuffle among Arana’s bodyguards as they entered the hallway. The underground corridor I had made was slimmer than the massive maze outside. Because of this, they could only walk in a file two wide, rather than the 3 they had been. The entire thing took only mere moments and with practiced ease. However, I could sense that they did not like the cramped conditions at all as they were looking at me with a growing sense of hostility and distrust.

I smirked as I spoke out loud, without looking back. “No need to grumble over the lack of space. The next floor is but a short walk and is far more spacious than this one.” That seemed to have the desired effect, as the rising sense of hostility and distrust from the bodyguards simmered down to mere annoyance. Well, most of the distrust, I noted as I looked at Lady Arana. She was quite adept as crushing her own emotions, but I could sense she did not trust me at all. She was only doing this because she had to. No doubt had she any other option she would have jumped upon the opportunity to recapture me immediately.

Well, that was a worry for another day. For now, I had far more important things to worry about than the potential hostility from the guild. Namely, that said guild, along with the rest of the world, might just cease to exist soon. The main issue right now was not if, but when, how much time did we have? A year, a month, a week, a day, an hour? It was impossible to tell. All I could do now was to prepare the table for the coming disaster. With that done, all I could do was to hope I could somehow pull a win from a deck that was beyond stacked in favor of this new threat.

Once we entered the 2nd floor, I was not at all surprised when I could see the glow of Nightvision from Lady Arana and her bodyguards. Enchanted into their helmets or maybe a class skill? It didn’t matter, it just meant that I didn’t have to stop to offer them torches. As we moved through the opening corridor, I was not at all surprised that the hostility from the Bodyguards increased once more. “It’s a just bit further, this tunnel is so recent that I forgot about it.” Arana eyed the walls before she looked at me. “This is less of a tunnel and more of a kill zone.” she commented dryly as she noticed the arrow slits lining the wall. Her distrust was fading, likely because she realized that if I wanted to do them harm, this corridor would have served that purpose fairly easily.

I nodded slowly in response. “That it is, had a bunch of VERY unwelcome guests a short while ago. So many that I had to create this tunnel to stem the literal tide coming from the upper floors.” Arana could not hide her curiosity, it was washing off of her and her guards in waves. “Demons.” I said calmly. Arana slowed down for a split second as she just stared at me. “It’s a long story, Lady Arana, one I don’t have time to regale you with now. Though maybe later, over some freshly brewed tea and a proper warm meal.” Lady Arana’s expression changed into a rather doubting one as she continued to look at me. “Just because I am a Sphinx does not mean I do not enjoy proper dining, Lady Arana. Besides, I will have you know that compared to Lienru, my personal chef, the City Lords chef is an amateur unfit to set foot in a kitchen. Or so Rael claimed when he tasted it.”

That actually gave Lady Arana pause. I could sense she had vivid memories of dining with the Lord just a few days prior and apparently had praised the chef’s food highly. And I wasn’t lying, Rael had said that about Lienru’s food, and I trusted his judgment. I couldn’t quite place when, though. .

Ah, that would explain it. “Really, Rael said that?” Her voice was… unusually light-hearted and eager, hopeful even. It was almost as if it belonged to someone else. However, Arana quickly regained her composure as we exited the small tunnel and arrived at the floor proper. “I see, if these negotiations actually bear fruit, I might consider it.” She continued in a more dour voice. I couldn’t help but grin.

It would seem the scary and domineering Arana had a weakness after all. Well, if the incredibly gluttonous impulses she was giving off were worth a damn, at any rate. Although, considering the intensity, I seriously doubted she was faking them. That and the uncomfortable shuffling of Arana’s bodyguards at the mention of food. I could understand their discomfort. If it became known that the great Arana was a gourmand… Well, her reputation would take a rather severe hit, that was certain. Personally, I couldn’t say it was surprising. The number of calories needed to hoist around that gear of hers would be insane, even with magic aiding you. I decided not to comment on it, for everyone’s sake it would be better if I pretended I hadn’t noticed her attitude shift. Besides, I had little doubt that Arana could suppress her love of food if she had to. If she was that easily overwhelmed by her weaknesses, she would never have gained her current reputation, after all.

