Ctulhu was content with his job. Happy, even.

He got to destroy invading humans, and read books in his spare time. Books that he looted from the bodies of dead adventurers. They were quite interesting, really. Interesting titles, such as "Surviving In a Dungeon 101", or "History of the Stone Cell: The Most Dangerous Dungeon in Tarvell" were prevalent among the dead adventurer's loot and led to him having over a dozen copies of the two books, and helped in covering whatever weaknesses the dungeon may have had. It also made him one of the smartest monsters in the dungeon, and he was proud of it.

Now, he hated being the smart one, and his job, too. Why? Because the dungeon core ordered him to engage in peace talks with the human that is living within the dungeon.

This wouldn't have worried Ctulhu greatly, other than the fact that he was sent as a messenger instead of a executioner.

He was more worried about how the human was eliminating Eldritch beings without any other support in the form of an adventurer party, which the dungeon monster had grown accustomed of seeing, and claimed the entrance of the dungeon as his territory.

After taking down Nyarlothep, one of the three bosses within the dungeon, the human stayed within the entrance room, never really prodding any deeper within the dungeon. Two other Eldritch Abominations, Vothra and Zarro, were sent to engage the human camping in the entrance of the dungeon.

They never came back.

The dungeon core wasn't able to spawn Vothra and Zarro back, and it greatly worried the other monsters.

Since then, the human would explore several dozen metres into the dungeon, but not any deeper. Unfortunately for the monsters, it forced them to approach the entrance instead of an ambush like they would normally attempt, which was littered with wire traps.

Some took that as a warning, staying away from the fearsome human whenever they could, or even outright fleeing upon sight, not keen on truly dying for once in their long lives. Fewer took it as a challenge, and were either dead or missing. After a few weeks, the dungeon core managed to respawn Nyarlothep, who cost a great amount of MP to restore due to it being a tier above the other monsters.

'He shot me in the groin! Twice! And in my mouths thrice! He got stronger from killing me too, boss! Don't put me near him again, please!' pleaded one of the strongest monsters in the dungeon. The dungeon core acquiesced, relocating Nyarlothep to the opposite side of the dungeon. Far from the human.

It's now been a month, and every monster was actively running from the monster in human form. The hitman, pleasantly confused, seemed content to wander around and stay in place at the first room of the dungeon. Tensions were high, and the little amount of sleep that the monsters had were lost due to the oblivious human.

The dungeon core has seen Ctulhu fit to negotiate a treaty of non aggression with the human. Partly due to his significant amount of INT and WIS (compared to the other monsters) and his mild temperament.

"The human does not seek my power or my treasures...It seems he only wishes to live within me..But will not hesitate to kill any monster in his way..The drain on my powers are considerable..the longer this continues..." A war of attrition is something that the dungeon could win, but not keen on having with the man. "Convince him we will no longer trouble him..if he doesn't attemt to conquer the dungeon...I do not wish for needless bloodshed..against a human favoured by the Goddess herself.."

And so, the great Ctulhu readied himself for a quick death. The abomination scarcely believed that a human would so readily believe their words, especially since they've been harassing him for quite some time now. It's 70 INT came into play to crush the monster's vain, optimistic hope it wouldn't be gunned down ruthlessly.

It was quite ridiculous to see one of the strongest creatures second only to the likes of legendary monsters and other fearsome species so convinced in its own death.

The intelligent monster neared the entrance. Despite reassurances from its master, the dungeon core, that it would be respawned if killed (if the dungeon core could even respawn him back), it felt nervous.

'Deep breaths, Ctulhu.' It said to itself. The tentacles on his face twitched and wiggled as he attempted to calm down. He placed both his webbed palms on his cheeks and took a deep breath. He turned right, and the long winding hallway to the entrance appeared before him.

There was a door.

That wasn't there before. In fact, there were no doors at all throughout the dungeon. It was a series of stone hallways that led to rooms that eventually made their way to the three chambers of bosses, and then the final boss. A fairly average layout for such a dangerous dungeon. Not like anybody reached past the first room to question the lack of doors and decor, anyway.

Not until now.

