I barreled through the door to my and barred the door. Such a thin, pathetic wooden door that I had. Next time I was going to save for metal doors on everything. Something that would keep out the monstrous invaders!

If there was a next time.

That animal thing, a cowkin by my granted knowledge and what the human had said, was dangerous enough that it killed the Matriarch in one spell. Stupid invaders always messing up my daily plans. I had them dead, victory in my claw, and then it all fell apart.

Even leveling during that fight with the magic human, the level that gave me the [Righteous Claw] skill from what I could only think was my [Draconic Ancestry] perk, didn't mean anything even though it was a skill that let me turn that fight onto my side. My only hope was that maybe Vurg could beat back the cow beast.

Vurg stood next to his fox minions, grooming them with his claws, as I sprinted over to him. What was he looking all relaxed for? "A really powerful invader is heading this way. Enough to kill our big fox in one spell. Everything is up to you."

My wild kobold boss was a symbol of hope and strength to my minions. His stats and skills were impressive and I had no doubt now that he could've handled the humans. Yet watching his scales pale and tail quiver in fright even as his face remained stern didn't help. He spoke softly, "One hit? With her undamaged prior?"

I nodded. Thank the dungeon I was immune to his spells for whatever reason. Maybe it was just the element his magic was specialized in, like the girl with flames and the boy with the ice sword? No matter the case I knew I couldn't fight him even without his spells. "Some kind of mage that uses holy spells."

"A [Priest] or [Monk] then. Any armor?" asked Vurg.

No, he didn't have any armor in the brief moment I saw him, did he? Some kind of cloth or softer clothing, all one piece to cover his body. Come to think of it, the colors of that cowkin's stuff matched the younger girl human's. "No, a full-body cloth thing."

"Definitely not a [Crusader] or [Paladin] variant then." Vurg grabbed his bow and nocked an arrow. There was a small pouch on his hip that he took and coated the arrow, and the rest in his quiver, with viscous green liquid inside. "A paralytic venom made from swamp snakes."

The door splintered as something heavy smashed into it. Both Vurg and I jumped as another blow cracked it into three pieces that barely held together. Vurg's two foxes went to the right and left, out of sight and hopefully in a good ambush spot if they focused on us.

I focused on the buzzing inside my head, a feeling from earlier that had asked me in the echoing voice of the world.

>Trap Enhancement

>Creature Modification

>Delve Management

I didn't want to rush the choice as all three sounded amazing, but when it was coming down to definite do or die moment I didn't want it to be because I didn't pick a skill that could've helped. The trap skill would've been my first choice, something I could've really put to use on my second floor when I established it. The creature skill I didn't know about but the last one was something I knew, just knew, that would let me use the during invasions.

It would be my luck that all of them would probably require me to use the dumb core.

The skill floated on the tips of my claws as I felt how to use it with instincts. It wanted the core, something structured to channel it through, but I could use it without my [Dungeon Interface] even if I didn't know exactly how it would work. No time like the very immediate present!

I touched Vurg's legs and cast, "[Creature Modification]."

Parts of Vurg entered my head in detail, each body part or even beyond that, filled my mind. It was hard to focus on exactly how everything would be affected, but I knew I could only do one modification and that it was temporary. Perhaps in the future and at higher levels it would be different, but I wasn't sure if I was going to have a future at the moment!

That awful cowkin shattered the door into pieces and walked, no, strode into the room. Behind him was that blonde human staring at him with awe-struck eyes. Yes, now looking at the pair I noticed they were matching colors. Was this their reinforcements?

Vurg let loose three arrows, two at the cowkin and one at the girl, in a rapid motion that would make my pathetic [Hunter] minions stare in awe.

Inside my mind I focused on his legs and rushed through the skill. No time to think and feel what did what! My mana, of which I was running very low on due to my substantial skill usage, drained to fuel it. Vurg's leg muscles thickened as his scales stretched.

