The Castle in the middle of nowhere.

Irene va'Theon the Saintess of Avalon

I blinked a few times and made the fucking Excel sheet disappear. Just stay calm. Act casual...

I exhaled and looked once more.

Yeh…

Amber is probably going to kill me later...

Irene va'Theon the Saintess of Avalon

The Saintess of Avalon, Irene va'Theon, the Wise Oracle, is a faithful priestess of Eriar and she devoted herself to her beloved King Theon, who changed her fate. As the Arch Princess of Avalon, she is second only to Queen Amber. She stands at the side of the King aiding him with her insight...

I stopped reading the description as I noticed I was sweating profusely. That means I'm still human, yes? I shouldn't be this stressed no matter how you look at this situation as a dungeon... right? Right?! I returned to reading.

... The Arch Princess responds to the call of the Archangel and agrees to stay forever by the King's side. She would help Queen Amber to guide his actions and save this world from the clutches of the Fallen. The Saintess is a shining beacon of hope that pierces the darkness of this world.

So I have to add a new tag to my journal now... No, I refuse.

However... Not that I'm... I mean... But damnnnnn...

She's my advisor. I think... Maybe?

Amber and Irene watched my pale face as I sat down slowly on a ruined armless armchair while sporting a somewhat stupid smile. Lanka was still sitting on the bed, a little embarrassed, while covering herself with a soft blanket despite being clothed all this time. Amber looked at Irene and smirked.

"So you too?" She looked straight into Irene's eyes, who immediately started turning red to the tops of her pointy ears.

"I..." Irene started, but Amber once again hugged her.

"Hush. I know." She said and suddenly made a sour face. "But now I only dream about a hot bath. Girls! Let's go. Theon, go find yourself something better to do than destroying chairs."

I used this opportunity to leave the Palace, running away to think about what happened.

I needed a change of pace, so I moved to the training grounds in the spacious hall under the Middle Castle. To be honest, it was not just spacious; it was huge, even enormous. Yeah, enormous would do it justice as it spanned over five hundred metres long and wide. It was twenty-five metres tall, and I used it, as I mentioned before, as the training grounds where my army practises manoeuvres in diverse terrain. Since this place doesn't care about physics, it is bigger inside than outside. Building it took a lot of mana, but it's worth each mana point spent on it as it allows my army to train hidden from anyone.

With a pleasurable smile, I witnessed two hundred Hussars flawlessly changing their charge direction, gently turning into an imagined enemy. I noticed Galahad, who was standing on the top of the hill in a big tent with two walls open, watching the training cautiously.

"Galahad?"

"My King! I'm so glad the Queen and the Saintess are safe!"

"Me too Galahad... Believe me." Despite my new uncertain situation, I really was happy they were safe now. "I made sure it will not happen again. Any problems with the army?"

"No, my King! They all perform perfectly and we employed those tactics you gave us. As you suggested, I tried to counter them with typical strategies used by the inhabitants of this world, and I must admit it was impossible so far." Galahad shook his head. "We are learning this new type of ... Warfare as you call it, my King, but we are ready to field a small army."

"Small?" I asked absentmindedly.

"Only six hundred Knights, of which a hundred evolved into Paladins. Two hundred Hussars and a hundred Archers. Most of the Archers and all the Guards are spread over the walls of Avalon as you ordered, my King."

I nodded and watched the Calvary charge once more. Damn, they look beautiful! But this was not the best place I was hoping for.

•••

"And then I saw the Magic Tower in ruin, Uncle Ragnar!" exclaimed Marie, wiggling her feet from the big seat.

Ragnar, Verni, Uvar, Ikki, and three other dwarves listened to her story.

"But how?" asked terrified Verni, who had visited the Tower many times and saw magic protection employed by Stella.

"Dunno... But the King saved Aunt Irene from under the rubble and sent me here to bring him Priestess Lanka." She shivered as if she felt cold. "The King was scary back then... But when I returned and Miss Lanka healed Irene, the King must have found the Queen..."

She looked in front of her with fear in her eyes. Marie loved the Queen and adored her as much as her own mother. No one dared to interrupt her.

"The Queen... She was all covered with blood and badly wounded. That looked very, very bad, but Lanka started casting her most powerful healing spell and the Queen stopped bleeding. So I think she will be alright." The five-year-old nodded her head with conviction and very quietly added. "I hope..."

"Good thing you showed up at the last second back then, Miss Marie..." added pale Uvar Knys, swallowing loudly.

"The goblins?" Marie asked, looking at him.

"No. A few seconds later and Lanka would have burned her entire mana pool in an attempt to give us a few more minutes of life."

