My Dungeon Life: Rise of the Slave Harem - My Dungeon Life - Chapter 53-56

Chapter 53

After careful consideration, I went through the skill list of the Dungeon Point System a few dozen times, weighing the advantages and disadvantages. The naked Lydia was lying next to me; the previous night felt like a perfect dream. Her arm was on my chest, and her tail laid peacefully wrapped around my leg. My legs and groin felt a bit sticky from last night’s activities, but I didn’t dare to clean myself up. I wanted to stay like this as long as possible.

I had just defeated a dungeon. This wasn’t just a defeat, but true victory. Every dungeon was composed of lore from an incomplete and corrupted story. If someone could resolve the dungeon’s conflict, they would receive the dungeon’s blessing, gaining some unique power and skills, along with a set amount of dungeon points.

I had been lucky enough to fall into completing the lore, and now I could access dungeon point store. As I did so, the tattoo that had formed on my body, indicating that I had received a blessing, shone with line. Like that, I was able to look through a list of skills and items which functioned as a reward.

Since Lydia was resting peacefully, I decided to waste my time seeing what options I had.

I quickly identified a skill called Reset. For only a single dungeon point, I could have the option to reset my dungeon points. I tested it using just a single point, and it seemed to work. This meant I could test things out and decide what I wanted. I had to sacrifice one of only five points, which meant I absolutely couldn’t touch any second-tier skill unless I earned more points. That meant unless I defeated another dungeon, this was as far as I could go.

Well, that didn’t mean that these several first-tier skills weren’t amazing. I was hesitant to pick a skill that was an item, though. Various shields, armor, and weapons were all available. Some were obvious in regards to what they did, while others would need to be tested before I knew what they did. Like everything, there was no clear explanation. Either way, I found that if I used Reset and the weapon wasn’t in my hand, it wouldn’t convert to points. I was really frightened that I blew a point until I reselected my Reset while making sure I held the sword in my hand.

This time, it disappeared, and my point returned too. This meant that items could be stolen or lost, and the dungeon points would be lost with them. Some items even sounded disposable, and I didn’t want to risk losing them forever for a one-time gain, so I didn’t even try to buy those items. Instead, I focused on skills that would be useful.

I eventually settled on four skills that seemed to be the best for someone like me. The first was the Second Job. Being able to use two jobs at once instantly made me stronger, plus I could level up much faster. The second was 2X Experience, which would mean faster leveling up. The third skill was a thing called Portal. It could only be used once a day per point, but it allowed you to create a portal to anywhere you’ve been before. I checked, and it worked even in dungeons. That meant I could return to the city directly without the half-day walk. The final point went to Map. Mapping allowed me to create a map of everywhere I had been. It was always active too. I had a clear map of this dungeon, although it was all greyed out. It seemed like once we left, the dungeon would collapse.

After wasting as much time as I could, I shook Lydia awake. “It’s time for us to go.”

“Time?” She looked up drowsily, but when she saw my shirtless body, she blushed and covered herself. “Master…”

I reached out and pulled her against me. Her moderate chest pressed against mine as I gave her a long kiss. She finally broke away, blushing again, but she didn’t fight my embrace at all.

I put my clothes back on, and she went back to wearing her slave clothes. The first thing I wanted to do was to get her something nice. No… let’s eat first. I’d been eating rations and turkey legs for a week now, and now I was hungry for anything different. Wait, how about we sell all the items we got and use that money. Maybe we should check the guild first and see if there is a reward for ending the dungeon. There were so many things I wanted to do now.

“Are you ready?” I asked.

Lydia nodded and held on to my shirt. A few moments later, I created a portal to the town square.

The pair of us held hands and jumped through. On the other side, I noticed the town square was void of people. In truth, I had wanted a little fanfare. Otherwise, I would have portaled outside of town. Maybe that was a bit selfish of me. Perhaps a portal opening up could cut someone in half. Well, that wouldn’t be good, I probably shouldn’t use it carelessly anymore.

