To begin creating the first consciousness and will combination, which, according to Annie, was called an incorporeal projection or incorporeal body, I had to first bring the incomplete form, or embryo, out of my body. This was the first hurdle I had to overcome, and I had to do so multiple times.

The embryo looked like a small ball, and I soon began molding it. It became white before unfurling. A slit was created at the bottom, which allowed it to do so. Eventually, it looked like multiple balls on top of each other. From two balls each, the arm and legs began to form. They extended outward until rough hands and feet could be seen, but they weren't differentiated into phalanges yet. The neck was the next to change, becoming much shorter. After the neck, the face morphed into the correct proportions. The earlobes, nose, and mouth also formed. More details were soon added to complete the rough shape before the phalanges were differentiated into the correct amount per hand and foot. The last part of the body to form was the eyes. They started out as blank sockets. Eventually, after completely linking it with my soul, the eyes filled in to look like my own.

The figure still didn't look like me, though. It only had the shape, but it was entirely white.

I found it more difficult to add the correct colors and contrasts to ensure each part looked the same as it did on the real me.

After the outside appearance was completed, I added clothes. Suddenly, the God's Clothing I had been wearing, such as Symbolize and Proper, began to shimmer. I looked at them with Pristine and found a new function. These clothes are so powerful that their effects were even transferred to my incorporeal body.

I moved on to the final step before it was considered complete: adding my stats and skills. I had to think of how each skill is used, and each spell is cast before being able to transfer them over. Along with the skills and spells came the stats.

The last step took the longest, an entire day, whereas the rest of the process only took half a day.

Finally, all of my incorporeal projections were complete.

I sent the first to the Council of the Void. There, I placed it within a segregated room. I instructed the other council members, through the projection, to only disturb me for emergencies. They also began preparations to make the location one where I could evolve easier.

I sent a few others away while I finished the construction of the resting place of my true body.

Finally, I went to my family and told them about how this was still me, except it was not my actual body. With that, we set out to go back to dungeon exploring.

With my greatly-increased power, the remaining three volcanoes didn't pose any problems. We finished them all within a day. That was even with my daughters and Bella taking down many of them while I watched in the back.

While my level was the lowest, Bella now had the weakest power. Using my voidblood, I extracted the energy from the EXP shards we had gathered, as well as a bunch from the Void Council, to increase all of her stats to 1,000. It was painful for her, and I didn't like seeing her in that condition, but she endured until her stats reached that point. Her speed even reached 1250.

I was surprised that she didn't reach a cap at 1,000, so we went to see the Fairy Queen. This time, I just brought us using the void. It was easier that way.

The Fairy Queen easily explained away our worries. Bella's stat cap was at 2,000. As such, she was halfway there. It was also best not to raise her stats as much, now that they had hit 1,000. She would learn more by doing it herself. She also discussed how there might be damage to Bella's soul, but I already fixed the almost-nonexistent tear with my > soul technique.

While we were talking to the queen, our pagers began lighting up. It was time to go to the dungeon meeting regarding Furcas showing up at my inauguration.

I was not transported with everyone else, most likely because of the protection the void provided me. In fact, I gained a new resistance: elemental attack resistance Lv 3.

I easily found where they were located and transported there myself. I further used my voidblood with > to create bracelets for my family members to resist auto-summoning such as this. I thought it would be a major weakness, and they would need to be protected from it. With their newest class, they could most likely resist against most summoning, but their relationship to the dungeon was stronger. With my present, no one can transport them through any amount of void—unless it's me, of course.

I secretly gave them their gifts and explained its use to them before they equipped them.

We then went to a large stage area. I thought I'd be sitting in the audience, as everyone I recognized besides Victoria was.

My family sat in the front row, but Victoria told me to sit on the stage. As such a prominent figure, with my status as Chairman of the Council of the Void, I had the right and responsibility to sit at a higher position than others, or at least that's what she told me.

In addition to Victoria, who sat to my left, Kimberly soon walked out and sat to my right.

"Why haven't you activated your twilight ambush skill?" I asked Victoria.

"I'm not the one giving the speech this time."

"But, I thought it was your job to talk about important dungeon events."