Marie's eyes opened with fear, and they rode a while in silence. Every citizen of Avalon feared what the death of Lady Irene and Queen Amber meant, and no one dared to guess what would happen to them. Verni, Ragnar and Marie looked at themselves with an even deeper understanding of this dire vision.

They knew who King Theon really was.

•••

I was sitting on the battlements of the Middle Castle wall, trying to comprehend what was going on. Everything is moving too fast. Amber, Irene, and my new self. I exhaled and inhaled the fresh air slowly.

When I died, I was 79 years old. However... It seemed so distant now. I know that I loved my family and I know I missed them so much. So what changed? Why did Amber and these people become this important? Why suddenly do I act like a kid who found his first love?

Yes, I promised to save this world. But what does that exactly mean? Should I save the people of this world? Should I save just a chosen few? Or maybe I should save the planet alone?

"What should I save...?"

'Save yourself...'

There were too many questions. But there were some more important questions than others I needed to find the answer to.

The first thing to reconsider would be this world. It's not working like the one I am accustomed to. World Words, or more precisely, the World System, was imposing its rules to some degree on every inhabitant. In my old world, I could be anyone and I was restricted just by my skills and knowledge. However, here the skills are a lot more than a simple set of things you could do...

Oh, fuck you! I slowly can pinpoint problems with my memory. Despite knowing the differences between skills in my old world and skills here, I no longer can clearly describe the said difference. I quickly checked all my knowledge and memories, only to find holes where none should be. For example, I don't remember where I was working my previous entire life; I just have some flashes and images. At the same time, other details I shouldn't remember or know were obvious to me.

I summoned a blank book from the library and started pouring into it all my memories of my previous family and life. I focused as much as I could, seeing that I already lost so many of my precious memories.

"But why? Why was my previous family..."

'Your will to see them once more might push you to fail here.'

But how do I know that? I felt a burning sensation and focused. The Mirror of the Soul, the item I took or received from Eriar. Even this I can't remember clearly. I took it from my inventory and looked at its surface. It was strange as it no longer reflected anything, but I could read the words on its surface despite them being a little glitchy.

"You have to forget your old self to once again..."

To once again what?! I don't want to forget. I never agreed to forget! I once again looked in the mirror and yelled out loud.

"I never agreed to forget!"

But the mirror once again just reflected the face. My face? Or someone else? Have I always looked like that?

The storm was rolling over the horizon, and I waited for it to hit Avalon. I put the book with my personal memories on my lap and, still holding the mirror, I looked at it once more, asking questions. I felt something was off, but couldn't tell what.

"I can safely assume that the World System is a much more complicated and powerful thing than I originally thought."

If I'm right and I just feel I am, then the World System is not just an interface to help the people of this world to survive. What if the System not only displays information but also enforces its effects? When Amber took her role as Queen, she needed just two days to start acting and becoming The Queen of Avalon. She still was Hrrin'a the half-elf in her soul and heart, as she had never forgotten her past, but she was now the Queen of Avalon and always acted accordingly.

As for myself, I also felt some strange urge to be with her, but I was able to resist it...

I reminded myself of how I acted yesterday.

... I was not able to resist it entirely. But I'm not yet at the point where I love her with totally romantic love. It took me almost two weeks to admit I might love Amber. So if I'm right, back then, when Amber told me she loves me, I just had no other option. The World System could just make me say what I said. Nonetheless, she is very important not only as my anchor to humanity but also as that special person. And...

"...I still don't want that feeling to end or die off."

'She will leave you...'

I shook my head, dismissing that thought. Let's sum up the facts. I love Amber. We do not yet act like husband and wife... The key word: yet... The more time passes, the more romantic my love towards her is. I'm more than sure she loves me as a man, despite everything she knows about me. I can say we are behaving like an engaged couple despite sleeping in one bed...

At least she sleeps while I can't anymore. My body pretends to sleep while my consciousness detaches from it and I just tinker with Avalon during the nights or watch my denizens doing their stuff. But she is there, and that simply makes me happy.

As for Irene... What should I do? I would have to be blind not to see her massive crush on me since I rescued them. She has this beauty of Tolkien's Elves and as a normal healthy man... And the dungeon... She is almost as beautiful as Amber. *EKHM* 10/10 *EKHEM* Her stats are as boosted as Amber’s, making her equally powerful.

One of the first things I learned about relationships in this world is the fact that polygamy is normal. No matter which way, as long as all involved parties agree on such an arrangement. For example, I was told that the Queen of Cridia has four husbands. So the question here is not what they consider normal, but what I will accept.

Which will stay an open question for a time being. I mean... Boi. Amber and Irene are just perfect babes. I must be stupid to...