I expected a spell, something big to block the arrows. Maybe even a swift dodge out of the way. No, the arrows thumped against his purple garment and fell to the ground while he caught the third in a large hand and snapped it with his fingers.

It was easy to imagine that arrow being my neck.

"[Frenzy Call], [Quick Step]!" yelled Vurg. His handsome green scales turned red as the foxes of to the side grew bigger muscles and longer teeth while their red fur deepened its color to crimson. The rush of air rocked me as Vurg disappeared from next to me and landed in front of the cowkin.

Bitter and Sweet, his tamed foxes, flanked the cowkin on his sides perfectly and all three struck as one. It was a show of perfect teamwork and execution with nothing but a skill call. I knew it wouldn't end the fight but I just wanted to see that this monster could bleed!

"[Protection]," said the cowkin in his airy and carefree manner. "Good try, very good. As expected of a boss, although you're a little too fast for one not specialized in speed."

A golden barrier spread around him and the human girl that stopped the fox bites and Vurg's blades with ease. They struck at it again and again but it failed to budge.

"Wow, amazing. Would I ever get skills like that?" asked the annoying human pest. Why was she here when her other dumb companions weren't? No, focus on the true threat.

"Perhaps, little one. Perhaps your Path will be similar to mine, or wildly different, I can't say. However, I could teach you the [Protection] spell if you want. It's not so difficult an [Acolyte] can't learn it," said the cowkin as if he wasn't currently in a fight. Perhaps he wasn't, that we weren't even a threat to him. It made me grind my fangs.

A casual wave of his hands and four words made my scales tingle. "[Put To The Sword]."

Three golden swords, smaller than the one that struck the Matriarch, formed over Vurg and his pets. The two that sunk into the foxes, even with them trying to dodge the mystical blade, killed them in seconds. I was already running to Vurg and leapt into the sword that was aimed for him. A dumb, suicidal move that I wouldn't ever make for my minions, but a gamble I had to take because otherwise my death wouldn't matter.

It struck me and shattered. No pain, no death or searing burns of whatever the light was made of.

Vurg blinked at from where he threw himself to the ground in an attempt to dodge the spell. Yeah, don't get used to me saving you. That's what your entire existence is supposed to be for me!

"So very interesting! So this is what my God meant," said the dumb cow beast with awful cheer.

"How can it even survive that?" asked the even dumber human in wonder.

I clacked my fangs and ran at the cow man. I wasm't something to be analyzed! The white smoke that came with my skills coated my claw as I drew upon my mana and had it coalesce there. My claws were sharp enough to cut a metal sword. "[Righteous Claw]!"

"[Protection]," spoke the [Priest]. The golden barrier shrouded them again, but when my smoking claw struck it I cleaved through it like air. My claws should've sank into the cow's leg or torn something vital, but he displayed that absurd speed again and met my claw with a golden lit punch.

My nails broke into pieces, as did the bones in my claw, but finally it happened. Four thin red lines were drawn across his hand, each slightly oozing red blood. Everyone stared at the wound even as I exhaled [Healing Breath] onto my hand.

Then the cow laughed. "You wounded me! That's a dangerous skill there. Take note, girl, because that kobold's skill get's stronger the more 'in the right' it thinks it is."

Was it? I honestly just thought it made my claws sharper with magic or something, but it made a weird amount of sense.

"[Holy Bolt]." Two beams shot at Vurg. He dodged one using that instant move skill but the second had predicted where he was going and incinerated him. The top half of his body was obliterated into nothing leaving only his still-twitching legs in a swampy muck puddle.

I hissed, a guttural feeling of rage I hadn't felt since my first battle with a fox cub for my life. Was this how I was going to die, then? My mana was nearly gone, maybe enough for a single claw attack, but skills weren't everything I had!

The cow stepped forward to meet my claw with a fist when I lunged at him. It was like striking metal stronger than iron, whatever that may be, because there was a sharp screech when my claws met his thick hide. He must have been pulling his punches because my [Touch Scales] had cracked in every matched hit instead of shattering every bone like before.

