The Castle in the middle of nowhere.

Ten class quests later, I was at two million mana. This was my untouchable reserve, end of story. People were a bit disappointed, but I managed to sell them a bullshit excuse story that Dungeon is still young and can't give more than ten class quests at once. They bought that without batting an eye. Their main concern was to make sure they quickly finish their missions so others could take class quests as well. To efficiently do that, they started organising parties. However, Auburn made a point that everyone with a class quest goes and does them themselves. I couldn't blame them for instinctively looking for a party willing to help. I would have done the same in their shoes.

I dropped some exploration and gathering quests and called it a day. When I was about to evacuate, the doors to the guild hall popped open and Ragnar rolled in. He quickly made his way towards me and properly bowed.

"My Lord! I was not aware you were here!"

"Hello, Ragnar. I'm more surprised that you managed to leave your forge!" I grinned at my Forge Master. "What brings you here?"

"Well, I had to pay what I owed to the adventurers for their little help last time, my Lord," Ragnar responded, grinning at Knys. "I know Verni and I promised you our services, however, I think we made something better!"

Ignoring the slightly disappointed face of an Orc who was about to waive a quest request and demand the promised payment, Ragnar put his hand on a table, showing off an iron ring. Everyone nearby tried to figure out what the hell was so special about it, but Ragnar spoiled the fun.

"This is a joint effort between Verni’s work and mine. A rare grade item- a small ring of holding," he announced proudly.

Everyone, even I, looked at him in silence. While I was aware that Verni possessed the ability to make spatial enchantments, I was not aware he could make such a valuable item. I somehow had built-in inventory space, but I was a dungeon, so it did not count. When you think about it, the entirety of Avalon is my inventory holding space...

"Do you want to give us rings of holding?" Knys spoke very slowly, like a man who was trying to check if what he had heard was true or just some joke.

"That's right. Rings for every original guild member." When he raised his palm over the table, two rings popped out from the thin air. "Try them. Miss Idna, Guild Master."

"But I was in the guild hall all this time..." Idna started, but Ragnar just waved his hand, interrupting her.

"In the end, we employed the entire guild. I also included you, Miss Idna."

She wanted to protest more, but she gave up when she saw his facial expression saying 'Go on, argue with me, I have all day...' Instead of wasting her time, she just sighed and took the ring. It looked simple, but it was very stylish. I looked at Knys, who put his on with trembling hands.

"Ok. So now just focus on the thing you hold in your hand and imagine you’re placing it in an invisible bag or box," Ragnar instructed them.

"That's incredible!" Idna exclaimed with amazement in her voice, watching her notebook disappear, making everyone watching gasp in awe.

"So? What do you think, people? Will these rings be good enough as rewards for that quest?" Ragnar turned around to see the faces of other adventurers, but they all were equally excited.

"Mister Ragnar, but these rings..." Knys started, holding the incredible item like his biggest treasure.

"Verni and I sat and thought about what you people will really need. At first, we wanted to just forge some weapons for you, but truth be told, they will be outdated as soon as you start delving deeper and deeper into combat zones. What you really need is some means of carrying your loot. While we know you all like your backpacks, these are a bit better." He smirked while everyone started laughing. "It's a small ring, so that means it's just a cubic metre of storage space. You will be able to feel what items you can store inside and what can't fit, as well as how much space is still available."

"Ragnar, while I believe your idea is great, I think you can post a quest or even sell these or various grade items of holding to Everlight adventurers. Our friendly guild gained new members who would like to have their rings as well." I casually threw that idea into the discussion and I could touch the excitement in the air. "So I leave you to discuss the details. Good luck."

I slowly walked away, leaving the excited adventurers behind. Their excitement reminded me of my personal problem. Counterintuitive, I know, regardless, I would need to expand my underground levels sooner than later. I had fallen straight into my own trap because I had developed asymmetrically, which led to further problems. I went upstairs, still thinking about my income problems...

Well... For starters, let's go for easy mana the way preferred by local dungeons. More or less. Time to thin the population of nearby bandits. I prepared orders for Arani and Thor. My field army would be better, but I didn't want anyone to see it.

