After Inari’s evaluation I am sitting in one of the chairs next to the other trainers watching the remaining dungeon cores choose a location for their dungeon. The elders always seem to do things numerically but for some reason Madam Erin skips Inari allowing the creepy doll girl go first.

Inari has a look of surprise and even anger as the creepy girl chooses a location. Inari then moves up to the map but Madam Erin stops her. I can’t tell what they are talking about, but Inari looks at me questionably as Madam Erin leads her away from the map heading out of the room…

Dyson comes down from the podium to talk to us.

“What is Madam Erin up to now?”

Dyson: “I wouldn’t worry about it, she is probably just trying to get some information from your little core, but I am sure you trained her well enough for her to know better. Well, very impressive everyone, although the losses were a bit unfortunate. I have a feeling the other elders are going to pass their remaining two cores just to try to save face, but it doesn’t matter because we proved to them our win.”

Iakovos: “I was truly surprised by #245’s performance… I wasn’t sure what to think when you separated the groups like you did.”

Dyson: “Yea sorry about that Sierra, I heard it led to quite the misunderstanding, I was confident #245 could handle the evaluation by herself, so figured you would have preferred grouping up with Two-Twelve instead of the others.”

Sierra: “…”

Duke Bozhidar: “I don’t even know where to start with the questions I want to ask about her training.”

Dyson: “Well for now that is Two-Twelve and my secret, but don’t worry if I feel you are qualified to continue to train new cores, I will fill you in when the time is right.”

Duke Bozhidar, Iakovos, and Archbishop Hayden look a little concerned at Dyson’s comment while Duke Dionysus seems proud of himself. Sierra seems indifferent and Tom looks to be bored with the entire conversation.

Dyson continues to talk mentioning some of the highlights of the other groups, since I didn’t get to see either of those matches I find it rather interesting, but as things start winding down Madam Erin and Inari return to the room.

Inari makes her way back to the map with Madam Erin, but she looks over to me and quickly comes running across the room and wraps me in a big hug. While hugging me she says. “I love you daddy. Take care of Mommy and Aunties for me.”

She then goes and talks to Takeshi who has been sitting quietly in a chair nearby. He seems to say something that causes Inari to blush and her eyes to sparkle she then wraps him in a hug as well before returning to the map.

Once she points to the map Madam Erin has a sudden shocked and concerned look on her face as Inari disappears.

Dyson finishes up his conversation and everyone goes on about their business heading back to their dungeons, but he pulls me to the side to get a detailed rundown on Inari’s training.

Dyson: “I am curious of trying a few different things for next year, I might even have you give it another shot, and maybe we will get the divine being next year.”

“…”

Dyson: “Well Madam Erin said she had a debt to settle with you so I better leave you to it… I really should have accepted her bet as well. Good luck.”

Dyson leaves and Madam Erin enters the room with a smirk on her face.

Madam Erin: “Well I managed to learn quite a few good bits of information from your little training core. Shame about her choice for dungeon location though, but if she does manage to pull it off I really will be impressed.”

“What do you mean?”

Madam Erin: “Shima has been a dead zone for dungeons for 3 decades. Only a few have tried to establish themselves after we quit receiving word from there, but none have made it more than a few weeks. Even one set up in the capital was taken out after only a month.”

Madam Erin’s comment seems to unsettle Takeshi as he says. “Then you must send me to her immediately!”

Madam Erin: “Like I said Shima has been a dead zone, it is going to take a while to hold up my promise to the girl… I am sorry, but that is just the way it is.”

Takeshi: “Master you must message her and warn her!”

Madam Erin: “You are not getting the message about a dead zone… I am not exactly sure how [Communication] works, Two-Twelve even managed to bend the rules last year and we still haven’t figured that out either, but it doesn’t have an unlimited range…”

“What do you mean?”

Madam Erin: “Sure the mainland is no problem, but a few of the islands, Shima, and half of Belgore are completely unreachable. The notices and Dungeon Core Information might even take days to be updated.”

“Well is there anything we can do?”

Madam Erin: “Even if the dungeon network isn’t active in Shima, the adventurer’s guild seems to be thriving there, so you might be able to get a message though with them but that could still take weeks?”