It cautiously approached the door, almost as if it would explode and reveal the fearsome man, ready to eliminate him in a brutal fashion. The door was made of wooden planks, with a brass door knob.

Ctulhu racked his mind with what to do. How do you present youself as non hostile? The intelligent creature recalled a book he read about social etiquette, and had an idea. The octopus humanoid eyed the door, sizing it up.

He knocked on the door.

There was silence for a minute. Ctulhu grew nervous. Was he wrong? Was knocking polite human etiquette? Was the human even here?

As he readied himself to enter, a voice was heard through the door, laced with a tinge of confusion.

"Come in...?"

The abomination hesitantly opened the door, peeking through and poking his head in, beady, black eyes observing the room.

It looked quite different from the rest of the dungeon, the once empty and bland stone room now looked like the interior of a house.

The walls and floor remained made of stone. There were new rooms, a open area kitchen and a bed room. A television was placed on the left side, a mystery to the oblivious monster as it played cartoons. He saw the human, sitting on a wooden chair, looking at him with caution and gun in his hand, plate of bacon half eaten on the table. The human had black hair, glasses and wore shorts and slippers, leaving him half naked. He looked almost harmless, if only you disregarded his stats.

Level 415 Human, Andrew Lee

Title: Hitman (5% increase to DEX, More damage dealt in sneak attacks), Underdog (5% increase to all stats when facing enemies 25 levels above you), Eldritch Hunter (10% increased damage to all Eldritch beings)

HP: 44500/44500

MP: 1020/1020 (10.5 MP regen/min)

STATS

STR-447

DEX-477

CON-445

INT-105

WIS-102

CHA-468

Available stat points: 2100

STATUS EFFECTS

Quetzalcoatl's Greater Blessing- 15% increase to all stats, ability to allocate stat points (Permanent)

"I come in peace, please don't kill me." Level 415 was hardly a common number to see on a human. In fact, he may be the only human that has surpassed the 400 mark, to Ctulhu's knowledge.

Ctulhu recalls one of the strongest heroes he's faced; a warrior that boasted a level of 181, who had managed to tank Ghurlruk's hits and survived for hours on end until the monster was able to crush the mage and healer in the party, before managing to escape with the other member, a dual wielding swordsman who was only level 82. That was the strongest human the dungeon had encountered, and the third strongest being to have entered the dungeon period, the others being a cocky demon who survived her encounter with Ctulhu himself while he was looting humans of their books at an impressive level 241, and an upstart lich that was level 512 who died after encountering Vhiri, one of the three main bosses alongside Nyarlothep and Y'golonac.

The man before him doubled the level that great warrior was,.

The monster knew he surpassed the human in STR, and CON by a wide margin. But stats do not tell the picture, Ctulhu though wisely. It was aware that the human was a mere level 31 when he managed to slay Nyarlothep, who was nearly a hundred levels above Ctulhu himself. The Eldritch Slayer title he had was not for show. He may have doubled the human in power and durability, but the human had over five times the dexterity he had, allowing the hitman to ost likely run circles around him, wearing him down until he managed to deliver a killing blow. A human having such a high number in all stats is unheard of, especially at the scale the human is accomplishing it.

This dungeon has existed for millenia, and there have been no humans that have surpassed or even come close any of the Eldritch in level, and none in terms of sheer power individually. Even in parties, high class adventurers were more likely to die against an average Eldritch Abomination. Only mythical beings like the legendary lizards that dominate continents, Elder Dragons, fabled reptiles of the sea, Leviathans, protectors of nature, Divine Golems, and scourges of the world, Greater Liches surpass them in sheer power individually and could actually threaten the dungeon. Even then, those creatures avoid or hesitate to enter the Stone Cell, due to the fact they could be overwhelmed by the sheer number of high level monsters and that there is simply no point.

Dungeons were abundant sources of experience, the likes of which those mythical beings did not care for. Dragons were content with the treasure from looting entire kingdoms and were far too large to fit within the dungeon anyway, Leviathans only cared for things within their domain; the sea, Golems do not feel and are designed to protect, and Liches are far too concerned with their mortality and dying within the dungeon than to conquer the legendary Stone Cell. Humans, elves, demons, and other sapient beings were the only ones who would even bother, for the abundance of wealth and power you could obtain from conquering a dungeon, and the greatest of them wouldn't equal the weakest of the beings within the Stone Cell.

