“I accept your terms.” Sora replied swiftly. “However, you are not interfere in my affairs going forth.”

Sora’s swift response shocked Mizuki once again. Till now Sora had refused all her requests – he especially refused her request to be a Gate Keeper!! So why was he suddenly accepting her tyrannical demands??

“Remember, you must defeat the woman and remain Gate Keeper till you are defeated. Only then will you be eligible for my assistance.” Mizuki added hurriedly – was there some loophole in her offer? Mizuki did not know what Sora had in mind but it was very much evident that he had some clever idea in his mind, mapped out. Mizuki assumed, only an idiot would intentionally try to lose when their life was on the line. After all, Gate Keepers were monsters and all monsters were treated the same when defeated – death. However, this was going to be a painful mistake – never assume the impossible with Sora.

If timing couldn’t be more impeccable, Blanche burst flying into the room from the window. The Mokana was flapping its rabbit like ears like wings.

“WE HAVE GOT INTRUDERS!” He cried out as he rushed in excitedly. Now that was a scene you didn’t get to see everyday.

“WARRRR!!!!” He shouted as he began flying in circles.

Mizuki waived her hands dismissing the Mokana and then turned towards Sora. “It seems you are in luck. Very rarely do we get visitors and very rarely do they get this far.”

Before Sora could ask more questions, the ground beneath them began trembling. Sora peaked out the window and saw the spires which jutted out of the ground began receding back inside the ground.

Just what the heck was going on?

After all the spires disappeared into the earth, walls shot out from the ground. One after another, they were forming a pattern – a maze. Sora was utterly shocked with disbelief; the once hustling and bustling monster city was now morphed into a full-fledged dungeon.

“That is rather convenient.” Sora spoke with curiosity and satisfaction. He was impressed with the inner mechanism of the maze. It was like a massive mechanical toy, one moment a city another a maze.

Mizuki misunderstood Sora; she thought he referred to the arrival of the visitors are convenient. “There are many ways into the dungeon. How one gets in decides how they move forward.”

Sora turned around to look at her and listened quietly to what she had to say.

“It would be too great of a loss, if the worm were killed and everything in the dungeon ceased to exist. Therefore, many entrances were made leading in here. However, in all eventualities; fate and strength determine where one begins from and where one will end.”

“And as the Gate Keeper, I am allowed to test their strength as I see fit?” Sora asked – just to be sure.

“Yes.”

“Then, would it be possible to change the outlay of this floor?” Sora asked.

The question caught Mizuki off guard. “It hasn’t been changed in a hundred years…however you may do so…just once….but this outlay is already very complex.”

“Not complex enough..” Sora muttered.

Once again Sora’s remark caught Mizuki off-guard; was he truly intending to carry out his duties diligently? Why?

“Blacnhe …will ..will help you with what you need.” Mizuki some-what stammered. “Remember, if it is simpler than now, I will never approve of it!”

“I assure you…it will be infinitely times more difficult…”

Wasn’t Sora being too agreeable? – Mizuki could not help but wonder why Sora was being so obedient? It was a complete U-turn in his personality. Surely, he had hatched some sort of plan to escape…but what could it be?

Ignoring her apprehensions, Sora asked her a question which he thought was better to ask late than never. “While I have learnt a great deal from you, I think this is a bit late to ask, but what are dungeons in this world and why does one explore them?”

There were obvious answers like treasures etc. however Sora wanted to be sure. Relying on experience is not always the correct path to take. Sometimes, as it has happened with Sora before, relying on experience in a new situation can lead to a terrible and regrettable outcome. Assumptions should always be regularly tested – so what if this was a dungeon? Who made it? Why was it made? Why is there such a good management system for monsters? What are the rewards? – these questions too were worth exploring.

Mizuki stared at Sora in disbelief – how does he not know something so basic? It made no sense how one who has acquired so much power and yet can be so ignorant. Hence, Mizuki gave a sarcastic reply, “It would be better if you asked the visitors that.”

Sora nodded – he believed her reply?

Mizuki was startled with Sora’s nod – surely he didn’t intend to ask the intruders?

“By the way, would you know where my slime is?” Sora asked as he was about to leave. If he was going to fight ‘intruders’ he might as well fight them with everything he had.

“Your slime?” Mizuki had an eyebrow raised as high as it could be raised. What was the meaning of this question?

“Never mind.” Sora quickly added.

The question was awkward and it left an awkward atmosphere – especially when both of them had been speaking in double meanings so long, slime could be interpreted in various ways.…Mizuki could not help but think something else.

Sora eventually regretted asking the question because Mizuki looked at him with great disgust thereafter. This would be the start of many awkward moments later on.

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Author's Note:

1.

Readers: You lied to us again!!

Author-kami-sama: What? I don't write, you complain. I write, you complain. That's it! No more chapters for you all!

Readers: Us complain!!! Aren't we a figment of your grainy imagination???

Author-kami-sama:.....right....I am still talking to myself.

2. Okay, so last chapter for the day, I hated this lesser than the last one but still hated it. Yes, this is the start to something new. So next few chapters will hopefully be more exciting and *funny*!!

4. Happy reading!