For now.

•••

"Dahlia! Hey? Dahlia...?" A scared child's voice sounded through the snow-covered clearing in the forest.

"She is dead. Leave her!" a sharp female voice ordered.

A few cracks of a whip cut the air and a group of slaves moved away, rushed by a large contingent of slavers and mercenaries. The slaves were moved from smaller camps to bigger ones since they got the news that three other camps were destroyed by some beasts, which were probably some unknown type of beasts that had arrived this year.

Dahlia was not dead yet, however, very close to it. She was freezing to death; unable to move, unable to wake up, unable to cry for help. Suddenly she felt an incredible warmth, and she cried. She once was saved from freezing to death and while dying back then, she felt the same incredible warmth. But this time, there would be no one to wake her up. A few months back, she had been a free person about to start trials meant to obtain a class. But now she was just a slave. She hated her fate, and she hated to be a slave.

But most of all, she hated to die so young.

•••

Thor was sitting in the clearing, holding a wolfkin girl in his fur. His scouts had tracked a group of slavers and brought all their slaves back. He sent the rescued slaves to Avalon with two Shadow Wolves. The girl was slowly returning to her senses, but was too weak to survive the voyage through the shadow realm. His two strongest subordinates held the two bandit leaders. Other wolves brought ten more surviving slavers and mercenaries and kept them before him. Thor fixed his fur to better heat the recovering girl and, with his gaze, pierced the two highest-ranking bandits.

"Do you know who I am?" he asked in his deep, pleasant voice.

"It speaks!" the Orc woman squealed.

"Shut up, you idiot!" The giant Lizardfolk silenced her while he shivered from the cold. "I don't care who you are, dog!"

"Tell me who you work for," Thor commanded with a bored yawn. "You really thought, lizard, that your Intimidation skill will work on me?"

"We won't say anything!" the woman yelled. She was terrified and just wanted to look tough, but all the wolves could smell her fear. Thor's Intimidation Aura was suppressing the bandits' rational thinking and cranking up all their fears.

"Listen, all of you, vagabonds and trash. I feel generous today so I will release the person who tells me what I want to know. Everyone else will die." Thor looked at everyone present. His wolves started growling menacingly in the background, making a few bandits piss themselves. "Oh, and don't worry. We will start by biting off the smaller pieces, so if you change your mind, you can always start talking. So? Anyone?"

They started begging for mercy, which amused Thor so much he started laughing. It woke up the wolfkin girl who gasped, terrified. But Thor simply moved his paw and held her, burying her deeper into his warm fur. At first, she tried to free herself, but ultimately, she stopped struggling.

"I see you are awake. What's your name?" Thor ignored the struggling and begging bandits while his wolves licked them as if they were tasting them.

"I'm Dahlia... You are talking? You..." She made a shocked face when she looked at Thor's large and proud face. His head alone was almost as big as she was. "You are Fenrir!"

"Yes, I am." Thor nodded, seeing the bandits who heard the girl. He saw and smelled their fear soaring sky-high. "You are safe now, Dahlia. But you are still weak and cold. Stay hidden in my fur and you may live, but walk away and for sure you will die."

"I will. Thank you..." She curled herself as much as she could deep inside Thor's thick fur and felt her stomach rumbling from hunger.

"I think I gave you enough time to think. You! Talk." Thor looked at the one Half-Orc bandit.

"I work for Hyklan!" He pointed at the Lizardkin.

"You, who pays you?" Thor asked the other mercenary.

"I will tell you nothing, dog. Pfyt." He spat towards Thor, but started screaming when one of the wolves bit the fingers off of his right hand.

"Please... Do you really think we care? If you tell us nothing, we will move to the next camp, then the next, and finally we will find your master. Bark more, little doggy." Thor chuckled at the mercenary’s screams.

"You will die, Fenrir," Hyklan hissed at Thor.

