When I arrive at the dungeon Inari already looks like she has taken quite a bit of damage, her robe is all torn and she is battered and bruised. There are 4 of the large golem standing by as she is breathing heavily while lying sprawled out on the floor.

Inari: “Daddy… Sofia is being mean…”

“She is just doing what I asked, how many golems did you start out with?”

Sofia: “I started with 2 and I summoned 2 more every 5 minutes until she got too tired to go on.”

“So how many did she manage to defeat?”

Inari: “I killed 4! But she hasn’t given me a chance to rest!”

“I am sure if you didn’t start that trouble with Takeshi this morning, he would have helped you and you could at least taken care of 2 more by now.”

Inari: “That’s not fair! Daddy is going to take his side?”

“He was summoned to help you out, but he wasn’t summoned to be your yes man. He isn’t here to suit your wants he is here to help you train and that’s it.”

Inari: “I promise the next one will be better, just summon one more for me.”

“He was all you get, you are already using up more xp then I anticipated and are not going to reach the level I had hoped by the end of the month. If you want help you will have to make things right with him.”

Inari: “That’s not fair!”

“Then whenever you are ready let’s get started again.”

Inari sits up looking over at the 4 golems standing there. One of them looks like it is in pretty bad shape but 2 are completely undamaged and 1 only has minimal damage.

Sofia: “Alright 5 minutes are up, time for 2 more.”

Inari: “Wait!”

“What’s wrong?”

Inari: “Even with Takeshi there is no way I could handle six at once!”

“Well the room won’t hold much more anyway, so we will just have the next 2 on standby.”

Inari: “But as soon as I kill two those two will come out?”

“Of course.”

Inari: “Ok… I need help…”

“I am not the one you need to be talking to.”

Inari: “Fine… I will talk to Takeshi.”

“Alright Sofia hold on for a bit, we will be back.”

I move over to Inari taking her arm and transfer her outside my bedroom door.

Inari: “Daddy, why are we at your room?”

“You are not going to talk to him dressed like that are you? Besides you have more than just Takeshi to apologize to.”

Inari: “Yes Daddy…”

Inari knocks on the door, and after a few seconds Belinda opens it looking a bit confused.

Belinda: “What’s going on? Inari, your clothes are already torn up. What happened baby?”

Inari starts to cry then walks forward grabbing ahold of Belinda.

Inari: “I am sorry Mommy! It’s my fault! Takeshi didn’t do what I told him to, so I said he did those mean things. I just thought if Mommy got mad at him, I could get a new monster that would do what I said.”

Belinda tries to comfort Inari but is a little confused. Inari tries to explain things to Belinda of course leaving out the details of what she was wanting Takeshi to do… But eventually they both calm down and Belinda tells her she need to apologize to Takeshi as well.

After Inari changes again, I start to head downstairs with Inari but Belinda grabs my arm. She asks me if I have a minute, so I then send Inari downstairs to wait for me.

Belinda: “Two-Twelve… I’m sorry…”

“Don’t worry about it.”

Belinda: “But after all this time I trust you… I should of taking you at your word, but I just got so caught up with Inari.”

“I am not sure how much of what Inari says can be trusted. She may just be doing this to get what she wants, but I am hoping that she at least means some of what she is saying…”

Belinda: “I am going to try to keep a bit more distance from Inari, at least till we can figure out a little more about what she wants from us…”

I nod my head and then start to walk out the door but Belinda pulls on my arm again then kisses me.

Belinda: “That’s for the one you tried to give me earlier…”

She then kisses me again.

Belinda: “And that’s for everything else.”

I brush a tear from Belinda’s eye I feel I should say something, but I just can’t find the words… I brush her cheek wiping a few tears from Belinda’s face. She then smiles and kisses me one last time before I finally head downstairs to find Inari pacing in front of Takeshi’s door.

“Are you ready?”

Inari: “Alright… I can do this…”

She then knocks on Takeshi’s door, but as he starts to open it she quickly runs and hides behind me. I casually step out of the way and her and Takeshi’s eyes meet.

Takeshi & Inari: “…”

“You had something you wanted to say right?” –I say while pushing Inari forward.-

Inari: “uh…”

Takeshi takes a knee, bows his head, and says. “Are we starting your training Miss Inari?”

Inari looks to have a smile creep across her face like she managed to dodge the bullet, but I step forward.

“Yes, we are resuming her training, but first she has something to say to you.”