"It is, but my purview is limited to intra-dungeon matters. Matters concerning outside worlds have another being in charge, Kacey. She's also level-eight and should be here shortly. She's a grilming scheiltwaver."

I had read about scheiltwavers before. They had sixteen small wings on their backs and could turn their arms into roots if needed. Their hair was made of flower petals, which could be shot out towards others in an offensive manner. Their feet could absorb energy from the ground. They could also release jets of water through those who had evolved to the grilming level had the ability to detach their wings, and those who evolved to the level below, the halming level, could freely move their wings similar to a spider's legs. They even spun webs.

Victoria continued. "Matters concerning different dungeons are in Angela's domain. She's a red spatial worm vibrant."

I had also read about spatial worm vibrants before. They were adept at sub-dimensions and crossing between them. They could also master short spatial teleportation, although it couldn't transcend a solar system and was much slower than the void. They had arms that looked like snakes, which interacted with the world in three different dimensions. Their evolution goes brown, purple, green, pink, white, yellow, red, and blue. At her level, her six snake-like arms were colored red, and she had no legs. She floated roughly a meter off the ground, and the area below her waist came to a point similar to a flattened cone.

"She'll also be here soon. They are in the remaining two seats. The being coming to speak is the deputy dungeon controller, Father Chris. He's an enlightened wanderer."

Wanderers, from what I knew, stood about four to six meters high. They were very muscular and looked kind of weird. On each side, their upper arm muscles contained an extra arm. As such, they can break off an arm to use as a weapon or otherwise. Their extra arm grows back every month. On their shoulders, there are metal-looking spikes, which conduct electricity. Their face is a ball of electricity itself, connected to the rest of the body through a thin strand of electricity. What's interesting about it is that it's not flowing electricity. It just sits there. Their four legs were shaped like springs, allowing them to use similar functions.

Victoria finished her explanation by telling me the issue necessitated that Father Chris be the one to explain.

Soon after she finished, Kacey and Angela came and introduced themselves to me. Angela almost got on the floor and bowed down, but I quickly stopped her before she got that far. I didn't need to be bowed to. The two of them sat on the remaining two chairs.

Soon, those from the dungeon finished filling in their places in the audience as well. I could see Katelin, Noah, Isaac, and the rest out there.

Kacey, Angela, and I continued our introductions and made small talk for the remaining five minutes until Father Chris came out.

Victoria whispered to me that he has an artifact that makes him appear human, and he always wears it when in the company of others.

As such, when he arrived, he looked like a middle-aged man. His hair was golden blond and wavy, and he wore a white robe. He still stood out, though, as his height was only reduced to three meters.

"Respected Assistants gathered from throughout the dungeon, I have a few important points I must discuss with you today. First, though, I would like to thank all of you. You must all be very busy with your own jobs, yet my hasty summons has uprooted your plans. Thank you for your ability to be flexible and accommodate this sudden change. I know it's not what we all wanted, but these matters are of utmost importance.

The first matter many of you already know about. Behind me sits Roberto, the Chairman of the Council of the Void."

Immediately, everyone began cheering for me.

"Roberto, as a saint voidmaster, was recently inaugurated into his new role by the Council. This was a grand event, with many different worlds attending. While I, unfortunately, could not make it, the Controller herself was present. As you know, going out is a privilege she is rarely able to use. That shows how momentous this event is."

Now, I wondered if I had seen her. The last time we met, I had only heard her voice. I wasn't able to tell what she looked like or her race.

"A few other members, including Victoria, a level-eight authority figure, were also there. Before he walked across the stage for the ceremony, a certain being interrupted the processions. As you are most likely aware, a few months ago, a hellfire demon with the court rank of king was released from his dungeon seals. When released, he was not at full power and couldn't exert his might. He could have easily been beaten.

For the kings, we had gone through great lengths as to be alerted to any disturbances. Unfortunately, there were not enough resources to include all of the other demons we have in captivity. There still aren't, so we have no way of knowing the states of other demons. I can assure you all that no other kings have escaped; however, another demon has escaped. Unlike what should have happened, he was at full power. This demon, with so much power, posed a threat to a few beings in attendance. Even Mallory of the Council had to apologize to him.