"I refuse to die here to you, ugly cow!" I roared as I swiped left, up, down low, struck with both claws and pivoted to a heavy blow using my tail's weight to increase the momentum. Every trick my [Claw Techniques] had taught me was put to use, even the fact that my feet counted as claws and I tried a stealthy attack.

Yet he met every blow, withstood every strike without a single drop of blood shed, before finally I couldn't move my arms. Bones cracked and scales broken, crimson blood pouring out of so many wounds I felt lightheaded. There was barely any mana inside my not-stomach, that well of my magic, but I pulled on it.

And broke. It wasn't enough. Nothing I could do was enough to fight this invader, so powerful he was that only those four lines marked that I had even existed to him. Lines that were already fading from sight as they rapidly healed. My knees hit the ground as I collapsed and I stared at my foe.

Nothing was behind me, beyond my boss room, other than my . I wasn't one to give up to death, but what else could I do?

"Well, that's that then," said the cow man. "Do you yield?"

I snapped my fangs at him. Even with my arms useless, mana depleted, and strength gone I wouldn't yield. "Never."

"Um," muttered the human. The worry in the tone grated because I couldn't tell who it was for. "What are you going to do with it?"

"Her," corrected the cow. "She."

A powerful hand lifted me up onto his shoulder and carried me to the end of the room. Inside the hut was a green chest made that was made of vivid green scales. It hadn't been there before so it must be the boss chest. The life of my boss condensed into a reward his killer.

"Go ahead and open it. I saw your friends getting that red chest inside that other room, so this one is yours," said the cow. The girl hesitated, eyes glancing between it and the cow unsure if she should.

"Just open it, you stupid human," I spat. It wasn't as if I wasn't curious, that I didn't want to know what items were worth the life of my , but still. “Hope you get garbage.”

She flinched at my words and hesitantly opened the chest. The creak of the hinges when the lid was lifted up must have been for dramatic effect or something because I couldn’t think of why a magically spawned chest of scales would sound rusted.

When seeing the so-called treasure I burst out laughing. Truly, that was the worst thing anyone could have possibly gotten! In the wide empty space of the green scaled chest was a small red fox, tiny even compared to the likes of the Bitter and Sweet, Vurg’s pets, or even small compared to the those [Rascal] cubs.

My own victorious cackling quieted when the cow chuckled in cheer. “What luck! An extremely good find, girl, very good.”

The human picked the tiny sleeping rosefur fox and cradled it in her arms and also picked up a necklace made of twine and animal fangs. “It’s so cute!”

“Hey! That’s just a dumb fox, it’s not good as all. It can’t even fight anything and look at how weak it is,” I spat.

The ugly cow monster priest that had killed every one of my allies and minions patted me on the head like a child, an action I wanted to bite the offending fingers off but knew would more likely break my fangs, and shook his head. “An animal companion with a bonding trinket is a rare find. Sure, it may require time and care to raise it, but the reward will be worth such a companion.”

What was he saying? I didn’t understand at all. “It’s just a weak, dumb fox.”

The human girl at least looked like she received a priceless treasure. Ugh, I would never understand invaders. What was so good about shiny rocks and now foxes? I’d rather have whatever this cowkin’s robe was made out of and some rarer metal!

He went over to the wooden hatch that led to my nonexistent second floor and I squirmed. “Hey, stop you dumb beast. Stop! I swear I’ll kill you if you go down there. Human, stop him!”

I couldn’t get more desperate, a new low really, to ask a human for help. She was better than this cow though because I could at least take her in a fight, but him? I tried so had and all I had left was to plead. Pathetic.

“Hmm, no barrier?” he muttered as he threw open the hatch and walked down the stone stairs. It wasn’t a long walk, every step down was achingly long from atop his shoulder, before he came to the empty room. The only room on a floor that I haven’t established.

My .

“Wow,” whispered the human girl.

The stupid, translucent square gem half as big as I was sat upon its equally stupid pedestal in the center of the room. I hated the fact that they could see my , let alone be near enough to touch it. It wasn’t worth the awe the human was showing, but her expression was better than the cow’s.

