Aura is sitting on the bed in her room contemplating the offer that Abi made her several days ago.

"Hmph! I don't know what to do!" She hangs her head in contemplation before flopping down onto the bed.

"Should I accept her contract? She said I could leave if I wanted to but I wasn't really expecting to hear that. I thought she would be like 'I'm a dungeon and I'm going to eat you now. Mwahahaha', or something like that. Instead she was all cool about it like 'Hey, don't be scared little one. I have set you free. Now you can be one with the world'. She's so cool," hugging her pillow and rolling around, Aura squeals in delight as her roommate smiles at the childish scene playing out in front of her.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself there," Tilly raises her voice above Aura's giggling so that she can be heard by the rolling redhead.

"What do I do, Tilly? In fact, what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to stay here. Abi said she would make me my own building and I can use it to heal anyone I want. She also said I didn't have to heal people if I didn't want to and that I'm free to make my own choices. I think I actually like this dungeon," Tilly looks to the ceiling and wonders if Abi's listening to her.

"I like her too," Aura bursts out.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure you like her differently to how I like her," Tilly laughs as Aura's face flushes red.

"It's not like that. Well... Maybe a little bit, but it's more because of the feelings I get from being here. Does that make sense?" Aura furrows her brows as she tries to explain her feelings.

Swapping beds, Tilly sits down next to her next friend and thinks over what she just said. She feels the same way but it's hard to explain where that feeling comes from. It's as though she just knows that they will be safe if they stay here.

"It was the exact opposite with Hiroshi. I fucking hated him but he was too strong for me to do anything. I'm sorry, Tilly," tears begin to fall from the amber eyes of the surviving elf.

"You don't have to keep apologising, Aura. You were a prisoner just as much as I was but you were forced to endure it for longer. If anything I feel sorry for you," Tillys own tears begin to fall as she hugs her sobbing friend.

"He was too strong Tilly, or at least he seemed that way until the people kicked the shit out of him. I mean, how was he so weak? Not that I'm complaining but every other dungeon we went to, he utterly demolished them. I mean brutally Tilly. He was insane. Abi must be insanely strong to be able to have people that could annihilate that wretched bastard. Anyway if you're staying, I'm staying."

"Really?" Tilly wipes her eyes and smiles at Aura.

"I don't have anywhere else to go and I feel like this would be a great opportunity to restart my life. I'm going to accept Abi's contract too, if you don't mind staying with me for a while longer, that is?" Aura wipes her own eyes and moves to the window.

"Look at this place. It's amazing that a dungeon could come up with something like this, right?" Staring out the window, Tilly's hand falls on her shoulder as the Cleric joins her in viewing the town.

"It truly is. If I didn't know any better I would have thought the person that did all this was human," Aura laughs at Tilly's strange comment.

"Don't be silly, dungeons can't be humans. Even if they can create a town, and make people, and is strangely nice," Aura breaks off as she thinks about her own words.

Both women look at each other before they play off the strange idea they were entertaining.

"A Human-Dungeon Core. Don't be silly!" they laugh.

Dungeon Stories Volume 2

Not me, that's for sure.

It turns out that the varying sized forests that lead up my multicoloured mountain are actually associated with my Boss Monsters and the floors they're connected to. Not only did we discover the reason behind why my beautiful home is the way it is, after we left the seventh floor, but the more concerning fact is that my mountain appears to have grown in size again.

So, floors and Bosses, right?

It would appear that way. Today is the first time you have worked inside the dungeon in a while. It would appear that when you go down another floor inside, your outside shell also grows in size.

You can say magnificent mountain, Me. You don't need to be shy.

Quite. Also it would appear that Boss-type monsters influence the outer design to a significant degree as well.

It's good to know, right? With this knowledge I can almost decorate the mountain anyway I like. How cool is that?

Before I can begin swapping people and monster roles around inside me, to alter the outer design, I feel the familiar presence of people entering me.

The only way to explain the strange feeling I get from my visitors would be to class them as lumps on a body. Small strange lumps of people that move around on their own. This time however, it feels more like a worm, or multiple worms to be precise, is wriggling through me as the individual lumps continue to flow in one after the other.

Am I being invaded?

It would appear that Wheeler has returned. He also seems to be leading a rather large crowd of people.

Huh?

Instead of casually strolling the street to my destination, which I quite enjoy doing these days, I teleport there instantly as my anxiety is shooting through the roof.

Appearing above the Steadfast Stable, there's no mistaking the large crowd of humans slowly making their way down the street into town.

Using my will, I call out to the closest family members around me and instruct them to start guiding people towards the residential area. I'm pretty sure I don't have enough buildings to fit everyone in if I'm honest.

"Abi?" Anya's voice calls out to me over the town but I don't have time for an unsolvable problem at the moment.

How many people are there?

Roughly, two thousand.

You're not joking with me either, are you?

No. Also, you do not have enough DP remaining to acquire sufficient housing for them.