Inari: “Daddy!”

“Go on.”

Inari then quietly says. “Sorry…”

“We didn’t hear you.”

Inari: “I said I’m sorry!” I need your help Takeshi, I shouldn’t have said them things.”

Takeshi: “Miss Inari… I should apologize as well. I got upset when I found out you really aren’t the daughter of Master, but it shouldn’t have mattered because Master asked me to be your shield. Regardless if you are his real daughter or not, that was the task I was given to by Master, and I failed you…”

Inari starts to get some of her cockiness back as she says. “Well don’t let it happen again.” But I lightly slap the back of her head and she adds. “But I promise I will try harder as well…”

Without being connected to the dungeon it takes Takeshi a while to get his equipment ready and we then set out back for the dungeon. Once we arrive Sofia quickly sits up after nearly falling from the chair she was kicked back in.

Sofia: “We ready to continue then?”

“That’s up to them.”

Inari: “Yes Daddy!”

Takeshi: “Whenever you are Master.”

Two of the golems quickly begin to charge across the room while I head over sitting in the empty chair next to Sofia. Inari and Takeshi manage the first 4 golems without a problem and even take out 4 more before Inari has to stop to rest.

Inari managed to hit level 11 after the first wave, but it looks like it might take the rest of the day before she gains another. Her breaks are now at least an hour long before she can return to fighting so we decide to switch back in the small golems during her rest periods.

Around noon we break so Takeshi can eat something and we come to realize that Inari’s magic doesn’t return near as quick while she battles the small golems as when she is resting. We resume after lunch but it seems the number of small golem waves is increasing between every wave of the large golems.

We manage to push it right up to the point where Inari reaches level 12, before stopping for the day and I also receive a message.

New Monster Available.

Earth Golem Cost: 2500xp*

*Elemental type monsters are granted a discount of 1/4 due to [Uniquely Gifted] skill.

Inari: “Takeshi, I have managed to catch up with you in level now.”

Takeshi: “That may be so, but you surpassed me in power long before now.”

“She is a dungeon core after all.”

Inari: “Do you think I will catch up with Daddy before my training is over?”

“We will see…”

When we head back to the house and find some dinner prepared for us. Dinner goes pretty quietly and Inari doesn’t even seem to kick up a fuss when Takeshi retires to his room. After heading to bed myself it doesn’t seem Inari is going to try to drag him room tonight.

It isn’t long however until she is knocking at our door… “Daddy, Mommy… I can’t sleep.”

Belinda: “I don’t know baby, I think you need to sleep in your own room.”

Inari: “But I never have slept by myself before…”

“You could have asked Takeshi again, but after what you pulled this morning…”

Belinda: “How about I stay with you just until you go to sleep will that work.”

Inari: “But I… Ok Mommy…”

Belinda leads Inari out of the room and I wait for quite a while but I end up falling asleep before she returns.

Things really begin to slow down after that day, and it takes a lot longer for Inari to gain a level. It takes close to 3 more days before she finally reaches level 13 and it causes Inari to become discouraged. We are going to run out of xp far before we run out of time so I decide to give Inari a day off to relax a bit.

She insists in still acting if Belinda and I are her parents and wants to spend her day of rest together. Belinda and I finally agree and by the end of the day even I am starting to believe she is sincere about wanting Belinda and I to be her parents.

She has begun to call all the other girls Auntie all that is except for Lilah. For some reason they just seem to be like fire and ice. Luckily most of the animosity is childish at best, so I don’t think it will lead to an actual fight, but to be on the safe side I try to keep them apart as much as possible.

After Inari’s day off I take her training a lot slower, and it isn’t till the end of her second week of training before she finally reaches level 14.

“Now Inari, Dyson has kept bugging me because he thinks I still haven’t begun your training, little does he know how much work you have done, so I am going to ask you what you want to do next.”

Inari: “What do you mean?”

“Now we don’t have enough xp left for you to gain another level, but we can continue on like we are until you run out so you will reach level 15 faster, or to make Dyson happy we can let you start your dungeon, so you have 2 weeks to get used to it before the evaluation.”

Inari: “If I start my dungeon I can then use [Menu] right?”

“That’s right, and if you do that I suggest spending as much xp as possible on skills or spells, that way you won’t lose it after your training is over.”

Inari: “What about monsters and actual dungeon training?”