"Then I will respawn. What about you? Can you respawn?" Now they were all scared to death. Some of them soiled themselves and others started sobbing. Thor mocked them with disgust in his voice. "Oh my, my... You killed, enslaved and mutilated so many people, but now you are scared of dying? You pathetic pieces of shit."

Dahlia watched the interrogation with a smile. These bandits would die, she was sure of that. Dahlia could only hope they would resist as much as possible. She looked at her hands and saw the tips of her fingers frozen off. She started crying, but then, right in front of the mighty Fenrir, a shadow wolf jumped out from the shadows. This shadow wolf carried a rider.

"That… was… incredible! Do it one more time!" the young Elf yelled. Dahlia noticed the Elf was wearing a dark long coat, under which was hidden a shimmering metal armour.

"Ahhhh... Welcome, Auburn. While Lady Lanka is currently on a quest, one of my subordinates informed me you were free at the guild."

"I'm so sorry...!" He bowed awkwardly toward the giant wolf, which he somehow overlooked.

"Dahlia, you can come out now. Please, Auburn, heal her."

"Umm... Who?" Auburn looked around confused, absolutely ignoring bandits begging for his help. From under Thor's long and fluffy fur emerged Dahlia, who was crying.

"Oh no... RESTORATION!" He pointed at Dahlia with his impressive heavy mace, and in an instant, she felt much better.

He then moved a few steps closer to Thor and smashed the ground with his weapon, clearing a small patch of land from the snow. From his backpack, he picked up dry wood and swiftly lit it to make a campfire. When the fire was roaring, he put a metal pot to heat, starting to warm up an insanely good-smelling food.

"You are Dahlia, right? My name is Auburn. Please sit down." He pointed at his backpack as he laid it on the ground. She timidly walked by and sat down, shivering, but he immediately covered her under a thick and warm blanket. "It's all right, Miss. You are free and safe now."

He waited a bit until the food got warm and gave a big portion of stew to Dahlia. She took it with gratitude, not understanding how she and this Elf were still alive. She must be dreaming. It is a dream just before death. That made sense to her, at least.

"Ey! You brat, why won’t you help us?" the Lizardkin yelled at Auburn, who stood up and went over to him holding his mace.

"Hooo? You talking to me?" Elf asked very slowly and looked at Thor, who nodded his head slightly.

Auburn, with a short swing, shattered the arm of the large Lizardkin. The Orc woman started screaming when his blood covered her face, while her companion wailed and cried, still held by one of Thor's Fenrirs.

"What's wrong with you, brat?!" the Orc woman screamed.

"With me? What's wrong with me?" Auburn slowly crossed over to the mad, scary woman who tried to break free in response. Auburn used the tip of his mace to lift her head and force her to look into his eyes. "You are exactly like my father told me. Strong only in packs and able only to fight those weaker than you. What's wrong with me? Hmmm... Maybe some piece of shit like you enslaved my sister and mother?"

"I beg you..." she squealed and screamed with pain when the heavy mace crushed her thigh, making her fall.

"Oh... And when was the last time when you listened to someone who begged you for mercy?" the Elf asked before adding with a cold, cruel smile, "Heal..."

The Lizardkin and Orc woman, with fear, discovered their wounds healed completely. The other bandits were catatonic, causing Thor to smile. He liked this kid. Even without investigation skills, he would make them talk. Thor looked at the Wolfkin girl, who was slowly eating her food to not overstrain her empty stomach. But in her eyes, Thor could see only happiness and satisfaction. He growled angrily. "This is your last chance. You can speak to me or I leave you to the boy. Who and where is your master?"

"Go to hell!" the Lizardkin yelled while the Orc woman just clenched her teeth. The lesser bandits also refused to say anything.

"Take them..." Thor ordered with a bored tone.

The Shadow wolves snarled and took everyone besides the bandit leaders to the shadow realm. But this time, the wolves took their time. With long howls, they made them sink slowly into the ground while bandits screamed and cried for help. It took more than two minutes, full of screams and desperate begging, until they disappeared entirely. Dahlia, after eating a whole bowl of stew, looked at the pot and wondered if she would be able to convince the Elf to give her one more helping.

