The merchants came 11 days after the Monk and his unicorn Familiar had left, and there had still not been any sign of any elves. Emerald's Party had all reached level 29+ two days prior, except Shadow that is, so they had at that point decided to only go through my entire Dungeon once a day, though they still attend the daily training with the kobolds on the 4th Floor. As I didn't have any 3rd tier BO's for them, it made sense to slow down the grind.

Around the time the rest of the Party reached level 29+, Shadow had gotten to level 20 and tiered up. This time Shadow got an elemental species like Sprout and Emerald. 'Karmic elemental shapeshifter - Shadow'. Now whenever he would shapeshift he would be a shadow in the transition rather than the flashy mana light particles from before. More importantly he had gotten the ability to hide in shadows.

Riska had quickly visited me to inform me of the merchants' arrival and to request I change the allowed number to 9. I tried to get her attention by having a dragonet bite her green dragon leather dress and drag her further into the Dungeon. Unfortunately for me, she was out the Portal again before she even noticed anything.

My Ability '0% Karma Sense' had informed me that a person with 0% karma level was within one kilometer of my Portal.

… That girl has too much energy! Can't stay still long enough for me to warn her!

At least it's the merchants again. The Tribe should be able to defend themselves. They have them outnumbered and the merchants aren't at a massively higher level. At least not the 4 who visited me last time…

Hmm… Next time Nerok comes by, we'll have to decide on a signal for this. Maybe I could change something in the environment of The Great Tree Room? I could place a big black boulder in the middle of the room, perhaps? Maybe the boulder should be a permanent fixture and the color changes from white to black when my Ability activates? Marble maybe?

When Polma and Blaze arrived 1 hour 27 minutes later I had placed a black marble boulder in the middle of the first room. The boulder was smooth and the perfect shape and size to sit on, while still looking like a natural rock.

Polma was the Crafter Class catgirl of the Brave Party the young adults had made. Her younger brother was a part of the Party as well, though he wasn't the Party's other felinekin. No, no, no. Polma's brother was the black haired and larger of the Brave Party's two rhinoboys.

Neither kid was adopted and they had the same parents.

The catgirl and her elemental fire fox, Blaze, entered the Dungeon while running and kept running till they reached the 3rd Floor. Didn't even notice my new boulder. While running Polma gave me a short summary of what had happened: One of the merchants was likely mind controlled in some capacity, the person had been apprehended, and Chief Nerok had decided to put me in charge of their fate. The cult was the most likely suspect and their goal would mean my death.

As Polma and Blaze reached the 3rd Floor, I had a kobold ready to inform her of my new ability to break mind control over time, and as such the mind controlled merchant was to be placed in The Great Tree Room until they had their mind back.

Happy and relieved, Polma quickly left to give the Tribe and merchants the good news with Blaze gekkering happily beside her.

Before the mind controlled merchant and their guards could arrive, I ordered all the creatures of the 1st Floor - just in case - to stay in The Waterfall Room until I called them back. As all my creatures can fly and have no need to breathe while in Mana Form, even my lighting sea serpents could move there without a problem.

It didn't take long before Begdar, Thenac, Taozcec and Molgroor showed up, followed by the merchants.

Podon Peddlepitch Gnome Merchant Level 38

Hmm… he hasn't gone up a level since he was here last… Probably 'cause merchant aren't in Dungeons that often. Dungeons are the best way to get EXP after all…

Dokric Beastkin - Felinekin Appraiser Level 39

Uhh! New guy! The old catman looked like he was ready to scare kids off his yard.

Hotheus Giant Body Enhancer Level 36 Skau [Hypnotized] [Dungeon Weakness] Giant Awareness Level 12

The Body Enhancer was hugging the younger, bound and gagged giantess tightly to him and appeared to be dragging the resisting girl with him. His eyes were full of tears.

Hypnotized, huh? I would have thought it would have been 'Charmed' or 'Enthralled'.

