Arc Wizard Alexhandra turned to her apprentice. "From here on, Anastasya will take full command of the orientation."
Anastasya blinked. "Where are you going, Master?"
"I have a scheduled council meeting with the other Arc Wizards," Alexhandra replied smoothly. Without another word, she tapped her staff against the floor. A brilliant flash of teleportation magic flared, and she vanished from the dungeon entirely.
Vergil let out a long, heavy sigh. "Those Arc Wizards. Always bickering among themselves."
Risa looked up at him curiously. "How many Arc Wizards are there, exactly?"
"Twenty-five," Vergil replied dryly. "And let me tell you, the vast majority of them are incredibly boring and insufferably arrogant."
Anastasya politely cleared her throat, drawing the group's attention back to her. "If you will follow me, I will show you the rest of the facility. First, the residential wing."
She led the crew down a pristine corridor, gesturing to a row of doors. "These are the manager quarters. There are exactly nine bedrooms."
Sylvy frowned, doing the math in her head. "Wait. Why are there only nine?"
Vergil and Freya both sighed, exasperated by the question. It was Mina who kindly stepped in to explain. "Because Emperor Shiroi, Risa, and Yuna aren't going to live down here in the dungeon with us, Sylvy."
Shiroi nodded. "Exactly. Furthermore, Chapter Master Asura will be establishing a forward operating base for the Grey Knights near the new western village. I need to oversee the surface development personally—we are building an inn, a new Adventurer's Guild branch, and the official headquarters for the 3rd Grey Knight Chapter."
"As for the room assignments," Anastasya continued, opening one of the doors to reveal a cozy, well-furnished space. "The rooms are individual singles. Prince Vergil and Lady Freya will share the master suite, as they are married. The rest of you will have your own private quarters."
She then guided them through a spacious, fully equipped kitchen and break room designed for the managers to relax in between shifts.
Kurogami looked around the space approvingly. "I will be taking up residence inside dungeon to monitor the adventurer traffic and the monsters inside dungeon. Speaking of which, maybe i can get some information about some monster maybe good enough become boss monster."
"We will wait for that news," Anastasya assured him. She then led the group down another hall, opening a set of heavy double doors. "This is the training facility. Here, the crew can spar directly against the dungeon's monsters without any fear of death or permanent dismemberment. This room alsi can be use for Manager training the monster so monster can be learning new skill or magic, just like once Princess Takano do with Garm and Vladimir"
"Ah," Vergil noted. "Is it running on the same combat-simulation system we used in the Arudi Dungeon?"
Anastasya nodded. "Yes. It was far more efficient to duplicate the Arudi system than to develop an entirely new magical framework from scratch."
Finally, she brought the crew to a set of massive, vaulted doors. When they swung open, Risa and Yuna gasped.
Inside was a sprawling, breathtaking biome. A vast, rolling meadow stretched out before them, bordering a lush, dense forest. A crystal-clear river cut through the landscape, bubbling pleasantly over smooth stones.
"This area flawlessly mimics the natural habitats of our monsters," Anastasya explained, her voice echoing slightly in the massive cavern. "It ensures they remain comfortable and unstressed when they are not actively defending their floors."
Kurogami knelt down, running his hand through the turf. He raised an eyebrow in genuine surprise. "Fascinating. This isn't an illusion. The grass is entirely real."
Shiroi walked over to the riverbank and scooped up a handful of water, inspecting its clarity. "It's pure enough to drink."
"We tapped into a natural underground river," Anastasya explained. "The water flows through the habitat and cycles back into the subterranean network. And yes, Your Majesty, it passes through a high-tier purification rune before entering the biome, ensuring it is perfectly clean."
Shiroi nodded, a satisfied smile on his face.
Suddenly, his earpiece crackled to life. Ashcroft's crisp, professional voice filled his ear. "Emperor Shiroi, your mandatory summit with the Empire's ministers is about to begin. Your presence in the capital is required immediately."
Shiroi's shoulders slumped. He let out a long, long sigh.
Vergil smirked. "Let me guess. The minister meeting is starting?"
"Unfortunately," Shiroi grumbled.
Risa patted his arm sympathetically. "Don't worry. Once your boring political meetings are over, you can come right back here."
Anastasya quickly flagged down a nearby patrol of knee-high golems. "Escort Emperor Shiroi, Lady Risa, Lady Yuna, and Chapter Master Asura back to the surface entrance at once."
Anastasya guided the remaining crew deeper into the facility, eventually arriving at the slime containment sector. Vergil, his family, Aeka, Kurogami, and Valkrieya stepped up to the observation barrier to look inside.
