Tobi stood in the center of the newly expanded second floor, hands on his hips like a site foreman inspecting a Lagos construction project. The air hummed with mana. Glowing crystals embedded in the walls pulsed steadily, and the faint scent of wet earth mixed with something that almost smelled like suya spice — probably his imagination working overtime.
"Nyx, my dear sleeping beauty," he called out, "we have 1,247 mana and twelve days before trouble knocks. Time to turn this hole into something that makes people cry tears of joy… or just cry."
The lavender orb materialized beside him, spinning lazily. "You used three hundred mana yesterday just to make the riddle door say 'Na who dey find trouble?' in multiple languages. I'm starting to think you enjoy wasting resources."
Tobi grinned. "That wasn't waste. That was branding. People will remember us. Now, let's get serious."
He opened the full Dungeon Management menu and began planning like a man who had just received a bank alert.
Floor 2 Expansion Plan Activated
He first reinforced the spike traps and added swinging blade mechanisms triggered by pressure plates. Then he created a small pack of Mana Wolves — sleek, glowing blue creatures with sharp instincts.
Mana Wolves (x5) Created
Cost: 180 mana
Rank: D+ (Upgradable)
He named the pack leader Baba Ijebu because the wolf looked like it could calculate odds before attacking.
Next came the real masterpiece: a mini-boss room at the end of Floor 2.
Tobi poured 450 mana into creating a Stone Guardian Golem fused with copied skills from Elara's greatsword style. The resulting creature stood almost four meters tall, with glowing runes across its chest and arms that pulsed with power.
He named it Uncle Festus.
"Why do you name everything after Nigerian uncles and days of the week?" Nyx asked, genuinely baffled.
"Because family is family, even if they're made of stone. Uncle Festus will collect tolls from invaders."
By the time he finished, the dungeon had two proper floors, decent traps, mobile defenders, and mana reserves sitting comfortably at 612/2,500.
Tobi wiped sweat from his brow. "Not bad for one morning. Now, we need customers to test this."
As if the world heard him, Hustler's Insight pinged hard.
"Multiple groups incoming. This one looks like a proper raid party."
Six adventurers arrived together — clearly a coordinated team from the nearby Greenleaf Guild.
They were all Bronze to Silver rank, equipped with better gear than previous visitors. Their leader, a bearded warrior named Garrick, read the new sign at the entrance out loud:
"Nyx Dungeon – Now with two floors! First clear gets special reward + Apostle's personal pepper soup recipe. Enter if you're not afraid of small stress."
Garrick laughed. "This Apostle is either brilliant or suicidal. Let's clear it fast."
Tobi waited inside the first chamber, leaning against the wall like a bouncer at a club.
"Welcome, welcome! Please remove your shoes—wait, no, that's not right. Just don't die too quickly. I need data."
The battle kicked off immediately.
The adventurers moved like a proper team — coordinated, careful, professional. They dismantled the first wave of Mana Wolves with practiced ease. But when they reached the puzzle door, things got interesting.
One of them read the riddle aloud: "I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no eyes, yet I cry. What am I?"
Tobi's voice echoed from hidden vents he had installed: "Cloud! But if you get it wrong, you get pepper spray special."
They got it right on the second try.
Floor 2 proved much harder.
Uncle Festus awakened with a ground-shaking roar and swung a massive stone fist enhanced with Elara's copied greatsword momentum. The fight turned chaotic and beautiful.
Tobi joined in directly this time, testing new combinations. He mixed Naija War Cry with Adaptive Slime Reflection and Tri-Shot Pepper Barrage, creating ridiculous combo attacks that left the adventurers stunned and laughing even while fighting.
One female mage in the party — a red-haired girl named Mira — kept staring at Tobi every time he shouted motivational Yoruba phrases mid-battle.
After twenty minutes of intense fighting, the party finally defeated Uncle Festus (who dissolved dramatically while saying "Tell my wife I loved her" in a deep voice Tobi had programmed).
Dungeon Cleared for the First Time!
Bonus Mana Reward: +680
Reputation Explosion: "Actually Fun & Challenging" spreading rapidly
Tobi created the promised reward chest: some decent equipment, mana crystals, and a small handwritten note with his "secret" pepper soup recipe (adapted with local fantasy herbs).
As the party prepared to leave, Garrick approached Tobi.
"You're building something real here, Apostle. Our guild master has taken notice. We'll be back with more people in a few days."
Mira, the red-haired mage, lingered. "Your fighting style is… unique. Where did you learn those chants? They feel like they have real power."
Tobi flashed his most charming smile. "Family tradition. Stick around next time and I'll teach you one or two. Free of charge for pretty mages."
Mira blushed and hurried after her group, but not before glancing back twice.
Nyx sighed loudly in his head. "That's three now. Lila, Elara, and now Mira. Your small harem is forming faster than the dungeon is growing."
"Competition is healthy," Tobi replied, still grinning. "Keeps me sharp."
That evening, as the sun dipped below the massive fantasy trees, Tobi decided to do something different.