“I believe you were born with more knowledge about running a dungeon then I even had when my training was over, so I am not much worried about that. I am more concerned that you can function in the world of humans.”

Inari: “I have done alright with you and Mommy while in town haven’t I?”

“But after your training is done you will be far away, by yourself.”

Inari: “…Can’t I just stay here with you and Mommy?”

“We didn’t do all this work for you to fail. I know you can do it.”

Inari: “What about Takeshi?”

“That is up to him. Once your training is over he is free to do as he wishes.”

Inari: “You think he would go with me…?”

“You guys had a pretty rocky start, but you have begun to work well together again, I think that is something you should discuss with him.”

Inari: “He can at least be my boss monster for the rest of my training right?”

“I don’t think I ever had to pay for Thirty-seven to become my boss monster during my training so I don’t think it would be a problem.”

Inari: “I think I am ready to start my dungeon then.”

“Now once you do start your dungeon you have to guard it for the rest of the month, which means you are going to have to move into it. If you want to come into Tobes you are going to have to fight your way out of the dungeon.”

Inari: “What about if I just want to see you or Mommy?”

“I will visit once a day, just to check on you. Other than that you will have to make your way out of the dungeon yourself.”

Inari: “Are you going to send monsters to attack my crystal?”

“At this point I don’t think there is any point. I might try to whip something up every few days or so just to keep you on your toes.”

Inari: “Can I talk to Takeshi before I make up my mind?”

“Go right ahead…”

Inari leaves to talk to Takeshi, and doesn’t return until over 30 minutes has past, but Takeshi is with her and he has his gear.

Inari: “Ok we have decided to start my dungeon, but can we pack some food first?”

“Well once you start your dungeon and make Takeshi your boss monster neither of you should have to eat.”

Inari: “I won’t, but Takeshi said he will go with me to defend me like you wanted, but he said he won’t become my boss monster…”

“Well I will get some stuff together after you guys get settled in and will bring it to you this evening.”

I transfer all three of us into the bottom of the ramp on the last room of the pit room floor. I then open [Menu] and set up her training dungeon out of the back side of the stairs. She is awfully close to my crystal now, but she doesn’t know that and has no idea what lies beyond this floor.

“Now beyond this floor will probably be too much for you two, but you should be able to handle this floor and up, so I would suggest you stick to them. I would suggest hitting the adventurer’s guild every few days to gather up some commissions if you plan on making your way through my dungeon, but I ask you not take the mapping commission as adventurer’s haven’t made it this deep yet.”

Inari: “Why take the commissions?”

“It is a good chance for you to interact with humans, and you need commissions to rank up your adventurer’s ID. High ranking adventurers are granted quite a bit of leeway in most kingdoms, so it should benefit you in the future.”

I lead Inari into her training dungeon and take out the training crystal when I do I receive a message.

Once new dungeon core places training crystal 10,000xp will be turned over to the new core, do you wish to proceed?

I check and sure enough it lets me change the xp about transferred, I don’t know if that is due to Dyson’s new rules or Madam Erin tampering, but it works as I raise the amount to 25,000xp. I will use the remaining 30,090xp to summon monsters to attack her for the next two weeks. I then hand the crystal over to Inari.

“Alright, I will let you guys get started. This evening I will bring in the supplies Takeshi might need, and we can discuss your thoughts on starting your dungeon.”

Inari hands the crystal to Takeshi then gives me a hug while saying. “Ok Daddy I promise I will try my best.”

After Inari takes the crystal back from Takeshi she places it in the middle of the floor and looks to be reading over a [Menu] so I leave them to it and head back into my dungeon. I then transfer to the core room with Lilah and look over my own [Menu] I find it hard to believe we have gone through almost 200,000xp in just 2 weeks.

Lilah: “Does Master really think it’s wise to put Inari that close to the crystal?”

“I thought you were more confident in your skills then that?”

Lilah: “…”

“Besides if she goes down into your floor I expect you to show her no mercy.”

Lilah: “Lilah still doesn’t know how strong the dragonkin are, and she was dealing with the kobolds and golems with no problems.”

“As a precaution I have blocked communication with the monsters I was summoning during her training, so she was only fighting kobolds and golems how they act in normal dungeons. She will be in for quite a shock once she sees how much more difficult our dungeon truly is.”

Lilah: “…”

“Besides I am giving you 10,000 extra xp to make sure she stays out of the crystal room.”

Lilah: “Lilah understands, she won’t let Master down.”