He is a hellfire demon with the court rank of knight, the weakest of all we have captured. It's ironic that he's currently the most powerful as long as the king doesn't get his powers back.

We now know that at least one more demon was released. We fear that dukes may have also been released. They are second only to the kings, so please pay careful attention if you encounter any of them. I'd advise you not to fight them, and I order you, if the king, Balam, is at full power, do not fight him.

Back onto the problem, Furcas brought with him a legion of 66 demon knights. These knights were powerful in their own right, though not nearly as much as those in attendance. This must have been his most powerful legion. According to records of the ancient war, as well as some of our memories, we know Furcas has at least fifteen legions, though the rest are weaker."

I guess he never showed all twenty at once. He interjected that he used a rotational system.

"Since they previously lost to us, Furcas could be planning to mount an assault against our realm. As far as I can tell, we have not been breached. While I will next convey my order, please do not tell your subordinates until you've heard the second piece of news. My orders for Furcas's possible assault are as follows: As the Deputy Commander of the Dungeon: Black Tower, I order all assistants to assume Strategic Readiness State two and prepare for battle. Threat level is three. That's all for this piece of news.

Please be cautious of any sneak attacks or any mention by any explorer of Furcas. I have set filters to lock onto any and all explorers who mention any demon as a safety—except for those with a dungeon occupation.

Thank you for listening.

Are there any questions?"

I whispered my question to Victoria. I wanted to know what the state two and threat level meant.

She first explained the strategic states, saying, "There are four readiness states, culminating in the war states. The first, state one, is for normal, everyday use. It doesn't require anything special. The second, which we are now in, involves planning for potential battles. This includes readying all underlings and drawing up formations. State three comes after. This state includes weapon distribution and combat training. Multiple different assistants work together here. The final state is strategic readiness state four. This is where actual battle is likely imminent. Spies are sent out, and the frontline troops are in position awaiting orders to engage.

The engagement begins with strategic war state one. If we seem to be losing, we enter the second state. This time, some officers, such as Isaac, may be involved. State three brings in level-seven authority assistants into the fight, stage four brings level eight, and stage five brings in the Deputy Controller and Controller. We have never entered the sixth stage or the seventh stage. The sixth involves mandatory conscription of all explorers into our fighting force and all assistants battling at full power. The final stage is removing the whole dungeon from existence."

"That's a lot of planning," I commented.

"Yes, it is. Threat levels are ranked from one to eleven. There are also anticipated and actual. For example, you are not deemed any sort of a threat, but if you were to turn against us, I'd guess you would be ranked eight. Furcas, due to his legions and Balam's unknown state, is ranked three. Rank ten is for weak gods and devils. Rank eleven is for the most powerful gods and devils, whom we don't stand any chance against."

Everyone continued talking for about twenty minutes before Father Chris began talking about the second topic.

"The second main point I wish to discuss falls under Angela's domain, so she will take it from here."

"Thank you, Deputy," Angela began as she took over the speaker's position. "Deputy Commander Father Chris is right. This matter does concern other dungeons. Seeing Furcas has also made them think the balance of power has tipped in their favor. As you know, Black Tower and White Tower are the two most powerful realmwide dungeons in the universe, at least of a similar caliber. The master dungeons are another story. In case you need a refresher, we are in a somewhat adversarial relationship with the green and blue tower dungeons. This threat is from two different sources. The green tower dungeon has joined forces with the azure tower dungeon, which were previously neutral.

Because of this upcoming war, we will again revise our levels. We are now moving to strategic readiness state three, preparing to move to state four at any time if alerted. This incident is at threat level six. With the addition of the demon, we have agreed to raise it to level seven.

We have discussed preliminary plans with our allies. The red tower dungeon will join us and take on the green tower dungeon. We are lucky the white tower dungeon hasn't made a move against us yet. Please be on guard and prepared to fight at a moment's notice. We will update all of you if anything changes.

For weapons, we will distribute by authority. Level three and below shall receive a D- ranked offensive weapon. Level four a C- ranked offensive weapon and seven potions. Leven five B+ ranked offensive and defensive weapons. Level six a C+ ranked offensive weapon. Level seven A- ranked offensive and defensive weapons. Level eight A+ or S ranked offensive and defensive weapon, plus one-time skill/spell learning access.