He used 80 mana to create a small outdoor cooking area just outside the dungeon entrance — a stone table, fire pit, and basic seating. Then he experimented with local ingredients to make something close to real Nigerian food.
The result was Fantasy Pepper Soup — spicy enough to make adventurers sweat and come back for more.
Word spread faster than he expected.
By the next morning, a small crowd had gathered. Not just adventurers, but curious villagers, merchants, and even a few traveling merchants who heard rumors of the "crazy Apostle who cooks."
Among them was Lila.
She arrived alone this time, wearing lighter clothes and carrying a smaller bow. Her cheeks were slightly pink — whether from the walk or something else, Tobi couldn't tell.
"You really made food?" she asked, eyeing the steaming pot.
"Special recipe. Try am. If you no like, I refund your emotional damage."
Lila took a small bowl cautiously. The first spoonful made her eyes widen, then water. "It's… really spicy! But good spicy. How did you make this?"
"Secret Naija technique. Trade secret."
They sat together on the stone benches while other adventurers ate nearby, chatting and laughing. For the first time, the dungeon felt less like a death trap and more like a gathering place.
Lila opened up a little. "I grew up in a small village north of here. Lost my parents to a dungeon break when I was twelve. That's why I became an adventurer… to get stronger so no one else has to lose family like that."
Tobi listened quietly, his usual humor softening. "I get am. I lost my own life to ordinary stairs. Life dey show person pepper sometimes."
Lila laughed softly. "You're really strange, Tobi. But… in a good way."
Their moment was interrupted when Nyx pinged urgently.
"She's back. Early. The elf."
Elara Voss strode out of the forest like she owned the entire mountain. Her silver hair caught the morning light, and the massive greatsword on her back looked even more intimidating in daylight.
The gathered adventurers went dead silent.
Elara ignored everyone else and walked straight to Tobi.
"You've improved faster than I expected. Two floors in two days? Impressive."
Tobi stood up, wiping his hands. "Madam Elara. You came for the pepper soup or for round two?"
"Both." She actually smiled — a small, dangerous thing. "But mostly to see if you're worth investing more time in."
She accepted a bowl of pepper soup and ate it without flinching, even though her golden eyes widened slightly at the spice.
"Not bad. Reminds me of dragon pepper from the southern wastes."
While she ate, Tobi showed her the expanded dungeon. Elara tested the traps, fought Uncle Festus (who lasted longer this time), and gave blunt but useful feedback.
"You rely too much on copied skills. Develop your own foundation or you'll hit a wall when facing someone with completely new abilities."
Tobi nodded seriously. "Noted. Teach me then."
Elara raised an eyebrow. "Bold. But alright. I'll stay for three days. Train with me. In exchange, I want twenty percent of all future high-grade mana crystals this dungeon produces."
"Ten percent," Tobi countered immediately.
"Fifteen."
"Deal."
Nyx was screaming internally. "You just gave away fifteen percent to a Gold-rank adventurer you barely know!"
"Relax. She's going to make us stronger. This is called leverage."
The next three days became intense training montage mixed with comedy.
Elara drilled Tobi mercilessly — sword forms, aura control, dungeon management tactics. Lila joined some sessions, creating interesting tension between the two women. Mira from the guild also started showing up more often, saying she was "just curious about the new training methods."
Tobi copied several of Elara's advanced techniques and upgraded them:
New Skill: Void Step → Naija Ghost Step (A-rank)
Short teleportation bursts. When combined with hustle energy, leaves after-images that confuse enemies.
New Skill: Dragon Aura → Hustler's Burning Spirit (S-rank)
Temporary massive power boost fueled by pure ambition and slight annoyance.
By the end of the three days, the dungeon had reached Floor 3 — a forest-themed floor with moving trees and hidden ambushes.
Mana capacity hit 4,800.
Reputation now reached nearby towns.
And Tobi had three girls who were clearly interested in different ways:
Lila: Warm, growing genuine affection, likes his humor.
Elara: Respect mixed with curiosity, tsundere energy.
Mira: Curious and playful, drawn to his unique style.
Nyx finally gave up complaining. "Just don't let them fight inside my dungeon. I need peace."
On the evening of the third day, as Elara prepared to leave temporarily, she placed a hand on Tobi's shoulder.
"The major raid is coming sooner than twelve days. A C-rank guild has announced they're coming to conquer you in six days. Prepare properly, Apostle. I'll return before then."
She leaned in slightly, voice low. "And don't die before I get back. I hate wasting investments."
Then she was gone.
Lila, who had watched the entire exchange, crossed her arms. "She's very… direct."
Tobi chuckled. "Jealous?"
"Shut up." But she was smiling.
Major System Update
Dungeon Name Suggestion Unlocked: The Apostle's Hustle Realm or Nyx's Naija Dungeon
New Quest: Survive/Defeat the Incoming C-Rank Guild Raid
Time Remaining: 6 Days
Reward for Success: Major Rank Up + Mystery Box
Tobi stood at the dungeon entrance as night fell, looking at the stars.
"New world. New challenges. Same hustle."
He turned back inside, already planning Floor 4.
"Time to cook more pepper soup and build an empire."