Chapter 37

“You got to hold your shield up, Nomaz,” said Halia. She marched up to the young man who was picking himself up from Cheekha’s attack. “And brace yourself for the impact. You have to be ready, or that will happen.”

“Right, Lady Halia,” Nomaz said as she thrust out a hand at him.

“Bend with the knees, too,” growled Akiz, the dwarf warrior who had joined Lord Leo with his adventuring party. “You need to absorb that impact with your knees. Monster girls can hit harder than you think.”

“Yes,” growled Cheekha, the words coming out strange in her wolf form. She padded to the other two werewolves. They were helping her trainees practice against hit and run tactics.

“Okay, Bellia, you’re up,” she said.

Bellia rose from where she sat with Kassie. The halfling mage had a magic book spread out. She was still trying to find someone to teach magic to. Someone that had a knack for it. Bellia rushed over as she put on her shield and sword. She looked eager in her training leathers, a skirt and sleeveless top. The village girl had grown stronger in training, her arms and thighs toned with muscle.

Bhediya charged at her and slammed onto her shield. Bellia gasped as she was thrown off her feet. She hit the ground and rolled.

The werewolf panted with delight as she darted over and licked at Bellia’s face.

“Oof, you hit hard,” Bellia said. “My arm is numb.”

“Broken?” Halia asked.

“No, no,” she said. “Lady Ianna’s fertile twat, I felt that one.”

“Yes, you did,” said Ashiliozia. The elven rogue, one of Akiz’s companions, lounged against the wall. “I’d recommend not even trying to block. Dodging’s an option. Get a better position and stab.”

“If you can do it,” said Halia. “But hiding behind your shield is a good way to live. Karvin.”

Karvin trotted out, another of the Astovin youths eager to be an adventurer for Lord Leo. He readied himself as Chaandi readied her charge. The werewolf licked her chops. She darted to the right, then cut left at him, attacking from his weapon side. He didn’t panic.

He twisted in his feet and set his shield, leaning into the attack. She hit him. His feet slid a few inches, then he thrust his sword, the blunt end scoring down the side of Chaandi. She bounded away, her tail wagging.

“Got me!” she growled. “Good work!”

“Yeah,” Karvin said, a big smile spreading on his lips.

“Just don’t get cocky,” Halia told him, pride rising in her. “In a real fight, that probably wouldn’t have killed her. She would have tried to get behind you and take out your legs. Monster girls will fight through the pain. They aren’t afraid of death since they don’t really die like me and you do. They can be reckless. They are devoted to their builder.”

“If I impale myself down your sword so my sister can rip out your throat,” Chaandi growled, “I would. No hesitation. That’s how much I love Lord Leo.”

“Got it,” Karvin said. “I’ll do that. Thanks, Chaandi.”

She bowed her head. “We are in the same pack, Karvin. We all serve our pack-master.”

“Okay, Melin,” Halia said to the last of her trainees. “Your turn.”

“You got this,” said Vern, the last of Akiz’s adventuring group. A human warrior with a strong presence. “Just like Karvin. You—”

Bells rang through the dungeon. Halia glanced up and groaned. Intruders had entered the valley leading up to the dungeon, tripping the Alarm enchantment Leo had placed down on it. Another group of fools who wanted to die.

Halia sighed. She would rather recruit them to Lord Leo’s service. It was such a waste. “Okay, let’s make our way to the throne room.” The paladin clapped her hands. “Hurry.”

I pulled on my gray robes as I ran out of the living area with my family. Yesterday’s spell practicing had gone great. Today, I had been strategizing with Lana Fulmine, Ms. Trueno, and Alizee on how best to begin negotiations with the dwarves that the Twins had enslaved.

Now a band of adventurers were attacking.

Or something else. It was the Valley Alarm that went off.

I reached my throne room and headed to the map of the dungeon. I stepped on it and showed the first level, zooming in so it was useful. With my dungeon reaching all the way to the Twins and Sharithin, it was useless to see it all at once.

The Black Room with the aos sithe and the vampires was today’s entrance room, changed first thing after I got out of bed. I watched the cave that led to it, waiting for the first enemy blips to appear on it. My companions were gathering in here.

“What is it?” asked Lana Fulmine.

“Something entered the valley,” I said, staring down at the map, watching for the first red dot of an enemy to appear in my dungeon.

Or a black dot for an enemy monster girl.

“We should have someone always stationed in the Observatory,” said Maya. My undine took my arm, pressing her body against mine. “Or have the harpies flying around more than Astovin. They could have spotted these adventurers coming.”

“It’s why we have the Alarm ritual in the valley,” I said, my stomach tensing.

“It’s not a bad idea,” Hagane said. “Someone with good eye site. Of course, they will be far removed from any of the fightings.”