The 4 Tribesmen had the merchants go to the middle of the room before placing themselves before the Portal out. The merchants weren't truly trapped, as they could instead leave at the other end of the Floor by entering the 2nd Floor and attempting to go back to the 1st.

The giant sat down on my new black marble boulder and placed the victim in his lap, still hugging them tight.

Right! Hypnotize and Brainwash is still active even if the caster is dead! Charm and Enthrall clearly work differently.

Maybe the latter two require the caster to remain nearby? Such a requirement for a Skill would be hard to maintain on a traveling merchant, which would explain why a more powerful Skill was used.

It also means this is gonna take a while.

A long while.

Like at the very least 6 hours.

Possibly even a whole 24 hours.

Her main Ability Score might be Awareness, which helps, but she is also really low level compared to whoever Hypnotized her. Though I don't know the exact level of said person, they would have to be at least a 7th tier, and Skau here is only at the 2nd.

…

I have to inform them of the long wait, don't I?

Dungeon God: You have realized that you are (kind of) the god of your own world.

…

Is that your way of saying I can do what I want?

No reply.

Well, even if I can do whatever I want, it is still polite to inform them.

Finding the nearest kobold I thought to it: Kobling? Please go to The… No wait. Never mind.

I had realized that while I needed a creature, which could talk, I still didn't intend to reveal too much to the merchants if I could avoid it. Unlike the Tribe, the merchants would have little reason not to inform strong villains of all my quirks if they were offered riches or powerful positions or something in return.

Or, you know, they could just straight up get Hypnotized...

When a creature takes their Mana Form they still look the same, just made out of glowing, mana particles and their label would still be the same but with the Mana Form modifier. So, a Mana Form kobold was still clearly a kobold. If the merchants saw a talking kobold, it would open up for the merchants to ask me direct questions and more of my secrets would come out before I was strong enough to deal with the consequences of it.

What those consequences would be I couldn't be sure of. Something good might come out of it. But I would rather not take the chance.

I instead aimed my thoughts at the mini mimic of the 5th Floor. This was the first of my mimics to not have its Intelligence Score affected by its very race, so it was relatively smart.

And by that I mean… when it comes to hiding. 'Dumb' mimics would try to stay hidden, but had a tentency to answer questions even when undiscovered and the question aimed at another. The rest of the mimic line would keep hiding, silently, even when actually discovered, in the hopes that it would convince their prey that they really were whatever item they had become.

However, if said prey offered something the mimic wanted more than the prey, then it would accept the deal and stop pretending.

I asked the mini mimic to turn into a small, perfectly round stone with a four-eyed face before assuming its Mana Form. This way the mimic looked like a small floating star. I then had the mimic go to The Great Tree Room. Here Dokric had decided to keep an eye on the entrance way. He was likely fearing that my creatures would return to the room or something.

"Stay out!" The old catman shouted as he clenched his fists in front of his body, readying himself to throw a punch should the glowing ball get near him.

Surely he knows no creature of mine would harm him…? The situation must be making him defensive.

My creatures couldn't even touch anyone while in Mana Form, which my mimic instinctively knew.

And my own instincts told me it was the only thing keeping my mimic from trying to attack the giantess…

Instead the mini mimic said what I told it to. It even managed to somewhat sound like the System while doing so, like I had wanted. Good job. Back to your post!

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

"Expect a waiting time between 6 and 24 hours. The victim may not leave in the meantime." The sound seemed to come from the small, glowing sphere, which was floating in the air by the entrance to the next room. With its message delivered it immediately left again.

That means she'll be okay, right?

"That long?" The lupinekin known as Begdar exclaimed, before she started mumbling to herself. "Hmm… You're still young. It makes sense I suppose. "

She'll become herself again.

"Id tru then?" Pod asked cautiously. Here inside the Dungeon it was clear to see that Skau was indeed under someone else's control.

But what does that even mean?

It said so clearly right next to her name.

I don't know how long this has been going on after all!