Resting within the massive enclosure were six towering Mother Slimes. One was a translucent, crystal-clear blue, while the other five were vibrant, solid shades: crimson red, deep sapphire, emerald green, bright yellow, and an earthy brown.
Vergil smiled in satisfaction. "It seems Arc Wizard Alexhandra perfectly fulfilled my request for the elemental variants."
Freya tilted her head, watching the massive, gelatinous creatures slowly undulate. "Do they actually possess consciousness, Vergil? Like wild animals?"
"Let's find out," Vergil said. He turned to a squad of knee-high worker golems standing nearby. "Extract a sample from the red one, please."
With mechanical precision, the tiny golems approached the crimson Mother Slime and carefully sliced off a small chunk of its mass. The Mother Slime's wound sealed instantly, bubbling closed without leaving a single trace of the cut.
Meanwhile, the severed red blob quivered on the stone floor. Within seconds, a hardened magical core materialized in its center. The surface of the slime shifted and bubbled until two distinct, dot-like eyes formed—a rudimentary, rather cute face.
Vergil watched the newly born slime bounce slightly in place. "Perfect. I plan to release these elemental variants on the second and third floors, alongside the lesser beasts like the Horn Bunnies and Wild Bunnies."
Anastasya tapped her clipboard, her brow furrowing slightly. "The bunny variants will populate rapidly, which is excellent for those floors. However, managing the wolf-class monsters deeper in the dungeon will be significantly more difficult. Without a true Alpha Wolf to lead the packs, the lesser wolves will be chaotic, territorial, and nearly impossible to command."
Vergil stroked his chin thoughtfully. "That is a fair point. Perhaps we should bring Shiro down here."
Freya nodded in agreement. "Saya would be a good fit to lead a pack, too, if needed."
Mina excitedly raised a hand. "We could bring Hunter! He would probably love running his own dungeon floor."
Anastasya's pen stopped moving. She stared at them, her eyes wide. "Wait. Are you talking about Five Elemental Wolves? But... those are mythical! They are impossibly rare!"
Vergil chuckled, waving off her concern. "I have a bit of a talent for Beast Taming. Shiro, Saya were my adventuring partners back when I was exploring the Distopi Continent mean while Hunter is Shiro and Saya child."
Anastasya guided the remaining crew deeper into the facility, eventually arriving at the slime containment sector. Vergil, his family, Aeka, Kurogami, and Valkrieya stepped up to the observation barrier to look inside.
Resting within the massive enclosure were six towering Mother Slimes. One was a translucent, crystal-clear blue, while the other five were vibrant, solid shades: crimson red, deep sapphire, emerald green, bright yellow, and an earthy brown.
Vergil smiled in satisfaction. "It seems Arc Wizard Alexhandra perfectly fulfilled my request for the elemental variants."
Freya tilted her head, watching the massive, gelatinous creatures slowly undulate. "Do they actually possess consciousness, Vergil? Like wild animals?"
"Let's find out," Vergil said. He turned to a squad of knee-high worker golems standing nearby. "Extract a sample from the red one, please."
With mechanical precision, the tiny golems approached the crimson Mother Slime and carefully sliced off a small chunk of its mass. The Mother Slime's wound sealed instantly, bubbling closed without leaving a single trace of the cut.
Meanwhile, the severed red blob quivered on the stone floor. Within seconds, a hardened magical core materialized in its center. The surface of the slime shifted and bubbled until two distinct, dot-like eyes formed—a rudimentary, rather cute face.
Vergil watched the newly born slime bounce slightly in place. "Perfect. I plan to release these elemental variants on the second and third floors, alongside the lesser beasts like the Horn Bunnies and Wild Bunnies."
Anastasya tapped her clipboard, her brow furrowing slightly. "The bunny variants will populate rapidly, which is excellent for those floors. However, managing the wolf-class monsters deeper in the dungeon will be significantly more difficult. Without a true Alpha Wolf to lead the packs, the lesser wolves will be chaotic, territorial, and nearly impossible to command."
Vergil stroked his chin thoughtfully. "That is a fair point. Perhaps we should bring Shiro down here."
Freya nodded in agreement. "Saya would be a good fit to lead a pack, too, if needed."
Mina excitedly raised a hand. "We could bring Hunter! He would probably love running his own dungeon floor."
Anastasya's pen stopped moving. She stared at them, her eyes wide. "Wait. Are you talking about Five Elemental Wolves? But... those are mythical! They are impossibly rare!"