To this day, not a single being that has challenged the dungeon ever conquered it, and the amount who escaped the dungeon were not much more than that. It takes an average of 4 S ranked heroes to defeat the weaker Eldritch beings in the dungeon, and would suffer casualties against the likes of Vothra and Zarro. They would face utter annihiliation against the higher Eldritch monsters like Nyarlothep and Ctulhu, simply due to the fact that they were too strong and durable. They could outlast entire parties and simply wait for the heroes to make a mistake or over-extend as attacks bounce off of their skin and then turning them into paste with their raw stength. These monsters knew no equal other than each other. Nothing that would enter the dungeon could hope to defeat them. Especially not solo.

Until now.

'It takes an entire S ranked human party to eliminate a single Eldritch Abomination that is around level 500, yet this single human has slain atleast 4 of us, including Nyarlothep by himself! The dungeon core was right in not irritating this hero of great power.' Its chances of survival felt all the more slimmer, as Andrew stared at Ctulhu, sizing him up.

"Oh, ok. Why'd you come here?" The human relaxed, and pocketed his gun.

I was having a great time. Key word; was.

I had managed to guilt trip the Goddess, Quetzalcoatl into giving me what was basically an apartment within the dungeon. It wasn't anything lavish, but it was certainly an upgrade from nothing. How nice of her.

The whole room was about 400 square feet, and had a kitchen on the left side, equipped with a magical stove, a normal sink and a small table with a few chairs. Unfortunately, I had to buy plates and cups from the neighbouring kingdom with the money I made from selling off parts of creatures from outside the dungeon. I never knew feathers from some large ostriches could fetch such a hefty price. I used some as stuffing for my pillows with how soft they were!

There was a bed opposite form the kitchen and mounted to the wall was a television. A 30 inch television. That's right baby. I got a Goddess to give me a TV! Best of all, the channels were all working perfectly! I could watch basketball! Woohoo! The TV wasn't from my world. The Goddess had to create a television from scratch using my knowledge as a base. It was quite a sight seeing a T.V pop into existence. It didn't even need electricity! It isn't even plugged in to any socket! I don't know how that works!

The bed was fairly normal. It was a double sized bed, giving me ample room to roll around. I used a comforter as a blanket, keeping me nice and warm during the cold nights in the dungeon. It was almost like as if I was back on Earth again.

Except those stupid monsters kept coming after me.

Two more abominations, called Zarro and Vothra attempted to kill me, which was annoying and slightly dangerous. Both level 300 each. But I learned a neat little thing from the Goddess while we were talking.

'If you're tired of monsters coming after you in the dungeon, just toss them outside. They won't be able to respawn and come back after you.' She had questioned my sanity after I firmly made a decision to make my base within the dungeon. But, the dungeon was a blessing in disguise.

Not only was it pre made,it was notoriously dangerous for other people to come here, making the chances of my base being ransacked lower. Unlike living in a kingdom, I wouldn't have to pay any stupid taxes. I live in a fucking dungeon! Noone's gonna tax me, hah!

So anyways, I took Quetzalcoatl's tip to heart and I set up several trip wire traps (the wire obtained from the market in the Fullbright kingdom) along the three pathways going into my room.

Within a couple days, I managed to catch the two monsters, tied up and unable to move. They were screaming something about revenge, but I could care less. They tried to trespass into my room, which is pretty rude. UNACCEPTABLE!

Although this technically is their home, but still. This part was mine now. Not like they used it often, anyway.

I managed to pick both of them up, despite both being a good 7 feet tall each and atleast 300 pounds of mystery flesh each, I guess that 447 STR came in handy. One under each arm, and I set off to the entrance of the dungeon.

Their angry shouts devolved into pleads of forgiveness and promises of never coming here again, but sadly, I couldn't hear them over my inability to care. We reached the entrance after a short walk through the hallway, and their struggles became more frantic. These wrinkly looking ballsacks were above level 300, and thrashing in my grip, bound by the numerous coils of iron wires that even their considerable strength could not break through. That reminds me, I really should reinstall some more wire traps again.