Takeshi: “Her adventurer’s ID! We could send her a message though on it like the communication parchment!”

“Takeshi!”

Madam Erin: “What do you mean?”

Takeshi: “I am sorry Master… The communication parchment from Gowen it uses the adventurer’s guild magic, and Two-Twelve discovered that duplicate adventurer’s IDs can pass information, the Gowen communication parchment is essentially blank adventurer IDs”

Madam Erin: “Who says an old dog can’t learn new tricks, I have learned all kinds of interesting information today.”

I sigh… “It doesn’t matter though because we have to have her to make a copy of her ID so there is no way to send the message.”

The gears appear to be turning in Madam Erin’s head for a minute before she says. “Well I can’t make any promises, but I might have an idea. It will take at least a week and a half to find out if it will work or not, but if she can hold on that long we might just be able to get you to her.”

Takeshi: “Thank you…”

Madam Erin: “Don’t thank me yet, besides after what she informed me of earlier is payment enough. If this works you can tell her we are even.”

Takeshi nods and bows deeply to Madam Erin. Madam Erin seems to have a pained expression on her face after Takeshi bows, she then takes a deep breath then says.

Madam Erin: “Well back to our other business I believe you won our bet pup. You never cease to amaze me, so I decided I want to do something special, but I am afraid we will have to take a bit of a trip.”

“How long is this going to take…? It is already pretty late.”

Madam Erin: “Don’t worry pup I am sure your princess is capable of putting herself to bed.”

“That’s not…”

Madam Erin: “Anyway, it’s just a quick extra jump back to my dungeon before I take you home. I could do it here, but you never quite know how many ears the walls may have.”

“I actually have been wondering were exactly are we right now?”

Madam Erin: “Well you never know what the future may bring, so maybe someday you will become an elder and find out, until then let’s just say it’s a secret.”

Madam Erin leads Takeshi and myself out of the room heading to the portals, She pushes Takeshi, then me though then follows shortly behind. We arrive in a familiar room, it is the small portal room in Madam Erin’s dungeon.

Madam Erin: “Not exactly the most glamorous location, but since you seem to be in a hurry it will work.”

Madam Erin appears to messing with her [Menu] and thinking rather hard. After a few minutes she looks to have finished, and she then says. “Now I haven’t summoned one of these in a couple hundred years, so forgive me if I am a little rusty, but it should serve you well.” She then hits her [Menu] and there is a flash of light…

When the light clears what is left is a little girl… No little girl is probably the wrong word, she looks quite mature, but she only stands chest high, she has dark brown hair runs down to her ankles, but giving her height it probably isn’t any longer then Roxy’s…

Her body is quite stout, and although I wouldn’t call her fat by any means she does have some extra few pounds. Her skin is of an earth tanned color, and her eyes are a deep red. Her appearance is not that of a beauty, but it almost sounds like an insult to say average. Making me finally realize what people say about how many stunningly attractive women there are around me.

Madam Erin: “Well like I said I am a bit rusty, she may not be a 4 but she is probably a 2 or at least a solid 1 on the Dyson scale. Although I am not too sure how much faith you could put into his ideals anyway as he wouldn’t ever rank a beastkin above a 1 no matter their looks.”

Takeshi becomes embarrassed turning around while blushing. The woman looks around quite curious scanning the room. When she looks at Madam Erin she says something but I can’t understand it. Madam Erin smirks and says something back in what sounds like the same kind of language. The woman’s eyes briefly get big and she then looks to me with a sly smile and says a single word.

“What are you saying?”

Madam Erin: “What do you mean?”

“I don’t understand the language you were speaking in.”

Madam Erin: “Its dwarven… What do you mean you don’t understand it? Dungeon cores understand all languages even the monster languages.”

“Well I can’t…”

Madam Erin looks to the woman and says something else she then nods clears her throat and says. “How’s this?”

“Much better…”

Woman: “Well good, now that that is taking care of can I get some clothes? The girls are getting a bit chilly.” –She says rubbing her modest breasts.- “But If my new master wants he could…”

I don’t know what she said in dwarven after that but it causes Madam Erin to laugh, so maybe I am best not knowing… Madam Erin then equips some clothes on the woman, and it looks like some kind of one piece outfit.