I decided that the guild hall would be the quickest place to get answers. As we approached the building, the front door slammed open, and a haughty yet familiar man came storming out. His eyes immediately fell on us just as we reached the door.

“You! So, you lived after all. Too late, I am the hero of this town! Now, hand over my slave!”

That’s right… in my excitement over everything, I forgot Lydia was owned.

Chapter 54

I was stunned for a moment as the noble glared at me. Standing by his side was one of the bodyguards. I recalled hearing from Lydia that the other one had fallen in the dungeon. That was what had led this man to his retreat and also abandoning Lydia. She would have been dead if he had his way. In fact, his actions had almost killed me too. I felt anger rising in my gut. It took quite a bit to make me angry. Even being embarrassed and mocked in class was something I used to push off, but this guy’s arrogant and selfish actions were seriously pushing my limits.

“Deek! You’re alive!” The voice came from inside the inn.

There was a commotion of people talking inside. It felt like we had arrived at the end of a gathering. It was the Guild Master who came out. He was just as tall and had just as broad shoulders as the bodyguard of Lord Tibult. It made me feel a little better that I had an ally with a happy expression on his face while the other man shot me a stern expression.

The Guild Master came out and suddenly gave me a big hug. He didn’t show any restraint, and I felt my ribs creak. I was wrong, it turned out. In the end, it was as if my allies would be my death. As he realized I wasn’t breathing, he finally let go, and I let out a rough breath. He patted my back laughing. In the meantime, a tall man with a dark complexion came out. He wore a fine suit, not unlike the nobles, although it didn’t have the signs of travel wear that Lord Tibult’s did.

“What does he mean, about the hero position?” I wheezed out as I straightened myself.

The Guild Master put on a guilty look and scratched the back of his head. “Ah… well… after you fell into that trap, we managed to escape. We waited for you for two days, but Lord Tibult came out and said he found your dead corpse. So, we gave up any hope.”

The pair of us turned to the noble, who snorted, looking indignant. “You must have misheard me. I said that he might as well be dead.”

The Guild Master frowned. His expression verified that what the noble was saying was false, but he couldn’t argue with him.

“Either way, he’s been trying to woo the city with bribes for the last few days to have us make him the hero.”

The man sputtered. “Bribes… donations! I’m merely showing my generosity! Another town would have made me a hero five times over for the help I’ve provided.”

“But he didn’t do what he promised and finish off the dungeon!” I argued.

“Hmph! That dungeon is clearly a place far too dangerous for normal heroes. However, I bravely collapsed the staircase, not to mention we wiped out a good portion of the monsters inside. I’ve given the city the time needed to put out a reward for a dungeon diver to finish off the dungeon. I even contributed to the bounty.”

“Eh?” I blinked. “But the dungeon has already been defeated.”

This time everyone else stared with confused expressions.

“That’s impossible!” Tibult shook his hands. “Who could defeat such a powerful dungeon?”

I blushed slightly. “Well, I did…”

“Nonsense!” Tibult’s face turned to rage. “I can’t believe the likes of you could do anything of the like!”

“Is that true?” The Guild Master asked, a serious expression on his face.

“Sir… I saw him do it. After Master collapsed the entrance, it was the only way to escape. He… saved me as well…”

The Guild Master whistled, and two men came out of the guild. “You two are the fastest and sneakiest I have, go confirm this!”

The two men didn’t question his orders, immediately running off in the direction of the dungeon. As for Tibult, he looked like he had swallowed something very distasteful.

Tibult’s face turned red and his anger turned to the girl. “You… you insolent slave! How dare you speak out of turn!”

She winced as he reached out and grabbed her arm. I went to grab her, but the large man stood in my way. A moment later, Lydia was pulled away from me and put behind Tibult. She gave me a single sad look, and then lowered her eyes.

Just like that, she had been taken away from me.

Chapter 55

“None of this matters. You made me the hero!” Tibult snorted.