“Only one floor so far? With the levels of your kobolds and guardians I thought you would have had two or three. Certainly, you had enough mana for the construction,” he said. I hissed at him knowing he spoke the truth. Of course, that was only the truth if you counted on knowing how a dungeon worked, something I didn’t at all in the beginning. “Why is that?”

I didn’t want to answer but he gave me a curious look. “Ignorant cow, you think everything is easy? You come into the world knowing how to cast spells or covered in equipment? I worked hard to make my first floor, to help my minions become strong!”

Remembering the glowing golden swords slay my most powerful minions in one strike angered me, yet also showed me how far the top was and how low I still stood. “What use is three or four worthless floors with weak monsters! It wouldn’t have stopped you.”

He shrugged. “True, but I see. Time spent on your allies, was it?”

The human shifted uncomfortably, as if she remembered something awkward, and it made me want to tear her apart. Having these invaders, these strangers, stand here and what? Judge me, question my decisions and choices?

I’d take death over this feeling. “Just do it already.”

“Do what?” asked the cow as if he didn’t know. As if this wasn’t why invaders came here.

“Shatter it. Kill me and leave,” I hissed. “I won’t be your pet.”

“Um, are we going to do that, Krol?” asked the human.

He set me down on the ground not too gently and everything about me sang in agony for the brief moment my body found itself relying on my non-existent strength to stand.

“No, not at all! Well, actually yes, that is what I intended to do before I got here.” Krol, that was what the human called him, rubbed his neck and smiled wryly. “My Goddess only asked to protect her newest human charge and maybe, if that charge liked, receive training as an [Acolyte] should from a [Priest]. Yet my Goddess hinted at something else, although her amusement can be a bit weird, especially when it comes to quests.”

I kicked him and only received a burst of pain from my body and a broken toe for my trouble. “I knew it!”

“But when you miraculously survived my attack, and that was definitely something qualified as a miracle, I understood since I am Her [Chosen] and a [Judgement Priest].” Krol laid his huge hand on my head and channeled that golden magic. So here came oblivion after all. “[Heal].”

It was unlike my own healing skill which was comforting and warm. His magic looked holy but felt like darkness. Still, the power in it dwarfed my own and it righted every grievous injury I had.

“...What?”

I flexed my claws and glanced toward the human. As much as I wanted to tear them both apart I knew I couldn’t. It wasn’t just the fact that this monster could and would slaughter me, but I felt… I wasn’t sure but while I wanted to do violence I wasn’t entirely sure I should.

The human stepped back and hid near the stairs. Her eyes fell upon me and I met her gaze. Yes, we had scores that would be settled, but not now. “Um, well, I’ll wait for you at the top, Mister Krol. And about that training, er, apprenticeship? I’d be honored, but are you sure? We’re… I’m well, and you’re you know. Isn’t it bad?”

“Others may view it as so, look upon us and judge, but that’s not my or our concern. We can talk about it later if you’d like as I’m unfortunately stuck in the dungeon for the rest of the day and night.”

“R-Right. Well!” She nodded rapidly and then retreated upstairs.

Leaving just me and my jailor alone next to my big, shiny weak spot. “So if you’re not killing me or breaking my dungeon, just what do you want? Healing me doesn’t change anything.”

He sat down so that we were eye level, and more importantly his face was closer to my reach, and the way he stared at me was unnerving. Was it a skill? “Let us talk real quick, shall we? Ah, but first, introductions. I am Krol Dream, [Judgement Priest] and [Chosen of Luminous], the Minor Goddess of Destiny. Or Dreams, or Fate, or all other similar words.”

“Two classes? No, that one, a title? Perk?” I asked.

“A very important and powerful perk. One granted by a God,” he replied smoothly.

I clacked my fangs. Perks were still a thing I had no information about other than apparently everyone had one and mine granted me skills. “I’m the [Dungeon Master] of this dungeon. What do you want?”