Vergil chuckled, waving off her concern. "I have a bit of a talent for Beast Taming. Shiro, Saya, and Hunter were my adventuring partners back when I was exploring the Distopi Continent."
Lira chimed in, gently steering the conversation back on track. "Perhaps we should table the discussion about the wolves until Shiroi finishes his meeting. For now, it would be best to focus on finalizing the internal layout and installing the floor traps."
Anastasya wholeheartedly agreed, visibly relieved. "Yes. It is best we wait until Emperor Shiroi, Lady Risa, and Lady Yuna return before making any major personnel decisions regarding the boss monsters."
Moving on from the slime enclosures, Anastasya led the group down another corridor and opened the doors to a massive, echoing chamber. The room was stark and mostly empty, save for four large sofas arranged around a pair of long tables set facing one another in the center of the room.
Vergil stepped inside, glancing around the cavernous space. "Is this the designated multipurpose room?"
Anastasya nodded.
"It looks perfectly suited for conducting monster interviews," Freya noted, picturing the logistics of hiring sentient dungeon denizens.
Vergil's expression darkened slightly, his tone dropping into something far more dangerous. "It will also serve as an interrogation room. Specifically, for dealing with problematic adventurers—the ones who think it is acceptable to rob, injure, or extort the starting capital from beginners."
Freya glanced at her husband, completely unfazed by the shift in his demeanor. "Is the punishment for murdering or robbing fellow adventurers still the same as our previous dungeon?"
Anastasya answered without missing a beat, her voice chillingly professional. "It remains exactly the same. The death penalty. Following their execution, their corpses will be reanimated to serve as zombie fodder on floors eleven through fifteen."
Vergil nodded, perfectly satisfied with the brutal but effective justice system. He turned back to their guide. "Does this conclude the tour of the main facilities?"
"For the most part," Anastasya replied, checking her clipboard. "The only areas remaining are the subterranean golem forges and the private engineering workshop assigned to Bromir and Hilda."
"I will inspect those later," Vergil decided, heading back out into the hall. "The priority right now is getting back to the control room to monitor the Spirits' progress."
"Understood. Right this way," Anastasya said. With brisk efficiency, she guided Vergil, Freya, their family, Aeka, and Kurogami back through the winding corridors toward the dungeon's control room.
Upon arriving back in the Dungeon Control Room, Aeka immediately collapsed onto one of the plush manager sofas, readying herself for the long shift ahead.
Anastasya stepped up to the main console. Her fingers flew across the crystal interface, fully activating the room's surveillance and management systems. "Status report," she announced, reading the glowing magical displays. "The Spirits are moving incredibly fast. Floors 1A through 9B are fully constructed. Floors 10A through 65B are currently undergoing rapid excavation."
The heavy doors hissed open, and Bromir strode in carrying an armful of large, runic hammers. These were not ordinary blacksmithing tools; they were architectural artifacts infused with heavy alteration magic, designed to instantly change the physical terrain and appearance of a room upon impact.
"Since there is no official main entrance to Floor One yet, we have free rein to start the detailing work," Bromir grunted, dumping the heavy tools onto a nearby table.
Vergil cracked his neck. He unclasped his heavy cloak, tossed it aside, and pulled his shirt over his head, baring his scarred, muscular chest. "Time to go to work," he said casually, picking up one of the massive hammers and testing its balance.
Mina eagerly followed suit, shedding her own outer cloak to free up her arms before grabbing a hammer of her own.
Kurogami picked up one of the remaining tools, feeling its strange magical weight. He looked at Vergil's casual readiness, then over at Aeka. "So... about this 'Arudi Dungeon Miracle' you mentioned earlier. What exactly was it?"
Aeka grinned from the sofa. "Big Brother Vergil and Big Brother Dante finished outfitting the entire Arudi Dungeon in a single day."
Kurogami's jaw dropped. He stared at her, then looked at Vergil. "Are you serious? Uncle Vergil and uncle Dante do that?"
"It's true," Anastasya confirmed without looking up from her glowing monitors. "Every word."
Before Kurogami could process that terrifying display of work ethic, Anastasya gestured for the crew to follow her. She led them to a concealed doorway at the back of the control room. It opened into a massive, spiraling stairwell—a secure maintenance shaft that connected every single floor of the dungeon.
Aeka peered down into the dizzying depths, a nostalgic smile on her face. "Ah, I've missed running around the dungeon's back routes and helping the golems."
"It's completely safe to traverse right now since the dungeon isn't operational," Bromir noted, stepping onto the landing. "The main adventurer entrance on the surface will be the very last thing we install."