“You cannot be made a hero while our town already contains a hero.” The Guild Master explained. “And if he also defeated the dungeon, he fulfilled the requirements you yourself set. I think you should understand our town has a reputation, and if we were known for throwing people under the bus, especially a dungeon diver, then we would create many enemies.”

“You…” Tibult wanted to argue, but he couldn’t find the words.

“Deek, if this is true, you should have the Dungeon Diver job now.” The Guild Master explained, pulling out a stone. “It becomes set when you gain it. It’s one of the few jobs that isn’t level dependent. After destroying the dungeon, you should get the job. I mean no offense, but can you hold this stone and show us the job.”

Seriously? Well, the game is called My Dungeon Life. Dungeon diving is what this game wants you to do. Therefore, auto-setting Dungeon Diver seems like something reasonable. I could also see what made dungeon diving so popular. Not only was it lucrative, but it was a way to change your fate. For example, if you were labelled with a high level in Thief, one of the few ways you could change your job would be dungeon diving. It was like the default skill of this world.

There was just one problem. I didn’t destroy the lore, I finished it. There was a hidden tattoo around my leg that displayed that fact. That means I didn’t have the Dungeon Diver job, but True Dungeon Diver. Did I really want to confess that I did something extraordinary? It felt like it would cause me more trouble than it was worth. Maybe, I’d inform the Guild Master, but definitely not in front of Tibult.

However, I had no choice. If I didn’t equip it, I’d be called a liar. I unequipped my second job and just equipped True Dungeon Diver. A text popped up in my vision.

{Dungeon Status Up has been unlocked.}

{You have shown great experience in navigating dungeons. You have unlocked the job: Dungeon Diver.}

Oh! What luck! I had forgotten to equip it earlier, and apparently just equipping it was enough evidence that I could have the lesser ability. It was sort of like learning Advanced Magic before Basic Magic, at least that’s what I reasoned in my mind. I quickly equipped Dungeon Diver, only to see that I didn’t unlock any additional skill. It looked like level 1 of both of them was probably Dungeon Status Up. That meant an increase in status while I was in a dungeon.

I took the stone, and it began to glow. A moment later, the name Dungeon Diver was displayed and I breathed easier. As for the Guild Master, he shook his head in disbelief. There was a rumbling sound coming from the Guild Hall too. People were listening in and watching from inside, it seemed.

As if on cue, the men that the Guild Master had sent also returned. “He speaks the truth; the dungeon is sealed and has started to break apart. The curse on the land has been lifted!”

The Guild Master burst out laughing, a bit of relief on his face. “You, my boy, you’re far more impressive than I would have guessed. A certified Dungeon Diver as our hero, I knew my instincts were good.”

“Hey! This is outrageous!” The noble cursed.

“I’m sorry, but I think I speak for the entire town when I say we have settled on our hero.” The Guild Master gave Tibult a bow with respect he really didn’t deserve.

“You bastard… since you don’t need to hire someone to defeat the dungeon, then I demand my money back!” Tibult snapped.

“Ah… as to that? Didn’t you say that this was all given in charity?”

“You dare?”

“That money belongs to our new hero. Don’t you think? He is a Dungeon Diver who defeated the dungeon. It seems to me like the conditions for the reward money have already been met!”

Tibult’s eyes narrowed. “You and your town are on my list! Don’t think I will suffer this humiliation!”

“Are you threatening me?” The Guild Master suddenly looked a bit dangerous.

There was the shuffling of chairs in the Guild Hall too, as several other adventurers stood up. The silence seemed to permeate the air.

Tibult snorted. “Fine, we leave in peace. I’ll be going.”

“Take this slaver with you.” The Guild Master shot a look at the tall man standing nearby who could only reply with a helpless shrug.

“Lydia, Reg, come…” The noble ordered and turned away.

Between the Guild Master and the noble, I hadn’t been able to get a single word in edgewise. Now, they were already leaving with Lydia in tow. I felt like crying.

“Wait!” I called out, causing the Guild Master to look up in surprise.