As we continued the walk through the cavernous 2nd floor, I purposefully took a longer route than needed. This was to give Rael and his party time to get to the bridge before we arrived. Well, that was half of it. I also wanted to ensure that Unguul and the others were out of the way of Arana. In a worst-case scenario, the less she knew about my defenses the better, after all. When we arrived at Unguul’s tower the mist had cleared out and there was no sign of the Evil Eyes or Unguul itself. They were probably playing out on the lake somewhere, far out of range of even my Darkvision. As we exited, and they heard the splashing of the lake water, there was a bit of a murmur among the guards and Arana.

I looked back at them. “Something wrong?” Arana shrugged. “ It’s just some… unpleasant experiences I have had with subterranean lakes in the past. Think nothing of it, it’s fine.” She was lying, I didn’t even need to read her emotions to figure that one out. However, I let it slide, I could guess why she was reacting as she was, anyway. Inlas had likely informed the old Guildmaster about my Brothers. And then the meticulous madman had then written it down somewhere only for Arana to find it later.

Eh, it didn’t matter. I had little doubt that if I had to call upon my Brothers to keep Arana from becoming outright hostile, she would realize just how outgunned she was. Horrors were almost universally bad news, after all. And my Brothers were among the more powerful ones. Personally, I was hoping it would not come to that, I would rather keep things civil if possible, but better safe than sorry.

Halfway across the bridge, we finally met up with Rael and the rest of them. They were calmly waiting for us on a small artificial island that I had built specifically for this meeting. It was big enough to fit everyone comfortably, but also practically dead center of the lake, so my Brothers would have no issues intersecting should something go wrong. Even now they were waiting just out of detection range should I call for them.

As we arrived Rael, Mordred and Eliandar stood up and hurried to meet us. The rest followed suit within moments. Rael bowed politely to Lady Arana. “Milady, I am honored to meet you, I am Rael, the leader of the Raid Party.” He gave a nod to me as I walked past him and turned around to face Arana. Eliandar also similarly bowed, though a deeper and more respectful bow than that of Rael. “Eliandar, Leader of the B-rank team “Nature Howlers. We were lucky enough to get out of one of the old guildmaster’s ill conceived attacks on this dungeon, luckily no worse for wear. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Milady.”

Arana gave Rael a nod in acknowledgement before she turned to Eliandar. “I see, we presumed your team lost when you failed to return. It would seem fortune smiled on you that day. Your father will be glad to know you are still alive, Young Lord.” Eliandar flinched for a moment as Arana mentioned his father. I had a feeling there was a story there, but it was none of my business. Then Arana turned her focus back to Rael. “So, tell me everything about these “Void Entities” that you encountered, leave not a single detail.”

As Rael explained his encounter with the Void Entity, I noticed that he didn’t mention that the encounter took place in Yrsha’s dungeon. Understandable, all things considered. Arana listened without a word and with a serious expression. When Mordred had also given his account, Arana’s expression had turned grim. “Neither of you are lying, that much is certain. I had hoped you were ensorcelled or somehow compelled to lie. But you are neither under compulsion nor are you under the influence or memory alteration. I can only conclude that what you have said is the truth.”

She paced back and forth now, and she was growing increasingly more agitated with each passing second as she continued to speak. “Rubolgs accursed axe, this is the last thing I needed right now. We have a severe lack of resources in Caelyn right now. We simply cannot deal with a threat of this magnitude with our current resources. I am sorry.” A wave of darkness exploded out from her and towards us. And only my mental warning to the others stating that she was up to something prevented it from incapacitating the four of us. Eliandar reacted instantly. As soon as the Wave shot forwards, he slammed his staff into the dirt beneath us and conjured forth crystals of near blinding light. The powerful light dispersed most of the darkness, and Mordred dispelled what remained.