No, stop this thought for now. I have more urgent questions now. Where was I?

On a side note, yes! I finally learnt the name of the Kingdom I'm in: the Cridia Kingdom.

It's incredible what you can learn when you simply ask people around you... Anyway...

The words of Eriar rang in my mind while I was observing the horizon. "Just be yourself. Be the good guy you were on Earth and everything will be alright." Am I still myself? How can I tell if I forget who I was?

"Do I still stay true to myself?"

'They just left you alone without any guidance...'

I felt wrath and defiance burning inside of my soul. No! The Angels and Eriar never mentioned anything about forgetting my past. I looked down in the mirror and froze, as now the words were clear but a little cryptic.

"...her soul followed... But she has forgotten already..."

I looked at words and very slowly noted them down in my memories book. That can mean just about anything. But I understood that the mirror is very, very important.

I was sitting there thinking and asking aloud questions for a long time. And I have found some of the answers where I never suspect them to be. In my own description.

King Theon of Avalon, the Righteous Dungeon.

You were sent to this world by Eriar with the Archangel's blessing to save it. You are now the Dungeon, a being that exists near the passing time of the world. The time is in your favour, as you can channel the experience of your old life. You are a boy in love and an old man in mourning. You are an impatient private and seasoned general. Time no longer binds you. Will you stay human or become a true monster?

I closed my eyes as I smiled. I still remember what was important to humans. It was everything I was thinking about before the Tower exploded.

"This is what it means to be a human."

'No! Be selfish...'

I looked blindly in the distance. But why did Amber become this important? And when? I tried to remember the face of my... Other? Last? I don't know... Wife. Against all odds, I focused and saw her face. But...

"... She looked just like Amber."

'She has stolen her from you!'

This irritating feeling was making me angry. But I held to the original thought and explored it. The other voice was wrong... But what if she... I opened my book of memories. But what if her soul followed? For me, time is just a measure of days and events in Avalon. As long as I have mana, time is just a ticking of a clock.

"What if Amber IS my wife who followed me here?"

'No! She wants to destroy you!'

Get the fuck out of my mind! I shook my head and felt a strange presence nearby. The more I focused on the present time and my surroundings, the more I lost my grasp of the questions that troubled me. But this presence required my full attention. I noticed that something blocked my World System overlay. I almost yelled.

"Where are you, dickhead?!"

•••

The slavers lay lifeless with their hearts torn out. That was... Unfortunate. Not that I'm sad about their deaths, but more the fact that I was not able to conduct proper interrogations, again. My Skeleton Knights who guarded the prisoners were nowhere to be found, so they must have died as well.

"Come out Lord Dickhead! I know you are here." I said calmly, but my voice was full of anger.

'How?'

"How, what?"

'How are you able to resist my call?'

"Because I'm defiant, you bitch."

'We will see... What are you doing?!'

"I'm trapping you."

'Wait... No! That's illegal!'

"They ran... What a cowardly piece of shit!" I looked around and yelled. "And don't you fucking dare to return to Avalon ever fucking again! BITCH!"

I sighed and ordered my skeleton guards to bury the slavers. So... Classic. And rather disappointing, to be honest. We have a dark presence that deemed killing slavers its priority. It also whispered to me some bullshit about Amber. However, it's rather sloppy in its attempts. Or my own skills saved me. Dunno.

How does that go? If you find the enemies, you are heading in the right direction. I smiled now. Something is messing with my mind and memory.

"Does he look like a bitch?" I asked the air a classic question and crossed my arms behind my back. I moved slowly towards the Palace.

I need to find out what is real and what only seems to be the truth. I have plenty of new things to reconsider now. The death of the slavers at least gave me something, namely that my mana vault is now able to hold fifteen million mana.

•••

Amber giggled when Theon teleported away. He is so cute when embarrassed. She clapped her hands twice and a Slime Maid entered the bedroom.

"Would you be so kind as to clean this mess?" Amber asked.

"Yes, my Queen," the maid replied and started with dissolving splinters of wood and remnants of the armchair.

Amber smiled when she took Lanka and Irene in tow and left the room. Despite timid protests from the women, she opened the doors to a large private bathroom and then let them go. With a dose of disgust, she removed the torn remnants of her dress soaked in her blood and threw it away from the bathroom with a sigh. She had liked that dress.

"What are you waiting for? We are all ladies here." She entered a very large open shower and turned on the water that softly cleaned her body of dried blood, grime, and who knows what else.

"Oh, gods..." whispered Lanka, who saw large and ugly scars all over the Queen's body. Irene took off her dress as well and joined Amber.