He frowned. “That’s it? What about your name or the dungeon’s name?”

“We have none!” I yelled. “What do you want!?”

“Well that can’t be. Even Creatures have names,” he said with a snort. “Your minions have names I heard. Why not you?”

Why was he going on about this? I didn’t need a name chosen by my minions or myself! It was just so… pathetic to name yourself. “Because!”

Krol inspected me, his eyes lingering on my claws to which I motioned to claw out those offending eyes, and he grinned. “Then I’ll gift you a name. No need to thank me, vicious little kobold.”

“What, no! Shut up and tell me what you’re going to do!”

“Hmm, you use your claws rather well. To injure me even though I must be almost thirty levels above you and far older still is very impressive,” he said. I was going to retort but my mouth went dry. What did he say, thirty levels? “The sound was glorious, one of effort and skill. A sharp tapping almost.”

I stepped back from his contemplating expression now extremely aware of how out of depth I was. Knowledge of just what monster I was fighting earlier made me truly fear. It was just a number, but that knowledge was so much more terrifying than seeing him slay Vurg with ease.

“How about Tiktak? It sort of sounds like your claws on wood and stone. Tiktak Taklak. Spelled with k’s because your a kobold,” he beamed with pride.

What was with that atrocious and lazy naming sense!? I didn’t want some stupid name thought up on whim! I wanted a powerful, intimidating name that would ring terror in my opponents.

I went even whiter with dread at hearing the chorus inside my head confirm it. “No, no, nonono. I refuse it! Why was it registered?”

“Oh, it actually went through? Then well met, Tiktak.” I wanted to scream but it came out a gurgle. Krol continued on without a care. “As for the future, I think I’ll have an apprentice to teach but I’ll have to report your dungeon to the nearest tribe. Brakkahorn should be on the other side of the Rosestone Swamp, and I assume the children will report back to Ardor.

“I’m afraid your days will be full of adventurers of all kinds, many wanting the treasures you put out and will be satisfied with that. Others though will want your .” He gestured at the pedestal. “Shattering one grants the person who breaks it a rare skill. A powerful skill based on the dungeon itself.”

“Then why won’t you break it?” I shot back.

“What use would such a skill at your level be worth to me?” True, a cold part of me knew that anything gained from me now was worthless to someone of his level. “Maybe when you’re older and stronger. It will be a glorious fight. Until then, I think… One month.”

A month for what?

“I’ll ask the kids to hold off reporting or selling their treasures for one month. Meanwhile they’ll have the chance to enter here for that entire time.” Krol laid a hand on my shoulder. “And during that time you would, how to put it, let them run around on your first floor. They wouldn’t come to the core room as you work on doing whatever a [Dungeon Master] does for the your floors, but you aren’t to help your allies fight back.”

What this thing that pretended to be kind was telling me to do was so… so… I didn’t even know the word for pure opposite of what my instincts and class was telling me to do. Yet, to have a month to prepare for an onslaught of invaders? “You won’t be with them?”

His eyes sent my scales into a tingly frenzy. “I would know if you went back on your word, Tiktak.”

My new name sounded strange, but also comforting as if it had been mine for my entire life. I slapped his hand off my shoulder, an act that he humored, and agreed. It really wasn’t a choice since it was that or death. “Fine! But if they die on their own it’s not my fault, okay?”

“Sure, that’s the risk they take if they choose to do so.” Krol Dream stood up and headed to the stairs. “Such a curious Creature. I’ve never met a [Dungeon Master] before, not like this. Tell me, if you want to of course, how did you survive my spell?”

“[Holy Damage Immunity], you stinky cow. I’m a Blessed Kobold!” I said with pride. Not even his terrifying spells could hurt me if they were holy aligned.

“Ah, I see. And you wouldn’t worship a particular God, Great or Minor, would you?” he asked. Something in his tone made me wary, but I shook my head. I didn’t know of any deities. “Much thanks for answering. Blessed, huh?”