That did not mean that the four of us could expect to win, for now. Judging from how Eliandar and Mordred were looking, forcing through their magic in the current state of things had taken a lot out of them. It had worked, which was a minor miracle, but it clearly was far too strenuous to use in a fight. I took a deep breath. “Tell me, Lady Arana, what in the world do you think would happen even if you succeeded in incapacitated us?” I was genuinely curious. After all, she was 2 floors deep in a Dungeon that had weathered worse than her.

Sure, she had no idea of the real danger, of this meeting place. The danger that even now was just below the surface. They were ready to spring forth immediately if Arana did as much as twitch in a way I didn’t like. Arana took a deep breath to steady herself. Whatever that skill was, it clearly had taken a bit out of her. . That seemed familiar, though I couldn’t recall where I had heard about it.

Arana looked over at me as she raised her sword and pointed it at me. “Caelyn needs the resources that your dungeon can produce if it is to weather this storm, Core. With Rubolgs degree preventing us from recapturing other dungeons, I have no choice but to take you.” She raised her sword and her bodyguards immediately stepped forward, weapons drawn. I stepped in front of Rael and the others, motioning for them to get back. We had discussed this eventuality and Rael and the others did not hesitate to get as much room between me and them. They knew what would come if Arana persisted.

“It would seem things are far more desperate in Caelyn than I thought. I knew that losing all those cores would likely cause problems. I had, however, hoped you would be rational enough to not attempt something this foolish. After all, I am, technically, already tamed. To be more exact, I am bonded in such a fashion that the Taming Ritual won’t work on me.” That reminder was an attempt at de-escalating things without having to reveal my ace. I would rather Arana talk things out without resorting to violence, but I would let my Brothers tear her apart if I had to. I could not afford to become a prisoner again with what was coming, so if Arana had to die to prevent that, so be it.

Arana looked at me for a few moments before she gritted her teeth. “I can just bring you both along, then. Given your bond, I doubt you would like to see her harmed, after all.” She spoke calmly as she raised her sword and prepared to charge in. I could sense she hoped it didn’t come to that and that she hoped I would surrender. Arana was a good person, deep down. She abhorred the idea of getting someone innocent involved, but the current situation had backed her up in a corner, and she was desperate. Desperation made people stupid.

Well then, there was nothing more to say. “Very well, Lady Arana, I had hoped this show of force wasn’t necessary, but it seems I have no choice.” Arana and her guards surged forward for about five steps. Then they ran headfirst into a barrier. My brothers rose from the water on both sides of the bridge, their pale faces leering down at Arana and her retinue. The Eldest was the one who had conjured the barrier. “LaDy ArAnA RaVeNlOfT, sUrReNdEr ThIs InStAnT, oR dIe.” That wasn’t a suggestion, I realized. That was an ultimatum. I thought I had convinced my brothers not to just outright kill her, but it seemed this was as far as they would listen.

Arana for her part just stared up at the five of them with wide eyes. She dropped her sword and fell to her knees, defeat written all over her face. The same happened to her bodyguards. Seeing the opportunity, I stepped forward. “As you can see, Lady Arana, an attempt at extracting either myself or Indella from this dungeon against our will would be… an exceedingly bad idea.” Arana looked at me as if I was some kind of horrible and ancient monster. I can’t that surprised me, given that my Brothers were beings capable of absolutely massive amounts of destruction. The Dungeon still bore the scars of their tussle with the bigger demons Selba’s cultists had summoned earlier.

I walked over to Arana. “Look, I don’t harbor any ill intent towards you or Caelyn. In fact, I view Caelyn as a potential business partner. I have things you want, you have things I want. Heck, we both have things the other side need rather badly, given the current situation. So, why don’t we discuss this further over something to eat instead of at the tip of a sword, hmm?” I reached a paw out towards her, the same way someone would offer someone a hand. To my absolute relief, Arana reached out and grasped it as I helped her back on her feet.