"Help yourself, Miss Dahlia. Auburn is a little busy and I can't help you, unfortunately," Thor said to the wolfkin girl from above and added with an apologizing tone. "You see, it's hard to pour a stew without hands..."

•••

Auburn was beating the bandits, breaking bones and crushing limbs over and over again, before healing them over and over just in time. Dahlia was finally full now, feeling warm and incredibly safe near the Holy Fenrir. But no matter how much she loved the spectacle, Auburn demonstrated that he wasn't going anywhere soon. Not like he cared that much, either. Dahlia stood up and found a relatively dry, thick branch, spending some time preparing a sharpened stick from it. She then put its pointy end into the campfire until it almost caught fire. Then she quickly put the tip into the snow and repeated the process several times until she was satisfied.

"I think you’re wasting your time, Mister Auburn," she said after fifteen minutes of her work.

"Oh... You are wrong, Miss Dahlia." Auburn said, merrily shattering the Orc woman's leg for the twentieth time. "You see, this bitch enslaved my mother and sister seven years ago just to kill them in some dungeon. And that lizard over there killed my father."

The Orc looked at Auburn. She was beyond terrified, covered in her own blood and viscera as she rolled in her own faeces. Auburn had been massacring them both for about an hour while the wolves just sat in silence and watched. Thor looked like he was asleep, indifferent to the fate of the slavers. Dahlia, however, was still in a trance where she was thinking it was just a dream. So she planned to take revenge on the slavers who killed her, her family and her little brother as well. Even if it was just a dream.

"I think you should just do this."

She pierced the Lizardkin's stomach with her fire-hardened thick stick. He started screaming and wailing, too terrified and too weak now to put up any fight. Thor opened one eye and watched the young Wolfkin with curiosity as she gracefully hopped on top of the stick, mercilessly piercing the bandit to the muddy ground. He flailed his arms and legs around helplessly, scratching deep bruises into the muddy soil as he puked blood.

"Please..." he whispered weakly.

"So tell us what we want to know," Dahlia replied sweetly as she jumped down from the stake.

"Wait... We want to learn something from them?" Auburn hammered the stake deeper into the ground with the tip of his mace. "I just want that bitch to suffer before I kill her."

"No! No! Enough! Please! I will speak..." she said through her tears, surrounded by snarling wolves. Her clothes were torn, and she was getting cold with every moment passing. The Lizardkin looked like he wanted to say something, but was too busy holding a wound pierced by the wide stick, coughing purple blood.

"Traitor!" He managed to say between coughs.

"Oh? Do we have a winner?" Thor pretended he had just woken up from his nap and looked at the Orc woman.

"We serve The Church of New Order!" she screamed. "Our orders are simple. We have to capture anyone weak all over the kingdom and make sure all dungeons are bloodthirsty, or at least murderous!"

"Who is your master?" Dahlia asked quickly as she brandished a dagger she had found in a pile of bandits' belongings.

"The person who gave me the order is high priest Yukanna in the city of Guurna. But I don't know anything more!" she started sobbing.

"Bullshit! Tell us where your main camp is!" Dahlia started walking toward the Orc woman with the dagger. The Orc tried to back away, but she bounced off a shadow wolf, who snarled in response.

"It's half a day southeast of Guurna! Please don't kill me!" She kneeled, pressing her face into the ground.

"Why not? You killed me, so I can take revenge in my final dream..." She felt a hand holding her back. It belonged to Auburn.

"That's enough, Dahlia." Thor was standing behind him, dwarfing the tall Elf. "I promised we would release one who told us what we wanted to know. She did that, so she is now free."

Dahlia noticed the campfire was gone, and all bandit weapons and supplies as well. The Lizardkin had also disappeared. Auburn, still holding her hand, pulled her to himself and suddenly the world vanished, covered by the darkness.

Dahlia still could feel the Elf's warmth when she smiled and closed her eyes. The hallucination was over; she had died...