Anyways, I tossed them outside.

They began to wither away rapidly, unable to scream as their organs slowly turned to dust, along with their vocal chords. It was a cruel fate for anybody.

But, I managed to level up to 358, so it didn't bother me very much. A couple others tried to ambush me, but I took care of them fairly easily and threw them outside, putting me up to level 415. The levels i got were nothing compared to when I managed to eliminate the one who was level 800, but the other monsters were significant enough to put me over level 400, something which humans have yet to achieve, claimed Alexander when I went to the market for plates and cups. The monsters outside were only goblins and orcs, spanning around level 40-50, and didn't really increase my level. I decided against using my of my stat points, for now. Quetzalcoatl told me about certain flaws in the system within Durandal, and one of which was powercreep.

Power creep was the result of levelling too much too fast, leaving most people disoriented or overwhelmed.

Normally, levelling up gives you the stats themselves automatically, instead of stat points to allocate, which is due to my blessing from the Goddess. The way people's stats are allocated is affected by numerous factors, such as bloodline, specialties, and the classes, titles or jobs they have. For example, if an average warrior were to level up, they'd be granted perhaps a +4 to STR and a +1 to other stats. Also, it is not always 10 stat points that is automatically allocated per level. Sometimes, someone may have only a total of only 5 or 6 stat points per level due to how weak they are, or even upwards of 15 or even 30 to other stats per level if they are born with great potential. This holds true for monsters, animals and almost every being in Durandal.

There are exceptions to every rule, however.

If the Goddess deems you worthy, you may receive a blessing. This blessing, which is either Lesser or Greater, allows people to allocate a set amount of stat points per level freely. This allowed me, to grow in ways I would've never been able to without the blessing. The Greater blessing gives a set amount of 10 stat points, where as Lesser gives a set amount of 8 stat points per level. This allows for crazy amounts of stats in stats that are normally a constant number with everybody like CHA, or making a big burly person invest points into DEX, making them faster,etc. Normal people however, do not have this and are left taking educated guesses as to what stats they will gain after each level. So while we do not have the greatest potential for growth, we were allowed free reign on where our stats went towards.

There lies the problem, however. There have been numerous attempts at exploiting the system, and some have gone awry depending on the person being power levelled.

A person who gains a set amount of INT per level, whether it be +1 or above, are more susceptible to the harms of power levelling. Adding an extra +30 to INT or WIS, which directly affects how you think all at once is a jarring change within the brain, and there have been instances where people have gone insane or gained a god complex due to levelling up to 30 times and having 30,60, or even 90 points of INT or WIS added in at once. There are even some problems regarding the other stats, such as when people can't control their strength after gaining so much STR in a short span of time, crushing people's hands on handshakes on accident, etc.

I was lucky in investing in my INT and WIS stat. Going over the 100 INT and WIS threshold didn't change my personality too radically, and turned me into a genius of sorts instead of a psychopath. At 100 INT and WIS, I was on par with most experienced tacticians and venerable scholars. I could probably give a lecture better than any professor.

I theorized that INT directly improves IQ,the speed I learn new things at, and has shown to improve the rate at which I regain MP per min. WIS, however, seems to improve my decision making skills and use of tactics I learned during my hitman days, making it much easier to deal with the monsters who could crush stone walls with ease. WIS seems to improve my application of concepts and 'street smarts', along with the total capacity of MP I can have.

The Goddess has warned me of the dangers of investing stats into INT and WIS, quickly, and I decided that I shouldn't invest any of my stat points at all for now. Let it collect dust instead. Why?

Because even after a month, I still haven't fully gotten used to the newly gained powers I have.

I have wrenched wooden doors out of their sockets because I assumed they were heavy, understimating my strength and ripping the door off it's hinges. My athleticism is unparalled, where even the most agile athletes from Earth would pale compared to me. Extensive testing of my DEX has basically turned me into an acrobatic freak of nature on steroids, jumping 12 feet off the ground doing backflips with ease and running a mile a minute, and my CON made it so I barely even broke a sweat. My CHA might've tempted nuns from the kingdom's church to break their vow of celibacy,and I received 3 notifications where someone's sexual orientation changed due to the charm I was exuding while I was walking down the street.