Half an hour later and Arana and her bodyguards were all in a much better mood. Lienru’s cooking had that effect on people, well, Lienru’s cooking and a keg of Duergar wine. I had considered it for a while and had concluded that getting them drunk on Mushroom wine would be a bad idea. So I had opted for the weaker, but apparently finer wine that the Duergar had. I had no clue what they brewed the stuff from, but it was low on alcohol but rich in taste. Which made it perfect for fine dining when an important discussion would follow. Well, low for a Duergar, which meant it was strong but not overwhelming for a human.

Arana and her guards seemed able to hold their liquor though, as even after emptying a better part of a keg each, they all still seemed completely sober. The wine and food had the desired result though, and they were in a much better mood. Particularly Arana seemed to enjoy herself, as she was on her sixth helping and showing no signs of slowing down. Though watching Arana eat was disturbing, as she was wolfing down helpings sized for me, not for a human. I could only surmise that Arana had to have some kind of unique skill that allowed such insane food consumption. Because she had literally consumed more than her own body weight, with arms and armor, in food already.

As she finished her latest helping, she looked around with a hopeful expression, but I interrupted her search for Lienru and a seventh helping. “I am sorry to say, Lady Arana, but I dismissed Lienru. She was utterly exhausted, and I did not fancy the idea of forcing her to cook in such a state, both for her and your own safety. Besides, I think you have eaten more than enough already, wouldn’t you agree?” Arana looked disappointed. Then blushed fiercely as she looked at the trio of kobolds that were busy carrying out the small tower of dishes left behind by her meal. “I… Suppose so, my compliments to the chef. Her cooking skills seem supernatural.” She licked her lips as she thought back to the meal.

I for my part couldn’t help but chuckle. “I have to agree with you there, in fact, I suspect they actually are. Her food seems able to heighten the mood and spirit of anyone who eats it, regardless of their prior mental state. I suspect there are some kind of special skill or magic involved. Though I have yet to understand what it might be.” Arana took a sip of wine. “You haven’t checked?” She seemed genuinely confused. I shook my head. “It’s disrespectful to ask a chef for their secrets unless you plan to apprentice under them. And I am far too busy running this dungeon to take cooking lessons.” Arana nearly choked on her wine at my response. I suspected it was because of my completely casual and deadpan answer. She would undoubtedly be used to sycophantic or near panicked behavior, so this was probably new, or at least unusual for her.

Well, time to get on with the reason I had wanted to speak with Arana to begin with. “So, Lady Arana, I am certain you know that these Void entities represent an unprecedented threat to not just Caelyn but this entire world. Given the current situation, I simply cannot afford to worry about hostile adventurers coming in from the city.” As I looked at Arana, her pleased expression faded to a much more serious one. “I realize that, and you obviously have a plan to work with, or you would not bother to send me that letter.” I nodded once. “That is correct. The thing is, neither of us can currently deal with this issue. There is no question, however, that Caelyn’s situation is near disastrous, as you lack resources. Your current actions speak for itself on that part.”

Arana opened her mouth to reply, but I cut her off. “Violence will get you nowhere, Lady Arana. You need my dungeon, sorely at that, however I am not just going to hand over my resources and thus dooming myself just to save you.” Arana glared at me as I continued. “That being said, Caelyn isn’t without its own resources, resources that I could have a use for myself. What I suggest, Lady Arana, is that we enact a trade agreement.” Arana went silent for a while as she thought about my suggestion. “I am not against the whole trading idea, but I can’t for the life of me understand what you would need.” She answered finally, I smiled calmly. “Alchemical ingredients, dead Cores, Vegetables, Herbs and more important than all of those, information. I have no way of knowing where or when this breach will happen since I am bound to the dungeon. Meanwhile, you have access to the full information network that is the Adventurer’s Guild and contacts in noble circles. So, you would get access to information about such an incursion almost immediately.”