Fuck! How the hell did he get so many people to follow him? Is he the merchant messiah or some other crazy shit like that?

Looking around, my brain races to find a solution for my current problem but I come up empty-handed.

Shit! Okay, next problem.

I take a final look at the joyous faces of the people who must have travelled for a long time to get here. Just because they're happy to have finally arrived, that does not mean they look in the best of shape. Some people have been in layed in carts, maybe they're exhausted from the trip or they could potentially be ill. I don't know.

Some elderly people have also made the journey and are also riding in carts. The children are sat with them and are showing a renewed vigor as they have finally reached their destination.

A couple of dozen have arrived on horseback and even less carriages than that have accompanied the procession.

Every single person looks hungry and tired, it's obvious that they exhausted their food supply before reaching us.

I gulp at the prospect of feeding the animals with what's sat next to my stables. Ignoring that problem until someone voices a concern though I quickly teleport to Ali's to see that the kitchen is already in full swing. The Gourmet and her sous chefs madly peel, slice, dice, and spice their way around each other coordinating perfectly. The kitchen looks and operates like a well meticulated dance as everyone works together to create a large amount of mass-produced food.

Turns out I didn't even need to come here. Ali's got it locked down. I have come up with a makeshift idea for the first problem though.

Really?

Really! It just hit me and then it was obvious after I'd thought about it.

Well? What is it?

Do you really want to know?

Please don't do this again.

The suspense just kills you doesn't it, Me?

Why do you always do this?

I'm helping you, silly.

I don't see how teasing me is helping me in any way. So, please tell me what your idea is.

OK, I'm helping you test your emotions for when I make you that body. And fine, my plan's simple really. Instead of making houses, I'll make lots of tents for now and I'll start a new residential area when I can.

I think you enjoy it more than you should do. Your plan is simple and effective, how did I not think of that?

That's probably true, and that is also true, as to the last part...I don't know buddy? Don't worry though, stick with me and you'll get there.

Quite.

Teleporting to an empty plot of land that I've already purchased, I waste no time spending what remains of my DP on Campground tents. With all the buildings between me and my new arrivals, I'm still a little worried someone might see and I finish up as quick as I can. I couldn't fill the entire area so I'm worried that some people may have to sleep underneath the stars tonight but luckily for them, this is probably the safest place they could do that.

You will be able to finish this area in a few hours, once the moon is up.

That fast?

If you assume an average, untrained, human is worth 5-10DP, then consider the amount of them that have just entered you, what would the total be.

Woah! That's a lot, hang on. Five and three zere makes five thousand and then... Hang on, that seems like way too much. Was that right? Yeah, that was right and I've still gotta times it by two. Holy shit!

So on the lower end that's ten thousand DP a day? Are you fuckin joking me? Ha. Haha. Hahahaha.

Go, my DP farm. Go!

And that's just regular humans. People that fight monsters and have a higher level will give you more DP than the weaker ones.

So it's going to be even more?

More than likely. We will find out the exact number later on but on a quick estimate I would say it will be around... Twenty-five thousand.

...

...

As I contemplate the ridiculous amount of DP that I will be unable to use, I teleport back above the Steadfast Stable and watch the last vestiges of the hungry human-centipede making its way in.

I inform my guides of the new temporary accommodation and where to take people once the homes have been filled up. My attention is then drawn to a rather loud and obnoxious man standing by a large carriage. It would seem he is unhappy with not being housed first and is claiming that his family's name demands better treatment.

He is arguing with Wheeler and one of the Shadow Walker envoys that I sent with him.

I already dislike this guy. His clothing screams entitlement and his attitude is no better than his dress sense. Activating my new skill Soul Guide, the bellowing man lights up orange which confirms my thoughts that he is a shitty human. Hell, he's only one step away from red. I choose to use this fact as justification for his timely demise and summon Noir to my side.

"Master! You have summoned me," Noir looks as though he's ready to cry at being summoned on his own.

I already feel like I should have chosen someone else.

"See that guy over there. The one in the ridiculous purple clothing with the hat that's three sizes too big?" I point out the man who is still shouting over what he deems to be poor treatment.

"Yes Master! I will end him now," Noir jumps down from the stables roof but he lands right beside me as I teleport him back.

"Not now you fool! And I didn't even say I wanted you to kill him. You can't just assume things like that all the time you know." As I scold Noir's hasty attitude, he drops back down to his knees.

"I'm sorry Master. What would you have me do?"

"Well, I Er... I do want you to kill him. Just do it when no one is around though. You can't just execute him in the middle of the street. Especially not now, everyone would run away if you appeared from nowhere and just decapitated someone. What would happen to my DP farm then? It would be empty, that's what! So please. Do it stealthily, Noir.

"Have no doubts Master. I will take care of this for you," Noir teleports away and I feel worse than before. It's not as though I don't trust him, it's just the fact that he's so loud.

And now that there's two thousand people here, finding an opportunity will prove more challenging than it usually would be.

I wasn't ready for such a number.