Frankly, I'd like it if I could get my powers in conrol before I contact other people again. I haven't gone back to the kingdom since. I can live off of the normal animals from the nearby forests, it's much more fulfilling hunting your own food.

400 CHA basically turned me into a living Greek God statue. 400 STR turned me into the Hulk. 400 DEX turned me into the Spiderman. 400 CON turned me into Wolverine. I was arguably the strongest human EVER.

That wasn't saying much because, you know, humans probably weren't the strongest species in Durandal.

Regardless, I was probably one of the strongest sapient creatures, physically. With my trusty Quetzalcoatl's Colt, I was probably the strongest. Was I a little bit of cocky? Yes. Do I deserve to be? Absolutely.

I was confident in my ability to ward off any threat coming towards me, so I didn't see any need to invest anymore stat points. I'll keep it as a trump card of sorts. If I were to face an opponent that was my equal or my superior, I could shock them by upgrading one of my stats like STR or DEX by a large amount. Or I can outlast opponents by continiously putting stat points into CON so I regain some energy constantly, helping me survive blows that normally would've left me dead long ago..

When I get full control of my powers, maybe I'll start investing points gradually.

So my life was fairly stable. I had a home (in THE most dangerous dungeon on the planet), a trusty friend in Alexander Fullbright (who might've went gay for me) and a debt from the King of the nearby kingdom, and I got super duper strong, to the point that the monsters didn't bother me anymore. Life was good.

Now here I am, sitting with Ctulhu, negotiating non hostility between me and the dungeon's inhabitants.

It was quite a shock to see the second strongest monster I've appraised in the dungeon since that Nyarlothep abomination knocking on my door. Quite polite. It turns out he was sent here by the dungeon core (Dungeons had cores? They were sentient? Nice to know.) to negotiate a treaty of sorts. The dungeon core would lose considerable amounts of MP and monsters replacing the ones I throw out the dungeon, and I didn't really like monsters throwing themselves at me if I refused the deal. While certainly, I could probably decline and just eliminate whoever comes to kill me for more EXP and power, but I didn't wish to test the dungeon to see if it could unleash a horde of level 400+ monsters to try kill me, and I certainly didn't like my chances against that. So it would benefit both sides.

"Alright, so basically, all the monsters will leave me alone, and won't attack me if I don't attack them. In exchange, I dont't join any future parties to conquer the dungeon, or help parties in ways to conquer the dungeon, or the treaty is null and void. Right?"

The octopus headed being nodded, staring at me. "Yes, if you agree to these terms, I will spread word to the others not to attempt anymore attacks upon you. The dungeon core itself will enforce this."

Level 727 Eldritch Abomination, Ctulhu

Title: Bookworm (10% increase to mental stats, 50% reading speed increaed), Legendary Monster (10% increase to all stats, x1.5 growth when slaying heroes)

HP: 93300/93300

MP: 450/450 (7.7 MP regen/min)

STATS

STR-1047

DEX-65

CON-933

INT-77

WIS-45

CHA-2

STATUS EFFECTS

N/A

It was a formidable monster. He doubled me in STR and CON, although that Bookworm title is out of place. What the fuck? How does a monster with tentacles for facial hair get any books? That 70 INT is something else, too. He'd rival a gifted person in terms of learning speed and comprehension. His (Is it even a guy? I don't see a penis...) WIS surpassed that of an average human and myself before my level up, which is impressive because I assumed these guys were just mindless monsters that happened to be capable of some human speech. However, that 2 CHA was just tragic. I guess this is how monsters level up, crazy amounts of physical ability with average or less intelligence, and low charisma. It makes sense.

My WIS and INT, along with lessons on body language came into play (handy to gauge if a target is aware of your presence! Vital in my line of work); Ctulhu was nervous. Nervous of me. It was the little things that betrayed his calm facade. His arms were crossed, but I could see his finger tapping on his bicep, fidgeting. The way the octopus humanoid's beady eyes seemed to wander if I stared at him for too long. I saw lingering traces of fear in his eyes.