After a checking the outfit over however the woman unbuttons the top of the outfit pulling it down tying the top half around her waist and underneath it is a thin undershirt with just two thin strips over the shoulders leaving it with no sleeves and a wide neck. She then looks it over again and nods crossing her arms in front of her.

Madam Erin: “Well what do you think Two-Twelve? Will she do?”

“Why does everyone keep insist on giving me women all the time… Do I really look like someone that thinks a woman is an acceptable gift…?” –After Madam Erin smirks she and is about say something I continue.- “Don’t answer that… You said you were speaking Dwarven? So does that mean she is a dwarf then?”

Madam Erin: “I told you I would give you something special, I guess we can’t leave it at just that though…”

After looking at the dwarf woman for a few seconds Madam Erin taps away at her [Menu] again doesn’t stop until the dwarf woman is covered in a heavy armor complete with a half-helmet, complete with a large two-handed hammer both made out of what I assume is dwarven metal as it is the same color as my sword.

Madam Erin: “There, now she has got to be at least as good as the gift you got from Dyson, am I right?”

“Is that what this is about…?”

Madam Erin: “Of course not. This is about settling the bet I lost, but I can’t have you saying that the payoff was lackluster.”

“Fine… I will take her, but like I told Dyson I can’t guarantee I will keep her.”

Madam Erin: “Fine with me. Once you accept her it doesn’t matter much to me what you do with her after. Well, take care of Two-Twelve, and remember…”

Whatever she says next I can’t understand as it is in dwarven… But the woman smiles and nods.

Madam Erin: “And Takeshi? Was it? I promise once I find out if my idea will work you will be the first to know.”

After Takeshi tries to thank Madam Erin again and her warning him again she then erases a few of the runes on one of the portals causing the blackness through the door way to disappear leaving the wall on the other side in view. She then rewrites some different runes and the area behind the frame disappears behind the darkness again.

Madam Erin says one last thing to the woman in dwarven before she walks through the door frame disappearing I then follow after her and Takeshi follows behind me. When we arrive we find ourselves almost in my back yard…

I wondered if the portal had to be one rock, but apparently my question has now been answered as we have appeared too stepped out of a large oak tree at the edge of the forest. I don’t see any lights on in the house as we approach.

Once we pass around the side of the house to the front we pass the threshold into the dungeon and I receive a message.

Monster Katherine has changed ownership from Dungeon Core #36 [Elder Madam Erin] to dungeon Core #212 [Mayor ------].

Would you like to change Katherine’s name?

“Katherine? I didn’t think of it as you obviously had to have a name to leave her dungeon, but when did she give you a name?”

Katherine: “It was when we were speaking in dwarven…”

“Well are you alright with that name?”

Katherine: “It is fine…But if it isn’t too much trouble maybe you could cut it down to just Katie…?”

I change it in the [Menu] and confirm it, and receiving the message about a new monster available. We then finish heading around the house entering it. I then store Katie’s armor and hammer receiving the message about new items available, but I ignore it for now as well.

We quietly make our way upstairs, after telling Takeshi goodnight he heads into the room he has been using, I then point out one of the other guest rooms for Katie.

“You can sleep there, and we will take care of everything else in the morning.”

She looks a little hesitant but eventually nods heading into the room. I then creep upstairs and enter the bedroom. Belinda appears to be asleep, so I use [Menu] to remove my things and then slide into bed. Not long after I settle in though Belinda wraps herself around me.

Belinda: “It went alright then?”

“Madam Erin appears to be a little worried about the location Inari chose, but I guess so.”

Belinda: “What’s wrong with the location she chose?”

“I will fill you in on everything in the morning for now I am just ready for bed.”

Belinda gives me a short kiss then buries her face into my chest, then rubbing my hand down her back I drift off to sleep.

I wake up the next morning and Belinda is still holding me tightly drooling on my chest again… I just simply cast [Clean] and as there is little else I can do I check the screens I pushed out of the way the night before.

New Monster Available

Dwarf Cost: 250xp

Dwarves are capable of being summoned as sentient at x10 xp cost. Dwarves that are summoned as non-sentient are still capable of basic thought but possess no independent will of their own.