Krol walked upstairs to do whatever he was going to do with the human girl and the other two stupid humans. I allowed myself to relax and slump against the core’s pedestal. It stood there, proud and smug as usual in its safety I granted it, and I wanted to cry.

So I cried.

How long I was there I forgot. Eventually the vanished from my mind and even still I didn’t move. Conversations hit me, words spilling over in my thoughts, as my head felt tight.

One month. He called those humans kids so they must be young. If they were that strong, then what were adults like? I still didn’t understand why the cow priest left me alive, to give me a chance at all. Was it for the humans, for the next-to-come invaders, or himself and his Goddess?

“Master?” asked Chion as he poked his head around the corner.

I could tell I looked truly pathetic by the way he reacted when I looked up. He said nothing further as he walked to me and helped me up. Things blurred as Chion did stuff and otherwise let me sit. He went back up and nobody came down after that.

For all my fire, my anger and thoughts when my enemies were in front of me, when they left I felt all of it die out like a bucket of cold water was dumped on my emotional flame.

Enough, I had sat here for too long.

When I made my way up to my floor and out of the hatch in Vurg’s hut I was met with eyes. Every one of my minions, barring the foxes of course, were gathered around in the waiting for me.

Nobody was feeling better than I was. They were used to dying, fighting for the safety of their home and the dungeon itself. So was I, really, except for the dying part. Yet to have been so utterly beaten by a single foe, to be so helpless, it was…

Vurg was lying among his two pets, his companions, looking better than I knew he felt. “You did your best.”

“I didn’t do anything at all. I am this floor’s boss and I did nothing. Not even a single scratch in my only fight.” I sighed, knowing full well what he felt, and kicked him lightly in the leg. Unlike everyone else Vurg was static. He wouldn’t grow stronger like us, he was born at his peak strength. “Get used to it, know this feeling, and use it. So what if you don’t get new skills or level. Are you dumb? Get smarter, use better tactics, become creative!”

Even though I was speaking to him I kept my voice loud so all my minions could hear. “We aren’t beaten yet, not dead or destroyed, because of mercy. The monster that came in here gave us a chance, although he will regret it. After a month there will be many invaders and we’ll fight.”

Chion and Snep looked to each other, my oldest and strongest of minions. I would be depending on them more than all the others. “And those humans that came here will come back, again and again. For our treasures and for our lives. We’ll give them neither!”

Well, some of us wouldn’t. Probably.

Snep, contrary to her usual snarky and contemptuous self, asked weakly, “And if it not enough?”

I snorted, and refused to jump when white smoke came out of my nose. “Then we’ll die permanently. But that is then and this is now. We train, get better equipment, and grow stronger. I’ll build our dungeon and we’ll gain new minions!”

It was Chion, the true centerpiece to my kobolds, that restored their spirits. He laughed, a low and terrible thing, “What are more deaths? As long as we take invaders with, all is good!”

“Yeah!” yelled Trald. Ras and Cas, Baf and Daf, the two nameless ones I’ll have to reward for no doubt getting their classes. Vurg, Bitter and Sweet, and the Matriarch and her cubs. We weren’t done yet.

—————————

>Name: Tiktak Taklak

>Class: Dungeon Master Lv.6

>Race: Blessed Kobold

>Gender: Female

>HP: 89/89

>MP: 78/78

>STR: 23

>DEX: 13

>AGI: 10

>VIT: 22

>INT: 18

>WIS: 24

>CHA: 11

>LUK: 16

>Skills: [Dungeon Interface Lv.3], [Second Heart Lv.1], [Claw Technique Lv.5], [Tough Scales Lv.4], [Mana Manipulation Lv.3], [Fear Resistance Lv.2], [Intimidate Lv.1], [Healing Breath Lv.3], [Throwing Techniques Lv.2], [Bow Techniques Lv.1], [Righteous Claw Lv.2], [Creature Modification Lv.1], [Pain Resistance Lv.1]

>Perks: [Draconic Ancestry], [Holy Damage Immunity]