Vergil slung his massive hammer over his bare shoulder as they descended. "Bromir, have you considered the trap placements for the corridors?"
"The installation is the easy part," Bromir replied, waving a hand dismissively. "We can just program the mechanical and magical triggers directly through the Dungeon Core. The only real issue is deciding which traps to use, but we can finalize those designs once the environmental dressing is done."
Bromir took point, leading the crew up the maintenance stairs until they reached the heavy access door for Floor 1A. They stepped out into a massive, perfectly carved, but entirely barren stone room.
"The plan for floors one through five is a natural cavern aesthetic," Vergil explained, looking around the blank, gray canvas. "I want it packed with jagged stalagmites, hanging stalactites, and massive natural limestone columns."
Bromir gripped his hammer with both hands, a wide, eager grin spreading across his face. "This is my favorite part of the job. The Spirits carve out the skeleton of the floor... but with these hammers, we get to bash it into a proper dungeon."
Vergil, Bromir, and Mina raised their massive runic hammers and slammed them into the smooth stone floor.
BOOM. A shockwave of alteration magic rippled outward. Instantly, the barren walls warped and groaned. Jagged stalagmites thrust upward from the ground, heavy stalactites pierced down from the ceiling, and massive, organic limestone columns fused the room together, transforming the pristine architecture into a treacherous, natural cavern.
Vergil blinked, leaning on the handle of his hammer. He looked at the vast area he had just transformed in a single strike. "Did you increase the area of effect on these? Back in Arudi, the radius was only about five to seven and a half meters. This has to be at least twenty."
Bromir chuckled, wiping sweat from his brow. "Good eye. These are heavily upgraded versions of the originals."
"What happened to the old ones?" Aeka asked, watching from the maintenance doorway.
"Left them at the Arudi Dungeon," Bromir replied easily. "Lady Alexia will inevitably need them for maintenance down the line."
Vergil nodded, hefting his hammer again. He moved to the next sector of Floor 1A, brought the hammer down with a resounding crash, and watched another massive section of stone instantly mutate into a wild cave network.
While Freya and Lira headed off to the manager's kitchen to prepare refreshments, Kurogami and Mina spread out to cover the remaining sectors. Working with terrifying, superhuman efficiency, Vergil and his crew completely terraformed Floor 1A and descended into Floor 1B in a mere thirty minutes.
Meanwhile, back on the surface, the heavy doors of the control room hissed open. Shiroi strolled in alongside Risa and Yuna, looking thoroughly exhausted from his political summit. He walked straight up to the main console where Anastasya was monitoring the live feeds.
"Give me some good news," Shiroi sighed, rubbing his temples. "What is our progress?"
"The Spirit Lords are working incredibly fast," Anastasya reported, tapping the glowing crystal interface. "The base excavation has reached Floor 45. However, the environmental detailing crew is currently only on Floor 11B."
Hearing that, a spark of energy finally returned to Shiroi's eyes. Without a second of hesitation, he unbuttoned his regal coat, pulled his shirt over his head, and tossed them both onto a nearby chair. "Give me one of those hammers. Send me down to 11B."
When Shiroi arrived on the eleventh floor via the maintenance shaft, heavy runic hammer in hand, Kurogami was already waiting for him.
Kurogami leaned casually against a newly formed stone wall, a highly sarcastic smirk on his face. "How was the meeting, Your Majesty? Enjoy discussing zoning permits for the new village?"
Shiroi groaned, stretching his bare shoulders. "It was agonizing."
"You look sluggish. Out of practice," Kurogami teased, spinning his own massive hammer effortlessly with one hand. "Tell you what. I challenge you to a speed-carving match. Let's see who can finish detailing the dungeon first."
Shiroi's competitive streak instantly ignited. He gripped his hammer tight, a dangerous grin spreading across his face. "I'm listening. What's the prize?"
"If I lose, I will personally hunt down a Ghost Knight for you in the Demon Realm," Kurogami offered. "They are incredibly rare, but one would make an absolutely perfect vanguard boss for floors sixteen through twenty."
"Deal," Shiroi agreed instantly. "Uncle Vergil can be the judge."
Vergil, having just stepped onto the floor to inspect the area, laughed out loud. "I'll gladly judge. And I'll even throw in a bonus prize. Freya is currently baking a cake in the manager's kitchen. The winner gets the first slice."
Vergil stepped between the two of them, pointing down the massive, empty corridor. "Listen up. Floors twelve through fifteen are the Graveyard Biome. I want headstones, crypts, and a perfectly eerie atmosphere for the skeleton and undead spawns. The stakes are set: If Kurogami loses, he still has to catch that Ghost Knight for the dungeon. If Shiroi loses... Kurogami gets Shiroi's slice of Freya's cake."