New Items Available

Dwarven Maul Cost: 1750xp

Dwarven Full-plate* Cost: 4000xp Dwarven Half-helm Cost: 800xp

Dwarven heavy armors are designed in a way that does not require a gambeson. However the padding can be removed to accommodate the use of a gambeson.

Katie has reached level 10 dwarves can now be summoned up to that level at an increased xp cost Katie has reached level 20 dwarves can now be summoned up to that level at an increased xp cost

New Skills Available

[Crafting Combat] Cost: 2500xp [Hammer Training] Cost: 1000xp [Crafting Specialist] Cost: 2500xp [A Daisy Amongst Roses] Cost: 10,000xp

I didn’t expect her to be level 20 as well, but I guess Madam Erin really didn’t want to be shown up by Dyson. I am not surprised to see a dwarf with crafting skills but what is that last one… I decide to check her status page.

Katie

Name: Katie Race: Dwarf Class: Battle-smith

Level: 20 XP till next Level: 57,000 Favored Element: Earth

HP: 2,800/2,800 MP: 250/250

Strength: 140

Agility: 50

Endurance: 140

Blacksmithing: 105

Resistances:

Armor:

Equipment:

Skills:

[Crafting Combat] (Rank 5): Your combat prowess is only equal to your crafting ability. Allows the use of a crafting ability to supplement weapon abilities. Bonuses to crafting ability increase weapon abilities, but bonuses to weapon abilities have no effect. At rank 5 +50 Strength, Endurance, and crafting abilities

[Hammer Training] (Rank 4): Mace training allows the use of basic hammer techniques. Smash (5mp): A quick crushing attack with a hammer boosted by magic. Dual impact (10mp): Allows the user to attack two targets in quick succession. Crushing Blow (10mp): An attack boosted by magic causing increased damage. Armor Break (20mp): An attack that can bypass most armor. Molting Strike (20mp): Gathering magic into you hammer you deal a small amount of fire damage, and have a chance to cause [Burning] effect. Wide Swing (30mp): Allows the user to attack all enemies within reach without loss of power Deconstruction (30mp): A strike with a hammer that can destroy armor, and break scales. All armor is reduced by 1 rank until repaired, or in the case of natural armor healed. Earthquake (50mp): A heavy blow centered at the point of impact spreading out 20ft causing massive earth damage to all affected, and will likely cause the status effects [Stun], [Knock-back], and [Fear]

[Iron Defense] (Rank 3): Rigorous training with Heavy Armor, grants a %45 bonus to armor when equipping Heavy Armor.

[Crafting Specialist] (Rank 2): Items created though crafting are increased by quality by 1 rank to a maximum of (Top/Expert Quality)

[Advanced Combat Specialist] (Rank 1): Due to surviving many battles you have become accustomed to battle so well that you have formed your own unique style of combat. +25 bonus to Strength, Endurance +10 bonus to Agility, and a 50 MP bonus.

[A Daisy Amongst Roses] (Rank 1): Being surrounded by beautiful people has made you try harder, and be more determined to prove yourself their equal giving you the confidence to stand proudly amongst them. All abilities +25 bonus

She doesn’t have many abilities but what she does have is really high up there. Although that last skill makes me feel bad. If that was the bonus skill she got because of my skill when she joined the dungeon, I feel I should apologize somehow, even if the bonuses from the skill itself are impressive.

…Wait there isn’t anything listed under equipment. I stored her gear last night but her clothes should still be listed if she is wearing them. I guess it doesn’t matter... I mean the more I think about the more I realize over half the house right now probably shows up the same in their status screens including my own…

That train of thought actually causes me to blush for some reason. I decide to put it out of my head for the moment, close the screens, and then begin tickling the end of Belinda’s nose with my finger. She blows several times and makes a few cute faces before she finally opens her eyes.

“Morning…”

She grunts scooting down burying herself further in the bed, but after a few seconds I can fill her tickling my stomach causing the muscles to contract. My stomach muscles however aren’t the only ones that have a reaction causing Belinda to giggle.

Needless to say it takes a while before we finally make it out of bed, and by that time I can already smell breakfast cooking downstairs. Once we finally do get out of bed and begin getting dressed I realized I haven’t mentioned Katie yet.