Weapons must be returned after a ceasefire has been called. Should the war actually start, rewards will be given. That is all for my announcement.

Any questions?"

There were a few questions. I whispered mine to Victoria, and she explained that there are five realmwide dungeons with 75 floors, one, the white tower dungeon, with 145 floors, and our dungeon with 150. Different planets are connected to different realms, and the energy use differs according to the number of floors, as do the number of explorers, soldiers, and rewards.

After the meeting, I was called aside by Father Chris. He wanted to talk to me about two different topics. The first was how I was exploring the dungeon. The Controller, according to him, agreed to make the floors a little more difficult, so that I didn't breeze past them all. The EXP shards will be increased, though. As compensation, I would be able to learn a restricted skill/spell once it was my turn to gain access.

The second was for the upcoming war. As everyone has their usual duties, there was no one to be in charge of point exchanging. He asked if I would be willing to help with that, and I agreed. While I would be the main point person for this, Bella and my daughters would be assistants.

The points themselves were automatically calculated by the dungeon, as were the available awards; however, specific achievements, which the dungeon will record, do not have set rewards, as it's impossible to think of all possibilities. As such, once the time came, I would have to choose a reward. The dungeon will generate and present the award, so I didn't lose anything by doing so. If my family got any achievements, the benefit was that I could choose any reward from the list.

After learning about the different realmwide dungeons, I decided to return to Earth and check on my own.

Just by being on Earth, the X1A-earth points steadily increased. Also, the dungeon "matured." The library from the Void Council helped me to learn more about the process. They didn't know too much, however. Dungeons appearing individually were fairly rare after a certain amount of time had passed. At its current "adolescent" stage, in addition to the main dungeon configurations, I would have a separate control room—my own floor zero.

I entered through the magically-locked door and teleported to the zeroth floor. Currently, there was not much here. In the center of the room was a large, shining, blue crystal, with arteries branching off through the floor and ceiling. This was the heart of the dungeon—its core. There was a small table with four chairs. There was also an office desk with a large computer monitor.

From the monitor, I could see status information about the entire dungeon. For example, there were zero explorers. I could also use my accumulated points.

After scrolling through all of the information, I found that it also listed "World-Conversion," with a value of 75%. This was the process of transferring the sub-dimensional space and all resources to Persephone.

With Annie's help and some treasures from the demons, we also had a way to ensure only essence from the Earth could flow through. Nothing else could find its way into my spiritual world. We could easily irreversibly sever the whole connection.

With the accumulated points, I opened two more island entrances. I also changed some configuration options. The first floor's environment differed depending on the entrance, as well as the monsters positioned there. I had enough points for lizardmen, so they got a rocky ravine at two entrances. I also bought some spawners for monsters from the most recent floor in Dungeon: Black Tower. They would appear first at another two entrances. The next two would have monsters who thrive in icy cold climates. I still needed to get more information on them, though.

The final entrance would change depending on the day.

I set up another five floors with mazes and labyrinths. The sixth floor would be filled with monsters such as treants and ones who look like flowers. It would be a vicious killing garden. The seventh would contain monsters who are experts at hiding and sneak attacks. The eighth floor would contain monsters who used electricity.

Furcas would be the 5th-floor boss, while I remained the final one. He would have five legions, while the remaining fifteen were stationed on the 9th floor if needed.

I also changed some rewards. Before I left, I found the dungeon accepts voidblood, which seemed to have the effect of speeding up the transfer. It must have been due to its connecting properties, even if Persephone wasn't directly connected. Just by waiting for fifteen minutes, the conversion rate went up to 85%.

With my complete control over the voidblood, I set some up to slowly seep into the core over the next week. At that time, it should fully transfer over.

While on Earth, I decided to check in with the guild and see if there were any new developments. It hadn't been too long since I was gone, but things were changing rapidly—it still was only a little more than six months since the Great Catastrophe, after all.

I announced my arrival beforehand as I went down to my mini office and prepared to listen to the reports from my underlings. It would be interesting to see how the world continued to adapt to the various changes. From my dungeon, I also knew a secret, but I wouldn't tell them.