Dungeon Master of Gods

Chapter 9: Resurrect

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The air in the dungeon had become oppressive. Shadows of the newly summoned beasts danced on the walls, cast by the blue light of the core. My breathing was heavy, and the flow of ED in my body pulsed erratically, reflecting the instability that was beginning to eat away at my mind.

The Guild of Light was coming for me.

The Guild of Light was coming for me. The information still echoed in my memory: these were not simple mid-ranked adventurers; they were an elite. Rumors spoke of a massacre in which, with the same ease as a butcher, the leading swordswoman had reduced entire dungeons to ashes. They said that during that fateful day, her sword drained the magical energy of each enemy, turning it into fuel for her own attacks. The Northern Flame had left a trail of destruction so brutal that even the most veteran spoke of it in whispers.

"What do we know of the leader of the Guild of Light?" I asked, trying to maintain my composure before letting out a sigh.

The entity let out a soft, mocking laugh.

The entity, Fi, let out a soft, mocking laugh, "Oh, dear child, do you not understand what you face? This is not just any swordswoman; it is Eleanor Valcrest. It is rumored that in one of her raids, she reduced three dungeons to ashes in a matter of hours, leaving behind a river of ED and muffled screams. Her sword, the Eye of Torment, does not just cut, it consumes: it drains the magical energy of her enemies and transforms it into devastating force. If she sets foot in my domain, all the ED I have accumulated will become her food.

Hearing her name made me grit my teeth. I had heard it before, but I never thought it would be my problem.

Cold sweat ran down my back. Not only was I in danger; my entire dungeon could be swallowed up by this hellish woman.

As my mind raced, a strange feeling of paranoia settled inside me. I began to hear unintelligible murmurs, voices that seemed to come from the very shadows of the dungeon, as if the structure was watching and judging me. Brief hallucinations mixed with reality: shadows that transformed into menacing faces, and whispers that said, "you too will be consumed."

"I can't face her head on," I muttered to myself. "I need time to reinforce my dominance and come up with a plan that will allow me to survive this assault."

I headed to the core interface and began to scroll through the options with almost desperate speed.

With almost trembling hands, I turned to the core interface and urgently scrolled through the options. "Give me a report of the available ED," I ordered, and the response appeared on the screen: [Accumulated ED: 42,590]

It was a considerable amount, but insufficient for the defense ahead.

I remembered the adventurer I had revived yesterday; she lay at the bottom of the dungeon, trapped in a cycle of passive regeneration, so far only a source of passive ED.

However, at this critical moment, I could transform her into something more..

"Fi, can I... alter her mind?" I asked in a halting voice, as if I feared my words would betray me.

A silence stretched out before the entity responded, its tone laden with an almost dangerous curiosity: "Oh, child, do you wish to make her into something more than a prisoner?"

"I need insurance," I said, clenching my fists. "If the Guild of Light is as strong as you say, I can't just let them destroy the dungeon without consequences."

My fingers ran across the interface until I found the newly unlocked option: [Advanced Manipulation: Soul Alteration]

I activated it without hesitation. A dark glow spread across the room and a new menu emerged. The target was clear: Camila Rathford – A-Rank adventurer, currently in a state of partial resurrection and bound to the dungeon core. I could rewrite her memories, twist her will, and make her my own.

State: Partial Resurrection (Bound to the dungeon core)

I started with something simple:

—Unwavering loyalty to the Dungeon Master.

—Absolute hatred towards the adventurers of the Guild of Light.

—An irrational need to protect the dungeon.

As the modification finished, a chill ran through my body. I had created something new.

Camila was no longer an adventurer.

She was now my Dungeon Guardian.

Her body trembled as she awoke. Her eyes, once filled with fear and resistance, now glowed with a spectral blue glow, reflecting the influence of the core. She looked at me and knelt without hesitation.

—My lord... what are your orders?

A crooked smile formed on my face.

—Prepare the defense. The Guild of Light is on its way.

Hours passed, and the dungeon changed.

I used all available ED to strengthen traps, create illusory passageways, and modify the layout of the labyrinth. The wyverns I had summoned were strategically repositioned, and ethereal shadows patrolled the corridors.

But the jewel of my strategy was Camila.

I had gifted her with new abilities, channeling her old adventuring prowess into something even more lethal. She moved through the halls with unearthly grace, her sword exuding a dark aura that drained the vitality of her enemies.

She was perfect.

And then, the storm came.

The first footsteps echoed at the entrance to the dungeon. Eleanor Valcrest was here.

From deep within my domain, I watched through the eyes of my specters. I watched as a group of figures stepped into the gloom, their movements sure, unwavering.

Eleanor led the way, her sword slung over her shoulder, an ethereal flame dancing on the blade.

Her gaze, cold and predatory, swept every corner, recalling the dark legend that had left behind unspeakable massacres.

The adventurers following her radiated confidence. Mages, archers, warriors... a perfectly balanced team.

The adventurers following her radiated an almost arrogant confidence: mages, archers, warriors... a perfectly balanced team. But, to my eyes, they were not playing; determined to eradicate all signs of weakness.

I felt a pressure in my chest.

They seemed to be hunting hidden rats.

I leaned against the core, feeling the energy vibrate in my skin, and madness whispering in my ear, demanding that I embrace it.

If they were going to hunt me... then I would make them my prey.

The hunt had begun. And this time, the prey wasn't the dungeon... it was its Dungeon Master.