After all I was preoccupied and that is not really a good time to begin talking about another woman… But I need to say something before we head down stairs. As we finish getting dressed and I am putting on my boots I figure I need to hurry and say something.

“You remember me telling you about the bet I had with Madam Erin right?”

Belinda nods and says “Mmhm” as she has a long ribbon hanging from her mouth as she looks in the mirror as she messes with her hair.

“Well Inari of course far exceeded anyone’s expectations so naturally I won the bet… But you know how Madam Erin is…”

Belinda turns from the mirror both hands full of her beautiful hair, and the ribbon still hanging from her mouth. She begins to wrinkle up her brow and scowl at me, which I find actually rather cute, but I screw up letting out a nervous chuckle while turning to look away.

“Well you see…”

*Knock Knock Knock!*

Scylla: “Two-Twelve… Belinda… I don’t want to alarm you, but there seems to be a little naked drunk woman passed out in the ballroom…”

I let out a long sigh… Why did she have to be naked…Any or all of the rest of that would have been fine, but why naked!

Belinda pulls the ribbon out of her mouth and begins tying up her hair. The scowl on her face is now turning more menacing…

Belinda: “Yea… I think Two-Twelve was just about to explain that to me.”

You can tell by the tone of her song like voice this isn’t good… Enough so that I literally hear Scylla make an awkward sound, before a panicked “Alright then… Excuse me.” As she flees… Don’t just save yourself Scylla, Master doesn’t want to die alone!

“I…I can explain.”

Belinda: “Oh you can?”

“Well… I mean I don’t know why she is naked and passed out in the ballroom… But I can explain why she is here…”

Belinda: “I can imagine… Every time I leave you unsupervised you pull something like this.”

“That’s not entirely fair…”

Belinda: “Every time you leave Tobes you return with another woman! Every time I leave you pull something here!”

“She is a dwarf though! We don’t have one of them yet.”

Belinda: “Are you starting some kind of collection now? Two-Twelve’s 212 beauties…”

That actually causes me to chuckle which doesn’t help matters none. “You know you’re the only woman I love…”

Belinda: “I know that, but it doesn’t stop you from beautiful woman after beautiful woman into this house.”

“Wait… I have only brought Lilah, and Sofia, and now Katie. You summoned Scylla and Zoey, you made the specifications on Bell, and you were even the one to suggest having Roxy move in with Zoey.”

Belinda: “But they are family!”

“Well maybe Katie can be to, if you give her a chance…”

Belinda: “We are running out of bedrooms!”

“Well Takeshi will be joining Inari as soon as we manage to find a way to get him to her, and Lilah has already said if we needed the space she wouldn’t mind making the core room her bedroom.”

Belinda: “You know as well as I do, we are trying to get her out of the core room more not having her spend more time in there.”

“I am just saying, you were mentioning space… We could always add on to the house, or use the dungeon if we need to.”

Belinda: “What you really are trying to build a collection?”

“Well no… But I did want to learn how to summon elves as well someday, but I mean it doesn’t have to be a beautiful woman…”

Belinda sighs dropping down in her chair then says. “You said something about once you figure out how to get Takeshi to Inari? You also said something about Madam Erin being worried last night…”

“I guess your stories of Shima made her want to start her dungeon there, but apparently there are some places [Communication] doesn’t work, and Shima hasn’t had a successful dungeon in decades.”

Belinda: “So she could be in a lot of danger?”

“Well, all dungeon cores are… But I think we trained her good enough she can handle just about anything that is thrown at her. Besides Madam Erin thinks she might have a plan.”

Belinda: “What is it?”

“She wouldn’t say, but she thought of it after Takeshi blurted out how the communication parchment works so maybe it’s related.”

Belinda: “If we used the guild magic to replicate the dungeon magic, maybe she is going to try to do the opposite?”

“Your guess is as good as mine, but she said she would have an answer in a week and a half.”

Belinda: “I hope my little girl is going to be ok…”

I move over sitting down next to Belinda wrapping my arm around her. “If she is anything like her mother she will be fine.”

Belinda lays her head on my shoulder. I think I finally managed to smooth things over.