Shiroi and Kurogami locked eyes, absolute determination burning in their gazes. A legendary demon knight was one thing, but Lady Freya's baking was on the line. This was serious.
Vergil raised his hand high.
"Ready..." Vergil shouted, dropping his hand. "Begin!"
Up in the control room, Risa and Yuna watched the live feeds on the magic mirrors with total bewilderment.
"Is it really okay to let them treat building a lethal dungeon like a game?" Risa asked, watching Emperor Shiroi and Kurogami violently terraform the cavern at breakneck speeds.
Aeka laughed from the sofa. "That is exactly what makes the Ragnaros family so overwhelmingly powerful. They thrive on healthy competition to push their limits. Plus, the stakes are never anything too serious—just enough to keep them motivated."
Down on the twelfth floor, the dust settled. Under Vergil's strict direction, Shiroi had flawlessly carved out Floor 12A, while Kurogami had finished Floor 12B in the exact same fraction of a second.
"It's a dead heat," Vergil announced, his voice echoing over the internal comms. He gestured down the spiraling maintenance shaft. "Moving on to Floor Thirteen. I want a Noble Graveyard biome. Marble mausoleums, extravagant statues, gothic luxury. Ready? Go!"
With a blur of motion, Shiroi and Kurogami vanished down the stairs, their hammers already glowing with alteration magic.
Back in the control room, the spectators were placing their own wagers.
"I'm betting on another tie," Aeka declared confidently.
"Shiroi is going to win," Yuna countered, her faith in her fiancé unwavering.
Lira, Aria, and Chloe started a separate betting pool on the overall construction timeline, guessing the dungeon would reach at least sixty percent completion by the end of the day. Sylvy, however, boldly pushed the wager up to seventy percent.
Several hours blurred past. The heavy doors hissed open, and Freya walked in alongside Mina, carrying a massive, decadently frosted cake from the manager's kitchen.
"How is the progress?" Freya asked, setting the cake down on the central table.
Anastasya stared at her glowing monitors, her eyes wide and unblinking. "The Spirit Lords have finished excavating down to Floor 68. And the detailing crew... they are already perfecting Floor 45."
Lira smirked, crossing her arms. "Behold. The Miracle of Arudi Dungeon, Phase Two."
Freya looked around the partially empty room. "Where did the others run off to?"
"Sylvy and Valkrieya went down to the subterranean forge with Bromir to discuss weapons," Lira explained. "Aria and Chloe are with Hilda in the tailoring workshop, looking into magic robes and gear. Actually, I should probably head down to the forge myself. I want to talk to Bromir about manufacturing firearms and specialized bow variations."
Freya chuckled warmly as Lira left, then began slicing the massive cake. While they waited, Freya, Fenrir, and Camilla gathered around the control console, casually experimenting with the magic mirrors to see how the dungeon's internal systems operated.
A few more hours passed in comfortable peace.
Suddenly, Anastasya let out a long, breathless exhale. She slumped back into her chair, staring blankly at the "100%" completion runes glowing on her screens.
"It's done," Anastasya whispered. "Every floor. Every biome. Every layout adjustment. In a single day. The Arudi Miracle actually happened again." The only thing left to build was the surface entrance, which Bromir could easily handle.
As if on cue, Bromir and Hilda returned to the control room, trailed by Lira, Sylvy, Valkrieya, Aria, and Chloe. Bromir was laughing boisterously.
"I'm telling you, Sylvy's grasp on weaponry is brilliant!" Bromir cheered. "She just gave me the inspiration for a dedicated 'Gunner' class, and the blueprints for a spellblade that can be directly infused with the user's magic!"
"And these two," Hilda added, patting Aria and Chloe on the shoulders, "are terrifyingly clever. I've never seen mages who only know a handful of basic spells, yet possess the ability to completely and fundamentally modify how those spells function."
Freya smiled, handing out plates of cake to the excited, chattering group.
Finally, the maintenance doors groaned open. Vergil, Kurogami, and Shiroi trudged into the control room, covered in stone dust and sweat, but grinning from ear to ear.
Vergil leaned his heavy runic hammer against the wall and wiped his brow. "The results are in. It is an absolute, undeniable tie. The Ghost Knight will officially serve as the vanguard boss for floors eleven through fifteen."
Vergil then looked over at his wife, his stern face breaking into a soft, proud smile. "Freya, dear. Shiroi and Kurogami worked themselves to the bone out there. Make sure they get extra slices of cake."