“Lydia… I want to buy Lydia!” I declared. Lydia spun around, and the sadness in her eyes turned into a delight for a brief moment. As for Tibult, he turned and stared daggers at the pair of us. The Guild Master had already put him in the worst mood imaginable. This was going to be tricky.

Chapter 56

“You wish to buy Lydia?” The man said with a sneer. “Like some peasant like you could afford her.”

“There’s a rule, right?” I asked the Guild Master, “If I can pay the fee, he must free her, right?”

The Guild Master nodded and crossed his arms. “That is true.”

I nodded, “I’ll pay off her debts. How much is she worth?”

I hated saying words like that. Lydia was worth everything to me, but I had to set her to some arbitrary value here. I didn’t like treating her like an object, but it was the only way to save a slave.

The noble crossed his arms smugly. “fifty gold coins.”

I let out a cough. All I had was a bit over a gold coin.

“You bastard…” The Guild Master snarled. “He asked you the amount of the reward. That’s ten times the amount he even put in himself.”

“You said it’d be at the value the slave was worth? As I understand it, Lydia was purchased from a discounted bin because she failed to be a proper courtesan?”

The man that he had called a slaver seemed to be listening to all this with interest. He made me a bit uncomfortable, but I had to focus on Lydia at the moment. Only the Guild Master knew what he was doing in Chalm, but given the residents of Chalm’s demeanor, he didn’t seem welcome.

“She told you that?” Tibult shot Lydia an angry look, and she wilted under his gaze. “That’s clearly because this slave is a known liar. Lydia, tell him you’re a liar.”

Lydia stepped forward, a stubborn and anguished look on her face. “I… I…”

“Go on, say it!” He raised his hand, and the Guild Master tensed for a moment.

“I lied… to-to you… about everything…” She said, tears starting to fall down her cheeks. “Just… forget about me…”

I stared at her pained expression, and my body tensed even more. I remembered the time we had spent in the dungeon. None of that could possibly be a lie. That night we spent together was no lie!

“You’re giving me the reward, right?” I asked the Guild Master. “In that case, I’ll pay it.”

Tibult blinked. “Ah…”

The Guild Master grimaced. “My boy…”

I turned to look at him. “I’m just asking for my due. What I choose to spend it on is my own business.”

The Guild Master had an awkward expression on his face. “I’d normally agree. However, we sent the reward money to the capital to try to bait a dungeon diver. We had to scrounge up every last bit of money the city had to pay for this, especially after paying the rewards to all the adventurers for that last battle. It’ll take a few days to recall the amount so that we can provide it to you.”

“Then, in a few days, I’ll…”

“Oh… sorry there…” The noble’s malicious grin returned. “I’ll be leaving town immediately. Won’t be able to stick around.”

“You… why?”

“Don’t worry, Guild Master, you can have my five-gold reward. This… somehow… feels much more satisfying.”

“You can’t do this…” I took a step forward.

“Do you dare tell a noble what he can and cannot do?” The man asked, his voice twisting angrily.

The surviving slave bodyguard stepped between us. Even if I could fight Tibult, the other man was pretty strong. I couldn’t forget that he had managed to fight down to the 5th floor while protecting a noble and a weak slave. I wasn’t confident I could defeat him.

“That…” I shot the Guild Master a look.

He gave a guilty expression and shook his head. “I’m sorry, my boy, there is nothing we can do here. You need to have the money to pay the amount due, and you have to be near the person to pay it.”

“No worries.” Lord Tibult chuckled. “I’m returning to the capital. Once you have the money, you can just come to the capital. I’ll happily sell her to you then.”

Lord Tibult let out a malicious laugh. It gave me the impression his words weren’t true. I didn’t know what he had planned, but I had the feeling I’d never be able to buy Lydia from him. He turned around and started walking away. Lydia looked at me with tears in her eyes, the hope that had been there a moment before being quickly snuffed out.

“Come, you useless slave!” The noble barked. Lydia turned around and followed with her head down. Within a few moments, I was all alone in this world once again.