After turning the xp over to Lilah I then transfer to the house taking a much needed break. I decide to head down to the office for a bit.

That evening after gathering some supplies for Takeshi, I send in 4 golems into Inari’s dungeon to make sure she was doing her job right, and she had what looks to be 1 of each type of basic creatures in her dungeon including a non-sentient beastkin (fox). I guess she just wanted to see what they all could do.

Of course the basic creatures can’t hold up to the golems and are easily wiped out, but I find out some critical information when they die.

New Monsters Avaliable

Tiny Flame Elemental Cost: 100xp* Small Flame Elemental Cost: 250xp* Ill Lizardman Cost: 100xp* Weak Lizardman Cost: 250xp* Tiny Earth Golem Cost: 100xp* Weak Fariy Cost: 100xp* Weak Pixie Cost: 250xp* Old Skeleton Cost: 100xp* Weak Skeleton Cost: 250xp*

*Elemental type monsters are granted a discount of 1/4 due to [Uniquely Gifted] skill.

Her dungeon must still be considered part of mine… I didn’t even think about that when I didn’t have to name the monsters before sending them in. I wonder if I can send in the rift monsters then…

After the monsters fall Takeshi and Inari appear and take out the golems. I decide since they are already fighting the golems I try sending in a few of the rift golems. They pass into the dungeon no problem and begin fighting…

If that’s the case after the adventurers leave in the evening I will continue to send in the rift golems that are left on this floor. That is at least 12 golems a day if no adventurers take care of them on this floor, I might even use some of the slimes, but not all of them have rifts yet.

I decide to stop after 2 of the rift golems have been defeated. I then take the supplies and enter Inari’s dungeon.

“Congratulations, you survived your first defense, but you did lose all of your monsters in the process.”

Inari: “I just wanted to see which ones I liked. Besides 6 of those golems are far from what I should have received for my first dungeon battle.”

“I knew you could handle it, but remember you should be 2 weeks in by now.”

I hand the bag of food I brought for Takeshi over to him, and he thanks me.

“Lilah hasn’t had a day off since we started your training, so I will be watching my dungeon tomorrow, just remember that if you decide to push into my dungeon tomorrow.”

Inari nods and we talk a little longer I then leave them to clean up her dungeon and transfer back to the house. I set [Menu] to warn me if they step foot outside her dungeon and then head to bed.

The next morning feels almost odd without Inari and Takeshi, I guess I was already getting used to them being around. Although I don’t know what Takeshi is going to do after Inari’s training is done I might ask if he wants to stick around so I have another guy around the house.

While watching the dungeon Inari’s first solo trip into my dungeon already looks bad, as the first thing they do against Takeshi’s begging is head down into the crystal room… Lilah looks to have set up the dragonkin with some rather decent gear.

Takeshi is unable to do anything without any ranged equipment, so it all falls onto Inari as the dragonkin swoop in and out after them. Their agility is high enough that every time she casts her special balls they manage to dodge most of them.

Takeshi manages to drag Inari from the room after she collapses after casting to much magic and they only managed to kill one of the dragonkin. They take refuge back into Inari’s dungeon while I replace the falling dragonkin. As strong as Inari is, she runs out of magic way to quickly…

I follow them as they reenter Inari’s dungeon, but they then appear to transfer out. I can see her entire dungeon from the core room, but I guess I can’t see her core room. I also end up having to defend the dungeon from three separate adventurer groups that enter the dungeon that day.

Even just last month it wasn’t this bad… I guess it is time we start thinking about adding more rifts to the first few floors. Not including the 16,000xp we still have left for Inari’s training there is quite a bit of xp beginning to build in the dungeon so I decide to add a few more kobold rifts to the first floor.

I just did the main two rooms for now, we still have plenty of xp but I don’t want to do too much just yet. Once I am satisfied I prepare to transfer to the house when I receive a message.

Dyson: “How the hell did you do that?”

“I don’t know what you mean?”

Dyson: “I see that you finally allowed your new core to make her dungeon, but she is already level 14. There is no way a dungeon core can reach that high of a level during her training. Especially when she has only had her dungeon 24 hours, so how did you manage it?”

“How did you gain so many levels to the point where you are now the highest level dungeon core?”

Dyson: “After I failed and had to join the humans, I leveled like they… Could that really work…?”

“It actually proved to work far better than I hoped, as she still leveled up like a dungeon core even though it was as quick as a normal adventurer.”