"Lanka, come on. I can't just let you go when you need some rest and care." Said the Queen as she used some strange potion that turned into a massive carpet of bubbles over her hair and body.

Lanka caught an amazingly sweet scent. She looked at herself, and if she had to be honest, she just felt dirty. With a sigh, she started taking off her clothes.

After a quick shower, the Queen opened the next door deeper into the bathroom and the two women followed her more confidently now. Amber entered a very large bath, or rather small swimming pool with only her head sticking out when she lay down in the water. After a brief hesitation, Irene and Lanka joined her. They lay in hot water, enjoying the bath for a few moments in silence, when Lanka gasped.

"My Queen! Your scars!" She was shocked.

"When we lay naked in one bath you are allowed to call me just Amber," giggled Amber as fixed her long hair that miraculously survived the catastrophe. "We are in Avalon, Lanka. Look at your own scars."

Lanka glanced at her arm where her most recent scar was, but in shock, she noticed it was gone. Lanka stood up in a splash of water and looked at her belly where a big scar used to be, and in astonishment, touched it. She touched the side of her head and felt soft skin where the other ugly scar was.

"How...?" She managed to say just that.

"Lanka, you have drunk juice from the fruits of Avalon. You felt its effects yourself and now you have washed yourself using Avalon's wonderful soaps and washing gels. All these items have incredible effects, as you can see."

Irene twisted in the water, putting her head over her crossed arms on the poolside. She sighed with pleasure and added.

"The same effect will be felt by the people in the Village, but at a much slower rate. King considers you all the citizens of Avalon. He wants to protect us all."

Lanka sat down and thought for a moment. She gazed at the two incredible women who clearly were connected to the King, and then looked around the room, admiring the rich decorations and other things she had never seen before.

"Why is this dungeon so different?"

'It's not. It will kill you all.'

She looked around, scared by the ominous voice, but the reaction of Queen and Lady Irene was straight opposite. Lanka felt the incredible pressure of mana surrounding her. The Queen shouted.

"SHOW YOURSELF!" She was standing with blue fire in her eyes, ready to unleash her power once again.

"HOLY FIELD!" Lady Irene was covered by a pillar of golden light that spread all over the place, and Lanka was sure it covered the entire Avalon.

But the strange presence was already gone. They sat down in the water, looking at each other.

"No! He would never do such a thing. Avalon is a fortress against the darkness that is consuming this world. This is The Righteous Dungeon and we must do everything to help him," said the Queen slowly and purposefully.

"Him?" Lanka asked timidly, though she somehow knew the answer. "King Theon is the Core."

"Yes, Lanka. And he will need the help of all people of goodwill in this world."

"But... But what does he plan to do?" Asked Lanka, deeply shocked.

"He wants to save this world."

•••

I entered the living room in the Palace whistling merrily and closed the doors behind me. Amber, Irene and Lanka were sitting at the table talking and eating dinner. Amber was wearing a long golden-blue dress and had combed her flaming-red hair wonderfully. Irene was wearing a similarly long but laced white slim dress that made her look simply stunning as her pitch-black long hair fell loosely in soft waves at her back. Lanka was wearing a less formal but also a very good-looking yellow dress that matched her silvery-blond hair.

"Good evening my Ladies. It's good to see you in good health." I smiled lightly.

"Thank you, my King. Will you join us?" Amber responded with a smile.

"In a moment. You all must know a few things." I sighed and shook my head and they looked at me, surprised. "An enemy infiltrated the prison and killed the slavers. I tell you this because I have no idea what or who it was. I almost trapped him, but he fled at the last minute, however, I sensed his feelings. At first, it was contempt, then it turned to anger, but in the end, there was only animalistic fear for his life. I don't think he will try ever again... *Sigh*... Unfortunately, since I would capture that thing for sure."

They looked at themselves and Amber spoke slowly.. "We heard it as well. A voice full of vicious evil and poison."

"That would be him or it. Sounded like a man to me." I nodded and sat down. "Also, I discovered that I was under constant attack this whole time."

I saw fear in their eyes, but I raised my hand to calm them down.

"I lost many of my memories and even something was messing with my reasoning or even time perception. However, I think it was connected with that presence that ran away. Maybe..." I shrugged.

"So what do you plan to do about it now?" Amber asked calmly. I felt the worried looks of Irene and Lanka.

"Nothing, or at least I will pretend to do nothing. I will allow it to think it's safe. However, I'm going to reinforce Avalon, and we must prepare." I smiled, baring my teeth.

“Prepare for what?” Lanka asked timidly, as she had no idea why she was allowed to hear this.

"Prepare for war, Lady Lanka of Avalon."