Arana’s expression went from serious to intrigued as I spoke. “And what would you be able to give us in return?” She finally asked. “Healing potions, both for injury and diseases. I might have limited information, but I am certain that is something in high demand in Caelyn right now. And I can get you access to refined Starsilver, in limited amounts. Most of what is currently being mined is used to forge gear for my dungeon at the moment. And finally Masterwork Gems suitable for Enchanting, Artifice and Magical Infusion.” I decided to not mention that the primary reason I limited the Starsilver was because most of the excess was going to Yrsha. Family and friends first, potentially hostile neighbor second. Then again, with the now near constant flow of points from the arena, I could probably afford to improve the Starsilver and Gem Mine.

I could see Arana consider my offer seriously. “That would be valuable items for the city, but I can’t see how you are going to trade these things. After all, you can’t really take these things to the market yourself and I don’t think there is a single... Wait, that Merchant, Magna Yndali. She was trading with you, wasn’t she?” I shrugged. “I am quite certain that Lady Yndali would be more than happy to work as an intermediate, for a small fee, of course. As far as I can tell, she is a trustworthy and skilled merchant who would not demand outrageous sums despite having a monopoly. And once the wares flow, things will improve for both Caelyn and my Dungeon, with neither side attacking the other.”

Arana looked at me with a skeptical look. “You are not doing this from the goodness of your heart, are you?” I burst into a short laugh. “Of course not, Lady Arana, I am doing this to survive and thrive. I could just go completely submissive to Caelyn and hope you would protect me. But then I would take initiative away from myself and laying it squarely in the hands of strangers who have done nothing but exploit dungeons for millennia. In the long run that is not sustainable, especially not with the disaster looming on the horizon.”

Arana closed her eyes for a while, before she slowly but surely nodded. “I will discuss this with the merchants’ guild and the City Lord. I will send a messenger with my reply once we have discussed your offer. Given the urgent nature of the matter, the reply will arrive two days from now at the latest. You have my word.” She and her bodyguards rose from their seats and made notions of wanting to leave. I opened my inventory and took out a scroll and tossed it over to Arana. I had gotten it from Yrsha. She had access to Fox Spirit Sages, who could scribe scrolls. Upon my request, she had asked them to pen this scroll. In return for quite a sizeable chunk of Umbral Spider Silk, but that was a worthwhile trade. Arana looked at it, opened it and read the first part. “A Scroll of Recall?” she looked at me with ha confused expression.

“Magical items such as scrolls and potions still work without a hitch, use that to expedite your trip home.” Arana looked at the scroll, then me, then the scroll again. “Well, you have not led me astray so far…” She said, before she recited the scroll. There was a blinding flash and Arana and her bodyguards were no longer in the Dungeon. I took a deep breath. All I could do now was to hope that Arana could convince, browbeat or force the City Lord and Merchants guild into cooperating. The last thing I needed right now was a suicidal charge of adventurers into my Dungeon with the void poised to strike.

As I left the small island Rael, Eliandar and Indella were all waiting for me at the hive. Rael stepped up in front. “How did it go?” He asked, as he scratched his chin. A habit I had noticed he did when he was nervous or worried about something. “It went well, I would say. She will air the idea with the Merchants Guild and the City Lord with a promise of a reply within two days.” Rael and Eliandar nodded. I couldn’t help but notice that the Eliandar seemed… worried. I can’t say I knew the circumstances that lead to Eliandar taking up the adventurers’ life. But it was likely that it involved his father. Indella gave him a supportive pat on the back.

Rael, who noticed Eliandar’s demeanor as Indella did so, put his arm around the elf and lead him away while speaking to him in a hushed voice. I had no idea what Rael said, but Eliandar perked up quickly. And he actually seemed to be in a pretty good mood as they walked across the bridge towards the camp. Hopefully, Eliandar’s relatives would not become a problem in the future. Then again, with my luck, no better not let my mind wander down such self-destructive paths. Especially not when things had gone with no major hiccups, so far.