Dyson: “Yes, I leveled the same way… But just by denying her a crystal she was able to level like a normal adventurer?”

“That is how it seems.”

Dyson: “You truly are a genius… I just wish it wasn’t too late to train the others the same way.”

“Of all people I am surprised you haven’t tried this yourself in the past.”

Dyson: “I guess as much as I preached about change, and how much I fought to become a dungeon core again. I never thought about not giving a new core a dungeon intentionally…”

“I don’t know how much of an advantage it truly puts her at though, as it will take a long time for her to gain another level, maybe even years, if her dungeon doesn’t grow quickly.”

Dyson: “But she could personally protect her dungeon while it is still weak, that’s the thing most new cores struggle with. Although I am a little disappointed she turned out as a beastkin, I was really hoping for her being the first divine being dungeon core.”

“…”

Dyson: “I have to admit she is a little young for my tastes, and even if she is a beastkin you still have pretty good tastes.”

“Well I am still not sure how she turned out that way I really was hoping for her not to be a beastkin.”

Dyson: “Well what you say you want and what you want is sometimes not the same thing.”

“…And her personality, I don’t even have a clue where that came from.”

Dyson: “All those beautiful beastkin women at your disposal that you secretly desire, but can’t have. I bet she is quite kinky isn’t she?”

“I don’t secretly desire anything… And no she isn’t kinky. Well actually I don’t know, but that’s not the point. She is just acting like she really thinks she is my daughter.”

Dyson: “I see, I think I get it now. I always thought there was something off about you, but now I get it. Your unique nature always threw me off, but given the fact you came from Madam Erin’s dungeon it makes perfect sense now.”

“I don’t understand.”

Dyson: “Well, not all the others are proving to be as good at training new cores as I would have hoped, so I better get back to it.”

“Wait, I don’t understand, what did you figure out?”

Dyson however doesn’t respond. I wait with the observation window open, but he doesn’t seem to be checking on the other cores with it, so I decide there is nothing left to do but go to bed.

I wait out with Lilah to see what Inari is going to do the next morning, but it seems with what Inari has in brute magical force she lacks in tactics, as after clearing two rooms of golems trying to make their way out of the dungeon she is drained enough, that they have to retreat back to her dungeon.

The next day though Lilah told me they started to finally use the pit as an advantage. I can’t believe it took them almost 3 weeks to think to push the golems off the edge of the pit… She however still prevented them from making it entirely out of the dungeon.

Inari gripes at me when I arrive that evening for my visit, saying I took it too easy on her during her training… I brought Belinda with me today so she could see Inari as well, and that seemed to be the only thing that saved me from her getting to mad.

Even I was surprised though that it wasn’t until the start of her last week of training that she eventually made it out of the dungeon. They seemed so happy spending the day in Tobes that they completely forgot about her dungeon. She didn’t even leave it with any kind of defenses, so I had to send in a golem to destroy the training crystal to teach her a lesson.

She griped at me again that evening but it seemed like she understood why I did it this time at least. The day before her training is over I go to her, we break down her dungeon, and I then bring her and Takeshi back to the house to have a little celebration with the girls.

We don’t know where she will go once she gets her own dungeon so we thought we would have it before. The party isn’t anything to special, but everyone seems to have a good time. During the party I notice that Inari and Takeshi’s relationship has gotten quite close over the past two weeks, but it doesn’t appear to be a romantic one at least not from Takeshi’s side.

As we wrap up the party Takeshi asks if he can speak with me alone.

Takeshi: “Master I know Inari isn’t really your daughter, but if it is alright with you. I would like to continue to protect her as such even after her training is complete.”

“Well come tomorrow you are free to do whatever you want, rather it be leaving to do your own thing, or continuing to protect Inari. She will however teleport straight to her dungeon after the evaluation, so I just don’t know how to get you to her after that, but if that is your wish I will see what I can do.”

Takeshi: “Yes Master, that is my wish.” –He then bows to me and retreats to his room.-

I then head up to bed, but not long after Belinda arrives there is a knock at the door…

Inari: “It is going to be so different after tomorrow… I am scared… Can I sleep with Mommy and Daddy just this one last time?”

Belinda looks a little hesitant, but I think she has earned that much so I nod. She happily calls out and runs jumping into the bed hugging up close to me. Belinda shakes her head then uses [Menu] to change into her pajamas then crawls into bed.