•••

Asgna looked around herself in fear, but there was only silence everywhere. She was bruised and beaten, but alive. Fenrir, that large wolf pack, and the lunatic Elf were gone. Asgna tried to stand up, but she stumbled and fell. In a panic, she looked down and saw her feet were frostbitten. She started screaming when she realised she had been left to rot in the middle of the forest.

•••

I sat in one of the Guild Hall rooms, listening to the report made by Thor and Auburn. Thor was sitting, still covering the wolfkin girl called Dahlia. She was still cold, but Irene had reverted all the damage made by frost, and it was clear she would eventually recover.

"So you basically beat these two bandit leaders almost to death, then you healed them and repeated the process until they broke and started talking?" I asked with a neutral facial expression.

"Well... Yes?" Auburn asked, suddenly not so sure if he should be this proud of himself.

I sighed. Yeah... Whatever. I got the intel. Was I really angry about how they obtained it? Well yes, but actually, no. After I learned Auburn's story, how could I be angry? Torturers are bad? I didn't think there was someone in this world, except me, who would think twice before deciding to torture people. I didn't have to torture people. I just need them to respond yes or no and my Truth Seeker would do the rest. But I would have to make them speak in the first place. Don't try to shove me some bullshit about ethics or my conscience. We were talking about slavers here. They stopped being people in my eyes once they started their job. They were worse than murderous dungeons.

"It's fine, Auburn." I waved my hand to calm him down, and added, seeing his still worried face. "You did well. You can go."

"Thank you, my Lord!" He stood up and bowed to me. "Thank you for the opportunity to avenge my family."

After that, he left the room, leaving us in silence. I rested my head on my hands, looking into the distance.

"My Lord... I should stop him." Thor started, but I just laughed.

"Violence is part of this world, but why did these slavers act so..." I was at a loss for words.

"Pathetic?"

"Yes. Thank you." I looked around. "Who said that?"

"It would be me..." Dahlia crawled from under Thor's fur. She looked around in fear and quickly kneeled, putting both her arms on the floor. "Please, Master... Don't kill me."

"No Dahlia, I don't think that's necessary. Please stand up." She timidly stood up, still a little shaken. "I see you have an interesting class. Would you like to work for me?"

She looked at her hands, and with surprise, she saw she was all right. Idna had changed her clothes because the rags she was wearing before were humiliating. Now she was wearing a warm leather duster-like coat over a nice pair of pants and blouse. She looked at her high shoes before noticing her armoured gloves.

"But who are you, my Lord?" she asked with her head still bowed.

"That depends," I replied with a smile.

She finally looked straight into my eyes, and I heard her gasp. She made a step backwards, but I caught a glimpse of a grimace on her face, changing from fear to iron-like resolve. She clenched her fists and kneeled on her right knee, still looking straight into my eyes.

"Will you allow me to hunt down slavers and bandits, my Lord?" she asked with a firm voice.

"Oh yes. Definitely." I saw her exhale.

"I pledge my loyalty and life to you, my Lord," she declared without hesitation, still looking straight into my eyes.

With a cold smile, I stood up from my armchair and went closer to Dahlia, who was still kneeling. I summoned an incredible rapier made by Ragnar and pointed its hilt towards her. While she gazed at me with little understanding, I accepted her plea, making her my resident. I saw how her eyes went wide when she received confirmation from the system.

"I, King Theon of Avalon, the Righteous Dungeon, accept your oath. Serve me faithfully and with devotion, lifting your sword only for a just cause. Be a shield for the weak and the wrath of justice for all villains. Take this sword as a symbol of your resolve, a symbol of your new life!" I said slowly and saw her fear turn into understanding.

She wagged her white-furred tail and flicked her ears. In her deep steel eyes, I saw the spark of fire. She reached out firmly for the long blade, and with her right hand, she smoothly brandished it. With one elegant motion, she rested the bare blade on the palm of her left hand and raised the rapier over her head towards me.

"I swear to serve you faithfully until the end of my days. My blade is at your beck and call, my Lord."

"Then rise, Inquisitor Dahlia. There is much you must learn."