He obviously wanted me to accept, but played it off as a treaty between equals. The dungeon core and me. I mind my business, you mind yours. This would allow me to explore the dungeon freely, without any hordes coming after me. I could push for a better deal, but I'd rather not alienate the thing controlling all these insanely strong Eldritch monsters.

"Alright. Tell your dungeon core we have a deal. I won't attack anybody unless they attack me, and I won't try and conquer the dungeon either."

He sagged in relief at my fairly quick acceptance. The 8 foot monster stiffly got out of his chair and left, closing the door gently on his way out. What a polite guy.

...

What do I do now?

Well, I could explore the dungeon now. It said I can't try and conquer the dungeon, not that I can't explore it. I might even find something of use like a treasure chest. They have those in dungeons right?

Dungeon-diving, hooray! Without the added threat of ballsack creatures trying to kill me! It's a shame that I won't be able to level up as quickly, but I didn't really care about getting stronger anyway, I was probably the strongest person outside the dungeon in the continent. Even Alexander's dad, King Arthur Fullbright, was only level 196, and that was after years of adventuring and retiring after half his party was killed in the Stone Cell, apparently. It turns out that the captain of the Royal Guard was a newbie adventurer along with the King decades back, and managed to reach level 88 after several years, rising up to become the captain. The stories he told while we had a feast in gratitude for me saving his foolish son was quite entertaining.

Now....which pathway should I explore first?

Y'golonac was a simple creature. He was nothing more than your neighbourhood Eldritch Abomination who liked drinking tea, and being the final boss and guardian of the dungeon core.

Level 1056 Greater Eldritch Abomination, Y'golonac

The monster enjoyed the lack of duties it had, due to the simple fact NO hero has even come close to reaching the chamber of Y'golonac. It has used the past millenia finding ways to pass the time, and had learned about tea from one of his more intelligent colleagues, Ctulhu. Upon a request from the dungeon core for a tea set, his wish was granted and spent centuries enjoying it's free time drinking tea. In recent decades, it has borrowed books from Ctulhu's archives to entertain itself.

Despite its lax and almost pacifist like behaviour, it was still the undisputed final boss in the dungeon. It's raw strength and durability makes even the strongest of Liches wary, and would make Elder Dragons give pause. The legend of Y'golonac was never known, simply because of the fact that nobody lived to even see him.

The 11 foot monster was headless, almost as if it were decapitated, dried blood around it's stump. Its body was fat and bulky, hiding untold amounts of power. Sharp, bony claws on it's hands, and two gruesome mouths on both palms. The only thing stopping this being from wreaking havoc across the continent is being bound to a dungeon, and it's lack of drive other than to attack intruders who trespass upon it's chamber.

Since it's conception, the boss has had to never fight a single thing. None of the dungeon's inhabitants questioned his strength. People would simply fall before they even reach the guardian of the dungeon core. Therefore, it had no real experience in dealing with intruders other than the sheer instinct and protectiveness it has over its master, the dungeon core.

But regardless of it's lack of experience, it would and could utterly destroy any intruder who dared to invade its home.

There have been mutterings about a human in the dungeon walls, who has managed to slay Nyarlothep. Y'golonac was certainly not deaf, despite the lack of ears anywhere upon its body. The boss snorted, thinking it ridiculous that any human could even hope to reach his chamber. Another day, another hero. He will soon escape this dungeon, or die trying, Y'golonac thought to itself.

Y'golonac pushed the mystery human out of his mind, focusing on the delicious earl grey tea his master had graciously decided to restock for him. Drinking the tea by pouring it onto the stump where his head should be, despite the fact he had mouths on his palms. He sighed in contentment. Nothing could possibly ruin this day. Perhaps he should borrow another novel from Ctulhu, he thought silently.

'What the fuck?'

The monster, who was sitting by his chair, craned it's neck to look at where the voice originated from.

Level 415 Human, Andrew Lee

He looked at Y'golonac.

Y'golonac looked at him.

"SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-"