Hotheus hugged his bound and gagged daughter closer to himself in response to his own thoughts.

How come I never noticed that anything was off?!

Skau hadn't resisted when the older rhinokin had bound and gagged her, but had tried to get away once talk of getting her released from the mind control had started. Her father had insisted on being the one to restrain her, as he both felt responsible and didn't completely trust the Tribe yet.

Do I even know my own daughter?!

But then they had entered the Dungeon and had seen it written over her head.

Or has all her dreams and wants and likes and loves and hates been fake?!

"The young lass has to stai here for hours?" Pod continued.

Where did the mind control stop and my baby girl begin?!

"Hmm." Begdar nodded. "Didn't realize it would take that long. We'll have to send for some chairs and snacks and such."

And here I thought I did so well!

"As you say lass." Pod responded cautiously, still not sure what to make of the situation but having long since realized that no physical harm would come to them.

She didn't leave me when she turned 14!

And clearly the odd, karmic Dungeon's identification system - as well as the glowing, floating maybe-a-physical-manifestation-of-the-System-maybe-simply-another-odd-Dungeon-creature - agreed with the Chief's earlier declaration of Skau likely being manipulated through a Skill.

'Surely, I must have done something right!' I thought!

"Taozcec, could you-" Begdar's words was halted by the vulpinekin's small shake of the head. Taozcec then gave a pointed look towards the two giants.

'I must at least have done better than my own parents!'

Begdar didn't have a lot of Awareness, but knew the vulpinekin well enough to quickly realize he had seen something in the two giants which had made him want to stay behind.

But… What if she only stayed 'cause someone ordered her to!

The lupinkin considered for a moment getting the needed items herself, but concluded that as the Tribe's Dungeon expert she was needed here.

What if she really wanted to leave?!

"Molgroor?" Begdar asked.

And even if she had wanted to stay with me, there's no way she still wants to!

The older rhinokin nodded. "Snacks, chairs. Some entertainment too, perhaps?"

Not when I didn't protect her from this!

Begdar smiled. "That would be nice."

Not when I didn't even notice anything was wrong!

"What about your banjo, Taozcec?"

Why didn't the monster hit me…? I would have deserved it!

The kirin had been in the middle of an attack, trying to bite Skau, when Hotheus got in between them. The monster's sharp teeth had seemingly hit a barrier right before it would have made contact with the giant's chest. As a Body Enhancer Hotheus was able to strengthen his body. Not make barriers.

It must have somehow known! Of course the otherwise peaceful monster can recognize bad parenting!

The kirin kept trying to get to Skau but with her father always in the way the monster kept getting deflected by the invisible barrier.

But then… maybe it didn't actually hit me so I could fix my mistakes? Just giving me a scare so I would know my mistakes…?

"Taozcec? Should I bring you your banjo?" Molgroor repeated. The vulpinekin hadn't even reacted the first time the question was asked.

And now… My baby girl will get her mind back after this.

Taozcec gave the rhinokin a distracted nod. "Yeah."

And then… Then she can do what she wants!

With a last nod Molgroor left the Dungeon.

Whatever that might be…

Dokric had calmed down but had then quickly gotten bored. The older felinekin prefered it when things moved fast, and this was clearly going to take a while. He took a step forward and gestured towards the Portal with his hand. "You mind?"

And… And I'll support her!

Begdar smiled and shook her head. "No. Of course not. Skau is the only one who needs to stay here."

No matter what!

Thenac and Begdar moved to the side to let Dokric past them, so he could exit the Dungeon. Taozcec had already moved away from the Portal as he slowly walked up to the two giants.

Even if… Even if it means…

"Ai'll stai here if ye don'd mind." Pod declared, not wanting to leave his companions behind in their most vulnerable time.

She leaves me behind…

Skau tried once again to get out of her father's hold as the vulpinekin reached the two. Hotheus didn't tighten or loosen his hold on her, not wanting to hurt her but not daring to let her go either.

… Like I left my own family behind…