Belinda: “About the dwarf…”

“I think Madam Erin felt a little put out about Dyson giving me Sofia, so I think Katie was her response… She even summoned her at level 20 like Dyson did, and gave her a full set of Full-plate out of dwarven metal.”

Belinda shoots up off the bench. “Dwarven Metal! A Full-plate?!”

“Yea, even with a half-helm and a big two-handed maul made of it as well.”

Belinda: “Logan’s armor is the best armor in the kingdom and it would only be a quarter of the cost of a dwarven full-plate”

“Well Queen has her dress made out of Mythril so I am sure hers is far more expensive.”

Belinda: “Yea, but Queen doesn’t count…”

“Well if you want to get technical, the dwarven armor isn’t even the best I can make…”

Belinda: “What do you mean?”

“Dyson let me store his armor when he was here and it was made out of something called Adamantium.”

Belinda: “What is that?”

“I don’t know but to make another dwarven full-plate costs me 4000xp but a full-plate of adamantium is 250,000xp…”

Belinda: “…”

“Not even Dyson can replicate that armor though, from what he said the best smith in the world made it, if you take him at his word.”

Belinda: “Well he is the strongest Hero that has ever lived, and you said he is the strongest dungeon core as well didn’t you?”

“Well I guess the plus side of the dwarven armor, is I can now do like I did for Roxy and make you a new armor as well.”

Belinda: “Out of dwarven metal?”

“Of course, now that I got one, I can summon as many as I want as long as I spend the xp.”

Belinda: “… Logan is going to be so jealous.”

“Katie, also has crafting skills as well, so who knows what she is capable of making.”

Belinda: “A dwarven smith…?”

“I would take you to meet her, but well…”

Belinda: “If I know anything by now, it’s that I can’t be mad about you seeing women naked… I am sure you have already seen her naked when she was summoned?”

“You know I don’t make it a point… I am actually quite proud that I have managed to never have seen Scylla naked yet… I could say I never seen Sofia without clothes, but you seen what she was wearing when we got her, so even though she had clothes on the time I still pretty much have to say I have seen her naked…”

Belinda: “Well how many women have you seen naked…?”

“Do you really want to know?”

Belinda: “…I…Maybe it’s better that I don’t… “

Belinda grabs on of her bath robes. “Well we better at least take her this.”

We then head downstairs, and Belinda covers Katie with the robe then attempts to wake her up. I meanwhile notice quite of bit of the alcohol that is missing…

“Maybe you should let her sleep it off. It looks like she drank quite a bit…”

Belinda: “But she is a dwarf right? Isn’t that kind of what they do?” –She then shakes Katie a bit harder.- “Hey are you ok!?”

Katie finally sits bolt upright, but she is lying on part of her hair so when she jerks on it causing her to grab her head, of course that leaves the robe to fall to her lap. Belinda just raises it back up.

Katie: “Who are you?”

Belinda: “I am Belinda. I am Two-Twelve’s boss monster.”

Katie: “Oh… Where are my clothes?”

Belinda: “You don’t know?”

Katie: “Well Master tried to put me in that wood box… I tried, I really did, but I just couldn’t take it anymore, that’s when I came down here and found this wonderful marble. That’s when I noticed the bar. I hope Master doesn’t get mad at me.”

“I am right here you know… And I think I found your clothes. –I pull them out from behind the bar.-

Katie: “Oh…”

“Why don’t you go back upstairs and get dressed, then you can join us for breakfast and I will introduce you to everyone.”

Katie: “Not back to the wood box… Please?” –She says as she begins to crawl across the floor, meanwhile Belinda is trying to keep the robe over her.-

“Alright… Here.” –I cast [Clean] on her clothes then store them, then equip them on her.-

She finally gets to her feet examining herself, she then unbuttons it to pull the top half of the outfit down trying it around her waist again.

Katie: “Wait did you say breakfast? Like actual food?”

Belinda: “Yea we eat breakfast almost every morning.”

Katie: “Can I try it?”

Belinda: “Of course.”

Belinda starts to lead the way Katie following behind, but she stops to grab one of the small kegs off the corner of the bar.

“What are you doing.”

Katie: “Well I will need something to wash it down with.”

“Not for breakfast…”

Katie looks traumatized, but she sets the keg down then begins to follow Belinda again.