“Or just re-position the wildhounds to hide in the surrounding terrain,” suggested Nina Naughty. My porn star devil flicked her tail back and forth, a wicked grin on her red face. “That would do nicely. They make great skirmishers.”

“Or activate a whole new group of level 1 monster girls,” Crystal said. “What are you not using? Ooh, wendigo. You’re not using all the Ice monster girls you can use.”

“And you have so many Life monster girls,” said Mom. “You have treants and werefoxes. One of those would be great to hide in the woods around the valley. The treants would blend in perfectly.”

My brow knitted. “It’s—”

The dungeon alarm went off. Intruders had entered the dungeon. A group of five. I sighed. I hated killing adventurers. “Smerta,” I said to her and all the monster girls in the dungeon, “try to take them alive.”

“Yes, Leo,” the valkyrie answered.

“Alive?” Vilkas asked. She was in the first dungeon assisting Smerta. “That’s curious. What do you plan to do with them?”

“Recruitment,” I said.

“A noble idea,” said Halia. She and her adventurers marched into the room. I glanced up at them crossing the room, Halia looking so martial in her armor. She had her hand resting on the pommel of the Blessed Blade of Light. “Maybe it’ll work. I joined up.”

“Better than offing them,” grunted Akiz. The dwarf nodded to me. “Help ‘em see the light that you’re not like the other vermin. No offense, my Lord.”

“None taken,” I said as the invaders found the way out of the entrance cave and into the Black Room. It was time for my Level Three monster girls to show their mettle. Three aos sithe and three vampires surely could capture that many.

The red dots clumped together. My monster girls moved into position as the adventurers strode into the room with confidence.

“Mage!” cried Hrudei, one of the aos sithe.

“Light,” hissed Udel, a vampire.

Her dot vanished.

“Shit,” I growled, watching the red dots moving in. The aos sithe were easy to spot. Their blue dots flickered around the battlefield as they teleported.

Palka vanished. Then Krvi. All three vampires were dead. My stomach lurched. These were strong adventurers.

“That mage is deadly!” cried Divochyy.

“Just keep fighting,” I said. “If you can’t take them alive, fine.”

Divochyy’s blue dot appeared beside the red dots. So did her two sisters. Two of them vanished, Divochyy and Zhinka. Hrudei teleported back only for her dot to vanish a heartbeat later. My teeth ground together as the five red dots moved through the room.

“The mage is deadly, Smerta,” I told her. “Be ready.”

“Yes, Leo,” she answered. “Fuck a bear! Vilkas, ready an ambush. I want to hit them at intersection 5a.”

“Got it,” Vilkas answered.

On the map, my monster girls in the first labyrinth were surging towards a gold dot, Vilkas. She was gathering up the oozes, satyrs, and wildhounds. They massed around her as the adventurers penetrated into the labyrinth.

The red dots moved down the tunnel, stretched out into a line. I watched them as Vilkas started deploying her monster girls. It would be pure black in the tunnels, but the adventurers must have a Light mage with them. That was how they overcame the Black Room. The only way.

Suddenly, a tiny increase to the power flooded through me. A red dot vanished, one of the adventurers killed by a trap. Those were slowing them down. Forcing them to move with caution and giving Vilkas more time to ready her ambush.

“I hate this,” muttered Ms. Trueno. “I feel sick to my stomach.”

“Is it always like this?” asked Alizee. My cheerleader stood between my mother and Mrs. Lucina.

The two MILFs put their arms around the sylph. “I’m afraid so,” Mrs. Lucina said. “Adventurers come and die. They never make it to us. The monster girls wear them down eventually.”

“Why?” Alizee demanded. “It seems so pointless.”

“To save the world,” Halia said.

Akiz grunted. “For the glory. The profit. The challenge. The sheer thrill of it. Saving the world.” He spat. “Most adventurers aren’t in it for that. Trust me.”

Halia looked troubled by that. She had been in it to save the world. She had wanted to make this world safe from the dungeon builders like her father had. And his father. Her family had wielded the last known Blessed Blade since the Lord and Lady of Light bestowed it on her ancestor Vobreth which was where her family name came from, Vobria.

“They’re almost to the ambush spot, big bro,” Garnet said. She wasn’t laughing or boasting. Her wings drooped.

“Try to take some alive, Vilkas,” I told her. “But if it fails, Smerta, kill them.”

“Yes, Leo,” Vilkas and Smerta answered together.

“Get ready, Vilkas,” Smerta said. She was in her command room with her own map of the first level of the dungeon. She was my general. “They’re rounding the corner and heading towards the intersection.”

“I hear the traps going off,” Vilkas said. “And being disabled.”

I nodded.

“They won’t make it far,” Akiz said. “You’re too strong for adventurers to handle. Only the very best, the most dedicated. The true believers.” He glanced to Halia. “Only they could have a chance against you. It’ll take an army to challenge you now.”